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You decide!
 The Tracer Lite range of DVRs from Europlex Technologies now offers high storage capacity up to 1.2TB
There are a bewildering amount of recording solutions on the market. But don't be swayed by bells and whistles. Instead think hard about what you want to record and how you want to store it
What job do you want your CCTV system to do? This of course, is the most important question to ask when approaching your choice of recording solution. And you’ll need to be clear-headed in analyzing your requirements because the huge number of products on the market can be bewildering. It ranges from low cost stand-alone DVRs to network-ready, and PC-based solutions.
Unless a buyer is very familiar with the technology he or she will gain little by trying to compare all the technical specifications of these different products.
Instead, start by considering the following: What quality of playback are you expecting? What duration of storage time do you need? Do you want to view live and recorded images at the same time? How do you want to be able to search through recordings? How do you expect to view images? Is watermarking and evidence-integrity important for your purposes? How will images be downloaded, and how will recordings be taken away by the police or other investigating authorities? If there is no suitable answer to this last question, then you may find that your recorder has to be removed to allow an incident to be investigated.
So let’s look at some of the latest products worth considering. At the lower scale end of the market the HRDE 4x4 is a four-channel DVR from Honeywell designed specifically for small to medium-sized users. The company hopes this model, with some attractive quality features,will encourage smaller users to make the technology leap to digital recording. For example, as well as video it allows synchronized video/audio recording on four channels.
From Europlex Technologies, the Tracer Lite range of DVRs now offers high storage capacity up to 1.2TB. Tracer Lite also offers offers installers and end-users the reassurance of unlimited, step-by-step scalability. Starting with just one Tracer Lite model, system designers can add and integrate further recorders whenever they want – for example linking branches, regional offices, or even sites in different locations around the world. Remote management software provides secure access, viewing and archiving functions using a range of communication methods.
With a neat, compact design Tracer Lite offers DVD backup and event retrieval, plus continuous-, motion-, sensor- and audio-activated recording functions.
Plug and play
Dowshu’s ICON range of DVRs extend from four to 64 channels and are designed to be plugged in and operational within minutes. All models use a common graphical user interface across all platforms and provide
for network connectivity as standard via Dowshu’s Networked DVR Management System. This makes it suitable for use in remote monitoring stations, local authority control rooms or for centrally managed multiple-site operations.
The GANZ ZR-DHC1630NP 16-channel PC-based MPEG4 real-time recording and display DVR aims to combine the usability of a PC with the reliability of a traditional DVR. The unit’s advanced functionality includes the ability to search for motion events retrospectively.
In practice, this means that, for example, if something is stolen then the area involved can be highlighted and the system will then search for relevant motion in that area. Meanwhile, for retail applications the DVR can also add a test data stream to a point-of-sale till system, allowing the till data to be synchronised with the video.
Thus, the DVR can search for a particular till transaction and helpfully display this with the associated video footage. In operation, the ZR-DHC1630NP can be viewed and controlled either by a web browser or, for extended functions, via free Ganz management software. Access to the unit can be controlled by use of a password. Video back-up is easily achieved in either JPEG or Bitmap format for still images, or using AVI or SFX in original DVR format.
Operating modes
The new model has four operating modes, the first being client server (DVR server) settings and programming. The second mode is called ‘watch view,’ which allows any cameras from any DVR to be seen in full screen or multi-screen from quad up to a 64-way split. Meanwhile, playback mode allows playback via the client software from any DVR.
Finally, mapping mode allows maps to be set up of the site showing operators the exact position of cameras, DVRs and alarms for clear and easy control when moving from camera to camera. Live video can also be seen in this mode, making the tracking of objects and people much easier.
Electrosonic’s VN-Matrix Recorder is a digital recording solution that enables complex multiple displays, involving HD, high motion video, and graphics, to be recorded. Of particular note, is its ability following a recording to instantly play back an exact reproduction of everything that was displayed on the main video wall display at the time of any incident.
After action review
This feature may be of importance for critical ‘after action’ review when access to all available data is needed. Solutions incorporating VN-Matrix and VN-Matrix Recorder also allow users to interface and distribute both live and recorded CCTV video content across LAN, WAN and VPN connections for broader collaborative applications.
Electrosonic is a good example of a company which offers a range of security specific image management solutions which incorporate DVRs as part of a total set up. Its VN-Quantum display image processor is designed for use as the central processor in critical control room environments, and as such it is being used by local authorities, government agencies, universities etc.
User friendly
Videoswitch has a strong reputation for building user friendly and reliable DVR models. Built-in DVD/CD writers and removable hard drives all come as standard, and the recording rate can simply be set either in terms of number of days, or customised for each camera. Videoswitch says it is taking its offering to a new level with the introduction of new features which, when working in conjunction with two or more Vi series DVRs, deliver a highly sophisticated video recording solution.
The new Videoswitch Vi-Map mapping software provides a very easy to use graphical user interface for controlling any number of local and remote DVRs. A built-in matrix capability offers customers a major financial benefit as there is no longer the need to provide a separate piece of hardware to control which cameras are viewed or recorded. When used with Vi-Map it creates a user-friendly CCTV operating system and ensures that customers get the most out of their investment in Videoswitch DVRs.
Network solutions
Finally, its worth looking at NVRs – network video recorders. These can provide a useful bridge between the analogue and digital worlds. For example JVC’s VR-N900U NVR is intended to bridge the gap between traditional security systems and digital IP networking systems. It can record images from a mixture of analogue and IP cameras, so allows users to continue getting life out of their older equipment. Once the NVR is installed it is ready for immediate use, with no PC configuration necessary.
The intuitive NVR will detect and configures cameras automatically. The unit fits into a standard rack and features ergonomic front panel controls similar to DVR and VCR design. The NVR offers a scaleable open platform, allowing for the integration of other technologies and third party IP devices. Another example is the Latitude NVMS 5.0 from DVTel, which is described as a fully scaleable enterprise-class multimedia management system. It allows simultaneous monitoring of video and audio, live and recorded, from multiple stations and can be configured for storage on and off site. It is an IP-based, open platform system with off-the-shelf computer, networking and storage hardware - so you are not locked into proprietary hardware.
 The GANZ ZR-DHC1630NP 16-channel DVR aims to combine the usability of a PC with the reliability of a traditional DVR
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