Digital Video Recorders (DVR)Buying Guide
What Is The Difference Between a DVR & NVR?
You may have heard of both a DVR and NVR before and may even think that they are one in the same, interchangeable products. But that simply isn’t true.
NVR stands for a Network Video Recorder. NVRs typically use IP cameras which are advanced items. A DVR, on the other hand, only uses analog cameras. These cameras will send the footage through cables directly to the DVR, whereas the cameras used with an NVR will store the footage on their own without the help of a DVR or cables.
An NVR is often more expensive than a DVR but a DVR does the job just as well, with only a bit more set-up and installation and monitoring.
What To Look For With A DVR For Business
Frames Per Second
This is a very common feature that people keep in mind when they are shopping for a business DVR. Frames per second really highlights just how good - or bad - the footage you are looking at will be.
Typically, 24 frames per second will give you very smooth footage that is easy to read and watch. Anything less than that will be choppy and harder to understand. But holding more frames per second means that you will be holding more data in your DVR, therefore, you will be needing to buy one with a bigger hard drive and more space.
How Much Footage Are You Looking To Hold?
You should honestly ask yourself just how much footage you think you’ll be storing with your business’s DVR. Some people elect to hold thousands of hours without clearing out any which is great if they want to look back on footage from months ago. However, containing that amount of data will need a very expansive DVR with lots of space.
If you are only looking to keep a few days of footage on your DVR, you can purchase one with a smaller hard drive and still be sure that it will get the job done. The more footage you want, the most money you should expect to spend.
Do You Need Audio?
Not all DVRs can hold the audio that comes with the footage from the CCTV cameras. But there are some business owners who want to make sure they can both see and hear what was happening on their property.
If you are someone who wants to have both visual and audio stored, you need to be sure that you are buying a DVR that is capable of holding audio. This should be specified within the information about the digital video recorder.
How Easy Is Installation?
A DVR system will not work well unless it’s set up well and that is why it is so important that you are well aware of how to install the DVR and get it working. In fact, you should be knowledgeable about what the set-up process will be before you make your purchase.
There are many people who buy the DVR and then bring it to their business and attempt to set it up with their CCTV cameras only to find that they don’t know what they’re doing.
You can find out about the entire installation process by asking the right questions and reading the specifications about the DVR before you buy it.
What Are Other People Saying?
When you are shopping around for a DVR, it is always smart to look at what other people have said about the product in question.
Online reviews have never been so popular and they are a great way for you to get a feel for what other people are saying about the DVR you are thinking of buying. If you find that a vast amount of people donot like the DVR, then you should probably keep looking for something else.
However, if the reviews are universal acclaim then you should think about making the investment. You should remember that the people who buy DVRs for their businesses do so for very specific reasons and are looking for particular features and benefits and they will not hold back from saying if a DVR lives up to, exceeds, or falls short of their expectations.
