Possibly the most commented-on aspect of SSNR is the ability to capture high-quality color images at light levels that other cameras couldn’t cope with.

In fact, independent tests have shown that color images with SSNR applied stay sharp and clean, even after color information is lost due to a lack of light.

This shows that SSNR reduces noise in color images that are well below the usual standard signal strength of 1V peak to peak without the pictures becoming unusable for CCTV purposes.

When true day/night and color/monochrome camera and dome versions do switch to monochrome mode the results can be even more impressive.

SSNR also delivers a financial benefit.

Noise on a picture is the number one cause of wasted hard disk space on recording equipment and taking up bandwidth on the network.

SSNR is so effective at cutting noise that it can save up to 70% hard disk space when using MPEG-4 compression and up to 40% with JPEG compression when compared to other cameras in low-light conditions, without the need for supplementary lighting.

This means that less storage is needed and additional lighting becomes less of a concern for the vast majority of applications.

With MPEG-4 this is the equivalent of recording up to three times more on a hard disc compared to a camera which is not equipped with SSNR. 

When used in larger CCTV systems this could deliver a massive cost benefit.

"SSNR is built into cameras equipped with Samsung Techwin’s SV3 chip set," says Buzz Coates, CCTV Product Manager, Norbain.

"The good news for our customers is that Samsung Techwin’s latest chip set, SV4, incorporates second generation of noise reduction technology.  SSNRII, which offers ‘three dimensional’ noise reduction technology, delivers images of a remarkable quality in the most demanding of light conditions."