A Network Video Recorder (NVR) is a critical tool for modern security systems, but using it effectively requires knowledge and finesse. This ultimate guide offers clear, actionable steps to help you set up and maximize your NVR’s potential.

Outline

1.Introduction: Why a Network Video Recorder Is Essential

2.Understanding What a Network Video Recorder (NVR) Is

◦ Definition and Components

◦ Types of NVRs: Standalone vs. PC-based

3.How Does an NVR Work?

◦ Network Connectivity and Camera Integration

◦ Video Compression and Storage Formats

4.Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your NVR

◦ Unboxing and Connecting Hardware

◦ Configuring Network Settings

5.Configuring NVR for Optimal Performance

◦ Camera Setup and Network Configuration

◦ Storage Optimization and Backup Solutions

6.Best Practices for Managing and Monitoring NVR Footage

◦ User Interface Walkthrough

◦ Creating Custom Alerts and Notifications

7.Common Troubleshooting Tips

◦ Connectivity Issues

◦ Storage Problems and Maintenance

8.Top NVR Security Features You Need to Know

◦ Encryption and Data Protection

◦ User Authentication and Access Control

9.Integrating Your NVR with Other Smart Devices

◦ Smart Home Integration

◦ Cloud Storage Solutions

10.How to Scale Your NVR System

◦ Expanding Storage

◦ Adding Cameras and Devices

11.Conclusion: Making the Most of Your NVR System

Subject Headings

• Network Video Recorder

• NVR setup guide

• Security camera systems

• NVR camera connection

• NVR video storage

• Cloud backup for NVR

• NVR troubleshooting tips

• NVR home integration

• IP camera NVR configuration

• Remote access to NVR

Internal Links:

• [How to set up Hikvision Smart Hybrid Light cameras]

• [Hikvision Video Recorders FAQ]

• [The Ultimate Security Camera Buying Guide]

External Links:

• [What Is an NVR? – Security Basics]

• [Top 5 NVR Brands of 2024]

• [Best Cloud Storage Solutions for NVR Systems]

How to Use Network Video Recorder: The Ultimate Guide

Network Video Recorders, or NVRs, are at the heart of modern security and surveillance systems. Whether you’re setting up cameras for home security, monitoring your business, or integrating an NVR into a smart home, this guide will walk you through every critical aspect of using these powerful devices. Let’s dive into how to unlock the full potential of your NVR.

Introduction: Why a Network Video Recorder Is Essential

In today’s world, security is non-negotiable. Be it your home or business, keeping a watchful eye on your premises is a priority. But how do you keep all that footage organized and accessible? That’s where a Network Video Recorder comes in. The NVR is the backbone of modern security systems, responsible for recording and storing video data from IP cameras and ensuring that footage is easily retrievable.

Yet, despite their growing popularity, many people still struggle with how to properly set up and use these systems. The truth is, NVRs are incredibly versatile but require a bit of know-how to function at their best. Whether you’re a newbie or someone with basic knowledge, this guide will help you get the most out of your NVR system.

Understanding What a Network Video Recorder (NVR) Is

Definition and Components

First things first: what is a Network Video Recorder? In simple terms, an NVR is a device that records video from IP cameras and stores it digitally on hard drives. Unlike DVRs (Digital Video Recorders), which work with analog cameras, NVRs are built to handle IP cameras, which transmit data over a network.

Key Components of an NVR:

• Processor: Handles the incoming video feeds.

• Hard Drives: Where all the video footage is stored.

• Network Interface Card (NIC): Connects to the local network or internet.

• Operating System: Manages the recording, playback, and storage of video.

Types of NVRs: Standalone vs. PC-Based

There are generally two types of NVRs: standalone and PC-based. Standalone NVRs are dedicated devices that are easy to install and use, while PC-based NVRs allow for more customization but require more technical knowledge.

If you’re looking for simplicity, go for a standalone NVR. If you need flexibility and advanced features, a PC-based NVR might be more your speed.

How Does an NVR Work?

Network Connectivity and Camera Integration

An NVR works by connecting to IP cameras through a network. These cameras can be connected via Ethernet cables or wirelessly through Wi-Fi, though wired connections are generally more stable. Once connected, the cameras send video data to the NVR, where it’s processed, compressed, and stored.

The beauty of NVR systems is that they’re highly scalable. You can easily add more cameras or swap out old ones without having to upgrade the entire system.

Video Compression and Storage Formats

NVRs use various video compression techniques like H.264 or H.265 to ensure that high-quality footage doesn’t take up excessive storage space. Understanding how compression works is crucial to optimizing your NVR’s storage and performance. H.265, for example, offers superior compression, which means more footage can be stored without sacrificing video quality.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your NVR

Unboxing and Connecting Hardware

Once you’ve chosen the right NVR system, it’s time to set it up. Here’s a simple step-by-step process:

1.Unbox the NVR and Cameras: Start by laying out all components.

2.Connect the NVR to a Monitor: Most NVRs have HDMI or VGA ports.

3.Connect Cameras: Using Ethernet cables or Wi-Fi, link your IP cameras to the NVR.

4.Power Up: Ensure both the NVR and cameras are receiving power.

5.Connect to the Internet: This allows you to access the NVR remotely.

Configuring Network Settings

Once the hardware is connected, you’ll need to configure the network settings. This usually involves assigning IP addresses to each camera and ensuring they’re all properly communicating with the NVR. Most modern NVRs offer plug-and-play functionality, automatically detecting cameras on the network.

If you’re having trouble, use the NVR’s manual to navigate its settings interface and configure IP addresses manually.

Configuring NVR for Optimal Performance

Camera Setup and Network Configuration

After your initial setup, it’s time to configure the finer details. Log into the NVR’s user interface, usually through a web browser or mobile app, and tweak the camera settings to your liking. Adjust aspects like:

• Frame rate: For smooth video playback, a frame rate of at least 30 fps is recommended.

• Resolution: Ensure you’re recording in high definition (1080p or higher) for clear footage.

• Motion Detection Zones: Set up specific areas in the frame where you want motion detection to be active.

Storage Optimization and Backup Solutions

The amount of storage you have will determine how long you can store footage. It’s essential to configure your NVR to overwrite old footage or set up an alert system when storage is nearing capacity. External hard drives or cloud storage solutions can also be integrated to expand your storage capabilities.

Best Practices for Managing and Monitoring NVR Footage

User Interface Walkthrough

One of the biggest advantages of NVRs is the easy-to-navigate interface that allows you to monitor and manage multiple cameras simultaneously. Take advantage of the following features:

• Live View: Monitor real-time footage from all connected cameras.

• Playback Mode: Search for specific footage using time stamps or motion events.

• Snapshot Functionality: Capture still images from video for quick reference.

Creating Custom Alerts and Notifications

For maximum efficiency, set up motion detection alerts. Most NVRs allow you to receive notifications on your phone or email whenever movement is detected. This feature can be a lifesaver, especially for business owners who want to keep an eye on their premises after hours.

Common Troubleshooting Tips

Connectivity Issues

If your cameras keep losing connection, the first thing to check is your network. Wired connections are always more reliable, but if you’re using Wi-Fi, ensure that your cameras are within range of your router. Another issue could be IP conflicts, so double-check that all devices have unique IP addresses.

Storage Problems and Maintenance

Running out of storage is a common issue with NVRs. Always ensure your system is set to overwrite old footage when space runs out. Also, periodically check the health of your hard drives and clean out any unnecessary files to avoid crashes or data loss.

Top NVR Security Features You Need to Know

Encryption and Data Protection

In an age of increasing cyber threats, it’s essential to ensure your NVR is protected from unauthorized access. Many modern NVRs come equipped with encryption features that protect your data both during transmission and when stored on your hard drives. Always enable encryption and regularly update your system to protect against new vulnerabilities.

User Authentication and Access Control

Another critical security feature is user authentication. Only authorized users should be able to access your NVR’s settings and footage. Set up unique usernames and passwords, and consider two-factor authentication for added security. Be sure to limit access to trusted individuals and regularly audit who has access to your system.

Integrating Your NVR with Other Smart Devices

Smart Home Integration

NVRs can be integrated with smart home systems like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or Apple HomeKit, enabling you to control and monitor your cameras through voice commands or centralized apps. Imagine being able to ask Alexa to display your front door camera on your living room TV.

This level of integration not only adds convenience but also increases the security of your home or business.

Cloud Storage Solutions

For those looking to safeguard their footage from potential hardware failures, cloud storage offers a flexible and secure solution. Many NVR brands now offer cloud-based backup options, ensuring that even if your local storage is compromised, your footage remains safe and accessible.

