NVR
A network video recorder (NVR) is a software program that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other mass storage device. An NVR contains no dedicated video capture hardware. However, the software is typically run on a dedicated device, usually with an embedded operating system. Alternatively, to help support increased functionality and serviceability, standard operating systems are used with standard processors and video management software.
An NVR is typically deployed in an IP video surveillance system.
Network video recorders are distinct from digital video recorders (DVR) as their input is from a network rather than a direct connection to a video capture card or tuner. Video on a DVR is encoded and processed at the DVR, while video on an NVR is encoded and processed at the camera, then streamed to the NVR for storage or remote viewing. Additional processing may be done at the NVR, such as further compression or tagging with metadata.
Hybrid NVR/DVR surveillance systems exist which incorporate functions of both NVR and DVR; these are considered a form of NVR.
NVR home surveillance systems are generally wireless, tend to be easy to set up, can be accessed through a web browser, and allow the user to be notified by email if an alarm is triggered.As NVR systems process the video data at the camera rather than on the recorder, the cameras in NVR systems are much more robust than their DVR counterparts.
NVR systems use IP cameras which are standalone image capturing devices. IP cameras each have a chipset in them which is capable of processing the video data which is then transmitted to a recorder. Unlike analog cameras, IP cameras are typically all capable of recording and sending audio as well as video. The more powerful hardware on IP cameras also enables improved smart functionality and video analytics, such as facial recognition.NVR systems connect the camera to the recorder. However, how they connect the camera to the recorder is entirely different. NVR systems use standard Ethernet cables, such as cat5e and cat6, to transmit data. Ethernet cable powers the camera using Power over Ethernet (PoE), which means your camera needs one cable running to capture video, audio, and power the camera, thus eliminating the need for messy splitters like a DVR system.
As NVR recorders receive a pure digital signal from the cameras, video quality is better than compared to a DVR at the same resolution. In addition, as Ethernet cables carry audio, all cameras with microphones could record audio to the NVR.