24/7 Continuous Recording vs. Clip Recording: Which Is Right for Your Memphis Business?

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By Tyler Perez
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January 23, 2025
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Business owner monitoring multiple security camera feeds on a computer screen, showcasing 24/7 surveillance in a commercial environment.

Protecting Your Business: Making the Right Security Choice

Are you struggling to decide between 24/7 continuous recording and clip recording for your business?
Choosing the wrong system could leave gaps in your security, potentially putting your employees, customers, and assets at risk.

Do you need constant surveillance, or is event-based recording enough?
The decision depends on your unique needs, such as your business type, location, and budget.

Choosing the wrong security system can leave your business vulnerable to missed events or excessive costs. This article breaks down the differences, pros, and cons of 24/7 continuous recording and clip recording systems to help you make the right decision for your Memphis business.

Let’s dive in and explore your options.

What’s the Difference Between 24/7 Continuous Recording and Clip Recording?

To make an informed decision, it’s important to understand the core differences between these two recording methods:

  • 24/7 Continuous Recording: The camera records everything, all the time. Every moment is captured and stored, providing a comprehensive view of your property.

Example: A jewelry store in Germantown uses 24/7 continuous recording to monitor customer activity throughout the day and night, ensuring nothing is missed—even during non-business hours.

  • Clip Recording: Cameras only record when triggered by motion, sound, or other pre-defined events. This results in shorter, specific clips of activity.

Example: A dental office in East Memphis uses clip recording to monitor the front entrance, capturing footage only when someone enters or exits, saving on storage while focusing on key moments.

For Memphis businesses, choosing between these systems depends on factors like your security needs, location, and budget. Let’s dive into their pros, cons, and use cases to help you decide.

Business owner reviewing real-time security notifications for multiple office locations, including Boston and New York, using an advanced access control system.

What Is 24/7 Continuous Recording?

24/7 continuous recording is exactly what it sounds like—your security cameras record every moment, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

How It Works:

  • Cameras are paired with onsite storage hardware, such as DVRs, NVRs, or SVRs.
  • The system saves all footage locally, creating a comprehensive record of everything that happens on your property.

Pros of 24/7 Continuous Recording:

  • Comprehensive Coverage: Every second of activity is recorded, so no moments are missed.
  • Detailed Evidence: Provides a complete timeline of events for investigating theft, vandalism, or employee disputes.
  • No Dependency on Motion or Events: Records even when no activity is detected, ensuring full coverage in high-risk or high-traffic areas.
  • Remote Access: Easily view live feeds or review footage remotely via smartphone or computer.

Cons of 24/7 Continuous Recording:

  • Higher Upfront Costs: Requires investment in robust hardware (DVR, NVR, or SVR).
  • Storage Requirements: Constant recording consumes significant storage, requiring larger or expandable storage solutions.
  • Risk of Data Loss: Footage stored onsite is vulnerable to damage from fires, break-ins, or hardware failure.

Best For:

  • High-risk businesses like banks, casinos, or jewelry stores with valuable inventory.
  • Businesses requiring full coverage to monitor operations, customer traffic, or compliance.
Couple receiving a motion-triggered alert on their smartphone, detecting a person and vehicle at the back entrance using an advanced security camera system.

What Is Clip Recording?

Clip recording captures short video segments instead of recording continuously. This type of recording includes motion-activated clips and event-triggered clips, making it a flexible and efficient solution for many businesses.

Motion-Activated Clips

Motion-activated recording triggers when the camera detects movement within its field of view.

How It Works:

  • Cameras record a short video clip, typically 10-60 seconds, depending on the device and settings.
  • The system often includes pre-recording, capturing a few seconds before, during, and after motion to provide context.

Best For:

  • Monitoring entrances, parking lots, or lower-traffic areas of your business.
  • Reducing storage needs by only recording relevant activity.
Event-Triggered Clips

Event-triggered clips record video based on specific system events. These clips are tied to rules set by your security system and triggered by actions like alarm activations, sensor activity, or access control events.

Examples of Triggers:

  • Alarms: Automatically record during a burglary alarm.
  • Sensors: Record when a sensor (e.g., door/window) is opened or closed.
  • System Changes: Capture activity when the system is armed or disarmed.
  • Lock Activity: Trigger clips when smart locks are used.
  • Access Control: Record when access-controlled doors are used.

Key Feature: During an alarm, event-triggered clips can be uploaded back-to-back for up to 15 minutes, ensuring comprehensive coverage even if motion isn’t detected.

Best For:

  • Businesses with integrated security systems where alarms or sensors can enhance camera coverage.
  • Situations where activity may not involve visible motion in the camera’s field of view (e.g., entry delays or lock usage).

