IC2 CCTV, the Kent-based security installer, recently completed phase two of an installation of high-definition CCTV at Stamford Bridge Stadium, home of Champions League winners Chelsea Football Club.
Andrew Whelan, IC2’s Managing Director said: “Our initial brief was to ensure that workable footage was provided with live and playback video functionality. The Avigilon high-definition surveillance system at Stamford Bridge Stadium is probably the most sophisticated surveillance installation in any sports stadium in the world and sets the benchmark for all others.”
Phase one of the Avigilon high-definition CCTV, installation completed in time for the 2010-2011 season, consisted of 16 Avigilon HD 16 MP cameras with Canon 75 – 200mm lenses, installed pitch-side. Capable of delivering 40 pixels per foot, the Avigilon HD cameras met the stadium’s image requirements, and were installed so as not to obscure spectators’ views, enabling the club’s security staff to monitor and play back images in detail without loss of quality or compression artefacts. The image resolution is of such that it can capture facial identification of spectators and provide evidence of any wrong-doing.
To handle such amounts of data, IC2 installed Avigilon Control Centre network video management software (NVMS) with High Definition Stream Management (HDSM) technology, which compresses and preserves image quality while managing HD image transmission throughout the CCTV system. In May 2011, Chelsea commissioned IC2 to install a further 200 cameras to cover the entire stadium perimeter including car parks and all public areas. Cameras were installed inside the stadium to cover function rooms, ticket offices, music venues, retail outlets, restaurants, bars, and the Chelsea museum.
Phase two of the installation included the addition of 150 terabytes of storage and eight 4MP 30-inch monitors in the new security control room. In total, the system now has 280 terabytes of storage and 12 HD megapixel monitors. IC2’s add that the system was commissioned and up and running on time and on budget before Christmas.
