Buying guide · 5 min read
Choosing a
Hikvision NVR.
The recorder is the part nobody gets excited about and everybody regrets under-specifying. Here's what actually matters when choosing one.
What an NVR does
It powers your IP cameras over Ethernet (PoE), records everything locally to its hard drives, runs or supports the AI analytics, and serves live view and playback to the Hik-Connect app. It's the heart of the system.
The five numbers that matter
- Channels: how many cameras it takes. Buy at least 2 spare — you will add a camera.
- PoE ports and budget: each camera draws power; PTZs and ColorVu with white light draw more. The total wattage must cover the lot.
- Incoming bandwidth: 8MP cameras at full frame rate add up; a recorder rated 80 Mbps runs out with eight 4K cameras.
- Drive bays: one bay caps you around 8–12 TB. Two bays for 60+ days or high camera counts.
- AcuSense support: an AcuSense NVR gives you person/vehicle search across playback. Worth it.
Typical fits
| Property | NVR |
|---|---|
| Terrace / semi, 3–4 cameras | 4-channel PoE AcuSense, one drive |
| Detached, 5–8 cameras + doorbell | 8-channel PoE AcuSense, one or two drives |
| Shop / office, 8–16 cameras | 16-channel PoE AcuSense, two drives |
| Warehouse / multi-building, 16–32+ | 32-channel non-PoE NVR + managed PoE switches, RAID or multiple drives |
Mistakes we fix most often
- Recorder in the loft with no ventilation — they fail early hot.
- Consumer hard drive instead of a surveillance drive.
- A '4K NVR' that decodes one 4K channel at a time.
- Recorder on the same network as the office with no VLAN — see our commercial page.
Surveillance-grade drives, AcuSense NVRs, PoE budget with 30% headroom, and the recorder somewhere cool, locked and out of sight.
Your property decides. Not the logo.
Questions
Good to know.
NVR or DVR?
NVR for IP cameras (new systems). DVR for coax/Turbo HD (reusing old cable).
Do I need a monitor on the NVR?
No — most customers use the app. A monitor is useful for set-up and for a shop counter.
Can an NVR power cameras far away?
PoE reaches about 100 m of cable. Beyond that we use PoE extenders, fibre or wireless links.