How to Scale Your NVR System

Expanding Storage

As your surveillance needs grow, so will your need for additional storage. Thankfully, scaling your NVR system is relatively straightforward. Most NVRs support external storage via USB or eSATA connections, allowing you to add more hard drives without replacing your existing ones.

Adding Cameras and Devices

Adding more cameras to your NVR is as simple as connecting them to the network. Before doing so, however, ensure your NVR can handle the additional bandwidth and storage requirements. If you’re running a business with multiple locations, consider setting up multiple NVRs that can be monitored from a single, centralized interface.

Conclusion: Making the Most of Your NVR System

Your Network Video Recorder is the linchpin of your security system. From setup to monitoring, troubleshooting, and scaling, there are many aspects to consider when making the most of your NVR. By following the steps and best practices outlined in this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to optimize your NVR’s performance, ensuring that your security system remains reliable, efficient, and future-proof.

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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.

.

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:

Creating a Video Surveillance System Based on SmartVision

SmartVision is a comprehensive software solution for modern video surveillance systems, offering advanced features to enhance security and monitoring efficiency. Supporting unstable streams and budget-friendly cameras, it implements load balancing for optimal performance. Compatible with any IP cameras that support RTSP or HTTP broadcasting, SmartVision enables efficient image viewing and processing.

Video Surveillance SmartVision

After installing and launching the program, the main window will appear, displaying images from the surveillance cameras. At the top, you will find the main menu, which duplicates the buttons on the toolbar below.
You can hide the button panel and use the program’s main menu instead.

On the right, select the desired tile layout for displaying images from the surveillance cameras.
Options include layouts with 1, 4, 8, 9, or 16 tiles.
The selected layout will be saved when you exit the program.

Initially, the tiles in the main window will be empty. To connect your IP cameras, click on the camera icon on the main toolbar. A form with a list of IP cameras will appear.
Cameras can be added either automatically or manually. The first icon on the camera list panel is used for automatically searching for IP cameras in the local network.

Automatic Camera Search via ONVIF

To automate the detection and addition of IP cameras, follow these steps:

.

Adding IP Cameras Manually

To add cameras manually, use the “Add Camera” button. A form for adding a new camera will appear.
All you need to do is enter the correct RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) or HTTP stream URL.
Typically, an RTSP URL looks like this:
rtsp://admin:password@ipaddress:port/text
Where:
.

After entering and saving the correct RTSP URL, the main window will display an image from the IP camera. Note that default passwords vary by manufacturer. A list of default passwords can be found in the documentation.

The camera settings form provides a wide range of options and features. Some of these options require significant computational resources. Therefore, for a large number of cameras, you need to select appropriate hardware that supports advanced capabilities for real-time detection and recognition of objects.
For more information about these features, refer to the sections on motion detection, face recognition, and vehicle license plate recognition.

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General Software Settings

Cloud Records (Cloud Storage for Files)
On the first page of the settings, you can enter your login and password for the cloud service. To do this, you need to create an account on the website and confirm it via email. Enter:
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Click Save. If the option “Connect and enable cloud recording” is enabled, you can upload events to the server for secure storage and remote viewing. Additionally, you can access your cameras through the cloud service in your personal account. To enable this feature, you will need to configure the appropriate settings in the camera options. For more details, refer to the section on IP Camera configuration.

Local Records (Local Storage for Files)

In the general settings, you can select a directory for the “videos” archive where video files will be saved during recording.

By default, the “videos” folder is created in the same directory where the SmartVision program is installed.

This folder contains three subdirectories:

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Inside each subdirectory, files are saved in folders named by the current date. The entire video archive is immediately saved in a compressed MP4 format, requiring no further transcoding. This means you can simply copy any video file and open it in any media player that supports MP4, which includes virtually all players.

Video Retention Settings
In the general settings, you can also define the maximum retention period for video recordings in days. After this period, files will be automatically deleted.

IP Camera Configuration

The IP camera settings are divided into several sections:
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Device – General IP Camera Settings

This section allows you to input the camera’s name and the RTSP or HTTP stream address.
“Display the video stream on the main form”: Specifies whether the camera’s video stream should be displayed on the main interface.
For example, on one computer, you can record video without viewing it, while on another, you can only view the video without saving it to the hard drive. If you use a low-performance computer for viewing only, it is recommended to use a secondary stream with a lower resolution.
Advanced Options:
Here, you can configure automatic reconnection to the camera after a set number of seconds.
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Recording – IP Camera Recording

This section allows you to configure continuous recording settings for creating a video archive.
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Advanced Options:
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For time-lapse recording, you can set the number of frames per minute. The default is 2 frames per second. Time-lapse recording significantly reduces disk space usage. The fewer frames per minute you record, the less disk space is required.
Parallel Recording of Events: Continuous or time-lapse recording does not restrict you from recording events simultaneously. For instance, when motion is detected, you can have a high-quality video recording with a high FPS while also capturing a low-motion time-lapse recording.
To save disk space, all streams are automatically transcoded and saved in compressed MP4 format. This recording process requires a certain level of CPU/GPU load, unlike saving to an AVI file.

Detection – Motion Detection

If you need video surveillance in areas with minimal movement, it makes sense to use motion detection. For example, this could include an elevator lobby, an office during off-hours, or a home or apartment in your absence. In such cases, continuous recording of an empty space is unnecessary. However, if you have installed surveillance in a shopping mall or on a busy street, continuous recording is recommended to reduce CPU load. It’s important to understand that both detection and recording place a certain load on the processor and hard drive. For systems with a large number of cameras, it is essential to pre-calculate the computer and network configuration to ensure sufficient resources for your requirements.

Sensitivity Settings
The sensitivity of the motion detector is configured in Advanced Options.
Sensitivity can range from 0 to 1:
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You can also define specific areas for motion detection within this configuration.

Motion-Triggered Recording
When the motion detector is triggered, recording will begin for a specified duration. By default, this is set to 15 seconds, but you can adjust this parameter in Advanced Options. All recorded events can be reviewed in the Events section.

Detection – Object Detection

If you have enabled motion detection on the previous tab, you can also use object detection powered by computer vision.
On this tab, select the option “Use object detection”.
Object detection is triggered when motion is detected. By default, the interval for object detection is set to 300 milliseconds (Advanced Options).
This means that frames for object detection will be processed every 300 milliseconds.

Object detection places a load on the CPU, so it is not recommended to set this interval below 150 milliseconds. The shorter the interval, the higher the processor load. This feature is only supported on 64-bit computers.

Enable Face Recognition
Enable this option to use face recognition.
Face recognition can be used independently of object detection.
This feature requires a computer with sufficient computational power and is only supported on 64-bit systems.

Enable License Plate Recognition
Enable this option to automatically detect vehicle license plates.
License plate recognition can be used together with or separately from object detection.
This feature also requires a computer with sufficient computational power and is only supported on 64-bit systems.

Enable Smoke and Fire Detection
Enable this option for automatic detection of smoke and fire in the frame.
It is recommended to use smoke and fire detection separately from other options.
This feature requires a computer with sufficient computational power and is only supported on 64-bit systems.Shorten with AI

Cloud Storage and Online Camera Viewing via the Internet

SmartVision allows you to view your cameras with an RTSP stream online without a dedicated IP address and without port forwarding.
To do this, you need to enable 3 options:
In the general settings, enter your email and password at cloud service, and in the camera settings, select the option “Stream camera online to cloud server.”
To record events to the cloud server, enable the option “Upload Events to Cloud Server.”
It is also recommended to enable “Upload events to the server only in case of object detection” to reduce false triggers.

You can then use the mobile app or the mobile version of the website for online camera and event viewing.

Advanced – Additional Object Detection Settings

This tab configures probabilities for identifying specific types of objects and the number of object detections with a given probability.

Object detection in the frame occurs based on these parameters.

Here you set the detection probabilities and the number of repetitions in the frame for the following objects/subjects:
person, car, bus, bicycle, cat, dog, bird.

It is recommended not to change these settings.

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List of Surveillance Cameras

The second button on the main form calls up the list of cameras connected to the SmartVision CCTV software.

The camera list form also contains a toolbar with buttons.

The buttons allow you to move cameras up and down, thus changing their position on the main program form.

You can also edit or delete unnecessary cameras.

Surveillance Events

The first button on the main form is Events.

Here you will see all motion detector activations, as well as object detection of faces and car license plates, smoke and fire detector triggers.

You can also apply filters and find the events you need through the search form (the very first button on the form).

The events form also shows the status of file uploads to the cloud server if video transmission to the server is set up for the selected camera.

