NVRs & DVRs - One Storage Solution For Every CCTV Camera

A CCTV security system is installed by a person so that he can see all the activities happening in his property at his own convenient time, which he is not able to see live. But have you ever wondered how and where all such large recordings are stored with utmost safety which is far from anybody’s reach? In this blog, we will explain to you how and where the security camera recordings are stored and what factors are to be considered while buying a CCTV camera.

What are NVRs and DVRs Security Cameras?

Network Video Recorder (NVR) and Digital Video Recorder (DVR) are devices which are designed to manage, view and store the surveillance videos. NVRs and DVRs make saving and viewing of videos easy and simple which is available with a variety of software and hard drive sizes. Which NVR or DVR is best for you completely depends on the type of CCTV or IP surveillance camera you purchase.

 

Now, let’s understand how do these storage devices work and what benefits does it hold for its users.

Working of NVRs and DVRs:

Though NVRs and DVRs have the same usage and application of saving and storing of security videos, they work on completely different types of cameras. They both come in form factors i.e. a stand-alone appliance, a tower server or a rackmount server. Where DVRs are used in CCTV or analog surveillance cameras, NVRs are best suitable for IP CCTV cameras.

These days, DVR CCTV cameras are widely used, which converts the video recordings into digital formats that enables you to save more and more video recordings without compromising the past ones. They also offer you the convenience of remote access, common IP cameras and NVRs.

NVRs use the local network to send and receive data and are best for remotely monitoring your surveillance system from your smartphones, tablet or computer. Inclusion of NVRs in the surveillance system makes it possible to include new cameras with more advanced features.

If you have such a surveillance camera system which is a mixture of both CCTV and IP cameras, then you can deploy specialized video encoders which will make your CCTV camera connected to an NVR.

Benefits Of Using NVRs and DVRs:

NVRs and DVRs are responsible for managing multiple cameras from one central location, which can improve your security system in the following ways:

❖    They have the capability of storing a large number of video files compared to what a camera can store on a local micro SD card. This helps you in storing videos for a longer time or recording videos in HD quality.

❖    It sets up alerts and motion detection windows which is not available in the security cameras. It makes you view and analyse all the videos recorded from different cameras at one place, instead of viewing videos individually from each camera.

Factors To Be Considered While Buying A CCTV Security Camera:

1.)      The Correct Lens- A CCTV camera with the correct lenses will give you a quality recording and image. A camera with the correct lens will make the camera focus and would bring enough light to the sensors on the camera. This will help you to read the registration plates and recognising faces with utmost clarity.

2.)     The Correct sensor- When you look out for a correct sensor, you have to keep in mind about two things i.e. the type and size of the sensor. These are:-

·        Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS), and

·        Charged Coupled Device (CCD) cameras.

On a comparative basis, CCD is more expensive than CMOS but the former can             produce a clearer image which makes identification of registration plates and face             easy and clear.

3.) The Correct output Resolution- The more pixels your camera has, the better the picture quality it will give. The highest resolution a camera can have is 700TVL, with mainstream cameras ranging between 300-550 TVL.

On the basis of the above factors, a CCTV camera must be chosen which suits different situations and premises. Like, Box cameras are easily visible to anyone who passes by it because of its size, which can be useful in capturing theft and crime easily. Dome cameras are smaller in size which is easily not visible to anyone. It is ideal for monitoring a larger area and can trace movement easily. This comprehensive guide will be of great help to you when selecting a CCTV camera for your property.