Enabling 24/7 Continuous Recording on Your Comelit Security System
Many users install a Comelit security system expecting it to record video continuously, only to find that it only saves clips when motion is detected. This can be a significant issue if you need a complete, uninterrupted video history for security purposes. The good news is that most Comelit systems are capable of 24/7 recording, but it requires the right hardware and correct configuration.
This professional guide, written in British English, explains the typical requirements and shows you how to enable continuous recording on your Comelit NVR or DVR.
## The Role of the NVR (Network Video Recorder)
The most common misunderstanding is about where the video is stored. Your Comelit IP cameras themselves do not have enough built-in memory to store days or weeks of continuous, high-quality video. Their main job is to capture and stream the video data.
To record 24/7, you need a central storage device. For Comelit systems, this is typically a Comelit Network Video Recorder (NVR). An NVR contains one or more high-capacity hard drives specifically designed for the constant writing of video data. The cameras send their video streams to the NVR, and the NVR is responsible for saving it to the disk.
If you do not have an NVR or a similar recording server, you will not be able to achieve 24/7 recording.
## How to Configure Continuous Recording
If you have an NVR but are still only getting motion-activated clips, the device is likely configured for "Event Recording" by default to save storage space. You need to change this setting.
The exact steps can vary slightly between models, but the general process is as follows:
### 1. Access Your NVR's Interface
You will need to log in to your NVR's configuration menu. This is usually done by:
- Connecting a monitor and mouse directly to the NVR.
- Accessing its IP address in a web browser from a computer on the same network.
You will need the administrator username and password for the NVR.
### 2. Navigate to the Recording Schedule
Look for a menu option named "Schedule," "Recording," or "Storage." This is where you tell the NVR how and when to record video from your cameras.
### 3. Change the Recording Mode
Inside the schedule menu, you will typically see a timetable grid for each camera, with different colours representing different recording modes.
- Look for modes like "Normal," "Continuous," or "General" (this means record all the time).
- You will also see modes like "Motion," "Event," or "Alarm" (this means record only when something happens).
Your schedule is likely set entirely to "Motion." You need to change it to "Normal" or "Continuous." Most interfaces allow you to select the continuous mode and then drag the mouse across the entire weekly grid to apply the setting to all hours of every day.
You must do this for each camera you want to record continuously.
### 4. Save and Apply
Once you have configured the schedule for all desired cameras, make sure to save and apply the changes. The NVR should immediately begin recording everything from those cameras. You can verify this by checking the playback timeline; it should now be a solid bar of colour, with no gaps.
## Important Considerations
- Storage Capacity: 24/7 recording consumes a large amount of hard drive space. Check your NVR's storage status to see how many days of footage you can expect to keep before the system starts overwriting the oldest files. If you need a longer history, you may need to install a larger hard drive.
- Video Quality: Higher resolution and frame rates will use more storage. If you find you are not getting enough recording history, you may need to slightly lower the video quality settings as a compromise.
By ensuring you have the necessary NVR and correctly configuring its recording schedule, you can easily switch your Comelit system to provide the complete, 24/7 video surveillance you require.