First home security set up?

[elderflower]

Hello,

I’m starting a new camera set-up for my house (which is all wired up with Cat 6 and terminating in the loft in a network cabinet) which, for now, I only need one camera but in the future I will install 2 more cameras at most (3 in total).

The camera I am considering is the Hikvision DS-2CD2387G2H-LISU/SL 4k Smart Hybrid ColorVu.

In terms of NVR I was thinking the DS-7604NXI-K1/4P (is the case fan noisy?). Admittedly, I’m not entirely clued up with all the different models. All I know is the M series is the newest and has bigger bandwidth etc (and higher cost) and that the K series is a more entry level NVR but with a more affordable price point.

So my questions are:

1. Is there any point in going for the M series such as the DS-7608NI-M2/8P if I’m not taking advantage of all the features that it brings as I will probably only have 3 cameras at most (4 as an absolute max)?
2. I am Mac based and do not have a PC. Will there be issues with setting up? Is it not possible to use Safari or Chrome on my MacBook Pro? However, I may be able to connect a monitor directly to the NVR if that helps? Does this mean I can only view from the Hik Connect app?
3. I’ve read that the latest firmware for the 4k Smart Hybrid ColorVu cameras has broken the motion detection at night in that it no longer detects IR movement? Is this true?

There is a lot of great information here and the “Your First Home Security System” series was fantastic. After months of research I’ve decided on Hikvision over other consumer brands and I just hope that it’s not too much of a pain to set up.

Many thanks, E

 

[JB1970]

Hello,

I’m starting a new camera set-up for my house (which is all wired up with Cat 6 and terminating in the loft in a network cabinet) which, for now, I only need one camera but in the future I will install 2 more cameras at most (3 in total).

The camera I am considering is the Hikvision DS-2CD2387G2H-LISU/SL 4k Smart Hybrid ColorVu.

In terms of NVR I was thinking the DS-7604NXI-K1/4P (is the case fan noisy?). Admittedly, I’m not entirely clued up with all the different models. All I know is the M series is the newest and has bigger bandwidth etc (and higher cost) and that the K series is a more entry level NVR but with a more affordable price point.

So my questions are:

1. Is there any point in going for the M series such as the DS-7608NI-M2/8P if I’m not taking advantage of all the features that it brings as I will probably only have 3 cameras at most (4 as an absolute max)?
2. I am Mac based and do not have a PC. Will there be issues with setting up? Is it not possible to use Safari or Chrome on my MacBook Pro? However, I may be able to connect a monitor directly to the NVR if that helps? Does this mean I can only view from the Hik Connect app?
3. I’ve read that the latest firmware for the 4k Smart Hybrid ColorVu cameras has broken the motion detection at night in that it no longer detects IR movement? Is this true?

There is a lot of great information here and the “Your First Home Security System” series was fantastic. After months of research I’ve decided on Hikvision over other consumer brands and I just hope that it’s not too much of a pain to set up.

Many thanks, E

The DS-2CD2387G2H-LISU/SL is a good choice for the camera. Go for the 4mm lens unless you need 105mm field of view (you rarely do)

The DS-7604-NXI-K1/4P is not a great choice for 8MP cameras. While it can handle 8MP cameras, the incoming bandwidth will limit the number of cameras (the number of cameras is determined by the number of channels OR the total incoming bandwidth of connected cameras, whichever is reached first). You would not get the best out of that 8MP camera on that recorder as you would need to limit the frame rate and bit rate.

Most people don't like the fan noise. The term 'Noisy' is subjective. Some will find it bearable, some will find it intolerable. Put your NVR adjacent your network cabinet in the loft. Run a network cable to the location of your monitor (if you already have a spare CAT cable to a TV then all the better) and install a KVM that'll give you video and USB. If your TV or monitor is upstairs you can probably just run a HDMI cable up to 10m along with a USB extension (up to 10m) to which you can plug in the receiver of a cheap wireless mouse (Logitech M185). That'll happily let you control the NVR in the loft from a room below.

1 - Stick with the M if you can. If you must use a K model and are going to have 3 or 4 8MP cameras, then use the 8 channel model as that has twice the incoming bandwidth available (80 rather than 40 Mbps). The 2 disk K2 model has a marginally better decoding performance but it still won't allow you to play the 3 or 4 cameras back on the screen simultaneously.

2 - Setup can be carried out directly from the monitor. You will be able to use Safari for configuration but you won't see the preview images in various pages while setting up. You can also use the free iVMS-4200 software for Mac. Support for us MacOS users is completely crap to be honest, but as an installer I still manage (I'll give up CCTV installation before I give up my Apple products!)

3 - Yes/No/Maybe. You will often only read of problems on this forum as it's what many users come here for help with. Take reports of 'bugs' with a pinch of salt. Sometimes it's down to incorrect configuration, sometimes it's down to a specific setup and yes, sometimes there are actually problems with firmware. They may or may not affect you depending on your use case.

 

[alfaclvi]

I’ve read that the latest firmware for the 4k Smart Hybrid ColorVu cameras has broken the motion detection at night in that it no longer detects IR movement? Is this true?

