Digital Video Recorder
EN INSTRUCTION MANUAL

1
Important Information
FCC Verification
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the
following measures:
•
Make sure product is fixed correctly and stable if fastened in place
•
Do not operate if wires and terminals are exposed
•
Do not cover vents on the side or back of the DVR and allow adequate space for ventilation
•
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
•
Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver
•
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected
•
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help
These devices comply with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
•
These devices may not cause harmful interference, and
•
These devices must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
The default, all-access username is ‘admin’, the default password is ‘12345’.
To ensure your ongoing privacy, we strongly recommend setting a password as soon as possible
Choose something that you’ll remember, but that others would be unlikely to guess.
IMPORTANT NOTICE - Do NOT lose or forget your password. To ensure that your
DVR has the best security possible, password recovery has been designed to be a
complicated and time consuming process. Only a select number of staff at the Swann
Technical Support Telephone Helpdesk can assist. Password retrieval can take several
days, which means you will NOT be able to access your DVR during this time.
IMPORTANT NOTE
BATTERY INFORMATION
All jurisdictions have specific laws and regulations relating to the use of cameras. Before using
any camera for any purpose, it is the buyer’s responsibility to be aware of all applicable laws and
regulations that prohibit or limit the use of cameras and to comply with the applicable laws and
regulations.
This product contains a removable battery. If you need to replace or dispose of the internal battery.
FCC Regulation (for USA): Prohibition against eavesdropping
Except for the operations of law enforcement officers conducted under lawful authority, no person
shall use, either directly or indirectly, a device operated pursuant to the provisions of this Part for the
purpose of overhearing or recording the private conversations of others unless such use is authorized
by all of the parties engaging in the conversation.
WARNING
Modifications not approved by the party responsible for compliance could void user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
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DEFAULT PASSWORD INFORMATION
Important Information
The battery is located on the mainboard of the DVR. It is a primary lithium CR2032 button cell.
To access, remove and/or replace the battery:
•
Ensure the DVR is turned OFF. NEVER open the DVR’s case while power is connected.
•
Remove the five screws holding the cover on the DVR.
•
If replacing the battery, ensure that it is an exact match for size, type and capacity.
•
Be sure to safely dispose of the battery. The process for battery disposal/recycling varies from
location to location, please check with the relevant local authority for method.
BATTERY SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
•
Do NOT attempt to open, puncture, disassemble or modify the battery in any way.
•
Do NOT subject it to sudden shock or heat.
•
Do NOT dispose of battery in fire.
Contents
Important Information............................................................................................2
Contents...................................................................................................................3
1 Getting Started............................................................................................... 5
Turning on the DVR..................................................................................................5
Shutting Down the DVR...........................................................................................5
Using the Mouse......................................................................................................5
2 The Live View Screen..................................................................................... 6
Status Icons.............................................................................................................6
Channel Toolbar......................................................................................................7
Mouse Menu............................................................................................................7
3 The Main Menu................................................................................................ 8
4 The Playback Menu......................................................................................... 9
Overview of the Playback Interface........................................................................9
Using the Video Playback Control Panel................................................................10
Smart Search..........................................................................................................11
5 The Export Menu............................................................................................ 12
Normal.....................................................................................................................12
How to export recordings to a USB storage device?...................................12
Event........................................................................................................................13
How to export motion detection recordings to a USB storage device?......13
6 The Manual Menu........................................................................................... 14
Record......................................................................................................................14
Manual Video Quality Diagnostics..........................................................................14
7 The HDD Menu................................................................................................ 15
General....................................................................................................................15
How to add a NAS device or IP SAN?...........................................................15
Advanced.................................................................................................................16
How to set a HDD quota for a camera?........................................................16
8 The Record Menu............................................................................................ 17
Schedule..................................................................................................................17
How to change the camera’s recording schedule?.....................................17
Parameters..............................................................................................................18
Record Tab....................................................................................................18
Substream Tab..............................................................................................19
Advanced.................................................................................................................20
Holiday.....................................................................................................................20
9 The Camera Menu.......................................................................................... 21
OSD..........................................................................................................................21
Image.......................................................................................................................22
Motion......................................................................................................................23
How to set up the motion detection area?...................................................23
Privacy Mask...........................................................................................................24
Video Tampering......................................................................................................24
Video Loss................................................................................................................25
Video Quality Diagnostics........................................................................................25
10 The Configuration Menu............................................................................... 26
General....................................................................................................................26
General Tab...................................................................................................26
DST Settings Tab...........................................................................................27
More Settings Tab.........................................................................................27
Network...................................................................................................................28
Extranet Access Tab.....................................................................................28
General Tab...................................................................................................29
PPOE Tab.......................................................................................................30
NTP Tab ........................................................................................................30
Email Tab.......................................................................................................31
SNMP Tab......................................................................................................32
NAT Tab.........................................................................................................33
Other Settings Tab........................................................................................34
Live View..................................................................................................................35
General Tab...................................................................................................35
View Tab........................................................................................................35
Contents
3
Contents
Exceptions...............................................................................................................36
User..........................................................................................................................37
11 The Maintenance Menu................................................................................. 38
System Information.................................................................................................38
Device Tab.....................................................................................................38
Camera Tab...................................................................................................38
Record Tab....................................................................................................39
Network Tab..................................................................................................39
HDD Tab........................................................................................................40
Log Information.......................................................................................................40
Log Search Tab.............................................................................................40
How to search for specific system information logs?.................................40
How to export system information logs?.....................................................41
Log Export Tab..............................................................................................41
Import/Export.........................................................................................................42
How to export your current configuration file?...........................................42
How to import a configuration file?..............................................................42
Upgrade...................................................................................................................43
Local Upgrade Tab........................................................................................43
How to upgrade DVR firmware using a USB device?..................................43
FTP Tab.........................................................................................................43
How to upgrade DVR firmware by FTP?......................................................43
Default.....................................................................................................................44
Net Detect................................................................................................................44
HDD Detect..............................................................................................................45
S.M.A.R.T. Settings Tab.................................................................................45
Bad Sector Detection Tab.............................................................................45
12 Troubleshooting............................................................................................ 46
13 Warranty Information................................................................................... 48
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Contents
1
Getting Started
Turning on the DVR
Using the Mouse
The DVR starts automatically whenever it is supplied power via the
connected power adapter.
The easiest way to operate the DVR is to use the included USB optical mouse
- we put together the look and feel of the menu system specifically for
mouse-friendly navigation.
Shutting Down the DVR
If you intend to turn off the DVR, we recommend doing it through the
Shutdown menu. This helps to ensure the integrity of the data on the hard
drive. You can also logout or restart the DVR via the Shutdown menu. Simply
right-click on the Live View Screen > select Menu > select Shutdown and
then select your desired option as shown below.
Description
Left Button
Single-click to:
• Select an item or confirm a choice
• Select channel and show the Quick Camera Toolbar
Double-click to:
• Switch between single and multiviews in live view
Right
Button
Scroll
Wheel
Display mouse menu in live view
Exit current menu screen and return to main menu/live
view.
• Display previous/next video channel in live view
(single channel display only)
• Select previous/next item in mouse menu.
Note: Wireless mice and Bluetooth devices are NOT compatible with the DVR.
Use the USB optical mouse supplied.
Getting Started
5
2
The Live View Screen
After you have completed the initial setup of your Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
through the Setup Wizard, whenever you power on your DVR, the first thing you’ll see
is the Live View screen. Live View is the default display mode of the DVR. It is where
you can watch live images from your cameras and do things on your DVR.
Status Icons
Read this chapter to learn about the Live View status icons and how to control and
manage your DVR using the channel toolbar and mouse menu.
The following table describes what the icons represent:
Status icons appear when something is happening on the channel screen. At a
glance, you can quickly get useful information on your DVR and cameras’ status.
