May 30 2015
WatchGuard Video, technology pioneer and market leader for law enforcement video systems, has introduced two advanced, rugged and highly-engineered cameras: VISTA™, the company’s first body-worn HD camera, and the Panoramic X2™ HD camera now featured in the industry-leading 4RE® in-car video system.
WatchGuard is the world’s largest manufacturer of in-car video systems for law enforcement and supplier to more than one-third of the law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada.
Together, the VISTA body-worn camera (which captures a first-person point of view) and the 4RE Panoramic X2 in-car video system (which captures a third-person point of view) offer the most complete and reliable solution on the market. Both products feature WatchGuard’s patent-pending Record-After-the-Fact™ technology which ensures no incident is missed—even if a situation escalates quickly and an officer doesn’t have time to press record. The technology allows agencies to go “back in time” to capture events that would have been otherwise missed, even days later.
“WatchGuard Video captures the whole truth, ensuring agencies transparency and protection for both officers and citizens using the most robust, reliable video solutions available,” said WatchGuard Founder and CEO Robert Vanman. “Our products are engineered to capture video and audio in the highest quality as well as more efficiently and effectively than any product in the industry. With WatchGuard, agencies and the public may rest assured that every critical moment will be recorded and preserved — even those moments they didn’t know they needed until after the fact.”
VISTA outfits officers with the most durable, highly engineered body-worn HD camera
Created to eliminate the deficiencies of most wearable cameras, WatchGuard’s VISTA HD body-worn camera is receiving positive reviews from departments who have deployed the solution thus far. The product is now in full production and shipping from the company’s Texas headquarters.
The rugged VISTA HD body-worn camera may be used on its own or linked with the 4RE in-car video system. The weatherproof, tamperproof body-worn camera features:
- 9 hours of HD video recording on a single charge,
- adjustable lens with a 130° wide-angle field of view,
- ultra-wide dynamic range technology for superior nighttime recording,
- clear, intuitive, backlit digital display and controls for ease of in-field use,
- military-grade materials for maximum durability, and
- patent-pending locking magnetic mount.
Designed and assembled at the company’s headquarters in Texas, WatchGuard products fully comply with the Buy American Act of 1933 and the Buy America Act of 1983. The VISTA HD body-worn camera complies with, and exceeds, the product requirements outlined in the recently-announced $20 million body-worn camera grant program from the U.S. Department of Justice. The program allows agencies to receive a matching 50 percent grant for body-worn camera implementations.
Panoramic X2 HD camera doubles the view for in-car video recordings
WatchGuard’s industry-first 4RE Panoramic X2 in-car video system dramatically expands video coverage with the addition of its exclusive “pillar-to-pillar” Panoramic X2 HD camera, more than doubling the field of vision. The system integrates two cameras: a fixed panoramic camera, capturing the widest single-camera view available on the market, and a primary camera, providing the maximum details of a normal coverage area with a turret lens that may be aimed as needed.
“WatchGuard’s Panoramic X2 camera provides agencies with an unparalleled ability to capture more and compromise less. By introducing the first panoramic in-car camera, we’ve more than doubled the scope of coverage to provide officers and the public greater context for recorded incidents,” noted Vanman.
With WatchGuard’s flexible, purpose-built technology, agencies benefit from a dual-recording and expanded view without requiring additional storage. Agencies may elect to store either or both recordings from the system based on their needs and policies.
Built for quality, known for innovation with 18 patents and $35 million in R&D
According to WatchGuard’s President Steve Coffman, “At WatchGuard, we’re the innovation and technology leaders for law enforcement video solutions. Our goal is to provide the most reliable, highest quality video solutions to help agencies solve crimes, exonerate officers and citizens and improve police-community relations.”
With 18 patents issued or pending for camera and recording technologies, the company has invested more than $35 million in research and development. WatchGuard’s team of 50 full-time engineers is focused solely on achieving the highest quality video and audio recordings; building the most reliable, rugged hardware; and creating the most user-friendly software. With WatchGuard, agencies may customize and configure the camera systems, recording, access and storage settings according to their local policies or needs. (View sample video footage.)