A DVR is the standard type of recorder used across the CCTV industry these days. The capabilities a digital video recorder offers vastly outweigh the old time lapse video recorders and there is no question about which recording system you should choose given the choice. Having said that, there are an enormous amount of DVRs on the market all with slightly different specifications and features.
A Digital Video Recorder will have a built in hard disk (just like your PC) that will allow you to record days, weeks or even months (dependent upon the hard disk size) of video footage. This footage will all be time & date stamped and can be easily found using the search facility.
A massive benefit of todays DVRs is the ease in which you can remove footage from the hard disk – this is often done by simply connecting a USB storage stick the the DVR and backing up the clip that you want. This USB stick can then be connected to any PC for playback – ideal if you want to take to video evidence to the local police station etc.
Many DVRs can be connected to any TV or PC monitor for live viewing or instant playback of recorded footage on site.
You will not need to worry about clearing data from the hard disk either as any good DVR should have an overwrite feature – this means that if the hard disk is full then the DVR will automatically begin recording over the oldest stored footage.
There are usually three different recording modes available – continuous, scheduled or motion detection. The most frequently used method is motion detection recording as this saves disk space and means that you should be able to easily locate the evidence you are looking for.
Scheduled recording allows the user to setup certain times of day and days of the week for the DVR to record. Some installers and CCTV users do still like to record continuously from all of their security cameras.
Digital Video Recorders tend to come in 4,8 and 16 channel units as standard – so whatever size CCTV system you require there should be a DVR to cater for it.