Icon
Description
Indicates that an alarm event such as motion detection, video loss or
tampering has occurred.
Indicates that the DVR is is currently recording video from this
camera. This icon will be the same whether the recording was
scheduled, initiated manually or triggered by motion (though the
Alarm Bell icon will also be present if there’s motion detected).
(Optional - Event Hint setting must be enabled in the “Exceptions”
screen in the Configuration menu.)
Indicates that an alarm event or exception has occurred. Click the
icon to access the Alarm/Exception Information log where you can
find specific details about the event.
Indicates that the channel displaying this has lost the feed from
the corresponding camera. This may be caused by a disconnected/
damaged cable, the camera may have lost power or the camera may
have been de-registered from the channel. This also appears if you
do not have a camera connected to the channel.
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The Live View Screen
Channel Toolbar
Mouse Menu
The Channel Toolbar is a ‘shortcut’ to commonly used DVR functions which you can
use to operate a particular channel. Whether you want to playback recordings, zoom
in on the image or just adjust the camera’s image settings, the Channel Toolbar is a
quick and convenient way to keep up with what’s happening on your cameras.
The Mouse Menu lets you adjust the channel display format, start recording
instantly, watch recorded videos from the current day, and more. It is also where
you can access the DVR’s Main Menu to configure and manage settings for many of
the DVR functionalities.
To open the Channel Toolbar, simply left-click on the channel you would like to
operate.
To display the Mouse Menu,
right-click on the Live View
screen.
1
2
3
4
Button
5
Description
6
Recording: Start or stop live recording.
7
8
Instant Playback: Playback the last 5 minutes of recorded video.
9
10
Audio On: Enable or disable live audio.
11
PTZ Control (This function is model-dependent): Display the control
panel to operate a PTZ camera that’s connected and configured
correctly with the DVR.
1
Open the Main Menu
Digital Zoom: Enter Digital Zoom mode. Use the PIP (Picture-inPicture) screen at the bottom right corner to select a different area
to zoom in. You can also click and drag to draw a particular area to
zoom in.
2
Open a single channel for viewing in full-screen mode. The slide-out menu
contains a list of channels to choose from.
3
Select a multi-screen viewing option, where you’ll be able to see multiple video
feeds at once.
4
Display the previous set of channel(s).
5
Display the next set of channel(s).
6
Turn on sequence mode to automatically switch view between channels at
specific intervals (also known as Dwell Time).
7
Begin Normal or Motion Detection recording on all channels immediately,
regardless of the current recording schedule.
8
Allows you to set the video output mode to one of the following - Standard,
Bright, Gentle or Vivid.
9
Playback all recordings of the current day from the selected channel.
10
Display the “PTZ Control Panel” (this function is model-dependent.)
11
Stop the beeping of the current audible warning.
Image Settings: Make adjustments such as brightness, contrast,
saturation, hue , sharpness and denoising, to how image coming
from your camera appears on the screen, or select from one of the
preset image modes.
Close the toolbar.
The Live View Screen
7
3
The Main Menu
The main menu lets you access many of the DVR’s great features. You can
customize camera names, keep track of recent events, create recording
schedules, configure advanced motion detection settings, check up on the
the hard drive’s condition and change other DVR settings.
Button
Description
Manual: Access manual controls for the recording function of the
DVR.
HDD: Check on the status of your DVR’s installed hard drive and
adjust the settings.
Record: Set up recording schedules for the cameras and customize
how the DVR records footage and “encodes” the files.
Camera: Configure various camera settings such as OSD information,
display, motion detection, privacy mask and more.
Configuration: Access general DVR system settings, including date
and time, network, live view display, exception handling and user
accounts.
Maintenance: Find general information about your DVR system. This
is also where you can perform various system maintenance tasks
including upgrading the DVR’s firmware, resetting the DVR to its
default settings, and running hard drive diagnostic tests.
Shutdown: If you want to shut down or reboot the DVR, or simply
log out of the user account you’re logged in as, select the Shutdown
button. To ensure the integrity of your data and recordings, always
select Shutdown when powering off the DVR.
Button
Description
Playback: Search and watch all video recordings by channel, type of
recording, date or time period.
Export: Copy or backup footage from the DVR. You’ll need a
compatible USB Flash Drive to store the data (FAT32 file format only).
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The Main Menu
4
The Playback Menu
Overview of the Playback Interface
Full Screen Display
Show the Video Screen only
and hide everything else..
Playback Type
You can choose what video
recordings to playback.
Options are Normal (i.e.,
Manual and Scheduled),
Event (i.e., Motion), Tag,
Smart and External File.
Camera Selection
You can search for
recordings from one or
more cameras.
Video Screen
Video recordings are played
here when you click Play
from the Playback toolbar
below, If you have selected
more than one camera, the
Video screen will appear
in a multiview format. You
can easily view a particular
camera in full-screen by
simply double-clicking on
the camera’s screen. To
return to the multiview
display, double-click on the
screen again.
Calendar
Appears when you
select Normal playback.
Highlighted dates indicate
recordings are available for
viewing on these days from
the selected cameras.
Video Playback Control Panel
You can perform various playback operations such
as pause, slow and reverse/forward. You can also clip
interesting parts of the video recording and save to
external USB storage media. For more details, see
“Using the Video Playback Control Panel” on page 10.
The Playback Menu
9
Using the Video Playback Control Panel
1
2
20
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Item
10
10
11
12
13
Description
1
For Normal playback, this Indicates the start time of the first available video
recording and the end time of the last video recording made.
2
The video timeline. You can click any point of the video timeline to quickly scan
through video events.
3
4
14
15
16
17
19
18
Item
Description
11
Stop playback.
12
Pause playback. Click again to resume playback.
13
Rewind video by 30 seconds.
Mute: Turn off sound from the video.
14
Fast forward video by 30 seconds.
Start/Stop Clipping: Clip interesting parts of the recorded video by setting the
mark in and mark out points on the video recording. When a video file is playing,
click the Start Clipping button at the mark in point and click it again at the mark
out point. Multiple mark in and mark out points can be applied.
15
Slow down video playback (x1/2, x1/4, x1/8, Single Frame)
16
Speed up video playback (x2, x4, x8, xMAX)
17
For Normal playback, start playing the previous day’s recordings.
For Event playback, start playing the previous motion detection recording.
For Tag playback, start playing the previous tagged event.
18
For Normal playback, start playing the next day’s recordings.
For Event playback, start playing the next motion detection recording.
For Tag playback, start playing the next tagged event.
5
Save Clip(s): Display the Clips Export screen where you can export your video
clips to a USB flash drive or USB hard drive.
6
Add Default Tag: Tags are descriptive keywords you can add to your video
at certain time positions to record information such as people or activity. By
adding tags, you can easily find the video content that you want to view. Click this
button to add a default tag called TAG. To add a customized tag, click the Add
Customized Tag button on the right of this button. You can add up to 64 tags on a
single video.
7
Add Customized Tag: Enter a name for the tag you are adding.
8
Tag Management: Edit or delete tags that you have added to the current video.
9
Zoom In: Enter Digital Zoom mode. Use the PIP (Picture-in-Picture) screen at the
bottom right corner to select a different area to zoom in. You can also click and
drag to draw a particular area to zoom in.
10
Playback the video in reverse.
The Playback Menu
19
represent normal event recording (manual and schedule) segments on the
video timeline.
represents motion detection event recording segments on the video timeline.
20
Zoom in (to show shorter. detailed time period) or out of the video timeline.
Smart Search
How to define Smart Search areas?
Smart Search allows you to select an area of the video that may have detected
motion. The DVR will then display these areas of motion with a green highlight on
the timeline (see above). This makes it very easy to navigate to the sections of video
that has motion recording related to that area.
