A DVR spy camera is a small, usually easily concealed, video camera that has an internal memory for storage of video, often called a digital video recorder (DVR). While other cameras often have to connect to an external source to save recorded video or images, the DVR built into the camera allows it to save recorded images on itself. These cameras can then be connected to a computer or similar device, often through a universal serial bus (USB) connector or cable connector, to access the images on the camera. A DVR spy camera can be used for a number of reasons and can be found in many different forms.
What typically sets a DVR spy camera apart from other cameras, even other spy cameras, is the DVR built into the camera. This allows this type of camera to record video, or pictures, onto itself without having to save or transmit data to an external device. Many spy cameras or surveillance cameras will be connected to an external receiver or recorder for storage of images captured by the camera. By using a DVR spy camera, however, the entire process is simplified and someone does not need to worry about other devices for recording.
Playback is not typically possible on a DVR spy camera, however, as such devices are usually made quite small and do not have displays or playback capabilities. These devices can instead connect to a computer or similar device through a USB connector or a cable, allowing saved images to be uploaded to the computer for viewing. The images or videos captured by such cameras can be stored in different sizes and file types and then saved onto the computer. While this means that someone using a DVR spy camera often cannot view what is being recorded until after it is recorded, this allows such cameras to be much smaller than many other cameras.
The smaller size of a DVR spy camera is advantageous for several reasons. While it allows these cameras to be more easily concealed, often making them difficult to detect in a cluttered room or in the hand of a person, it also means such cameras can be part of other devices. A DVR spy camera can potentially be built into any sort of object, from garments of clothing, jewelry, and eyeglasses, to pens, key chains, and alarm clocks. Use of this type of spy camera can be potentially illegal, however, and someone using such a camera should be careful not to violate someone else’s privacy.