DVR or NVR, which one do you need?

Both are boxes that record your cameras. The difference is the cable, and the cable decides almost everything else.

A DVR takes analog cameras over coaxial cable. An NVR takes network cameras over data cable. You cannot plug one kind of camera into the other kind of recorder, so this is a choice you make once.

Choose a DVR if the cable is already there

If a building already has coaxial cable in the walls from an older system, a DVR lets you keep it. New cameras, same cable, much less breaking of walls.

Analog cameras are also the cheapest per camera, starting near Rs 3,000, so a DVR system is usually the lowest price way to cover a lot of points.

The limit is picture detail. Analog is good enough to see that somebody was there. It is not always good enough to read a number plate or recognise a face at a distance.

Choose an NVR if you want the best picture

Network cameras carry more detail, and one data cable can carry both the picture and the power to the camera. That means one cable per camera instead of two, which often makes up for the higher price of the camera itself.

You also get things analog cannot do well: proper zoom into a recording after the event, cameras that tell the difference between a person and a passing dog, and easy addition of one more camera later.

This is what we fit in offices, schools, hospitals and factories.

The third option people forget

For a house or a small shop, you may not need a recorder at all.

WiFi cameras can record onto a memory card inside the camera, and you watch them on your phone. No recorder, no cable except power, and the whole thing can be working the same afternoon.

The trade is that a thief who takes the camera takes the recording with it, and the picture depends on your internet. For two or three cameras in a home, most of our customers are happy with this. For a business, we would still put a recorder in.

A short way to decide

Old coax cable already in the building, and cost matters most: DVR.
New building, or you need to identify faces and number plates: NVR.
Two or three cameras in a home, and you want it working today: WiFi cameras with memory cards.
Not sure: call us and we will look at the building first.

Ask before you buy

Whichever you choose, the recorder size is fixed. Buy an eight camera recorder even if you are fitting four today, because the day you want a fifth camera you do not want to buy the box again.

Call 9855050636 and tell us what the building is. We will tell you which one it needs, and we will say so even when it is the cheaper one.

More guides · Ask us directly

Lila Chowk, Narayangarh, Chitwan, Nepal · Open 7 days, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM