Intelligent video surveillance promises to boost security effectiveness by automatically alerting personnel to take action when a security violation occurs. In theory, this frees security guards from the monotony of watching a large number of video displays. Use of such “video analytics” leverages the inherent strengths of machines and people: Automated sensors never tire, can cover large distances, and “see” what the eye would miss, even in the absolute darkness. People can then make smart response decisions. And for many indoor surveillance applications, this is often the case.
When it comes to outdoor surveillance, too often the reality is different. Outdoors, the security officer who was supposed to be more efficient now spends his time dealing with nuisance alarms that result when a gust of wind or a change in lighting triggers the video detection system inappropriately. As a result, security personnel come to distrust the system, and may tune down the detection sensitivity or possibly even turn off the alerts themselves.
Some facilities have hundreds of nuisance alarms every week. One reason is that video intrusion detection systems are often being used outdoors in applications for which they weren’t designed. The time security personnel spend addressing these nuisance alarms can negate the claimed efficiency advantages of intelligent video, while redirecting their efforts away from other areas of security importance.
The key to eliminating nuisance alarms outdoors is to use technology designed for outdoor applications rather than mis-applying analytics intended for more controlled indoor surroundings. Indoors, a camera only needs to see a limited field of view in typically controlled surroundings. It’s a mistake to apply the same technologies to monitor critical infrastructure applications such as transportation, energy, utilities or large campuses in the outdoors where conditions are continually changing.
Consider the typical outdoor surveillance scene: Cameras are mounted high on poles which shake from even a slight wind or vibration. Clouds are moving across the sky, creating shadows on the ground that appear to the camera as moving objects. Trees and their leaves flap in the breeze, further creating the appearance of moving objects. When you add in snow, rain, humidity and dust, such a dynamic environment will wreak havoc for video analytics not intended to operate under such conditions.
Using intelligent video to secure large outdoor venues requires the use of specific technologies like sufficient on-board camera processing power to overcome lighting and weather issues and accurately detect and track legitimate targets from extraneous surrounding motion and clutter. Such systems can also employ geographic information system (GIS) coordinates to determine a target’s location, size and velocity, even over large fields of view.
There are cost savings associated with such an approach. That’s because the same image processing that gives these cameras their outdoor detection accuracy also gives them extended range. This increased coverage translates to substantial project cost savings – typically on the order of 50 percent. This is due to elimination of the extra camera poles, construction, trenching, power and network connectivity that would have been required.
Applying the right technologies to video surveillance systems can transform the performance and economics of outdoor security. Reductions in design, construction and installation costs are also possible when truly intelligent long-range cameras provide wide-area coverage with accurate data. The resulting solution will be trusted, help drastically reduce nuisance alarms and represent a truly cost-effective surveillance technology for high-security applications.
By: John Romanowich
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Filed under Business by on Nov 20th, 2010. 
Did Internet Kill the Video Star?
What did we do before video? We had a cute subject line. We had pre-calls made to the client/prospect asking them to “look out” for our important-email. We visited offices with the promise of a follow-up email to relay any facts or info the prospect wanted in writing. This seemed all nice and neat, however; it never really got the attention we thought our product or service deserved. Sometimes they responded to our follow up calls or emails, sometimes they did not.
Now, if you send an email with the promise of a “Personal Video Message from ME!” you will get results. Competing with yesterday’s marketing strategies and methods grows hazardous as world class competitors vigorously challenge each other. Never before have the latest and best marketing and sales practices been more essential in conquering new markets and defending hard-won gains.
Marketers are becoming increasingly convinced of the benefits of video email, social media, and personalization or targeting. Over 80 percent of survey respondents plan to use video emails in 2010 and over 90 percent of SMB marketers plan to integrate social media into their email campaigns this year. With over a 96% increase in click-through rates, isn’t this the kind of attention we want our emails to get?
Interest in video usage is growing, according to Multichannel Merchant’s recent Outlook 2010. Of the 594 respondents who said they sell via catalogs and/or Websites, 46% said they are using rich media to include video on their sites. What’s more, 37.4% said they are using video to help boost their rankings in the search engines.
