DVR Security System Review

Here is another security system solution from Swann, the DVR8-8500AI includes eight security cameras and video footage is stored digitally on its internal hard drive.  The internal hard drive for the DVR is manufactured by Seagate and it has a 250 gigabyte capacity, you can change this out if you wish, the system can accommodate up to 3 500 gigabyte hard drives.

The cameras included with the DVR are reasonably compact, they are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and can record video in both light and dark conditions.  Within each security camera is a ¼ inch color CCD sensor and they have a resolution of 420 TV lines, the cameras use both PAL and NTSC video signals.  The cameras have a pixel range of 500*582 in PAL mode, in NTSC mode the pixel range is 510*492.  You can record video at night with the cameras and each has 24 LED’s and have an effective range of 20 metres (or 66 feet) when used in the dark.

In light conditions the cameras have an effective range of 100 metres, their outer casing is durable and composed of aluminium.  It would have been great if wireless capabilities were built in to the cameras but even though they are wired they carry out their job effectively.  Moving back to the DVR8-8500AI the system uses H.264 video compression (what Swann refer to as professional MPEG-4 DMX-V3) and it has a moderately high recording speed, the DVR can record video at a rate of 120 frames per second in NTSC mode and 100 frames per second in PAL mode.

The DVR is capable of CIF recording and can display video footage at a maximum resolution of 1024*768, the DVR can also record audio and it uses G.726 (ADPCM) audio compression.  The DVR has an in house operating system that is quite unique as it has a three dimensional graphical interface used to access the functions of the system.  Through the operating system you can schedule recording, adjust the DVR’s motion sensor feature and search for recorded surveillance camera footage.

That pretty much covers the functions of the Swann DVR8-8500AI, its not a bad system but it would have been nice to see more audio inputs on the DVR, there are two audio inputs and 1 audio output.  The DVR also supports external USB storage devices that you can use to back up surveillance camera footage, it also supports USB mice but these are not included with the DVR.

Check the latest price on the Swann SW244-8MP DVR8-8500 Security System

The Swann Alert SW242-ALC is certainly compact and low priced in comparison to other surveillance systems but what does the hardware have to offer?  Firstly lets take a look at the surveillance cameras included with the system, all of the cameras are identical and are suitable for outdoor use.  The security cameras are equipped with a 1/3 inch 8.5mm CMOS image sensor and are able to transmit images using either a PAL or NTSC video signal.  The cameras are fitted with a sun shield, this is not very large but with the correct positioning they can be used to prevent sun glare from having too much of an impact on your recordings.

In PAL mode they are capable of capturing images at a pixel resolution of 628*582, in NTSC mode image quality is slight lower, this being 510*492.  Low level light conditions are handled well by the cameras, when in color mode they can capture images in light levels as low as 3 lux.  The cameras can also be used in black and white mode and this helps with capturing images at even lower levels of illumination, in black and white mode the cameras can capture images at 0 lux.  The cameras also have a CDS light sensor and their outer casing is composed of aluminium.

The Alert DVR as mentioned is very compact so it may prove useful if you have limited space for setting up the hardware.  The front panel has a handful of buttons that allow you to playback, rewind or fast forward recorded surveillance camera footage.  The DVR is four channel so you can attach a maximum of four security cameras to the device, these are connected to the system through its four BNC ports.

The DVR can be set to record continuously or you can set a schedule that determines when the device starts and stops recording.  The Alert DVR is compatible with both PAL and NTSC video signals and it has a custom operating system built in.  The operating system does not have as many features as other security recorders that have RTOS or Linux based operating systems.  You will see the minimalist features available in the operating system as either a hindrance or a bonus depending on how important it is to you to configure the specific functions of the DVR.

One thing that can be said about the built in operating system is that it is straightforward to operate, the motion detection menu allows you to configure motion detection features, selecting the recording schedule menu takes you straight there so you can begin enter the recording schedule you want the device to follow.  The Alert DVR uses MJPEG compression, is capable of recording video at a maximum speed of 30 frames per second and contains an interchangeable 160 gigabyte hard drive for storing security camera footage.

