DVR's - Digital Video Recorders
What most people think of when they hear DVR is the box on top of the TV they got from the cable or satellite company when they signed up for service. The name also describes hardware (and software) that enables video distribution, recording and playback in a modern Video Security System and it can be argued, is the most important component in the system.
Regardless of capability, shape, size or capacity DVR's today come in two distinctive types...
Regardless of capability, shape, size or capacity DVR's today come in two distinctive types...
Stand-Alone
Sometimes called
"embedded" machines |
PC-Based
|
Both types, Stand-Alone or PC-Based, are functionally similar. They each...
... Are microprocessor based machines that capture, store,
retrieve and display live and recorded video history
... Are equipped with software user interfaces that are designed
to provide users a logically simple means to accomplish the
above tasks
... Use the same kinds of hard disk drives to store video
However, embedded and PC-Based DVR's differ with respect to...
... How they each perform these similar tasks
... The features each provides, and,
... Thier relative ease of use, flexibility and integration with other
equipment and/or systems
... Are microprocessor based machines that capture, store,
retrieve and display live and recorded video history
... Are equipped with software user interfaces that are designed
to provide users a logically simple means to accomplish the
above tasks
... Use the same kinds of hard disk drives to store video
However, embedded and PC-Based DVR's differ with respect to...
... How they each perform these similar tasks
... The features each provides, and,
... Thier relative ease of use, flexibility and integration with other
equipment and/or systems
While both machine types perform similar functions because they do things differently and they're usually marketed by those with competing interests, there's a lot of confusing information found on Internet blogs and in industry publications centered on which DVR type is best.
For example, supporters of PC -Based machines claim Stand-Alone DVRs are "cheap junk" those that prefer Stand-Alone systems say PC-Based systems are flawed because the Windows Operating System is inherrantly unstable.
For example, supporters of PC -Based machines claim Stand-Alone DVRs are "cheap junk" those that prefer Stand-Alone systems say PC-Based systems are flawed because the Windows Operating System is inherrantly unstable.
The source of both errant statements rests primarily within competitive marketing interests - PC-DVR manufacturers fabricate information about Stand-Alone equipment and Stand-Alone marketers disceminate false information about PC-Systems - and there is a significant amount of falicy on both sides of the discussion.