Use of video is set to increase this year: The Outlook study indicates that 42.3% of merchants will incorporate videos into their Websites in 2010.
With the popularity of video on the web now, it makes sense to cater to the audience that is viewing these videos. Even the older generation can’t seem to escape the “here and now” of video. Trying several different approaches to get the attention of a prospect or a customer by using video will make you stand out from the ordinary emails that fill their inbox everyday. The power of video in marketing is undeniable. See you on the web!
By: Bruce Pressman
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Filed under Business by on Sep 1st, 2010.
In this new economy, a customer service video training can save you lots of aggravation down the road. Why? A small business without a highly effective customer support department will be out of business soon. In today’s economy, customer service is the only competitive advantage our small businesses have. With the advent of technology, the playing field has been leveled between big corporations and the smaller ones. It is no longer the biggest corporations, but the fastest and most reliable ones, that will survive.
But what is your small business to do? How can your small business compete with the big pockets of big corporate giants? How can you set up a highly efficient customer service department without breaking the bank? Actually, this is a great time for small businesses. It is not only much easier, but it is also a lot cheaper. How? In this new economy, businesses will succeed when they concentrate in a niche market. Big corporations on the other hand, have to cover bigger markets to be profitable. This gives your small business a great advantage over big corporations. You can now concentrate your efforts in being the best and most reliable in one or a few niches; instead of trying to be everything to everyone.
How? Well, lets take Amazon.com for example. They sell thousands if not millions of products. They have service personnel trained for each one of these products. Training people and having a customer service video for so many different markets can be a very expensive proposition. Where your small business can take one small sliver of these gigantic markets and totally dominate that niche. But how does this make it easier and cheaper for you? By automating and streamlining your customer service with cloud technology. In simple English, this means “inexpensive” or even free online applications designed specifically to serve customers. Additionally, you won’t need large number of service personnel because now you have reduced your market to fewer and more profitable niches. In many cases, you can even outsource your customer support.
Therefore the key differentiator is to use online customer service technology infrastructure. Paired with effective customer service video training for your clients and employees, you will establish a top of the line, highly effective customer support system. These two combined, will help you crush your competition in your niche market. A lot of the customer service technology is open source and can be downloaded for free. You can even step it up a bit and pay a small monthly fee for more sophisticated, top of the line support systems. This will create lifetime customer loyalty and therefore increase your customer retention.
By: Jacqueline Burgoa
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Filed under Business by on Aug 27th, 2010.
Simply put people don’t want to read anymore. Video content is king as made evident by the exponential growth of websites like; YouTube, uStream, and JustinTV. These video sharing websites create a simple functionality for people to share their content. As a business it’s important to utilize video to target keywords, instill a culture, and brand a message.
Targeting Keywords – in terms of search engine optimization video ranks high in Google’s algorithm. It is important however that the account the video is posted on gains authority. This can be done by page / upload views as well as websites that embed your content. It’s important to utilize a strategy when creating your videos. Try creating a series of videos on the same topic, this will allow Google to realize that you are the authority on that topic and pushing your videos to the top of the list.
Experiment with titles – use a variety of different titles for the same video. You want to host these videos on different websites. Example – if you have a video titled, “How to get a payday loan” on YouTube, when you upload it to Metacafe use the title, “Payday Loan Guide.” This experimentation will allow you to find out what keywords really work best. Do not host the same video with a different title on the same website.
Go Viral – viral videos are hard to define and even more difficult to create. Sometimes it takes a cute kitty or a boy lost in a balloon. Whatever it is you want to create content that people want to share with others. The key to this is short videos that do not feature an overload of information. These simple videos will keep your visitors focused on the main idea that can be anything from your brand to a new product you are promoting.
Become an Expert – rather then create a diverse library of video content focus on one niche at a time. This will allow you to become an expert on this subject and gain authority within search engines as well as within the community that you are appealing to. Do a keyword search and see what your competitors are doing. If there looks like there is an opportunity somewhere you need to take it! Don’t hesitate from moving into a space if it’s not occupied already. Comment on other videos and respond to people who leave a message on yours.
Use Video Testimonials – people trust other people more then bloggers, businesses, or government. Providing an authentic review through a video testimonial adds a personal touch to your business allowing you to connect with your consumer. Embed video testimonials anywhere on your website that your customers head to.
