Should IT Use DVRs for Video Surveillance Storage?

Getting away from DVRs is one of the most common themes in the convergence of IT and security. The DVR is widely viewed as an out-dated device that is not powerful or scalable enough to be part of the legimitate IT infrastructure.

This week, Intransa released a whitepaper addressed to IT users on the limitations of DVRs and the challenges of recording IP video. While the whitepaper advocates the use of Intransa's own NVR appliances, the first part of the paper succinctly catalogs the core case against DVRs.

Counter-Arguments Against DVR Criticisms

A number of the key criticisms Intransa makes against DVRs reflect an older generation of products. For instance:

• Professional DVRs are no longer shipped back if a hard drive fails. A classical problem with DVRs, most manufacturer now allow hard drives to be replaced locally to reduce the cost and complexity of losing a system for an extended period of time.
• Storage capacity is no longer limited to the boundaries of the DVR box. DVR manufacturers are becoming increasingly flexible in supporting USB or fireware attached external storage.
• Even if a hard drive fails, most professional DVRs will continue to run becaue the OS and the application is stored on a flash drive. This eliminates a major reliability concern.