Dahua Intrusion Analytics And VMD Tested (Poorly)

By IPVM Team, Published May 21, 2018, 11:19am EDT

Dahua ships basic analytics on practically all their cameras, ranging from low cost to high end. To see how these analytics work in real world scenes, we tested multiple cameras indoors and out, varying in resolution, field of view, and form factor:

  • Dahua N25BB5Z 1080p Bullet
  • Dahua N52BM3Z 5MP Dome
  • Dahua N84BG44 4K Dome

Inside, we examine:

  • False negatives
    False positives
  • False alerts - where and how many
  • Indoor performance
  • Outdoor performance
  • Detection range / PPF thresholds
  • Configuration recommendations
  • VMS integration

Readers should also see our recent tests of Axis VMD4 and Hikvision Camera Analytics.

*******

*****'* ********* ********* ******** from *** *********** ****** detection ****** *** **** in *********** *********:

  • ****** ******** *******:** *** ****** *******, cameras ********** ****** ******** moving ******* *****/******** ****** spaces ** ***** ***** (~15' *** ******).
  • ******** *** *** ********:** ******* *****, ******* failed ** ***** ** subjects **** ~**' ********, despite ************ *** ******** the ****** ******** ** ~100'+. 

************, ****** ********** *** not ** *******/********** ** increasing *********** ** ***** thresholds **** ** **** competitive *******, ******* *****'* intrusion ********* **** ******** commonly **** ** ***** manufacturers, **** ** ******* dwell **** ** ***********, including **** ******* *** maximum **** ********.

** *** ******** ****, indoors, *** ******* *** not ****** **** ****** false ****** **** ** light *******, *******, ** reflections, *** **** *** triggered ** ******* ********, foliage, ** ******* ****** outdoors.

*******, ********, ***** ******* in *** ********** *** heavy ****/******** ** ****/****** housings ********* **** ***** alerts. 

*******, **** **** ***** analytics ********** **** ********* XProtect *** *** **** Avigilon, *****, *******, ** NxWitness, ****** **** ******** to *** *** ******** of ***** ***** *** users.

Vs. ***** ***

*****'* ****** *** **** not ****** **** *** missed ********* ****** ** their ********* *********, *** generates **** **** ***** alerts. ***** *** ********* analytic ******* ******* ******* and ***** *** ******* objects ** *** **********, VMD ********* **** ************ on *** ** ***** sources, **** **** *********** and ********* ********** **** adjusted.

 

************/*************

********* ********* ** ********* on *** ******* ***** ****** camera, ** ** ******* tripwire. **** **** ******** rules (*** ******) **** ** object ****/******* ********* ** ****** end *****.

** ****** *********, ***** first **** **** *** on, ***** ** *** "Smart ****" **** ** the ******'* *** *********. Some ****** ******* ******** modes, **** ** **** detection ** **** *******, which *** *** ** run ************** **** ***.

****, ***** *** *** Intrusion **** *** *** IVS ****, *** **** * region ** ********, ***** below.below.

 

Minimal ************* *******

***** ********* ********* *** a ******* ****** ** options *** **********, **** no ****** ** ****** dwell **** ** ***********, the **** ** **** with ***** *** ***** specified **** *** *** minimum/maximum **** **** *** be ******* ** ** optimize *** *** *****. The ********* ***** ********** the ******** ********* *** optimizing ********* *********.

  

Missed ********* ******* 

** ******** ** ***** missed ******, *** ********* analytic ***** ****** ******** in ****** ******. ** the ******* *****, *** subject ******, ******* ***********, but *** ********** ** an ****** *** ~*-* seconds, *** ********** ******. This ***** *** **** prevalent ** *** *** camera, *** ******** ** all ******.

Missed ********** ********: ******** *** *** ********

** *** *****, *** cameras ****** ** ******** track ******** ** **** longer ******/***** *** ****** than **** ******* **. For *******, *** ******* is ******* *********** **** a ***** ******** *** in *** ****** ***** and ******* *********** *** to ~*-** ***, *** alarming **** ** *-** higher *** (**-**). 

***** **** ******* *** not **** *** *************** on *** ** ******* this ** ******* ** may *****.

 

Indoor: *** ***** ******

** ****** ******, *** cameras *** *** ***** on ******* ***** ******* (shown *****) ****** ** ***** intrusion ******** *******.

