Some countries known for producing electronic and security equipment include the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and several European countries. Keep in mind that the global supply chain is interconnected, and components from various countries may be used in the production of a single device.

Security Camera Manufacturers

Axis Communication

Origin: Sweden

Made in: China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hungary, Israel, Sweden

All Axis products are compliant with NDAA

Axis Communications AB is a Swedish manufacturer of network cameras. Axis primarily operates in physical security and video surveillance industries.

Axis referred to a statement confirming their “entire product portfolio” is NDAA-compliant. Axis added that past non-compliant products could still be available from resellers, saying: “Previously we used HiSilicon chipsets in a very small number of products (Companion hardware products). It’s possible that some of these products still can be purchased by some of our resellers, but today Axis only offers NDAA-compliant products.”

Best Selling Axis NDAA Products

See the list of Axis NDAA compliant products

Bosch

Origin: Germany

Made in: Germany, China, Vietnam, Israel, Belgium

US-Listed Bosch Products are compliant with NDAA

Bosch, is a German multinational engineering and technology company headquartered in Gerlingen, Germany.

Bosch referred to a statement confirming their US listed products portfolio is NDAA-compliant and moving forward, all products manufactured for the U.S. market will be NDAA compliant as well.

Bosch also shared a list of products that manufactured in Portugal and Mexico. Portugal and Mexico are countries that are included in the Trade Act Agreement. This means that the listed products are TAA compliant.

Best Selling Bosch NDAA Products

See the list of Bosch NDAA compliant products

Mobotix

Origin: Germany

Made in: Germany

All Mobotix products are compliant with NDAA

MOBOTIX is a leading manufacturer of premium-quality intelligent IP video systems. MOBOTIX was founded in 1999 and is based in Langmeil, Germany.

Mobotix referred to a statement confirming their “entire product portfolio” is 100 percent NDAA-compliant.

“MOBOTIX is fully committed to adhering to NDAA Sec 889 (a)(1)(B) guidelines. We are not allowing any substantial or essential component from a supplier that is named in this section. This includes any component necessary for the proper function or performance of a product or system.”

Best Selling Mobotix NDAA Products

See the list of Mobotix NDAA compliant products

Pelco

Origin: United States

Made in: United States

All Pelco products are compliant with NDAA

Pelco Incorporated is an American-based security and surveillance technologies company, founded in 1957 and headquartered in Fresno, California.

“Pelco product lines do not use or incorporate any essential components or critical technology including SoCs produced by NDAA banned component vendors, nor does Pelco OEM any product lines produced by NDAA banned manufacturers. Also, Pelco was acquired by Motorola and Motorola has declared its intention to also make Pelco products in the USA.”

However, Pelco shared list of 4 GFC Professional series products that non-compliant.

Best Selling Pelco NDAA Products

See the list of Pelco NDAA compliant products

Arecont Vision

Origin: United States

Made in: Taiwan

Arecont Vision has mixed of NDAA-Compliant and Non-Compliant Products

Arecont Vision Costar, LLC is a US-based company founded in 2018 to offer complete video surveillance solutions to customers around the world.

The entire MegaIP camera family, all of the Contera NVRs models include both NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act H. R. 2500) and ONVIF compliance. By the Q3/Q4 of 2021 most of the newer Contera line of cameras will be NDAA as well. Here the Arecont Vision Costar’s NDAA compl

Digital Watchdog

Origin: United States

Made in: Korea

Digital Watchdog products are mostly compliant with NDAA

DW is the industry leader in digital recorders, surveillance cameras and management software. Founded 1987 and engineered in the USA and Korea.

Digital Watchdog referred to a statement confirming most of their product portfolio is NDAA-compliant.

“The following Digital Watchdog cameras, encoders, network video recorders (NVRs) and digital video recorders (DVRs) which do not use or deploy critical components, nor include SoCs produced by NDAA banned component vendors, are compliant with the NDAA.

The products listed below are compliant with GSA Schedules and have been deemed TAA compliant as the final products have been manufactured and substantially transformed within the United States and South Korea, both approved signatory countries designated by the TAA.”

Best Selling Digital Watchdog NDAA Products

See the list of Digital Watchdog NDAA compliant products

Speco Technologies

Origin: United States

Made in: Korea

Speco has mixed of NDAA-Compliant and Non-Compliant Products

Speco Technologies is a manufacturer of video surveillance and audio surveillance products for more than 60 years

Speco Technologies referred to a statement confirming some of their product portfolio is NDAA-compliant.

“Speco is actively moving to exclude components from banned companies. Please find below a list of current active models from Speco Technologies that do not contain any components from (NDAA Section 889 Part B) banned companies”

Best Selling Speco NDAA Products

See the list of Speco Technologies NDAA compliant products

Ubiquiti

Origin: United States

Made in: Korea

Ubiquity products are mostly compliant with NDAA

Ubiquiti Inc. (formerly Ubiquiti Networks, Inc.) is an American manufacturer of wireless data communication and wired products and founded in San Jose, California, in 2003.

