Although Digital Video Recorders have only been on the market for the last few years, there is already a well-defined customer base and it's growing daily. Like anything else-success stories travel quickly. It's been said, “You're only as good as the company you keep.” Prudent business suggests that looking at who's using the product is usually a good indication of the level of quality.

Our industry has zero tolerance for failure, especially in light of the events of the past few years such as 9/11, Columbine High and a host of other public catastrophes. There is nothing wrong with following the lead of others, but there could be a price to pay for taking a shot with an unproven product or entity.

Let's look at some important questions you should be asking.

• If you have a problem who do you call?
• When you call them, what are their qualifications to resolve the issues?
• How long does it take to get service?
• What experience do they have with the product?
• How long have they been in business?
• What hours can you get service?
• Where are their service centers located?
• What does their organization consist of?
• If they are only buying parts and assembling products, what guarantees do you have that you are going to be able to get support if their supplies disappear?
•  What do you do if they are not around 6 months from now? If they are reselling someone else's products what happens if they stop carrying the line?
  

Remember, whether you are a technician or an end-user, you are buying into the company as you do not have the ability to accomplish tasks without their cooperation. This also holds true for any future product upgrades or special requirements you may have.

The biggest problem within the industry is that a number of entities that were already in the security business in the last generation of CCTV technology have attempted to crossover into a world that is so far removed from their core competence. DVR's are an Information Technology (IT) product. Nothing in the last generation of CCTV resembles this, nor does it lend itself to a knowledge base that may be transferred.

The last generation was mechanical analog-based products, which are basically, fixed machines. "Real" DVR's are sophisticated network appliances.

Many companies have entered this business with the best of intentions, but were simply overwhelmed. For each new company that comes into the market every day, another one falls by the way-side. You can count on a single hand the number of proven and successful manufacturers. While the number of assemblers and would-be-manufacturers are in the thousands and continue to grow along with the demand.

We have given you a good nuts and bolts discussion of the DVR, how it works, its components and software as well as related concerns. Based upon these facts, you can formulate a number of questions you should be asking yourself and the person selling it to you before buying a DVR.

Hardware

• DVR (w/ keyboard & mouse)
• Monitor
• Cameras
• Camera Lenses
• Camera Brackets
• Cameras Housing (if necessary)
• Rack Cabinet (optional)
• Printer (optional)

Electrical / Fittings / Connections

• Video Cable
• Power Cable
• Audio Cable (if using mic.)
• BNC Connectors (if using coax cable)
• Video Baluns (if using Cat5 cable)
• Power Supplies (if not using power panels)
• Power Panels (if not using power supplies)
• Fuses (if using power panels)
• Power Strip
• Power Cord
• Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS)
• Conduit
• Screws / Bolts / Brackets
• Tie Wraps
• Electrical Tape

Optional Accessories

• Hot Swappable Drives
• CCTV Monitors
• Quads
• Text Inserters
• Speakers
• Microphones
• Relays
• Thermostats
• Alarm Bell / Horns
• Alarm Light
• Access Control Devices
• RAID Storage
• Streaming Server