************, ****** ******* ** in ***** *****, *******, and reflections, ***** **** ****** triggers ** ***** ************* analytics, did *** ******* ** alarm.

Outdoor ***********

********, ****** ***** ***** sources **** ** ******* branches *** ******* *** not ******* *** ***** Intrusion ********.

*** **** ****** ****** of ***** ****** *** small ******* ** *** foreground ** *** *****. These ****** **** ** ********** reduced, *** *** **********, by ********** ******* ****** size ******* *********** ****** on ********* ***** *** to *** ******** ****** discussed *****.

 

*******, ** **** ***** analytic *******, ******** ** the *******' ***** ****** rainfall rainfall **** * ********, and ****** ******** ****** until ******** *** ** drying.

Detection ***** ******* *** *** *******

********* ***** *** *** Dahua ****** ****** *** ~40' ****** * ~**° angle ** ****, ********** of **********. ***** *** **** similar ****** ** *** three ** ***** ****** despite ****** ******* ***, it ******* **** ***** is ********* * ******* 1080p ** *** ******, regardless ** **********. 

*** ****** ***** ** the *******' ********* *********** are ***** *****:

  • ***** ******* (***** **:*): ~**' FoV/~20 ***
  • ***** ******* (*** *:*):  ~87' *** *****/~** ***
  • ***** ******* (** **:*): ~95' *** /~** ***

Tech ******* ***************

****** *******, ** ***** Dahua **** ******* ***** recommendation *** ********* *****. They *********** ****** **** the "*******" *** ** toggled ** *** *** rest *** ** ********. These ******** *** ****** to ****** ***** ****** or ******* ********* *****, but ** ** ****, there *** *** ******** changes ** ********* ** Dahua's ********* ** *** have **** ******** ***** in ***** *********.

Limited *** ***********

*****'* ********* *** *** integrate **** ********, *****, Genetec, ** *********. ********* events ****** *** *** integrate ** *** ***.

****** **** ******** ******** using ********* ********, **** intrusion *** ***** ***** captured ** *** ***.***** ******** ******** ************ on *** ** ********* their ********* ** ********* on ***** ****, ** well. 

Dahua ***** *** ***********

*****'* ********* ********* ********* with ***** *** ***** PSS ********, **** ******** boxes *********, ****** ************* displayed ** ** ***** list, *** ****** ********** playback ***** ** *** triggering *****. ***** *** also ******-***** *** ***** for ******** *****.

********

 *** ********* ******** ******** were **** ** **** test:

  • ***** *******: *.*.**.*******.**.*
  • ***** *******: *.*.**.*******.**.*
  • ***** *******: *.*.**.*******.**.*

Comments (13)

Undisclosed Integrator #1

05/21/18 04:07pm

Totally agree with this report. The IVS configuration options are confusing and hard to set and fine tune. No one at Dahua could tell us what they all actually mean fully and the manual mentions IVS but that's about it.

Also on the notification side Dahua has serious issues in their implementation of smtp email. So even if you detect something you have difficulty setting it up to tell you about it! We have to almost trick it into working... 

Another thing we have found is the way the emails are sent you seem to get a flurry of emails on the IVS event and a random stop email. There is no way to switch this stop email off. If you were remotely monitoring using this you could increase false alarms unless you configure the software to ignore these stop emails.

Shame it's so nearly there..

Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

05/21/18 06:00pm

I tested several Dahua cameras and I have more less same experience as you. I must say that for the price Dahua is selling the cameras it is not that bad.

I must add that I had a lot of false alarms when I was testing it in medium - heavy fog environment. While creating crossing beam rules any object call the alarm ... even the football ball from the neighbors create alarm.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

05/21/18 07:52pm

I assume the Missed Detections Outdoors is not triggering an alarm because in environments not as quiet and clean as yours this would cause tons of false alarms by distant movement.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #3 | 05/21/18 08:42pm

But wouldn't you want to give the user the option to trigger on those distant objects? Isn't that what include/exclude zones are for?

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

In reply to Ethan Ace | 05/21/18 08:49pm

I assume they might don't want to let the user the option because if they would there is a good chance for many of those customers it will just cause false alarms.

It's a preventive measurement sometimes, so they show you they "can" detect but won't trigger an alarm but as long as it won't get close it won't.

Itamar Kerbel

05/22/18 07:28am

It seems that both HV and Dahua are struggling with analytics.

Why don't they just buy an analytics company?

