Although some customers still prefer the old-fashioned recording solution, it is worth to invest the extra money to buy a good quality digital video recorder (DVR). Digital recorder transfers analog video cameras feed into a digital format, and store them on your hard drive. There are two main types of digital recorders on the market today.
PC Based Systems.
A special board and software installed on your computer will allow camera inputs and store video on hard drive. Many people are under the misconception that personal computer with additional hardware installed, will do the job. This explains the hundreds of companies that have hung up a sign, taken a few ads and start working in basements and garages, holding themselves out to be DVR manufacturers and security specialists. The main problem with this type of CCTV recorders lies in the main components of the … Yes, it is a computer, designed to perform limited tasks, but also none. The truth is that any computer-based digital video recorder, and will always be vulnerable to software crashes, hang-ups, system instability, virus related problems etc..
Stand Alone System.
Very similar in appearance and control functions to standard VCR recorders, are the truly extraordinary. Most video processing is done by hardware, therefore eliminating system crashes; video is also stored on the hard drive in digital format. Basic operating system, usually Linux, is permanently stored on special processor, witch is impossible to overwrite or corrupt. Designed and manufactured with single application in mind, it is much better in performance and reliability to its PC based rival.
Some DVR systems will even have remote monitoring capability, useful when monitoring is required in different locations via the Internet or network. The most important futures to look for when choosing the right DVR recorder are motion detection and frame speed. The higher the frame speeds up the video more smoothly. Motion detection will allow recording video from each camera only when motion is detected, this is great for extending video recording time.