VMS or NVR?
When designing a video security system, having choices and flexibility is important. In today's security marketplace there are a myriad of products available. Product selection when designing a surveillance system can come down to factors such as:
- How do I utilize existing Analog cameras?
- What platform is best for future expansion?
- Are there existing complimentary systems in place, such as access control?
- How can I accomplish the security goals in a cost effective manner?
In most cases choosing a cost effective, open platform video management system will assuage many of these concerns. We will be examining some of these design choices in the Salient blog over the coming months.
In this post we'll explore one important choice: Purchasing a software only VMS (Video Management Software) or a full Network Video Recorder.
Full Network Video Recorder
Benefit: No staging or installation hassle
When sourcing a complete NVR solution the software is pre installed, eliminating an obstacle to successful deployment. This mean less time at the installation site and a lower potential for problems and time consuming troubleshooting.
Benefit: Single point of support/easier vendor management
One of the benefits of an NVR is that the hardware and software come from a single vendor. This makes the management of vendors simpler. Assuming an open architecture/open platform recording solution is employed, you can still select from a variety of access control, camera and other complimentary products to be integrated with the NVR.
Support issues are greatly reduced. Having one vendor able to troubleshoot the full recording solution is simpler than managing multiple vendors for support, parts sourcing and warranty repair. This also eliminates the proverbial 'finger pointing' between vendors when a problem occurs.
Benefit: Easier to specify hardware for a particular camera configuration
One of the major design challenges is how to specify the correct server hardware for the video recording needs. Some camera and recording configuration factors influence server processing requirements, such as:
- Number of cameras
- Recording frame rate
- Live viewing frame rate
- Compression type (MJPEG / MPEG4 / H.264)
- Resolution of recorded/live video
- Processing of the video (motion detection / Analytics)
Other factors influence storage required:
- Amount of video being recorded at a given time (throughput of the disk system)
- Resolution
- Frame rate recorded
- Retention time
- Compression type
- Scene complexity (amount of movement & variation of colors)
Each recording platform may differ when it comes to how much storage and processing power is required given the above variables. Sourcing the hardware and software together reduces the risk of under or over specifying the recording platform. Additionally, the hardware from an NVR vendor may be purpose built. This means components are sourced specifically to endure the rigors of constant high frame rate recording and important redundancies are built-in. Often vendors supplying complete recording solutions provide online NVR calculators which take these variables into account and provide engineering support experienced in specifying systems.
Software Only VMS
Benefit: Hardware flexibility
When sourcing a recording server hardware platform from a single vendor, the choices are limited to the vendor’s offerings. Special needs may be accommodated by the endless options available from 3rd party vendors such as Dell, HP and others.
Benefit: Compliance with organization’s standard PC vendor
It is not uncommon for an organization to have a hardware vendor standard. Business class servers from major PC vendors may have common management features, standard drivers and other factors that make management of an enterprise IT network substantially easier. In the case of this requirement a single source NVR solution would not be possible.
Conclusion
There are many design challenges for the security system specifier. Fortunately there are many choices available in the marketplace. Salient Systems provides three options for CompleteView-based recording solutions:
- CompleteView can be provided as a software-only VMS, allowing for installation on any PC hardware platform.
- Salient can pre-install CompleteView on a variety of teir-1 PC OEMs (such as Dell or HP) which is a big help when staging an installation.
- CompleteView can be preinstalled on Salient’s line of purpose-built Network Video Recorders such as the S500 or RM1000 for a full hardware/software NVR solution.
For more information on recording system design please check out our white paper, Considerations when selecting a Digital Video Management Platform.