Check the latest price on the Swann Alert DVR SW242-ALC Surveillance System

The Defender Sentinel 4 package includes a digital video recorder and 16 Defender Spartan 1 security cameras. Before looking at the DVR lets take a quick look at the capabilities of the cameras, these have a black finish and are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The cameras have a sun shade to prevent glare and they contain a ¼ inch color CCD image sensor, the cameras have a resolution of 420 TV lines. The cameras have a focal length of 3.6mm and they have automatic white balancing.

The cameras have a shutter speed range between 1/60 – 1/100000 seconds and they contain LED’s to improve image quality when you are recording video in low light levels. The LED’s have a 15 foot range and there are twelve of these inside each camera, they cameras have an outer casing composed of anodised aluminium and they use an NTSC video signal. The cameras included with the system are adequate and each one has its own camera mount, the drawback with the cameras included is that they do not support audio.

For storing the images captured by the surveillance cameras the DVR has an internal hard drive, this is manufactured by Seagate and can be removed from the system easily. You will have to power down the DVR in order to change its hard drive, the one included with the DVR has a 320 gigabyte capacity, if necessary you can upgrade the DVR’s hard drive and it accommodates those that have up to a 500 gigabyte capacity.

Video recorded by the Sentinel 4 can also be stored on CF memory cards, the device has a built in CF memory card slot. The memory card may prove useful for transferring video footage quickly between the DVR and a PC, at maximum you can insert memory cards that have up to a 4 gigabyte capacity. PAL and NTSC video signals are supported by the Sentinel 4 and the system has a maximum recording speed of 30 frames per second. In NTSC mode it can record at a maximum resolution of 704*240, in PAL mode its maximum recording resolution is 704*288.

Defender include a CD with the DVR containing software that you can install on Windows based PC’s, this enable you to turn the PC into a monitoring station. The DVR also comes with Ethernet cables and it has an Ethernet port so you can connect it to your broadband router. Connecting the DVR to the Internet enables you to monitor the cameras attached to it while you are miles away from your home or business.

Check the latest price on the Defender Sentinel 4 Security DVR

The Defender Sentinel 3 consists of a digital video recorder, an LCD monitor and a pack of security cameras. The bullet cameras included with the DVR are suitable for outdoor use, there are eight of them and each one is fitted with a ¼ inch CCD image sensor. You can record video footage in low level lighting with the cameras included with the Sentinel 3, the cameras use an NTSC video signal and have a maximum resolution of 420 TV lines. The bullet cameras have a focal length of 3.66mm, they have automatic white balancing and the outer casing of the cameras is composed of anodised aluminium.

At 8 inches the LCD monitor included with the security recorder is compact, the monitor has a maximum pixel resolution of 480*468, the monitor serves its purpose and you can program it to turn on and off at specific times. Moving on to the DVR the device uses MJPEG compression and you can attach up to eight surveillance cameras to it. The DVR uses G.711 audio compression and is compatible with both PAL and NTSC video signals.

Video recorded by the DVR is stored on its 250 gigabyte internal hard drive, you can swap this out if required, at maximum you can attach hard drives that have up to a 500 gigabyte capacity. When monitoring video footage you can view all cameras attached to the DVR simultaneously on one monitor, you can set the DVR to record when it detects motion and you can attach up to 16 external alarms to the system to control recording.

As you would expect you can also set the DVR to record continuously if required for considerable time,  by lowering the systems frame rate you can leave it to record for several months before it starts to overwrite old footage.  The maximum recording rate of the DVR is 30 frames per second and you can connect it to a network for the purpose of monitoring and controlling the system remotely. The DVR is fitted with an Ethernet port so you can connect it to a computer network or to the Internet and it is compatible with several network protocols.

The DVR can sound an alarm if it detects a problem with an attached camera, the system also accommodates CF memory cards so you can transfer the surveillance camera footage it records to a PC quickly. When it comes to monitoring activities recorded by the DVR remotely you can do so with Internet Explorer, you can possibly do the same with other web browsers but only IE is supported.