Ubiquity referred to a statement confirming most of their product portfolio is NDAA-compliant.

“As of the date hereof and to the best of Ubiquiti’s knowledge, the products listed below do not contain a substantial or essential component or use critical technology produced by Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation, Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company or Dahua Technology Company (or any known subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).”

Honeywell

Origin: United States

Made in: Korea

Honeywell has mixed of NDAA-Compliant and Non-Compliant Products

Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Honeywell referred to a statement confirming some of their product portfolio is NDAA-compliant.

“The Honeywell 30 Series, 60 Series and Modum IP cameras are designed for use as part of video systems which comply with NDAA 2019, Section 889. In addition to the 30/60/Modum Series cameras, our MAXPRO® and Pro-Watch® VMS/NVR ranges, our 30 Series Embedded NVRs and our ADPRO iFT/iFT-E IP NVRs follow our extensive cyber testing process and do not contain components from any of the companies highlighted in NDAA 2019, Section 889. Together with the Series 30/60/Modum cameras they can be used to provide video systems compliant with NDAA 2019, Section 889”

Panasonic

Origin: Japan

Made in: Japan

Panasonic i-PRO products are mostly compliant with NDAA

In October 2019, i-PRO became independent from Panasonic to establish the Image Sensing Business.

Panasonic i-PRO didn’t share a a public statement on their website and didin’t provide a list of NDAA compliant (or non compliant) products. Here the statements they made in different channels.

“All Panasonic-branded cameras sold in the U.S. are engineered, manufactured and quality assured solely by Panasonic. As such, they are not impacted by the NDAA legislation (federal ban).

For those valued partners that attended our 2019 Partner Summit, we committed to you that, not only will our i-PRO line be 100% non-Hisilicon by the end of March 2021, but many of our products will also be TAA compliant.

The Advidia camera lineup is not fully NDAA compliant at this time. We are working with our 3rd-party manufacturers to ensure full NDAA compliance by March 2021″

Hanwha Vision (Samsung Techwin)

Origin: South Korea

Made in: South Korea

Hanwha Techwwin products are mostly compliant with NDAA

Hanwha Techwin founded 1938 as Samsung Techwin, is a surveillance and optoelectronics company. The company headquartered in South Korea.

Hanwha Techwin referred to a statement confirming most of their product portfolio is NDAA-compliant.

“Hanwha Techwin is committed to complying with all government and international trade regulations. Hanwha Techwin supports NDAA-compliance across its product lines and has a full suite of trade-compliant devices, with many currently used in government, defense and a range of commercial applications.

All Hanwha Techwin manufacturing facilities are located in Vietnam and South Korea, making them compliant with Trade Agreements Act (TAA) terms and qualifying Hanwha Techwin products for sale under GSA guidelines.”

Best Selling Axis NDAA Products

See the list of Hanwha Vision NDAA compliant products

.

ACTİ

Origin: Taiwan

Made in: Taiwan

Acti products are mostly compliant with NDAA

ACTi, a leading Taiwan-based IP camera manufacturer, offers a wide range of IP camera models that contain SoC made in either Taiwan, Japan or the United States.

Acti referred to a statement confirming most of their product portfolio is NDAA-compliant.

“ACTi is providing more than 150 different camera models that contain SoC components from very respected and accepted global brands from Taiwan, Japan and the United States. As the technology research company, ACTi has also developed its own SoC, called A1, which can be found in the wide range of ACTi cameras today.”

Best Selling ACTi NDAA Products

See the list of Acti NDAA compliant products

GeoVision

Origin: Taiwan

Made in: Taiwan

GeoVision has mixed of NDAA-Compliant and Non-Compliant Products

GeoVision Inc. is a manufacturer of intelligent video surveillance systems founded in 1998 in Taiwan.

“GeoVision confirms that the listed products are not manufactured by nor utilize components from Hikvision, Dahua or contain HiSilicon SoCs. The NVR units listed below are manufactured in Irvi

Vivotek

Origin: Taiwan

Made in: Taiwan

Vivotek products are mostly compliant with NDAA

VIVOTEK Inc. was founded in February 2000. The Company markets VIVOTEK solutions worldwide, and has become a leading brand in global security surveillance.

Vivotek referred to a statement confirming most of their product portfolio is NDAA-compliant.

“The listed VIVOTEK cameras and network video recorders (NVRs), which do not use or deploy critical components including SoCs produced by NDAA banned component vendors, are compliant with the NDAA. These products will be included in VIVOTEK’s GSA contracts and are recommended for US Government applications that are subject to the NDAA.”