How to use Smart Search?
1. From Playback Type at the top left of the Playback Interface, select Smart.
2. From Camera Selection, select a camera.
3. On the calendar, select a date. Highlighted dates indicate recordings are
available for viewing on these days from the selected camera.
4. Click
Play to start video playback.
5. Click
Smart. This displays the Smart Screen Interface. Read the next section
to learn how to set up smart search areas in the recording.
By default, all areas of the video screen are highlighted for smart motion detection.
To define your smart search areas:
1. On the toolbar, click
Delete to clear the red grid boxes on the screen.
2. Click and drag to select the area you want to search for motion. You will see
a grid of red boxes over the selected area. Repeat this step to highlight more
areas of the screen.
3. On the toolbar, click
Play to confirm your selection and start playback.
The DVR will fast-forward the video until it arrives at the section where there
is action on the defined smart search areas. After the DVR finishes playing the
smart motion event, it will fast forward the video again until the next smart
search segment, and so on. Alternatively, you can also click any green segments
on the video timeline to quickly skip ahead to any smart motion event .
The Playback Menu
11
5
The Export Menu
Normal
4. Select the recordings you want to copy, and then click Export, or to select all recordings,
click Export All. The DVR displays the Export screen.
When a video is recorded, it is stored as a file on the DVR’s hard drive. You can copy video
recordings on the DVR’s hard drive to an external storage device such as a USB flash drive.
How to export recordings to a USB storage device?
1. Connect a USB storage device to the USB port on the back of the DVR.
2. Specify the channel(s), record type, file type and time period to search for recordings.
3. Click Search. The DVR shows you all of your recordings matching your search criteria,
when they were recorded and what channel they were recorded (see screenshot on the
right).
5. In the Device Name list, make sure your USB device is the current selection. You can
also create a new folder in your USB device to store your DVR recordings by clicking New
Folder.
6. Click Export.
7. Select Video and Log, and then click OK to begin copying the selected recordings to
your USB storage device. Wait until the “Export finished” message is displayed before
removing your USB storage device.
12
Note: If you require a media player to watch video files on your computer, repeat step 6, select
Player and then click OK to copy a media player application to your USB device.
The Export Menu
Event
4. Select the recordings you want to copy. You can preview selected recordings and find
details such as file size by clicking Details.
5. Click Quick Export. The DVR displays the Export screen.
You can copy only recordings that were triggered by the DVR detecting motion to an external
storage device such as a USB flash drive.
How to export motion detection recordings to a USB storage
device?
1. Connect your USB storage device to the USB port on the back of the DVR.
2. Specify the time period and channel(s) to search for motion detection recordings.
3. Click Search. The DVR shows you all motion detection recordings matching your search
criteria, when they were recorded and what channel they were recorded (see screenshot
on the right).
6. In the Device Name list, make sure your USB device is selected. You can also create a new
folder in your USB device to store your DVR recordings by clicking New Folder.
7. Click Export.
8. Select Video and Log, and then click OK to begin copying the selected recordings to your
USB storage device. Wait until the “Export finished” message is displayed before removing
your USB storage device.
The Export Menu
13
6
The Manual Menu
Record
Manual Video Quality Diagnostics
You can override any default recording schedules in place. The recording schedule
for each connected camera can be changed. Clicking the OFF/ON button next to
Analog will manually start/stop recording on all cameras. You can also manually
control recording on each camera individually by clicking the OFF/ON button next to
the camera name.
You can check on the quality of the camera’s video signal. Simply select the cameras
you want to check, and then click Diagnose. If your camera is performing normally,
you should see the result as “Normal”; however if the result show up as “Blurred
Image”, “Abnormal Brightness” or “Colour Cast”, you should inspect the camera’s
video cable connection for signs of damage or any loose points.
Note: If you reboot your DVR, all manual recordings on the cameras will be
cancelled.
14
The Manual Menu
7
The HDD Menu
General
You can initialize the hard drive(s) in the DVR. Don’t initialize a drive that already has
data on it, as the initialization process will erase any information on the drive. You
also have the option of adding up to eight Network-attached storage (NAS) drives or
one IP based storage area network (IP SAN) disk that you can record to.
Option
2. In the Type list, select the type of network storage: NAS or IP SAN
3. Configure the NAS or IP SAN settings.
For NAS:
a. In the NetHDD IP Address field, enter the IP address.
b.Click Search to search for available NAS drives based on the IP entered.
c. Select the NAS drive from the list of NAS drives found. For example,
Description
Add
Set up and configure details for your NAS drive / IP SAN.
Init
If you install a new hard drive in the DVR, it must be initialized
before it can be used.
How to add a NAS device or IP SAN?
1. Click Add.
d.Click OK to finish adding the configured NAS drive.
The HDD Menu
15
For IP SAN:
a. In the NetHDD IP Address field, enter the IP address .
Advanced
b.Click Search to search for available IP SAN drives based on the IP entered.
c. Select the IP SAN drive from the list of IP SAN drives found. For example,
d.Click OK to finish adding the configured IP SAN drive.
You can configure a quota on the HDD for each camera that is connected to the DVR.
Each camera can be allocated a certain amount of space on the HDD.
How to set a HDD quota for a camera?
1. In the Camera list, select the camera you want to configure a HDD quota for.
2. In the Max. Record Capacity field, enter the maximum record capacity in
Gigabyte (GB) to be allocated for the selected camera. You can also copy the
current quota setting of the selected camera to other cameras. Simply click
Copy, select which cameras, and then click OK.
3. Click Apply.
Note: Default Max. Record Capacity is set to 0, which means there is no limit to the
amount of hard disk space each cameras can use.
16
The HDD Menu
8
The Record Menu
Schedule
When defining a recording schedule, there are 3 types of recording to choose from:
Recording
Mode
Description
Continuous
(Blue)
The DVR will constantly record for any period. You won’t miss
anything, but constant recording will fill your hard drive very
quickly. Typically, we suggest Motion as a better recording mode
for most users.
Motion
(Green)
The default and recommended recording setting. The DVR
will only record when it detects something moving in front of a
camera, and will then only record footage from the camera(s) that
do detect motion.
It is recommended that Motion Detection is properly configured
for the channel(s) you want to associate with it. See for more
information about setting up and configuring Motion Detection.
None (Black)
The DVR will not record anything.
How to change the camera’s recording schedule?
You can specify when the DVR records video and under what modes for each
channel. By default, all channels are armed to use Motion Detection as their
recording mode.
The schedule presented on-screen applies to one channel only over one whole week.
There is a 24-hour timeline for each day of the week. Each square in the timeline
represents an hour in the 24-hour period.
Be careful when programming your schedule. It’s one of the most important aspects of
setting up your DVR, and if it’s wrong in any way, it could lead to disastrous complications
later.
1. In the Camera list, select a channel.
2a. To set a recording mode for a specific time and day, first select the mode and
then click the corresponding square(s) in the timeline. The colour of the square
changes to the assigned recording mode. To quickly cover a large portion
of time squares, you can simply click and drag the mouse over the squares
corresponding to your desired days and times.
2b. You can also set up a daily recording schedule by clicking Edit. On the Edit
screen, select the day, and then specify up to 8 different time periods the
desired start/end time and the associated recording mode. Repeat this step for
the other days of the week. You can also easily copy the current daily recording
schedule to other days of the week by clicking Copy and then selecting number
corresponding to the days of the week. For example, 1 for Monday, 2 for Tuesday,
and so on. Remember to click OK to save your settings.
3. (Optional) Use the Copy button to quickly assign identical schedule layouts to
multiple channels at once. It copies the schedule from the channel you’re editing
to one or more other channels.
Note: To disable the recording schedule for a particular channel, simply uncheck the
Enable box.
