Hi,

I had made up my mind about getting a PC based system and then I talked to a couple of installers who do the installation for the government buildings/airports and they recommended that I should go with a DVR and not a PC. They have suggested a Pelco or another company with name starting with v____ DVR and not a PC.

Considering future expansion, I am thinking of getting a 32 channel system. Are there any particular make and models of DVR which you have used and would recommend?


Any recommendations, comments on this?

There are arguments in favor of both types of systems, but overall you'll find PC-based DVRs are easier to use (full GUI interface) and are more expandable (add internal, external, or network-attached storage) than their standalone counterparts.

They also tend to cost more, especially if you use quality hardware (as you should). I mean, you can buy a bargain-basement $250 PC and slap in a $50 card you got off eBay or something, but don't expect the same sort of reliability you'd get from a system costing 10 times the price.

It mostly depends on your needs and your budget. For 32 channels, there are some cards that are 16-channel and have an expansion board available to add another 16, so you don't have to go all out right off the top. It will also depend on the sort of framerates you need - 32-channel, 120-frame cards are a lot cheaper than a 960-frame, 32-channel system that will give you a full 30fps on every input (which of course, also requires a FAR more powerful computer!)

I would vote for PC based, because the GUI is generally so much easier to use. Nothing beats a mouse and keyboard. And while it is true that the really cheap cards give you nasty quality, so do the cheap DVR's. I saw a DVR last year that only recorded in CIF (quarter screen) resolution! So while you may find a great deal on a DVR stand alone, you might want to see the quality first, and also check and see how easy the GUI is to use.

Wrong, a good DVR it`s around 200$ (AV Tech AVC-760AS new series).Also, there are dvr standalone controlled with mouse and the GUI is very intuitive.The dvr units take more ground day by day, that`s a fact.I was a fun for capture cards until the dvr with mouse control has come in.As a matter a fact the dvr sells are about 70% and two years ago the dvr cards was there.So...