If you are in the market for a CCTV DVR,there are a few thing you need to consider.A DVR stands for a Digital Video Recorder and it allows you to record the the live surveillance video that is being captured by your security cameras. We have organized each surveillance DVR model by the number of CCTV camera channels it can support at any one time. Security DVRs are manufactured with the number of channels in multiples of 4, so if you have 13 surveillance cameras, you will need a 16 Channel DVR.

How to Choose a CCTV Digital Video Recorder?

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

1.How many security cameras do you need the surveillance DVR to record?

2.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.

3.How much record time will you need?

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

4.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 travelling.

So when are shopping keep those things in mind, because those questions will help you decide which CCTV DVR is best for you.

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

When working with DVR Surveillance, you may be required to choose a video recording format. Video format determine the quality of the surveillance video being recorded. Currently, H.264 compression is the best hardware compression on the market. In the old days, many surveillance companies and dealers were selling CCTV 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 surveillance video. We do not sell CCTV DVRs that run on software compression. We strongly advise staying away from software compression in a security camera recorder. Software compression comes as MJPEG or MPEG formats.

Calculate Your Security 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:

1.The Frames per second

2.The Resolution of the video surveillance

3.The Number of CCTV cameras

4.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 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 standalone DVR says "USB" this means that it can connect to USB hard drives 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 2 Tera-byte. If you need help in figuring the variables to get your desired record time, use our Hard Drive Calculator.