{"id":1569,"date":"2018-03-01T20:32:18","date_gmt":"2018-03-02T01:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learncctv.com\/?p=1569"},"modified":"2020-09-17T11:33:14","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T16:33:14","slug":"cctv-dvr-digital-video-recorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learncctv.com\/cctv-dvr-digital-video-recorder\/","title":{"rendered":"DVR (Digital Video Recorder) for CCTV"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this article you will understand what a DVR <\/strong>is and what are the key factors you should evaluate when looking at a catalog of a product.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"What<\/span><\/p>\n

When you finish reading this article you will also have a better understanding of what are the transmission and recording technologies used by a DVR.<\/span><\/p>\n

[tcb-script async=”” src=”\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=c10dcae2-f723-408b-bafb-3151f7367543″][\/tcb-script]<\/p>\n

Technical definition of a DVR<\/h2>\n

DVR stands for Digital Video Recorder. <\/strong>It’s a device that converts the analog signals from a CCTV camera to digital format, store the information into a hard drive and also send live video stream to other devices on the network.<\/span><\/p>\n

A DVR is not 100% analog<\/h2>\n

A CCTV system that has a DVR is not totally analog. The cameras send video signal in analog format and the DVR converts these signals to the digital format before recording and sending over the network.<\/span><\/p>\n

So when you’re working on a CCTV project that has at least one DVR, your project is not analog, it’s actually a hybrid CCTV project.<\/span><\/p>\n

The different technologies of DVRs<\/h2>\n

Now you know that DVRs have hybrid technology (analog \/ digital), and that most of the security cameras that are connected to DVR input have analog technology. Let us take a better look at this subject.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are several different DVR options on the market and this can generate some confusion at the time of making your decision on which one is better.<\/span><\/p>\n

You may have noticed that some DVR dealers offer different types of DVRs always stating that they have the best option bu using acronyms like HD-TVI<\/strong>, HD-CVI<\/strong> and AHD <\/strong>for example.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"CVI<\/span><\/p>\n

These acronyms represent the transmission technologies used by the analog cameras that those recorders can work with.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this article, however, apart from the above mentioned technologies, I will explain what are the differences between different DVRs related to the recording and playback capacity.<\/span><\/p>\n

DVR recording resolution<\/h2>\n

The quality of recording and viewing depends on several factors and one of them is the resolution, which is very important to see details.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you are shopping for cameras and recorders, one of the things you should be aware of is the resolution that you should use in your project. <\/span><\/p>\n

CIF, 2CIF and 4CIF Resolution DVR<\/h2>\n

Common Interchange Format (CIF) is a format that was created in 1988 for video teleconferencing systems and has been adopted in CCTV systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s a digital resolution. If you have a camera or recorder that can work with CIF resolution, this means that the image generated has 352 x 240<\/strong> pixels. <\/span><\/p>\n

Below is an example of a catalog that shows a 16 channel DVR with CIF.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"CIF<\/span><\/p>\n

At 2CIF resolution<\/strong> the amount of pixels in the horizontal is doubled, so they are 720 x 240<\/strong> pixels, which makes the image long so it is not so popular.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 4CIF resolution<\/strong> doubles the amount of pixels both horizontally and vertically for a total of 720 x 480<\/strong> pixels, which makes the image bigger and more interesting for recording, so it is more commonly used in CCTV.<\/span><\/p>\n

720p and 1080p resolution DVR<\/h2>\n

These resolutions are very common now in cameras and DVRs that have the HD-TVI, HD-CVI and AHD<\/strong> technology mentioned above.<\/span><\/p>\n

720p<\/strong> originates from the amount of pixels in the image that is 1280 x 720<\/strong> horizontally and vertically respectively. If you multiply these pixels you will get a total of 921,600 pixels<\/strong>, that is equivalent to 0.9 Megapixel<\/strong>,<\/span><\/p>\n

1080p<\/strong> originates from the amount of pixels in the image that is 1920 x 1080<\/strong> horizontally and vertically respectively. If you multiply these pixels you will obtain a total of 2,073,600 <\/strong>pixels that is equal to 2 Megapixel,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

See an example of a DVR with 1080p resolution:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"1080p<\/span>[tcb-script async=”” src=”\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=c10dcae2-f723-408b-bafb-3151f7367543″][\/tcb-script]<\/p>\n

These resolutions are not unique to a single brand, in the market it is very common to find different DVR brands with these resolutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

MegaPixel resolution DVR<\/h2>\n

So you can say that the resolution of your DVR is 1080p <\/strong>or 2MP<\/strong>, But there are still higher DVR resolution on markets that goes beyond the 2MP.<\/span><\/p>\n

Manufacturers such as Dahua and Hikvision have 3MP, 5MP and 8MP DVRs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"5MP<\/span><\/p>\n

These devices were quickly spread around the world through these manufacturers and through other brands that use their technologies.<\/span><\/p>\n

So it’s common to find catalogs with camera and recorders with resolutions up to 4K. But obviously the price will be much higher.<\/span><\/p>\n

DVR Frame rate<\/h2>\n

Another important factor for a DVR is the amount of frames per second it can record. This information is found in the catalogs as FPS (Frames Per Second).<\/span><\/p>\n

See an example of a 30 FPS DVR (per channel)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"30<\/span><\/p>\n

The higher the number of frames, the lower the robotization effect of the image, which means you can see a smoother, smoother image.<\/span><\/p>\n

DVR CODEC <\/h2>\n

The DVR will use an algorithm to convert to the digital format and compress the image to save storage and bandwidth over the network. This process is done by CODECs<\/span><\/p>\n

\"H.264<\/span><\/p>\n

Most modern DVRs use more advanced CODECs like H.264+ <\/strong>or newer H.265 and H, 265+ to compress video without losing quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

To learn more about CODECs read the following article:<\/span><\/p>\n

How CCTV Codecs work<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Final words<\/h2>\n

It’s necessary to learn more about DVRs before go shopping. Obviously there are numerous other functions and details to take in consideration such as brand, dealer warranty and technical support.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, now you have enough information to make a better choice<\/span><\/p>\n

Want to learn more ? <\/h2>\n

If you want to become a professional CCTV installer or designer<\/strong>, take a look at the material available in the blog. Just click the links below:<\/span><\/p>\n

–> Ultimate Security Camera Guide V1<\/a><\/p>\n

–> Ultimate Security Camera Guide V2<\/a><\/p>\n

–> Ultimate Security Camera Guide V3<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Ultimate<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Please share this information with your friends…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this article you will understand what a DVR is and what are the key factors you should evaluate when looking at a catalog of a product. When you finish reading this article you will also have a better understanding of what are the transmission and recording technologies used by a DVR. 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