Hik setup - Failed HDD - options now?

[Magz]

Hi

I am new here and after some advice please.

A local company installed for us 2x Hik 4MP 2.8mm cameras with a 4ch Hik NVR back in 2020.
It's now stopped recording and they have said it looks like a failed hard drive, and are quoting £336 for a new NVR.
We paid £700 for all of this and to fork almost half again 3.5 years on isn't what we want.

We are trying to work out what the most cost effective option is to proceed.
We want a video doorbell to hook up to the cameras too.

So our questions would be:

1. should NVRs last longer than 3.5 years?
2. are there video doorbells that could be compatible with our cameras?
3. do we cut our losses and just go for a cheaper set up and replace the cameras?
4. or do we buy another NVR and still use the cameras that we have?

Any advice (in non technical speak would) be appreciated. Thank you in advance....

 

[JB1970]

1 - Yes but hard disks are known to fail. They could last under three years if you're unlucky and seven or more if you're lucky. Changing the hard drive is a 5 minute job even if you've never done it before. Buy a Seagate Surveillance, Western Digital Purple or Toshiba S300 from Amazon:

• Power down the NVR and remove the power plug. No need to disconnect the camera cables but if you do you must mark them so they go back in the same channel to avoid issues.
• Remove the two black Phillips screws at the front of each side, and the four at the back
• Slide the cover back a half inch and remove
• Undo the two silver screws on the underside of the NVR that are securing the hard disk
• Unplug the two connectors from the disk and remove it
• Fasten the new one in place with the two screws and connect the two cables
• Replace the lid
• Power up up the recorder. It will start bleeping to warn you the disk is not ready. If there's a prompt on the screen to 'initialise' the drive, click 'OK'. Otherwise go into Configuration > Storage > Storage Management put a tick in the box to the left of the listed drive and click initialise
• Job done

2 - Hik do a doorbell that can be added to your network directly (KV6113-WPE1(c)) and that can be recorded by your NVR if there's a spare channel. The doorbell connects to the network not the PoE ports of the NVR.

3 - No

4 - Depending on the NVR and camera models, it might be worth replacing the NVR. I'd need to know the model numbers of both cameras and NVR to advise

FYI. £ 336 is not a great deal to pay for a replacement NVR with disk fitted.

 

[David]

@Magz 7600 series NVR disk install on YouTube

David

 

[cymruchris]

Hi

I am new here and after some advice please.

A local company installed for us 2x Hik 4MP 2.8mm cameras with a 4ch Hik NVR back in 2020.
It's now stopped recording and they have said it looks like a failed hard drive, and are quoting £336 for a new NVR.
We paid £700 for all of this and to fork almost half again 3.5 years on isn't what we want.

We are trying to work out what the most cost effective option is to proceed.
We want a video doorbell to hook up to the cameras too.

So our questions would be:

1. should NVRs last longer than 3.5 years?
2. are there video doorbells that could be compatible with our cameras?
3. do we cut our losses and just go for a cheaper set up and replace the cameras?
4. or do we buy another NVR and still use the cameras that we have?

Any advice (in non technical speak would) be appreciated. Thank you in advance....

If they're saying it's likely the hard drive - a good company would quote for a replacement drive - not a replacement NVR. A decent surveillance drive can be had for under a £100 depending on capacity - and as above is really easy to replace and format, as long as you have the relevant admin password to get into the menus (which I'm sure you've got).

 

[JB1970]

If they're saying it's likely the hard drive - a good company would quote for a replacement drive - not a replacement NVR. A decent surveillance drive can be had for under a £100 depending on capacity - and as above is really easy to replace and format, as long as you have the relevant admin password to get into the menus (which I'm sure you've got).

Yeah the bit we don't know though is the model of NVR and cameras that were installed back in 2020. As the disk (depending on capacity) can be a fair chunk of the overall price (depending on model), I'd usually consider what developments there have been since the original installation. If you can offer something such as AcuSense on a newer NVR to 'smarten up' older cameras, that could prove good value to the customer.

 

[cymruchris]

Yeah the bit we don't know though is the model of NVR and cameras that were installed back in 2020. As the disk (depending on capacity) can be a fair chunk of the overall price (depending on model), I'd usually consider what developments there have been since the original installation. If you can offer something such as AcuSense on a newer NVR to 'smarten up' older cameras, that could prove good value to the customer.

I agree you might offer it as an option, and say well this is better and that's changed - but with surveillance HDD's from top brands being in the £70-80 range being available - I'd offer that as the first option, while mentioning the potential to upgrade. What I wouldn't do is go straight in with - 'well what you've got is knackered so here - have this new NVR for another £400. (And to be fair - the HDD on hikvision NVR's is generally very easy to swap-out)