Best Selling Vivotek NDAA Products

See the list of Vivotek NDAA compliant products

Can I use security cameras that are not produced in China?

Yes, you can certainly choose security cameras that are not produced in China if you have concerns about the origin of the products. Many companies around the world manufacture security cameras, and you can find alternatives from various countries.

When selecting security cameras, it’s essential to consider factors beyond just the country of origin. Look for reputable brands and manufacturers that prioritize security, privacy, and quality. Consider reading reviews, checking certifications, and researching the specifications of the cameras to ensure they meet your requirements.

Some countries known for producing electronic and security equipment include the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and several European countries. Keep in mind that the global supply chain is interconnected, and components from various countries may be used in the production of a single device.

Voice prompt description in the process of adding a device

Pressing the “RESET” button triggers a long “beep,” indicating the device is in network configuration mode.

3. Two “Beeps”:

Emitting two beeps signifies the device received a request to add when scanning a QR code or receiving Wi-Fi information.

Blurams Cameras Installation and Connection Guide

4. “Camera is having trouble finding your network, please check your network name again and move the camera closer to your router”:

Indicates Wi-Fi connection issues. Retry device addition, ensuring:

a. Connected to a 2.4G Wi-Fi, not 5G.

b. Correct Wi-Fi password.

c. Device proximity to the router.

5. “Camera is having trouble connecting to the network, please try re-entering your password”:

Alerts mismatched Wi-Fi name and password. Retry, ensuring accurate Wi-Fi details.

6. “Camera is having trouble finding your network, please try moving camera closer to your router”:

Suggests weak Wi-Fi signal. Retry with the device closer to the router.

7. “Wi-Fi connection successful, camera is trying to connect the server”:

Indicates successful Wi-Fi connection; device is attempting server connection.

8. “Wi-Fi network error, the camera is having trouble connecting to the network, please try again later”:

Signifies server connection failure. Check if Wi-Fi network can access the Internet.

9. “Configuration is complete, please wait for the camera online”:

Marks successful device addition. Complete remaining configuration steps as guided for device usage.

If you are still unable to connect to the network, please provide the following information, and contact our customer support team at support@blurams.com for assistance.

How can I add a new device/ connect to network?

Different device models need to be added in different ways depending on your smartphone and device model, there are four ways to add devices based on the device’s functions. Before you start adding devices, please note the following points:

Different adding methods will be different due to different attributes of the device.

QR Code(Wi-Fi Connection)

AP Mode(Wi-Fi Connection)

Network Cable Connection

Bluetooth Connection

The Outdoor Lite2 indicates “Network Error”

If the outdoor lite2 (A20) indicates “Network Error”, please try to take a look at the below steps:

1, Connect the Ethernet cable from the router and power up the camera.
2, Add device using the App WiFi method, prompt with say Connection Successful.
3, Ethernet can be unplugged and Wi-Fi connection will be established.

If the issue still can’t connect via the Ethernet cable, please contact the support team email for advice.

Also, if you have the SD card and SD card reader, update the firmware will fix this issue also.

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How to access the camera on PC

If you want to access the camera on web browser, there are two ways to access the web client.

1, Please go to the web client via the below link.

https://client.blurams.com/login

2, Please go to our official website, tap the “My device” to access the web client.

How to change the email address for the account?

If you want to change the email address for the account, we are so sorry it can’t be changed. The Blurams account is only linked to one email address, and it can’t be changed after registration.

If the old email address is unavailable, we suggest that you can register a new account with the new email address, then add the camera under the new account.

Please note: If you set up the camera under the new account, all the video data, Blurams Guard plans, and camera settings will still be under the old account, and it can’t be transferred to the new account.

Why the lens is rotated by itself or out of control?

If the device is rotated by itself or out of control, please try to troubleshoot it by following steps:

1, Please check if the Motion tracking function is on, if not, please turn off it. (Picture 1)

2, Please check if the Auto Cruise function is on, if not, please turn off it. (Picture 2)
3, Restart the device.
4, If the device still rotates by itself, please provide a video about it, and please attach the MAC address.

Can’t scan the QR code

If the Blurams Cam can’t scan the QR code, first, please make sure the device is red light blinking, please try to troubleshoot the issue by taking the below steps:

– Remove the camera’s lens protective film to make sure the lens is clean

– Adjust the smartphone screen brightness, Switch the App theme to Light, please go to the Blurams app >- Me >- Settings >- Theme, switch to Light mode

– Place the home security cameras on a table or platform, adjust the phone to let it scan the QR code

– Tap the QR code to enlarge it

– Adjust the distance between the lens and screen, the best distance is 3 ~ 5 inch

Please note: the device model A21C Outdoor Pro canadd it via the AP mode, it doesn’t need to scan the QR code; The outdoor lite2, outdoor lite3 supports connect via the Ethernet cable also.

