At a Glance — Why This Upgrade Is Needed
The existing system was installed 10 years ago. It cannot identify faces, read plates, or reliably retain footage beyond 30 days.
Critical Limitations of the Current System
Cannot Identify Anyone
85% of cameras record at 1.2 megapixels and 5 frames per second — too low to identify faces, read plates, or capture detail on fast-moving subjects.
No Number Plate Recognition
Car park entry and exit cameras are 1.2 MP OEM units. It is physically impossible to read a Malaysian number plate from their footage at any distance.
Guest Floor Blind Spots
Every guest floor has only 2 cameras (1 lift lobby + 1 corridor). One entire end of the corridor — leading to the Junior Suite — is unwatched.
Storage Running Out
Synology B is at 81% capacity. Effective retention is around 30 days before footage is overwritten. Both NVR units are end-of-life hardware.
No AI or Smart Detection
Every pixel change triggers recording — rain, shadows, insects. No way to filter for actual people or vehicles. Searching footage is entirely manual.
OEM Cameras — No Support
69 cameras are unbranded OEM units with no manufacturer support, no firmware updates, and unknown remaining lifespan.
What the Upgraded System Delivers
Facial Recognition
Search by face across the entire building. Upload a photo — the system shows everywhere that person appeared with timestamps. VIP alerts and banned-person watchlists.
Number Plate Recognition
11 dedicated ANPR cameras track every vehicle entering, exiting, and moving between car park levels. Search by plate number instantly.
Full Corridor Coverage
Every guest floor gets 4 cameras — face capture at the lift, plus 3 corridor domes covering every metre. Zero blind spots.
90+ Day Retention
500 TB usable storage. Comfortable 90-day retention at full 8 MP quality across 141 cameras with room to grow.
AI-Powered Detection
Every camera classifies motion as person, vehicle, or irrelevant. False alarms from rain and shadows eliminated. Instant event search.
Single-Vendor Ecosystem
100% Hikvision — only 7 camera models across the entire property. Standardised management, easy spares, 10-year platform lifespan.
Sample: ANPR Plate Capture
Dedicated ANPR cameras use infrared strobes and narrow lenses to read Malaysian plates (e.g. PFN 8234) at up to 25 fps — even at night or in dark car park ramps.
Sample: Facial Recognition — Hotel Lobby
DeepinView cameras at lobby entrances capture faces in real time. The NVR matches against VIP and watchlist databases, triggering instant alerts for security staff.
Current System — Why It's Not Enough
Installed 10 years ago. 105 cameras across 2 Synology RS10613xs+ NVRs (both end-of-life).
Image Quality — What Security Staff Actually See
Current Storage — Why Retention Falls Short
Even at the current low bitrates (1.2 MP / 5 fps), the 50.6 TB combined storage struggles to meet the 50-day retention target. With the proposed 8 MP cameras, the current storage would last less than a week.
| Zone | Cameras | Resolution | FPS | Issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guest Floor Lobbies | 13 | 1.2 MP | 5 | No face capture capability at all |
| Guest Floor Corridors | 12 | 1.2 MP | 5 | 1 camera per floor — blind spot at room 00 end |
| Car Park | 15 | 1.2 MP | 5 | Cannot read any number plate |
| Lift Cabins | 5 | 1.2 MP | 5 | Grainy, poor face detail |
| Lobby & Entrance | 10 | Mixed | 5–15 | No dedicated face capture angle |
| Staircases | 14 | 1.2 MP | 5 | Functional but low quality |
| F&B / Gym / Function | 26 | Mixed | 5–15 | Mixed OEM and Hikvision hardware |
| Basement / Pool / Other | 10 | Mixed | 5–15 | Basic coverage only |
| Total | 105 | |||
Malaysian Legal Context — CCTV Retention
Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA 2010, amended 2024) governs CCTV footage as personal data. While the PDPA does not mandate a specific number of retention days, it requires organisations to retain footage "only as long as necessary" and delete it securely after. There is no specific Penang state (MBPP) or federal requirement setting a fixed retention period for hotels.
