The best way to learn what challenges will affect your school bus video camera solutions in the future is to ask questions that can define your concerns and reveal the pros or cons of all systems you consider.
#1 Are your School Bus Surveillance Camera Systems a well-thought-out “Sustainable Solution” that enables future DVRs for existing previously installed cameras to be “Backwards Compatible”?
This question will let the customer know if there was any consideration for customer future budget funding, the environmental pollution generated by a predatory business model employing product obsolescence, every few years, or if the provider has actually built into the product a means to conserve long-lasting components like the cameras which may last longer then the bus itself.
When you really care about the future, the environment, and the costs paid by those customers who purchase and use your products, it is wise to adopt a Sustainable Business Model that is Backward Compatible.
Incorporation of an Analog High Definition DVR (AHD) in Cameras for School Busses will ensure the new DVRs offered, will work with previously purchased existing CCTV cameras with industry-standard connectors now, and possible in the future so that the customer does not have to pollute landfills with fully functional cameras just because the short-sighted or predatory business model of propriety connector is adopted by the company who sold them the new systems. Considering Private Service Contractor Charter, Transport Compliance Bus Camera Systems are primarily a compliance add-on wasting additional funding on constantly replacing functional cameras when the new technology DVR does not work with anything that proceeded it.
All below-listed applications will benefit from the ability to continue to use previously purchased components like camera and camera cables with newer technology DVRs when the DVRs originally purchased reaches the end of their service life:
Analog High Definition DVR (AHD) can offer Backward Compatibility now and in the future and are part of a Sustainable Solution.
#2 What is The Service Life of The System?
This depends primarily on what type of Memory Storage Technology the system employs and the application.
Those who have any experience with School Bus Video Camera Surveillance Systems may have been a victim of the “Fragile Hard Drive” plague that continues to infest this market, causing repeated replacements of the fragile hard drives when the buses hit bumps, or the spinning platter simply wears the bearing out and the disk crashes.
Private Service Contractor Charter Transport Compliance Bus Camera Systems must often operate in hostile environments, rough roads, and high heat with no A/C in the bus so open windows permit dust and pollen to gain access to the DVR.
At least applications like Elderly Day Care Shuttle & Assisted Living Transportation Vehicle Video Cameras or Paratransit Driver Safety Video Camera Surveillance Systems have Air conditioning so the high heat and dust issues are not a concern.
While most manufacturers likely use hard drives because they are cheap ($15-$50) their short service lives can be overlooked in the effort to lower the cost for the school district. In this case, it is a simple tradeoff, with no ill intent demonstrated.
However, some manufacturers intentionally provide DVRs using short-lived fragile hard drives with propriety connectors on them so when they fail, the customer is forced to buy replacements from them in the future.
They then charge 5-10 times their cost ($300.00 - $500.00) for the replacement hard drive with their propriety connector, in what some would call a “Predatory business model”.
American Bus Video Inc. does not sell fragile hard-drive-based systems.
We offer 100% Solid State SSD or SDXC memory cards with the same reliability and durability required by the US Armed Forces, Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Prisoner and Inmate transport in the protection of video evidence from our systems.
American Bus Video Inc. Bus Cameras come with a 10-Year Warranty standard because they rarely ever fail. Customers are still using our School Bus Video Camera Surveillance systems sold to them 15 years ago because 100% Solid State is inbuilt to last and not harmed by normal operations by school buses.
#3 Can It Use Existing Cameras and Camera Extension Cables From Previous System?
There are several different DVR technologies in the School Bus Video Camera Surveillance Systems markets. Most require cameras specifically matched to the DVR or the DVR cannot recognize them.
Analog High Definition (AHD) mobile DVRs have the added advantage of employing older tech enology Analog cameras, so by design, it can make use of older existing Analog cameras in your older buses, and not require the district to constantly replace functional cameras with more expensive cameras and the much more time-consuming process of reinstallation of said cameras in the older buses every time the DVR technology changes.
American Bus Video Inc. specifically offers only AHD or Analog High Definition DVRs in our HD line.
So the answer is “Yes” our AHD School Bus Video Camera Surveillance System DVRs can use Analog CCTV cameras and Camera Extension cables from older installations in school buses.
New technology DVRs that cannot use existing cameras cost the customer wasted funding and wasted time in reinstalling cameras that are fully functional, as well as causing water and land pollution filling up waste landfills.
#4 Can The System Be Upgraded In The Future?
This is a very common concern and is often very frustrating and costly when you realize how some companies are manipulating their own customers.
Many have already fallen victim to the “Propriety Camera Connections” business model employed by most of the OEM suppliers in this market.
Most OEMs may ask the manufacturer to add novel or hard-to-find connectors on the cameras or DVRs, so in the future, when you need spare parts or wish to expand the system, you find others cannot offer that camera with that connector so you end up paying a much-inflated cost for a simple camera.
American Bus Video Inc. has been offering “Customer Loyalty DVR Technology Upgrade” for almost a decade as a way for existing customers to replace their older DVRs at the end of their service life, with the newest technology High Definition DVR for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
As all of our HD DVRs are Analog High Definition, they are 100% backward compatible with CCTV Analog or HD cameras sold by ABV /FMI over the last 35 years.
What this means is the same system we offer for the School Bus Video Camera markets can also be used in the below markets with the only change in most cases being the camera type and lens:
5th Wheel King Pin Trailer CS1 Spotter Yard Mule Camera
Police Patrol Wagon Suspect, Prisoner & Inmate in-Custody Transport Camera
Casino Customer Shuttle Bus Video Surveillance Safety Cameras
Paratransit Driver Safety Video Camera Surveillance System
Bus Seat Cover Vandalism Camera Surveillance system
Elderly Day Care Shuttle & Assisted Living Transportation Vehicle Video Camera
Cannabis Transport Vehicle Camera Recorder
Alternative School & Juvenile Detention Bus Security Camera
Transportation Ministry Youth Activities Church Bus Camera System
#5 Can You Add Stop Arm Cameras?
All HD School Bus Cameras sold by American Bus Video Inc. share chip/board IR LED configuration, the main difference in them is the case or shell as that is a variable for the application the cameras use in, and in the case of Stop Arm Cameras, we also add a longer lens in 12mm to zoom in on a license plate.
There is no additional cost for a Stop Arm Camera in a system price; we sometimes mention “Free Stop Arm Upgrade” we just need to know how many Stop Arm Cameras to include as some states require 2, and some can use 1.
We have some districts purchasing 2 systems per bus, 1 for 4 internal cameras and 1 for 4 external with 2 Stop Arm Cameras. In this way, they can still be 100% Solid State and not require an 8-channel with a fragile hard drive to wear out or crash.
Should you have any questions, concerns, or require more information about Testudo Lifetime System Warranty Bus Camera Systems, various applications or School Bus Student Transportation Video Camera Recorder configurations, we encourage you to let us know and we will be happy to offer our 35+ years of market experience in sales and service of digital recording devices to respond to your concerns or questions.
