DVR Digital Video Recorders

DVR or Digital Video Recorder

A DVR or Digital Video Recorder is the most common and desired form of monitoring and recording in the Video Surveillance industry today. DVRs were originally designed to replace low quality, high maintenance , CCTV video recorders such as Video surveillance VHS analog recorders. The abilities of a DVR has not only revolutionized the way modern day CCTV video Surveillance systems are built but has added features which make a DVR far superior to the previous recording methods of analog recorders. First and foremost a DVR eliminated the need to constantly exchange video tapes by recording higher quality digital video to a hard drive or drives. A DVR presented also the ability to record multiple channels of CCTV video simultaneously and reduced the amount of needed equipment to a security camera video surveillance system by utilizing built-in multiplexers. Thus by digitizing the signals of CCTV video from security cameras and compressing them via formats like MPEG-4 a DVR is able to record higher quality video from multiple streams and store them more efficiently onto hard drives. DVRs also made it possible to back-up this information in various other ways such as a CD-RW/DVD-RW, USB drives, Memory sticks or cards and more.

DVRs did not stop there; a DVR added numerous more features and capabilities to security systems in general. DVR software has greatly improved the security and video surveillance systems designs, functions and effectiveness. By integrating digital alarm inputs and outputs to a DVR, security systems of all types have been unitized allowing a DVR to act as a key unit in monitoring and control of devices such as sensors and motion detectors to electronic gates and magnetic door locks. Again the effectiveness of a DVR and DVR software is proven with their ability to record video surveillance according to certain settings such as motion detection, alarm detection, scheduled recording and so on.

A DVR again displays its superiority by allowing them to be connected to a network or the internet. This attribute gives a DVR the ability to be connected to multiples of other DVRs to construct a large scale system which can then be administrated via DVR software to create one large virtual DVR. This also allows a single DVR or multiple DVRs to be monitored and reviewed from local and remote locations greatly expanding the abilities and uses of video surveillance systems using DVRs.

When selecting a DVR or Digital Video Recorder

When choosing a DVR or Digital Video Recorder several things should be considered. The amount of security camera inputs needed currently and in the possible future should be closely evaluated when selecting a DVR. The frames per second (fps) abilities of a DVR in both display and recording are important to know so that the desired effect or need of the video recorded by the DVR will be accomplished. The compression method and hard drive space of the DVR are important in estimating the amount of time the DVR will be able to record. The amount of alarm inputs and audio inputs if this applies to your needs of the DVR. Network connection type of the DVR and the DVR remote viewing capability are also something that can be very important.

The main Types of DVRs are

1. Standalone DVR, Embedded DVR or simply DVR

DVRs such as Standalone DVRs or embedded DVRs are Digital Video Recorders that are manufactured for the sole purpose of being a DVR. These typically contain a single circuit board with DVR software burned into the chip. A DVR of this type is almost always a Linux based system which makes it more reliable and stable than the most windows based systems.

2. PC DVR or PC Based DVR

PC DVRs or PC Based DVRs are Digital Video Recorders that are essentially a modified PC with a DVR capture card. A PC DVR is usually windows based, offers more features than a standalone DVR and can be more user friendly with onscreen menus and mouse controls. It is

as important that a PC DVR is of reputable construction as it is that a DVR is manufactured by a reliable company.

3. Mobile DVR

Mobile DVRs are Digital Video Recorders Designed for the purpose of Mobile applications such as cars, boats, planes and other vehicles. Usually a mobile DVR will have features such as anti vibration, special back-up features and have power requirements of 12VDC common in vehicles like cars foe ease of application. Otherwise these DVRs are mostly similar to the standalone DVR type only more compact.