On this form, you can also view the video of the recorded event. All uploads to the server are done securely with encryption.

Face Recognition Database

You can use photographs to train the neural network and create a face database for online recognition.

Manual training for a single face takes about 30 seconds.

The system also allows you to automatically create a face database based on video streams from surveillance cameras.
To do this, the system needs to receive 5 images of the same face.

Adding new faces for recognition to the database

To add a new face to the database, enter the person’s name and click Add.

Then select at least 5 photographs and save the result for processing. Click Save & Update.

Wait for the system’s training process to complete.

The database does not store the actual photographs but their “digital weights” necessary for recognition by the neural network.

When face recognition is enabled, new faces will automatically be added to the database during the processing of video streams from IP cameras.

How many cameras can the system handle?

Currently, the program has a limit of 16 cameras. However, you can install the program on multiple computers for different cameras and connect them all to a single account in our cloud service.

For online camera viewing, a powerful computer is not required. You can even use an old 32-bit computer. For face recognition, license plate recognition, and object detection, you should select the computer/server’s power based on the number and resolution of your cameras.

It is recommended to use Windows 10 or higher for this purpose. Resource consumption also depends heavily on the model of the IP camera, FPS, and resolution. The CPU load for cameras with approximately the same specifications can vary greatly between different manufacturers. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The optimal load can be determined experimentally based on the tasks being solved and the camera parameters.

The advantage of our system is that it is versatile and can work with cameras from various manufacturers, including very budget-friendly and unstable models. We constantly optimize the program to reduce CPU/GPU load, so keep an eye out for new versions.Shorten with AI

SmartVision User’s Video guide

Product Information

Specifications

Product Usage Instructions

Client Downloading
Please follow the steps below to download and install the v720 app:

Add Device
To add the device to the v720 app, follow these steps:

Note: Ensure proper network connection and device functionality during the binding process.

v720 Mini Camera Setup Guide

AP Mode
To connect in AP mode, follow these steps:

Matters Needing Attention

Warning: This device complies with FCC Part 15 rules. Please ensure no harmful interference is caused.

RF Exposure Statement: Maintain a minimum distance of 20cm between the device and your body for compliance with FCC RF Exposure guidelines.

FAQ

Thank you for purchasing this product. Please read this manual carefully before using it and keep it in a safe place.

Client downloading

Please scan the lower QR code, download and install the “v720”app, or search for “V720” in the mobile phone application store to download and  install.

Add device

AP mode

Matters needing attention

Warning:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a 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 communications.

However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does 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:

NOTE: This device and its antenna(s) must not be co-located or operation in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter

RF Exposure Statement
To maintain compliance with FCC’s RF Exposure guidelines, This equipment should be installed and operated with minimum distance of 20cm the radiator your body. This device and its antenna(s) must not be co-located or operation in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter..

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General Questions about Kasa Cam Outdoor

For all Kasa Cam’s basic information, please click here for details.

Below are some general questions about Kasa Cam Outdoor only.

Q1: How should I clean the surface of the Kasa Cam Outdoor?

You can clean dirt off your Kasa Cam Outdoor using a damp washcloth and wiping the edges off. We recommend caution when wiping the face of the camera so that you do not scratch the lens.

Q2: Do I need a hub for the Kasa Cam Outdoor?

Some Kasa Cam Outdoors are hub free and designed to work straight out of the box with your existing wireless network. All you need to get started is a safe and covered outlet for you to plug the camera AC adapter into, for example, KC200.

While some must work with a Kasa Hub and users will need to add the Hub first on Kasa APP, for example, KC300.

Q3: How far can I place the Kasa Cam Outdoor from my Wi-Fi router?

The average range of Kasa Cam Outdoor cameras can be 25-50 feet away from the router. This range varies based on your router model, home type and wireless interference. You can test your camera’s signal strength from the device settings menu from within the app.

Q4: Is Kasa Cam Outdoor battery powered?

Only KC300S2 and KC310S2 support battery-powered, the other Kasa Cam Outdoor can only be powered by being plugged into an electrical outlet.

Q5: Is KC200 completely wire free?

The kasa cameras are not completely wire free, as long as you need to power them on with the provided power cord.

However, kasa cameras are wirelessly connected to your Wi-Fi network after successfully setting them up.

Q6: Is there an extension cable for KC200?

We do have the extension cable for KC200, and its model is KA200E. Please click here for more details.

Q7: How do I turn my Kasa Cam Outdoor Siren on/off?

From the live view screen, tap the siren icon to be taken to the siren on/off button. Tap once to trigger the siren, tap again to disarm it.

Q8: What can I do if bugs are triggering my Kasa Cam Outdoor?

If your Kasa Cam Outdoor is placed in an area where dust or bugs are a problem, you can change the minimum motion duration setting. You can configure the minimum motion duration found in the Privacy and Sensitivity tab of your camera setting. Refer to the question “How can I reduce the number of false alerts I receive from my Kasa Cam Outdoor?”

Questions Regarding Kasa Care Subscriptions

Q1:  Do I have to purchase Kasa Care individually for each of my cameras?

Kasa Care services have Plus and Premium plans.

If you subscribe to the Plus plan, you need to subscribe to the Kasa Care service for each camera individually.

The Premium plan applies to per Kasa account. After you subscribe to the Premium plan, up to 10 cameras bound to the Kasa account can enjoy the Premium plan.

Please see FAQ-1962 for details on plans and pricing.

Q2:  When will my Kasa Care subscription start and when will I be billed?

Your Kasa Care subscription starts on the day after your set up the camera successfully. You can select to use the free plan or purchase a monthly/yearly subscription. You will be billed on the same day when your monthly/yearly subscription is activated.

Subscriptions automatically renew, and users can cancel the plan before the next bill date to avoid being billed for the next cycle.

Note: With a free plan you’ll only have access to your last 12 hours or 2 days of video history depending on the Kasa Cam’s model number. You may opt-out by Canceling the paid plan before your trial ends.

Q3:  How do I change my Kasa Care payment information?

You will be able to change your payment information at any time through the Kasa app. Launch the Kasa app, click on the “ME” icon at the lower right corner of your screen, go to Kasa Care, and then click on Payment to change your payment information.

Kasa Care only allows for one payment card on file at a time.  Notifications of transactions, subscription and payment issues will be sent via email.

Q4:  Can I change my billing cycle?

Yes, you change your billing cycle for each Kasa account. When changing from an annual to a monthly plan we will refund you for the remaining unused days of Kasa Care.

You can change your billing cycle by selecting Kasa Care from the side bar, canceling your current subscription and creating a new subscription.

Q5:  How do Kasa Care subscription renewals work?

Your Kasa Care subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of the billing cycle unless you choose to cancel the service.

General Questions about Kasa Care

We released the new Kasa Care service in 2020. For detailed information about the new Kasa Care service, please refer to What is Kasa Care.

Here is what you might want to know about the new Kasa Care service.

Information related to the free trial

Q1: Is there a free trial for the Kasa Care plan?

With the new Kasa Care service, every Kasa account is eligible to sign up for a free trial for the new Kasa Care plan once.

To view the Kasa Care plan, From the Kasa APP > Tap’Me’ on the bottom> Select Kasa Care

Q2: Can I get a free trial for the new Kasa Care if I already had a free trial of the legacy Kasa Care plan?

Yes! Every Kasa account is eligible for a one-time free trial of the new Kasa Care services.

Q3: How many free trials can I have for the Kasa Care plan?

Each Kasa account is eligible to sign up for a free trial once.

Q4: Can I cancel a free trial?

Yes. You can cancel a free trial at any time from the Kasa app. Do note, however, that your account will not be eligible for another free trial after the cancellation.

Information related to User Migration

Q5: How to migrate from the legacy Kasa Care plans to the new Kasa Care plans

If you have active legacy Kasa Care subscriptions for your Kasa Cameras, you can migrate to the new Kasa Care plan on your Kasa app. To view your options, open the sidebar by tapping the “≡” button in the upper left corner of the Kasa app and select Kasa Care.

To migrate and upgrade, please click on “Upgrade to New Plans” and you will be taken to the new Kasa Care ‘Select Services’ screen. You could just follow the subscription instructions to finish the migration. All legacy Kasa Care subscriptions will be terminated, and the prorated refund will be issued to your credit or debit card on file.

You can also cancel your existing subscription first and subscribe to a new Kasa Care plan later. Upon cancellation, all legacy Kasa Care subscriptions will be terminated, and the prorated refund will be issued to your credit or debit card on file.

Please note that once you’ve completed all the steps of “Upgrade to New Plans” or “Cancel Subscription,” you cannot purchase the legacy Kasa Care plans again.

