DVR Security System Review

The Clover TFT1904DVR consists of a 19 inch monitor, 4 CCD cameras and a DVR that has a 160 gigabyte IDE hard drive. The system has four BNC connectors used for attaching the surveillance cameras that are included, the cameras have a resolution of 330 TV two are for use indoors and two are better designed for outdoor use. The outdoor cameras included with the DVR have a CDS sensor built in that activates the cameras back light in dark conditions.

The system has a TFT LCD based monitor that has four DIN jacks that can also be used for video input. The monitor has a 1.0Vp-p composite for video output and it can display images at resolutions up to 1280*1024. The DVR for the system is integrated in the systems monitor and is able to record video in both PAL and NTSC modes. In PAL the maximum recording resolution is 720*576 and in NTSC the maximum resolution is 720*480.

You can record video at a maximum of 120 frames per second with the system and it uses MJPEG video compression. Video recording is activated by varying means, four alarm inputs are fitted to the system and it will start recording should it detect an attached alarm has been activated. Alternatively you can schedule recording so the DVR will start and stop recording video footage at specific times.

You can set the DVR to record non stop but this will use up hard drive space quickly, using the systems motion detection features enables you to record only at times when the attached cameras pick up activity. If you do need to record video twenty four hours a day then networking the DVR should prove beneficial. A 10/100 Ethernet port is fitted to the system so you can attach it to a broadband router or LAN, software is included with the DVR for getting the system up and running on a network.

Once networked video recorded by the system can be sent to Windows based PC’s that are on the same network as the DVR. You can then use the PC’s to store and distribute the video footage recorded by the surveillance system. The DVR can act as an intercom system as the two indoor cameras have built in audio, this means you can communicate with people in the cameras vicinity.

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The Security First SDVS-1904 security system consists of a Triplex DVR, 19 inch monitor and four surveillance cameras. With the DVR using H.264 video compression the bandwidth and storage requirements of the system are kept to a minimum. Regardless of this the system is equipped with a 250GB SATA hard disk, if you want to upgrade this there is no limit on the capacity for the new drive you choose to install.

You can select one of 6 set rates of compression while recording with the system helping you strike a balance between image quality and the usage of hard drive space. Being a Triplex DVR it has the ability to play back video from the attached surveillance cameras without interrupting any recording taking place. You can record smooth video at 30 frames per second when each camera attached to the system is simultaneously set to record.

At maximum the DVR can record video footage at 120 frames per second, the system can record in both NTSC and PAL modes. The DVR has a maximum recording resolution of 360*288 when recording in PAL and 360*240 in NTSC. While monitoring cameras attached to the system you can view the output from each one full screen, activating quad mode splits the image on the monitor into four sections so you can view each camera simultaneously. The monitor included with the system is a 19” LCD Active Matrix TFT with a maximum resolution of 1280*1024.

The DVR has the ‘Real Time Operating System’ (RTOS) installed, the user interface has eight different language settings including Chinese, English and German. When required you can update the operating system by networking the DVR, you can do this by connect ing it to your broadband modem through its Ethernet port. Networking the system allows you to take control of it from a remote location, networking the system also gives you further options for monitoring the attached cameras.

You can schedule a specific time that will determine when the DVR starts and stops recording, you can also attach up to four external alarms to the system, when these are triggered the DVR will start recording. Motion detection is built in to the system and this can also determine when the system starts and stops recording security camera footage. An RS-485 port is integrated into the DVR that allows you to attach PTZ cameras to the system. The four cameras included have a 1/3 CCD sensor with a 3.7mm fixed lens that is 92 degrees wide but they do not have PTZ functions.

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NetProMax have come up with a PC based solution for home and business owners who need a surveillance system that has a multitude of cameras. This particular model is the NetProMax FX-32C240G50 and it is a 32 Channel Security DVR so you can attach 32 cameras to the system. PC based security system owners find they run into frame rate issues if they have a high number of surveillance cameras to their PC. The video frame rate tends to become choppy when all of the surveillance cameras are set to record simultaneously. To remedy this you can lower the recording resolution or attach additional DVR cards to the system.