By: Benjamin Hebert
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Filed under Business by on Aug 13th, 2010.
Video game testing jobs are in high demand. Before a game is released, it has to go through a variety of designing and development. Testing is an important part of that development process. Because of this, gaming companies need to hire game testers to make sure that everything works as it should. Since it is so important, testers are paid a nice salary and usually get to keep a free copy of the game.
What are the requirements for a video game testing job? Testing for games is less complicated than designing them. For that reason, most video game testing jobs don’t require a college degree or special skills or knowledge. The majority of the companies will hire you with only a high school education.
Will you need your own consoles to become a video game tester? The answer to this question will vary depending on the specific job. Many companies will give you a console if you don’t already have it available. In fact, special consoles set up for testing are sometimes necessary and must be provided. In other cases, you’ll need your own console to get a video game testing job. Either way, having at least one console will be enough to get your first job.
How much does video game testing pay? This really depends on how much you work and your experience level. The average salary for a video game testing job was $39000 per year in 2008. As with any job, you will get paid more as your experience in the field increases. On top of money, game testers are often compensated with free games and other rewards.
Many people become game testers in order to make their way into a more professional career in the gaming industry like game design or development. Game reviewing is closely related to testing. You will receive advance copies of games and be paid to review them. In fact, testers and reviewers who perform exceptionally well can get invites to E3 and other gaming conferences.
By: Serenity Carson
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Filed under Business by on Jul 26th, 2010.
Monitoring employees has become a controversial topic in today’s society, as people are unsure about the ethical and legal implications of it. Whereas in many other areas people are well aware of potential surveillance, such as when using an ATM at a bank or when walking around in a mall with many retail stores watching for shoplifters, people do not expect employee video surveillance at their place of work.
But there are many reasons for employers to monitor their employees. In a case with high value merchandise or materials, an employer may want to guard against theft. In other cases, unsupervised employees may slack off and waste time. And in other cases employees may misuse expensive or delicate equipment or machinery. All of these are valid reasons that employee video surveillance has been continuing to grow, especially as video and monitoring equipment becomes cheaper and more readily available.
There are many ways that an employee can be watched over at his place of work. Many companies monitor employees internet usage and activity. They can see if they visit any illicit or inappropriate websites, are wasting time chatting to friends on social networking sites or anything else. Emails can be tracked as well, to see if there is any inappropriate communication, or even worse, company secrets being revealed or general badmouthing taking place.
Monitoring employees using employee video surveillance can be a high risk, high reward situation for an employer. That’s because while it is an effective and affordable way of keeping your employees in check, it can also erode moral. Nobody wants to feel as if they aren’t being trusted by their own company, and that their every move all day is being watched over and analyzed.
Additionally, the thought of being captured on film can create distrust of management. All of the sudden a bathroom, changing room or break area may not seem so innocent and employees can become uncertain of how to behave or what they should feel comfortable doing. Legal action can also be taken against employers who take the monitoring of their employees to far, in the aforementioned prohibited areas or if video is taken secretly.
It is therefore important when using video surveillance of employees to make sure they are aware it’s going on. They must also know where, when and how such information collection is being done. That way they know ahead of time they are being watched, that they can be expected to be caught doing bad behavior, but that their privacy and personal interactions are still safe.
Also important is not to jump to conclusions when monitoring employees. Seeing something on tape or collecting other information without getting all of the context of the situation can be dangerous and also lead to legal action. Something that may appear one way on film can easily be misinterpreted without knowing the full situation.
With all of the technology in today’s world, it’s often a good idea to watch over your employees in some fashion. You just must be aware first of the potential consequences, and you must develop a system to allow your employee’s to maintain a comfortable and trusting atmosphere within your company. Whether you monitor internet usage or use video surveillance, monitoring employees at your company has to be done carefully, legally and tactfully.
By: Max Penn Junior
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Filed under Business by on Jul 17th, 2010.