Migration is one way and cannot be undone.

Please contact TP-Link support if you see a message reporting that “This subscription cannot be refunded” while migrating to the new Kasa Care plan.

Q6: Do I still have access to the legacy Kasa Care’s free features after I cancel my legacy service?

First, you will be refunded when you cancel the legacy Kasa Care Plans. After cancellation, your Kasa Cameras will automatically revert to the legacy Kasa Care’s free features:

· KC100 and KC110 will still have 12 hours of free cloud storage for 2 years from the original setup date.

· KC120 and KC200 will still have 48 hours of free cloud storage for 2 years from the original setup date.

· KC300 will still have 48 hours of free cloud storage for 1 year from the original setup date.

· KC310 will still have 12 hours of free cloud storage for 1 year from the original setup date.

Depending on the camera, you will have one or two years of free cloud storage.

Any paid subscriptions will not pause the countdown clock on your free storage.

Please note that once you’ve canceled a legacy Kasa Care plan or migrated to a new Kasa Care plan, you cannot subscribe to the legacy Kasa Care plans again.

Q7: Can I keep my existing legacy Kasa Care plan for my Kasa Camera?

Yes. You can keep your existing legacy Kasa Care plan. However, if you cancel or make changes to your plan, you will not be able to return to the legacy plan. You can switch to a new Kasa Care plan anytime from the Kasa app.

Q8: Can I alter my legacy Kasa Care plan?

You cannot make other changes to your legacy Kasa Care subscriptions.

You can cancel your legacy Kasa Care plan or migrate to a new Kasa Care plan at any time.

Plan cancellation and change

Q9: Can I cancel or change my Kasa Care subscription?

Yes. Your Kasa Care plan cancellation/change will take effect immediately. All video history outside of the new plan limits will be erased and cannot be recovered.

Either a prorated refund or a prorated credit will be issued accordingly.

If you still have one or more cameras in your Kasa Care subscription, you’ll get a prorated credit applied to your next bill.

Note: Your Kasa Care subscription can either be billed monthly or annually. You can found the current billing cycle (next invoice date) by tapping on the Kasa Care in the sidebar of the Kasa app.

If you wish to change your billing cycle, you may tap on the Kasa Care in the sidebar, canceling the current subscription and create a new one.

Refund Policy Summary Table

Other Questions

Q10: Can I add more than 10 cameras to one premium plan subscription?

No. The maximum number of cameras under one Premium Plan subscription is 10. If you want to enable Kasa Care service for more than 10 cameras, you can sign up for another Kasa account or change all cameras to Plus Plan. Plus Plan subscriptions are per camera and there is no maximum camera limit.

Q11: Can I subscribe to both Plus and Premium Plans at the same time for one Kasa account?

No. Only one subscription type is allowed per Kasa account.

Q12: Does my Kasa camera still have a free cloud recording?

When you register for a Kasa Cam, you can enjoy the free Kasa Care service depending on the model number of the camera.

With the free service, you will have access to 12 hours or 2 days of video history for the Kasa cameras.

Note： The other cameras don’t have free cloud recording except the models listed below.

Note: The 2-year/1-year free plan begins after the camera is set up successfully.

Q13: Does my Kasa camera still have a free plan if I cancel my subscription plans?

Yes! You always have the Free Plan for the Kasa camera. When you cancel the paid plan, the camera will go back to the free plan with 12 hours or 2 days of video history. Please note the free plan starts timing after the camera is set up successfully. The free plan will be unavailable only when it expires.

Q14: Can I Retrieve a clip that shows “No longer available”?

No, there is no way to retrieve these clips. Some users may want to see clips labeled “no longer available” in the Kasa app. These clips are not available since they are not stored on our server anymore.

You cannot retrieve these clips by subscribing to a Kasa Care plan, either.

Q15: Why can’t I use the manual recording feature on KC105 or KC115?

If you cannot see the manual recoding button on the live view page of the camera, it is likely that you have not subscribed to the Kasa Care Plan, thus there is no free cloud recording for the KC105 or KC115.

After the subscription, you will see the recording button and use the manual recording feature, the clip recorded will be saved to the activity center.

Q16: What’s the difference between a free plan and a free trial?

The free plan refers to 2-day or 12-hour Free cloud storage accompanied by the camera itself (depending on the model no. of the camera), which you can enjoy without subscribing to Kasa Care. The old models of Kasa Cameras, including KC100, KC110, KC120, KC200, KC300, and KC310 have this feature, while the new models that support SD cards do not have the free plan (free cloud storage).

Free Trial is a trial for a limited period when users subscribe to a paid Kasa Care.

The current offer is a 30-day free trial. This probation period may be changed at any time. We have not guaranteed the length of a free trial.

Q17: What types of cards are supported for payment?

We currently support Visa, Maestro, Mastercard and American Express for payment.

All four brands are supported for payment, including credit and debit cards for these brands.

Cancel or Downgrade Kasa Care service on Web Portal

If you made the subscriptions from the Kasa Care Web portal or in the old Kasa app (versions before Dec 2022), you can downgrade or cancel the service on Web portal , this article will introduce some points for attention.

If you made the subscriptions in the Kasa APP app (after Dec 2022 app update) please refer to this FAQKasa Care Cancellation and Refund

Q1: If I cancel Kasa Care, will it terminate immediately?

A: Yes, when you choose to cancel the subscription, the Kasa Care plan and service will stop immediately.

Q2: Can I receive refund after cancelling?

A: After cancelling the service, you’ll be issued either a prorated refund or a prorated credit. If you’ve cancelled your Kasa Care subscription, you’ll get a prorated refund. If you still have one or more cameras in your Kasa Care subscription, you’ll get a prorated credit applied to your next bill.

Q3: Can I view cloud video clips after cancelling?

A: No, all video history outside of the new plan limits will be erased and cannot be recovered. But you can also watch the clips which are no more than 30 days.

Q4: How can I cancel the Kasa Care service?

A: Log in to the Kasa Care official website https://kasa.tplinkra.com/ , and then choose the Kasa Care subscription and Tap on Cancel Subscription, reconfirm if you want to unsubscribe, and click REMOVE, the service will be cancelled immediately.

Q5: Could I downgrade my previous plan?

A: Yes, log in to the Kasa Care official website, and then subscribe to the new service you want to downgrade, then you will switch to the new service.

The Refund Policy Summary Table from website as below:

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How can I buy a Kasa Care subscription for my camera

You can subscribe to the Kasa Care plan from the Kasa app or from the Kasa Care web portal.

This FAQ will guide you step-by-step to make a new subscription.

From the Kasa App (IOS)

1. To subscribe to a new Kasa Care plan, open Kasa APP, and access Me-> Kasa Care.

2. Click “Add Plan” to add the new Kasa Care service.

3. Choose the service you want to buy and click Subscribe.

4. Pay for it from APP Store.

5. Select the camera you want to add to the plan, the camera selected will be applied Kasa Care features after the subscription. If you do not see your camera in the list, please make sure it has the latest firmware and have internet access.

From the Kasa Care Web Portal or Andriod

1. If you use web portal, login the Kasa Care website(https://kasa.tplinkra.com) with your TP-Link ID;

If you use Android APP, open your Kasa APP and access Me->Kasa Care.

2. Click Add Service and choose the Kasa Care plan you want to use.

3.Select the cameras you want to add in the plan.

4.Choose the Billing Cycle you prefer, yearly or monthly.

5. Add your credit card info and pay for it.

If you need any help with Kasa Care, contact TP-Link technical support .Please try to provide the following information for us to better help with your case:

1.Your TP-Link ID

2.A screenshot of Error or a screenshot of Kasa Care payment record with Order ID.

If you need further assistance contact TP-Link Customer Support here.

What are activity notifications?

Kasa Cam utilizes your smartphone’s push notification feature to alert you of activity. When your camera detects any activity (sound and/or motion based on your camera settings), it will send a push notification to your mobile device. Tapping on the notification will take you to “Activity” tab in your Kasa app. From there you can view a video recording of the activity.

Step 1: Example of push notification

How do I turn on or off activity notifications on my mobile device?

Kasa Cam utilizes the push notification of your smart phone to inform you of detected activities by the camera. This feature can be turned on during or after the installation process. This guide will show you both.

During installation:

While going through the setup process, the app will remind you to enable the notification feature. If you tap “I don’t want to be notified, then you may need to turn on this feature manually after the installation process.

After installation:

Method 1:

1: Open your Kasa app, tap the “three lines icon” on the top left corner, and then click on “Settings”.

