The picture from the camera can be recorded on a normal VCR or special ones that are used in professional security environment. If continuous recording is required then special video recorders can record 12 hours of recording on a normal cassette.

The VCR can be linked to sensors, so that recording is automatically started only when an intrusion is detected. Such an arrangement helps in conserving the tape and also reduces the time to play back to check since only those moments are recorded when something really happened. Care must be taken to provide adequate power back up for such recorders.

In the Digital Video Surveillance System , the recording is done on the Hard disk of the computer. The advantage of this is that the quality of recording is not effected with time as in the case of a tape, which wears out with time.