No they have not broken detection. The camera itself is OK with new v5.0 firmwares. You can check this e.g. on an SD card used on this camera. You can check this on Motion or Smart Events that are preset on settings to give Alarms and be able to find them on Search tab.
The problem is that cameras with these firmwares(v5.0) 5.7.17 and 5.7.18 are no longer "uploading" all VCA info to NXI-K series NVRs which are v4.0 NVRs and possibly they are never going to be updated to v5.0.
They are not uploading
a. Completely not uploading Motion VCA achieved by enabling Enable Dynamic Analysis for Motion in Motion Detection setup and
b. Smart Events that are not Human or Vehicles
So at least for NXI-K series NVRs there is no full compatibility with those cameras

On the other hand the v5.7.15 build 240411 is fully compatible but of course not offering the new benefits of Intelligent Detection of v5.0 firmwares

 

[elderflower]

1 - Stick with the M if you can. If you must use a K model and are going to have 3 or 4 8MP cameras, then use the 8 channel model as that has twice the incoming bandwidth available (80 rather than 40 Mbps). The 2 disk K2 model has a marginally better decoding performance but it still won't allow you to play the 3 or 4 cameras back on the screen simultaneously.

After reading a couple of threads regarding the K and M series, I think I will invest in the DS-7608NI-M2/8P for future proofing and fancier interface with v5. This just means I will probably end up getting more cameras including some indoor ones (DS-2CD2446G2-I) which will be via PoE and WiFi as a standalone.

2 - Setup can be carried out directly from the monitor. You will be able to use Safari for configuration but you won't see the preview images in various pages while setting up. You can also use the free iVMS-4200 software for Mac. Support for us MacOS users is completely crap to be honest, but as an installer I still manage (I'll give up CCTV installation before I give up my Apple products!)

That's a fantastic idea as my work monitor is just below the loft hatch! I'll just get a 10m HDMI and USB cables as suggested and set it all up from the comfort of my room. I assume that all is operated on screen meaning there's no physical keyboard required?

Does iVMS-4200 offer the same features as connecting directly into the NVR via a browser, so it's just another way of accessing the cameras similar to Hik-Connect? Do I need it for the initial set-up (I think not as I will be doing everything directly from the NVR anyway)?

Go for the 4mm lens unless you need 105mm field of view (you rarely do)

Noted. I definitely don't need a wide angle lens as it will only be pointing at the driveway from the side of the house. My Ring doorbell already has the wide angle covered from the other side!

 

[elderflower]

No they have not broken detection. The camera itself is OK with new v5.0 firmwares. You can check this e.g. on an SD card used on this camera. You can check this on Motion or Smart Events that are preset on settings to give Alarms and be able to find them on Search tab.
The problem is that cameras with these firmwares(v5.0) 5.7.17 and 5.7.18 are no longer "uploading" all VCA info to NXI-K series NVRs which are v4.0 NVRs and possibly they are never going to be updated to v5.0.
They are not uploading
a. Completely not uploading Motion VCA achieved by enabling Enable Dynamic Analysis for Motion in Motion Detection setup and
b. Smart Events that are not Human or Vehicles
So at least for NXI-K series NVRs there is no full compatibility with those cameras

On the other hand the v5.7.15 build 240411 is fully compatible but of course not offering the new benefits of Intelligent Detection of v5.0 firmwares

Thank you for your reply. Not sure I entirely follow re #a as I have not bought anything yet so not familiar with the interface but I will refer back once I get to that point!

Silly question but if I'm getting an NVR I don't need an SD card for the cameras, correct?

 

[JB1970]

I assume that all is operated on screen meaning there's no physical keyboard required?

Correct

Does iVMS-4200 offer the same features as connecting directly into the NVR via a browser, so it's just another way of accessing the cameras similar to Hik-Connect? Do I need it for the initial set-up (I think not as I will be doing everything directly from the NVR anyway)?

It has some additional features. You don’t need it for the initial setup; you can get the system fully operational without ever touching a computer. Some tweaking requires access to the camera directly rather than the NVR and that is done using the browser though it’s nothing that needs to be considered pre install.

SD cards are not a requirement when using an NVR. They can be used so that footage is saved to the camera as well in case the NVR was stolen. I wouldn’t bother if the NVR is in the loft.

 

[elderflower]

Hello, some final queries before I make the purchases this month.

As I have ethernet ports in all the rooms, could I possibly have the NVR in my office next to my work monitor and set up everything first before moving it to the loft? I can patch into the NVR from the camera to the office. So the question is, will the NVR remember all the settings after I have moved it to the loft and turning back on? This method will save me from purchasing a 10m HDMI cable and wireless mouse etc..

 

[Dan]

Hi @elderflower

Yes, that would be fine.

If you set a fixed IP address on NVR (make sure DHCP is disabled) then when you move it to the loft it should still be assigned the same network details and all other settings should also be saved.

 

[Bob710]

I found Hikvision's storage and bandwidth calculator useful for deciding how much storage and incoming NVR bandwidth needed for all cameras. You'd have to dig through camera specs in order to provide type of encoding (H.264, H265, etc...).

 

[elderflower]

That's quite a handy little tool, thank you! I'll probably go with 4TB to begin with, more than enough for now.