Security camera DVRs have really grown in popularity lately, and for good
reason. Incorporating a DVR into your video surveillance network can really add
to your surveillance capabilities. The sheer volume of video that can be stored
on a digital video recorder is vastly superior to what can typically be stored
on a video tape. In this article, we will review some of the added functionality
you can get from using a DVR, and learn more about how DVR video surveillance
can help you meet your video security needs.
The biggest benefit of using a digital video recorder is the added control
you get over the management and storage of the video data itself. Digital data
is much easier to store, search, and view than older forms of video capture
methods such as VCR's. Most digital video recorders allow you to automatically
mark digital video files with time stamps and alert markers, which makes it much
easier to go back and view important events after the fact. Searching for and
pinpointing a specific event can be done with a simple query search rather than
having to fast forward through hours of video tapes.
When it comes to viewing digital video, you usually have expanded options as
well. Some DVR's offer multi-camera viewing, dual monitor display capabilities,
and even remote viewing access functionality. Add to this the convenience of
being able to use your personal computer to manage and view captured video, and
it is easy to see, there is really no comparison.
There are two basic kinds of DVRs, stand-alone and PC-based. A stand-alone
DVR is a basic box that looks very similar to a DVD player. It contains all the
necessary components and software in the box itself. They are usually very
simple to set up and require almost no configuration. You can easily view
captured video directly through your monitor screen. A PC-based DVR is a card
type device that you put in your personal computer. A PC-based DVR turns your
computer into a fully functioning DVR. With a PC-based DVR, all of the video
from your surveillance cameras can be managed and stored directly on your
computer. This adds some additional flexibility over stand-alone versions.
If your video surveillance network is relatively small, a stand-alone system
will probably be sufficient. If however, you have a larger surveillance network,
or have the need to monitor video feeds more proactively, you may want to select
a PC-based model. The prices of both models are actually comparable. You can
find a wide array of prices and options for both types.
There is no question; a digital video recorder can help make your security
plan much more efficient and easier to manage. If you are looking for a better
way to maximize the potential of your video surveillance network, a DVR is
definitely the way to go.
