21 Mar 2011
JVC network camera at Regent University

37 JVC cameras that have been installed to monitor the university

Based in America, Regent University - a private, faith-based institution that shares a campus with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) - has updated its campus surveillance facilities by installing V.Networks IP-based cameras and network video recorders from JVC Professional.

Monitoring 5,500 graduate and undergraduate students, faculty and staff with JVC's equipment, CBN/Regent University Campus Police Dept., Lt. Eddie Lawhorn was tasked with the job to update the previous system, which comprised of mainly black-and-white analogue cameras that were connected to time-lapse VCRs. To update its ageing security solutions, Regent University purchased forty-eight cameras, including JVC PTZ IP dome cameras with 360-degree endless rotation, 12x optical zoom lens and Super LoLux technology for night time surveillance.

Thirty-seven cameras have been installed to monitor building interiors, eight have been installed to monitor exterior sites and the remaining three cameras will be installed and tasked with exterior surveillance later this year.

"The clarity and capabilities of the JVC cameras are so much better," Lt. Lawhorn states. "Their low-light capabilities are a big improvement over the university's old analogue cameras."

Regent University also added three JVC VR-N1600Us NVRs, which feature master/slave configuration that allows dispatchers to log into one unit but access all forty-five cameras on the system. While the police department's dispatch centre is monitored live 24/7, footage from the JVC cameras are recorded as well.

JVC's long-term surveillance solutions were a big selling point


As no annual camera license renewal is required and the VR-N1600U's pre-installed Milestone XProtect Enterprise software allow for advanced display and search capabilities, JVC's long-term money saving surveillance solutions were a big selling point for the installation.

"It's a great product with great support and no recurring fees," Lt. Lawhorn adds. "And the overall recording technology is great - no more tape worries. It's like night and day."

JVC V.Networks equipment is in use for CBN as well. In fact, Lawhorn said the Virginia Beach campus will soon begin monitoring the network's Washington, D.C., news office and its Nashville, Tenn., facility. The expanded surveillance effort will include four additional VR-N1600U NVRs and approximately twelve new cameras, including several VN-X235U Megapixel mini-dome units.

The department, which handles its own equipment purchasing, installation, and maintenance, has migrated to its current JVC setup over the past several years. The latest additions, the VR-N1600U NVRs, were installed last summer replacing older NVR models. The IP-based CCTV system is connected through a dedicated VLAN (virtual local area network) that brings all camera feeds back to the dispatch centre via Cat-5 cable. In addition, Regent University can integrate its JVC cameras into the C3 application from Lextech Labs, which will allow officers to view live and recorded footage on an iPad or iPhone.