However, the industry standard for hotels across Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region is 30–90 days minimum. Insurance providers typically require at least 30 days. Law enforcement investigations often request footage up to 90 days after an incident. For a 196-room hotel, 90-day retention is the recommended target to cover guest disputes, insurance claims, and police requests with comfortable margin.
The current system's effective retention of ~30 days meets the bare minimum — but any storage failure or camera addition would push it below that threshold.
Car Park — ANPR Strategy
11 dedicated ANPR cameras for full plate tracking + 12 overview cameras for general surveillance. One ANPR per direction of travel at each ramp.
Multi-Level Car Park — Camera Placement
ANPR cameras are directional — each one faces oncoming traffic. For a two-way ramp, you need one camera per direction. For separate up/down spirals, one camera per ramp section.
Captures car front plates entering.
Captures car front plates leaving. Calculates duration.
Motorcycle plates. Malaysian motorcycles only have rear plates — this camera faces away from traffic to catch them entering.
Motorcycle plates. Catches rear plates of motorcycles leaving the car park.
Dedicated ANPR for vehicles using the hotel front parking area. Captures plates of delivery trucks, guest drop-offs, and reserved parking users.
How Vehicle Tracking Works
With 8 ANPR cameras, the system logs every plate at every transition point. Example search result for plate PFN 8234:
| Time | Camera | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 10:02:34 | ANPR 1 — Entry Ramp | Entered car park |
| 10:03:12 | ANPR 9 — L3→L4 Ramp | Moving UP to Level 4 |
| 10:03:48 | ANPR 7 — L4→L5 Ramp | Moving UP to Level 5 |
| ... (parked on Level 5) ... | ||
| 14:30:15 | ANPR 8 — L5→L4 Ramp | Moving DOWN from Level 5 |
| 14:30:52 | ANPR 10 — L4→L3 Ramp | Moving DOWN to Level 3 |
| 14:31:20 | ANPR 2 — Exit Ramp | Exited car park — Duration: 4h 28m |
Guest Floor Coverage — 4 Cameras Per Floor
14 guest floors (Levels 8–12, 15–23). Each floor gets an identical 4-camera layout based on the actual floor plan dimensions.
Floor Plan — Camera Positions
Lift lobby is offset west. West corridor is ~11m to room 00 (Junior Suite). East corridor is ~20m to room 17. Current setup leaves the entire west end unmonitored.
Guest Floor Coverage — Current Blind Spots vs Proposed Full Coverage
Corridor Technical Specifications
Measurements from DXF floor plan and building survey. These dimensions determine camera lens selection, mounting height, and corridor mode configuration.
| Measurement | Value | Impact on Camera Setup |
|---|---|---|
| West stretch (lobby → room 00) | ~11 m | Cam D: varifocal set wider (~4mm) — shorter distance = higher pixel density per metre |
| East stretch (lobby → room 17) | ~20 m | Cam B: varifocal set tighter (~6-8mm) — longer distance needs more zoom for recognition grade |
| Corridor width | 1.66 m | At 1.66m wide, standard 16:9 wastes 60%+ of frame on walls. Corridor mode (9:16) uses the full sensor vertically |
| Corridor ceiling height | 2.16 m (false ceiling) | Camera mount height. At 2.16m, face capture turret angle is steep — mount 15cm below ceiling for optimal face angle |
| Floor slab thickness | ~150–200 mm | ~0.84–1.04m above false ceiling to slab above — space for cable runs and dome housings |
| Room ceiling height | ~2.7–2.9 m | Higher than corridor — the bulkhead drops at corridor junction. Cameras mount in the lower corridor ceiling |
| Window (east end) | Full-height near room 17 | Cam C faces toward window — consider ColorVu upgrade (DS-2CD2787G2T-LIZS with 140dB WDR) for backlight |
| Lift lobby position | Offset west of centre | 3 lifts at centre-west: L1 (guest), L2 (guest), L3 (staff). Service lift L5 at far east end |
Storage & Retention Calculator
Interactive calculator with 20% overhead buffer for 24/7 continuous recording, firmware updates, and database indexing.
