Product engineer, Masahiro Araoka

As more companies move from analog to network-based surveillance, people have praised the JVC VR-N900/1600 Network Video Recorder series for ease of setup and solid performance. Here, we speak with an engineer who helped develop the recording system at the heart of these surveillance solutions.

- Mention network-based surveillance, and people imagine reviewing footage from video cameras on a computer. Is the VR-N900/1600 series any different?

Communication between cameras and the VR-N900/1600 is the same as with typical computers. What sets this system apart is that all you need for network-based surveillance is built in. When you put together a network-based surveillance system, this is what you generally need, besides cameras:
- A computer as the server
- Surveillance software
- One license per camera
- A hard disk for recording
After this equipment is ready, you have to install the software, establish communication with the cameras, and configure the network path for video recording. That's a lot of time and expense. We saw the need for a solution that minimizes the labor and investment in setup, giving users everything required in one box, as ready as possible for use. It's truly an all-in-one solution.
There's no software installation or licenses to deal with, and cameras are detected automatically.
Without a doubt, setup takes much less time. Once the VR-N900/1600 and your cameras are linked over the network, the VR-N900/1600 detects the cameras and adds them to the system. All users do is choose the surveillance position in a split window-upper right corner, center, and so on-and the surveillance screen is ready. Naturally, the unit is preconfigured to record video from the cameras on the built-in hard disk.

    VR-N900U        Sample movie

- It certainly seems more convenient with a fully integrated, standalone unit. What advantages are there besides easier setup?

What users actually see and interact with when using the surveillance system comes down to the split screen on their monitor and the recorded video. And because this is handled by the surveillance software, VR-N900/1600 units come preinstalled with outstanding XProtect Enterprise surveillance software from Milestone. This software takes care of settings and surveillance screens as well as other elements of the user interface, which makes the surveillance system easy to control. JVC has thoroughly tested the entire system, including the software.
Users can rest assured when contacting us for any maintenance inquiries.
With other systems, users seeking support may be frustrated because they don't know whether an issue involves their cameras, hard disk, or software, and users have a hard time understanding the system.
That's where the advantage of all-in-one JVC solutions is clear-for inquiries about anything in the system, we can help.

- VR-N900/1600 units support 9 or 16 camera channels. How can users connect additional cameras?

Multiple VR-N900/1600 units can be linked. Even when multiple units are combined, Milestone XProtect Enterprise server is all users need for integrated control of all VR-N900/1600 units, as if they were a single unit. Each VR-N900/1600 unit can manage 9 or 16 cameras at most. Linking them in a large-scale system distributes the processing load to ensure solid performance of the system as a whole.
At first thought, connecting dozens of cameras to a single computer or recording unit might seem convenient or more impressive. But then you realize that surveillance systems don't need to be dynamic.
It's wiser to have a solid, stable system. That's because surveillance systems constantly receive video, control recording, and are sometimes used for searching on an urgent basis-operations that impose a heavy processing load. In this respect as well, we intentionally limited the number of channels controlled to ensure reliable performance of the entire system. What's more, distributed recording and storage minimizes risks to recorded data, a safeguard that people value more in recent years.

- What other unique advantages do VR-N900/1600 units offer?

The VR-N900 is a hybrid network video recorder that can also be connected to analog cameras without any special modification. Up to four channels can be connected directly to the analog interfaces. Signals are encoded in the VR-N900, of course, and can be recorded just like video from cameras over a network. That's because the VR-N900 also has a built-in encoder.
It's reassuring to users moving from an analog system to a network system that they have an option to incorporate analog cameras for the time being, and this is easy to do. Another advantage is clear when you look at the unit, which has a generous array of buttons like a DVR. These buttons and jog dials provide instant access to all the controls users need-channel selection, playback control, and so on.
Users familiar with DVRs should find it very convenient. Of course, you can also connect a mouse for direct on-screen operations as in computer environments, so you can choose your preferred style of operation.

- The transition to network-based security will be easier for owners who rely on the analog aspects of the system. But does this mean VR-N900/1600 units aren't the right choice for those who want a serious networked security system?

Not at all. In fact, another significant advantage of the VR-N900/1600 series is exceptional expandability.
It was designed as an open, Windows-based platform. This is particularly useful in applications where other security systems must be integrated. The potential is there for users to build interfaces not only for other Milestone applications but also a variety of Windows-based access control and alarm systems.

Users will enjoy the easy setup of this all-in-one solution, or they'll appreciate the convenience of its built-in expandability. Either way, we're confident that for all levels of application complexity and user ability, the advantages of the VR-N900/1600 will be clear.