Hik-Connect Hik-connect Substream quality degrades massively

[adzs]

Hi,
New to the forum

I have a strange issue that I'm hoping you might have some guidance on.

Brand new installation of:
1x DS-7608NI-I2/8P NVR
2x DS-2CD2086G2-IU
3x DS-2CD2T86G2-2I

I'm still in the process of configuring them and setting up alarms etc, but here's the problem.

With the three 2T86's, when I'm watching the substream (basic) feed in the Hik-connect app, the video starts off at an acceptable quality, and then within a minute will turn into total pixelated garbage that's completely unwatchable.
Yet the same camera and same substream works at a consistently acceptable quality in IVMS-4500 on the same phone.
Edit: Seems to be the same issue with the 2086's too

I've tried toggling the stream encryption in hik-connect, and also toggled hardware decoding, to no avail.

Any thoughts?

Attached screenshot of it working correctly and then the garbage it turns into.

 

[JB1970]

Hi,
New to the forum

I have a strange issue that I'm hoping you might have some guidance on.

Brand new installation of:
1x DS-7608NI-I2/8P NVR
2x DS-2CD2086G2-IU
3x DS-2CD2T86G2-2I

I'm still in the process of configuring them and setting up alarms etc, but here's the problem.

With the three 2T86's, when I'm watching the substream (basic) feed in the Hik-connect app, the video starts off at an acceptable quality, and then within a minute will turn into total pixelated garbage that's completely unwatchable.
Yet the same camera and same substream works at a consistently acceptable quality in IVMS-4500 on the same phone.
Edit: Seems to be the same issue with the 2086's too

I've tried toggling the stream encryption in hik-connect, and also toggled hardware decoding, to no avail.

Any thoughts?

Attached screenshot of it working correctly and then the garbage it turns into.

A couple of thoughts/questions:

1 - How are you connected to the NVR in each app? If one app is using Hik Connect registration and the other is using direct connection via IP, you'll see a difference and that would explain it. With Hik-Connect connection, video quality can be dynamically adjusted to suit the network, whereas with direct, it will just try to stream the video as you have it set regardless of network conditions (and drop the stream if necessary). You can tell by clicking the quality icon in each app - 'Clear, Fluent, Custom' is shown for direct connections (IP/Domain) 'HD, Basic' is shown for connections via the Hik Connect service. You will generally get better images connecting directly (but then you can't have push notifications)

2 - What are the stream settings for your sub stream? FPS, H264/H265, VBR/CBR, bit rate. CBR can cause pixelation when there's too much motion/complexity in the scene for the Codec to produce the image within the configured bit rate.

 

[adzs]

A couple of thoughts/questions:

1 - How are you connected to the NVR in each app? If one app is using Hik Connect registration and the other is using direct connection via IP, you'll see a difference and that would explain it. With Hik-Connect connection, video quality can be dynamically adjusted to suit the network, whereas with direct, it will just try to stream the video as you have it set regardless of network conditions (and drop the stream if necessary). You can tell by clicking the quality icon in each app - 'Clear, Fluent, Custom' is shown for direct connections (IP/Domain) 'HD, Basic' is shown for connections via the Hik Connect service. You will generally get better images connecting directly (but then you can't have push notifications)

2 - What are the stream settings for your sub stream? FPS, H264/H265, VBR/CBR, bit rate. CBR can cause pixelation when there's too much motion/complexity in the scene for the Codec to produce the image within the configured bit rate.

Hi JB,

Thanks for the response.

1. That clear/fluent/custom vs HD/Basic is a really useful distinction, but it's not what I'm seeing. In IVMS, I'm definitely connecting via Hik-Connect registration (Login to HikConnect with my phone number, select my NVR, pick the cameras), and the quality still says Fluent despite not having setup IP/Domain at all.
   
   
2. I was playing with substream settings for ages yesterday trying to figure it out until I realised that IVMS worked fine and Hik-Connect had the problem.
   Settings are currently
   640x480
   VBR
   Video Quality: Highest
   Full Frame Rate
   1024kbps
   H265
   This morning, I changed the settings to
   Quality: Higher
   Frame rate: 20
   Mix Bitrate: 2048
   At the new settings, it's definitely stable for longer, but it still eventually turns to the same pixelated mess.

 

[JB1970]

Hi JB,

Thanks for the response.

1. That clear/fluent/custom vs HD/Basic is a really useful distinction, but it's not what I'm seeing. In IVMS, I'm definitely connecting via Hik-Connect registration (Login to HikConnect with my phone number, select my NVR, pick the cameras), and the quality still says Fluent despite not having setup IP/Domain at all.
   
   
2. I was playing with substream settings for ages yesterday trying to figure it out until I realised that IVMS worked fine and Hik-Connect had the problem.
   Settings are currently
   640x480
   VBR
   Video Quality: Highest
   Full Frame Rate
   1024kbps
   H265
   This morning, I changed the settings to
   Quality: Higher
   Frame rate: 20
   Mix Bitrate: 2048
   At the new settings, it's definitely stable for longer, but it still eventually turns to the same pixelated mess.

To prove whether it's the Hik-Connect service causing the issue, you can just add your NVR in again using the local address. It won't affect your Hik-Connect login. In your app:

1 - Click + in the top right corner
2 - Manual adding
3 - IP/Domain
4 - Fill in the local IP, port (if changed), username and password

Then see what it's like while viewing directly on your LAN.

 

[Tesla]

I’d try dropping the quality settings down and seeing if the experience then remains consistent. Try 256 or 512kbps, medium and 12fps. Not suggesting to leave on this but if the stream is consistent at this it gives you a starting point.

I typically use low quality settings on the sub-steam anyway as it makes for a fast mobile experience for quick check ins of the system, even with a slow/poor mobile signal.