Universal HD Analog Encoder Tested (DW Compressor)

Published Jul 06, 2017 16:08 PM

Digital Watchdog has released the Compressor HD, a "universal" HD analog encoder, with support for AHD, CVI, TVI and SD analog cameras.

We tested the Compressor HD with over a dozen AHD, TVI, and CVI cameras from multiple manufacturers to see how it performed.

Summary

In our tests, the DW Compressor had no issues automatically connecting to AHD, TVI, and SD analog cameras, with no manual configuration required. Additionally, up the coax control of PTZs and OSD menus worked properly for AHD and TVI.

However, CVI support was inconsistent, with 4MP CVI resolution not supported (but not listed in the documentation) and some 1080p CVI models simply not working, displaying only monochrome images with black bars to either side. Additionally, up the coax was not available.

The Compressor is only fully supported in DW Spectrum/Network Optix, with no ONVIF out or third party integrations. RTSP streaming is available and worked without issue in Exacq and Milestone, but motion recording, PTZ control, resolution configuration, etc., and other features are not available. DW say ONVIF may be added later, but has no timeline for this addition.

Finally, many configuration options required using an attached monitor / mouse to the device's local interface and was not available from the web interface. This is notably different from many/most encoders, which often do not have local video outputs at all, and may add an extra step during setup/troubleshooting.

Pricing

The DW-CPUHD16 Compressor has an MSRP of $780 USD. This makes pricing similar to or slightly lower than other HD analog encoders, such as Hikvision's 16-channel DS-6717HQHI [link no longer available] TVI only (no AHD/CVI) encoder (~$800 online).

Physical Overview

The Compressor is physically more similar to a typical DVR than encoder, as it includes HDMI and VGA video outputs not typically found on encoders. This is because a monitor and mouse are required for some key setup functions, such as selecting HD analog format, configuring up the coax controls, and other settings not configurable via the web interface (reviewed below).

The image below shows the front and back of the Compressor:

AHD/TVI/SD Analog No Issues

In our tests, AHD, TVI, and SD analog cameras worked automatically, at full resolution, with no manual configuration required. Cameras were simply plugged into the Compressor. The only configuration needed was Up The Coax control where required.

CVI Compatibility Issues

In contrast to AHD, we had multiple issues with HD-CVI cameras. Three of seven models did not display properly, appearing monochrome only, with black bars to either side of the image when left on "Automatic" transmission selection. When manually set to CVI, images broke up totally.

Both issues are shown here:

DW informs us that Dahua's latest 4MP CVI cameras are not supported unless changed to 1080p mode prior to connection. Additionally, they have seen issues with some CVI cameras, as well, but do not have specific recommendations as to which models do or do not work.

Up The Coax Control

Up the coax control must be turned on manually via the encoder's local interface, located in the "Device" menu. Once turned on, OSD menu functions work as expected on other HD analog equipment, shown below:

Note that up the coax control of CVI cameras is not supported. The option is simply greyed out in setup, unlike AHD/TVI.

Limited Configuration Via Web

Unlike most encoders, users most likely must connect a mouse and monitor to the Compressor for initial setup. Functions such as AHD/TVI/CVI selection, UTC control, and others are not available through the more limited web interface.

In this video we show basic initial configuration via the local interface, including format and UTC selections.

By contrast, the main uses for the web interface are codec and motion detection setup, basic naming/overlay functions, etc.

No ONVIF/Third Party VMS Support

DW only claims support for DW Spectrum (and Nx Witness), with no ONVIF or other third party compatibility. However, the Compressor is discovered by VMSes and ONVIF DM due to a limited ONVIF discovery implementation. For example, ODM is able to view video from all channels:

Exacq discovers the unit as "pravis_dvr", but it cannot be added via their ONVIF driver.

DW says they may add ONVIF support in the future, but does not have a timeline for this addition. Note that as of publication, Digital Watchdog is not an ONVIF member.

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