A Network Video Recorder (NVR) stores footage from IP cameras, while a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) stores footage from analog cameras; both sit at the center of most on-site video systems. The unit's hard drive capacity and the number and resolution of connected cameras determine how many days of footage the property can retain before older video is overwritten.
On a real property, retention is often the weak point: a system sized for 30 days can drop to a week or less once extra cameras are added without upgrading storage. Manufacturers' interfaces vary widely, and property staff or a monitoring center need working login credentials and export tools ready before an incident occurs, not after.
Failure modes include a full or failed hard drive going unnoticed for weeks, remote access being lost after a router or password change, and export files in proprietary formats that require special player software to view. A recorder with no backup power will also stop recording during an outage unless it sits on an uninterruptible power supply.
For a patrol program, officers or a dispatcher may need remote NVR access to review footage in real time when responding to an alarm. Property managers should confirm export procedures and retention length as part of the recorded-video piece of any incident report workflow.
Related entries
Official sources
- [1]NIST Cybersecurity Framework (network device hardening)National Institute of Standards and Technology
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