FIELD GUIDE TO DVR'S: 20 answers about dvr's
1. b
2. c
3. a
4. e – Every DVR has different requirements for its remote viewing application. You should check with the manufacturer to determine what is required.
5. b – DVR’s operating system varies by manufacturer.
6. c – For general applications, motion/activity recording is the most efficient use of hard drive capacity, because it does not use disk space when no activity is occurring.
7. b – Bandwidth is always a concern to the customer’s IT department since it can affect the overall performance of network throughput. Some DVR manufacturers provide a means to limit the amount of bandwidth that the DVR will use.
8. b – Various DVRs use different types of compression.
9. d – Since each of these factors will affect the storage, they all must be known when designing the system.
10. b – A schedule is not necessary for a DVR to record. For example, it can be set to record only on motion.
11. d – Various manufacturers accept different camera types. With third-party adapters/converters, almost anything is possible today.
12. b – The storage capacity is dependent upon many factors, such as compression technique, size of storage device, number of camera inputs, and schedule/activity.
13. c – Depending upon the manufacturer it is possible to use the output of another device to trip an input of the DVR to trigger recording.
14. d
15. b
16. b
17. b – Some DVRs are programmable for type of camera input, B/W, color, or day/night. If the unit you use has this option, you should properly select the camera type for maximum performance.
18. a – A fixed or static IP address allows the remote-viewing client software to connect to the DVR.
19. b – Many DVRs are viewable from a remote site by either dial-up or broadband connections, provided the customer opens the proper ports in his firewall and directs the client to the DVR’s internal network IP address.
20. a – False triggers can be found easily by searching for images at a time when no one is present. It is also important to ensure that the DVR does record when desired activity occurs.
Stop! If you haven’t already taken our 20 Questions about DVRs quiz, then go back to page 18. If you have, then get ready to score yourself and learn something in the process.
Although 20 Questions about DVRs is not accredited by an official learning institution, we’ve created a scoring guide anyway just for fun.
Number of correct answers Rating
20 Excellent
18-19 Very good
16-17 Good
14-15 Average
12-13 Below average
11 or fewer Poor
Answer to: Why Is this not the Preferred Way to Install?
Wally should have installed cable from the camera into the DVR first, then out to the monitor on the receptionist’s desk. This would ensure the least amount of equipment and connections (that could cause signal degradation) between the video source (camera) and the DVR. Also, if the receptionist needs to view other cameras or the system changes in the future, it is best to have the input cable of the monitor at the source of the video output signal. This would provide the most latitude on which picture(s) could be sent to the monitor in the future without running additional cable.
Answer to: What’s Wrong with T-tapping?
T-tapping a video source will always degrade a signal and sometimes can cause distortion in the image. Because there was a long distance involved, Wally should not T-tap or even use the loop-out connection of the DVR, but he should install a distribution amplifier to generate separate video signals for the DVR and the analog video monitor. He should home-run the camera video output to the video distribution amp input, then distribute to all devices, as shown in this diagram. In this way the video signal will be at its greatest strength at the DVR and the monitor. Remember, quicker is not always better.
2. c
3. a
4. e – Every DVR has different requirements for its remote viewing application. You should check with the manufacturer to determine what is required.
5. b – DVR’s operating system varies by manufacturer.
6. c – For general applications, motion/activity recording is the most efficient use of hard drive capacity, because it does not use disk space when no activity is occurring.
7. b – Bandwidth is always a concern to the customer’s IT department since it can affect the overall performance of network throughput. Some DVR manufacturers provide a means to limit the amount of bandwidth that the DVR will use.
8. b – Various DVRs use different types of compression.
9. d – Since each of these factors will affect the storage, they all must be known when designing the system.
10. b – A schedule is not necessary for a DVR to record. For example, it can be set to record only on motion.
11. d – Various manufacturers accept different camera types. With third-party adapters/converters, almost anything is possible today.
12. b – The storage capacity is dependent upon many factors, such as compression technique, size of storage device, number of camera inputs, and schedule/activity.
13. c – Depending upon the manufacturer it is possible to use the output of another device to trip an input of the DVR to trigger recording.
14. d
15. b
16. b
17. b – Some DVRs are programmable for type of camera input, B/W, color, or day/night. If the unit you use has this option, you should properly select the camera type for maximum performance.
18. a – A fixed or static IP address allows the remote-viewing client software to connect to the DVR.
19. b – Many DVRs are viewable from a remote site by either dial-up or broadband connections, provided the customer opens the proper ports in his firewall and directs the client to the DVR’s internal network IP address.
20. a – False triggers can be found easily by searching for images at a time when no one is present. It is also important to ensure that the DVR does record when desired activity occurs.
Stop! If you haven’t already taken our 20 Questions about DVRs quiz, then go back to page 18. If you have, then get ready to score yourself and learn something in the process.
Although 20 Questions about DVRs is not accredited by an official learning institution, we’ve created a scoring guide anyway just for fun.
Number of correct answers Rating
20 Excellent
18-19 Very good
16-17 Good
14-15 Average
12-13 Below average
11 or fewer Poor
Answer to: Why Is this not the Preferred Way to Install?
Wally should have installed cable from the camera into the DVR first, then out to the monitor on the receptionist’s desk. This would ensure the least amount of equipment and connections (that could cause signal degradation) between the video source (camera) and the DVR. Also, if the receptionist needs to view other cameras or the system changes in the future, it is best to have the input cable of the monitor at the source of the video output signal. This would provide the most latitude on which picture(s) could be sent to the monitor in the future without running additional cable.
Answer to: What’s Wrong with T-tapping?
T-tapping a video source will always degrade a signal and sometimes can cause distortion in the image. Because there was a long distance involved, Wally should not T-tap or even use the loop-out connection of the DVR, but he should install a distribution amplifier to generate separate video signals for the DVR and the analog video monitor. He should home-run the camera video output to the video distribution amp input, then distribute to all devices, as shown in this diagram. In this way the video signal will be at its greatest strength at the DVR and the monitor. Remember, quicker is not always better.
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