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CCTV DVR (Digital Video Recorders)



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48 channel cctv dvrs 64 channel cctv dvrs cctv dvr external hard-drive solutions














Finding The Right DVR Security Recorder Your CCTV Application

So, you are in the market for a CCTV DVR? Here at Security Camera Warehouse, we have many different CCTV DVRs. The main purpose of these security recorders is to display and record live video. Recording the live data helps people from residential areas, small businesses, retail stores, restaurants, hi-commercial plants, government municipals and many others keep tabs on many potential threats, problems, and inventory control. Surveillance DVRs are the brains for any CCTV application. We have organized each surveillance DVR model by the number of channels.

How to Choose a CCTV Digital Video Recorder

When you are looking for a CCTV DVR you need to know just a few things:

  • *How many cameras do you need the DVR to record?

  • *Do you need room to grow in the future?

    • If so then you will need to have a few extra channels on your stand alone DVR or choose a PC-based DVR so that you can expand the unit to the right amount of surveillance cameras in the future.

  • *How much record time you need?

    • Record time is a valuable part of a surveillance DVR. We have standalone DVRs that are Linux based and pentaplex enabled (this means that you can remotely operate the CCTV DVR, watch the surveillance video, and still record without interrupting the recording process).

  • *Do you need to view the surveillance video remotely?

    • If you travel frequently, then you will want to get a CCTV DVR that is network capable so that you can view the surveillance video while away. A networked CCTV digital video recorder is one of the best purchase decision you can make and will give you piece of mind while traveling.

So when are shopping keep those things in mind, because those questions will help you decide which unit is best for you. Of course if you are still unsure, please call our 800 number and feel free to talk to a consultant today!


H.264 - MPEG 4 - MJPEG CCTV Digital Video Recorders

When working with DVR Surveillance, you have to choose a video recording format. Video format determine the quality of the surveillance video being recorded. Currently, H.264 compression is the best hard-ware compression on the market. In the old days, many companies and dealers, were selling DVR cards that had MPEG-4 compression, but most of it was software compressed. Software compression is sub-quality and is not recommended for high definition DVR surveillance video. In security, you always have to have the best state of readiness to handle situations proactively, so we do not sell or have CCTV DVRs that run on software compression. We strongly advise staying away from software compression in a security recorder.
The best H.264 CCTV DVR cards are made by a company called GEOVISION. They make the top-of-the-line CCTV DVR capture cards today.

MPEG4 is still considered to be very good video compression even though it has been on the market for over 11 years. Most MPEG4 security recorders are very low cost. MPEG-4 CCTV DVRs are very stable, robust, and smooth.

Although MJPEG format is the lowest standard of CCTV DVR video still today and we do not recommend using it, we still provide a few MJPEG surveillance DVRs. MJPEG may be grainy without the best cameras and lighting, but it very cost effective. As with anything, you get what you pay for. Typically most MJPEG CCTV DVR video is software compressed, which we also advise staying away from. We have only one or two CCTV DVR models with MJPEG compression, but they are very affordable digital video recorders.


Calculate Your CCTV DVR Estimated Record Time for Stand Alone, Linux, and PC-Based DVRs

When considering a CCTV DVR, remember to select the right compression, but also remember to calculate the right amount of hard-drive space needed to achieve the amount of data you need to consume. In surveillance, having more than 4 CCTV cameras means there will be a lot of data to record. How long you can record on a PC-based, Linux, or stand alone DVR depends upon a few variables:

  • The Frames per second

  • The Resolution of video

  • The Number of cameras

  • Size of hard drive in the security recorder


By adjusting these variables, you can gain more record time. It is important to note that both Linux DVRs and PC-based DVRs can have their hard drives upgraded after purchase, a standalone DVR does not have this ability.
Also, we recommend never dropping below 30 frames per second, or your surveillance video will look choppy.
Some CCTV DVRs have a setting that will allow you to record only when motion is detected, and this can save nearly 45% of your hard-drive. If a stand alone DVR say "USB" this means that it has no hard-drive inside, but instead are located outside the unit. This means that you can add more space in if your security needs change. In most of our DVR Surveillance models, you can upgrade internally to 1 Tera-byte. If you need help in figuring the variables to get your desired record time, use our DVR Hard Drive Calculator.