Pros of Clip Recording (Motion-Activated + Event-Triggered):

  • Efficient Storage: Saves space by recording only important activity.
  • Flexible Coverage: Motion and event triggers ensure all critical moments are captured.
  • Remote Access: Easily review and manage clips remotely via smartphone or computer.

Cons of Clip Recording:

  • Missed Moments: May not capture footage if motion or system events don’t occur.
  • Internet Dependency: Requires a stable connection for uploading and accessing footage.

Key Differences Between Continuous and Clip Recording

Feature24/7 Continuous RecordingClip Recording
Recording StyleAlways recordingTriggered by motion or events
Storage LocationOnsite (DVR, NVR, or SVR)Cloud-based
Ideal ForHigh-risk or high-traffic areasModerate-risk or lower-traffic areas
Review ProcessComprehensive but time-intensiveQuick and event-focused

Which System Is Right for Your Memphis Business?

When choosing between continuous recording and clip recording, it’s essential to consider your business’s unique needs:

  1. Business Type and Location:
    • High-risk businesses, like jewelry stores or banks, benefit from 24/7 recording.
    • Offices or lower-traffic areas often find clip recording sufficient.
  2. Security Risks:
    • Businesses in high-crime areas or with valuable assets require full coverage with continuous recording.
    • Businesses with integrated alarm systems can rely on clip recording for event-triggered coverage.
  3. Budget:
    • Continuous recording has higher upfront hardware costs but provides unmatched coverage.
    • Clip recording offers cost-effective security with minimal hardware requirements.
Mounted security camera for continuous monitoring of a business property.

Maximizing Your Security System’s Effectiveness

No matter which system you choose, these tips can enhance your setup:

  • Strategically Place Cameras: Position cameras to cover critical areas like entrances, exits, parking lots, and high-value storage.
  • Regularly Review and Organize Footage: Take time to review stored clips or continuous recordings, and delete unnecessary footage to keep your storage organized and accessible.
  • Use High-Resolution Cameras: Invest in cameras with high resolution to ensure clear, actionable footage, even in low-light conditions.
  • Schedule Routine Maintenance Checks: Regularly inspect your cameras, storage devices, and software to ensure everything runs smoothly and stays updated.

Why Memphis Businesses Trust Frase Protection

With over 50 years of experience serving Memphis businesses, we’ve worked with companies of all sizes to address unique security challenges. From high-traffic retail stores in Downtown to offices in Germantown, we understand the diverse needs of local businesses.

Our deep understanding of security systems, paired with decades of hands-on experience, allows us to design solutions that fit your business. Whether you’re considering 24/7 continuous recording, motion-activated clip recording, or a hybrid approach, we’ve seen firsthand how the right setup can provide peace of mind and enhance operations.

We believe in empowering Memphis businesses to make informed decisions about their security. That’s why we share our knowledge and expertise—so you can choose the system that works best for your property, employees, and customers.

Conclusion

Choosing the right security system is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your business, employees, and assets. Whether you need the comprehensive coverage of 24/7 continuous recording or the efficiency of motion-activated clip recording, understanding your options gives you the power to create a system tailored to your unique needs.

By weighing the pros and cons of each approach and considering factors like risk level, location, and budget, you’re taking a proactive step toward safeguarding your property. Every business is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution—but with the right knowledge, you can make a decision that aligns with your goals and priorities.

Remember, security isn’t just about technology—it’s about peace of mind and confidence in your ability to protect what matters most. Armed with the insights from this guide, you’re well on your way to creating a safer environment for your employees, customers, and community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an SVR continue to record without an internet connection?

Yes. As long as the local IP addresses of the Stream Video Recorder (SVR) and any connected cameras do not change, the SVR continues to record video and retains all of its local functionality during an internet outage. 

Important: If the local network is disrupted while there is no internet connection, the SVR’s ability to record may be affected.

Can video be deleted from an SVR?

Video that is saved to the Stream Video Recorder (SVR) cannot be manually deleted for specific time frames. This is to ensure that important data is not removed from the SVR. 

Situations where footage is automatically deleted

  • When the SVR’s hard drive storage is full. Video is automatically overwritten a full day at a time to make room for newly recorded video.
  • When the SVR recording schedule for a camera is deleted using the Customer Website. All previous video recordings from that camera are deleted from the SVR.
Can I delete saved video clips?

Yes. Saved video clips can be deleted to make room in the online storage for new clips to be recorded. When the online storage is full, the oldest saved video clips will be deleted as new ones are recorded.

Can deleted video clips be recovered?

No. Deleted video clips are not stored, so they cannot be recovered. Proceed with caution when deleting saved video clips.


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