Computer DVR & A Stand Alone DVR – Do You Know Which One Is Most Suitable For Your Needs!

If you are contemplating the purchase of a computer DVR or a stand-alone DVR, you need to consider what type of technical support you will receive from the retailer.

I have seen many different types of retailers sell security DVRs both online & off & the amount of technical support you can expect from some of those retailers would be limited.

You shouldn’t expect the same level of technical support from a retailer that just has a few DVRs for sale, to a retailer whose main product line is security & video surveillance products.

We all like a good price on purchases we make, but you also need to ensure that you have a good level of technical support available to you if needed.

A computer DVR is comprised of a video capture card inserted into an open slot on the motherboard of a (PC) personal computer with video surveillance software.

Most video surveillance software is designed to operate on a windows operating system.

If you are just going to install a few cameras for your surveillance system you can have the surveillance software operate quietly in the background while you use your PC for other tasks.

If you are installing more than a few cameras you will find most security dealers will recommend that you dedicate your PC for the sole purpose of operating your DVR.

Using your computer DVR for other tasks increases the chances of the computer becoming unstable & shutting down at a time when the DVR recording may be needed most.

In obtaining a computer based DVR for a video surveillance system, there are a few different options you have available to you.

You can purchase a DVR video capture card along with the surveillance software separately or you can purchase a PC with the capture card & software installed for you.

There are a few things to consider when deciding which way you should make your purchase.

If you are someone that can install your own capture card & software, then this may be a very cost effective way for you to go, especially if you have a computer at home that can be used as a computer DVR.

If this is the case or you can obtain a PC for a good price you will need to find out what system requirements the capture card requires.

You will need to ensure that you have sufficient space on your hard drive to record the cameras that you want to install now, as well as any cameras that you may want to add in the future.

If the computer you want to use is an older model you may have to upgrade the computers video card. You can find this out before hand by looking at the video card requirements listed on the capture cards packaging.

If you are purchasing your capture card on line, you will need to ask the internet retailer to email you the system requirements for the capture card you are interested in.

You may want to purchase a PC with the capture card & software already installed, if you do not have the skill sets required to install the DVR card yourself.

If you already have a second computer at home that can be used as a computer DVR & you don’t have to upgrade the hard drive & video card, it may be worth it to pay someone to install the card & software for you.

To see what is involved in setting up your own video surveillance system please check out my home security camera setups web page. You can also find detailed information on stand-alone DVRs by visiting my stand alone DVR web page.

When purchasing a stand-alone or a computer based DVR it is very impontant to pay attention to the maximum (FPS) frames per second that the DVR is rated for.

The number of FPS the DVR is able to record & display may not be the same, but many DVRs are rated to record & display at the same rate.

The number of cameras that you will be using with the DVR will need to be divided into the total number of FPS that the DVR is rated for.

For example: If the DVR is rated to record & display at 120 FPS & you want to install 10 cameras, just divide 10 into 120 & that will tell you that all your cameras will record & display at 12 FPS.

Twelve frames per second are more than acceptable for security surveillance of your home & property. There are many video surveillance systems where the cameras record & display between 3.75 & 7.5 FPS.

I don’t know if you want to go as low as 3.75 FPS but the cameras in my own system record & display at 7.5 FPS & the clarity & smoothness of the images are very acceptable.

If you need for a particular camera to record & display at a higher rate of FPS, the DVR software will allow you to change the number of FPS for each camera.

This can be done as long as the total number of FPS for each camera does not exceed the number of FPS the DVR is rated for.

If you were to increase the FPS on one camera, you will need to decrease the number of FPS in other camera(s), so the total number does not exceed the FPS the DVR is rated for.

For Example: Increasing FPS for one & two cameras for a DVR that will record & display at 120 FPS with a total of 10 cameras used.

(9 cameras X 11 FPS = 99 + 1 camera X 21 FPS = 120 FPS)

(8 cameras X 10 FPS = 80 + 2 cameras X 20 FPS = 120 FPS)

A computer DVR or a stand-alone DVR will have the FPS ratings listed in the products description or in the information that lists what the product specifications would be.

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