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aaarneson

What's the best DVR card? & Other DVR questions.

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What is the best DVR card for Microsoft? I am sure I will get a lot of different opnions but let them flow.

 

Also do you have to purchase software as well for the interface?

 

And can you set the limit of Hard Drive Space that the DVR can use?

 

Thanks

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Most DVR cards (except maybe cheap some no-name ebay cards) will include software... and really, most vendors use one of two or three different types of cards, just with their own branding and usually locked to their own software. So the more important question is, what is the best DVR card/software *package*... and the answer to that is, "it depends" - mostly on your specific needs.

 

That said, we've been using the VideoInsight systems for years and have found them powerful and reliable. They do tend to be more toward the higher end of the price range, but as with most things, you do get what you pay for.

 

As for limiting space used, that depends on the software. Some will let you designate the free space to leave, others pre-allocate the space used for recording, and still others simply fill up all the freespace on the drive(s) they're given. VideoInsight allows you to specify the maximum size for each video clip, as well as how much free space to leave on the drive.

 

I strongly recommend having a drive or partition dedicated to your video storage, though - the problem is, if you put anything else on the drive, that just takes away from your storage space, and thus the retention time. If you're not paying attention, and you fill up the drive with other stuff, you could end up with very little record time left for your video.

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What is the best DVR card for Microsoft? I am sure I will get a lot of different opnions but let them flow.

 

Also do you have to purchase software as well for the interface?

 

And can you set the limit of Hard Drive Space that the DVR can use?

 

Thanks

 

Some questions that might help you get better answers:

 

What is your budget?

 

How many cameras are you looking to support?

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What is the best DVR card for Microsoft? I am sure I will get a lot of different opnions but let them flow.

 

Also do you have to purchase software as well for the interface?

 

And can you set the limit of Hard Drive Space that the DVR can use?

 

Thanks

 

Some questions that might help you get better answers:

 

What is your budget?

 

How many cameras are you looking to support?

 

I have basically the same question except I want it for security around my house. I am willing to spend 500 - 1500 for a 4 - 6 camera package that will allow me to view my cameras online and/or through my cell phone. I have a good computer set up with lots of storage that I am willing to dedicate to this. (around 1k would be the ideal price tag)

Thanks again in advance for your advice!

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