What Is NVR? Do I Need NVR for IP Camera?

Video Surveillance has been popular in recent years, bringing convenience to people's daily life, such as remote video monitoring, facility protection, and loss prevention. NVR is widely used in many surveillance systems by cooperating with IP Cameras to provide pictures and videos. Adopting NVR in NVR camera systems is an inevitable trend from retail stores to financial institutions and municipal buildings.

What Is Network Video Recorder (NVR)?

A network video recorder is considered a complete IP camera recording system and is mostly employed within IP video surveillance systems. A network video recorder does not use any dedicated hardware for video capture but makes use of special software on a dedicated device. It can record video and audio as well as access recorder images and live scenarios.

Viewed as the successor to the digital video recorder (DVR), the network video recorder can be managed remotely over the Internet, providing great flexibility to users. Besides, other benefits of better viewing converge and recognition of faces, license plate can also be included.

Read NVR vs DVR, What Are Their Differences? to figure out these two different ways of recording.

How Many Types of Network Video Recorders?

According to the functions of PoE, NVR can be divided into PoE NVR and Non-PoE NVR.

• PoE NVR: Power over Ethernet models is used when cameras, that also have the PoE specification, need to be powered by being directly plugged into the NVR's PoE ports and do not require a separate power adapter to work.

• Non-PoE NVR: A non-PoE model has no ports for cameras to connect to on the back panel but can add cameras with the built-in scan function that finds cameras connected to the same network.

Different types of PoE/Non-PoE NVRs have different installation methods. For more details: Setting Up NVR for IP Cameras With or Without PoE Switch?

As for the number of channels, typically, NVR can be divided into 4 channel NVR, 8 channel NVR, 16 channel NVR, and 32 channel NVR. The channel indicates the number of supported cameras.

If you are just building a basic video surveillance system, 4 channels/8 channels meet the basic needs. They are the entry-level NVR for your home, retailer store, or small office applications. If you need more cameras but at the same time you need to consider the budget, 16 channels can be selected. For municipal buildings and factories, you will require more cameras and consequently a bigger NVR, then it is recommended to choose 32 channels.

How Does NVR Function in an NVR Camera System?

NVR camera systems are made up of three parts: cameras, a network, and the NVR. Here’s how they work together:

• NVR: The function is to receive video footage through a network data connection and store footage for review. NVR contains corresponding Ethernet ports that you can connect to multiple cameras on one side. Besides, it can hook up the router, monitor, or viewing station on the other side to show what had happened.

• Cameras: NVR is generally used in combination with IP cameras. IP cameras capture and process video and audio data, while NVR helps to record videos and manage cameras.

• Network connection: IP security cameras connect to the NVR using wired or wireless connections. Typically, if it’s a wired connection, an Ethernet cable can be used to connect to the NVR.

Sum up

Video surveillance is closely related to life. Great importance should be attached to choosing the right IP cameras according to actual needs. Security systems are never a one-size-fits-all approach. Therefore, NVR cooperating with IP cameras will meet your demands better for its updated technology and wide application.