As more and more people purchase surveillance systems everyday.Storing and recording video has become and important part of the surveillance system.An NVR,DVR or a PC has become the heart of a Video Surveillance System.In a series of writeups i will try and discuss storage issues,advantages and disadvantages.
1.Recording video/audio in a NVR(Network Video Recorder)?
A NVR is a device which is used to record IP Cameras over a Network.The IP Cameras stream video over a LAN(Local Area Network)/Internet and the video/audio streams can be recorded in a NVR.The cameras can be viewed live also on the NVR by connecting a monitor to the NVR device.
A NVR is a standalone recorder for IP Cameras just like a DVR which is a standalone recorder for Analog cameras. They are similar in functionality.
A DVR converts Analog Video/Audio to Digital before recording it to a Hard drive,whereas a NVR directly records the digital stream to a Hard Drive.
Some NVR's can automatically recognize the IP Cameras in the Local Network and configure them to the system,making installation very easy.
Image 1 : Rear view of NVR(9 channel Audio/Video with 4 channel POE)
NVR solutions however are a little expensive as of today.
At Rs.50,000/- you record streams from 9 cameras(audio/video).This also include POE(Power Over Ethernet) for 4 cameras.Where the cameras can also receive power through the ports of the NVR.(you do not need a seperate POE switch).But if you want to connect more than 4 cameras you will need to connect an extra switch.
DVR's have BNC inputs at the back of the box.As per the number of Video/Audio inputs Analog cameras can be connected to a DVR.
Image 2 : Rear view of DVR(8 channel Analog Audio/Video)
DVR's are a little cheaper.Most of them the cheaper ones however offer 4 Video inputs and a single audio input.
A DVR of the similar confirguration as the NVR we recommend supports 8 video/4 audio channels costing around Rs.45,000/-
However the quality of Video/Audio in a NVR is much better than in a DVR.This is also depends heavily on the quality of cameras used.
A NVR however offers better manageability over the Network and more flexibility than a DVR
Analog cameras are rendered useless in case of the failure of the DVR since the cameras can not even be seen online.IP cameras are yet available online or on the LAN even if the NVR is shut off.So you can simply put software on any PC and start recording as a backup incase of failure.This gives the IP Camera solution a big edge.
2.Recording in a PC(Personal Computer)?
If you decide to use a PC for recording IP Cameras then you have maximum flexibility.You do not need to install any hardware at all in the PC and the recording/viewing is simply done on the PC.Most IP camera companies including Livedarshan(www.livedarshan.com) will offer you a 16 channel software absolutely free for recording audio/video.
Video can be regularly backed up on an external hard drive and even if your PC fails,parts for the same are easily available in the market and your not stuck with a defunct DVR or DVR card once the warranty period is over.You can also easily increase your storage space by adding extra Hard Drives in a PC as your need increases to record more video.(In a DVR you will have restrictions to the number of HDD's you can add and at the same time the number of cameras you can connect to the DVR(4,8,16 channel DVR's are available as a standard)).With IP cameras you can keep adding them in your network as your demand increases and on request even get a 32 channel software if required.
Also consider a situation when you want to view the camera at various locations in your premise.You can simply log-on to any computer key in the passwords and access the video/audio and control the cameras with ease.
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