What is ColorVu 3.0 Technology?

ColorVu 3.0 is the new generation of full-color night-vision technology of security camera used in Hikvision. It was introduced late in 2024, and is used to provide color video 24/7 on Hikvision new Pro-series network cameras (EasyIP 4.0 Plus). ColorVu 3.0 is unlike regular CCTV cameras where they turn into black and white at night.

However, it records full color pictures in darkness. It is performed due to a complex of high-tech hardware (large-aperture lenses and high-sensitivity sensors) and AI-powered imaging processing. Summarily, ColorVu 3.0 allows the user to see, recognize, even in the dark of the night (by allowing daylight clarity of color), which makes it easier to see things.

ColorVu 3.0 functions by capturing as much light as it can and then applying intelligently designed algorithms to clean the picture. The cameras feature and F1.0 super-large-aperture lens and sophisticated sensor. This lens type admits more light as compared to the usual camera (one that may feature F1.2 or F1.6). Also, Hikvision incorporates active alignment technology of the optics to ensure accurate focusing.

All of these hardware enhancements enable the camera to capture as many photons in a dark scene as it can. Later, strong AI noise-reduction and enhancement algorithms are applied: In the case of RBW-radio, this is the on-board processor, which is named Hik AI-ISP. The Hik AI-ISP image processor in ColorVu 3.0 suppresses an erroneous noise level and raises the brightness, making resulting images much clearer and more detailed even in low-light. Indeed, the algorithms are well explained by Hikvision: “The algorithms effectively remove noise unnecessarily and increase overall luminosity without interfering with richness of color and other fine details in challenging lightning conditions.”

Further, ColorVu 3.0 reduces motion blur at night significantly. Moving objects tend to be difficult to get a clear image of in the dark (they are ghosted or smeared). The remedy offered by Hikvision is to employ frame-processing methods: the AI ISP corrects and sharpens moving objects so even when people or vehicles move the detail won’t fade or blur.

Practically, this implies that a walking person or a panning car will come out crisply; not, a blurred streak. To recap, the top technological pillars of ColorVu 3.0 are light gathering tech (F1.0 lens, large sensor) and AI enhanced image processing (noise reduction and de-blurring). All these collaborate to enable brisk coloring pictures in the darkness.

Besides reducing noise, ColorVu 3.0 applies high tech 3D LUT (Look-Up Table) color corrections. Simply put, a 3D LUT is a mathematic mapping that colors present in the video they are recording as closely as possible with colors depicted in the actual scenery. The 3D LUT included in ColorVu 3.0 is said to provide the precise color calibration and sensitive harmonization of colors, too. It does not only increase the brightness but also has the ability to give a feeling of returning the things to their true color, so even the night scene is close to the feeling of the day. Practically, this implies that a red car will be seen as red (rather than a murky brown) in an obscury street, and a green shirt will be seen to be pretty well green rather than a drab gray. It is realistic shading that may be crucial to recognition (license plates, clothing, etc) and criminal clarity. According to one user report, ColorVu 3.0 provided “full-colour, high-quality footage in low-light situations, more than could simply be delivered by past models of camera.”

The other technology innovated in ColorVu 3.0 cameras is the AI WDR (Wide Dynamic Range.). The conventional WDR methods combine bright and dark areas, and in many cases, need manual control. Hikvision has made this process better in ColorVu 3.0. The new AI WDR is an exposure auto adjusting system of the scene. Highlights (such as streetlights or car headlights) are avoided being overexposed and the dark areas (such as shadows) have been raised so that they do not lose their detail.

The camera does this, as it were, in a natural way: highlights and shadows are “blended” together; in areas of high brightness, details remain visible and do not get burned out, and in dark scenes, one can see some details instead of solid black. Notably, the camera itself makes the choice of WDR activation whenever necessary depending upon the strength of light in the scene, hence it adjusts automatically in response to the variation in light. The end product is well balanced video requiring no user tweaking.

The practical meaning of all this is: They are ColorVu 3.0 cameras that allow full-color video recordings 24/7, making night surveillance dramatically better. According to security integrators, this full-colour night vision improves levels of visibility and helps to see intruders, vehicles, and other details of the scene. With the impressively large F1.0 lens and AI processing, the image looks much brighter and clearer when compared to previous generation ColorVu or regular cameras.

There is a huge decrease in noise and graininess hence the footage becomes clear. It is accurate in colors: 3D LUT built into the screen maintains colors as close as possible to reality. Collectively, these characteristics provide significantly better low-light video than is commonly available CCTV. Also, ColorVu 3.0 cameras can have the latest analytics of Hikvision (such as AcuSense 3.0) and enhanced audio (Audio 2.0) which increase detection and communication.

ColorVu 3.0 is not without limitations despite its powerfulness. The technology continues to rely on certain ambient light. When there is absolutely no light to a scene and the only light possible is sheer darkness, ColorVu can falter (as any color camera does); there is a decrease in performance when there is indeed no illumination at all. What this means is that under a pitch-black environment, it cannot perform as well as an infrared (IR) night camera which generates its own light. ColorVu 3.0 does help counteract this by using up small amounts of light but it is not a magic bullet that turns an area that is dark entirely into light. Similarly, adverse weather could trouble it: heavy rain, fog or snow causes the dispersion of light and loss of clarity, so ColorVu cameras can lack contrast in these situations.

