If you live in an area with some crime, and want fast incident review, I would recommend a used Dell Optiplex or HP Elitedesk in SFF, with a copy of
Blue Iris.
If you don't get much questionable bullshit happening, you might get away with a NVR like a HIK.
I have a bad taste in my mouth for HIK, I bought their OEM Costco /Night Owl system, and when i joined IPCamTalk, I found out it wasn't going to be able to import the video streams to B.I.
People were importing the DVR/NVR Feeds in Blue iris, and had the best of both worlds. AND, the motherfuckers do not Zoom into the area you want to focus your lens on. It's just a big wide angle colorful shot that gives a general overview.
I have crime at my Condo Job. 5 Catalytic converter incidents, 2 stolen vehicles dropped in lot, ( after they were used in another crime), Mailbox break ins, ( identity theft/check cashing scammers.) People trying to force entry into back doors,
People checking car doors at nite, People smokin Bob Marleys in the rear lot.
And then there are the fucking residents! Who live inside. Thats a whole nuther story...ffs. We have some mentally ill people who do dumb shit and get dumb prizes because I have them on Video.
I'm 26 cams deep into that place.
I can find "incidents" very fast in BI and get on with my work day.
The DVR's and Nvrs,,, well pack a lunch if you have 12 cameras and you need to review and follow the Perps across the property AND make a folder you can give to the PoPo.
Cameras with optical zoom can catch plates if you want that. I need that.
The cops in my Condo Jurisdiction won't even come out to take a report on Converters, unless
A. The victim calls it in,
B. You have a plate #,
C you have a Color, make, or model or reasonably close)
D. Video of the crime, or other incriminating video.
Yesterday the responding officer emailed me a link, to upload my BI criminal activity photo's and movies to. It's a County run Website, and the data becomes available to everyone on the force right now.
It would not be very fast to crop video and screen cap .jpg's to upload to police site, with a " Off the Net" dvr.
So its going home in a USB thumbdrive, and further delays LEO's from getting evidence.
To me the Nvr is the Blue Pill, and Blue Iris is the Red Pill.