Tricks of deploying the budget NVRs on the middle even large surveillance projects

Dedicated NVR is the video recording box with built-in embedded Linux system. Since the hardware platform is designed for dedicated video processing, it can achieve the cost-effective in video surveillance. There is no extra license fee for the software or operation system. However, the function of dedicated NVR is not versatile as pc based VMS. Today, the dedicated NVRs are popular especially in small project, due to simple maintain and easy-to-go operation. Can we deploy dedicated NVR for middle even large project? If the surveillance system doesn't require versatile function such as face recognition. The answer is properly yes. We just need some tricks.

The dedicated NVR require each IP camera link back to one specific NVR, and those NVRs don't communicate each other. That means there no center server to know the status of all those cameras and NVRs. If you have 200-300 cameras on the field, you are going to deal with 7-10 independent NVRs plus the cameras separately.

To knowing status of all those IP devices, we will need a server platform more than CMS (Clients management software). The server platform is the center server which can monitor the status of the IP device in real time. It doesn't like the CMS software, each of IP device will continue uploading the heart beat (status) to the platform server. Once the IP camera or NVR are off line even alarm is trigger, the platform sever will know immediately.

Since each NVR is independent units, the operator needs several mouses on the table with name tag on each to control the NVR. This is very unconventional operation. The operator takes time to locate the NVR, find the mouse, move to the position and start control of that NVR, the operator could miss the critical event during the switch. The NVR switch can speed up this operation. All the NVR output link to a specific switch by VGA, and there is single output to a monitor from the switch. With the hot key on the keyboard, the operator can easy switch between different NVR units without leaving hands off the table. After that, the HDMI port from NVRs still can connect to one new monitor to build the TV wall.

To make the control room clean and tidy, we may need rack mount solution. We can put all NVR units including the NVR switch into a rack housing. Maintain the proper temperature inside the rack case. This is simple but important trick to keep the system running for 24/7. The other thing is the power supply of dedicated NVRs. Choose the sever-based power supply instead of the low-cost ATX power. With reliable power and right temperature, the dedicated NVR will be very reliable.

Backup recording is necessary for all video system. It is easy to achieve with dedicated NVR. Simple plug a new dedicated NVR to the network and make the connection to the camera you can have your redundant recording. 

In the practical deployment, it may have old analog camera with coax cable on the field. With Hybrid recorder or analog HD recorder, the coax can be reused and upgrade to HD video with minimum cost and reduce the business downtime. Both dedicated DVR and NVR will be monitored in the platform server.

Dedicated solution always has cost advantages but less versatile function. What to choose depends on the project demands. Sometimes, we can even mix the VMS software into dedicated NVR to gain advantage from both systems.