MacOS Hikvision NVR Browser Support on MacOS?

[Kyle]

Ah sorry - that doesn't happen often, only usually when moving down from large updates.

There's no real way of knowing if it will hard-reset the unit until somebody has tried it...

You can save the existing settings and import them back on if need be.
Apologies, I should have mentioned that before!

Another user has explained how to do so here:

Hikvision NVR green screen issue

Hi all, I bought a Hikvsion NVR (8MP POE) this week, I am fitting 4 new Colour Vu 8mp turrent and 4 standard Hikvison 8MP. I seem to have a problem and get a partial green screen on the standard Hikvision cameras when i switch on Hik Connect to HD mode from basic mode. Please note i am using...

www.use-ip.co.uk

 

[Thor]

HeHe... time means nothing when it comes to CCTV, I guess.

No worries, I appreciate it, I will definitely make backups going forward.

 

[Thor]

Do you know what the I Frame Interval setting should be?
( this is a new setting that was not visible under V4.51 )

I read ( obviously missing the core concept here to figure it out myself ), some of the arguments say half the frame rate, others say equal to the frame rate and I raid some say double the frame rate.

It all sounds like grasping at straws to me, as there is no way all three of those answers can be correct at the same time?

 

[Kyle]

There's no real rule for this - it's normally fine just left as 50 in normal residential scenes, many like to set it to match the frame rate, but it's not really necessary to set it any lower than that.

Setting this value to be lower will increase video quality, but will increase the bitrate used by the camera.

Dan has explained I Frames nicely here:

What is ‘I Frame Interval’ and what should it be set to please?

Hi all, So What is ‘I Frame Interval’ and what should it be set to please? Thanks

www.use-ip.co.uk

 

[Thor]

Actually, I think I am going to downgrade back to V4.51, because I have green artifacts now as well. (Hikvision NVR green screen issue)

What a mess. But also lesson learned.

 

[Thor]

3 x DS-2CD2121G0-I - V5.5.800_210628

Can you update that link for me,

I think I found it, but it was under the G3 folder and I don't think that is a G3 camera?

B-R-E8-0

Refering now to;

DS-2CD2121G0-I

 

[Kyle]

Apologies, that link is fixed now

 

[Thor]

Thank you for that, I learned the following things:

• Hikvison is really cool, but also really leaving a lot to be desired ( in terms of consistency )
• Don't upgrade the firmware, unless you are absolutely certain it's needed. ( & Do not use the latest versions, ever. )
• There are massive differences between browser-based access & plugging a screen and mouse directly into the NVR ( it's two separate OSes almost with considerable different features - smart playback for example )
• Don't use Mac if you like anything other than Unif & Uniview

Overall, it was a fun experience, but also made me think twice now about "fiddling" simple example, the firmware upgrades removed the cameras, so I need to add them again, but Hikvision gives you ZERO control over which channel the camera must be so for example prior to the update D1 was Road and D2 was Staircase, post the upgrade Hikvsion decided D1 is now Alley and D2 is now Road. Sounds like nothing, but now the playback functionality, rules, everything is messed up.

I hope Hikvision reads this thread, I will gladly do product testing for them before they launch it to the public. ( because believe you me, they don't seem to test jack shit, to be honest. )

 

[JB1970]

Don't upgrade the firmware, unless you are absolutely certain it's needed. ( & Do not use the latest versions, ever. )

That will ensure that you don't get bug fixes, new features occasionally and important security patches.

There are massive differences between browser-based access & plugging a screen and mouse directly into the NVR ( it's two separate OSes almost with considerable different features - smart playback for example )

Yup that's expected. There's only so much that can be done within the web viewer. Similarly the mobile apps only have basic functionality with regard to searching for events etc. This will be similar for all manufacturers not just Hikvision

but Hikvision gives you ZERO control over which channel the camera must be

That's incorrect and must be down to your setup. With plug and play enabled the camera plugged into the first input will be assigned the first available IP address starting 192.168.254.2 but input 1 will always be D1 unless you've manually configured. I suspect you've either disconnected/reconnected the cameras to different ports (plugging a previously activated camera with IP address into a different port will reassign a new IP address if Plug and Play is enabled on the channel) or you've manually configured addresses. You can have any camera on any port.

I hope Hikvision reads this thread, I will gladly do product testing for them before they launch it to the public. ( because believe you me, they don't seem to test jack shit, to be honest. )

They won't....

 

[Thor]

That will ensure that you don't get bug fixes, new features occasionally and important security patches.

I'll wait a year and upgrade when all the guinea pigs are done spending time fixing issues introduced by the firmware. Learned my lesson here, V4.51 will be my default until this time next year. Have a little let's break the system once a year kind of event.

Yup that's expected. There's only so much that can be done within the web viewer. Similarly the mobile apps only have basic functionality with regard to searching for events etc. This will be similar for all manufacturers not just Hikvision

Lots to learn from Uniview & Ubiquiti, what can be done on the NVR can be done on the Web can be done on the App.