How to remove or delete a device under my account

When you need to transfer a device to another account, or return it back, please delete the device from your account.

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You can delete the device by selecting the “Remove Device” option on the device’s [Preferences/Settings] ”

If the device is associated with a Cloud Service, when the device is removed, the Cloud Service will be unassociated with this device.

This will not affect your other devices.

You can manage all Cloud Services under your account through “Me” -> “Cloud Service” -> “My Cloud Service”.

In addition, it is worth noting that when the device is removed, please save your video data to avoid data loss due to accidental removal.

Change the network

If the device is offline:

If the device is offline, you can only connect the device to the new router by re-adding the device. You can connect the device to the new router through the [Troubleshooting] button on the device list, [Update Wi-Fi] in the [Preferences/Settings], or by adding a new device.

If the device is online:
When the device is online, you can go to the device’s [Preferences/Settings] -> [Network Info] -> [Update Wi-Fi] to connect the device to the new router. After entering this section, the available Wi-Fi list scanned by the device will be automatically loaded. Select the Wi-Fi to which you need the device to connect and enter the password, and this Wi-Fi information will be sent to the device. The device will then try to connect to the new Wi-Fi. Even when the device is online, connect the device to the new Wi-Fi by adding the device again.

My device appears disconnected or offline

If the device shows that it is disconnected or offline, it may be caused by short-term network fluctuations or changes in the network conditions of the environment where the device is located. Please re-add firstly by the methods in 2.2 and if re-adding doesn’t work then check the following steps of your wifi environment:

What do the different status light colors mean?

Status lights on devices are an important tool that can help you find out what a given problem is. They can be divided into the following types:

Note: if the camera’s status light keeps solid red or green light even if press the set button, please contact the support team for advice.

Apple Siri set up guide

If you want to voice command the device, like turn on/ turn off/ show the live stream, please try to enter the Blurams app [Discover]>- [Siri Shortcuts].

Prerequisites for use:
1. Siri voice control function only supports iOS12 and above systems;
2. Only supports English and Simplified Chinese;
3. The shared device does not support adding shortcut commands.

Steps for usage:
1. Open the app and click the Discover button in the bottom navigation bar to enter the discovery page
2. Click Siri Shortcuts to enter a new page. Each device supports 3 commands individually.

The three commands are defined as follows:
1) Show the camera: call up the blurams APP, jump to the playback page to play the real-time video of the corresponding camera.
2) Turn on the camera: without manually open the blurams App, directly open the corresponding camera automatically.
3) Turn off the camera: without the user manually opening the blurams App, the corresponding camera is automatically turned off directly.

3. Click the “+” sign on the right side of each command to call up and add it to the Siri page. The default shortcut name is the name of the list, which can be modified by the user;
4. After the instruction is added to Siri, the Siri voice command is displayed on the second line of the list, and the plus sign on the right side of the list becomes an arrow to the right. The user can click the list option to re-start edit;
5. After the command is successfully added, Siri is invoked, and the user reads the set voice command to perform the corresponding operation.

Alexa app says “Waiting for Blurams”

If the Amazon Alexa can’t play the live stream and says “Waiting for Blurams”, use the below steps to trouble this issue:

1, Please ensure you can play the live stream on Blurams app.

2, Check if your Amazon Alexa app is up to date.

3, Disable, then re-enable the Blurams Skill in the Amazon Alexa App.

Alexa cannot discover or connect to the camera

Here are some steps to try if your Amazon device is having trouble discovering the security camera:

1, Ensure the devices is the newest firmware, click here to see how to update the firmware online.

2, Ensure your Alexa devices’ firmware is also up to date. Click this link to check with Amazon customer support. 

3, Ensure that you authorized the correct Blurams account to your Amazon Alexa account.

4, Disable, and re-enable the Blurams skill.

5, Ensure the device is online and the network is fine.

6, For additional troubleshooting, click here to refer to Amazon Alexa support.

Alexa can’t link to my account

If you can’t link your account to Amazon Alexa blurams skill, please try to do the following things:

1, Please try to log in the blurams app with the same account and password, and make sure the account and password are valid and correct.
2, Please check if the email address and password are correct, and please note if there exists the space character.

IFTTT set up steps

Blurams has partnered with IFTTT (If This Then That) to let our users connect Blurams security cameras and Doorbell to other brand apps and devices.

Blurams security camera and doorbell has a few triggers and actions it can use with IFTTT. Please go to the IFTTT to get more features to build a smart home and living carefree.

1. Download IFTTT

Enter https://ifttt.com/ in the address bar of a browser or download and install the “IFTTT” App from the Apple Store or Google Play.

2. Create Applet

Sign up and log into the IFTTT App, now you’re ready to create an Applet with Blurams service. As an example, we will demonstrate how to use the Blurams service by creating an Applet that “turns on push notification when you leave a place.

