Your options on VRs are plenty.
If you are as technical as you sound and have networked your house, I think you should look strongly at a PC-based system such as a GeoVision card. Most all VRs on the market are internet ready. Some remote access features in DVRs are better than others.
I sell almost every DVR out there and the standalone DVRs are still very popular. The GeoVision features and video quality are superior to most standalone DVRs and a GV-800-4 card is way less expensive that a 4 channel standalone.
I always suggest that put as much $ in the cameras as possible. Minimum 480 TVL . The cameras that were suggested previously are cheap low-end cameras that will give you less than optimal video.
Much of the reply post info was very good, but you can get a Dell Computer (3 G, 400GB HD, DVD R/W) Bosch 480 TVL cameras, and complete system for less than the "normal system" noted. It would provide 30fps and features not found in the IP system.
Basically, a professional CCTV system today uses high resolution analog cameras and multiplexes those signals into IP through the DVR.
Hope this helps.