Which HD Over Coax Solution is Right for You?

HD OVER COAX SHOOTOUT: EX-SDI vs. HD-TVI vs. HD-CVI vs. AHD

In the past, an IP-based camera system was the only option to achieve HD or megapixel video. If you wanted to transmit HD quality video – you needed to use CAT5 to do so. But with the emergence of HD over Coax, everything has changed.

HD over Coax now represents a cost-effective solution to transmitting HD video without the complexity of IP. With multiple HD over coax technologies on the market; HD-SDI, EX-SDI, HD-CVI, HD-TVI, & AHD – it’s easy to get confused about which technology is right for you.

There are a lot of comparison tables and people touting that their HD solution is better than the others.  But the lack of consistency and unbiased information has made it difficult to find the strengths and weaknesses of each technology.

Rather than show you another table that compares and contrasts these different technologies, we feel that showing real- world comparison images will help you make an informed decision.

So we took EX-SDI, HD-TVI, HD-CVI & AHD cameras and put them to the test. The test consisted of real-world scenarios such as daylight, low light, strong backlight, high contrast, and even long distances.

In the following pages, we break down each HD over Coax technology and show you how we arrived at choosing EX-SDI as the right technology for Clinton Electronics — we’re confident it’s the right choice for you, too.

Regardless of which technology you choose, we feel that the best type of customer is an informed customer. Use the following to form your opinion on which HD over Coax solution works best for you.

WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE TEST:

In the test below, each camera was directed at a person standing in front of a window in an office environment. The purpose of this test is to evaluate the Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and backlight compensation capabilities of each camera when a strong backlight is present.

TEST RESULTS:

EX-SDI is clearly the winner of the strong backlight (WDR) test with the clearest image and most facial detail retained when facing a scene that has strong backlight. AHD performs better than HD-CVI & HD-TVI but still lacks in overall image clarity.

COLOR REPRESENTATION TEST:

In the test below, each camera was directed at a colorful, high-contrast gaming table. The purpose of this test is to see how each camera handles color representation and overall image clarity.

TEST RESULTS:

Again, EX-SDI is the clear winner of this test with the clearest image and most image detail on the hundred dollar bill. EX-SDI also displays the truest-to-life color representation of the green felt. The bright/glossy white cards cause HD-CVI & HD-TVI to be overexposed in this scene.

LOW-LIGHT TEST:

In the test below, each camera was directed at a person standing in front of various test charts and signs in a low-light application. The lux level was lowered to the lowest possible lux level before the cameras switched to black & white mode.

TEST RESULTS:

EX-SDI handles low light exceptionally well when compared to HD-CVI, HD-TVI, and AHD. Notice the amount of noise in the HD-CVI & HD-TVI images. The increased amount of image noise is due to each camera’s ability or inability to compensate for low lux light levels.

NOISE SUSCEPTIBILITY TEST:

In the test below, each camera was subjected to external noise. Notice how the technologies based on analog modulation (HD-CVI, HD-TVI, & AHD) exhibit varying degrees of video noise. Since EX-SDI is an all-digital format, it is less susceptible to external video noise commonly caused by electrical devices, lighting, ground loops, and compromised cable integrity.

MAXIMUM DISTANCE TEST:

EX-SDI provides a sharp and clear picture at any distance even when at it’s maximum distance. HD-CVI, HD-TVI, & AHD degrade in image quality over distance. Notice the loss of color saturation, overall resolution, and increased video noise in the HD-CVI, HD-TVI, & AHD images. AHD also starts to exhibit horizontal image smearing at long cable distances.