You need to be prepared for the saturation of wholesale video games distributor phenomena that is going to take place and start appearing on the Internet in the following weeks when the Playstation 3 hits the stores in the first weeks of November of this year. Right now there are many buyers taking advantage of the eBay craze of selling Playstation 3 consoles at almost three times the current retail price that is due in launch day. The price of the Playstation 3 will be $600 for the premium package- can you believe what will happen when those PS3 consoles hit the market the hungriness that it will leave for many small based business online?
What I am trying to warn you about is that there will be hundreds if not thousands possible fake wholesale video games distributors that will try to start selling PS3 on the Internet at supposed wholesale prices and even below wholesale prices for such new consoles. While their will be many wholesale games distributors for the purchase of video games and even PS3 related material, as a power seller myself- I will not recommend touching sites that say that you can get Playstation 3 consoles and games at 50-80% in wholesale prices for numerous reasons.
While you can certainly buy wholesale games at 40-95% below the market retail value- you should not be able to purchase legit wholesale PS3 items below wholesale for at least the first 2 years. If you have study this wholesale market the way I have done so- you can compare what happened with PS3 biggest competitor. If you understand what happened here you should know that such giant corporations are not launching a huge stock of consoles in launching dates for numerous marketing reasons that I cannot discuss right now as a fact for multiple reasons. If remembering what happened a year ago with such PS2 and now PS3 competitor, you will know what I am talking about.
You will certainly know that you cannot buy at 50-95% Playstation 3 in any way with direct online distributors or offline distributors or wholesalers. Why? Ask yourself why a company like Sony will allow the sell of wholesale items on their upcoming best-seller at wholesale prices? It is virtually unreasonable to give a seller permit to distribute and sell PS3 at way below retail prices. How do you think that the fortune 500 retail companies will profit from this boom? How do you think that all the companies and CEO owners that hold major stocks at their distribution line will feel if they do not receive a clear cut commission out of the sell of in-demand new market consoles if their were wholesale video games distributors selling below retail prices?
Again, in more than 5 years of being a veteran in the sell of wholesale items both online and offline I can honestly say to you not to look for this for at least the next 2 years. I tell you because, I love buying from wholesale distributors and re-selling merchandises at two and three times the profits. It is of my sole experience and in my opinion to give you- the no, no when it comes to buying PS3 at real wholesale prices for at least the first year. This is a power seller who earns thousands selling wholesale in combined business on the Internet and offline. Use this article as reference and never as wholesale video games distributor legal advice or as a buying guide for online or offline business.
By: Joaquin Reveron
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Filed under Business by on Jul 13th, 2010.
Video transcription involves converting video files into text documents. A video transcript is a text version of all the words spoken in your video.
Through video transcription, transcribers capture all the conversations in a movie or TV show with accuracy including the sound effects of the visuals. This helps the spectators all round the globe to follow the conversation correctly. First time when you watch a movie or TV show, you may not be able to follow the conversations keenly for many reasons. But a video transcriber can capture all the conversations accurately. Even background sounds of a TV show or movie can be transcribed using video transcription. For example- a visual of barking dogs can be transcribed as ‘dogs are barking’, this helps the deaf who will not be able to follow the sound effects or conversations that happens in the visual media.
This helps people who have difficulty watching the audiovisual format of the TV or movie show and needs to read the video transcription to understand the content better.
Why need a video transcription? Video transcription serves a variety of purposes like- Producers most often order professional transcripts to meet to the stringent deliverable requirements of the networks that will be airing their programs. Also the transcripts serve as an accurate written record of a show’s content including dialogue, speaker identification, time code references and where necessary camera work. These video transcripts are also utilized by the language customization professionals while translating a program’s content into another language.
The videos of commercials, songs, films, interviews, television serials, motion pictures, academic and educational trainings are transcribed for various purposes. The transcriptions of these video files are useful for organizations, schools, media companies, universities. Digital video formats are very convenient, cost effective and easy to use. The digital formats like mp4, WMV, Real media, Quick time bring greater advantage in recording and storing the data, which are more used by pod casters, web casters and independent video creators. The transcription of these digital video formats are very useful for search engine optimization for pod casters, web casters and video transcripts are much needed for independent video creators, media and production companies.
