CIF vs D1

CIF and D1 represent different resolution standards in DVRs.

CIF DVRs have a 360 x 240 pixel resolution, while D1 DVRs have a 720 x 480 pixel resolution. This means that D1 is roughly twice the image quality level of CIF. Image quality can be very important, and because of that most high end DVRs use D1.

"Buyer Beware: Better Image quality Does Not Always Mean Better Video Quality" or "All D1 DVRs are not created equal."

Each DVR has a recording resolution and a live video resolution. D1 is currently the highest resolution used for both recording and live viewing, but many standalone DVRs are not able to record in D1 in realtime, which is 30 frames per second (fps). Because significant processing power is needed to record these high resolution images and it that much power wasn't available or economical then, D1 originally was not able to offer the same number of frames per second as CIF.

Nowadays with computing power being what it is, D1 DVRs can record at full 30 fps frame rates. However, because reduced frame rate D1 DVRs had been on the market for so long and because they could be purchased at lower amounts, they are still offered.

More choice is always a good thing, and it is nice to be able to purchase a lower cost high resolution DVR if what you are interested in is mainly high resolution images for use in crime reporting, however this can make a purchase very confusing. When purchasing a D1 DVR it is always very important to also check the frame rate.

How to decide if you need a CIF or D1 DVR

When purchasing a DVR, you should ask yourself if you need the higher resolution. If you do, you should ask if you need the frame rate to also stay at Full 30 FPS recording. Here's a flowchart of the CIF vs D1 decision making process, and here are some links to

CIF DVRs

D1 DVRs

Full D1 DVRs