What is the purpose of a DVR in a CCTV system?

In a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system, a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) plays a crucial role by serving primarily to record and store video footage. This capability allows for the continuous monitoring and documentation of surveillance areas, enabling users to review past events if necessary.

The DVR captures video streams from connected cameras and compresses them to save storage space while maintaining significant video quality. The recordings are then stored on hard drives, allowing for both real-time monitoring and easy retrieval of footage for later analysis, security audits, or incident investigations.

This function is vital for security operations, as it ensures that footage is not only available for immediate viewing but is also preserved for future reference, which is essential in law enforcement and security response situations. Moreover, it enables operators to set recording schedules, manage storage capacities, and use features such as motion detection to optimize the use of storage resources.