When watching standard television we see the images displayed at roughly 30 frames per second. Most people consider video to be smooth when displayed at this frame rate, when the frame rate lowers you notice the difference as video motion looses its fluidity. This particular PC based DVR system boasts a 30 frame per second recording per channel, this feature will prove to be very useful if you need all your surveillance cameras to record simultaneously.

At maximum the DVR can display video footage at a video resolution of 704*480, the system uses enhanced JPEG video compression. A number of the accessories for the DVR are optional, one of these accessories being the audio inputs. You can choose to have between 1 or 16 channel audio with the DVR, if you don’t need to hear the activities around your surveillance cameras there’s no need to upgrade. Another optional accessory is the CD writer, you can choose to have this replaced with a DVD writer instead.

Other using the CD or DVD writer to store video the security DVR has a 500GB hard drive that you can use for storage. The capacity of the hard drive is also optional but you have further options when it comes to video storage as the DVR can be connected to a network. You can network the DVR through your broadband modem or alternatively you can choose to have a PSTN modem fitted to the system as an optional extra. Networking the DVR gives you or select personnel the ability to control the system while based away from the site that you choose to install it.

The drawback with this NetProMax DVR is the amount of RAM that comes with the system, unfortunately it only has 256MB of RAM. To remedy this you can purchase an additional 256MB for a relatively low price, this should do a lot for the systems performance. Other than this the system has a great deal of other worthwhile features such as motion detection, email alert notification regarding camera alerts and it also runs on Windows XP.

Check the latest price on the NetProMax FX-32C240G50 32 Channel Security DVR

Swann have created numerous digital video recorders designed for people who wish to set up a surveillance system themselves. The Swann DVR4-1000 is a 4 channel security DVR that accommodates up to four surveillance cameras. Both PAL and NTSC recording is possible with the DVR and its maximum recording resolution is 640*224 in NTSC and 640*272 in PAL. MJPEG video compression has been incorporated into the DVR and you can select one of three preset video compression settings.

At most the DVR records video at 30 FPS but you can get past this issue by setting your cameras to record at set periods. For storing video the DVR4-1000 has a 160GB hard disk, this should be enough but you have the option to change this if needed. At maximum the Swann DVR can accommodate hard drives with a capacity of up to 400GB. A USB port has been fitted to the system, the port has been added to enable you to connect the DVR to a PC rather than an external storage device.

Swann include software for the DVR so you can connect it to your PC through USB but this is as far as you can go with networking the DVR as it does not have an Ethernet port. Connecting the DVR to a PC gives you more storage and video sharing options, you can upload video to your PC and then use email to distribute video if required.

The DVR has the RTOS (real time operating system) embedded and this is used for overall control of the system. Video footage can be searched for by time, date or you can select from a list of specific events recorded by the system. The DVR has motion detection capabilities and has the ability to detect camera outages. An alarm is also incorporated into the DVR that can be triggered through a variety of methods. Video recording by the DVR is activated when the system detects motion or you can set a recording schedule.

Four cameras are included with the DVR4-1000 and these are suitable for recording video footage at both day and night. The cameras are dubbed ‘MaxBrite’ due to their night vision capabilities, the outer casing of the camera is made of a non corrosive material. Inside the cameras is a 1/3” SSC image sensor and they have a horizontal definition of 380 TV lines.

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If your looking for a complete surveillance system that comes with a selection of security cameras, this Q-See set-up has plenty. The Q-See Q32DM1616D consists of a 16 channel DVR with an internal hard disk and 16 surveillance cameras. So what have Q-See come up with this time in terms of advanced hardware? Firstly lets take a look at the DVR itself, the hardware inside it and the capabilities of the system. A 320GB hard disk is inside the DVR and it has the capacity to accommodate up to for IDE hard drives. This kind of storage capacity could prove useful if you need to set multiple cameras up to record video twenty four hours a day.