Check the latest price on the Defender Sentinel 3 8 Channel Surveillance System

The Q-See QSD2604 digital video recorder can accommodate up to four surveillance cameras, these are attached to the four BNC ports at the rear of the device.  You can control many of the DVR’s functions with the buttons on its front panel; from here you can start or stop the device from recording and control what it displays on connected monitors.  One of the buttons on the front of system allows you to quickly switch to quad mode enabling you to monitor the output from four surveillance cameras simultaneously.

At maximum the DVR is capable of recording video footage at a pixel resolution of 720*240 in NTSC mode, in PAL mode the image quality can be increased marginally to 720*288.  The DVR has a maximum recording speed of sixty frames per second and it uses MPEG-4 video compression, the maximum image resolution of the device when playing back security camera footage matches it maximum recording resolution.  Recorded sound is also compressed by the system; the DVR uses ADPCM audio compression to reduce the amount of hard drive space used for storing video.

Video recorded by the DVR can be stored on internal hard drives, these are not included as standard with the system but this particular one has includes one with a 250-gigabyte capacity.  You can connect the DVR to the Internet or to a local area network as it has an Ethernet port, you can use this to attach the system directly to a broadband router.  By connecting the DVR to a network you can monitor cameras attached to it and control the functions of the DVR while away from your home or business.

When the DVR is networked you can use Internet Explorer to monitor your security cameras output, pan tilt and zoom cameras can also be attached to the system, these are connected through its RS485 port.  Cameras are not included with Q-See QSD2604 as standard but four are included in this case, these have a CCD image sensor and are suitable for outdoor use.  The problem with the cameras included is that they don’t have pan tilt and zoom functions but the RS485 port may come in handy if you mean to attach such cameras in the future.

Four preset levels of image quality can be selected with the DVR, selecting one of these not only effects the quality of recorded video but also has an impact on video storage space used.  You can also adjust the frame rate of recorded video, lower frame rate can make the job of finding specific video footage an easier one the recorded video also requires less storage space.

Check the latest price on the Q-See QSD2604 4 Channel Surveillance System

The SVAT Clearvu1 is an extremely compact all in one surveillance system, the main unit houses the system monitor and internal hard drive.  The hard drive of the SVAT Clearvue1 is manufactured by Seagate and has a 160-gigabyte capacity, the system monitor is 7 inches in width.   Triplex functionality is built in to the DVR enabling you to playback recorded camera footage without stopping the system from recording.  Four bullet cameras are included with the system that have a ¼ inch colour CCD image sensor and a 3.6mm focal length.

12 infra red light emitting diodes are built in to the bullet cameras for motion detection, these have a 15 foot range.  The cameras are capable of capturing video footage in low light conditions, have a resolution of 420 TV lines and are suitable for setting up outdoors.  The cameras white balancing functions are automatic and their shutter speed can be adjusted to between 1/60 to 1/100000 sec.  Although the cameras included with the DVR use an NTSC video signal the system is able to record video in both PAL and NTSC modes.

When using an NTSC video signal the DVR can record video at a maximum resolution of 704*240, PAL offers a slightly hirer maximum that being 704*576.  Video playback by the DVR can be displayed at a maximum resolution of 704*240 using an NTSC video signal, when using a PAL signal the DVR can play back video at resolutions of 704*288.  The hard drive for the DVR can be removed and replaced with another if more storage space is needed, you can fit hard drives that have a maximum capacity of 750 GB.

Video recorded by the DVR can also be transferred to external storage devices as it has a USB port, the port is also used for firmware upgrades.  You can record surveillance cameras footage with the DVR at a maximum speed of 30 frames per second.  The DVR is fitted with four BNC ports to accommodate surveillance cameras and it is fitted with two video outputs so you can view the footage it records on external monitors.

Quad functionality is built in to the DVR so you can monitor attached cameras individually or the system will divide its display into four sections, this allows you to view the output of all cameras attached to the DVR simultaneously.  Video recording is activated by means of motion detection, scheduling or alarm activation and the system has an Ethernet port so you can connect it to a computer network for remote monitoring.

Check the latest price on the SVAT CLEARVU1 Security DVR

The Lorex SG19LD804161 surveillance system consists of a 19-inch monitor, a hard drive for storing video footage and a number of surveillance cameras. The hard drive for the DVR built into the surveillance system has a capacity of 160 gigabytes, if you need more space the system can accommodate hard drives with up to a 500 GB capacity. The DVR uses MPEG-4 video compression and can record in both PAL and NTSC modes.