2: Tap “Notifications”, click on the camera which you want to enable notification function. Here we take KC120 as an example.

3: Enable “Activity Notifications”, if you select “Always” in the page, you will receive notifications all the time. If you select “Custom Time”, you can custom a time period when you will receive the notifications.

Note: If your enable “Automatically Limit Notifications”, Kasa app will limit the frequency of notifications you receive to no more than one notification per five minutes regardless of activity.

Method 2:

Here we take KC120 as an example.

1. Click on KC120, then click on the “three lines icon” on the top right corner, go to the Device Settings page.

2. Click on “Notifications”.

3. Enable “Activity Notifications”, and then select “Always” or “Custom Time” as your desire.

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What is Kasa Care?

.

Kasa Care is a cloud-based service that allows users to view and download activity recordings from a Kasa Cam.

When you purchase a Kasa Cam, you can subscribe to our advanced plan to enjoy our Kasa Care cloud service.

Your Camera’s activity recordings are stored on the cloud and associated with your Kasa account. You can review, download, and share these recordings within certain days in the activity center on your Kasa app.

You could choose either Plus Plan or Premium Plan for your account.

The subscription is associated with the account, you can add cameras to the plan or remove cameras from it on Kasa APP.

* 30 days of video history – With 30 days of video history, you can see every event captured by your camera through a clip. The video history includes an activity recording clip, a snapshot of the detected activity, and the time the activity was recorded over the past 30 days

* Video sharing – Just tap the share button and you can quickly post your Kasa Cam clip to your preferred social media platform or share it directly with your friends and family. You can also download Kasa Cam clips to your mobile phone or tablet to keep them for long-stem storage.

* Rich notifications – When your Kasa Cam detects motion or sound, you’ll be alerted with a push notification featuring a snapshot of the detected activity, letting you decide at-a-glance if you need to respond now or later.

* Up to 10 Cameras – Kasa Care Premium represents fantastic value for multi-camera households, giving you access to all paid Kasa Care features for up to 10 cameras; it’s the way to go if you have four or more cameras.

Free cloud recording offering:

When you set up a Kasa Cam, you can enjoy the free Kasa Care service depending on the model number of the camera. With the free service, you will have access to 12 hours or 2 days of video history for the Kasa cameras

To access video history for more than 12 hours or 2 days, you have to upgrade to one of our paid subscription plans.

* Kasa Cameras that support SD card does not have this feature, you need to upgrade to one of our paid subscription plans to use the cloud storage and the features such as “Manual Recording”, “Activity Notifications with Snapshots”

Note: The 2-year/1-year free plan starts timing after the camera is set up successfully.

Do I have to create a Kasa account to be able to use the camera?

*Note: All Kasa Cams require and only work with the Kasa for Mobile App

Yes, if this is your first Kasa device, you will be asked to create an account when you add your first camera.  A Kasa account will allow you to manage the Kasa Cam and other Kasa devices.  After you create your account you’ll be sent a verification email to complete the registration process.

Step 1:  Tap Create Account

Step 2:  Type in your Email address and set a password

Step 3:  Confirm the email address and tap Continue

Does Kasa Cam have Night Vision?

*Note: All Kasa Cams require and only work with the Kasa for Mobile App

Yes, Kasa Cam comes equipped with Night Vision. Kasa Cam’s Night Vision will allow you to see what’s happening up to 30 feet in darkness. There might be slight difference in the distance of Night Vision, please click here for more details.

You can access the Night Vision settings through Camera Settings with the following options: Automatic, Off, or Always On.

Step 1: Go to your Camera’s page on the Kasa App and tap on the settings button

Step 2: Tap on Night Vision

Step 3: Choose your night vision option and tap Save.

*Note: If your camera has been placed in front of a window, you may experience some glare from the infrared LEDs used for night vision. You may need to turn off night vision to the reduce the glare. Placing the camera next to a wall’s edge may also affect how night vision works.

Read More : TP-Link VIGI VMS Ultimate Guide

General Questions related to Kasa Smart Cameras

Part 1：Installation Questions

Do I need an account to be able to use a Kasa Smart camera?

Yes, All TP-Link apps and services require the creation or use of a TP-Link ID. This is a universal account that is used to manage and access your TP-Link apps or services. One account can be used across multiple apps or services, so if you use products such as Deco, Kasa or Tapo all you have to do is create one account to access them all. You can refer to FAQ 1961 for more information.

What are the requirements to use the Kasa App?

Please download and update the latest version of the app from Google Play or the App Store. OS requirements may change with future app releases. Check your app store for information on the latest requirements.

Note: Currently, there are no plans to support other operating systems such as Windows, Mac or Linux. Kasa is only available on Android and iOS devices.

What encryption types do Kasa cameras support?

Kasa cameras currently support WEP, WPA/WPA2, and WPA3(some models) encryptions.

Portal, WPA/WPA2-enterprise, and open/unsecured networks are not supported.

Note: Kasa smart devices do support hidden SSIDs.

What bands do Kasa cameras use?

KC120 and KC200 support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. All of the other Kasa Cameras support 2.4GHz only.

What do the Kasa Camera’s LED colors mean?

How do I mount my Kasa Camera?

Use the provided mounting equipment and follow the in-app guide for mounting your camera.

Part 2：Motion Detection and Notification Questions

How do I adjust the Camera’s detection sensitivity?

Navigate to the camera Device Settings page on the Kasa App, then tap Privacy and Sensitivity where you can find settings to change the sensitivity of the detection to a lower/higher level.

What does the Notification Frequency option do?

This option allows you to reduce the number of notifications in a particular period of time. One notification for every 5 minutes of activity. This is useful when monitoring a particular busy area.

Why clips or snapshots in the Activity Center when motion detected?

If you are using the local storage option or have not subscribed to Kasa Care you will still receive a notification if activity is detected but there will not be a recording to review in the activity Center.

For local storage go to Cameras > tap on the Camera > tap 24/7 recording to review record activity.

Does Kasa camera support email notification when it detects an activity?

No, Kasa cameras only support Push Notifications.

Part 3：Live View Questions

Who can manage my camera and view recordings?

Only individuals who have signed into the associated Kasa account can view your camera and recordings. All video streams and activities associated with your camera are private and can only be viewed by those signed into the Kasa Account.

*Note: We recommend that you never share your account information with anyone.

Can I view multiple Kasa cameras at the same time?

A preview for all cameras can be found under the Camera tab. Simply tap the play button on each preview to view what the camera is currently looking at.

Can multiple accounts/devices view the Kasa camera at the same time?

Yes, up to 10 users can be logged into your account at the same.

What should I do if the screen of my camera has an abnormal color (pink, purple, green, etc.)?

How long can I view the Live stream of a Kasa camera?

Part 4: Third-Party Questions

How do I view a Kasa camera on a computer?

At this time Kasa Cameras do not support RTSP so viewing a camera’s stream on a computer is not possible.

What 3rd Party Home Assistants are supported?

Bother Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are supported. This is a cloud-to-cloud integration and you will be required to connect your Kasa Account to their service in order to use voice control or view the livestream on a compatible device, like Nest Hub or Alexa show.

For Amazon Alexa: http://www.tp-link.com/us/faq-1952.html

For Google Assistant: https://www.tp-link.com/us/faq-1558.html

*Note: Refer to this link to know the commands the camera supported. For security purposes on/off commands are not available for voice control.

Part 5: Audio & Video Questions

How do I adjust the volume of the Kasa camera from the Kasa APP?

Tap on the camera tab, then tap on the camera you want to adjust. In the lower right corner you should see a speaker button. Tap and use the slider to adjust the camera’s microphone volume.

What should I do if the audio from the Kasa camera sounds muffled?

Make sure there are no other devices causing interference. If there are you may want to relocate them or the camera.

*Note: view the livestream in the same room as the camera can cause feedback on the speaker

Why there is no audio in the recordings from my Kasa Cam?

Part 6: Recordings & Clips Questions

Does the Kasa camera support manual recording?

Yes, however you will need to have a Kasa Subscription in order to trigger manual recording.

How can I delete recordings of Kasa camera from Kasa APP?

Tap on the Activity tab, then tap on the recording. Tap on the options button and select delete.

Do Kasa Cameras support 24/7 recording?

Yes, all current Kasa cameras support 24/7 recording. This feature requires local storage via a MicroSD card (sold separately).

Can you delete 24/7 recordings using the Kasa App?

When using the 24/7 recording feature the oldest recordings are automatically overwritten. You can delete all contents by reformatting the MicroSD card in use.

How can I download a clip to my PC?