The DVR can record video at 120 FPS and can display video footage at a maximum of 720*480. You can connect the DVR to a variety of potential monitoring devices such as a PC monitor or television. For connection to a TV or monitor the Q-See DVR has S-video, a VGA output and one BNC socket. You can view the output of multiple cameras attached to the DVR simultaneously on one monitor or television or you can monitor cameras individually full screen.

You can connect the DVR to a local area network or connect it to the Internet so you can monitor the system remotely. For networking, the DVR has an RJ45 port, the DVR is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 2000. Networking the DVR gives the user more options in relation to data storage but it also has a USB port and a built in DVD writer. The system uses the MPEG4 video compression and the cameras are connected to it through its 16 BNC ports.

Four of the cameras that come with the system have a blowing device built so that it can operate in extreme weather conditions. The camera is the Q-See QS2350C, it has a Sharp 1.3” color CCD image sensor and has a horizontal resolution of 420 TV lines. The surveillance camera has night vision capabilities and has an infra red distance of 60ft, the lens on the camera is 6mm. Six light emitting diodes are inside the camera and it has a horizontal vertical angle of 60 degrees.

There are four other matching cameras and these are Q-See QPSCDNV indoor surveillance cameras. The final eight cameras that come with the security system are Q-See QOCDC outdoor cameras. With the variety of cameras the DVR and accessories that are included with this Q-See system you save on purchasing the hardware separately.

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Here is another security DVR with optional accessories that you can choose so you can put together a system that suits your needs. At the heart of the system is a security DVR that is capable of recording video at 480 FPS. The high frame rate enables all cameras attached to DVR to record simultaneously without video footage becoming choppy. The DVR uses JPEG-2000 video compression and you can select between 5 different rates of video compression. Inside the DVR is a hard drive for storing video footage but you have a choice on the capacity of the drive initially fitted to the system.

You can choose between a 250GB, 320GB or 500GB hard disk that is initially fitted to the system. It would have been nice to have the option to install 1TB drives but the maximum hard disk capacity for the DVR is 500GB. Thankfully storing video on the hard disk from the DVR is not the only option; the DVR is fitted with a CD-RW for burning video footage onto disk. As the DVR has Triplex capabilities you can playback recorded camera footage without interrupting recording that is in progress.

The back of the DVR has a VGA output for connecting it to a monitor and it as able to playback video at a resolution of 720*240 in NTSC and 720*288 in PAL. The user interface for the DVR has multi-lingual support so you can with between English, Italian German or Spanish. You can attach up to 16 alarms to the DVR and it has one alarm output, the system alarm can be triggered through motion detection or when a camera outage is detected. You can attach and control pan tilt and zoom cameras to the DVR but the cameras included with the system do not have PTZ functions.

The cameras included with the surveillance system are infrared and they have a 6mm lens. The image sensor for the camera is a 1/3” Sony Super HAD device and the camera has automatic white balancing. The cameras can pick up images in low-level lighting and have resolution of 380 TVL. Each camera includes an extension bracket but you don’t have to attach these to the camera but they are useful for positioning them in the right place.

Cabling that comes with the DVR is optional, you can choose between 16 separate power video cables or you can opt for 100 feet of RG-59 cable. The monitor for the system is also optional, there is a choice between a generic 17” monitor and a 17” Daewoo monitor. Alternatively you can choose to have no monitor at all if you already have a monitor that you want to put to good use.

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The Syspro 8P1606A DVR is a surveillance system that can be modified giving you a choice on what hardware it includes. The Syspro 8P1606A DVR uses MJPEG video compression, displays video in PAL and NTSC format and has 8 BNC ports to accommodate your surveillance cameras. The DVR has the capacity to accommodate one IDE hard drive and you can choose the storage capacity of the drive included with the system. The downside here is the maximum storage capacity as the DVR can only accommodate hard drives that are up to 500GB in size.