That's incorrect and must be down to your setup. With plug and play enabled the camera plugged into the first input will be assigned the first available IP address starting 192.168.254.2 but input 1 will always be D1 unless you've manually configured. I suspect you've either disconnected/reconnected the cameras to different ports (plugging a previously activated camera with IP address into a different port will reassign a new IP address if Plug and Play is enabled on the channel) or you've manually configured addresses. You can have any camera on any port.

No sir, the cameras were not touched, not even rebooted, this is not a POE NVR though.

They won't....

Pitty, because they need to.

 

[Thor]

Rarely am I ever in the physical presence of the NVR, clients are remote & sites are guarded, so the NVR is usually locked up.

 

[macman]

Hikvision's Mac support is disgraceful. I have to run Windows in emulation via Parallels in order to configure my standalone cameras. iVMS-4200 is OK thereafter for live view and playback. I abandoned a plan to switch to Uniview after reading a couple of their camera manuals which listed plenty of bugs if running their software on Mac Os. (I also ruled them out for stupidity, such as forcing a strobe light on whenever their Mini PTZ spotlight was activated.)

Reolink's range of cheap home cameras offer fewer features and tend to be launched with bugs but they are, sadly, the only CCTV cameras and client software which I would describe as fully Mac compatible - and for that reason, I am slowly replacing my Hikvision cams with Reolink models. (Some others may be Mac-compatible via cloud services but I don't go there.) Not all Reolink cams are fully ONVIF compliant however.

 

[Thor]

Hikvision's Mac support is disgraceful. I have to run Windows in emulation via Parallels in order to configure my standalone cameras. iVMS-4200 is OK thereafter for live view and playback. I abandoned a plan to switch to Uniview after reading a couple of their camera manuals which listed plenty of bugs if running their software on Mac Os. (I also ruled them out for stupidity, such as forcing a strobe light on whenever their Mini PTZ spotlight was activated.)

Reolink's range of cheap home cameras offer fewer features and tend to be launched with bugs but they are, sadly, the only CCTV cameras and client software which I would describe as fully Mac compatible - and for that reason, I am slowly replacing my Hikvision cams with Reolink models. (Some others may be Mac-compatible via cloud services but I don't go there.) Not all Reolink cams are fully ONVIF compliant however.

Agreed on the entry level uniview ptz logic, it's dumb.

And yes I found most of these "smart home" entry user brands, Reolink, Ankie, Sonoff, Xiaomi, etc. Have brilliant software just terrible lens and sensor built quality.

I really just wish Hikvision will stop making cameras for 1 year and just focus all their energy on software and apps.

 

[macman]

I can't knock Reolink for camera build quality or software and they use decent Sony sensors; but their firmware often lets them down. And they launch new cameras faster than they fix the old ones. Some of their cams have rubbish night vision while some of their wireless cams can have flaky connections. But the daylight image quality is pretty good, eg: [Image failed to upload]

 

[Thor]

I can't knock Reolink for camera build quality or software and they use decent Sony sensors; but their firmware often lets them down. And they launch new cameras faster than they fix the old ones. Some of their cams have rubbish night vision while some of their wireless cams can have flaky connections. But the daylight image quality is pretty good, eg: [Image failed to upload]

Put it this way, from the reolinks I tested I found a 4MP Hikvision does not equal a 4MP Reolink, the Hikvision feels better overall picture quality.


But I haven't tested new reolinks

 

[macman]

Put it this way, from the reolinks I tested I found a 4MP Hikvision does not equal a 4MP Reolink, the Hikvision feels better overall picture quality.


But I haven't tested new reolinks

This, from the 4K Reolink 823A, is superior to my Hikvision 4K cams which are two years older. (Download to eliminate host artifacts)
Reolink 823A pigeon 4K.mp4

[Admin: why couldn't I upload here? Some "parsing" alert when attaching file and a spurious demand for cookies when I try to insert an image.]

 

[Phil]

[Admin: why couldn't I upload here? Some "parsing" alert when attaching file and a spurious demand for cookies when I try to insert an image.]

Hi @macman good to see you!
Were you trying to embed the video.
I think that as it's 25MB we probably don't permit such large files.

Spurious cookie thing is ongoing annoyance!
Sorry, plans afoot, but other (slow moving) ducks for our devs to get in a row first

 

[macman]

Hi @macman good to see you!
Were you trying to embed the video.
I think that as it's 25MB we probably don't permit such large files.

Spurious cookie thing is ongoing annoyance!
Sorry, plans afoot, but other (slow moving) ducks for our devs to get in a row first

Hi Phil, I was trying to "attach" the video and "insert" or "attach" the 2MB still image. Either I am persona non grata or it's broken. Hope you can find the cure.

 

[Phil]

Sorry for the delay, I believe this is resolved now.

T'was a server config error:
"Found that this was giving a 413 error in the logs, which is a "Request Entity Too Large " error."

Was fine in the past.
Fixed again now

 

[macman]

Thank you Phil. Testing with the still image from my Reolink RLC-823A which previously failed to upload…and bingo!