Which NVR with alarm input, and is it worth it?

[LocoRob]

Looking to get an NVR with the option of having an alarm input. Have a new home I'm renovating and thinking about getting something I can expand upon in the future. I'm going to start out with a camera system, but would like the option to expand to door/window sensors.

Having difficulty researching online anything with an 8 port and alarm inputs, though, I may be completely confused on the inputs I'm looking at in the pictures as I'm a complete utter noob on this! I've seen the backs of some NVR's with alarm input and outputs, but also seen some units with green pin blocks (not sure what called) which looks like you can stick various wires into.

Window/door sensors would be wireless, so not sure if that can be integrated into an NVR or should be kepts as a separate system?

Is it worth getting an NVR with alarm input? Not sure how it works exactly, but my idea is having the door/window sensors set an alarm, I can have the nearest camera simultaneously send a recording text/email with screen capture or short video of the area that was triggered.

 

[Michelin Man]

If you're talking about Hikvision NVRs the ones with alarm output have "/A" at the end of the model number.

I believe generally the Alarm I/Os on NVRs is supposed to be an extension of an existing alarm. IE With the Alarm output on the NVR, could be set to trigger the alarm if motion was detected where there should be no motion. The other way is say the alarm was set off the alarm would trigger the input on the NVR, to either tell it to start recording, take a screenshot, send an alert to your phone/email etc.

Not sure how many alarm I/Os there are depends on different models, could be set for different zones. However for a residential setting might not need more than 1 or 2.

 

[Fruit]

Upside:

-eliminate false motion such as bugs, trees, leaves. in a school I know a guy have connected this to a door contact with a camera pointed at it so it send an email of each person opening that door and excludes everyone that is just walking around the door.

-save on hard drive space
-speed up on retriving important playback
-you can also have the nvr send email or audible warning when alarm is trigger, if you want a text, use your phone number@carrier's.com to send you a text.

Downside:

-if you are a noob you might end up spending way too much time setting this up as they are all basic wired inputs that should connect to Normally Closed or Normally Opened.
-if you get IP cameras the intrusion detection is pretty good now for email alerts, i don't even get emails when it rains or snow now or small bugs. headlights and small animals i'll still get it.
-i think only 1.5 U case machines will come with the alarm panels, and those are priced at a higher level

 

[Michelin Man]

If you are having trouble finding the NVRs, I don't believe they are popular enough for sellers to list them.

So if you do want them find a trustworthy seller than has the normal models and as if they have the /A or alarm output/input models.

You may have also seen individual cams with Alarm outputs. Keep in mind the output on the camera is not a simple N.O. contact. You need additional circuitry to do something with the signal. Unless your alarm can take this kind of signal.