Distinction between DVR & Digital Video Server

DVR (Digital Video Recorder) History

In around year 1993, CCD cameras were partly digital, but they still used analogue connections and recording was still done on analogue VCR tapes. However in 1996, the DVR's recording function was to become digitized. It gave the end-users the benefits of no longer having to change tapes, consistent recording quality, and recorded event searches became more efficient.

Later on, DVR industry saw a network connection established for the DVR through digitizing the monitoring station by employing a PC. Newer, more advanced DVRs can use their IP connection not only to communicate with the PC, but also to communicate with other cameras.

Digital Surveillance Era

For many of today's CCTV systems, it is the last bastion of analogue technology: the coax cable. Network cameras and video servers have hammered the final nail into the analogue coffin by making the link from the camera to the recorder digitized., using standard computer networks, Internet, or wireless technologies. Furthermore, digital imaging combined with networking enables a whole new range of system-level functionality and cost-efficiency.

Digital Functionality

As we've seen, the DVR is actually a hybrid technology - part digital, part analogue. Going one step further to a total digital system makes prefect sense since the CCD (via an A/D converter) already generates a digital image, and the recording on the hard drive in the DVR is also digital. Why perform a digital-to-analogue conversion in the cameras, just to make an analogue-to-digital conversion on the DVR? These multiple conversion slow down performance and increase the cost of the system.

DVR V.S. Digital video server concepts

At the most basic level, how do the DVR and digital video server concepts compare?

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