NVR Recorder 4K – Dahua

Description

The recorder is the part nobody looks at and everything depends on: if it fails, there is no footage. This Dahua NVR is the small one of the family, meant for a home or a shop with a few cameras, and it splits the screen into one or four images.

It takes cameras of up to 12 MP and records in 4K, 8, 5, 4 or 3 MP, 1080p, 720p or D1, so it will not hold back the camera you buy today or the one you add in two years. It compresses with Smart H.265+, which is what makes the same disk hold considerably more days than H.264 would.

• 80 Mbps in and 80 Mbps recording, with 60 Mbps outgoing — that figure, not the channel count, is what really decides how many cameras and at what quality.
• Audio with PCM, G.711a, G.711u and G.726.
• Two USB 2.0 ports for the mouse and for copying a clip to a stick when you have to hand it over.
• Under 10 W without disks: it can stay on all year without showing up on the bill.
• 260 × 232 mm chassis, 47.6 mm high, 810 g — it fits in a comms cabinet.

It runs on 12 V DC from an external supply. The hard disk is not included: it is chosen from how many days of footage you want to keep, and we work that calculation out with you before anything is bought.

Who it’s for and who it’s not for. This is the recorder for a home or a small business with few cameras: the smallest in the family, with 80 Mbps access and recording. It is not suitable for an installation that will grow to eight or sixteen cameras, nor is it a turnkey product, as the hard drive is sold separately.

What else is needed besides the box. The hard drive is not included: it is chosen based on how many days of recording you want to keep, and that calculation is made before purchasing anything. It is powered by 12V DC 1.5A with an external power supply and consumes ≤10W excluding hard drives.

How we install it on the Costa del Sol. Small indoor unit: 260 × 47.6 × 232.7 mm and 810 g, with two USB 2.0 ports for mouse and backups. It is ventilated, has a plug, and is discreet. On the Costa del Sol, we install it, register each camera, adjust quality and retention days, and ensure remote access is tested from outside the house.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many images can be viewed at once on the screen?
Its screen division is 1 or 4, meaning one camera in full screen or four in a mosaic. For a home with covered access points, this works well.

Does it limit the resolution of the cameras that can be connected?
Not much: it accepts cameras up to 12MP and records in 8MP, 5MP, 4MP, 3MP, 1080P, 720P, and D1. It does not tie you to the camera you connect today or the one you will connect in two years.

What does Smart H.265+ bring to daily use?
It takes up less space for the same recording. It compresses with Smart H.265+, H.265, Smart H.264+, H.264, and MJPEG, and that first option allows the same hard drive to store significantly more days than with H.264.