For 24/7 recordings simply take the cameras MicroSD card and using a adapter transfer the contents from the card to your computer

For cloud storage you will need to download the individual clip to your phone and then sync it to your PC or use a cloud storage, like Dropbox or iCloud to access and download the clip to your PC.

Can I restore deleted recordings?

No. Deleted records are not recoverable.

How long will a clip be stored on a MicroSD card?

This depends on the size of the MicroSD card and the video quality used.

Use the chart in this FAQ to choose the right memory card for you.

Part 7: Other Questions

How secure are Kasa cameras?

Kasa Cameras use industry-standard AES 128-bit encryption with SSL/TLS.

How much data will my Kasa camera use when watching live video or uploading the clips to Cloud?

This depends on the resolution used. On average the usage should be no more than 5Mbps

How many Kasa cameras can be managed by one account?

There is no limit unless you are using Kasa Care’s account-based plan. If that is the limit is 10 cameras

What should I do if I’ve forgotten my password?

You can refer to this link to solve your problem.

How do I change the email address of my Kasa App account?

There is no current way to change the email address. You can create a new TP-Link ID, however, you will need to remove the devices from the old account and rebound them to the new one.

*Note: If you are using Kasa Care services you will need to cancel the account and resubscribe under the new account.

How do I switch to another Kasa account in the Kasa APP?

You will need to log out of the current account and login with the new one. Kasa APP ->Me ->View Account -> Log Out ->Login

But please note if your Kasa devices have already been bound to the previous account, you will need to remove those devices first from the old account and bind them to the new one, here is the guide for unbinding them from the old account. Or you could reset the devices manually.

Can I still use my Kasa camera if there is no internet?

You can use the camera or watch the live view without an internet connection, but please ensure both your phone and the camera are connected to the same wireless network.

Note: Motion detection or any other service associated with the TP-Link Cloud will not work if there is no internet access.

How long is a Kasa Camera’s power cord?

10 feet

How do I turn off the camera?

Open the Kasa app and on the main screen tap the “power” button next to the camera. This will enable privacy mode and stop all recording and monitoring until privacy mode is disabled.

How do I turn on or off the green LED on the front of the Kasa camera?

If you want to turn on or off the green LED on the front of the Kasa camera, navigate to your camera’s live view screen and access the device settings. Scroll down to a toggle switch for Status LED.

How do I use Push to Talk (PTT)?

Like a walkie-talkie, you can use a Kasa Camera to communicate with those around the camera. Simply press and hold the microphone button in the Kasa app. Once you hear the chime you can begin to speak. Release the button to allow for the other person to respond.

Why can’t I hear the sound of the camera when clicking the “Push to Talk” button on the camera?

Our camera’s 2-way audio is half-duplex. It can only send or receive at a given time.

Can KC300 and KC310 use the same hub?

Yes! The hub (KH300/KH310) supports both KC300 and KC310 at the same time, the maximum limit of the cameras connected is 16 cameras for 1 hub.

What is the meaning of Class 10 in SD cards?

SD cards are divided into Class 0/2/4/6/10 according to different read and write speeds. Class 10 is one of the faster-speed classes of SD card flash memory. It’s suggested to use an SD card whose read and write speed is Class 10 or above.

How to set up the Schedule feature?

On the live screen, there is the Schedule icon. Customers can set a time to turn off or on the camera.

When the camera is off, its video stream service is disabled, which means you cannot live view, and would not get any detection or notification. The camera is in standby mode.

What’s the subscription plan for Kasa Cam?

The subscription plan is also called Kasa Care. Refer to the FAQ link for details: https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1962/

KASA SMART CAMERA FAQ

How Do I Remove my Kasa Cam?

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*Note: All Kasa Cams require and only work with the Kasa for Mobile App

iPhone:

Find your camera on the device list in your Kasa App.  Swipe to the left to remove the camera.

Android:

Find your camera on the device list in your Kasa App.  Select and Hold to Remove.

Through App Settings:

Step 1:  From the Camera’s page, open settings and click Delete on the bottom.

Step 2:  Read the warning and click Delete Device

Note:  Be aware that when you remove your camera the following will take place:

Your Kasa Cam will be removed from your account and restored to factory settings.

All configured settings and notification settings will be removed.

When removing the camera, your existing recordings will not be deleted and your subscription recording plan will remain unchanged.

How Do I Setup my Kasa Cam?

Please following the instructions step by step in this article to go through the entire setup process, then you can control the Kasa Cam with your Kasa app.

Before we begin:

1. Please download Kasa Smart from App Store or Google Play and install it on your smartphone.

2. Connect your smartphone to your home Wi-Fi network.

3. Plug your Kasa Cam into a power socket.

Here we use KC120 for example

Step 1: Open the Kasa App

Log into your cloud account. Please refer to the link to sign up if you don’t have a cloud account.

Step 2: Tap “+” button to add a Kasa Cam, select “Add a Device”, and choose “Cameras” icon according to your model number.

Step 3: Follow the instruction on the Kasa app to power on the Kasa Cam, and wait for the light to blink orange and green.

If the light does not blink orange and green, please reset the Kasa Cam as per UG/QIG.

Step 4: Connect your phone to the Kasa Cam’s Wi-Fi network.

For Andriod:

Kasa will look for your Kasa Cam automatically, and it will take about a minute.

If you have a problem with this step, please go to Settings->Wi-Fi on your smartphone and manually connect to Kasa Cam’s Wi-Fi network (same as iOS).

For iOS:

You need to connect to the Kasa Cam’s Wi-Fi network manually, please go to Settings->Wi-Fi on your smartphone and manually connect to Kasa Cam’s Wi-Fi network (which is named Kasa_Cam_xxxx), and then go back to the Kasa app to continue the setup process.

Step 5: Choose your home network to connect, enter the password of your home network.

Step 6: Name your Kasa Cam

Step 7: Enable Activity Notifications. If you enable this function, your camera can alert you whenever it detects motion. If you don’t want to be notified, click on “I don’t want to be notified”.

Step 8: Follow the instruction to mount your camera. If you do not want to do it now, click on “No Thanks”, and we have completed the setup of Kasa Cam.

Where Can I Place my Kasa Camera

*Note: All Kasa Cams require and only work with the Kasa for Mobile App

Kasa Cam is an indoor only camera that can be placed on any flat surface or vertically mounted using the magnetic base or the mounting accessories provided.

When selecting a location to place your Kasa Cam we suggest an area that has a clear field of view, and no obstacles that may interfere with your viewing experience.  Areas that face your front or back doors are typical locations.

Mounting Options:

Mounting with Magnetic base:

Mounting with Mounting Plate

Placement on a Flat Surface

With the Kasa Cam’s Adjustable arm you are also able to place the camera on any flat surface.

How do I move my camera to a different wireless network?

*Note: All Kasa Cams require and only work with the Kasa for Mobile App

You can change the wireless network by resetting your camera, and then following the regular setup process.

Step 1:  With your camera plugged in remove the back cover.

Step 2:  Using a paperclip press the reset button for 5 seconds.

Step 3:  Once the LED is blinking amber and green launch the Kasa App and click on Add device.

Step 4:  tap Choose from Pre-configured Devices.

Step 5:  You will have an option Reset my Device or Don’t Reset my Device.  If you are just changing the wireless network choose Don’t Reset my Device.

*Note:  Be aware that selecting RESET MY DEVICE will return your camera to factory defaults removing your current camera settings, and will delete all activity and clips associated with your camera.

What are the sensitivity settings and how do I control them?

*Note: All Kasa Cams require and only work with the Kasa for Mobile App

There are two sensitivity settings: Motion and Sound.

Motion sensitivity indicates how little or how much activity must occur to trigger a notification.

Sound sensitivity indicates whether you want to listen for noise or not.

You can access the camera sensitivity settings from the device details page. For motion sensitivity and when sound sensitivity is enabled, your options are more sensitive, normal or less sensitive.

How to View the Recordings on a Kasa Camera

You will need to log in to your Kasa account in the Kasa app to view your camera’s recorded clips.

Note: If the camera enjoys the Kasa Care service, the clips uploaded to the cloud server are maintained based on your Kasa Care subscription plan.

Method 1: Viewing Cloud Recordings

You will be directed to the Live View page of the camera if you tap the Watch Live button.

If you tap the More button on the clip, you can download/Share/Remove the clip.

Method 2:  Viewing Locally Stored Clips

Note:

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What is DMSS APP?

DMSS is a mobile surveillance app with functions like video playback, remote monitoring, device initialization, push notifications, and remote configuration. Devices like IPC, NVR, XVR, VTO, doorbells, alarms and access controllers can be added. After logging into the account, you can use cloud services like cloud upgrade and so on. The app supports iOS 9.0 and Android 5.0 or later systems and can be used with 3G/4G/Wi-Fi.