There are 3 steps to create an Applet:

2.1 Select “IF”

Select the Location service first, then select “You exit an area” and locate an area on the map.

2.2 Select “Then”

Search and select “Blurams” service, then select the device which you need to enable push-notifications for it. If you have not used Blurams service before, then you need to do an authentication between your Blurams account and IFTTT first.

2.3 Preview and Finish

After finishing the settings above, IFTTT will show a preview page, here you can choose to rename the Applet.

Tap the “Finish” and after the save is successful, this Applet will immediately take effect.

3. Disable Applet

When you don’t need the Applet, you can disconnect the Applet or just archive it in the IFTTT App.

To learn more about Applets click here for support articles by IFTTT.

Disable/ Unlink Google Home

Set up the Google Home/ Google Assistant

1. Download the Google Home app

On your mobile device or tablet, download the Google Home app.

2. Set up your Google device

If you haven’t set up your Chromecast and speaker or display, follow the steps below. If you have already set up these devices, you can skip this step.

3. Link blurams Account

Voice control

Use these commands to control your home security cameras:

Disable or Unlink the Alexa Skill

Click “DISABLE SKILL” on the Skill homepage to disable blurams skill.

Amazon Alexa Voice Commands

After discovering devices, you can control these devices through Amazon Echo series products. Currently, they support voice commands such as：

How to set up Amazon Alexa?

1. Download Amazon Alexa

Download and install the “Amazon Alexa” app on the App Store or Google Play.

2. Find blurams Skill

Log in to the Amazon Alexa app, open the sidebar from the top left corner, and enter the “Skills & Game” page, search for “blurams” in the search bar to find the blurams skills.

3. Enable blurams Skill

In the search result page, click “blurams Skill” and go to the Skill page, click “ENABLE” and follow the instructions to link Amazon to your blurams account.

4. Discover device

If the accounts are successfully linked, the Amazon Alexa App will start to discover devices. After waiting for a moment, all security cameras that have been discovered will be listed automatically.

Notes to keep in mind:

OTA (Over The Air) Firmware Update

Where is the SD card slot?

If you couldn’t find the SD card slot of these devices(Dome Pro, Dome Lite, Dome Lite 2, Snowman), please power off the device, slide up the lens, the SD card slot is on the lens.

I can’t see any videos after inserting the SD card?

The device supports both cloud recording and SD card recording mode. The timeline displays videos that are in the cloud by default. If you need to view the video on the SD card, please switch the viewing way to SD card using one of the following ways:

• Enter the device’s [Preferences] “” -> [Storage] -> [Video viewing ways] and select the SD card.

• Enter the live page, tap the “” button to switch the timeline to the SD card mode.

In addition, you can switch the video recording mode on the SD card through the device’s [Preferences/Settings] “”  -> [Storage] -> [SD card record mode].

The following recording modes are supported:

The home security camera will no longer record video data on the SD card.

The device will record video data to the SD card only when an event is detected.

If the SD card is inserted into the device, the device will record video data to the SD card at all times even when the device is not connected to the network. However, the SD card might be damaged over time if this mode is used for long periods of time as this engages the card continually.

The app can’t detect the SD card

If the cameras can’t detect the SD card, please try to troubleshoot it via the below step:

The VDG Sense app features:
– Add servers: add multiple VDG Sense servers to your app, making it incredibly easy to switch between servers and different sites.

– Select cameras: select your camera by swiping horizontally and vertically through camera locations. Recognize the video channel by thumbnail and camera name.

– View: view images full screen with one-tap zooming. Zoom in on any object by simply tapping the live video. View the next or previous camera by swiping horizontally.

– Control: control any PTZ enabled camera in VDG Sense directly, using the joystick control for pan/tilt and zooming in landscape position. Quick selection of the first six pre-sets available on your camera.

– Store: save any incident directly to your photo library by tapping on the image icon. Share the images by using your choice of any other app, such as your e-mail app or messaging app.

Chapter 1 – Introduction

This manual explains all necessary steps to create a fully functional Sense installation in a relatively short time. It assumes a simple standalone or single-server, single-client setup where all components are configured and accessible via the network:

Sense Server-Client installation:

Chapter 2 – Installation

To install VDG sense the VDGSenseSetup.exe is required. It can be downloaded in the support section here: https://support.tkhsecurity.com/downloads/software/ website. It is a single executable installer which include all required components to install VDG Sense as server, client or standalone system. The diagram below shows the components of VDG Sense Setup.

2.1 Versioning

After starting the VDG Sense Setup the first page the version details page. It shows version information of all included and already installed Sense components.