If needed the DVR and its cameras can be used to cover a security door as it has two channel RCA audio inputs and 1 channel RCA audio output. The system has two way audio so you can see hear and speak to subjects in the vicinity of the attached cameras. It would have been nice to see more audio inputs and outputs on the DVR but if you don’t need two way audio for each surveillance camera it wont be an issue. At maximum the DVR can record images at 240 FPS so when eight cameras are attached to the system recording remains smooth.

Recording by the Syspro DVR is activated when the system detects motion, when an alarm relay attached to the system is activated or through sound alert. The DVR also has an alarm system and this can be triggered when the system detects a camera outage or when motion is detected. You can also set the Syspro DVR to record continuously or you can schedule a time that determines when each camera starts and stops recording. You can record video on the system in high, medium or low quality and you can view multiple cameras on one monitor. In NTSC the DVR has a maximum playback resolution of 720*480 and in PAL it can playback images at 720*576

Eight surveillance cameras are included with the Syspro security system and they are fitted with a 1/3” Sony Super HAD CCD image sensor. The cameras can operate in dark conditions and have a maximum resolution of 500*582. The camera has a fixed iris, white balancing and there is an optional bracket available for setting the camera up outdoors. You have a choice on what lens size is installed on the camera and this can be anywhere between 2.5mm and 16mm.

For networking the DVR has a video server add on option and you can also choose whether or not the system includes a monitor. You also have a choice on what cabling is included with the Syspro security system for attaching its surveillance cameras. Another optional piece of hardware is a power supply box that plugs into a standard electricity socket; this device manages the power source for each camera.

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The Lorex SG17L7584 is an all in one surveillance system that has the capacity for up to 8 security cameras. For connecting your security cameras the DVR has eight BNC outputs, the DVR also has 8 DIN and audio RCA sockets. Although the DVR is 8 channel the system comes with four day/night cameras that have a ¼” color CCD image sensor. Inside the cameras are 12 infra red LED’s that allow illumination in dark conditions up to 4.5 metres.

When low light levels are detected the cameras automatically switch from color to black and white mode. The cameras for the system are durable and although they’re described as weatherproof they wont stand up well to being exposed to harsh conditions regularly. It may be an idea to set up the cameras included with the DVR indoors and to get hold of dedicated outdoor cameras.

The ‘Dual Quad’ technology integrated into the system enables you to monitor eight cameras attached to the system on one monitor. The dual quad function works by showing four of the eight cameras on the monitor of the DVR at once, by pressing a a button you can view the remaining cameras. The 17” TFT LCD monitor for the system is capable of displaying images at a resolution of 1280*1024. You can also zoom in on images that have been recorded by using the zoom function on the DVR.

Recording is triggered when the system detects motion or when an alarm attached to the system is activated. Motion detection can be configured and you can sets the systems level of sensitivity and also choose when motion should be ignored. You can attach up to eight alarms to the security DVR and it has two alarm outputs. If desired you can set the DVR to record continuously or you can set a schedule.

The security system includes software that allows you to connect to your PC and this broadens your options available for monitoring the system. Alternatively can network the DVR by plugging it straight into your broadband router and this will allow you to monitor your surveillance system from anywhere. The DVR comes with an Ethernet cable for your broadband router, a remote control four 57” cables for connecting the surveillance cameras.

Check the latest price on the Lorex SG17L7584 8 Channel DVR With 17 Inch Monitor And Cameras

The Sarto Systems Security DVR includes a combination of 16 outdoor and indoor surveillance cameras. The DVR is the Sarto SSA-1630 stores video on interchangeable IDE hard drives and you can attach up to two of them, each one has to be at least 80GB. Hard drive installation is optional; you can choose a drive that has 250GB or up to 1TB of storage space or no hard drive at all. The DVR uses MPEG4 video compression and its triplex capabilities enable you to watch video with no interruption to recording.

