The 3-D’s

The 3-D’s are Distribute, Divide, and Digitize.

When we utilize surveillance cameras, we usually want to distribute them for viewing, divide them for recording, and digitize the signal for some degree of posterity – whether it’s 24 hours or 24 years.

Distribution prior to the year 2000 was mainly done through switchers which were large crosspoint devices that enabled you to decide which input goes to which monitor, or which recorder. Here is an example.

The signal was then divided accordingly to those personnel who needed to view it and those machines that needed to record it.

While these switchers are still applicable in justice and also expensive, some switching is now done locally within digital recorders or smaller microprocessor switching systems which provide unique functionality and flexibility, all in one unit.

This is strictly due to the signal processing capabilities of advanced electronics to distribute, amplify, switch, compress, divide, and record in different formats – many all at the same time. Here is a screenshot of just such an example.