Help Selecting NVR

Hi all, I was wondering if I could get some input and counsel on getting an NVR for several Hikvision IP cams that I have. They are 4mp.

I don't want an NVR with built-in PoE ports, as I think I prefer to delegate that function to a PoE switch or a dedicated PoE midline. I've read that I can more easily access the cameras directly this way, plus I get a cooler and quieter running NVR. Is this accurate? Or is this a myth?

I am looking for the NVR to eventually handle 16 cameras (assume 5mp and under), though it will take a few months to get to this number. Right now, I have 3 Hikvision cams all 4mp resolution. I want to be able to view all cameras (16 of them) simultaneously or one-by-one, and I want the viewing to be fast and responsive. This means I'm looking for a 16-channel NVR since I don't want to have to replace it once I exceed say 8 cameras.

As far as storage capacity, I think as long as I can a few 6TB WD purple HDDs I should be fine.

I'd like to know what budget range this puts me in for a dedicated NVR that meets the above requirements.

Also important to me is the support factor. I'm willing to pay a little more to get US-based support for my purchase.

I really appreciate any help and/or direction.

Thanks everyone!

Be sure to calculate the total incoming bandwidth of all of the cams at your desired max. FPS and max. resolution and ensure the selected NVR has adequate incoming bandwidth.

I recommend that that you get an NVR with more than 16 channels if you want to run 16 4mp cams at max. FPS and at max. resolution.