2.2 Standalone installation

To install VDG Sense as standalone system check both ’Client’ and ’Server’ boxes. It will install the following Sense components:

2.3 Client installation

To install the VDG Sense client, only select the ’Client’ checkbox. It will install the following Sense components:

2.4 Update

The installation package VDG Sense Setup is also used to update VDG Sense to a newer (or lower) version. Use the same procedure as described in paragraph 2.2 and 2.3. IMPORTANT: an update will not remove the license or settings.

Note: Upgrading older VDG Sense versions to the latest VDG Sense version requires special attention to our upgrade instructions which can be found in our knowledgebase:

*Upgrading/Downgrading VDG Sense

Chapter 3 – Starting VDG Sense client

3.1 Signing in

Installing VDG Sense as client or standalone system will put a desktop icon with the name ‘Sense Client’. By double-clicking on ‘Sense Client’ the application will start and show the login dialog, see below.

It contains the following items:

3.2 Menu

After signin the main application starts by showing the top menu bar. If a user with administrator rights signs-in, no layout will be shown. If a normal user signs-in either the first layout in the layoutlist is shown or the multi-layout which is configured as default.

From left to right the top menubar functions are:

Chapter 4 – License

Sense is protected by a software license key. In order to use the product a software license file is required. A Sense license only needs to be applied to the ‘Sense Video Manager’. As ‘Sense Video Manager’ does not have a graphical user interface the license needs to be uploaded and activated using the ‘Sense Client’. The license key can either reside on the license USB stick or provided by e-mail.

4.1 Upload license

Activation is the process by which the software and license key are validated to ensure that they are used in accordance with the purchased license and services. Activation is intended to protect your end user rights as well as TKH Security’s rights as a software author. Only genuine Sense software entitles you to critical updates and technical support. You may not be able to use Sense software if it is not activated.

Requirements

4.2 Activate license

4.2.1 Online activation

4.2.2 Offline activation

Save license file

Chapter 5 – Configuration

Sense settings are visible after clicking the toolset icon in the topbar menu. Settings are grouped in tabs where each tab holds specific settings related to the name of the tab. Normal procedure to setup a Sense system is to work through the setup tabs from left to right, starting with the server tab and ending with user management. Configuration is normally done using the administrator account.

5.1 Servers

The server tab holds the list of servers and settings related to the selected server. From left to right you see the serverlist, the cameralist of the selected server, settings of the selected server and server statistics related to CPU, memory, network and harddisk load.

 5.1.1 Add via find

Click ’Find’ in the lower left corner of the screen to open the find dialog. After a few seconds it shows the list of all servers found in the local network on all NIC’s. Select the server(s) and click ’Add’ to add selected server(s) to the configuration and close the dialog.

5.1.2 Add manually

To add a server press ’+’ in the lower left corner of the screen. Enter the server address in the dialog which appears. On a standalone system the localhost server (127.0.0.1) is automatically added to the list. In a server-client configuration the server is also automatically added to the list after login.

5.2 Devices

A list of Sense-compatible devices can be found here: https://support.tkhsecurity.com/compatibility-list/camera/

The ’Devices’ tab contains the list and configuration of devices for the selected server. The server can be selected just below the ’Server’ tab.

The devicelist has three sections which are from left to right:

5.2.1 Add via find

Click ’Find’ in the lower left corner of the screen to open the find dialog. After a few seconds it shows the list of all devices found in the local network on all NIC’s, including intercom servers and IO devices. Select one or more cameras and click ’Add’ to add selected devices to the configuration. It will also close the dialog.

5.2.2 Add manually

Click ’+’ in the lower left corner of the screen to add a new device to the list.

Fill in all required fields to connect to the device. See the list below for explanation on the fields.

5.3 Layouts

The ’Layouts’ tab is used to configure all (multi)layouts. Layouts are required in operator mode to display live or recorded video or to handle (video)events. They can be custom designed to fit the needs of the operator.  The layout manager is a floating menu which is used to create, delete and modify (multi)layouts and panels.

A layout consists of panels where each panel has a specific function. For instance a panel can be used to display live video, recorded video, for playback controls, display a map or to manage events. The complete list of panel types can be found in the ’Type’ list in the panel section of the ’Layout Manager’.

5.3.1 Live layout

Click ’New’ in the ’Layouts’ menu of the ’Layout Manager’ to create a new layout. The following dialog will appear:

This dialog provides three ways of creating new layouts:

The icon in the lower left corner of each panel identifies the type of panel. A panel for live video uses a camera icon as identifier. After selecting a panel its properties are shown in ’Panels’ section of the Layout manager. To assign a deviceto the selected panel select the camera in the ’Device’ list of the panel properties.

