New setup - Latest Firmware and advice

[macximum]

Hi there

Really hoping some of the experts here can help.

UK based - I have recently setup the following...

NVR >> DS-7608NXI-K1 / 8P - V4.82.007 build 240321 - B-R-K20A9_K20A9-00 (8TB drive installed)
DOME >> DS-2DE5220IW-AE - V5.6.18 build 210428 - B-R-R7-0 (an existing Dome I was already using as a standalone camera)
TURRET >> DS-2CD2387G2H-LIU - V5.7.13 build 230706 - B-R-G5-0 (256GB TF SD installed)
TURRET >> DS-2CD2387G2H-LIU - V5.7.13 build 230706 - B-R-G5-0 (256GB TF SD installed)

First of all I'm loosing the will to live trying to find the right & latest firmware versions for all of the above. I understand the Dome is an R7, the Turrets are G5's but there are so many different firmware resources, where should I be downloading from and what versions should I be running? The NVR reports that everything is on the latest firmware, but I think can see more up to date differences on the download portals!

I'm also trying to use the white light feature on one of the DS-2CD2387G2H-LIU when there is a Line Crossing Detection (like a PIR light), but it isn't showing as a Linkage Action as per the following guide...

How-to: - How do I set my Hikvision ColorVu camera's built-in light to turn on during event periods?

We're often asked if a ColorVu camera's built-in supplementary white light can be programmed to turn on during VCA event trigger periods, such as during instances of motion detection, intrusion detection, or line crossing detection. After testing, we can confirm that this is now possible on all...

www.use-ip.co.uk

Is this a firmware issue? or perhaps a feature issue on this particular model?

I can get the white light to come on, but the only pitfall with activating the White Light feature is that both the DS-2CD2387G2H-LIU's have plenty of ambient street lighting so they are always in colour night view, which I prefer over the b/w IR image, and the white light.

The NVR GUI keeps giving me an error too... "The playback capacity limit is exceeded. Please reduce the number of connected cameras or the camera resolution."
I'm using an 8 channel NVR with 3 cameras?

If it helps any, I am using a Mac but could switch to Windows for configuration quite easily if necessary.

Probably have a ton of other questions!

 

[JB1970]

Phew - a lot of questions in one post but I’ll answer a couple:

1 - You can safely ignore any message from your NVR or Hik-Connect saying ’up to date’ or ‘latest version’. The function rarely works.

2 - Firmware Resources. For current models on sale you can just use the Hikvision UK web page, find your model and click resources. The preferable way is to go to the website and click download, firmware and type in the exact model number. Your G5 is a current model so you’ll locate 5.7.18 by that method. Older models you can find the firmware on the UK portal site. That includes your R7 dome. The portal contains multiple older versions. Be sure to read the release notes as I recall the R7 must be updated through one particular version to avoid bricking it!

3 - on the hybrid model camera, activating the white light on event is not an event linkage; it’s a mode in the image settings. You choose whether to have the camera in 24/7 Colour, Black and White, or Smart. Selecting the latter will give keep the camera in colour day/mono night but will switch IR Mono to White Light Colour on event trigger.

 

[macximum]

Phew - a lot of questions in one post but I’ll answer a couple:

1 - You can safely ignore any message from your NVR or Hik-Connect saying ’up to date’ or ‘latest version’. The function rarely works.

2 - Firmware Resources. For current models on sale you can just use the Hikvision UK web page, find your model and click resources. The preferable way is to go to the website and click download, firmware and type in the exact model number. Your G5 is a current model so you’ll locate 5.7.18 by that method. Older models you can find the firmware on the UK portal site. That includes your R7 dome. The portal contains multiple older versions. Be sure to read the release notes as I recall the R7 must be updated through one particular version to avoid bricking it!

3 - on the hybrid model camera, activating the white light on event is not an event linkage; it’s a mode in the image settings. You choose whether to have the camera in 24/7 Colour, Black and White, or Smart. Selecting the latter will give keep the camera in colour day/mono night but will switch IR Mono to White Light Colour on event trigger.

@JB1970 - Thank you so much for the tips!

