CCTVPLANNER.IO · NVR · DAHUA
Dahua XVR1A04
4-ch Cooper penta-brid DVR — 1080N/720p analog, 1 SATA (6 TB), +1 IP @ 2 MP
SPECIFICATIONS · XVR1A04
Full specifications
Specifications sourced from official manufacturer datasheet (link in hero).
About the Dahua XVR1A04
The Dahua XVR1A04 is a mid-channel recorder positioned for the most common SMB site — typical retail chains, mid-sized offices, warehouses and clinics that sit between roughly eight and sixteen cameras. Built-in HDD capacity is intentionally lean; the unit is meant to be paired with a NAS, cloud archive, or sister recorder when retention beyond ~14 days at full bitrate is mandated. The 1U rack chassis slots into any standard 19-inch cabinet and pairs cleanly with a PoE switch and a UPS in a single half-height comms cabinet. No PoE ports are built into the recorder, so cameras connect through a separate PoE switch. That is the preferred architecture on professional installs because a dedicated managed switch gives finer VLAN control, larger PoE budgets, and easier replacement than an integrated switch tied to the NVR chassis.
Best use cases for this recorder
General CCTV recording
Records up to 5 IP camera channels at 2 MP resolution with 1-bay HDD storage.
Strengths
- •ONVIF compliance lets the unit record from third-party cameras, not just the same-brand catalog
- •Hybrid HD-CVI/AHD/TVI inputs let legacy analog cameras share the recorder with new IP cameras — useful for staged retrofits
- •Compact chassis fits in a half-height comms cabinet or office bench
Considerations
- •No built-in PoE — budget for a separate managed PoE switch with appropriate per-port wattage for the planned cameras
- •Single HDD bay means no RAID protection — schedule regular backups or pair with a secondary NVR/NAS for redundancy
- •Average per-channel ingest budget is below typical 4K bitrates — restrict high-MP channels or accept lower bitrate per camera
- •No RAID support — single-disk failure means losing all footage on that disk; plan retention policy accordingly
Storage planning
Running all 5 channels at the industry-typical 4 Mbps/channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene complexity), the XVR1A04 produces roughly 211 GB of footage per day — about 1477 GB/week, 6328 GB/month, and 18984 GB across a 90-day retention window. Fully populated with 1× 6 TB drives the unit holds 6 TB raw — enough for roughly 1.0× the one-month archive at full bitrate before RAID overhead. These figures are deterministic — derived from your bitrate assumption, the channel count, and the calendar — not estimated from a marketing data sheet.
Estimates assume 4 Mbps per channel H.265 CBR continuous recording. Motion-only recording typically reduces storage by 40-70%.
Bandwidth headroom
Input (ingest)
Avg 4.0 Mbps per channel — enough for all channels at full 4MP H.265 at 4 Mbps/channel.
Installation tips for the XVR1A04
Install in a standard 19-inch rack cabinet on supported rack rails; allow at least 1U of clearance above and below the 1U for airflow and HDD-bay servicing.
Plan storage at roughly 211 GB/day (≈6328 GB/month) for continuous H.265 recording at 4 Mbps/channel — match HDD capacity to the longest retention window the privacy policy or insurance contract demands.
Schedule weekly off-site backups (NAS, cloud, or sister NVR) since the single-bay design has no internal redundancy — a failed disk loses the entire archive.
Pair with a managed PoE switch sized for the camera plan — choose 802.3at (≤30 W/port) for typical IR-equipped bullets, 802.3bt (≤60-90 W/port) when PTZ or heated housings are in scope.
Power & rack
Power draw sits at roughly 35 W idle and around 35 W under full load (1-bay HDD activity). That dissipates approximately 119 BTU/hour of heat into the rack — size the comms-cabinet ventilation accordingly. Allow 1U of cabinet space for the chassis plus 1U of unobstructed airflow above and below; pair with a UPS sized for at least 15-minute hold-up so the recorder shuts down cleanly on mains failure.
Installer time & cost (rough estimate)
A typical EU integrator quotes 5-7 h of labour to commission the Dahua XVR1A04 (approximately €225-€315 excluding hardware), broken down as physical install, HDD population, 5-channel discovery and IP/credential configuration, schedule + retention setup, motion / event rules per camera, mobile-app pairing, and a brief operator handover. Allow extra time for sites with non-standard network topology (multi-VLAN, multi-site bridges) or for migrations from a legacy DVR where camera streams must be re-addressed.
Indicative EU 2024-2025 pricing — actual quotes vary by region, network topology and migration scope. Excludes hardware, HDDs, transport, permits, and VAT.
Frequently asked questions
How many cameras can the Dahua XVR1A04 record?
Up to 5 IP camera channels per chassis. Total ingest bandwidth is 20 Mbps, which sets the practical ceiling — running every channel at 4K (typically 8 Mbps each) requires 40 Mbps, so verify whether your camera plan fits inside the bandwidth budget.
Does the Dahua XVR1A04 support third-party (ONVIF) cameras?
Yes — ONVIF Profile S/T support means the unit records from third-party cameras as well as the same-brand catalog. Most cameras supporting ONVIF 16.12 or newer plug-and-play; older firmware may require manual stream URL configuration in the NVR web UI.
How much storage does the Dahua XVR1A04 need for 30-day recording?
At the industry-typical 4 Mbps per channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene), all 5 channels recording continuously for 30 days produces approximately 6328 GB (6.2 TB) of footage. Motion-only or event-triggered recording typically cuts that by 40-70 % depending on scene activity. Plan HDD capacity for the longest retention window your privacy policy or insurance contract demands.
What HDDs are recommended for the Dahua XVR1A04?
Use surveillance-rated HDDs — WD Purple, Seagate SkyHawk, Toshiba S300, or equivalent. Desktop / consumer drives (WD Blue, Seagate Barracuda) are not validated for 24/7 write workloads and typically fail within 12-18 months in CCTV use. Max 6 TB per bay across 1 bays = up to 6 TB raw capacity; populate matched pairs/sets if planning RAID.
Does the Dahua XVR1A04 need its own PoE switch?
Yes — the recorder has no built-in PoE, so cameras connect through a separate managed PoE switch. Size the switch's PoE budget for the planned cameras: 802.3at (≤30 W/port) handles typical IR-equipped bullets and domes; 802.3bt (≤60-90 W/port) is needed for PTZ and heated housings.
What power and cooling does the Dahua XVR1A04 need?
Plan for 35 W idle and ~35 W under full load, dissipating roughly 119 BTU/hour into the rack or cupboard. Size the UPS for at least 15-minute hold-up so the unit can flush write buffers and shut down cleanly on mains failure — abrupt power loss is the leading cause of NVR file-system corruption in commercial installs.
Is the Dahua XVR1A04 suitable for evidentiary recording?
Depends on the retention and chain-of-custody policy. The 1-bay chassis is single-disk only; for evidentiary recording, pair with a secondary NVR or NAS for redundancy. On the export side, ensure footage is hashed and timestamped before transfer to investigators.
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Helpful Tools & Resources
Storage Calculator
Match HDD capacity to your retention policy
Bandwidth Calculator
Verify your network can carry the ingest load
Camera Quantity Calculator
Match channel count to your site
UPS Sizing Calculator
Hold-up time for clean NVR shutdown on mains failure
System Budget Estimator
Hardware + install + commissioning cost
CCTV Storage Planning Guide
Bitrate, retention, RAID — the full math
Plan your CCTV layout with Dahua XVR1A04
Use our free CCTV planner to lay out cameras feeding this recorder, match HDD capacity to retention windows, and generate a professional PDF report — no signup required.
Free until you outgrow it · No card · No install