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What are the benefits of DMSS Camera App?

Remote operations

Before talking about DMSS Camera application on Alexa, let’s see what is DMSS? DMSS app can work in an environment with various internet connections. It connects Dahua CCTV products through both Internet and Ethernet. P2P-enabled internet connection shows great simplicity, while IP or domain name-enabled Ethernet connection guarantees strong stability.

DMSS can be operated remotely to immediately and stably control specific devices all around the world through its global network coverage. many functions including PTZ controlling, video preview and playback, video image adjustment (such as White Balance, focus, etc.), alarm subscription, voice intercom and etc. can be done remotely.

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increased data security

DMSS adopts multiple layers of data encryption protection to supply better data security to users.

From a product to the platform and then to the mobile client, DMSS uses multiple layers of data encryption protection to provide better data security to users. DMSS camera has also been certified by TÜV Rheinland, meaning the product complies with the GDPR and meets the TÜV Rheinland 2PfG 2624/06.17 standards, offering state-of-the-art information security and privacy protection.

Featuring a more detailed interaction design, DMSS provides a smoother user experience.

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Supports thermal products

To prepare the best support for the global efforts in pandemic prevention and control, DMSS CCTV also supports thermal products (supported by CCTV Suppliers), including access control, thermal cameras, and temperature monitoring terminals. It lets the operators control thermal products remotely and perform their duty in a safer manner.

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Setup DMSS App on Alexa amazon

Amazon Alexa is a virtual assistant AI technology developed by Amazon. It is able to voice interaction, music playback, make to-do lists, stream podcasts, set alarms, play audiobooks, and provide weather, traffic, sports, and other real-time information, such as news. Using itself as a home automation system, Alexa can also control your home security camera and even we can set up DMSS application on Alexa. Users are able to increase the Alexa capabilities by installing “skills” (additional functionality developed by third-party vendors, in other settings more commonly called apps) like weather programs and audio features.

Most devices with Alexa let users activate the device using a wake-word (like Alexa or Amazon); other devices (like the Amazon mobile app on iOS or Android and Amazon Dash Wand) require the user to click a button to activate Alexa’s listening mode, although, some phones also let a user say a command, such as “Alexa” or “Alexa wake”.

In September 2019, Amazon launched many new devices achieving many records while competing with the world’s smart home industry. The new Echo Studio became the first smart speaker with 360 sound and Dolby sound. Other new devices included an Echo dot with a clock behind the fabric, a new third-generation Amazon Echo, Echo Show 8, a plug-in Echo device, Echo Flex, Alexa built-in wireless earphones, Echo buds, Alexa built-in spectacles, Echo frames, and Alexa built-in Ring, and Echo Loop.

How to use Alexa for your home security camera?

Using Alexa with a home security camera adds comfort. You can use a smart display screen in your house to immediately and easily review past footage and see who’s at the door right now. Just make sure you have compatible devices and you’ll be using Alexa to check in on your camera (or cameras) in no time. One of the utilities of Alexa is setting up the DMSS application on Alexa. Let’s we how we can do it.

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DMSS application on Alexa: How does Alexa work with DMSS?

To add your Dahua device using the Amazon Alexa app:

Let’s assume that you’ve installed and configured your Alexa-compatible home security camera already and you have an Alexa-enabled smart speaker.

Now you need to log in to your Alexa app or make an account if you don’t already have one. Simply download the Alexa app and follow the prompts to sign in/register a new account.

Open the Alexa app and choose “Skills & Games” in the menu. Type “Ring” in the search box, open the skill, and choose “Enable.”

You’ll be asked to enter your Ring account credentials to pair your Ring account to the Alexa app.

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How to Download the DMSS Application?

The prefix “g” or “i” differentiate the applications intended for Android and iPhone/iPad and thus we will find them in the official Google Play and App Store:

Before, DMSS Plus was paid while you could get the Lite version for free. There are some differences between DMSS Lite and Plus such as E-Map (visual and functional installation plans), alarm management, and push notifications. Currently, there is no need to choose since Dahua has released the Plus version for free. In addition, this publication is already adapted to the new GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

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Download Dahua DMSS software

View DMSS APP User Manual

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What Functions Do These Apps Offer?

The aforementioned applications have undergone several updates that improve their operation and increase their capabilities so sometimes it is difficult to follow all the news. Therefore, let’s see a summary of what they offer us for the management of our video surveillance devices:

Integration of Other Security Devices

The main novelty is managing DMSS CCTV devices, access control devices, and alarm systems from the manufacturer Dahua in a single app.

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Device Management

Among other options, they can be located within a local network (WiFi or LAN), and add devices via IP/Domain, DDNS, and P2P (Easy4IP and Lechange). This last option allows you to add devices by scanning the QR code and even a complete list of devices, very useful for migrating from the Lite app to the Plus version in a single operation.

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Live View and Playback of Recordings and Stored Clips

Live, to access and capture live video from added devices, combining channels and cameras. Playback, to consult, capture, cut, and extract the recorded videos. In addition to that, clips and captures can be viewed from the smartphone’s memory.

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Channel Configuration

It allows you to modify the coding (image resolution and ratio), image adjustments, PTZ or motorized zoom camera movement control, two-way audio communication with the device, and quadrant display, as more interesting functions.

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Notifications and Events

Detection events generated by devices are listed and notified in the app through push notifications. These consist of instant and free alerts supported by the devices and to which we can easily subscribe, depending on the type of detection selected.

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Cloud Recording, Cloud Storage Services

Upcoming updates will enable cloud video recording under a subscription service, with per-channel rates for 3, 7, or 30-day recording, and only for cameras that support such functionality.

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You can also check:

Best CCTV Brands in the UK

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How to See Your Dahua DMSS Security Cameras from the Cell Phone

DMSS is Dahua ‘s free software to connect to your equipment from smartphones. It is used to connect to all current Dahua manufacturer equipment: DVR recorders, HDCVI, NVRs, IP cameras, etc.

This App can be downloaded for free in both the Play Store and the App Store. The Android version is called gDMSS and the iPhone iOS version is called iDMSS.

To connect your Dahua device via P2P on your cell phone, you are going to need:

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How to Configure Your Dahua Security Cameras in DMSS

Enter the SN of the device and touch the “Next” button.

Once all the boxes are completed, tap the “Save” button that is located at the top right.

If you followed the steps correctly, it should start viewing your security cameras live. By tapping the back button at the top left, you can return to Start.

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How to View Your Dahua Cameras in DMSS

If you followed the steps correctly, you should start viewing your security cameras live.

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The red numbered buttons:

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The Yellow numbered buttons:

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Conclusion

As we saw, you know about DMSS App & can set up Alexa on your camera easily, just you need to go to the menu and tap Skills. Find the relevant skill (some cameras have specific apps for the cameras, outside of their main smart home apps). Enable the skill and link the account with Alexa. It’s a simple thing to set up and it means that you can create a security monitor without ever firing up your smartphone or tablet. All you need is one of the three Amazon devices noted in the intro and a compatible DMSS camera.

GV-Cloud VMS is suitable for businesses of all sizes. The cloud solution is easily scalable to meet the increasing need for more cameras and storage capacity. User and camera permissions can be grouped to align with the structure of a corporation. Overall, the cloud solution streamlines video surveillance while increasing infrastructure flexibility and scalability.

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GV-Cloud VMS is a cloud-based video surveillance and data center solution. Thousands of on-site cameras, alarm devices, motion triggers and AI events can be efficiently monitored from a single cloud-powered platform. With GV-Cloud VMS, you can effortlessly access live streams, review playbacks, and query events from anywhere using a web browser.

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GV-Cloud VMS is suitable for businesses of all sizes. The cloud solution is easily scalable to meet the increasing need for more cameras and storage capacity. User and camera permissions can be grouped to align with the structure of a corporation. Overall, the cloud solution can streamline video surveillance while increasing infrastructure flexibility and scalability.

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Local Devices

Cloud Features

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GV-Cloud Bridge for

ONVIF and GV-IP cameras

GV-VMS

Live View

Event Snapshot

Cloud Backup

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GV-Cloud Camera

GV-AI Guard

GV-Cloud VMS (cloud-based SW)

Local Playback

System Health

Share Link

Archive

Mobile App

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The following browsers are compatible with GV-Cloud VMS.

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Note: The WS player is not supported by Safari.

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GV-Cloud VMS has the following types of licenses. For details, please contact our sales representatives.