The Record Menu
17
Parameters
Option
You can customize how the DVR records footage and “encodes” the files. “Encoding”
is a term which refers to the compression algorithm used by the DVR.
Frame Rate
Description
The number of frames per second (fps) that the DVR will record.
The default (and maximum) is referred to as “Full Frame” and is
30fps (NTSC) or 25fps (PAL).
Reducing the number of frames per second will not save hard
drive space but potentially will improve the data-rate per frame
(depending how you set the bitrate - see the next option).
Record Tab
Video
Quality
The actual amount of data that the DVR uses to record video.
Options are low, medium and high quality. The higher the bitrate,
the more space each recording takes up on the hard disk. Generally
speaking, recordings encoded at higher bitrates will be of better
quality, especially when recording movement.
Pre-record
The number of seconds the DVR will record before the scheduled
time or event occurs. For example, setting this to 30 seconds will
enable recording for a motion event that occurred at 12:00:00 to
actually contain footage from 11:59:30.
If you’re using Motion Detection (recommended) based recording as
your primary recording method, then it’s a really good idea to use
Pre-Record - sometimes, if an event is fast enough, it might have
left view before the DVR can trigger a recording. With Pre-Record,
there’s almost no chance you’ll miss it.
Option
Description
Camera
Select the camera you want to configure.
Camera
Resolution
The video resolution and frame rate of the selected camera.
Encoding
Parameters
You can change Main Stream settings for both Continuous and Event
recordings, and it is recommended to select the same settings for
both recording types.
Stream Type What kind of data you want the stream to contain. The cameras
included with the DVR stream video only.
Resolution
18
We recommend setting the resolution for the video recordings to be
the same as your camera’s resolution.
The Record Menu
Post-record
The number of seconds the DVR will continue recording after the
scheduled time or event occurs. For example, setting this to 30
seconds will enable recording for a motion event that occurred at
12:00:00 to stop recording at 12:00:30.
Expired
Time (day)
The number of days to keep a video recording on the hard drive
without it being overwritten. The default value 0, instructs the DVR
to auto overwrite.
Video
Stream
Select whether to use Main Stream or Sub Stream settings
to record video. Substream settings can be configured on the
Substream tab.
Note: You can easily copy the current main stream recording settings of the selected
to other cameras. Simply click Copy, select which cameras, and then click OK.
Substream Tab
Option
Video
Quality
Description
The actual amount of data that the DVR uses to record video.
Options are low, medium and high quality. The higher the bitrate,
the more space each recording takes up on the hard disk. Generally
speaking, recordings encoded at higher bitrates will be of better
quality, especially when recording movement.
Note: You can easily copy the current substream recording settings of the selected
to other camera. Simply click Copy, select which cameras, and then click OK.
Option
Camera
Description
Select the camera you want to configure.
Stream Type What kind of data you want the stream to contain. The cameras
included with the DVR stream video only.
Resolution
A fraction of the Main Stream, and what you’ll see over the Internet
or via a mobile device. Typically, the Substream resolution will be of
significantly lower quality and bitrate than the main stream.
Frame Rate
The number of frames per second (fps) that the DVR will record.
The default (and maximum) is referred to as “real-time” and is
30fps (NTSC) or 25fps (PAL).
Reducing the number of frames per second will not save hard
drive space but potentially will improve the data-rate per frame
(depending how you set the bitrate - see the next option).
The Record Menu
19
Advanced
Holiday
The Overwrite option is enabled by default. This allows the DVR to be able to record
events as they happen. If the hard drive is full, the DVR will record over recordings
already stored on the hard drive. The DVR will always record over the oldest files on
your hard drive first.
There will be occasions when you don’t want the DVR to record using its normal
programming. Perhaps you require it to record more, or less, or just at different
times.
Note: We recommend exporting important recordings off the HDD regularly before
they’re overwritten. For details on exporting recordings, see “The Export Menu” on
page 12.
The Holiday Settings screen allows you to define periods of time where the DVR will
employ an alternate recording mode. You can define up to 32 holiday periods. These
periods can be categorized by date, week or month.
To set up a holiday recording schedule:
1. Double-click an unused holiday row.
2. In the Holiday Name field, enter a name.
3. Select the Enable checkbox.
4. Select the Mode (date, week or month)
5. Select the holiday’s start and end dates.
6. Click OK to save your holiday settings.
20
The Record Menu
9
The Camera Menu
OSD
Option
Description
Display Week
Select whether the current day of the week appears on the screen.
We strongly recommend leaving this box checked, and ensuring
that the date is correct! For best results, use NTP (see “NTP Tab”
on page 30).
Date Format
Select how you want the date to be displayed. The default format is
MM-DD-YYYY.
Time Format
Select how you want the time to be displayed. The default format is
24-hour.
Display Mode
Select how the OSD appears on the screen. Bear in mind that
some OSD settings (such as Transparent and/or Flashing) are
harder for a video forger to impersonate or modify than other
settings - on the other hand, they’re harder to read. Select the
best setting for your circumstances - it’s worth having a look at a
few settings to see what options are available.
OSD Font
Select the information text size that appears on the screen.
You can configure the on-screen display for the display name, display date, date
format, time format and font size.
Option
Description
Camera
Choose the server that you’re using. We recommend SwannDVR you can sign up for a free account at www.swanndvr.net.
Camera
Name
You can specify a name of up to 32 characters for the selected
camera. By default, all channels are named as the Camera No.
field, but this can be set to anything you like.
Display Name Select whether the name of the camera appears on the screen.
Display Date
Select whether the current date appears on the screen. We
strongly recommend leaving this box checked, and ensuring that
the date is correct! For best results, use NTP (see “NTP Tab” on
page 30).
The Camera Menu
21
Image
Option
Description
Contrast
Increase the difference between the blackest black and the
whitest white in the image. Useful if sections of the image “grey
out” but setting the contrast too high will degrade image quality.
Saturation
Alter how much color is displayed in the image. The higher the
saturation, the more bright and vivid colors will appear to be.
Hue
Change the color mix of the image.
Sharpness
How crisp your images will be. Setting the sharpness too high will
make your pictures look pixelated. On the other hand, setting the
sharpness too low will make everything look soft and blurry – a bit
like looking through lightly frosted glass.
Denoising
Select the level of noise reduction to be applied to the video signal.
Note: If the camera’s image does not turn out worse than before, you can always
reset image settings to the default values by clicking Restore.
Note: You can easily copy the current camera’s image settings to other cameras.
Simply click Copy, select which cameras, and then click OK.
You can make adjustments to how the DVR displays the image coming from your
cameras.
Option
22
Description
Camera
Select the camera you want to configure.
Time
Segment
This determines the period that you would like to apply the settings
for. The default setting is for 24hrs. This is particular useful if you
would like to have different image settings for different times of
the day. You may want to have a different set of image settings for
daytime and night time for example.
Mode
There are four preset modes that you can select from: Standard,
Indoor, Dim Light and Outdoor.
Brightness
Change how light the image appears to be. However, it can’t make
the camera see further in the dark, or increase the clarity of an
image in low-light environment.
The Camera Menu
Motion
Option
Description
Channel
Select the channel you want to configure.
Enable
Motion
Detection
Select to enable motion detection feature on the selected channel.
All channels has motion detection enabled by default. Each
channel can be configured independently of one another.
Settings
Lets you specify how the DVR should respond and notify you when
it detects motion. You can trigger additional cameras to start
recording, you can adjust your arming schedule, send email alerts
or trigger the DVR’s internal alarm to sound.
Sensitivity
Move the slider to set a value between L (low) and H (high).
The closer to H the slider is set, the more sensitive the motion
detection will be.
Full Screen
Select the entire view area of the camera preview window for
motion detection.
Clear
Clear the entire view area of the camera preview window.
