When assembling your home video security system there are a number of options that you need to account for. Is the system being installed in your home or are you installing it in a rented apartment or home? This can mean a world of difference when you are planning on how to deploy your cameras and which cameras are right for you.
Another thing that you should consider early on into your planning process is how you will record and store the video that your system captures.
There are a variety of methods for capturing, recording and broadcasting your video. Some of these will give you remote access from your phone to view live video, to receive motion capture pics and video clips and to control your system completely.
Distribution of video from the camera to the recording device can be wireless, coax or ethernet cable. There are advantages and drawbacks of each option. Wireless options are great if you are renting because you do not need to run cables. Coax often has a longer reach for audio and video than ethernet does however it may be possible to extend that range with additional hardware.
NVR’s work over Ethernet and they connect to IP based cameras. The ethernet cable can send power to the camera called POE. This means you do not need to run a separate power cable or setup the camera near an electrical outlet.
Since NVRs are Internet Protocol Compliant they work with a wide range of cameras and normally your system can be expanded with cameras from other manufacturers that may provide specific features that you want for only one or two of your cameras such as pan, tilt and zoom.
If you have a DVR system the camera output is sent across a coax cable with a special connector. Siamese Cables are two cables in one that have the coax connector and also a power cable. This means you only need to pull one cable through the wall but there are still two connections.
What About Resolution Which Is Better DVR or NVR?
In most case you will find that NVR Systems support both higher resolutions and faster frame rates. Both of these are important when you are trying to capture detail. Higher frames per second means smoother video and more frames captured.
DVRs are normally rated at 2k or 1080p at 15fps. NVRs can support full 4k video at 30fps or 60fps depending on the system you build.
What about Remote Access And Remote Control
Both DVRs and NVRs can be remotely accessed over the internet and remotely controlled. The options that you have will be limited to the controller and the cameras that you choose.
Is It Possible To Install Cameras Without a DVR or NVR?
Yes it is not a requirement to use a DVR or NVR if you want remote accessible cameras in your home you can set up Wireless WiFi Cameras that can connect to your broadband router and access them from home or away. You can also record them to different devices like a NAS storage or Computer.
Final Note
There are many options when picking or expanding your home video surveillance system and it is important that you look through all of your options before you begin purchases so that all of the parts work together.
One nice thing is picking WiFi cameras that also have Ethernet Options this will allow you to start your system with one or two cameras and expand your system with a NVR or a NVR Type System that you build yourself.
Security is a priority and you should also research what cameras may have problems with security. In recent years there have been a number of Chinese manufacturers that install software on your camera that can be accessed by the companies servers or cloud system in China. Obviously this is not a good thing especially in the area of security so do your research carefully before you buy.