ULTIMAX-716 has won a prestigious award - Gold Medal of Intertelecom 2008 for the best product

ULTIMAX is a series of 3rd generation digital video recorders, with implemented, so far the most efficient, H.264 compression. This type of deep compression is characterized by capability of providing good video quality at substantially lower bitrates than the previous standards. The standard was developed jointly in a partnership of VCEG and MPEG, and is marked as H.264/AVC, AVC/H.264, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, or MPEG-4/H.264 AVC (AVC - Advanced Video Coding).

Network digital video recorders of ULTIMAX series are excellent digital surveillance products. Equipped with embedded MCU and dedicated real-time operating system (RTOS), they combine the most advanced electronic and computer technologies, such as efficient video and audio encoding/decoding, hard disk recording (support of virtually unlimited disc capacity), and TCP/IP protocols. The firmware is stored in flash memory, and can be easily updated.

Any device from the ULTIMAX series has both the features of a digital video recorder (DVR) and digital video server (DVS). It can work as stand-alone device, or be used to build powerful surveillance networks, widely used in banks, telecommunication companies, transportation, factories, warehouses etc.
The DVRs, being very versatile, support many special functions allowing cooperation with POS terminals, ATM/cash machines etc.

ULTIMAX-716 M77160

The basic criterion for actual quality of video monitoring system is ability of identifying people from the recorded video data and possibility of handing over the archives on original storage media for legal proceedings. ULTIMAX 7xx DVRs fulfill state requirements for video coverage of mass events in Poland and majority of other countries.
Due to efficient H.264/AVC compression it is possible to record 4CIF images (704 x 576) at 25 fps (PAL) from each channel (camera). It means that the ULTIMAX-716 M77160 (16 channels) is capable of recording up to 400 fps with 4CIF resolution.

ULTIMAX 7xx DVRs end the era of frame by frame analysis. The playback of 4CIF images at 25 fps is similar to watching quality TV transmission or a DVD film rather than the typical jumps from image to image in the previous CCTV systems.

ULTIMAX-716 has huge storage potential - after installing eight HDDs with 2000GB (2TB) capacity each, the total disc space amounts to 16 TB. It allows to create enormous archives. Even in the case of simultaneous and continuous recording of video data from all 16 channels, with 4CIF resolution and bitrate (2000 Kbps, it is enough for 500 hours, i.e. nearly 42 days and nights. Such archives would deliver DVD quality.

It is possible to test the actual frame rate by analyzing the images frame by frame and using a frame counter. Comparing the displayed time and the counter indications it is easy to prove the 25 fps rate.

Because of network operation, the priority is adequate security level. To protect the system and data against unauthorized access, there is multi-level access control, with passwords and defined privileges for local and network management (e.g. viewing images from cameras, accesses to archives, system setup). There can be defined MAC addresses of the computers capable of getting access to the DVR resources.

Rear panel of the ULTIMAX-716 M77160

The DVR enables the administrator/operator to set resolution and frame rate independently for each camera. There is possibility of defining channels that are to be recorded after triggering alarm in a camera path, with long pre- and post-alarm periods.

ULTIMAX DVRs are managed in IP networks by ULTIMAX Client software. It allows to manage (configuration and control of all functions):
ULTIMAX DVRs, ULTINET video servers, and ULTICAM cameras. More on the features of the software can be found in the article:


This site also contains files that can be downloaded: the program, user manual (full version), hard drive capacity/number calculator.

There is possibility of embedding maps (BMP files with deployment of cameras) which enable the operator of a bigger monitoring system to quickly localize the spots and manage the surveillance network.
Due to cooperation with external recorders/devices (CD/DVR, hard disc, USB flash drives) connected via USB port, it is easy to backup, review and playback the recordings.

DVR can get text/number strings through RS-232 or network port. The strings can be sent from devices such as ATM/cash machine, POS machine or others. DVR can paste the strings into the real time image and record. The same strings (entered from numeric keyboard) can be used as keys for searching the recorded files to play them back.

There are available the following ULTIMAX DVRs:

16-channel

8-channel

4-channel

The table contains comparison of the models.

The top model - ULTIMAX 716 (M77160) - allows to connect (through its connectors/interfaces):

Basic configuration of ULTIMAX 716 (there are shown single devices only)

DVRs of 300, 200, and 100 series do not support Dual Stream function (transmission of two streams with independently determined parameters).

Kind of video compression is one of the key factors influencing the overall quality of recorded video. M-JPEG and M-JPEG 2000 systems, where each video frame is separately compressed as a JPEG image, are usually used for low frame rates, offering single frames of high quality (e.g. from megapixel cameras). Recording of dynamic scenes requires efficient difference algorithms that are implemented in MPEG wavelet compression systems.

The diagrams below present rough comparison of some parameters (for similar image quality) when using different versions of MPEG compression (implemented in different DVRs). It is clear that H.264 algorithms, used in 3rd generation DVRs, ensure the best results - the lowest bandwidth and disc space requirements, the shortest download time. The parameters are about 30% better than in the case of "normal" MPEG-4 compression.
H.264 is currently the only compression that allows to build 16-channel DVRs capable of recording 4CIF video (PAL 704x576) at frame rate 25 fps, as well as providing effective network transmission of live and recorded images.

Bandwidth requirements

Disc space requirements

Download time

Operating system is the core of every digital recording device. It determines the overall quality and stability of the device. In industrial applications of computers, operating system decides on the sequence and way of performing the tasks. For RTOS it is important to take into consideration the time factor - positive result of operations depends not only on the sequence, but also on the time of completion. The example is conversion and compression of analog video signals. Recording of the signals in digital form (with set parameters: resolution, frame rate, number of channels) is a priority and has to be performed in real time. Any delay will cause loss of video data (e.g. several video frames). Real-time algorithms enable the system to perform critical tasks in precisely defined periods of time. In practice - DVR will delay less important operations (e.g. playback of archives) to ensure proper recording of video even with the maximum quality requirements. DVRs that are not equipped with RTOS systems simply decrease recording parameters, e.g. frame rate, losing some information.