Hikvision NVR 4.0 Tested

Published Nov 14, 2017 18:01 PM

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.

Summary

Hikvision's NVR 4.0 firmware includes several novel features not found in most recorders, with some rare for even software VMSes:

  • Event thumbnails: Target Detection thumbnails clearly display events as they happen, a feature not found in other low cost NVRs, and a more visible method than typical event lists found in VMSes.
  • Thumbnail search: Users may now easily search for specific event types and select events for playback via thumbnails, while most NVRs/DVRs simply display events in a list with a timestamp.
  • Event playback speed: Video may now be played back at high speed for continuous recording and automatically returned to 1x speed for event video, making review of large segments of video faster while reducing the risk of missing video when watching only event playback.
  • PTZ thumbnail control: Finally, users may control PTZ cameras by clicking thumbnails of PTZ presets, while most NVRs/DVRs/VMS provide only a list of presets.

Drawbacks - Local NVR Interface Only, Need Hikvision Cameras For Full Features

However, while these features are novel, they are limited to the local interface of the NVR only, with no access to them via web interface or iVMS software, which operators are more likely to use.

Additionally, these features are mainly limited to Hikvision cameras only, not ONVIF or third party models, reducing their usefulness to some users.

Compared To Previous Hikvision Versions

The biggest changes from past versions in NVR 4.0 are Target Detection, Event Notifications, and PTZ thumbnails were not included in previous Hikvision NVR user interfaces. Live view previously consisted simply of video layouts, with no event notification aside from icons for motion detection.

Playback lacked thumbnails, fast playback for events, and other features found in NVR 4.0 as well, with an overall more complex UI, with more controls and options visible at once, which may be confusing for some users.

Target Detection Thumbnails On Live View

NVR 4.0 now includes what Hikvision calls "Target Detection" thumbnails, displayed on the left side of the live view. This pane shows thumbnails of events as they happen, including motion detection, intrusion detection, line crossing, and other analytics, as well as vehicle, human, and face detection.

This feature is uncommon on not only NVRs, but software VMSes as well. Some, such as Genetec Security Center and Milestone XProtect, allow a single layout tile or tiles to be used as hotspots for event video, but this requires additional setup not required in NVR 4.0.

Users may click the thumbnail to launch playback of the event. However, there is no link to the full playback timeline, nor are there export options. Users must first switch to playback and then find the specific event or time period in order to play back multiple cameras or export.

Note that this feature only works with Hikvision cameras. The clip below shows a Dahua camera connected via ONVIF (lower right), which registers motion detection, but does not display in the Target Detection list.

Alarm List On Most Screens

Hikvision now includes an "Alarm List" on most screens of the NVR local interface, shown in the top right with an overlaid number of new items. Clicking this drops down a list of events, such as system health errors, motion detection, and analytics. Unlike the Target Detection thumbnails above, users may not launch playback from this list, only review events and mark as read.

Thumbnails

Firmware 4.0 makes specific events easier to find by displaying thumbnails instead of simply a list of clips as in previous versions and most other models. Clicking a thumbnail opens playback video on the timeline. This process is much more similar to VMS motion search than capabilities found in typical low cost recorders.

Fast Video Review

When reviewing video, users may set continuous/non-event video to play back at a faster speed (8x by default), with the NVR switching back to normal 1x speed on event. This makes viewing large stretches of video faster, as continuous recordings may be quickly scanned, but reduces the chance events not flagged as motion/analytics will be missed which is possible when viewing event clips only.

PTZ Control Simplified

Hikvision simplified PTZ control in multiple ways:

  • Click and drag to move: Instead of using on screen controls, users may simply click and drag the mouse to move PTZs. 
  • Preset thumbnails: When assigning preset positions, a thumbnail of the scene is automatically stored, which may be clicked to move the camera. This makes preset control easier than other recorders/past Hikvision models, which generally provide only a list of PTZ presets.

Web Interface Changes

The web interface of NVR 4.0 firmware is essentially the same as previous versions for live, playback, search, and configuration. However, Hikvision has included the ability to enable/disable additional services on the NVR, such as HTTP, RTSP, and discovery by SADP, likely as additional measures to protect against intrusions via unused protocols, similar to Hikvision's disabling ONVIF in camera firmware 5.5.

 

Versus Dahua NVRs

NVR 4.0's additions are a differentiator versus third party recorders, such as Dahua, as well.

Like Hikvision's older models, Dahua NVRs' live view consists only of camera panes, with no event list or target thumbnails found in the NVR 4.0.

Similarly, Dahua's playback/search functionality is limited to timeline playback and simple event search. No thumbnail search or timeline thumbnails are available.

Firmware Used

The following firmware versions were used in this test:

  • Hikvision DS-7608NI-I2/8P: 4.1.10 build 171031
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