Select Retention Period
Storage includes a 20% overhead buffer for NVR system operations, facial recognition database, ANPR indexing, and filesystem overhead.
Comfortable fit with room for future growth.
Storage Comparison — Current System vs Proposed
| Camera Profile | Count | Bitrate Each | Aggregate | 30-Day (TB) | 90-Day (TB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Face Capture 8MP (25 fps) | 19 | 3.0 Mbps | 57.0 Mbps | 18.5 | 55.4 |
| Corridor 8MP H.265+ (15 fps) | 42 | 2.0 Mbps | 84.0 Mbps | 27.2 | 81.6 |
| ANPR 2MP (25 fps) | 11 | 2.0 Mbps | 16.0 Mbps | 5.2 | 15.6 |
| ColorVu 4MP (15 fps) | 15 | 1.5 Mbps | 22.5 Mbps | 7.3 | 21.9 |
| Standard 4MP (10–15 fps) | 49 | 1.2 Mbps | 58.8 Mbps | 19.1 | 57.2 |
| Mini-dome 4MP Lifts (15 fps) | 5 | 1.2 Mbps | 6.0 Mbps | 1.9 | 5.8 |
| TOTAL (recording only) | 141 | 255.5 Mbps | 80.3 | 241.0 | |
| + 20% overhead buffer | 15.8 | 47.5 | |||
| GRAND TOTAL | 95 TB | 285 TB |
Network & Switch Upgrade
Standardise all switches to 48-port PoE+ with 10 Gbps SFP+ uplinks. The CCTV network remains physically separate from the hotel data network.
| Location | Current Switch | Current Ports | Proposed Switch | Proposed Ports | Cameras Fed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server Room (Core) | Cisco SG220-50P 375W PoE, no 10G | 48 PoE + 2 | 48-Port PoE+ L2+ + 4× 10G SFP+ | 48 PoE + 4 SFP+ | ~29 |
| Car Park (L3/L4) | None — shares server room | — | 48-Port PoE+ L2+ + 4× 10G SFP+ | 48 PoE + 4 SFP+ | 20 |
| Level 7 | TP-Link TL-SG3452XP Already 48-port + 10G | 48 PoE + 4 SFP+ | 48-Port PoE+ L2+ + 4× 10G SFP+ | 48 PoE + 4 SFP+ | ~16 |
| Level 12 New | No switch at this level | — | 48-Port PoE+ L2+ + 4× 10G SFP+ | 48 PoE + 4 SFP+ | ~24 |
| Level 19 Moved | Cisco SG220-26P (L15) 26 ports, 180W only | 24 PoE + 2 | 48-Port PoE+ L2+ + 4× 10G SFP+ | 48 PoE + 4 SFP+ | ~32 |
| Level 23 Moved | Ruijie RG-ES226GC-P (L21/L26) 26 ports each | 24 PoE + 2 | 48-Port PoE+ L2+ + 4× 10G SFP+ | 48 PoE + 4 SFP+ | ~17 |
| TOTAL | 144 PoE | 288 PoE | 141 |
Port Utilisation — Current vs Proposed
Key Network Improvements
10 Gbps Fibre Backbone
Every floor switch connects to the server room core via fibre SFP+ uplink — no more daisy-chained gigabit copper bottlenecks.
Consistent PoE Budget
Every switch has 370W+ PoE budget. No more worrying about the Level 15 Cisco's 180W limit when adding 8 MP cameras.
Double the Port Capacity
288 PoE ports for 141 cameras = 109% spare capacity. Room to add cameras on every floor without touching the switches.
Standardised Management
All 6 switches are the same brand and model. Single management interface, same firmware, same configuration templates.
NVR Architecture & Monitoring Setup
Two 128-channel DeepinMind NVRs with internal storage, ONVIF support, and unlimited PC client access.
