TL;DR: An NVR records footage from IP cameras over a network, offering higher resolution and more flexibility, while a DVR records from analog cameras via coaxial cables. NVRs are modern, support better video quality, and are easier to scale, whereas DVRs are suited for traditional analog setups.
The presence of security cameras at your premises has a hugely positive impact on your business. They powerfully:
– Provide an effective deterrent to theft, damage, vandalism and delinquent behaviour.
– Protect your employees and help to maintain a safe working environment.
– Increase productivity and maintain good working practices.
– Facilitate effective criminal investigations and help to resolve disputes.
Having security cameras in place is a great start. The crucial next step is to have an efficient system in place for recording all the footage your cameras are generating. Is your footage good quality? Are you capturing all angles? Do you have all the data storage you need, for as long as you need to keep it?
There are two main types of CCTV storage systems:
1) NVR – Network Video Recorder
2) DVR – Digital Video Recorder
Let’s look at these two different ways of recording video surveillance and compare NVR vs DVR.
Overview of NVR and DVR
DVRs store the video footage captured by analog cameras. DVRs need to convert the analog signal from an analog camera to a digital signal, so it can store it on its internal hard drive.
NVRs, on the other hand, are specifically designed to store video footage captured by IP (Internet Protocol) cameras. IP cameras can be either PoE (power over ethernet) or Wi-Fi. They have the inbuilt functionality to process raw video footage to digital signals and transmit it to be saved to the NVR.
Key differences when you’re comparing NVR vs DVR
DVRs have traditionally been cheaper than NVRs, though the gap is narrowing. They use slightly less bandwidth than NVRs but the difference is not significant.
NVRs are more expensive but many users feel the investment is worth it as they have better image quality, more system flexibility and additional features, and are usually easier to install.
Connectivity and Cabling
DVRs are usually used alongside analog surveillance cameras, which means that the DVR recorder has to be physically connected to individual cameras using coaxial cables. Most DVRs have an inbuilt ‘analog-to-digital’ converter, known as an AD encoder, to convert the analog signal to digital format. This enables recorded analog footage to be received by the DVR unit and stored on its hard drive.
NVRs, on the other hand, are completely digital. They connect to IP cameras, so they don’t require any conversion to store and view camera footage. Note: An IP camera is an interchangeable term for an NVR camera.
An IP camera has an IP address, receiving control data and sending image data through an IP network.
Although an NVR can be managed solely through wireless connections, it can be useful for large installations or high-security scenarios to use ethernet cables. Power over ethernet cables are easy to install and operate as you only need one cable to transmit the power, video and audio from each camera, and they’re also smaller and thinner than coaxial cables, though PoE cables need additional network switches if you need more than 100m cable length.
Camera Compatibility
A DVR works with analog cameras; an NVR is designed for IP cameras.
Video Quality and Resolution
Due to the analog-to-digital conversion process, a DVR typically offers lower resolution than an NVR which can support higher resolutions, including HD (1080p) and 4K.
Although some DVR analog systems now have 4k resolution, the picture can suffer glitches and interference as they’re reliant on coaxial cables.
Audio
Another key difference between NVR and DVR is audio; many IP cameras have built-in microphones providing sound output. It’s handy that power, video and audio all run through the same cable. Also, some IP cameras include two-way audio, enabling you to hear and talk back via the camera.
Although it’s possible to record audio with a DVR system, it’s a lot trickier. You need extra wires, which increases installation complexity and also adds additional points of failure to your system. And DVRs typically have a limited number of audio ports, whereas NVRs don’t have that limitation.
Scalability and Flexibility
As DVR systems need direct camera connections, they are considered less scalable than NVR. Being purely digital, NVR systems are more flexible, making it easy to integrate many more cameras as your business grows.
Installation and Maintenance
Because of their analog wiring, DVRs can be more complex and more labor intensive than NVRs, needing ongoing maintenance to ensure optimal performance and reliability. This is likely to include software updates, hard drive maintenance and troubleshooting any issues with the hardware.
Use Cases – NVR vs DVR
A surveillance ‘use case’ is what’s known as technology-agnostic, which means that it is defined by the capability it provides within a particular environment and context.
DVRs tend to work best with legacy security systems, in areas that have an existing analog infrastructure and in smaller areas where a simple, wired set up does the job.
As they are more modern and sophisticated tech, NVRs are ideal for new installations, for situations that need high-resolution video footage for top quality image recognition and detail, and for customers requiring advanced security features.
Adopting a ‘hybrid’ system, where you use DVR storage or NVR storage alongside backing up your data storage into the cloud with a provider like Videoloft, can add additional reliability, security and robustness by reducing the risk of losing footage.
Conclusion
So, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ answer for which option comes out on top if you’re comparing an NVR vs DVR.
The right solution for you will depend on your set up, your environment and your specific security needs.
However, there’s no doubt that the world is increasingly moving to cloud-based technologies, which NVRs work better with. Storing your footage in the cloud takes away the hassle of making sure you have enough storage capacity locally, and it eliminates the potential threat of damage to, theft of or tampering with your physical hard drive. It also reduces your hardware maintenance costs.
More and more video surveillance system operators with IP cameras are bypassing NVRs altogether, relying solely on a cloud storage platform, like Videoloft’s Cloud Adapter solution. The Cloud Adapter is a bridging device that connects your existing video surveillance system to Videoloft’s cloud platform, transforming it into a cloud-based VMS (Video Management System). It’s compatible with hundreds of recorder and camera brands.
The Videoloft cloud storage platform comes with an easy-to-use mobile app or web-browser viewer that means you can view all your cameras, from all locations, centrally, accessing your recordings 24/7 from wherever you are.
Next steps
If you want to experience all the benefits of cloud-based data storage, we invite you to try Videoloft today.
To get started, you need to order your Videoloft Cloud Adapter and set up your Cloud Plan, which you can do here.
For more information on how cloud CCTV can provide you with the best security solution for your retail stores, get in touch with our friendly, expert team at hello@videoloft.net or, alternatively, arrange a free proof of concept and trial Videoloft for free for 30 days – we’ll do all the hard work so you don’t have to!