The DVR has a maximum recording resolution of 704*240 while recording in NTSC, by switching to PAL mode you can set the maximum recording resolution to 704*480. The maximum recording speed for the system is 120 frames per second and you can view one, four or eight attached cameras simultaneously on its monitor. The system is designed to function on its own or you can use it in conjunction with a standard PC. Networking the DVR with standard PC’s enables you to transfer the footage recorded by the system to the PC, the DVR can convert video footage into files recognised by Windows, i.e. AVI, JPEG and BMP files.

Lorex have made quite a few revisions with their ‘client software’, this is included with the system and it is now compatible with both Windows Vista and Windows XP. The client software enables you to monitor and control the surveillance system while you are miles away from your home or business. You don’t have to use the client software to control the DVR from miles away, the client software is also useful if you want to set up other monitoring stations within your home or business. The Lorex DVR has an Ethernet port so you can connect it to the Internet with a broadband router or to a local area network.

Each camera included has a ¼ inch Colour CCD image sensor, they have an effective pixel range of 512*492. The cameras have a built in synchronisation system and can pick up images in the dark with their infra red LED’s. The systems monitor is LCD based and has a maximum display resolution of 704*576, the back of the device has BNC and DIN ports for the surveillance cameras. The security DVR has 4 RCA inputs and 1 RCA output so you can set up audio for the surveillance cameras. With there being only 1 RCA output you can only set up two way audio on one camera attached to the system.

Recording is activated by various means, you can schedule recording to start and stop at specific times or you can use the systems motion sensor capabilities to trigger recording. Lorex have added 8 TTL programmable alarm inputs, attaching external alarms to these is another way to activate recording. You can attach cameras with PTZ functions to the DVR through its RS-485 port and the system will sound an alarm to alert you if there is a problem with an attached camera.

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The EV804 has been created by Sora Inc and it is an 8 channel DVR, accessories such as security cameras, a monitor and software are included with this system. The DVR has 8 BNC inputs attaching the surveillance cameras and for video output it has an S-Video output and a VGA output. The DVR used M-JPEG video compression and has a maximum recording rate of 120 frames per second. When recording in NTSC with the DVR its maximum image resolution is 720*240 and when set to record in PAL the maximum image resolution is 720*288.

There are numerous ways to set the DVR to record surveillance camera footage, if required you can set the system to record twenty four hours a day. To avoid recording video with no notable activity you can set specific times when the DVR will start and stop recording. You can also set the DVR to record only at times when activity has been picked up by its adjustable motion sensor feature. Alternatively you can attach external alarms to one of its 8 alarm inputs and when these are activated the DVR will start recording.

A Linux based operating system is embedded in the DVR that you use to control and adjust the systems features. An Ethernet port is fitted to the DVR so that you can connect it to a LAN or broadband router for the purpose of controlling and monitoring the system remotely. Software also comes with the package that you can install on a Windows PC, this gives you the option to transfer images recorded by the DVR to the computers hard drive. Another way to transfer footage recorded by the DVR to your PC is to plug a memory stick into the USB port fitted to the DVR.

A 160 GB hard drive is fitted to the system and you can upgrade this to a maximum of 800 GB, the system can also accommodate an external hard drive. A 17 inch monitor is included with the system and you can give each camera attached to the DVR a specific name, the name you specify is displayed on the monitor when you are viewing the camera feed. The monitor included with the system is an LCD flat panel TFT that has a maximum display resolution of 1280*1024. Four of the eight surveillance cameras are bullet cameras, these are fitted with a 1/3 inch Sony Super HAD CCD image sensor.

The bullet cameras have 25 infra red LED’s and are better suited for outdoor use as they are weatherproof and can record video footage in the dark. The remaining four cameras included with the EV804 are dome cameras, these have exactly the same image sensor as the systems bullet cameras. Although the system has 8 audio inputs it only has 1 audio output so you can only set up two way audio for one attached camera . The system does include RS-232 and RS422 ports and its also comes with the cabling necessary for setting up the surveillance cameras.

