Subscriber Discussion

Comparing VMS And NVR - Which Solution To Use?

SK
Srikanth Kamath
Mar 09, 2017

With increased NVRs offering featured packed by several OEMs, it is a challenge to decide when to use a NVR or Go for VMS + Servers.

The server Requirements (specification) of VMS even for 16 Ch @ 1080p is quite heavy, but most NVR claim to handle 16ch @ 1080p @ 100Mbps.

I would like to know from the community, what is your experience and when / where do you design with NVR or with VMS + Server.

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Mar 09, 2017

Customer budget and manufacturer you rrepresent will determine things. I personally prefer NVR's until I hit 32 cams. The only exception being an existing enterprise add-on site where they are virtualizing the software on their IT managed server. I think the trend is for NVR's to keep moving upstream. Especially since the integrated access control manufacturers are now supporting embedded NVR integration. I would rather not have the server cost on my quote and miss getting a job than sell the full windows software where a majority of small/medium businesses lack trained IT staff with enough time to manage an extra server versus a box that just runs.

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Avatar
Mike Dotson
Mar 09, 2017
Formerly of Seneca • IPVMU Certified

There are a couple of key elements to consider.

One is the video data itself.   What will happen when a hard drive fails...because they will, you just do not know when?

The storage subsystem is different between the basic NVRs and the servers.  The NVRs will mostly be 'JBOD' storage and thus when a disk fails..all the data is lost from that drive.

As you look at servers, they will start offering RAID support, which will keep the data better protected with different degrees as you go from RAID1, 10 up to RAID 5 or 6.

Another consideration is the VMS itself.    The NVR with embedded VMS may not have all the features that you want and/or need, which will push you up to a VMS with those features and the system type that is needed to run that VMS.   Camera support is also an important one here.  The ONVIF spec helps in this regard.

The ability to 'upgrade' the hardware can be a consideration as the customer adds more devices and the system demands more compute and memory resources.  This is easier to do on a server.

 

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Mar 09, 2017

Most NVR's nowdays support RAID and have multiple SATA slots to increase/add storage. I think your comments on the feature set is more along the lines I would advise people on. The other separator is as people mentioned below the ability to integrate the system into an enterprise windows enviroment/server enviroment. Embedded NVR's lack that along with the ability to integrate into other software suites. However I will say for about 80% of the CCTV market out there the NVR is probably the best fit. In the larger medium sized  business segment on up embedded NVR's are the wrong fit about 80% of the time.

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sS
sundar Subramanian
Mar 09, 2017
  • Keeping the cost aside, if the requirement is more of safety and security then customer goes for NVRs.  where as, if the requirement is detecting LPR on 16 cameras simultaneously then VMS with IVA is the best solution because the application needs huge processing power. 
  • The customer looking for plug and play prefers NVR over VMS
  • The customer handling mission critical application which needs fail over option will always prefers VMS over NVR
  • VMSes are generally designed to cater multi location deployment where as NVRs deployment is mostly on the single site

In nutshell, the selection of NVR or VMS is purely depends on the customer's application and preferences

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MM
Michael Miller
Mar 09, 2017

I have yer to find an NVR that is as intuitive and easy to use as VMS solution so for us it's 95% VMS. 

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JH
John Honovich
Apr 07, 2017
IPVM

We did a survey on this question to get stats, trends and commentary, see: VMS vs NVR Usage Statistics.

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sS
sundar Subramanian
Apr 08, 2017

Thanks IPVM..its really surprising factor that Integrators prefers more VMSes than Embedded NVRs

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