If the DVR is recording on four security cameras simultaneously frame rate should not be an issue. If all cameras on the system are set to record at once then the frame rate can suffer so depending on your requirements you may want to keep that in mind. You can get past any frame rate issues by setting specific cameras to record continuously while others record only when motion is detected or when a system alarm is activated. The maximum recording frame rate for the DVR is 120 FPS in NTSC and 100 FPS when recording in PAL.

You can communicate with subjects in proximity of specific cameras attached to the security system as the DVR has two way audio. 4-Synchronized audio channels are integrated into the DVR and it uses G.711 audio compression. Controlling the functions of the Sarto security DVR is done through its embedded RTOS operating system. Networking the DVR is possible as it is compatible with LAN, DHCP and PPPoE network protocols. It’s also worth mentioning that the DVR has a USB port and a built in CD re-writer which can come in handy for saving and transferring video.

When it comes to cameras you again have a choice as you can opt to have 8 dome cameras and 8 bullet cameras. Alternatively you can choose to have 16 bullet cameras included with the security system. Both of the cameras you can choose to attach to the system have a Sony 1/3” Super HAD CCD image sensor but the bullet cameras are better suited for recording in the dark. The system comes with five hundred feet of coaxial cable for setting up your cameras and these are connected to the BNC ports of the DVR.

Playback of the DVR is possible on a standard PC monitor; the DVR has 1 channel composite, one VGA and one SVHS video output ports. The monitor for the system is also optional, you can choose not to have a monitor with the system or you can have a 17” flat screen LCD monitor added to the package.

Here is a Lorex DVR that includes all of the hardware required to set up a functional surveillance system. In a nutshell the system consists of a 15” monitor, four day/night cameras, a hard drive for video storage and all the necessary cabling and screws needed for set-up. The four cameras that are included with the L15LD400 operate in color during the day and switch to black and white in low-level lighting. At night the cameras can record images at a range of ten metres. You can install the cameras for the DVR indoors and setting them up outdoors is fine as they are fully weather resistant. The cameras are connected to the Lorex DVR through its BNC ports and they process images in both NTSC and PAL format.

The cameras use a ¼” color CCD image sensor but the maximum pixel range is far from earth shattering at 512*492. If you find the image quality for the cameras too low you always have the option of changing them. If you do decide to change the cameras for the DVR keep in mind that its maximum recording resolution is 704*240 in NTSC and 704-288 in PAL. When recording in CIF the security DVR has a maximum recording resolution of 352*240, the system uses MJPEG video compression. Video recorded by the DVR is stored on its 160GB hard drive; this can be upgraded to a maximum of 400GB. For additional video storage you also have the option of networking the DVR with a Windows PC.

An Ethernet port is integrated into the Lorex DVR allowing you to connect it to the Internet or a Local area network. The system includes the Lorex Client 2.0 software so you can set the DVR up in one location and monitor the system from another. This feature is easily set up over a LAN but requires a little more effort when setting it up over the Internet. You can set up the feature by attaching the DVR to your broadband modem and then you will have to set up port forwarding. It’s worth the effort as it enables you to see activities recorded by the security system from virtually anywhere.

To set up remote monitoring of the Lorex DVR on your PC the specifications don’t have to be top of the range. Lorex Client 2.0 works with Windows 2000 XP and they have also made provisions for Windows Vista. Your processor needs to be a Pentium 1.5 GHz or equivalent and you need at least 256 MB of RAM. Lorex Client 2.0 works on a PC with the mentioned specification but not to its optimum.

The L15LD400 can record continuously, when motion is detected, when an alarm is activated or you can set a schedule for recording. A mouse and remote control are also included with the Lorex DVR. The system also has a USB port that enables you to transfer video recorded onto a memory stick, you can then plug the memory stick into your PC and save the video.

Check the latest price on the Lorex DVR L15LD400 4 Channel Complete Security System