1. Great - I hope Hikvision can fix this in future - would make it so much easier.

2. I'll get searching and trust that the Hikvision UK site has all that I need, and won't be tempted to look elsewhere!

3. So my hybrids see colour 24/7 which gives a brilliantly detailed image, ambient street lighting is plentiful - there is an LED street light very close by. What I was trying to achieve is the white light coming on as an event was triggered, to further alert the 'visitor' to the fact that they are on CCTV... so sort of using it like a warning light (as it is not required to improve imaging), but it doesn't come on. The camera is never in mono night. I think because there is plenty of ambient light it figures that it doesn't need it? I'm not sure if I'm making sense!

Would be interesting if anyone else has any tips or workarounds, I'm reading as much as I can here, the NVR GUI for example, why does it give that error? I'm thinking to get another 1 or maybe 2 cameras to add to my collection so am I asking too much of the NVR already... the house will end up looking like a Las Vegas casino, but crime is on the rise so needs must!

 

[JB1970]

I hope Hikvision can fix this in future - would make it so much easier.

I’ve seen it work occasionally but it tends to only flag an update when it’s security related so you won’t see normal enhancement/bug fix updates there.

I'm reading as much as I can here, the NVR GUI for example, why does it give that error?

All NVRs have a limit on what they can simultaneously decode; it’s in the data sheet. You’re exceeding that limit by attempting to playback multiple cameras at once.

The only way around that is to playback cameras one at a time (you can select/deselect during playback without losing your position so it’s not an issue). Alternatively you’d need an NVR with better decoding specifications.

 

[macximum]

Upgraded the two Hybrids and the NVR, not noticed much difference apart from the v5 GUI on the Hybrids... the jury's out on that one!

Still haven't been able to get the smart light to activate on a Line Crossing event (tried configuring on both NVR and directly on the Hybrid). I genuinely think that it's because of the amount of ambient light available to the camera at night. I don't see why it can't be a feature they could add in a future FW update though, should be simple enough unless having the light on as well as loads of ambient light would degrade colour image quality - perhaps be too bright.

NVR GUI hasn't changed with FW update, and I'm not playing back any cameras, in fact live view doesn't even work in my browser (Mac), the message just keeps popping up randomly whilst I'm in the Configuration tab.

 

[JB1970]

Upgraded the two Hybrids and the NVR, not noticed much difference apart from the v5 GUI on the Hybrids... the jury's out on that one!

I prefer the old GUI myself. It's been modernised for the sake of it with no additional benefit.

Still haven't been able to get the smart light to activate on a Line Crossing event (tried configuring on both NVR and directly on the Hybrid). I genuinely think that it's because of the amount of ambient light available to the camera at night.

You won't. You have a Hybrid camera. If you want the light to come on you need to put in smart mode in the image settings - the event settings are irrelevant. In smart mode the camera will be colour during the day, mono on a night using IR until there's an event when it will switch to colour and use the white light. If it's switching between mono and colour on event and the white light still isn't coming on, then you may need to set a shorter exposure time, however adjusting that will do nothing to bring the light on if it's not in smart mode as described above. The feature will not discriminate between specific events - IE if it's in that mode, it will work in line crossing and motion and intrusion if you have multiple detection areas set (you can't have it on for one/off for another as it's a camera wide setting rather than specific event linkage)

I don't see why it can't be a feature they could add in a future FW update though, should be simple enough unless having the light on as well as loads of ambient light would degrade colour image quality - perhaps be too bright.

It used to be that way on the ColorVu models. However the light is there for illumination and not as a warning device. I personally never saw the point of having the light come on during event at the expense of an underexposed colour image the rest of the time. For what you want to achieve you should have got the same model but the variant ending LISU/SL rather than LIU. That model has a strobe light that works independently of the white LED illuminator so you could leave it full colour all night, with the LED off and on event you could have the 'strobe' light activate (I say 'strobe' as the frequency can be set so that it doesn't flash)

NVR GUI hasn't changed with FW update, and I'm not playing back any cameras, in fact live view doesn't even work in my browser (Mac), the message just keeps popping up randomly whilst I'm in the Configuration tab.

NVR GUI won't change while your NVR is stilll on V4. If/when Hikvision introduce V5 for your model (NVR) it will change radically. Be careful what you wish for.....

Hikvision support for Mac is known to be crap. The most recent update for the M series NVR fixed support for Safari, however it broke a lot of other features so as above - be careful what you wish for...