How to set up the motion detection area?
On the camera preview window,
You can configure the motion detection settings and sensivity level for each camera.
By default, the DVR has motion recording enabled on every channel, configured to
operate at an average level of sensitivity. We think that motion detection is the best
way to get your DVR to operate almost autonomously for long periods of time (typically
weeks to months) without you having to worry about losing old footage.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
You will see a grid of red boxes on the selected channel. The outlined boxes
mark the area that is sensitive to motion.
By clicking an area in the grid, you can toggle motion detection ON or OFF in that
location.
Areas marked by red boxes will be sensitive to motion, those not marked will not
be.
Click and drag to quickly highlight a large area you want to select or de-select.
You can define what will happen when the camera you’ve selected detects
motion by clicking Settings.
You can set motion sensitivity level adjusting the Sensitivity slider on the right.
Once you’ve highlighted the area(s) in the camera preview window to monitor for
motion, click Apply to save your configuration.
The Camera Menu
23
Privacy Mask
Video Tampering
You can create and place “privacy masks” to conceal parts of the camera’s image on
the screen. This restricts what can be seen in Live View and on the video recording useful when you want to protect personal privacy or sensitve areas.
Video Tampering can be used in scenarios where someone may cover up the camera’s
field of view or if they are attempting to tamper with the video signal.
Option
Camera
Select the camera you want to configure.
•
Click and drag on the preview window to select the area you want to hide.
Enable
Enable video tampering monitoring on the selected camera.
•
To remove an existing privacy mask, click on the Clear Zone button associated
with the outline colour of the privacy mask.
Settings
Lets you specify the DVR’s actions when it detects tampering on the selected
camera. Options available are:
Sensitivity
24
Description
You can place up to four zones per camera to hide from view.
The Camera Menu
•
Full Screen Monitoring: The affected camera’s screen is displayed in full
screen mode.
•
Audible Warning: A continuous audible beeping is heard from the DVR.
•
Alert CMS software: A warning message is sent to the SwannView Plus
client software installed on your computer.
•
Send Email: If you’ve have configured your email account details, an alert
is sent to your email address.
Move the slider to increase or decrease the level of sensitivity.
Video Loss
Video Quality Diagnostics
Video loss is regarded as a potential alarm event, and is considered to occur any time that the
DVR doesn’t receive an active video signal on any of its inputs.
The DVR can monitor the camera’s video signal quality. When a deterioration in the video
signal conditions such as blurred image, abnormal brightness and color cast is detected, you
can specify what actions the DVR should perform.
The default behaviour of the DVR, when a channel has no incoming video signal, is simply
to display “Video Loss” in white text on a black background over the associated channel. If
you’re not using all the inputs on your DVR, then some channels will be in “permanent” Video
Loss state. Just be sure that you don’t enable a video loss action for these channels.
Option
Description
Camera
Select the camera you want to configure.
Enable
Enable video loss monitoring on the selected camera.
Settings
Lets you specify the DVR’s actions when the selected camera loses it’s video
feed. Options available are:
Option
Description
Camera
Select the camera you want to configure.
Enable
Enable video quality monitoring on the selected camera.
Handling
Lets you specify the DVR’s actions when the selected camera’s video signal
quality drops below a certain threshold. Options available are:
•
Full Screen Monitoring: The affected camera’s screen is displayed in full
screen mode.
•
Audible Warning: A continuous audible beeping is heard from the DVR.
•
Full Screen Monitoring: The affected camera’s screen is displayed in full
screen mode.
•
Alert CMS software: A warning message is sent to the SwannView Plus
client software installed on your computer.
•
Audible Warning: A continuous audible beeping is heard from the DVR.
•
•
Alert CMS software: A warning message is sent to the SwannView Plus
client software installed on your computer.
Send Email: If you’ve have configured your email account details, an alert
is sent to your email address.
•
Send Email: If you’ve have configured your email account details, an alert
is sent to your email address.
Diagnostic
Mode
There are three diagnostic types you can enable: Blurred Image, Abnormal
Brightness and Color Cast. Move the slider to set the threshold level for each
diagnostic type.
The Camera Menu
25
10
The Configuration Menu
General
You can configure general DVR settings such as language, time and date, mouse
pointer speed, and more.
General Tab
26
The Configuration Menu
Option
Description
Language
The language to display the DVR’s menus, alerts and other
communications. Available language options are English,
Russian, French and Spanish.
Resolution
The number of “little dots” that make up an image. This should be
set as high as possible, but equal to or lower than the maximum
resolution your screen/monitor can display. Things change a
little depending on what kind of monitor you’re using, and how it’s
connected.
Time Zone
Particularly important if you’ve enabled NTP - set this to the time
zone where you happen to be. For example, people in eastern
Australia (Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne) choose GMT+10:00,
whilst the Eastern Time zone in the USA and Canada is GMT05:00. (GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time - it’s the baseline
that keeps all the different time zones in sync.)
Date Format
The format of the date (DD/MM/YYYY or MM DD/YYYY and so on).
System Date
This can be edited manually, or set to update automatically by
using NTP (see “Configuration: Network: DDNS/NTP” on page
39).
System Time
This can be edited manually, or set to update automatically by
using NTP (see “Configuration: Network: DDNS/NTP” on page
39).
Mouse Pointer
Speed
Move the slider to increase or decrease the mouse pointer speed.
Enable Wizard
When checked, the DVR will automatically run the setup wizard
when the DVR is switched on. The wizard itself contains the
option to disable it.
Enable
Password
When enabled, the DVR will require a password for any operation
to be performed. It’s advisable to enable password protection.
DST Settings Tab
Option
More Settings Tab
Description
Option
Description
Enable DST
Enable this setting if you want the DVR to adjust the time when
daylight savings time begins.
Device Name
The default name of the DVR. You can also enter your own name
for the DVR.
From / To
Define when daylight savings applies to your location. There are
many different standards for DST which can vary dramatically
even in the same time zone, so you’ll need to tell the DVR when it
applies to you.
Device No.
The internal device number of the DVR.
Auto Logout
Select how long a menu screen remains inactive before the DVR
closes the menu screen and displays Live View screen
DST Bias
This refers to the difference in minutes, between Coordinated
Universal Time (UTC) and the local time. Select the time that DST
has increased by in your time zone, which is typically 60 minutes
in many locations.
The Configuration Menu
27
Network
You can manually configure network settings for the DVR. It is usually not required
as the DVR automatically configures them for you when you connect the DVR to your
router via the Ethernet cable.
Note: Many of the following networking settings are not required when using
SwannLink P2P for remote access.
Extranet Access Tab
Option
Description
Enable
Enable the DVR to connect to a DDNS service.
DDNS Type
Choose the server that you’re using. We recommend SwannDVR you can sign up for a free account at www.swanndvr.net.
Device
Domain
Name
Enter the host name that you set up in your DDNS service. This
is the address you use to access your network. For example:
yourhostname.swannDVR.net
User Name
Enter the username you have created for your DDNS service. For
SwannDVR users, your username is the email address you used to
register the account.
Password
Enter the password you have created for your DDNS service.
Test
Check if the DDNS is working. After a short delay, a message will
be displayed on-screen, informing you whether the connection
was successful or not.
If the test is unsuccessful, an “ERROR” message will appear
onscreen. This could mean there’s a problem with your network
setup, or there’s a problem with the DDNS Account Name and
Password you’re using.
A Dynamic DNS is a service which lets you assign an address to your DVR so you can
access it via the Internet. We recommend using SwannDns as your DNS service.
This is a free service for Swann DVR owners, which we directly support.
To create an account with SwannDns, go to:
http://www.swanndvr.com/ and click the Registration button. Follow the on-screen
instructions to create your account.
