Network Video Recorder – NVR

A Software program that records the video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card, or the mass storage device is called network video recorder. It has no capture hardware. However, the software runs on a dedicated device with embedded operating system. Standard operating system are used with standard processors and video management software to support increased functionality and serviceability in NVR. These are too way different from digital video recorder as their input is from network unlike the direct connection to a video capture card or tuner.

Encoding and processing of a video on digital video recorder is done at DVR whereas video on network video recorder is encoded and processed at camera then streamed to the network video recorder for remote viewing or storage. Additional processing like further compression or tagging with mete data may be done at network video recorder. These days hybrids of network video recorder and digital video recorder is also available which are considered more of a NVR.

The benefit of network video recorder is that they are wireless that is why they can be installed easily for camera surveillance. Now because of the NVR there is no need to get messed up with too many wires. It comes with just a power cable. It also allows user to access camera through a web browser and get a notification through email if an alarm wakes up.

Network video recorder is very easy to use. It has simple menus to navigate and program the recorder but it is slightly more difficult than DVR as it need IP address for connection. Therefore a customer has to be network savvy for operating NVR.