5.3.2 Playback layout

Click ’New’ in the ’Layouts’ menu of the ’Layout Manager’ to create a new layout. The following dialog will appear:

This dialog provides three ways of creating new layouts:

This layout is composed of 4 playback-panels in the upper half of the layout and controls to actually playback recorded video in the lower half of the layout. The panel to display recorded video uses a triangle icon as identifier. To assign a camera to the selected panel select the camera in the ’Devices’ list of the panel properties.

5.3.3 Multi layout

A ’Multi Layout’ is a group of layouts with a pre-defined monitor selection. It is used to quickly assign several layouts at once to different monitors. They are also used to define the default layouts to be displayed based on which user logs in. User Management is explained in the next paragraph. To create a multi-layout click ’Edit’ in the ’Multi-Layout’ menu of the layout manager, a dialog will appear:

On the left side of the dialog is the list of multi layouts. Multi layouts can be added, removed or edited by using the buttons below the list of ’Multi layouts’. On the right side of the dialog is the list of monitors which belong to the selected multi layout. Monitors can be added or removed using the buttons below the ’Layouts’ list. The monitor numbering corresponds to the monitor numbering in the ’Monitors’ tab and in the top menu bar. To assign a layout to a monitor, select one from the list of layouts next to the monitor icon.

NOTE: a layout only can be assigned once per multi layout. When finished click ’Close’ to close the dialog.

5.4 User Management

Sense User Management provides the administrator with the ability to control the access level of users logged in to Sense. Access to cameras, servers, layouts and several other functions can be limited to groups of users. In Sense this is called a ’User Group’, it holds the privileges of users assigned to the group.

5.4.1 Users & Groups

The Users & Groups is used to manage all user related settings in Sense. On the left side of the screen is the list of user groups. User groups can be added, removed or modified using the buttons below this list user groups. On the right side of the screen are the privileges which can be assigned to the groups, divided by subtabs.

Click the ’+’ button at the bottom below the group list to add a user group, a dialog will appear where the name of the user group can be entered. Click ’Ok’ in the dialog to create the group and close the dialog.

Create User:

Click ’+’ below the ’Users’ list in the users subtab to create a user. A dialog appears where the name, username and password of the user can be entered.

Create Devicegroups:

A devicegroup can be used to define which cameras a user is allowed to see. Open tab ’Device groups’ to create a device group. On the left side is the list of created device groups. Using the buttons below the list devicegroups can be added, removed or edited. On the right side is the list of cameras.

Click ’+’ below the ’Device group’ list to create a devicegroup. A dialog appears where the name of the device group can be entered. Use a meaningful name, like ’All cameras’. Click ’Ok’ to close the dialog and add the device group to the list. Drag and drop the cameras from the cameralist on the right to one of the device groups on the left.

Assigning privileges:

If all users, layouts, multilayouts, servers and devicegroups are created, they can be drag and dropped to the corresponding usergroup. To remove a privileges select the it in the usergroup and Click ’-’ below the grouplist or press the ‘Delete’ button on your keyboard.

As an example, the steps to create a usergroup called Operators should look like this:

5.4.2 Configure Autologin

Sense Client can be configured to launch automatically on Windows startup after windows login and to automatically sign in to a Sense Server. Click on the gear wheel in the lower left corner of the dialog to open the settings.

On the left side of the screen the default server, username and password can be entered. On the right side the program language, videowall mode and the automatic startup/sign-in option can be selected. In normal operation the videowall mode does not need to be selected and is beyond the scope of this guide.

Chapter 6 – Operation

Click following link to see the video manual: https://support.tkhsecurity.com/downloads/manuals/

Live mode or ’Home’ is accessed by clicking on the ’Eye’ icon on the upper left corner of the screen of the first monitor. This icon is also used to open the menu where Layouts can be selected. See below for a screenshot of a multi-monitor setup. The left monitor shows a layout with live cameras and the right monitor shows a layout for playback. These are the layouts which are created in ’Setup’ mode.

6.1 Live Menu

The Live menu is accessed by clicking on the ’Eye’ icon on the upper left corner of the screen of the first monitor.

It contains the following items:

Multi Layouts: Contains all multi-layouts available for the currently logged in user. Selecting a multilayout will update all monitors which are configured in this multi-layout.

Layouts: Contains all layouts available for the currently logged in user. Selecting a layout will update the currently selected monitor with this layout.

Cameras: Contains all cameras available for the currently logged in user sub-grouped by location names. The subgroup ’All locations’ contains all cameras. Selecting a camera will update the currently selected videopanel in the layout.

Camera Sequences: Contains camera sequences for the currently logged in user.

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6.2 Tools Menu

The tools menu is accessed by clicking on the ’Toolbox’ icon on the upper left corner of the screen of the first monitor.

It contains the following items:

Search, provides functions to search for events and meta data.

Face Match, eventlist for use with FaceR algorithms.

Database, maintains person list for use with CarR and FaceR algorithms. FaceR and CarR are available if included in the license.

