Video Server User's Manual
 67 
AXIS 243Q Blade - Glossary
(set of communication rules) that allows corporations to 
extend their own corporate network through private 
"tunnels" over the public Internet. In this way a 
corporation can effectively use a WAN (Wide Area 
Network) as a large single LAN (Local Area Network). This 
kind of interconnection is known as a virtual private 
network (VPN). 
Pre/post alarm images - The images from immediately 
before and after an alarm. These images are stored in a 
buffer for later retrieval.
Progressive scan - Progressive scan, as opposed to 
interlaced video, scans the entire picture, line by line 
every sixteenth of a second. In other words, captured 
images are not split into separate fields as in interlaced 
scanning. 
Computer monitors do not need interlace to show the 
picture on the screen, but instead show them 
progressively, on one line at a time in perfect order i.e. 1, 
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 etc., so there is virtually no "flickering" 
effect. In a surveillance application, this can be critical 
when viewing detail within a moving image, such as a 
person running. A high-quality monitor is required to get 
the best from progressive scan. See also Interlacing.
Protocol - A special set of rules governing how two 
entities will communicate. Protocols are found at many 
levels of communication, and there are hardware 
protocols and software protocols. 
Proxy server - In an enterprise that uses the Internet, a 
proxy server acts as an intermediary between a 
workstation user and the Internet. This provides security, 
administrative control, and a caching service. Any proxy 
server associated with a gateway server, or part of a 
gateway server, effectively separates the enterprise 
network from the outside network and the local firewall. 
It is the firewall server that protects the enterprise 
network from outside intrusion. 
PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) - A PTZ-enabled camera can be 
remotely controlled so as to change the view from the 
camera. Panning is the movement of the camera along its 
horizontal axis, tilting is the movement of the camera 
along its vertical axis, and zooming is the adjustment of 
the zoom lens to magnify the view.
P-VOP - See VOP.
Resolution - Image resolution is a measure of how much 
detail a digital image can hold: the greater the resolution, 
the greater the level of detail. Resolution can be specified 
as the number of pixel-columns (width) by the number of 
pixel-rows (height), e.g. 320x240. 
Alternatively, the total number of pixels (usually in 
megapixels) in the image can be used. In analog systems 
it is also common to use other format designations, such 
as CIF, QCIF, 4CIF, etc.
RS-232 - A long-established standard that describes the 
physical interface and protocol for low-speed serial data 
communication between devices. This is the interface that 
e.g. a computer uses to talk to and exchange data with a 
modem and other serial devices. 
RS-485 - An upgraded version of RS-422 that supports 
up to 32 devices on the same connection. RS-485 is an 
electrical specification of a two-wire, half-duplex, 
multipoint serial connection. It enables the configuration 
of inexpensive local networks and multidrop 
communications links. It offers high data transmission 
speeds (up to 10Mbit/s), and as it uses a differential 
balanced line over twisted pair (like RS-422), it can span 
relatively large distances (4000 feet or 1200 meters). 
RS-485 only specifies the electrical characteristics of the 
driver and the receiver. It does not specify or recommend 
any data protocol.
RTCP (Real-Time Control Protocol) - RTCP provides 
support for real-time conferencing of groups of any size 
within an intranet. This support includes source 
identification and support for gateways like audio and 
video bridges as well as multicast-to-unicast translators. 
It offers quality-of-service feedback from receivers to the 
multicast group as well as support for the synchronization 
of different media streams. 
RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) - An Internet 
protocol for the transport of real-time data, e.g. audio and 
video. It can be used for media-on-demand as well as 
interactive services such as Internet telephony. 
RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) - A control 
protocol, and a starting point for negotiating transports 
such as RTP, multicast and Unicast, and for negotiating 
codecs. RTSP can be considered a "remote control" for 
controlling the media stream delivered by a media server. 
RTSP servers typically use RTP as the protocol for the 
actual transport of audio/video data.
Router - A device that determines the next network point 
to which a packet should be forwarded on its way to its 
final destination. A router creates and/or maintains a 
special routing table that stores information on how best 
to reach certain destinations. A router is sometimes 
included as part of a network switch. See also Switch.
Security surveillance - Network video's advanced 
functionality makes it highly suited to the applications 
involved in security surveillance. The flexibility of digital 
technology enhances security personnel's ability to 
protect people, property and assets. Such systems are 
therefore an especially attractive option for companies 
currently using CCTV.
Server - In general, a server is a computer program that 
provides services to other computer programs in the same 
or other comp
uters. A computer running a server program 
is also frequently referred to as a server. In practice, the 
server may contain any number of server and client 
programs. A web server is the computer program that 










