Frequently Asked Questions

Who is VCT Vision?
VCT (Video Compression Technologies) is a visionary company in the remote video surveillance market. The company's proprietary video compression technology (SAVS™) allows for any video signal to be remotely viewed at extremely slow bit rates. VCT Vision was founded in 1999 to bring a new vision to the video security and surveillance market. By creating technologies that allowed video to be streamed and stored at extremely low bandwidths, VCT Vision fulfilled a seriously overlooked need in Internet technology. While efforts to create broadband services were being made by many companies, VCT focused on enabling new technologies for the growing market of Internet-enabled PDAs and cell phones, which function at very low bandwidths. VCT Vision now offers a full range of products for use in remote video surveillance.

Where are you located?
All VCT Vision products are developed, assembled and tested in the United States. We are headquartered in Montclair, California (near Los Angeles), and have representative offices in locations throughout the country.

What is so special about VCT Vision?
The VCT Vision team has developed a set of proprietary technical innovations specifically for the video surveillance market. These cutting-edge inventions, collectively called SAVS™, include: . High quality, high compression video compression (codec) algorithm . Multi-channel synchronized audio recording capability . Audio/video transmission at extremely low bandwidth . Cash register / point-of-sale database interface . Remote archiving of audio, video, and point-of-sale data . Playback on any DVD player

What is the difference between SAVS™ and other compression technologies?
Unlike standard audio/video compression algorithms (codecs) such as MPEG-4 or Motion JPEG, which were developed for general purpose storing and streaming of single channel media files, SAVS™ is engineered specifically for video surveillance applications. SAVS™ is proven to be 2 to 5 times more powerful than MPEG-4 and more than 10 times more powerful than Motion JPEG, yielding high levels of compression while maintaining exceptionally high image quality.

What are the key benefits of SAVS™

• INCREASED STORAGE CAPABILITIES
  While maintaining superior picture quality and frame rate, SAVS™ can store 2 to 12 times more data than competitive video compression technologies.
• REDUCED NETWORK DEMANDS
  Remotely accessing and searching stored video from a typical digital video recording system within a LAN or WAN creates a high bandwidth requirement and sometimes bogs systems down. The efficiencies created by SAVS™ reduce the bandwidth requirements within the network.
• INCREASED TRANSMISSION CAPABILITIES
  SAVS™ technologies enable video to be transmitted at higher frame rates even at extremely low bandwidths. This allows for video, audio, and data to be remotely accessed over POTS lines (Plain Old Telephone System) through direct modem-to-modem connection or via the Internet. Video can even be streamed directly to an Internet-enabled PDA or cell phone.
• ECONOMICAL
  Because higher frame rates and screen resolutions can be stored on smaller hard drives, true live video recording is finally affordable!

What is a RAVS?
RAVS is a Remote Audio Video Surveillance system that uses the SAVS™ compression technology. Each RAVS unit is capable of digitally recording, transferring, and transmitting audio, video, and data with extreme efficiency.

What is the difference between a RAVS and a DVR?
A RAVS system is like a DVR on steroids. Each RAVS system has all the bells and whistles found on other DVRs with the following enhancements: . Ability to stream video at extremely low bandwidth . Remote archiving . Cash register (point-of-sale) interface with database integration . Up to 16 channels of synchronized audio recording . Video recording with 2 to 12 times more data saved . Two months or more of recording capacity . Playback on any DVD player

What kind of frame rate can I expect when I access a RAVS unit remotely?
Speed and storage capabilities will vary from installation to installation. However, a typical RAVS unit will transmit live audio and video via modem (24k to 36k) at about 2 frames per second, which is much faster than a DVR. A PDA or Smartphone with a 1X modem connection will net well over two frames per second of live video. PDAs or Smartphones that run on a 3G network such as Verizon’s EVDO can expect up to 30fps.

How does a RAVS unit compare in cost to a DVR?
Even with all the advantages offered SAVS™ technology, RAVS systems are aggressively priced to compete with other DVRs on the market. We have found, however, that because more data can be stored on less hard drive space, the price per frame per second is much lower than any other DVR.

What is special about your POS (point-of-sale) interface?
We do not just overlay the POS data onto the video like most other DVR manufacturers do. The actual POS data is correlated with the video data inside the RAVS unit. This allows for quick database searches and access to any piece of video associated with any type of point-of-sale transaction.

What PTZ protocols do you work with?
Most popular pan-tilt-zoom camera protocols are already built into the SAVS™ technology. If your particular camera is not supported, it is very easy for us to add new protocols. Just ask!

What about upgrades?
VCT is an engineering company and continues to improve on the products we take to the marketplace. With every advance in the efficiency and performance of the RAVS unit's software, each of our customers may receive upgrades free of charge. These upgrades are easily installed.

Do you offer a manufacturer's warranty?
All RAVS units come with a two-year parts and labor warranty.

VCT Vision, Inc.

964 E. Badillo St. #326
Covina, CA 91724

Telephone 866-828-7679