Recorder
Owl-NVR Server (2U)
The brains of the system.
- Intel Core i5-14500 · 32 GB DDR4
- Crucial P310 500 GB NVMe SSD (OS)
- Seagate Skyhawk 4 TB — surveillance HDD
- Intel Arc A380 LP GPU · RTX 3050 optional
Upgrade hardwareRecorder + switch.
Recorder + switch.
Keep your cameras.
Most upgrades only need the Owl-NVR appliance and a PoE switch on your existing network. The recorder discovers your cameras automatically, stores footage locally, and runs search and alerts on site — no cloud archive required.
- Recorder2U · i5 · 32 GB
- CamerasUse yours · optional add-on
- NetworkGigabit PoE+ switch
What's included
Recorder, switch — and cameras only if you need them.
Every upgrade ships with the local Owl-NVR appliance and a PoE switch sized to your camera count. Already have IP cameras? Plug them in. Need new ones? We can quote PoE bullet and dome cameras as an add-on.
Camera (optional)
5 MP PoE Dome Camera
Available if you need new cameras — not required for upgrades.
- 5 MP (2880 × 1620) sensor
- PoE — single cable for power + data
- IR night vision (~30 m range)
- IP67 weatherproof dome housing
Switch
Gigabit PoE+ Switch
Power and data over one cable.
- 24 × Gigabit RJ45 with PoE+ per port
- SFP+ uplink slots for fast trunking
- Plug-and-play — no config needed
- Quiet, 1U rack-mount form factor
Recorder build tiers
Two builds. Pick the headroom you need.
Both ship in the same 2U chassis with the same Owl-NVR software. Pro adds CPU and GPU headroom, more RAM, more storage, and a longer warranty — for camera counts that grow with the property.
Standard
Right-sized for a home, small office, or single storefront.
- CPU
- Intel Core i5-14500 (14C / 20T)
- Mainboard
- ASUS B760M-AYW WiFi D4 II
- GPU / AI accelerator
- Intel Arc A380 LP (6 GB)
- Memory
- 32 GB DDR4-3200
- System drive
- Crucial P310 500 GB NVMe
- Video storage
- Seagate Skyhawk 4 TB
- Drive bays
- 4 × 3.5” hot-swap
- Network (recorder)
- Gigabit + 2.5 GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6
- PSU
- Quiet 500 W 80+ Bronze
- Typical camera count
- Up to 8 cameras @ 5 MP
- Local LLM headroom
- 8B class (Ollama)
- Warranty
- 12 months parts & labor
Recommended
Pro
Headroom for a property, facility, or multi-camera deployment.
- CPU
- Intel Core i7-14700 (20C / 28T)
- Mainboard
- ASUS PRO B760M-CT-CSM
- GPU / AI accelerator
- NVIDIA RTX 3050 (8 GB) — GA107
- Memory
- 64 GB DDR4-3200 ECC-capable
- System drive
- Crucial T500 1 TB NVMe
- Video storage
- Seagate Skyhawk AI 8 TB
- Drive bays
- 4 × 3.5” hot-swap + 2 × M.2
- Network (recorder)
- Dual 2.5 GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E
- PSU
- Quiet 650 W 80+ Gold (redundant on request)
- Typical camera count
- Up to 16 cameras @ 5 MP
- Local LLM headroom
- 13B class (Ollama)
- Warranty
- 24 months parts & labor
Recorder spec sheet
The 2U Owl-NVR Server, in detail.
A tightly tuned x86 build: fast CPU, low-power GPU for AI inference, a fast NVMe for the OS, and a surveillance-grade hard drive for footage.
ComputeIntel Core i5-14500 (14C / 20T, up to 5.0 GHz)
MainboardASUS B760M-AYW WiFi D4 II
GPU / AI acceleratorIntel Arc A380 (low-profile)RTX 3050 upgrade available
Memory32 GB DDR4 (expandable)
System driveCrucial P310 500 GB NVMe SSD
Video storageSeagate Skyhawk 4 TBPurpose-built for 24×7 surveillance
Expansion4 hot-swap bays + extra M.2 NVMe slot
NetworkGigabit / 2.5 GbE LAN, Wi-Fi
Form factor2U rack-mount with sliding rails
PowerQuiet ATX PSU, ~60–90 W idle
Configurations may vary by region. Need more drives, dual-GPU, redundant PSU, or extended warranty? Ask for a custom build.
Storage planning
How many days of footage do you actually get?
Approximate retention in days, assuming 24×7 continuous H.265 recording at 4 Mbps per camera (the safe planning number for a 5 MP IP camera). Real deployments using motion-triggered recording typically see 2–3× longer retention.
Total video storage | 4 cameras | 8 cameras | 16 cameras | 32 cameras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 TB · Starter | 24days | 12days | 6days | 3days |
| 8 TB · Pro | 47days | 24days | 12days | 6days |
| 16 TB · 2× 8 TB | 95days | 47days | 24days | 12days |
| 32 TB · 4× 8 TB (Enterprise) | 190days | 95days | 47days | 24days |
Green ≥ 60 days · white 30–59 · amber 14–29 · red < 14. Bump up a drive tier — or enable motion-triggered recording — to land in the green.
Numbers are conservative. They assume 5 MP H.265 at 4 Mbps recording 24×7. Drop to 1080p, switch to motion-only, or lower bitrate and retention roughly doubles or triples.
Cameras & networking
The pieces that touch the real world.
5 MP PoE Dome Camera
- Sensor
- 5 MP (2880 × 1620)
- Lens
- Fixed 2.8 / 3.6 mm options
- Night vision
- IR LEDs, ~30 m range
- Connectivity
- PoE (single cable for power + data)
- Protocols
- ONVIF / RTSP / H.264 / H.265
- Housing
- IP67 weatherproof aluminum
IP67PoEIR night visionBullet variant available
Gigabit PoE+ Switch
- Ports
- Gigabit RJ45 with PoE+ per port
- Uplinks
- 10 G SFP+ uplink ports
- PoE budget
- Sized to power every camera in the kit
- Mounting
- Rack-mount, fanless or low-noise
PoE+SFP+ uplink Plug & play
What's in the box
Ready to rack in under an hour.
Owl-NVR 2U appliance
Pre-installed, pre-configured, ready to power on. OS on NVMe, video on Skyhawk.
PoE switch + cabling
Gigabit PoE+ switch sized to your camera count, plus tested patch cables.
Sliding rack rails
Standard 4-post, tool-less. Desktop-stand alternative on request.
Quick-start guide
Camera discovery, zone setup, retention, and remote access.
Optional PoE cameras
5 MP bullet or dome cameras with brackets — quoted only if you need them.
12-month support
Direct line to engineering. Firmware updates included.
See it on your cameras.
Send us your camera count and we’ll confirm compatibility — or book a 20-minute walkthrough on a live system. One business day, from a human.