By having your video transcribed and uploading that transcript to YouTube, you are giving Google specific information about the content of your video. When someone searches for a phrase mentioned in the video, Google will be able to include your video in the search results and may even start the video playing at the point where that search phrase is used.
Television networks, independent producers, educational organizations and multimedia companies require their videos to be transcribed very often.
This process highly needs professionalism to a very high degree. The conversion of the video file into a readable transcript should be done by highly qualified professional transcriptionist.
By: Ajay Prasad
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Filed under Business by on Jun 30th, 2010.
Video game testers are in great demand because of skyrocketing growth in the gaming industry. People are getting hundreds of dollars per assignment just simply playing and sharing their views on the latest video games to rock in gaming zones. You have bright chances to get great jobs as a video game tester.
One should find a video game tester job, which is a tough job unless you do not have any connection with any video game industry. You should catch a person who is related with graphic designing in video games or one who knows someone in video game industry. You got to know that if you are not being updated with your knowledge in the video game industry, you stand nowhere. There are plenty of games being launched everyday and you should be in touch with it.
You should have knowledge about all the genres, not being capable to opine one particular genre. You love wrestling, but it should not happen that you get perplexed when you have arcade game in front of you to play and to review. People with ‘limited edition’ of knowledge have no vacancy in video game testing field.
Another thing one must keep in mind that one must be able to evaluate pros and cons both in the game. Be frank opining about the game and notice what kind of difficulties you had while playing the game. What all can be helpful overcoming all those difficulties and are those solutions easily traceable by a common person? When the video games are based on real events, check out the authenticity of the events that are being described in the game and mark those points that are praiseworthy.
You should be filled up with the knowledge of latest gadgets and even with those that are outdated. This will help you in comparing latest trend with old tradition making your opinion superior than others’. The manufacturers and players expect you to compare the previous version or edition of the game and to look forward for forthcoming editions too. This means, you should be capable enough to have memory for the past, presence of mind for the current demands and far-sight to suggest what all can be done to make the current edition better in future.
With those all qualities, video game testing can be turned into a ’sitting duck’ and it can make you busy playing, opining and making bunches of dollars at your accounts!
By: Steve DaSilva
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Filed under Business by on Jun 24th, 2010.
The first factor is having the proper equipment to video record a particular event. That is coupled with the elements of the environment and ability of the individual recording the video. Secondly software is required to exclude components of the video that are deemed “unnecessary”. Thirdly reviewing what was omitted is important to oversee anything that might need removing from the video that was missed the first time around. Finally, piecing everything together is what gets the final production in order to be viewed.
Videos can be used in many different platforms some of them include television, vacation videos, wedding videos, birthday videos, family events, baptism videos, prom nights, graduation videos, bar mitzvah videos, communions, confirmation, baby shower videos, wedding shower videos and engagement parties to name a few.
A commercial, movie, wedding video all follow the same principle all mentioned above. In keeping with the theme of wedding videos it is important to get a wedding videography professional to create your video masterpiece for your wedding party. There are many wedding videographers within the Greater Toronto Area to choose from. It is important that you get the right one to make your wedding video, baptism video, prom night video, baby shower video, and bar mitzvah video.
The same can be said for music videos. Music videos require the same fundamentals as wedding videos, movies and television commercials. The video begins with raw footage of the artist being recorded singing and dancing. Once that segment is completed the video editing process begins. The same essentials that is applied to video editing a wedding video is used when editing a 5-minute music video.
The same can be said about a 30 second Television commercial. All the values of editing a montage, video commercial, wedding video, baptism videos to mention a few are best done by videography professionals. A videography professional has the capability of blending two separate frames and bridging them into cohesive video.
So in conclusion, video editing requires a lot of skill, expertise, resources and imagination. The resources include software, video cameras, mounts and stands, proper lighting and creativity. If you are ready to have your special event be it wedding, baptism, prom night, and much much more be sure to choose videography professional who can consolidate all the magical moments into a beautiful montage for you to enjoy and cherish the rest of your life. Thankfully the Greater Toronto Area has an abundance of videography professionals to choose from. So make the right decision and happy viewings!
By: Rafi Michael
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Read more on Video Editing – Creating a Montage Or a Commercial…
Filed under Business by on Jan 4th, 2010.