Subscriber Discussion

How Can I Use Hikvision IP Cameras And NVR With A MAC?

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Jim Kirk
•Oct 28, 2016

I've interested in learning how I can use a Hikvision IP Cameras and a Hikvision IP NVR with a MAC and I'm seeking some comments on user experiences. 

I'm familiar and I have used the tools that work with Windows (SADP, WebBrowser plugin with Firefox, iVMS-4200) so my first step was to look at the Hikvision USA software web page to what MAC software is available. 

http://www.hikvision.com/us/Tools_82.html

http://www.hikvision.com/us/Tools_84.html

It looks like these two might be it for a MAC:

  1. MAC Web Component For IP Cameras v3.0.5.26
  2. Hikvision iVMS-4200 v1.02.03.02(for 10.11 MAC OS X) (NEW!)

so:

  1. What is your experience in activating a new IP camera with a MAC?  Install iVMS-4200 and use it?  Does iVMS-4200 work well this purpose?

  2. Does the "MAC Web Component For IP Cameras" function as a plug in for SAFARI on the MAC?  Do you just run the install program and it automatically makes SAFARI work when you login to your IP camera?  Can you see live view in MAC Safari with this plug in?
     
  3. Do you configure the camera settings (i.e. events, video, image, etc) using SAFARI (with the MAC Web Component plug installed) or do you configure camera settings using iVMS-4200?

  4. When you use a Hikvision NVR with Windows you can use iVMS-4200 to add the NVR as a device(only 1 device is then added to iVMS-4200, not individual cameras). 

    Adding the NVR as a device lets you see all the cameras that are set up in the NVR.  You can do live viewing by running iVMS-4200 and you can also playback the recorded video on the NVR using iVMS-4200.  When you use this arrangement Hikvision says you must configure all cameras using a web browser not using the NVR built in software.

    As a MAC user is this scheme how you set up your NVR on your MAC?  How's it work?

  5. An alternative way to set up the NVR is to connect the NVR video output directly to your external monitor and use the NVR Operating System software to view and playback events. 

    As a MAC user is this something you have done?  How does it work?
  6. Any help or "how to do this with a MAC link" is appreciated.

Thanks.

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Jim Kirk
•Oct 28, 2016

I found a Hikvision Technical Bulletin on installing the SAFARI plug in for the MAC so I've linked to it to keep useful information in this thread.

http://overseas.hikvision.com/ueditor/net/upload/2015-07-17/92c56ec9-4473-4cae-81ff-064962c7b0f2.pdf

If you installed this plug in how well does it work?

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John Bazyk
•Oct 28, 2016
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified

Hikvision like most surveillance companies Hikvision has neglected Apple computers. I use parallels and run windows 10 on my iMac and use SADP, batch configuration, IVMS all on the windows 10 VM. If you setup the VM right you don't even notice you're running Windows 10.

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Jim Kirk
•Oct 28, 2016

Parallels is certainly one solution and it's good to hear it works with the Windows Hikvision tools.

Other than Parallels does anyone have experience with the MAC Tools Hikvision provides?

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Ethan Ace
•Oct 28, 2016

I actually use Parallels also but I've tried the Mac web component.

It works...kind of...in Safari. It's not 100% stable and sometimes video doesn't load or will stop streaming, but it usually works. How's that for a sparkling review?

I just tried activation with iVMS-4200 for Mac and it works fine. Sometimes you need to close the device window and reopen to apply settings, but overall it's about as expected.

If you can add them all to iVMS, I'd probably do settings changes that way. I'm not 100% sure it has access to every last parameter, though. I think it does.

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