28
The Configuration Menu
General Tab
Option
NIC Type
Enable DHCP
Option
Description
IPv4 Address
Just as houses and businesses need to have an address which identifies
their location on the road network, so too do computers and other devices
need addresses (called IP ADDRESSES) to identify their position on the
electronic network. The DVR uses IPv4 addressing, which consists of
four groups of numbers between 0 and 255, separated by periods. For
example, a typical IP address might be “192.168.1.24” or something
similar. The most important thing when setting the IP address is that
nothing else on your network shares that IP address.
IPv4 Subnet
Mask
If the IP address is like a street address, then a subnetwork is like your
neighborhood. This will be formatted in a similar way to the IP address
(i.e. four numbers up to 255 separated by periods) but contain very
different numbers. In the above example, the Subnet Mask might be
something like: “255.255.255.0”.
IPv4 Default
Gateway
This is the address of the “way to the Internet” - to continue the road
analogy, this is like your local access point to the highway. This is an IP
address in the same format as the others, and is typically very similar to
the IP address of the DVR. To continue the above examples, it might be
something such as: “192.168.1.254”.
IPv6 Address
1/2/Default
Gateway
IPv6 is the latest revision of the Internet Protocol (IP). It will eventually
replace the older IPv4 system for assigning IP addresses to devices on
your network. The majority of internet server providers (ISPs) are still
using the IPv4 system but will eventually transition to IPv6. As the DVR
supports IPv6, you will be able to take advantage of the new system when
it arrives.
MAC Address
The Media Access Control address. This is a unique code which nothing
else should share. You can’t change this one - it’s pre-set when the DVR
ships out.
MTU (Bytes)
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a system where one
device on your network (usually a router) will automatically assign IP
addresses to devices connected to the network. This option is enabled by
default and is the recommended way for the DVR to receive an IP address
from your router.
The MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) is the size of the largest
datagram that can be sent over a network. It is recommended to leave the
default setting.
Preferred DNS
Server
“Domain Name System”. Everything on the Internet is located via an IP
address - however, for ease of use, we associate domain names (such as
“www.exampledomainname.com”) with those IP addresses. This index
is accessible in many locations online, and we call those locations “DNS
servers”.
If you require the DVR to have a static IP address, you will need to disable
this option. Static networks require all devices to have their IP addresses
manually defined, as there is no device dedicated to automatically
assigning addresses.
Alternate DNS
Server
A backup DNS server. This is here as a redundancy - your DVR will
probably work without one.
UID
The DVR’s Unique IDentifier code for SwannLink P2P. For convenience,
you can have this code sent to your email account by clicking Send Email
(provided that you’ve already set up your email account).
Description
The DVR has the ability to connect to your LAN (Local Area Network)
at various speeds and can adjust itself accordingly depending on the
network traffic. It is recommended to leave the current default setting for
the best streaming performance.
The Configuration Menu
29
PPOE Tab
NTP Tab
PPPOE is an advanced protocol that allows the DVR to be more directly connected
via a DSL modem. This option is for advanced users only.
You can configure the NTP server details to obtain current date and time.
Option
30
Description
Note: If you’re using NTP, then it is essential that your Time Zone (see page 34) and
DST (daylight savings time - see page 35) are set correctly.
Enable PPPOE
Enable to set up a PPPOE connection.
User Name
Enter the username for your DSL account provider.
Enable NTP
Enable the DVR to connect to a NTP server.
Password
Enter the password for your DSL account provider.
Interval (min)
The amount of time in minutes that will elapse between the DVR
updating its internal clock to match that of the NTP server. The
default period of 60 minutes is recommended.
NTP Server
The default server used to obtain accurate date and time.
NTP Port
The default is 123. You should only change this if you’re using a
different NTP server, and you know they use a different port. If
you’re using pool.ntp.org, ensure the port is 123.
The Configuration Menu
Option
Description
Email Tab
Option
Description
Enable Server If your outgoing mail server requires authentication, ensure this
Authentication box is checked.
You can configure your email account details to enable the DVR to send notifications
if an event occurs.
Note: We suggest using Gmail as your email client - it’s quite easy to set up an account
and use it solely for the DVR. We’ve tested the email procedure with Gmail, and it does
work. Other email servers may not work correctly - many interpret the procedurally
generated email from the DVR as spam and block the mail from being sent.
User Name
The username for the outgoing email account.
Password
The password for the outgoing email account.
SMTP Server
The SMTP server address of your email provider. For commonly
used mail server settings, see “Popular Email Provider Settings”
on page. If your email provider is not listed in the table, use
your Internet browser to easily find your email provider’s server
address and port by searching ‘smtp settings’ followed by the
name of your email provider.
SMTP Port
The SMTP port used by your email provider.
Enable SSL
Whether the email server you’re using requires a secure link.
Sender
Enter a name to identify the sender of the email notification.
Sender
Address
The address you’re sending the email from. This will be the
username you’ve set up for the email server you’re using, followed
by “@” and then the email server. For example: “youraddress@
gmail.com” or similar.
Select
Receiver
Select an e-mail recipient to configure. The DVR can send email
notifications to up to three receivers.
Recipient
Address
The email address you want the DVR to send emails to. This can
be any email address you like, however, bear in mind that the DVR
might send a large number of automatic emails under certain
conditions.
Enable Attach
Picture
When this is selected, the DVR will attach a small image to each
email alert (where applicable). For motion-based email alerts,
this will be an image of whatever triggered the motion detection.
Interval
The length of time that must elapse after the DVR sends an email
alert before it can send another.
Short interval settings are likely to lead to huge numbers of
alerts being sent by the DVR - perhaps even several emails
for one event (if that one event lasts longer than the interval
setting). On the other hand, a long interval setting might mean
you’ll miss a specific update that you needed. There’s no right
answer, and you’ll probably have to fine-tune this setting to get
the results you’re after - it’ll be different for everyone’s unique
circumstances.
The Configuration Menu
31
SNMP Tab
Popular Email Provider Settings
The following table contains mail server settings for some of the most commonly
used email providers.
Email
Provider
Settings
Gmail
Server Address: smtp.gmail.com
Port: 465 or 587 Requires SSL: Yes
Hotmail/
Live.com
Server Address: smtp.live.com
Port: 465 Requires SSL: Yes
AOL
Server Address: mail.aol.com
Port: 465 Requires SSL: Yes
Yahoo
Server Address: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
Port: 465 or 587 Requires SSL: Yes
iCloud
Server Address: smtp.mail.me.com
Port: 587 Requires SSL: Yes
Outlook.com
Server Address: smtp.live.com
Port: 587 Requires SSL: Yes
If your network is setup to use SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) then
you can configure it here.
Option
32
The Configuration Menu
Description
Enable SNMP
Enable SNMP if it is in use. If not, then ensure this stays disabled. The
SNMP protocol can interfere with normal networking functionality.
SNMP Version
The version of SNMP currently being used.
SNMP Port
The SNMP port currently being used. This is typically port 161, however
exceptions exist.
Read
Community
Who has read-only access to information on the network (can view, but
not change).
Write
Community
Who has control over information on the network (can view, modify,
change, create or delete information).
Trap Address
The address of the network trap (the asynchronous notification from
agent to manager).
Trap Port
The port being used for the trap.
NAT Tab
When UPnP is enabled on your DVR and your router, the Ports that the DVR requires
to be open for access to and from the Internet will automatically be opened and closed
as necessary by your router, saving you the trouble of manually forwarding these
ports. If UPnP is not enabled, or your router does not support this feature, you’ll
need to forward the ports the DVR uses from the router to the DVR - since this is
a technically challenging process; we strongly recommend using UPnP if possible.
Make sure that the number used for the External Port and Internal Port match,
otherwise the UPnP function will not work.
Option
Note: This feature is not required if you are using SwannLink P2P to access the
DVR.
