DVR Security System Review

The Pelco DVR5104 is a digital security recorder and you can attach up to four security cameras to the system, the back of the DVR is fitted with four BNC inputs.  The recording speed of the DVR is 480 frames per second and it uses both CIF and MPEG-4 video compression.  Video recorded by the system is stored on its internal hard drive, the systems hard drive has a 250 gigabyte capacity and you can upgrade this if necessary, at maximum you can add up to 1.5 terabytes of internal storage.

Both NTSC and PAL video signals are supported by the DVR, in NTSC mode it can record video at a resolution of 704*480, in PAL mode the image quality is slightly better at 704*576.  Video recording can be scheduled or activated with its alarm and motion detection features, there is one alarm input per camera on all DVR’s in the Pelco 5100 range and this particular model includes four.  You can also set the DVR to record security camera footage continuously and the system has 2 alarm outputs, these can be used to notify personnel about events the system has recorded.

Like other DVR’s in the Pelco DVR5100 range the DVR5104 uses ‘EnduraStor’ technology that reduces the requirement for hard drive space.  Video recorded by the DVR can be searched for by using the systems event log, you can also search for video by entering a specific date or time.  The functions of the DVR are controlled and managed with its embedded Linux operating system.

Both a USB mouse and keyboard are included with the DVR, these are connected to the device through its USB ports.  Pan, tilt and zoom cameras can be connected to the system and these can be controlled with the included keyboard and mouse.  You can control the functions of the DVR and its attached cameras remotely through a LAN or Internet connection, software is included with the DVR that enables you to control its functions from a PC.

You can attach the DVR to a variety of external monitoring devices, the system is fitted with VGA, BNC and S-Video outputs.  Quad functionality is built in to the DVR so you can monitor each camera attached to the system individually in sequence or view all cameras attached to the system simultaneously.  The DVR also has audio input and output sockets so you can use it to set up a two way audio system between you and people in the vicinity of your surveillance cameras.

Check the latest price on the Pelco DVR5104 Four Channel Surveillance System