HiLook on PC

[Artman]

I have a HiLook NVR and good single camera which is fine for me to keep an eye on my driveway. I have set it up so I can view it on my iPhone and iPod from anywhere in the world which works well but I am having problems setting it up to view on my PC which I would like to do.

Can anyone help please with where I may be able to find clear instructions on how I can view my HiLook NVR/Camera on my PC?

 

[Dan]

Hi @Artman

If you look in the download section of the HiLook page on Hikvision's website you will see the PC HiLookVision software.

This should let you view the camera on a PC and also if you know the IP address of the camera and/or NVR (which you should be able to find using the HiLook software if you don't know it) you should be able to just enter that into Internet Explorer and login to the camera/NVR.

 

[Artman]

Thank you. That software does not look at all user friendly (maybe only to techies) and as an observation it seems to me that if the HiLook system was meant to be an introduction to their CCTV, Hikvision could have made it a lot easier to use - reflected I guess by the feedback Hikvision (and Swann) get on Trustpilot. Maybe there is still a gap in the market for a company so set up a CCTV system specifically for home installers with easier interfaces and full helpful, support. I am away from my home office at this time so guess I will have to wait until I am back to get the IP address of my NVR etc. Microsoft seem to be doing everything they can to move people away from using Internet Explorer to use Edge these days which I assume works the same.

 

[macman]

Take your point but even basic networking stuff can look daunting and all CCTV cameras have to be wrapped in passwords to ensure that they can't be hacked. On top of that, there are lots of settings to configure for every camera if you want to record events. Even the most basic of consumer cameras such as Reolink can seem complicated to set up and view.

It's possible that one of the free "lite" CCTV tools for Windows would suit you better, some of which are supposedly very easy to use. There's a selection here. But you will need to know at least your camera's password and IP address.

 

[Artman]

Thanks. As I said above my needs are in fact rather simple - just one good camera and and a small NVR as I have very little room for the footprint. Its mainly to discourage people fly tipping on my property. I thought the HiLook system would be fine and it has been working well. At the moment I am having problems accessing it on my PC as it will not accept my Username or Password and I'm not sure which one is the problem (I guess I have not had reason to use them before). I am in touch with Hikvision who are asking me to download SADP stuff, QR codes, devices protocols etc. etc - unfortunately that all leaves me cold, should life be this complicated! I did have had a quick look at your suggestion for Windows Lite camera (never knew about that) but I really need a system I can also view on my iPhone/iPad etc. Anyway I do appreciate the feedback.

 

[macman]

SADPTool at least is worth downloading from Hikvision's support website. It's a small utility which, when opened, will list all your IP devices with their IP address, serial number and firmware (software) version , which are worth noting down and keeping safe. It can also be used to modify some of your camera's key parameters.

But if you already know your camera's IP address and password, it should be plain sailing. I'm guessing that the HiLookVision software asks you to create a password - just for the software - the first time you launch it. After that it will ask for that password every time you open it - unless you dig into the settings and instruct it to Auto-login.

So you should probably have a password for the camera, a password for the software and a password for Hik-Connect if that is what you are using on your phone. Note them down and keep them somewhere you can easily find them again.

Once you have got the software open, you presumably may have to add your camera to it (unless it auto-scans for your devices). In the Device Configuration tab (if that's what they call it), click the Add button and enter the camera's IP address and password. You may then have to hit another button to Activate the camera. Then go to the Live View tab, find your camera in the sidebar and click on it (or drag it into the viewing window). You will hopefully then have what you desire.

 

[Artman]

Update: Finally I can view my camera on my PC with much help from Hikvision support to reset an allusive password. After many tries it involved re-booting the NVR then QR and Excel codes, installing plugins, moving encryptions and then finally having to install Internet Explorer (as Dan advised above) - which I thought was extinct! I found the whole procedure rather clunky, time consuming and old fashioned and noted Hikvision have not updated the relevant software for at least a couple of years. Maybe as I, they can see the competition coming from Ring and Nest which give quite amazing results for home installers - as witnessed by a friend's Nest system that showed in fine detail his brand new Range Rover being driven away by thieves a couple of nights ago. Anyway many thanks for the input.

 

[macman]

Good news. The consumer-level suppliers like Ring, Nest and Reolink are all about ease of set-up which is important for a lot of newbies. But they don't offer as many security features as Hikvision and their cameras are inferior (leaving aside the awful Hikvision video intercom). They also sucker you into cloud services with everlasting charges. And they aren't even cheap!

 

[Artman]

Point taken and understood. However do home users really need so much security? I have just one camera focused on my front yard and anyone who is tired of watching paint dry is very welcome to watch it for a change - and see the foxes coming and going and the spiders blocking the lens etc. I may incidentally add a number plate recognition camera to the set up.

 

[macman]

I think the clue is that you won't find many/any Ring/Nest devices being installed in commercial premises where robbery, pilfering, accidents, arson, skiving, Covid etc are everyday occurrences. I don't think Ring/Nest even offer an optical zoom - in which case they are a poor choice for most CCTV scenarios.

 

[Cav]

Hi, I have a similar problem and have down loaded the soft ware as Dan kindly suggested. I've got onto the page for the CCTV (have got a username and password) but when I go on to where the camera views would be, they are blank and I don't know how to get it to find my cameras. can someone please explain (in layman's terms!) how to do it, please?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Artman]

Sorry I cant be much help but you saw my solution above. Most Hikvision 'helps' will only help installers and basically don't want to know about end users. However I did find one, I think In N. Ireland, who did help and in fact I ended up giving them access to my PC and the fixed the issue quickly. I am afraid I do not have the contact details any longer but if no one on the Forum can help keep Googling Hikvision Help and you should find them. Good luck.