Check the latest price on the Sora Inc EV804 8 Channel Surveillance System

This Lorex DVR is an all in one system that includes a monitor, a hard drive for video storage and eight security cameras. All in one systems are one of the most hassle free options for setting up surveillance, security cameras are attached to it through its 4 DIN and 4 BNC sockets. The systems cameras have a 1/3” colour CCD image sensor and have a resolution of 480 TV lines and are compatible with PAL and NTSC video formats. It’s possible to capture video in the dark with the cameras, they have infra red sensors and a 3.6mm fixed lens.

The added bonus is the cameras have a built in microphone so you can hear subjects within the areas that you decide to install them. It’s worth noting that although all the cameras have microphones the system only has four channel audio. The system has one channel audio playback so you can only hear the output from one camera at a time.

As mentioned the system has a built in hard drive, its capacity is 500 GB and you have the option to upgrade this. At maximum you can install hard drives that have up to a 750 GB capacity, for attaching external storage devices the DVR is fitted with two USB ports. The DVR has a maximum recording resolution of 704*480 in NTSC, in PAL the maximum is 704*576. The system uses MPEG-4 video compression and has a maximum recording rate of 120 frames per second.

The systems monitor is a 19 inch LCD TFT flat panel that can display images at up to 704*480 in NTSC and 704*576 in PAL. The monitor is also fitted with a speaker so you can hear the input from security cameras included with the system. The DVR runs with a Linux based operating system, recording is activated by the system by various means.

You can set the system to record at specific times or you can use its motion detection feature to determine when it will start and stop recording. 8 programmable TTL inputs are also fitted to the DVR so you can attach external alarms to it. When the system detects an attached alarm has been triggered it will start recording video footage.

An Ethernet port is fitted to the system so you can connect it to a broadband router or LAN so you can monitor and control it remotely. The system also comes with Lorex 3.0 client software that works with Windows XP and Windows Vista, once you install it on your chosen PC you can use it to control and monitor the DVR. The DVR is also fitted with a RS-485 interface so you can attach and control PTZ cameras with it if required.

Check the latest price on the Lorex DVR L19LD808501 Security System

The PRO-PCBI16 has a Geovision DVR card, sixteen weatherproof cameras and you have a choice on whether or not it includes a monitor. Much of the accessories that are included with the system are optional. When it comes to DVR cards you have a choice of 5 different Geovision based cards, all of DVR cards have varying recording speeds. The card you can choose with the lowest spec is the GV-600 and this records video at 30 frames per second at maximum. The most high spec card you can choose to have attached to the system is the Geovision GV-1480 that can record at 480 frames per second, you can check out this cards capabilities here.

Video storage is handled by the Maxtor hard drive included with the system and the amount of storage space at your disposal is optional. If the system has the job of recording video footage twenty four hours a day you will need a lot of hard drive space. A 400 GB hard drive is included with the system as standard or you can chose to add 900 GB or 1.4 TB worth of storage. In addition the system has a CD writer that you can also use to burn video footage to CD.

As you would expect video recording can be activated through various means, you can record with system continuously or you can schedule recording times, The system also has motion detection capabilities and can be set to capture video only at times when it senses motion. Attaching external alarms to the system is another means of activating recording.

As mentioned cameras are included with the system and these consist of 16 Bipro-9007 surveillance cameras. The Bipro 9007 has 1/3” Sony super HAD CCD image sensor and they are suitable for use at both day and night. In NTSC the cameras maximum resolution is 510*492 and in PAL mode the maximum resolution is 500*582. The camera has automatic white balancing, an automatic gain control and it has a 20 metre infra red range. At maximum the cameras included with the system can record images at a range of one hundred feet.

To power the cameras the system includes a power supply box, you can also choose what type of cabling is included. You can choose between 16 power and video cables or you can opt for 1000 feet of RG-59 cabling that comes with 16 camera connectors. As the system is PC based you can attach it to the Internet or LAN for the so you can monitor it and control it remotely. As mentioned the systems monitor is optional, if you already have a spare PC monitor then you can use that. Alternatively you can choose to have a 17” LCD monitor included with the system.

Check the latest price on the Geovision DVR PRO-PCBI16 Surveillance system