Description
Mapping Type
If Auto is selected, you will not be able to assign port numbers to the
HTTP, RSTP, Server and HTTPS ports. Port numbering will be done
automatically by the router. To manually assign port numbers, select
Manual.
Edit
Change the current External Port number.
External IP
Address
The public IP address of the router that the DVR is connected to is
displayed.
UPnP Status
If UPnP is working correctly, you will see Active displayed. If UPnP is not
enabled or you haven’t forwarded the correct port number, the status will
be Inactive.
UPnP makes configuring your network easier and faster. To use the UPnP setting
on the DVR, you’ll need a router which supports this feature, with UPnP enabled.
Note that many routers which support UPnP do not come with the feature enabled by
default. You may need to ask your Internet service provider to turn it on.
The Configuration Menu
33
Other Settings Tab
Option
Description
Alarm Host
IP
The location on your network where an IP-based alarm system is
hosted.
Alarm Host
Port
The port associated with the IP-based alarm system.
Server Port
This is the internal port that the DVR will use to send information
through.
HTTP Port
This is the port through which you will be able to log in to the DVR.
Multicast IP
Multicast IP is a technique for one-to-many and many-to-many
real-time communication over an IP infrastructure in a network.
The receiver will receive data from that IP without the need to
contact individual devices directly. In most circumstances this
option is not required.
RTSP Port
This port is used to stream real-time images through, and is the
port that will be used to communicate with mobile devices.
Note: If the default port numbers are in use (85 and/or 8000) then the simplest
solution is just to keep “adding one” until you find a port which is not in use. So, if 85
is already taken, try 86 or 87.
You can configure a remote alarm host which enables the DVR to send event or
exception notifications to the alarm host when an alarm is triggered. The remote
alarm host must have appropriate software installed for this feature to work
properly.
34
The Configuration Menu
There’s no “right” port number(s) to use - any port number will work provided the
DVR is the only device using it. For this reason, avoid using port numbers 80, 81, 82,
88, 90, and 99 as these are often used by other devices/programs/protocols.
Live View
These options allow you to configure Live View display settings.
View Tab
General Tab
Option
Description
In Live View, you can change the display order of each camera connected -
Video Output
Interface
The default output is VGA/HDMI.
1. Select an available viewing window on the right-hand side.
Live View Mode
Select which multiview format to be the default in live view mode.
2. Double click one of the available cameras on the left-hand side that you would
like to place in the viewing window that you have selected.
Dwell Time
Set the number of seconds to dwell on a video channel before
switching to the next channel when enabling Start Auto-switch
via the Mouse Menu in Live View.
Enable Audio
Output
As the cameras supplied with the DVR do not support audio
capture, this option is not required.
Event Output
The default output is VGA/HDMI.
Full Screen
Monitoring
Dwell Time
The number of seconds to show an alarm event screen.
Option
Description
Play
Start the live view of all cameras connected to the DVR.
Stop
Stop the live view of all cameras connected to the DVR.
The Configuration Menu
35
Exceptions
Option
Exception Type
An exception is any deviation from the DVR’s normal behaviour - phrased another
way, it’s like saying the DVR’s been working fine except for these events.
Option
Description
Enable the DVR to monitor for alarm events and system exceptions.
36
Enable Event Hint
When an exception occurs, the DVR displays the
View screen.
Event Hint
Settings
Select the type of alarm events and exceptions that will trigger the
display of the
The Configuration Menu
icon.
icon on the Live
Description
Select the exceptions you want the DVR to react to. By configuring
the action for these events, you can create any combination of audio
alerts or auto-emails to be sent for different event types. The types of
exception available are:
•
HDD Full: Occurs when the DVR runs out of space on the hard
drive to save new footage. This event is redundant if you have
Overwrite setting enabled, as the DVR will automatically delete
old footage to ensure it can continue to record.
•
HDD Error: Occurs when the DVR has trouble accessing its hard
drives, or when it cannot detect one at all.
•
Network Disconnected: Occurs when the DVR has problems
connecting to the Internet. This may indicate a problem with the
DVR’s configuration, a fault with your network or a problem with
your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
•
IP Conflicted: Occurs when the DVR detects another device on
the same network with a conflicting IP address. Basically, it
indicates that two devices are trying to use the same IP address.
This shouldn’t occur if you’re using DHCP addressing, unless one
or more devices is set to use a STATIC IP (the static addressing
method overrides the automatic assignment process).
•
Illegal Login: This will occur if the DVR detects a login with an
incorrect username or password.
•
Input/recording resolution mismatch: If the camera connected
is not capable of matching the resolution selected in the “Record
Tab” menu.
•
Record Exception: This will occur if there are unexpected errors
during capture such as a HDD failure, if the HDD is full or if the
HDD quota has been changed.
Note: Select All to enable the DVR to trigger action when any of the
exceptions listed above occurs.
Audible Warning
A continuous audible beeping is heard from the DVR when an exception
occurs.
Alert CMS
software
A warning message is sent to the SwannView Plus client software
installed on your computer when an exception occurs.
Send Email
If you’ve have configured your email account details, an alert is sent to
your email address when an exception occurs.
User
You can change the admin account’s password and configure Guest and Operator
accounts to have restricted access to the DVR.
We suggest that at minimum the admin account be password protected, as it has
access to all aspects of the DVR’s operation.
An Operator user account can access all camera operations including playback and
exporting of video recordings with limited access to many menus. Any operation that
requires changing the DVR or camera setting cannot be performed.
A Guest user account can only watch live view from the camera and playback camera
recordings.
•
•
To add additional users, select Add.
To remove a user, choose Delete.
The Configuration Menu
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11
The Maintenance Menu
System Information
Camera Tab
The System Information screen provides general details about the DVR. Click on the
individual tabs to find out the current status of your cameras, recordings, network
and hard drive. You may need some of the information shown here if you contact
Swann Technical Support for assistance.
Device Tab
On this tab, you can check on the status of each camera connected to the DVR. You
can easily find out which DVR features such as motion detection, video tampering,
etc, are being utilized by the cameras.
On this tab, you can find out the DVR’s (default) name, model, serial number,
firmware version and encoding version.
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The Maintenance Menu
Record Tab
Network Tab
On this tab, you can check on the recording settings for each camera connected to
the DVR. You can also find out if any camera has a recording in progress.
On this tab, you can see a quick summary of your current network settings.
The Maintenance Menu
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HDD Tab
Log Information
The DVR continuously creates information logs for every alarm event, operation and
exception as they happen. These logs are stored in the DVR’s hard drive and can be
viewed and exported at any time.
Log Search Tab
On this tab, you can check on the status of hard drives connected to the DVR.
External drives connected via USB will not appear on this list, and can’t be used to
record footage - USB lacks the bandwidth to write multiple streams simultaneously.
External USB drives can only be used for backing up recordings.
On this tab, you can search log files for a specific log event.
How to search for specific system information logs?
1. Set the log search criteria including the Start Time, End Time, Major Type and
Minor Type.
2. Click Search. After a few seconds, the DVR displays all the log files matching
your search criteria. Detailed information on each log can be viewed by clicking
. If there is a related video file available for the log, simply click
video.
Note: Up to 2000 log files can be displayed at a single time.
to play the
The log entries displayed here can be saved as a single text file onto an external
USB device.
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The Maintenance Menu
How to export system information logs?
Log Export Tab
1. Plug in your USB storage device into the USB port on the back of the DVR, and
then click Export. This displays the Export window.
2. In the Device Name list, make sure your USB device is the current selection. You
can also create a new folder in your USB device to store your DVR system logs
by clicking New Folder.
3. Click Export. Once this process is finished, the following appears:
You can export all the information logs contained in the DVR’s hard drive. Simply
select the hard drive that you want to export, and then follow the steps in “How to
export system information logs?”.
