CCTV systems can now include digital video recorders as part of their equipment to record and store images. These have taken over from the old analogue systems which used to use VHS tapes. A DVR will store a digital version of the footage on a hard drive, much like a computer does. You may wonder why you can’t just use your computer’s hard drive to do this. The reason why not is because it is not designed for the same kind of use. CCTV recorders have a much heavier and more intense use than a computer hard drive does, and so it simply wouldn’t cope with the amount of information it would receive continuously for several hours a day (if not 24 hours a day).

What’s more, if someone is going to break into your property, business or domestic, the chances are that they’re after stealing some of your valuables. And the computer is one of these. So if they steal your computer with all your images on from the CCTV footage, you have no evidence of who did it, leaving little point in having the CCTV in the first place! It is a better bet, therefore, to buy a specific CCTV DVR and install it where it’s not likely to be seen and taken in the event of a robbery.

Other advantages of using a DVR include being able to easily search for pictures by time, date or event, plus a huge amount of storage space for recording your images.