A Fundamental Shift: From Pixels to Visual Reality

Understanding the new IEC 62676-4:2025 Standard and what it means for the security industry … and for Hanwha Vision.

Every industry re-invents itself, at some point, and surveillance is no exception. Surveillance technology has evolved dramatically since 2014, accelerated by advances in AI, data analytics, connectivity, and system integration. But the biggest driver behind this change: customers are working differently, and they need security and surveillance technologies that can keep pace.

That’s why the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has updated its security standards from the 2014 DORI-focused framework to one more closely aligned with modern surveillance environments.

Surveillance now has a seat at the main table, no longer exclusively a passive monitoring tool. It’s now a source of real-time business intelligence. Today's systems are often complex, multi-site deployments designed to monitor and protect but also help customers go beyond security to impact the future of their organization.

The new standards introduced in IEC 62676-4 2025 focus on planning, design, installation, and maintenance of video surveillance systems. The IEC recognized that the measure of a surveillance system’s effectiveness is not, "How many pixels does the camera produce?" The real question for organizations now is, "Can we actually see everything and gather all the information we need to make an informed operational decision?"

What is the biggest change in the 2025 standard?

The biggest change is the move from pixel-based configurations to outcome-based designs, evaluating an entire surveillance system rather than individual camera specifications. Even a highly rated 4K camera can still fail operationally if lighting, compression, frame rate, display settings, or camera positioning are not properly considered.

IEC’s updated standard replaces the familiar DORI operational framework with new category definitions including:

These last two categories, Validate and Scrutinize, will likely attract the most attention:

Validate:

Validate becomes the new benchmark for confirming a person's identity or verifying critical details. It effectively raises expectations compared to the previous identification category, increasing recommended pixel density from approximately 80 pixels per foot to 150 pixels per foot.

Typical applications where this change stands out include building entrances, access control points, reception spaces, and areas requiring clear facial verification.

Scrutinize:

Scrutinize represents the highest level of operational detail. It is intended for specialized, high-security applications where maximum certainty is required, including critical infrastructure, security checkpoints, sensitive facilities, and high-security inspection areas.

What does this mean for surveillance system design?

The new standard requires system designers to take a more holistic approach, considering camera placement and viewing angle, lighting conditions, frame rate, compression settings, monitor size and resolution, operator viewing distance, and network performance.

Why is lighting important?

Lighting directly impacts surveillance performance. The 2025 standard treats lighting as a primary design variable rather than an afterthought. Designers must account for actual operating conditions, whether that means daylight, darkness, IR illumination, white light, or changing environmental conditions.

How do frame rates and compression fit into the new standard?

The standard links frame rate and compression directly to operational outcomes. If a scene requires high-detail review or subject verification, designers must ensure that frame rates and compression settings preserve the information needed to achieve that objective. Simply meeting resolution requirements may not be enough. A camera configured with excessive compression or insufficient frame rate could fail to meet a “Validate”-level requirement, even if the pixel density is adequate on paper.

What role do test charts play?

The standard introduces standardized test-chart validation for objectively verifying performance. These test charts allow designers to verify calculations, integrators to prove compliance, end users to confirm expected performance, and auditors to evaluate system effectiveness. The result is a more measurable approach to surveillance design and commissioning.

What does this mean for customers and end users?

For end users, the biggest benefit is accountability. Instead of purchasing a system based primarily on megapixels or camera counts, organizations can now easily evaluate and measure system performance against clearly defined goals and criteria. This is especially useful when justifying technology spending to senior management and the accounting department.

How does the new standard view video analytics?

The new standard makes an important distinction between human review and video analytics. Analytics may successfully detect, classify, or track objects using image quality levels that would be insufficient for evidentiary review by a human operator. The standard recommends defining separate requirements for analytics performance and human visual interpretation. This helps customers avoid making assumptions that an analytics-capable camera automatically meets forensic investigation requirements.

What does this mean for integrators?

A successful project is no longer measured simply by properly installing equipment. Integrators must demonstrate that systems are designed, tested, documented, and validated to achieve specific operational goals.

Key responsibilities now include demonstrating that camera placement objectives align with product specifications, validating a system’s performance, documenting assumptions, managing lighting requirements, justifying frame rate and compression settings, and supporting commissioning and maintenance activities.

The good news is that the standard provides a stronger framework for turning customer requirements into measurable outcomes.

What does this mean for A&E consultants?

For consultants, documentation has become far more important. The new standard requires design decisions to be traceable, defensible, and “audit ready.” This includes documenting camera purpose, operational objectives, viewing assumptions, display requirements, lighting conditions, camera positioning, validation results, human review requirements, and analytics requirements

Consultants will increasingly be expected to justify not only what equipment was selected, but why.

What does this mean for the surveillance industry?

This IEC update aligns closely with the industry's broader move toward security solutions tailored to meet operational objectives. Manufacturers must embrace clearer claims around image quality, pixel density, low-light behavior, compression effects, analytics readiness, cybersecurity and interoperability.

The companies that will thrive under the new standard are those that can demonstrate real-world performance and validated image quality, while delivering strong documentation, reliable cybersecurity practices, and effective system design and compliance tools.

Hanwha Vision Is Ready for the New Standard

Hanwha Vision is no stranger to guiding the industry through transformational changes, whether it’s through the development of innovative new technologies or the expertise of our team members.

Now we have a unique opportunity to lead once again, helping customers, consultants, and integrators shift their focus from comparing specifications to delivering outcome-based results aligned with each customer’s business strategy. Our team is ready with anything the industry needs, from consultation and technical support to new products and informational resources.

Let’s Work Together to Support IEC 62676-4:2025

Successfully meeting these new standards requires a collaborative effort across the security industry. Hanwha Vision welcomes the opportunity to dive deeper into IEC 62676-4:2025, working closely with our customers and our extensive network of dealers, integrators, and A&E consultants. This new standard affects everyone, so we want to hear from you. Share your questions, thoughts, and ideas with your Hanwha Vision partner or contact your Hanwha Vision representative for more information.