Video phone. Security system or expensive toy?

Suppose you have in mind to install video door in a city apartment or at his country house. However, with this equipment close you are unfamiliar, and therefore it is not surprising that you have many questions. Video phone can really secure or is it just an expensive toy? What equipment do you choose? How much is a video phone? Make the right decision will help you expert advice. Why I picked up this story? To answer this question, just type in any search engine the word "video phone". Typing in "Yandex" is a word, I received a list of 27,307 pages. What I saw? Numerous proposals trade organizations to purchase essential equipment for video intercom mostly Asian manufacturers at a relatively well-established prices, and additional accessories. After reviewing hundreds of links, I with great difficulty found a very small number of analytical materials designed to the final consumer. More than that - some of the studied material seemed to me quite controversial. If an engineer for many years heavily involved the installation of video intercom and all sorts of supplements, had difficulty in the study of analytical materials on the subject, what can we say about the ordinary user? As a mere consumer to make the right decision? How to respond to simple questions: 1. Video phone - a security system or expensive toy? 2. How much is a good video phone? 3. And the need is even video phone? Leaning on his own long experience of installations and experience of my workmates, I will try to answer these questions the examples most often used in practice of individual video intercom equipment for city apartments and suburban homes. I will not delve into the details of the components entryphone, because such information is already sufficient. How to select the hardware? Major suppliers of video intercom to Russia - South Korean firms and Commax Kocom. This equipment is optimized for price / performance ratio and are quite satisfied with most consumers. The only difference in some of the functionality and appearance. Of course, there are other options, such as video intercoms Japanese firm Aiphone. But with all the advantages of this equipment and some additional features, it has one major drawback: the high price. With almost equal the cost of functionality of the system built on the equipment Aiphone, is 2-2,5 times higher than Korean counterparts. Of course, and this production has its own consumers, but the scope of their extremely narrow. Specialties negotiation-Of calling video intercom units usually have a more attractive appearance and downward adjustment of the camcorder. However, taking into account local conditions, in most cases use domestic products in a vandal-resistant. Of calling virtually all units have built-in infrared illumination with a range of about 0.5 m. If you have any doubts about the necessity of any additional devices (eg, memory block or an additional camera), select the main monitor with the ability to connect these devices in the future. Overpaid $ 3-5 today, you make it easy to build the system if necessary. I would like to caution against the installation of two-wire video intercom. Such devices are much harder to maintain and repair. Therefore, their application is justified only when used in an existing two-wire line and there is no possibility of laying additional wires. And of course, we are talking mainly about black and white video intercom. Who could say what, but the quality of LCD color monitors still leaves much to be desired, and the sensitivity of black and white video cameras is higher than in color. And the cost of similar color are 2-3 times higher. Of course, unless you want to install the video phone itself, it is best to entrust the complete set of systems, including wireline, specialist installation company that you trust your installation entryphone. Video phone in a city apartment Optimal setting individual entryphone in a city apartment requires a space on the staircase, fenced off extra metal door. In this case, the main unit is set ringing for an additional door. The door is equipped with remote-controlled electromagnetic latch or magnetic lock. When installing a magnetic lock is advisable to install door closer. Depending on the configuration of the landing of the space inside the fenced off set any additional ringing unit, or a miniature video camera that provides an overview of the space inside the fenced off. The cost of installing such a system on a turnkey basis generally in the range 500-600 USD. If there is an agreement between the neighbors on the floor much easier to install special maloabonentsky ringing block having a separate call button for each apartment. In contrast to the multi-site (access) systems, here we use the standard monitors individual video intercom that allows you to use part of such a system already installed equipment. All other components are the same as in the previous example. The cost of installing a turnkey system to a 4 apartments typically in the range 900-1000 USD. That is, the unit cost in terms of one apartment turns up to 2-2,5 times lower than in single-family version. It is quite natural, since locking, ringing the block and additional video cameras will be common to all subscribers. Of course, in all