The log file that was saved in your USB device is named according to the time it
was exported. For example, 20141031134001logBack.txt.
The Maintenance Menu
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Import/Export
How to import a configuration file?
1. Connect the USB storage device containing a previously saved DVR configuration
file to the USB port on the back of the DVR.
2. Click Refresh. In the Device Name list, make sure your USB device is the
current selection.
3. Select the configuration file - it will be called devCfg_(serial number)_(year/
month/time).bin, and then click Import. Once the configuration file is imported,
the DVR reboots automatically.
You can export or import a configuration file containing all the DVR settings you have
customized, including your recording settings, schedule, and so on, using a USB
storage device. This will come in handy as it will save you time if you have to reset
the DVR back to factory default settings.
How to export your current configuration file?
1. Connect a USB storage device to the USB port on the back of the DVR.
2. Click Refresh. In the Device Name list, make sure your USB device is the
current selection.
3. Click Export to save a copy of the DVR configuration file on your USB device.
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The Maintenance Menu
Upgrade
You can upgrade the firmware of the DVR by using a USB storage device or via a
remote FTP server. You’ll only need to use these options if instructed to do so by
Swann Technical Support.
Local Upgrade Tab
FTP Tab
How to upgrade DVR firmware using a USB device?
How to upgrade DVR firmware by FTP?
1. Connect a USB storage device containing the firmware update file to the USB
port on the back of the DVR.
The firmware can be updated using your computer as a FTP server. Make sure that
both your computer and DVR are connected to the same Local Area Network (LAN).
Make sure you have a 3rd party FTP software installed on your computer.
2. Click Refresh. In the Device Name list, make sure your USB device is the
current selection.
3. Select the firmware update file, and then click Upgrade. Once the update is
complete, the DVR reboots automatically.
1. Place the firmware file into the root directory of the FTP software.
2. In the FTP Server Address field, enter your computer’s IP address.
3. Click Upgrade. Once the update is complete, the DVR reboots automatically.
The Maintenance Menu
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44
Default
Net Detect
You can reset the DVR and load factory default settings. There are two options
available - you can select the first option which will reset all the parameters
including network and user settings, or you can select the second option which will
do the same but will maintain your network and user settings. The DVR will reboot
after you click OK.
You can check network traffic and to obtain real-time information from the DVR such
as network detection, network status, and sending and receiving network traffic.
The Maintenance Menu
HDD Detect
You can easily check on the conditions of your DVR’s installed hard drive, and
perform diagnostics to detect errors and bad sectors.
S.M.A.R.T. Settings Tab
Bad Sector Detection Tab
S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) is your hard drive’s
way of telling the DVR how it’s going. The status of each attribute indicates the
various conditions of the hard drive. It should say “OK”. If it says anything else, this
indicates there’s a problem with your hard drive. If you’re looking at this screen,
you’ve probably been directed to do so by Swann Technical Support.
You can perform a test on the hard drive for bad sectors. If you’re looking at this
screen, you’ve probably been directed to do so by Swann Technical Support.
The Maintenance Menu
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12
Troubleshooting
Q: I can’t log into or unlock the DVR - it says my password is wrong.
A: The default username/password combination for the DVR is “admin” with the password “12345”.
If that doesn’t work (and you haven’t set a password of your own that you’ve forgotten) then something strange has happened - contact Swann technical support (contact
details are on the rear cover).
Q: How do I eliminate false-triggers on my motion detection?
A: There’s no guaranteed way to eliminate false triggers, but - in the majority of cases - you can fine-tune the DVR’s motion detection settings to reduce the number of
false triggers you’re likely to get. (See “Motion” on page 23 for more detailed information.)
1. Mask any redundant movement. This includes obvious things like trees blowing in the wind, roads with cars passing and so forth. Some less obvious things which
might cause false triggers include: the “flickering” of screens, monitors or fluorescent lights, reflections of movement in windows/mirrors and so on, lights which
are often turned on or off, shadows passing and so on. We can’t possibly imagine what you’re going to find in your unique circumstances, so we encourage you to
experiment.
2. Fine-tune your sensitivity. There’s no substitute for getting a volunteer to play the part of intruder and experimenting. Some cameras are just more “touchy” than
others, some lighting conditions are harder to get the settings “right” for.
3. Adjust your image settings (see “Image” on page 22). Unlike many image adjustment options, the DVR pre-processes video, which means that, when the DVR
looks for motion, it’s looking at your already processed images. By reducing the amount of video noise in your image, you can increase the accuracy of the motion
detection dramatically. Typically, the settings that most often require adjustment are Brightness and Contrast. Video noise is a problem with any video signal. It’s
the very slight change in brightness and/or color of pixels between frames, and it’s commonly regarded as being “just one of those things” when dealing with digital
imaging. By tweaking the brightness and contrast, you can usually remove a good deal of this noise, as it tends to be most pronounced near the blacks (the really
dark bits) and the whites (the really bright bits) of your images.
Q: I’m getting too many email alerts from the DVR.
A: There are a few things that might help, depending what’s generating the email alerts. Here are a few possibilities:
•
The emails are for real events, however it is telling me about it multiple times.
This indicates that the DVR is functioning properly, but that the Interval setting for your email alerts is too low. Increasing the Interval time will decrease the number of
email alerts the DVR sends.
•
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The DVR sends email alerts when nothing seems to be happening.
Troubleshooting
This suggests that there might be something amiss with your Motion Detection settings, or with the configuration of your sensors (if used).
The most likely explanation is that there is something in view of your cameras which is moving, or causes the illusion of movement. Have a look at “Motion” on page 23
for some more information.
•
The DVR keeps reporting errors (such as Video Loss, HDD Error or similar).
There seems to be a hardware or configuration fault with the DVR. These are most often caused by a faulty (or simply poorly connected) connection or cable. Check the
integrity of your cables and connections.
Troubleshooting
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13
Warranty Information
USA
Australia
United Kingdom
Swann Communications USA Inc.
12636 Clark Street
Swann Communications
Unit 13, 331 Ingles Street
Swann Communications LTD.
Stag Gates House 63/64 The Avenue
Santa Fe Springs CA 90670
USA
Port Melbourne Vic 3207
Australia
SO171XS
United Kingdom
Warranty Terms & Conditions
Swann Communications warrants this product against defects in workmanship and material for a period of one (1) year from its original purchase date. You must present
your receipt as proof of date of purchase for warranty validation. Any unit which proves defective during the stated period will be repaired without charge for parts or
labour or replaced at the sole discretion of Swann. The end user is responsible for all freight charges incurred to send the product to Swann’s repair centres. The end user
is responsible for all shipping costs incurred when shipping from and to any country other than the country of origin.
The warranty does not cover any incidental, accidental or consequential damages arising from the use of or the inability to use this product. Any costs associated with the
fitting or removal of this product by a tradesman or other person or any other costs associated with its use are the responsibility of the end user. This warranty applies to
the original purchaser of the product only and is not transferable to any third party. Unauthorized end user or third party modifications to any component or evidence of
misuse or abuse of the device will render all warranties void.
By law some countries do not allow limitations on certain exclusions in this warranty. Where applicable by local laws, regulations and legal rights will take precedence.
For Australia: Our goods come with guarantees which cannot be excluded under Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure
and for compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable
quality and the failure does not amount to major failure.
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Warranty Information
Swann Technical Support
All Countries E-mail: tech@swann.com
Telephone Helpdesk
USA Toll Free 1-800-627-2799
USA Parts & Warranty1-800-627-2799
(M-F, 9am-5pm US PT)
AUSTRALIA
1300 138 324
NEW ZEALAND Toll Free 0800 479 266
UK 0203 027 0979
© Swann Communications 2014
M48_4500311014E
Warranty Information
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