Internal Drive Configuration
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Drive Model | Seagate SkyHawk AI 20 TB (ST20000VE002) |
| Quantity | 32 drives total (16 per NVR) |
| Type | 3.5" SATA III, 7200 RPM, 256 MB cache |
| Workload Rating | 550 TB/year — designed for AI NVR write loads |
| AI Feature | ImagePerfect AI firmware — zero dropped frames during face/plate matching |
| Vibration Sensors | RV sensors for multi-bay environments (critical in 16-bay chassis) |
| Warranty | 5 years |
| Per NVR Raw | 16 × 20 TB = 320 TB |
| Per NVR Usable (RAID 6) | 14 × 20 TB = 280 TB (2 drives parity) |
| Combined Effective | ~500 TB after filesystem overhead |
Why SkyHawk AI, not regular surveillance drives? Regular drives handle streaming writes but not the random reads that facial recognition and ANPR indexing create. SkyHawk AI has dedicated AI bandwidth that prevents frame drops during simultaneous recording + face matching + plate searching. With 19 face-capture and 11 ANPR cameras running AI, this matters.
System Connection Diagram
How Monitoring Works — Not Limited by HDMI
iVMS-4200 (Any PC)
Free client software on every monitoring PC. Multi-monitor support. Live view, playback, face search, plate search. No limit on simultaneous connections.
HikCentral (Browser)
Web-based VMS — open any browser, no install needed. Floor plan maps, centralised event management, dashboards.
Hik-Connect (Mobile)
iPhone/Android app. Security managers check cameras from anywhere. Works over 4G/WiFi remotely.
HDMI Wall Display
Each NVR has 2× HDMI 4K outputs for passive wall monitors in the server room. Supplementary — not the main interface.
This works exactly like Synology Surveillance Station client today — install on any PC, connect to both NVRs, view all 141 cameras. The upgrade adds face search, plate search, and AI event search that Synology cannot do.
How the 2-NVR Split Works
Unlike your current Synology setup where you log into 2 separate browser sessions, iVMS-4200 connects to both NVRs simultaneously. All 141 cameras appear in one unified camera tree.
Lift cabins (5)
Lift 5 landings (5)
Level 7 function (5)
Lobby & entrance (10)
Staircases (18)
F&B, basement, pool, plant (19)
Redundancy Logic
If NVR 2 fails, you still have all guest floor recordings (the most sensitive for liability). If NVR 1 fails, you still have lobby face capture, car park ANPR, and entrance coverage. Max retention without expansion: ~150 days.
Your Current Workflow vs Proposed
Open browser tab 2 → log into Synology B (49 cameras)
Cannot search across both at once
No face search capability at all
No plate search capability at all
Manual timeline scrubbing only
Finding one person = hours of manual review
One camera tree, one search, one timeline
Face search: upload photo → results in 2-5 seconds
Plate search: type plate → full entry/exit/floor timeline
AcuSense: filter by person or vehicle events
Install on unlimited PCs in both monitoring offices
Finding one person = under 5 minutes
Future Expansion Options
If retention needs to grow beyond 120 days, each NVR has eSATA ports for external JBOD enclosures (Hikvision DS-A series, 12–24 bays). The NVRs also support iSCSI network storage — so a Synology NAS or any iSCSI target can serve as overflow archive. Additionally, 256 total channels means you can add cameras well beyond the current 141 without touching the NVRs.
Real-World Scenarios — Current vs Proposed
Three actual hotel situations showing how the upgraded system transforms incident response from hours of manual work to minutes of AI-powered search.
Scenario 1: Guest Reports Wallet Stolen from Room
2. Finds the corridor camera for that floor
3. Manually scrubs timeline at 5 fps — footage is jerky, faces unreadable
4. Room 00 end has NO camera — if theft occurred there, zero footage
5. Spots a person but can't identify them at 1.2 MP
6. Checks Synology A for lobby camera — separate login, separate search
7. No way to link the corridor person to the lobby footage
Time: 2-4 hours. Result: Usually inconclusive.
2. Pulls up the guest floor corridor — 8 MP, 15 fps, all 4 cameras covering the full corridor including room 00 end
3. Spots a person near the room — face is clearly visible at 8 MP
4. Right-clicks face → "Search by Face"
5. System returns every appearance across ALL 141 cameras in 3 seconds
6. Timeline shows: lobby entry at 14:02 → lift at 14:03 → corridor at 14:05 → left at 14:12
7. Face matched to check-in photo from lobby face-capture camera
Time: Under 5 minutes. Result: Full timeline + identity.
