The DVRs replace an inherited system which linked 59 cameras with analogue multiplexers and video recorders.
“Our CCTV system was clearly behind the times, still operating on outdated analogue videotape technology and unable even to record 24/7 – a key requirement for us,” said Peter Fletcher, MCFC’s stadium and safety manager.
The installation, which was overseen by G4S, gives the stadium’s security staff access to 6Tb of hard disk space.
Dedicated Micros said the upgrade will also allow the club to add new cameras and reduce its reliance on offline archiving.
“The Dedicated Micros range was recommended because the products are so intuitive,” said G4S business development manager Neil Barnes. “They replicate the type of functions end users will be used to.
“As they are embedded, designed specifically to do a job, I’ve always found them to be much more reliable than PC-based systems, which can struggle to cope with the demands of a security system alongside all the other tasks.”
According to Dedicated Micros the CCTV system’s record rate has increased six-fold since the upgrade, giving much better coverage of events.
Images are now archived on DVDs rather than videotapes when hard disks become full.
Victoria Waude, Dedicated Micros’ national account manager, said the upgrade has provided the club with a surveillance system that provides security not only on match days but throughout the week.
“The Dedicated Micros installation specified by G4S at MCFC has been designed from the start to be future-proof, with further expansion now possible through the simple addition of hard wired or even wireless NetVu Connected products,” she said.
“It is, we believe, a fitting solution which is very much in-keeping with the advanced nature of one of the UK’s premier high-tech stadiums.”
Visit the Dedicated Micros website for more information on the DS2 DVR.
