Security cameras are only as useful as the footage you can get back afterwards. An NVR (network video recorder) stores it on hard drives in your home; cloud recording uploads it to the camera company's servers. Each has strengths that matter at different moments.
Ring 0421 772 661 to plan a recording setup. We're licensed for CCTV installation in NSW (Security Licence S00014414).
With an NVR, cameras send video over the local network to a recorder with one or more hard drives. It can record continuously from several cameras, keeps working when the internet is down, and generally involves no ongoing subscription for storage. You can still view cameras remotely through the manufacturer's app when the internet is up.
The downsides: the recorder is a physical box someone could find and take, hard drives eventually wear out, and storage is finite, so older footage is overwritten after a period that depends on drive size, camera count and resolution. If you need footage, you have to retrieve it before it's overwritten.
Multi-camera homes, continuous recording, slower internet connections, and owners who want no monthly storage fees.
Put the recorder somewhere discreet and ventilated, such as a cupboard or ceiling-mounted rack, near the router.
A recorder showing a disk error has often stopped recording. Don't ignore it.
Cloud recording sends clips or continuous video to the provider's servers. The big advantage is that footage survives even if a camera or the whole system at home is stolen or damaged. It's also convenient: clips are easy to find and share from an app.
The trade-offs are an ongoing subscription for most services, reliance on a good internet upload speed, and limits on how much is stored and for how long. Many cloud systems record only motion events rather than continuous video. You're also trusting a third party with footage from around your home, so read the provider's privacy terms.
One to a few cameras, renters, holiday homes, and people who value an off-site copy over continuous recording.
Several high-resolution cameras can strain an NBN upload, slowing everything else on the connection.
Some systems record locally and push important clips to the cloud, or record onto a memory card in each camera as a backup if the network drops. That gives you continuous local footage plus an off-site copy of key events. Which combinations are available depends on the brand and model, so check before buying.
If your recorder ever stops saving footage, see Hikvision NVR not recording for common causes and safe checks.
Either way, recording fails if the equipment loses power or network. We put the NVR, router and any PoE switch on a sensible, protected supply, run cabling neatly, and check every camera records and plays back before we leave. Our surge protection page explains why that helps in storm-prone areas, and our data cabling service covers the network side.
Not to record. It needs internet only for remote viewing and app notifications.
It depends on drive size, number of cameras, resolution and recording mode. Older footage is overwritten automatically.
It protects footage from theft at home, but relies on the provider's security. Use strong passwords and two-factor login.
Some brands support it. Check your recorder's features or ask us about your model.
Yes. NSW Security Licence S00014414 and Electrical Contractor Licence 332956C.
NSW Electrical Contractor Licence 332956C · Fully insured · Since 2016 · Based in Hurlstone Park
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