HD SDI DVR price drop. Will it continue?

HD SDI DVR’s are they getting cheaper?

HD SDI DVR’s are dropping in price as more and more options start to flood into the UK. Following the success of HD SDI CCTV in general at IFSEC this year  it seems installers have been selling the concept with a great deal of enthusiasm. It also seems that HDcctv compliant recorders are the preferred way forward. It is widely accepted that those badged as compliant are viewed as more reliable and more trustworthy. This of course does not mean that those HD SDI DVR’s that are non-compliant are not still a good option as long as the supplier is able to provide cameras with the product and guarantee they will work seamlessly together.

Everfocus HD SDI DVR was the market leader.

It remains to be seen who will come out on top as market leader but Everfocus certainly had a big head start. Analogue sales are still in the majority here in the UK but the signs are that the trend towards HD will continue to drive CCTV sales across the globe but particularly here in the UK where we have a huge legacy of coax infrastructure. Many end users are reluctant to replace all their cameras. As a result many have expressed an interest in targeting areas for HD SDI cameras rather than upgrade their entire system . With this in mind the Hybrid HD SDI DVR has been a popular choice for many. Combining HD SDI inputs with analogue inputs it allows this targeted response to HD and in times of austerity like we are currently experiencing it makes a lot of sense for many businesses.

HD SDI DVR verses Analogue CCTV

Just how good though is HD SDI compared to analogue? Well at 1.5 to 2 megapixels being the general standard HD SDI camera output the definition is at least double what was achievable previously. To the human eye though an HD upgrade looks remarkably impressive and this is matched when reviewing recorded images. The ability to zoom in on an incident without the image becoming blocky and blurred is the major benefit of HD SDI CCTV. Add to this the fact that there is no latency between the delivery of the images and many are questioning whether this technology is better than HD IP. The arguments are many on that subject but for a simple installation, using your existing infrastructure, HD SDI CCTV is the ideal way forward.

Will the prices drop further?

Further price drops are inevitable. The aim of Everfocus and other big names who now manufacture HD SDI CCTV equipment have always aimed to compete price wise with the top of the range analogue kit. This seems achievable now as new chip technology helps reduce the prices even lower and even faster. It is possible we could see some parallel pricing with analogue within two years. In the meantime its important to realize price is not everything . Quality must always come first and this is improving by the day as HD SDI technology just gets better and better.

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