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Chapter 2 Getting Started

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To get started, you must acquire a GV-Cloud VMS license and a series number from GeoVision.

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IMPORTANT: Keep your account ID number, which is required each time you log into GV- Cloud.

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.Note: The mobile phone number can be used for the two-factor authentication if needed. See 5.3 Two-Factor Authentication.

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For first-time users, you need to add a license to start the services.

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You must create a Host for each GV-VMS, GV-AI Guard, or GV-Cloud Bridge that you want to connect to. To create a host on GV-Cloud VMS, follow the steps below.

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1.Select Hosts in the left menu, and click  at the top right. This dialog box appears.

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The message “Host has been added” will be displayed. Keep the Host Code and Password

for configuring the connection to GV-Cloud on the host.

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Note: To reset the password, select a host in the Hosts list, and click the Edit Info icon next to the Info tab. See [Info], 4.1 Hosts.

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Follow the steps below to connect GV-VMS or GV-AI Guard to GV-Cloud VMS for cloud central monitoring.

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Note: The support for GV-AI Guard is coming soon.

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In GV-VMS / GV-AI Guard:

1.Click Home > Toolbar > Network > Connect to GV-Cloud. A dialog box appears.

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In GV-Cloud VMS:

When the GV-Cloud VMS connection is established, the host will be displayed, with a yellow icon or a green icon , on the GV-Cloud VMS Home page.

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Without a license, you can view live streaming from the host.

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By adding a license, you can receive snapshots or back up video to GV-Cloud VMS. For details, see 2.2 Adding Licenses.

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Note:

1.If the GV-Cloud VMS connection fails in GV-VMS / GV-AI Guard, check to see if

WebCam Server and Mobile Service are enabled alongside Connect to GV-Cloud.

2.The yellow icon indicates that some of the host’s cameras are disconnected, while the green icon indicates that all of the host’s cameras are connected.

3..For camera events, only motion and video lost will be sent to GV-Cloud VMS by default. To send additional camera event types to GV-Cloud VMS, see 2.4.1 Configuring Advanced Settings.

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To specify which events should be sent to GV-Cloud VMS, click the Configure button on the Connect to GV-Cloud dialog box. Three types of settings are available: General, Camera, and I/O Device.

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[General]

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Figure 2-6

[Startup]

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[Connection Broken]

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[Notify GV-Cloud when the following events occur] Select which events to notify GV- Cloud VMS about. Click Modify to adjust the threshold for sending notifications when the free storage space or keep days falls below the threshold.

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[Temp Folder] The path to store logs and recordings to be sent to GV-Cloud VMS.

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[Camera]

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[Notify GV-Cloud of the monitoring status] Notify GV-Cloud VMS whenever camera monitoring is enabled or disabled.

[Notify GV-Cloud when the following events occur] Select a camera from the list, and then select the type of event or data to be sent to GV-Cloud VMS. By double-clicking the following two fields, you can specify the alarm conditions for specific events.

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Tip: To apply the same settings to all cameras in the list, click the Apply All button .

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[I/O Device]

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Figure 2-8

[Notify GV-Cloud of the monitoring status] Notify GV-Cloud VMS whenever I/O monitoring is enabled or disabled.

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[Input] Select an Input device from the list.

[Output] Select an output device the list.

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You can connect up to four ONVIF cameras, through GV-Cloud Bridge, to GV-Cloud VMS for cloud central monitoring.

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In GV-Cloud Bridge:

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In GV-Cloud VMS:

When the GV-Cloud VMS connection is established, the host will be displayed, with a yellow icon or a green icon . on the GV-Cloud VMS Home page.

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Without a license, you can view live streaming from the host.

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By adding a license, you can receive snapshots or back up video to GV-Cloud VMS. For details, see 2.2 Adding Licenses.

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Note:

1.To ensure a smooth playback on GV-Cloud VMS, it is suggested to connect a maximum of 2 cameras for the 4 MP license plan, 3 cameras for 2 MP license plan, and 4 cameras for 720p and SD license plan.

2..The yellow icon indicates that some of the host’s cameras are disconnected, while the green icon indicates that all of the host’s cameras are connected.

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Chapter 3 Home Page

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3.1 Video Window

By clicking an event snapshot on the Home page, you can access the event playback, live view or snapshot, depending on the licenses you purchased.

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.Note: When you click Playback and no video is displayed, the video clip may not have been created yet. The maximum length of a video clip created in GV-Cloud Bridge is 30 seconds, while the default length of a video clip created in GV-VMS / GV-AI Guard is 5 minutes, you may have to wait until the specified length has elapsed after an event begins to view the video playback.

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Chapter 4 Cloud VMS Settings

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The Hosts page allows you to create host accounts and view the status of the host’s cameras, I/O devices, and storage. Click a created host in the list to access the following functions.

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[Info]

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This page allows you to edit the information of a host. Click  next to Info to start editing. You can also reset the host’s login password from this page.

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[Cameras]

You can view the camera’s connection, monitoring status, applied license plan, plan expiration date, camera resolution, and monitoring type on the Cameras page.

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Note: When the camera’s resolution does not match the applied license plan, the following 2 icons will appear:

1.The yellow exclamation mark icon : Move your cursor to the icon and a tooltip of The resolution does not match will appear. This means the camera’s main or sub stream resolution is lower than the applied license plan, and the followings will occur:

(1)The recordings will be uploaded onto GV-Cloud VMS using the closest resolution;

(2)The “Resolution does not match” event will be included in GV-Cloud VMS event log.

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[Modules]

The Modules page displays which inputs and outputs on the host are being triggered.

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[Storage]

On the Storages page, you can view the host’s storage information such as the recycle threshold, Keep Day, storage path, and remaining storage space.

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On the Live Streaming page, you can access the camera’s live view.

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Host List

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Event Snapshot

Frame Rate

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When motion or AI events occur, snapshots of them will appear on the left side of the Live Streaming window. By clicking an event, you can view the live view or play it back. For details, see 3.1 Video Window.

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Note:

1.You can install the WS player from the GeoVision download page or the download icon on the upper right corner on the Live Streaming / Playback pages for a better live view and playback experience. The smoothness of videos played with the WS player depends

on the capabilities of your computer.

2..PTZ control function is supported for GV-Cloud Bridge hosts (firmware V1.05 or later) using WS Player.

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You can play back events directly from a host (Local Streaming), or from GV-Cloud (Cloud Streaming).

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Event Marks

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Note:

1.You can install the WS player from the GeoVision download page or the download icon on the upper right corner on the Live Streaming / Playback pages for a better live view and playback experience. The smoothness of videos played with the WS player depends

on the capabilities of your computer.

2.The WS player is not supported by Safari.

3..Cloud Streaming does not support colors in the timeline to differentiate between event types.

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On the Query Events page, you can search for events by category, including I/O Event, System Abnormal, Camera Event, I/O Alert, System Status, Connection, Access Control, Storage, and AI Event.

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By clicking an event snapshot, you can view the live view or play it back. For details, see 3.1 Video Window.

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Note: The event query can display up to 10,000 results.

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On the Shared Links page, you can see a list of shared links you created through the video window. To create a shared link, see No. 8 in 3.1 Video Window.

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Note: The note for a shared recording is editable. However, once a note is deleted, it cannot be added back to the recording.

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On the Archives page, you can see a list of archived recordings you created through the video window. To archive a recording, see No. 7 in 3.1 Video Window.

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Double-click an archived recording to play it back.

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Note:

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When an event occurs, you can be alerted via push notifications on your mobile device.

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On the Groups page, you can specify which account users have access to which hosts by creating groups. A group named “default” has been created with access to all hosts.

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To create a group:

1.Click at the top right.

2.Name the group, and click Send. The group is created.

3.Click the newly created group.

4.To assign hosts and users to the group, click the Edit icon  besides Group Info.

5.Select all Available Hosts or desired hosts, and click to add.

6.Select all Available Users or desired users, and click to add.

7.Click Save. The results may appear as follows:

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To sort cameras:

After assigning hosts and users to a group, you can configure how camera channels from the hosts are arranged across different screen divisions.

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IMPORTANT: The default group has been created to allow all users to access all hosts. Therefore, to specify an account user to view only limited hosts, remove the user from the default group.

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Chapter 5 Account Management

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You can add account users to monitor different hosts on GV-Cloud VMS. GV-Cloud VMS supports two types of account users:

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To add an account user:

1.At the top of the left menu, click the GV-Cloud Apps icon > Account Management.

2.At the top right, click  . The Create User page appears.

3.Type the user’s name, email address, and mobile phone number (optional).

4.Click Send. A confirmation e-mail is sent to the operator.

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