What DVR?

   But in an industry known for (sometimes fierce) price competition, installers are understandably looking at new low cost products entering the market from the Far East.

Many of these products appear to offer much the same in terms of functionality. So, apart from price, what should installers consider when purchasing a DVR and what issues should their customers be concerned about?

Manufacturers we spoke to agree that customer service levels and technical support were superior from the established suppliers and their distribution channels.

James Walker, Managing Director of Dallmeier Electronic, believes the Dallmeier products are in an advantageous position relative to the many new digital recorders flooding the market: "We can always brag about our high service levels and our commitment towards the customer, our 72-month guarantee on spares and software availability plus our emphasis on service. But there are other core advantages too."

The company has developed DVRs since 1992 and that early development provided the backbone to support all future development and helped towards product stability throughout the products currently provided. Certification and approval had been key to the success of the Dallmeier product, he said. The company's approach of ensuring approval in each country where the product has been used had gone a long way towards ensuring customer confidence. For example, Kalagate approval in the UK assures the customer that archived images can be used as evidence in a UK or European court of law.

"Most recently the DMS180 III was the first recorder in the world to be awarded VdS approval, from the German certification body. Since then over 30 other manufacturers from many different countries have made enquiries about obtaining approval. We see this as good thing. We do not want to be the only one. It is better for everyone, especially the customer, if the standard becomes well accepted and widely understood. Being close to the customer is also important. We must understand what he really wants our products to do for him."

Pelco's Business Development Manager, Steve Lane, emphasised the relationship between a quality product, assured support and solutions that are recognised in the market place: "Installers and end users should ask: what's the real risk and cost – in terms of technical support, availability of replacement products, police recognition – of trying an unknown product from an unknown manufacturer?

"Many of the specifications of these products are very good, but where's the infrastructure to provide the essential support that is sometimes needed?"

In the US, Pelco has 167 R&D engineers and 200,000 square feet of engineering workshops.

"Pelco's whole outlook is service based; we guarantee our products, provide ongoing forward support, training, quality documentation and direct contact with the manufacturer in the UK. The value of this is enormous. We're talking CCTV security, not domestic entertainment or computer products." The fact that some of the new DVR brands have their origins in the Far East computer market is not lost on Herve Fages, Business Development Manager for Europe and Asia Pacific at American Dynamics.

"Installers and end users must recognise the importance of selecting DVRs designed specifically for the CCTV market. What is the quality of the compression technology involved? Can the DVR be connected to a network without compromising the security of either the images or the network?

"Korean manufacturers have been known to convert computing technology for the CCTV marketplace. This cannot work because the requirements of the two sectors are very different. Installers must satisfy themselves that image quality and network security issues are comprehensively addressed."

He agrees that issues of service, training and product reliability are paramount. "Companies whose core business is the development of DVRs for the CCTV market have made and continue to make significant investments in the development of this technology. Korean manufacturers see the CCTV industry as providing a quick business opportunity – there's no certainty that these manufacturers are in it for the long term. They are first and foremost electronics manufacturers, not CCTV manufacturers. How long will they be here for? Installers and end users must be assured that there is a product development plan for these products."

Far East electronics manufacturers are also very good at catching up with the established players and matching the functionality available in the leading branded goods, says Buzz Coates, Norbain's Business Development Manager for Branded Products.

"To begin with, some of the models had no digital archiving function and there seems little point in going digital only to keep the VCR in place to copy incidents for the Police. Others had limited networking function but this is changing now and some of the new products available are very high quality with flash cards and USB ports and so on. But installers and users must be very cautious. Picture quality is often poor, speed is sometimes an issue and warranties are perhaps one year compared with Norbain's standard two years that also covers removable hard drives.

"With no local technical or customer support, users can find themselves exposed and run the risk of being left with products that cannot easily be replaced or repaired except by returning them to their country of origin."

Gordon Thomas, DVR Product Manager for Baxall, highlighted the issue of system design.

"We have seen DVRs with power switches on the front panels making them very susceptible to being turned off by accident. Products at the cheaper end of the market are not designed with the security levels required in the UK, they may not carry CE marks or meet Home Office standards. The compression algorithms are sometimes suspect and there are issues with image quality."

Buzz Coates summed up: "When buying from an established brand, customers are also buying into decades of development expertise, an intimate knowledge of the UK market, a commitment to future development and levels of near instant customer and technical support that simply can't be provided offshore." There was a "slight premium" to be paid to cover this, but installers should think of the "high price that would be paid if you chose a cheap import and things went wrong."