Hikvision NVR 4.0 Tested

By: Ethan Ace, Published on Nov 14, 2017

Hikvision has released firmware version 4.0 for select NVRs, touting two years of research and development, and claiming "the new generation GUI will allow operators to do a lot more, much more intuitively."

We installed this firmware on a DS-7608NI-I NVR to see how these new "smart" features work, including:

  • Target Detection
  • Event/Alarm Lists
  • Thumbnail Playback
  • Increased Search Speed
  • Simplified PTZ Control

UI differences are noticeable from the start, with users now prompted to draw a pattern to log in, instead of needing to type out an 8+ character password with on screen keyboard:

Inside, we see how NVR 4.0's other changes work, advantages and disadvantages, and how they compare to other low cost NVRs.

********* *** ******** ******** version *.* *** ****** NVRs, ******* *** ***** of ******** *** ***********, and ******** "*** *** generation *** **** ***** operators ** ** * lot ****, **** **** intuitively."

** ********* **** ******** on * **-******-* *** to *** *** ***** new "*****" ******** ****, including:

  • ****** *********
  • *****/***** *****
  • ********* ********
  • ********* ****** *****
  • ********** *** *******

** *********** *** ********** from *** *****, **** users *** ******** ** draw * ******* ** log **, ******* ** needing ** **** *** an *+ ********* ******** with ** ****** ********:

******, ** *** *** NVR *.*'* ***** ******* work, ********** *** *************, and *** **** ******* to ***** *** **** NVRs.

[***************]

*******

*********'* *** *.* ******** includes ******* ***** ******** not ***** ** **** recorders, **** **** **** for **** ******** *****:

  • ***** **********:****** ********* ********** ******* display ****** ** **** happen, * ******* *** found ** ***** *** cost ****, *** * more visible ****** **** ******* event ***** ***** ** VMSes.
  • ********* ******:***** *** *** ****** search *** ******** ***** types *** ****** ****** for ******** *** **********, while **** ****/**** ****** display ****** ** * list **** * *********.
  • ***** ******** *****:***** *** *** ** played **** ** **** speed *** ********** ********* and ************* ******** ** 1x ***** *** ***** video, ****** ****** ** large ******** ** ***** faster ***** ******** *** risk ** ******* ***** when ******** **** ***** playback.
  • *** ********* *******:*******, ***** *** ******* PTZ ******* ** ******** thumbnails ** *** *******, while **** ****/****/*** ******* only * **** ** presets.

Drawbacks - ***** *** ********* ****, **** ********* ******* *** **** ********

*******, ***** ***** ******** are *****, **** *** limited ** *** ***** interface ** *** *** only, **** ** ****** to **** *** *** interface ** **** ********, which operators *** **** ****** to ***.

************, ***** ******** *** mainly ******* ** ********* cameras ****, *** ***** or ***** ***** ******, ******** their ********** ** **** users.

Compared ** ******** ********* ********

*** ******* ******* **** past ******** ** *** 4.0 *** ****** *********, Event *************, *** *** thumbnails **** *** ******** in ******** ********* *** user **********. **** **** previously ********* ****** ** video *******, **** ** event ************ ***** **** icons *** ****** *********.

******** ****** **********, **** playback *** ******, *** other ******** ***** ** NVR *.* ** ****, with ** ******* **** complex **, **** **** controls *** ******* ******* at ****, ***** *** be ********* *** **** users.

Target ********* ********** ** **** ****

*** *.* *** ******** what ********* ***** "****** Detection" **********, ********* ** the **** **** ** the **** ****. **** pane ***** ********** ** events ** **** ******, including ****** *********, ********* detection, **** ********, *** other *********, ** **** as *******, *****, *** face *********.

**** ******* ** ******** on *** **** ****, but ******** ***** ** well. ****, **** ** Genetec ******** ****** *** Milestone ********, ***** * single ****** **** ** tiles ** ** **** as ******** *** ***** video, *** **** ******** additional ***** *** ******** in *** *.*.

***** *** ***** *** thumbnail ** ****** ******** of *** *****. *******, there ** ** **** to *** **** ******** timeline, *** *** ***** export *******. ***** **** first ****** ** ******** and **** **** *** specific ***** ** **** period ** ***** ** play **** ******** ******* or ******.

**** **** **** ******* only ***** **** ********* cameras. *** **** ***** shows * ***** ****** connected *** ***** (***** right), ***** ********* ****** detection, *** **** *** display ** *** ****** Detection ****.

Alarm **** ** **** *******

********* *** ******** ** "Alarm ****" ** **** screens ** *** *** local *********, ***** ** the *** ***** **** an ******** ****** ** new *****. ******** **** drops **** * **** of ******, **** ** system ****** ******, ****** detection, *** *********. ****** the ****** ********* ********** above, ***** *** *** launch ******** **** **** list, **** ****** ****** and **** ** ****.

**********

******** *.* ***** ******** events ****** ** **** by ********** ********** ******* of ****** * **** of ***** ** ** previous ******** *** **** other ******. ******** * thumbnail ***** ******** ***** on *** ********. **** process ** **** **** similar ** *** ****** search **** ************ ***** in ******* *** **** recorders.

Fast ***** ******

**** ********* *****, ***** may *** **********/***-***** ***** to **** **** ** a ****** ***** (** by *******), **** *** NVR ********* **** ** normal ** ***** ** event. **** ***** ******* large ********* ** ***** faster, ** ********** ********** may ** ******* *******, *** reduces *** ****** ****** not ******* ** ******/********* will ** ****** ***** is ******** **** ******* event ***** ****.