System Alerts: Opens the System Alerts dialog

Video Tags: Opens the Video Tag dialog

6.3 Live

This layout contains 4 live panels where each panel has the following features:

6.3.1 PTZ controls

The live control panel is needed to control PTZ domes. This panel can be pre-configured in a layout, but it will also automatically appear after double-clicking on a videopanel with a PTZ device; the camera will be displayed in fullscreen mode including the dome controls. PTZ commands are sent to the camera which is currently selected (which has a green border).

To pan and tilt a ptz camera hold the left mouse button and move the cursor over the orange dial. The speed of the dome is determined by the cursor-distance from the center of the dial; close to the center the speed is low, on the outside the speed is high. The buttons have the following functions:

	Focus near.
	Focus far.
	Switch auto focus/auto iris on.
	Zoom in.
	Zoom out.
	Open iris.
	Close iris.
	Go to preset ‘Home’.
	Go to preset 1.
	Rotate 180 degrees.
	Save the current position of the dome as a preset.
	Go to the selected preset in the list.
	Opens the preset dialog to give each preset a name.

6.4 Playback

Below is an example of a playback layout that has been created for an operator.

This layout contains 4 playback panels and playback controls where each panel has the following features:

6.4.1 Playback control options

For creating a playback layout, it is needed to create a layout that contains one or multiple panels of the type ‘Playback’ and a control panel to start/stop the playback. There are two types of playback controls available. By default when creating a playback layout or when switching to fullscreen playback, the timeline panel is used.

Option 1: Timeline panel (Preferred)

The red line indicates what the current time/date is of the playbacked recording and thumbnails of the recordings are visible. Also motion detection (if enabled for this camera) is shown in yellow.

	Playback backwards. For streaming codec video only I-Frames are played back.
	Stop playback.
	Playback forward.
	Opens the export image dialog, explained in section 6.3.3 on exporting images.
	Quick option to go to a specific date
	Motion detection
	Option to visualize motion detection, vca events or audio on the timeline panel

Option 2: Alternatively, there is the playback controls panel as a legacy option with the more classic control buttons and slider.

The Playback controls panel is needed to playback recorded video. It has two trackbars where the top bar has a resolution in days and the lower trackbar has a resolution of 24 hours (of the selected day). The playback speed is set by the ’red-green’ trackbar; red is backwards, green is forwards. The date and time on the left and right side of the trackbars correspond to the first and last recorded video image of the cameras which are visible in the layout. From left to right the function of the buttons are as follows:

	Go to the beginning of the recordings of the cameras visible in the layout.
	One minute backwards
	One frame backwards.
	Playback backwards. For streaming codec video only I-Frames are played back.
	Stop playback.
	Playback forward.
	One frame forwards.
	One minute forwards.
	Go to the end of the recordings of the cameras visible in the layout.
	Opens the date time search panel.
	Set export range, explained in section 6.3.2 on exporting video.
	Enable audio playback and set playback speed to realtime (panel should be selected to hear the audio).
	Opens the export image dialog, explained in section 6.3.3 on exporting images.
	Opens the export video dialog, explained in section 6.3.2 on exporting images.

6.4.2 Export Video

Recorded video (and audio) can be exported to different media: CD/DVD, hard drive, USB stick or network share. A single export can hold video of multiple devices from multiple servers in the same time range. The video itself is exported in Sense format, it is not transcoded to a generic codec. The export comes with a program called ’Sense Player’ which is used to playback exported video. To open the ’Export Video’ dialog press the export video button in ’Playback Controls’.

Other options are using the playback controls trackbar or using the start/endtime edit box in the video export dialog:

Timerange using trackbar:
Click ’E’ in the playback controls panel, three buttons appear: ’Start’, ’Clear’ and ’Stop’. Set the thumb-tracker to the starting point of the video that needs to be exported and click ’Start’. Set the thumb tracker to the end point of the video that needs to be exported and press ’Stop’. The time range is highlighted in green. To clear the selection and start over click ’Clear’. After defining the range open the video export dialog. The camera(panel) which has focus will automatically be added to the list of export cameras. The begin and end time are also set automatically.

Timerange using dialog:
Video can also be exported manually without using the trackbar to define the time range. When opening the export video dialog it will use the current playback time (position of thumbtracker) and set the start time with current time minus 5 minutes and end time to current time plus 5 minutes. The camera(panel) which has focus will automatically be added to the list of export cameras.

6.4.3 Export Image

Single images or snapshots can be exported from recorded video to a PDF document which can be stored to any windows storage location (like a USB stick). The PDF report contains information about the exported image and comments which can be entered in the Export Image dialog. To create a report select the playback panel with the image that should be exported and click the ’Disk’ button in the ’Playback Controls’ (see section 6.3.1 on playback controls), it will open the dialog as shown below: