Category Archives: Standalone DVR

How to Choosing the DVR That’s Right for You

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Choosing a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) that fits your surveillance recording needs can be quite the challenge at times; especially with the wide variety of options and features available on all kinds of different DVR setups. For example some people may prefer a dedicated Linux based DVR where as others may want a PC based DVR that uses a windows operating system. Then there are multitudes of other choices ranging from standard dedicated channel DVR’s to units that offer the possibility of upgrade-ability to higher camera inputs. In this article we will tackle a few of these problems and attempt to help you get a better idea of the varying choices in the DVR world.

First and foremost people generally tend to approach the purchasing of a DVR with a particular budget in mind. This can be a good idea when deciding to purchase a DVR particularly when on a strict budget; however always keep in mind that the lower the cost of a DVR as with any piece of technology you will be sacrificing the number of features and options available to you. This doesn’t mean however you need to purchase the most expensive DVR out there with every bell and whistle imaginable. No you simply need to be mindful of your surveillance systems needs and what features and specifications will best suit your needs.

Hard drives are an interesting factor when deciding upon the DVR you want to buy. Hard drive size directly relates to the amount of surveillance footage you can store and archive for later viewing. Now when considering the size of hard drive that will work best for you; you need to consider a few factors. Firstly how much traffic will be going by your cameras that needs to be recorded? Will you be constantly recording or are you going to have it set to record only for motion detection? What resolution are you recording at (this is very important as higher resolution video takes up more space)? If you leave your facility and plan on having your cameras record while you are gone how much time will pass before you review the footage? These various questions are very good things to have in mind and have an idea as to the answers before you make a purchase.

Now comes the question of how many cameras are you going to want to run through this DVR? Are you setting up a small home or business system that won’t require anymore than 4 dedicated camera channels; or are you laying the groundwork for a large scale facility setup with 32 or 64 cameras possible someday? This question is very important as it can determine whether you buy a dedicated DVR system without upgrade-ability or if you buy a system that can have more camera cards installed later on down the road for when you add additional security cameras to the system.

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Why buy our CCTV Security Camera DVR Surveillance System?

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“With all the DVRs on the market, why not just buy the cheapest thing I can find. They are all the same right?- That is the most common question we get around here,” said Bill Schiering of Camera Security Now.

All CCTV Digital Video Recorders are Not Created Equally

DVRs are actually computers. They contain processors, memory and hard drives. All dvrs operate on some type of operating system like Microsoft Windows XP Professional. Cheaper units use cheaper operating systems such as embedded XP and Linux.

Some have more storage through the use of better software compression algorithms and larger physical hard drive storage space.

Functionally is the key limitation of cheaper CCTV DVRs. As you go down the evolutionary DVR food chain, fewer and fewer functions are available. Today’s top CCTV DVRs can allow users to view video at any internet connected location, including wireless! Yes, you can watch your cameras from Starbucks!

Component quality also comes into play. Cheaper units use cheaper parts like motherboards, video cards and processors. Do you really want your business to ride on the cheapest computer money can buy? You get what you pay for.

Customer service should also come into play. Do the people answer the phone? Are they knowledgeable about the product? When you call back during regular business hours, do you get a real person or a recording?

Lastly, consider the products that other security camera stores are selling in their estores. Do they have 1000s of incompatible products? Most do, we don’t. We only have the good stuff we know about.

Why buy our CCTV Security Camera DVR Surveillance System? Because we use top quality components, great compression utility, loads of hard drive video storage, we answer the phone, email and fax, we are knowledgeable about our product and we have installers nationwide or you can do it yourself.

Camera Security Now builds CCTV Security Camera DVR Surveillance Systems based on the following top technologies:

Microsoft Window XP Professional
Intel Pentium 4 Processors
GeoVision DVR Hardware and Software

If you are interested in finding more about our high quality, medium cost products visit our website at http://www.huabentech.com or email us sales@huabentech.com

What is Standalone DVR or Embedded DVR (EM-DVR)

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Standalone DVR or Embedded DVR (EM-DVR): embedded systems generally refer to non-PC systems, there are computer functions but not as computer equipment or equipment. It is based on application-centric, software and hardware can be cut, and have strict requirements to features, reliability, cost, size, power and others, it’s a micro-dedicated computer system. Simply said, embedded systems integrated the system application software and hardware, similar to the PC BIOS works, its software code is small, with highly automated, fast response characteristics, especially for applications that require real-time and multi-tasking. Embedded DVR is based on the embedded processor and embedded real time operating system, which use a dedicated chip for image compression and decompression playback, the embedded operating system notably complete machine control and management. Such products do not have so many software modules and redundant functions as PCDVR, such products quality are stability, there will be no crash problems did arise, but also storage speed, resolution and picture quality has greatly improved in video and audio compression code stream, its function better than PCDVR. Embedded DVR system built on an integrated hardware architecture, the entire video and audio compression, display, networking and other functions can all be achieved by a single board, greatly improving the overall system hardware reliability and stability.

Embedded DVR main difference embodied in the video compression chip, the choice of the main processor and other chips, there are two kinds of video compression chip: ASIC and the DSP, generally, the main processor is Arm, Mips, or PowerPC and so on. Embedded DVR generally use the embedded real-time operating systems, such as PSOS, embedded Linux and other factors, the latter more than bureau. The main program short lean, not need hard disk storage systems procedures, not like ordinary computers easy attacked by computer virus. Terms from the functions, an embedded DVR and Industrial DVR is basically comparable, but the operation interface is not good as dustrial control type DVR, but most of the industrial control-type DVR does not support remote control operation, so both have their own characteristics.

In recent years, Philips, TI, ADI and other DSP manufacturers introduced powerful digital signal processing chips, embedded DVR is now taken by the major hardware programs, although the largest video path number supported by embedded DVR is 16 ch, a great number of single-purpose Industrial Type DVR is easy attacked by virus as well as the misuse of users, so CCTV DVR manufacturers are increasingly the choice of embedded DVR.

Nevertheless, the current DVR market, both market share basically the same, after all, industrial control DVR is easy to mix the various components, in general do not need to machine maintenance, some soft press card assembly PCDVR also have certain price advantages.

The problems in the present, the quality of the picture preview of the embedded DVR is not as good as Industrial DVR, even though the former support VGA and analog video output, but the preview picture quality and clarity of the apparent inability are not good as PCDVR, PCDVR use the latest computer technology, and have a powerful display capabilities, so embedded DVR not be compared with it, Another weakness is the video playback, hardware compression card-based Industrial-type DVR is currently available for up to 16 video playback even higher (generally only depends on the PC, the hardware configuration), while the embedded DVR general large ones can only be a limited playback.