PTZ Control **********

********* ********** *** ******* in ******** ****:

  • ***** *** **** ** move:******* ** ***** ** screen ********, ***** *** simply ***** *** **** the ***** ** **** PTZs. 
  • ****** **********:**** ********* ****** *********, a ********* ** *** scene ** ************* ******, which *** ** ******* to **** *** ******. This ***** ****** ******* easier **** ***** *********/**** Hikvision ******, ***** ********* provide **** * **** of *** *******.

Web ********* *******

*** *** ********* ** NVR *.* ******** ** essentially *** **** ** previous ******** *** ****, playback, ******, *** *************. *******, Hikvision *** ******** *** ability ** ******/******* ********** services ** *** ***, such ** ****, ****, and ********* ** ****, likely ** ********** ******** to ******* ******* ********** via ****** *********, ******* to *********'********** ***** ** ****** firmware *.*.

 

Versus ***** ****

*** *.*'* ********* *** a ************** ****** ***** party *********, **** ** Dahua, ** ****.

**** *********'* ***** ******, Dahua ****' **** **** consists **** ** ****** panes, **** ** ***** list ** ****** ********** found ** *** *** 4.0.

*********, *****'* ********/****** ************* is ******* ** ******** playback *** ****** ***** search. ** ********* ****** or ******** ********** *** available.

Firmware ****

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

  • ********* **-******-**/**:*.*.** ***** ******

Comments (17)

Avatar

Sean Nelson

Nelly's Security | 11/14/17 09:02pm

This is why its great to be a Hikvision partner right now. Proactive design features will always keep Hikvision ahead of the game. Not only that, it comes at a fair price.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Sean Nelson | 11/14/17 10:50pm

This is why its great to be a Hikvision partner right now.

And the more Hik partners sign on, the more each one makes, amiright?

Marty Calhoun

IPVMU Certified | 11/14/17 09:17pm

Hikvision yesterday, Hikvision tomorrow, the train keeps rolling.......

Avatar

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC | 11/15/17 12:02am

I will reserve judgment until I get my hands on one, but I applaud the out of the box effort. What they need to do is make it simple to playback and export. If the 4.0 accomplishes this, then we could sell a lot more of them. 

Undisclosed Integrator #2

11/15/17 05:01am

To be honest, nothing of the new stuff will impress me before I see an improvement in stability and efficiency. The fact that most hikvision nvrs I have had to operate started lagging while playing back more than one camera at a time, and freezing, crashing and restarting during export,  makes any additional features just something else that can go wrong. And timestamps need to be burnt in by the cameras, to get a timestamp while playing back in the exported player. When I exported video from a camera where the time was not burned in, the only clue to the time and date of the video, was that the timestamp was part of the filename.

I really hope these problems have been addressed in this new firmware. If not, I will have the usual time consuming nightmare of a job, the next time some cop come asking for an hour of video on all cameras.

Avatar

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2 | 11/15/17 12:07pm

All of the Hikvision cameras I have used had the time, date, and channel number on by default. Maybe someone turned yours off at some point?

Undisclosed Integrator #2

In reply to Jon Dillabaugh | 11/15/17 12:43pm

Not my systems. I suspect some are not hikvision cameras. I'm just the guy they call when they need help exporting video.

But having the time burnt inn should be unnecessary. No need for evidence to be covered up by writing, as metadata can be overlaid while playing back the video. And do the cameras have battery backed up clocks? What happens after a power outage? The times on the cameras was not synced perfectly, so I guess there is no ntp server in the nvr. I do not really like this approach to storage. I like more to have the storage server keep the time. 

Avatar

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2 | 11/15/17 12:45pm

Yes they do have a battery inside Hikvision cameras. You should also setup NTP service on the recorder which will keep everything synced timewise. 

Undisclosed Integrator #2

In reply to Jon Dillabaugh | 11/15/17 01:03pm

I'll ask them to do that.

Undisclosed Integrator #3

11/15/17 11:58am

Is this vaporware? A google search references this article, and a visit to Hikvision.com's website (support/download/firmware) shows no mention of 4.0 download availability, even for the tested box mentioned.  DA_7608NI-I2/8P.

 http://www.hikvision.com/us/download_firm.aspx?stat=1&c_kind=34&c_kind2=36&c_kind3=10710&c_kind4=10726&c_kind5=10732

 

 

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #3 | 11/15/17 12:04pm

Is this vaporware?

Sure, but you gotta give Ethan credit for a helluva realistic forgery...

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #3 | 11/15/17 12:20pm

#3, check the Hikvision world site - firmware located here. You should check with Hikvision USA about their support/timetable to release.

Undisclosed Integrator #3

In reply to John Honovich | 11/15/17 12:37pm

Thanks John, why is HIK-US always so far behind the rest of the world?

Avatar

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #3 | 11/15/17 12:38pm

It’s that whole date/time line in the Pacific thing....

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #3 | 11/15/17 12:39pm

I know they carefully examine/review products but what else is going on internally, I couldn't speculate.

I do think Europe and North America need to better coordinate because there are a lot of people who just go to the European site anyway.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to John Honovich | 11/15/17 12:42pm

Also to add, Hikvision USA has said in the past that they do not recommend downloading/using non-USA firmware since there can be variations between the two versions.

Avatar

John Bazyk

Command Corporation | IPVMU Certified | 11/16/17 02:46pm

We moved away from DVR/NVRs about 18 months ago in general mostly due to clunky interfaces. This seems like a huge improvement. While I have my reservations regarding hikvision, in general, I can't deny that they seem to be trying harder than anyone to make their UI's user-friendly. I've looked at dozens of VMS companies over the last few years and many of them aren't close to looking this clean. It's unlikely at this point we will go back anytime soon to using NVR/DVRs but we will see. 

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