Cost and complexity is the other disadvantage. The sophisticated cameras are costly in comparison with simple ones. Setting up and configuring them may be a planning exercise. e.g. sensitivity and color settings might need to be lowered somewhat to prevent oversaturated “candy” colors or ghosting in certain frames (reported by a small number of installers to require adjusting the exposure/noise settings at first).

Furthermore, since ColorVu is based on a high-quality sensor and processor, users must remember that it is more expensive and make sure that their network/NVR can support the data. Summarizing, the trade-offs are greater cost and a bit more effort to prepare at the expense of far better night-time footage.

In the table given above, one can see the comparison between the ColorVu 3.0 with that of a standard night camera. In contrast, as seen, ColorVu 3.0 excels in low-light imaging and color fidelity, as compared to a standard IR camera, which non-color, grayscale images only.

UK: Local security companies have promoted the use of ColorVu 3.0 in the UK. As an example, WDT Security (a UK CCTV installer) exclaims the benefits of the ColorVu 3.0 cleaned-up imaging with the use of artificial intelligence or estimating mainstreaming in the UK, and its capability of producing the clear, colored recordings even in darkness. The other UK supplier, Connectec (another one is called AI-powered night vision), increases detail and clarity. Examples of applications emphasized by these companies include securing of homes, stores and small enterprises through 24-hour color video.

As of late 2023, Hikvision UK branch is, in terms of regulation, noting that the UK government expressed that Hikvision equipment is not blacklisted in most instances in the public sector. That is to say that other than the highly sensitive places, the use of the ColorVu cameras is legal throughout the UK market.

As a matter of fact, there are some institutions and transit agencies in the UK, which use Hikvision cameras albeit in altered forms rather in ensuring the safety of the people. In the meantime, the UK partners of Hikvision have made efforts to match their products with the UK standards of security. In general, ColorVu 3.0 is regarded by UK viewers as an innovative feature set in CCTV.

Technical Details: In principle, ColorVu 3.0 has some technical innovations behind the scenes. The F1.0 Lens admits ~2x the light that an F1.6 Lens, which increases signal instantly. The large image sensor (typically 1/1.2 in. or larger) also augments low-light performance. The HikAI-ISP module performs then multi-frame noise reduction, edge-restoration. In practice the camera fires some high-speed frames but the AI engine intelligently combines them together to flatten noise but not lose sharp edges.

In regard to color, the 3D LUT employs the science of color to bring the raw sensor colors to pure output colors, able even to correct for tungsten or streetlight color tints. Lastly, the AI WDR is operation by the analysis of histogram or mixture exposure selection. All these run real time on the chipset of the camera.

In practice, the installation of a ColorVu 3.0 camera resembles the one of any IP camera with a few distinctions that integration teams should bear in mind as far as its advanced settings are concerned. One could set the exposure limit (so the AI ISP does not over-brighten) and examine the white balance presets to get the best outcomes. The default is Auto mode, which most users prefer, because the “smart” algorithms adapt dynamically. Having been established, the camera will in turn offer vivid night video without the need to undertake any other action.

Pros and Cons:

Advantages:

Full- color night vision:

Yields 24/7 color video with much improved detail and identification.

Superb low-light visibility:

Big f/1.0 aperture and AI noise reduction provide clear sharp images even at low light intensity.

True colors:

The 3D LUT calibration makes the colors look realistic either at night.

Out of balance exposure:

Better AI WDR keeps excessive exposure of images and maintains details of shadows.

Predictive analytics:

Frequently sold together with AcuSense 3.0 and other smart functions, lowers the number of unauthorized visits and assists searching.

Improved audio /communication:

Speaker and dual-mic (Audio 2.0) offer clearer 2-way talk and alarms (good to use as a deterrence method).

Crude design:

The housing of many ColorVu 3.0 cameras is weatherproof and corrosion resistant rendering them compatible as outdoor cameras.

Disadvantages:

Light requirement:

Requires at least moderate ambient light; will wear out in complete darkness (no light).

Allergy to weather:

Light scattering caused by fog or heavy rain or snow, may wash out colour and detail.

Uniformity of color:

Light changes that happen extremely quickly (e.g. car headlights) can temporarily skew color balance, and some tune-ups will occasionally be necessary.

Cover Area:

ColorVu works best at moderate ranges; it uses the same IR-friendly limitations as extremely long-range night-view, but it applies to a greater distance range.

Greater expense:

ColorVu 3.0 cameras are more costly compared to simple CCTV cameras due to the hi-tech sensors, lenses and AI hardware.

Complexity:

The more features, the more settings; the installers had to make the firmware of this camera updated and configured in the right way.

Summary

To sum things up, the promising ColorVu 3.0 technology is a serious advancement in CCTV night vision. It uses large-aperture optics and state-of-the-art AI processing to produce full-color video, rather than greyscale, in lighting scenarios under which earlier cameras produced grayscale images only.

It has clear benefits in the case of users that require 24/7 access to clear and color images. But it is not silver bullet: it will not win when used in complete darkness against infrared illumination and the system is more complex and expensive. ) ColorVu 3.0 does it in dramatic fashion, however, to enhance visibility conditions at night, which makes it a strong solution in the contemporary surveillance procedure.

The above table highlights how ColorVu 3.0 cameras compare to a conventional night camera. As seen, ColorVu 3.0 stands out in low-light imaging and color fidelity, whereas a standard IR camera only captures grayscale images and lacks these AI features.