Continuous recording with event markers

[timearnshaw]

Hi sorry if this has been asked/answered anywhere else - I have tried searching but couldnt find it.

I have a DS-7608NI-I2 / 8P DVR with 5 camera. I am using web interface to DVR, don't have a direct connected monitor and can't have one based on where it is located. I want to set it up to record continuously, but be able to look on the Playback page on the web interface and have markers on there for any intrusion detection events so I can jump right to them to view actual action. Reason for this is I want to trigger when anything goes on in particular zones of the camera coverage, but have the continuous recording so that I have recorded stuff that goes on outside of the camera areas I have set up too. Is this possible? I have set it up currently with continuous record, and have set up smart events which work and give me alerts but i don't see any markers on the playback bar on the web interface.

Right now I have Intrusion Detection set to email me alerts when events occur so I could in theory use those to give me the timestamp of intrusion events and go to that spot on Playback but that's clearly not as convenient as having the markers show on the Playback page straight off the bat.

Also am I best to configure the individual cameras via the NVR configuration pages, or click the links from the Camera Management page and login to the cameras directly to configure in there? I'm not sure what takes precedence if the config exists in both places etc. and would appreciate guidance on which approach is best.

Thanks!

 

[codlord]

For your first question I don't know the answer but I too would like to know if it's possible (and how) to get event markers to show in the various interfaces (NVR direct, NVR web interface, iVMS-4200 interface). I have in the past seen event markers via the NVR direct but since some update my current systems never show event markers on any of the 3 interfaces I mentioned. I don't know if it's possible to get them back or not...

As for your second question about where to configure settings - HikVision software is a nightmare in this regard and even new NVRs/cameras/firmware seem to show completely different layout interfaces in every place (NVR direct, NVR web interface, iVMS-4200, camera web interface). Some settings can be configured "wherever", but some settings can only be configured in some places. And sometimes some settings are shown but don't work if you set in one interface but do work if you set in another! It's just trial and error though...

Personally I tend to use the NVR web interface for the NVR and the camera web interfaces for the cameras. That covers most things. The worst thing I have found though is sometimes you can only set some settings on the NVR itself with monitor/mouse. For example, I can set resolution/bitrate for the camera main stream and sub-stream on almost any interface. But there is also an "event stream" but for some bizarre reason th "event stream" is not shown as an option at all in any other interface! If you don't set via the NVR itself you may not know it's even an option and the result can be the NVR recording a low quality image when there is an event - exactly what you do not want.

 

[JB1970]

@timesarnshaw It is a question that comes up often on here. For the web interface you can't get markers populating the timeline for events. For configuration when the cameras are connected to an NVR - program everything via the NVR (it is programmed via the NVR but saved in the camera). Where there are additional settings that aren't available in the NVR interface, do these afterwards in the camera. All image, event settings etc are stored in the camera not the NVR. The NVR reads the settings from the connected camera when the NVR boots or when the camera is connected - it then displays them in its GUI. By doing everything via the NVR you won't get a scenario where a setting has been altered in the camera, but shows a different (previous) value in the NVR GUI.

@codlord You can still get event markers on the NVR timeline directly when smart playback is selected. With dual VCA disabled in the camera, only events that have been enabled and configured will show in that timeline, whereas with dual VCA enabled you can retrospectively search recorded video. Depending on model you may have to check a box to "Save camera VCA data" in the NVR settings. IMHO it would be better the if main playback timeline showed markers for any specifically configured events and had the same option to skip unrelated video as the smart playback does. That way smart playback could be kept for retrospective searches for motion, line crossing etc.

 

[timearnshaw]

@timesarnshaw It is a question that comes up often on here. For the web interface you can't get markers populating the timeline for events. For configuration when the cameras are connected to an NVR - program everything via the NVR (it is programmed via the NVR but saved in the camera). Where there are additional settings that aren't available in the NVR interface, do these afterwards in the camera. All image, event settings etc are stored in the camera not the NVR. The NVR reads the settings from the connected camera when the NVR boots or when the camera is connected - it then displays them in its GUI. By doing everything via the NVR you won't get a scenario where a setting has been altered in the camera, but shows a different (previous) value in the NVR GUI.

@codlord You can still get event markers on the NVR timeline directly when smart playback is selected. With dual VCA disabled in the camera, only events that have been enabled and configured will show in that timeline, whereas with dual VCA enabled you can retrospectively search recorded video. Depending on model you may have to check a box to "Save camera VCA data" in the NVR settings. IMHO it would be better the if main playback timeline showed markers for any specifically configured events and had the same option to skip unrelated video as the smart playback does. That way smart playback could be kept for retrospective searches for motion, line crossing etc.

Thanks both for the replies, very helpful. I'm learning my way around it all by trial and error! @JB1970 if i turn off continuous record and do event only then I have been able to get event markers showing up in the playback web interface, I presume you're referring to not being able to do so if continuous record is on as well, but thought i'd mention it in case i'd managed to do something that you had tried and not been able to achieve (doubtful I know).