Scenario 2: Vehicle Hits Another Car in Car Park, Drives Off
2. Security reviews car park cameras — 1.2 MP, 5 fps
3. Can see a vehicle shape but cannot read the plate at any distance
4. Entry/exit cameras are completely washed out (WDR failure at ramp mouth)
5. No way to determine which floor the vehicle came from
6. Police report filed with "unknown vehicle"
Time: 1-2 hours. Result: Cannot identify vehicle. Guest files insurance claim against hotel.
2. Security reviews Level 5 ColorVu footage — full colour even in dark car park
3. Vehicle colour and shape clearly visible at 4 MP. Impact captured at 15 fps
4. Opens ANPR search → filters by Level 5 ramp between 15:25 and 15:40
5. Gets a list of 4 plates that left Level 5 during that window
6. Cross-references with entry ANPR — identifies vehicle PFN 8234, entered at 12:15, exited at 15:38
7. Exports clip + plate data for police report
Time: 10 minutes. Result: Plate number, entry/exit times, video evidence. Hotel liability eliminated.
Scenario 3: Cash Register Discrepancy — RM 500 Short
2. Security reviews lobby counter camera
3. Camera shows staff member from the side — can see them standing there
4. Cannot see the register screen, cash drawer, or what their hands are doing
5. Cannot see if cash was given to a guest or pocketed
6. No evidence either way — becomes a he-said-she-said dispute
Time: 1 hour of review. Result: Inconclusive. Cannot prove or disprove theft.
2. Security opens the overhead register camera — mounted directly above the cash register
3. Can see: register screen, cash drawer, banknotes, and staff hands from directly above
4. Scrubs to each transaction throughout the shift
5. At 16:22 — staff opens drawer, removes RM 500, does not hand it to any guest
6. Side camera confirms no guest at counter at that timestamp
7. Clear evidence for HR action. Exportable clip.
Time: 15 minutes. Result: Clear video evidence from overhead angle. Case closed.
Full Comparison — Current vs Proposed
Every metric improves. The upgrade transforms the system from passive recording to intelligent, searchable surveillance.
| Metric | Current System | Proposed System | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cameras | 105 | 141 | +36 cameras, zero blind spots |
| Guest Floor Cameras | 2 per floor (28 total) | 4 per floor (56 total) | Full corridor + face capture |
| Dominant Resolution | 1.2 MP (1280×960) | 8 MP (3840×2160) | 6.5× more detail |
| Frame Rate | 5 fps (69 cameras) | 15–25 fps | Smooth, no motion blur |
| Video Codec | H.264 | H.265+ Smart Codec | 50–80% smaller files |
| Facial Recognition | Not possible | 19 face-capture cameras | Search any face across building |
| Number Plate Recognition | Not possible | 11 dedicated ANPR cameras | Full plate tracking by floor |
| AI Motion Detection | None | AcuSense on all cameras | Person/vehicle classification |
| Storage Capacity | 50.6 TB (79% full) | 500 TB usable | 10× more storage |
| Effective Retention | ~30 days (limited by storage) | 90+ days comfortably | 3× longer retention |
| NVR Platform | 2× Synology RS10613xs+ (EOL) | 2× Hikvision DeepinMind 128-ch | Current gen, 10-year lifespan |
| Camera Ecosystem | OEM no-name + mixed Hikvision | 100% Hikvision (7 SKUs) | Single vendor, unified management |
| Network Switches | 5× mixed (Cisco/TP-Link/Ruijie) | 6× standardised 48-port PoE+ | 10G backbone, consistent mgmt |
| PoE Ports Available | 144 ports (mixed sizes) | 288 ports (all 48-port) | 109% spare capacity for growth |
| Sub-stream | None configured | Stream 2 on every camera | Fast mobile & live view |
| Car Park | 15× OEM 1.2 MP (no plates) | 12× ColorVu + 11× ANPR | Full-colour 24/7 + plate tracking |