cases in order to reduce the cost can refuse to install electric lock and (or) additional cameras. In my opinion, this approach video phone loses much of the useful qualities as an element of security and turns quickly into a toy. Video phone in a country house in most cases, the optimal composition entryphone equipment for a country house will be almost the same as in the case of single-family video door. But there are some special features. In order for video phone in a country house became a full-fledged part of the electronic security system is necessary to observe additional conditions. For example, steel grilles or shutters on the windows when attempting to penetrate the attacker provides a host of extra time at home to take protective measures. In the absence of the simplest elements of video phone turns into a toy. The main calling device is installed near the entrance gate of the plot, equipped with a remotely controlled lock. In most cases, the absence of a more or less serious fence, this castle provides protection mainly from drafts and from stray dogs. This part of the system is more service devices, relieving the owner from the need for bad weather to go out to open the gate to the visitor. Even in specialized sources are encountered with the opinion that blocks Of calling intercom and electric locks malfunction in outdoor conditions. In this regard, some "experts" offer even completely abandon the use of these devices. Allow myself to strongly disagree with such views. Indeed, we do not refuse, for example, from the use of a car, scooter, snowmobile or watercraft only for the fact that these mechanisms require periodic refilling consumable liquids and maintenance. Many years of experience in outdoor video intercom installation allows us to conclude that the reliability of street entryphone Managed lock on 80% determined by professional installation and 20% - timely maintenance. And so the problem of how these costs are necessary, the user must decide. The cost of a standard system consisting of a monitor, the main ringer unit, electromechanical or electromagnetic lock and additional cameras will be 700-1000 USD. Wide variation in cost is largely determined by the length of cable trunk of their way to strip and distant objects from the city. Additional features and custom options in small urban apartment or a small country house in need of any extensions are usually absent. Another thing a large yard with several buildings on it or a multi-level apartment. In these cases, usually the practice of placing one or more additional monitors to control the ringer and the castle from across the houses or apartments. If there are two doors or gates of input gates monitors provide control of two locks on the user's choice. If the home is installed digital multi audiodomofon, monitor, video door can be used instead of negotiating the tube audiodomofona. To do this you must install a special interface device. There are models of monitors, in which a device is already built. The cost of such devices 40-60 USD. Other add-ons can be a block of memory, a storage of 16 to 64 frames of images of visitors by pressing the button takeout. Please be aware that if you disable the supply voltage memory is erased. Therefore, in order to block memory was not just a toy, but an element of security to include as part of an uninterruptible power supply. This is a regular memory devices built into the monitor entryphone or acquired as a prefix to it. You can also use separate storage devices with non-volatile flash-memory. Currently, such devices are available with memory capacity up to 170 frames. The cost of such devices 100-200 USD. Sometimes customers are asked to duplicate the image with a door camera on a TV screen. This problem is easily solved by installing a special device - a TV signal modulator. Video, transferred to a high frequency, mixed up in houses or apartments distributive network with the signal from a TV antenna. The estimated cost of such additions of about 100 USD. The above figures only refer to the order of the cost of additional devices. In practice, in each case, the equipment and its installation cost is determined individually. In the case of a country house a significant portion of the cost could reach underground connecting lines between elements of the system. In constructing the enhanced scheme is desirable to use only standard equipment. Interference with the concept of devices in violation of the internal connections can complicate system maintenance and repair. In practice, there are cases when we had to completely replace all the equipment of the system in case of failure of non-standard devices. There is a certain group of consumers who are not satisfied with the standard equipment entryphone. Typically, in these cases, video phone is not only the additional element of security, but also the subject of prestige. For these consumers are the same Kocom and Commax produce full-color video intercoms. Another option - use of equipment of Japanese firms Aiphone. On the basis of this equipment can be built almost any of the above systems, including an additional subsystem internal communication, remote control several locks, etc. The cost of such a system may be an order of magnitude higher than the standard versions.