Leroy Daniel, executive director of surveillance operations for Melco Crown Entertainment, discusses the operator’s close partnership with Dallmeier when it came to the installation of the world’s largest full HD video security system at Studio City in Macau.
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen it opened its doors in October last year, Studio City marked a milestone in Macau’s journey to become the entertainment capital of Asia. The Hollywood-inspired resort offers excitement of every conceivable kind – not just in the glamorous casino with its countless gaming tables and staggering jackpots, but also in the many other cinema-themed and licensed attractions.
Studio City features an opulent hotel with 1,600 guest rooms, an international collection of exquisite restaurants and a New York and Hollywood themed shopping street with world-famous designer labels offer something for everyone. The resort even has the highest figure-eight Ferris wheel on the planet.
In light of such an ambitious project, Studio City’s owner, Melco Crown Entertainment, once again drew on the experience of Dallmeier to install the world’s largest full HD video security system at the resort.
“Dallmeier was the partner of our choice for numerous reasons,” explained Leroy Daniel, executive director of surveillance operations for Melco Crown Entertainment. “First and foremost, the casino industry is by nature the most demanding surveillance system application in the world today.
“From airports, prisons, shopping centres, universities, military facilities or city surveillance, nowhere has the concentration of cameras per square metre than what you will find in a casino property, as well as the real-time demands by individual users. Very few systems can seamlessly meet such high level of demand in all aspects – let alone also as a full IP system. Dallmeier is the best of them.”
Daniel added: “The outstanding image quality of the Dallmeier cameras also influenced our decision. The full HD PTZ and fixed cameras perform with an extraordinary resolution and excellent zoom functionality. In casino surveillance, definition of details is absolutely critical and can make the difference in a case or incident. Another reason was the ability to adjust camera settings via global configuration down-the-line, which means less time on ladders and less disruption to our business.”
Via the Dallmeier video system, employees monitor every aspect of the Studio City integrated resort, including gaming areas, retail boulevards, hotel towers, entertainment venues, cash areas and vaults, points-of-sale, car parks, high security areas, external perimeter and all public areas. More than 6,000 full HD network cameras are recorded on reliable video appliances, while standby and failover servers ensure highest availability of all data.
“The biggest challenge for us was the design complexity of the property, both in terms of the master plan but also ceiling design and fixtures,” Daniel said. “The challenges come when other ceiling infrastructure – such as lighting elements, fire systems, ventilation, design features, public announcement and sound system – all end up in the same place where you need to place cameras.
“Designers tend to focus priority on form over function, whereas operations people lean towards function over form. There is, however, a balance of function and form that can be achieved via close collaboration with architects and designers, whereby the Dallmeier IP cameras can be aesthetically integrated into or within ceiling design fixtures or chandeliers. This we have achieved quite successfully.”
According to Daniel, Studio City’s surveillance operations centre has been designed with functionality and ergonomics in mind, with the understanding that the group achieves results through the eyes of its surveillance operators. “Providing them a work space that can deliver a high-performance results-orientated environment with the highest level of human computer interaction and intuitiveness was a key focus,” he stated. “The operator intuitiveness and user-friendliness of the video management, the Dallmeier SeMSy system, also goes in line with this philosophy. We are highly satisfied with the system and with both the regional and global unconditional Dallmeier technical support.”