Since Avigilon is not an option anymore there are smaller companies that they can buy cheaply.

Coming out with this quality products doesn't help their name...

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Itamar Kerbel | 05/22/18 10:29am

Itamar,

Do you mean the same company who ran this marketing 2 months ago? :)

The optimistic case for Dahua is that this is their old analytics and the new 'AI' ones are going to be great. The pessimistic case for Dahua is that if they cannot even do intrusion analytics remotely accurately, it is hard to imagine they are now AI experts.

As for buying an analytics company, they could obviously easily afford it, though how they would integrate those analytics in (both product and R&D team) and what cost that would incure on the product side, I wonder.

Related, @ethan, please tear down one of those Dahua cameras. In particular, check what the SOC is. I am curious how much computing limitations is impacting Dahua's accuracy.

Itamar Kerbel

In reply to John Honovich | 05/22/18 11:56am

I guess you are right.

There are probably things that I'm not taking into consideration.

But I would still want to come out with an expensive product that works and not a cheap one that does not...

Robert Shih

Independent
In reply to John Honovich | 05/22/18 01:24pm

Well, IVS is technically old news with Dahua, so we can assume that new versions of the functions are coming in.

Also, new firmware versions on the NVR5XXX-4KS2 suggests human body detection and the facial recognition database being integrated as well as ANPR functions.

Slava H

In reply to Robert Shih | 05/24/18 08:41pm

Would love to see this tested as well. Especially facial recognition.

Avatar

Todd Privette

WFS | 11/19/19 06:51am

Like to see some updates on this, so far I love what can be done with IVS.
I have now deployed several systems on personal properties and construction sites, and have been super happy with the additional features from IVS.

Now you can compete with ring cameras lol

Basically you now have push notifications to the pro app and the customer can turn on or off notifications per camera!

No real training with this just had some customers who insisted I make the false alarms work, and now feel this IVS stuff can help in meany ways on a cheaper camera system for small business and homes.

Hope to hear what you guys have seen in the last year.

Avatar

Rob Kilpatrick

IPVM | IPVMU Certified | 11/26/19 05:26am

Todd, I took a look at Dahua IVS and I am not seeing any difference, what specifically have you seen with performance that is different from our testing?

Avatar

Todd Privette

WFS | In reply to Rob Kilpatrick | 11/26/19 07:17am

Rob, glad you asked haha, Well, truthfully the systems have been selling is ICRealtime, and I thought it was a Dahua OEM, actually not sure who makes them for ICR. But they aren’t HV.

I noticed the bosch and Dahua app works on ICR. But the ICRSS app may be the key to this...

So the way i sell them is 3 ways and variants.

1. their AVS cameras with the HDVR has the IVS in the dVR.
and it works just like the rest of the functions like 24/7 or schedule, motion, alarm, IVS or a mix of any.

2. IP cameras with built in IVS and a NVR. Same functions as AVS.

3. And ny new just now testing function is IP cameras with built in IVS and the internal SD card. No ND (Lower cost)

also I have used the ella server setup with hem and well the ella is working but the cost is high, (thats another story)

most important issue that I see in this report is the notification functions.

I found that customers hate getting emails and once the system is configured for it it is a super pain if the customer starts getting multiple notifications with no customer control.

so the ICRSS Pro app cost customer 39.99 once on app store but no additional monthly fee. And with it you can give the customers push notifications of events triggered by IVS settings you configure in the PC or DVR or IP login.

and the other biggie the customer can turn on and off the IVS notifications by camera via the Pro app.

this is where the feature reminds me of Ring door bell. iCR uses AWS not sure why we are not being billed monthly.

But I have only installed a couple HIK vision cameras and no idea if they have a IVS functions or how it works.

also I have only done a few Bosch systems and it seems to me they are just now rolling out their IVS stuff with the dinion 3000 series.

so my experience is limited.

wish I new more of IVS and what the other MFGS call there versions.

I did just sell a Bosch system with the new all in one NAS drive VMS.
but just off the phone today with rep and he said the AIO BVMS has bugs or a glitch and is now on hold for a few more weeks! This customer will flip their lid when I tell them.

think I’m gonna order the cameras and install them then link them with the G9512, to work with the basic Bosch app till the VMS is ready, anyone else using the all in one BVMS system?

I should not drink and chat on this thing, lol.

happy thanksgiving to you guys.

ps- im gonna try and add some pics of the app-

Pc 2

pic 3

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