Products – Recorders

What you need to know about DVRs.

A Digital Video Recorder (DVR) is sent raw video from an analog camera and encoded and processed digitaly at the DVR and stored on a hard drive or SD card.

A Network Video Recorder (NVR) can be a software or dedicated recorder that digitally records video to a hard drive or SD memory card. An NVR differs from a digital video recorder as its input is from a network and not a direct connection to a video capture card or tuner. Video on an NVR is encoded and processed at the camera, then streamed to the NVR for storage or remote viewing.

The application of High Definition–Serial Digital Interface (HD-SDI) video cameras and recorders is a great way for existing CCTV customers to upgrade their security system. In most cases, the existing video coaxial cable infrastructure can be utilized, thereby making for a reasonably priced retrofit of new HD technology. It’s mainly used for higher output video transitioning and can output video resolution of up to 1080p.

VSS recorders have advanced features.

Remote

Remote viewing lets you to view your property live through the internet on a computer, tablet or smartphone.

Motion Detection

Motion detection allows you to save memory space by only recording when motion is triggered in front of the camera. Motion sensitivity can be set to only allow small movement without recording. Your motion detection can also be set to only be triggered with small regions on the image. This way, motion detection can be focused on the top corner of a door allowing motion everywhere else to be ignored unless that door is opened. Motion detection can also have a prerecord function capturing everything 10 or 20 seconds before the motion was detected. Email notification can be sent when motion is detected or an alarm is triggered.

Channels

Channels vary from 2 to 64 channels per machine. Most of VSS recorders are networkable and can be combined in multiple different locations to compile one monitoring system. These networked systems can be feet or or thousands of miles away from each other. Selecting a recorder with more channels than you currently need will allow for future expansion.

Resolution

Resolution on high provides a greater amount of detail, but also requires a greater amount of storage space. Some cameras less detail valued can be placed at lower resolutions to extend storage space.

Analog recorders can produce CIF (360×240) to D1 (720×480) as well as the slightly better 960H (960×480).

NVRs and HDSDI recorders can produce 720p (1280 x 720 – HD), 1080p (1920 x 1080 – HD) resolutions or higher. 

Frame Rate

Frame rate at “Realtime” recording is considered to have 30 frames per second (FPS) on each channel. 7.5 frames per second is considered standard even though 30-FPS is achievable. Less detail valued cameras can be set to lower frame rate to save storage space.

Storage

Storage on VSS recorders are on internal hard drives, an external hard drive, or with some mobile recorders, SD card. The number of cameras used, recording resolution, frame rate, video compression, audio and recording modes will factor into determining how fast storage will fill up.