Can't get any kind of movement detection to work?

[scooby73466]

I recently had to replace my NVR after 6 years and have had all kinds of problems with my new (copied from my invoice) DS-7604NI-K1/4P – Hikvision DS-7604NI-K1/4P 4K capable 4 channel NVR with 4 port POE - Upto 8MP. It has a 2TB drive for my 3 cameras. Purchased from my original suppliers about 6 weeks ago who are Hikvision agents. A very kind member on this forum helped me to get my NVR connected to my router but now I have another problem which has appeared over the last few days.

In essence, the system won’t detect any kind of movement during Remote Playback. Firstly I only use VCA to detect things and with my old NVR I just used choose which camera, select either Motion Detection, Line Crossing Detection, or Intrusion Detection, draw either the grid, line, or shape, set the calendar/clock for detection times and then press Search. When I do that now I get nothing in the right margin, even when I know that there has been movement of some kind. When I haven’t got VCA switched on but still in Remote Playback I get some video tracks in the right margin but they are only for the current day and begin at midnight.

A guy from the Hikvision agents tried to help yesterday using TeamViewer but couldn’t fix the problem and has gone away to investigate. One question that I am slightly concerned about is whether my “new” NVR is actually a current model.

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can possibly help me to fix this problem.

 

[JB1970]

For that to work you must have 'Dual VCA enabled' for each camera. The below is from the NVR web browser menu. Your's may look a little different but it will be in the same section:

Also in the local menu find Storage > Advanced and ensure 'Save Camera VCA Data' is checked.

 

[scooby73466]

Thank you yet again for helping me with another problem. With regard to your suggestions I checked and the Dual VCA is enabled for each camera. I have shown just the one below :

I am not sure if I am in the right place for your 2nd suggestion though. I tried to follow your instructions but this is the closest I could get to it :

I feel that I am in the wrong place with these last 2 screens.

 

[JB1970]

The second option 'Save camera VCA data'...I don't think it's available to set from the web page menu currently (it isn't for my model). The steps I mention are to do this on a monitor/TV connected to the HDMI output of the NVR.

 

[Kyle]

Sorry for the crude photo, but this is where the setting is
(Configuration>Record>Advanced)

 

[scooby73466]

Apologies for my late response and my sincere and grateful thanks to both of you for trying to help me. I do have a stand-alone monitor connected to the HDMI socket of the NVR and have taken a poor quality photo. but as you both can see, my system was set to Save Camera VCA Data. Just one more question if I may please. My NVR model can be seen with the invoice data in my first post. Is this the most recent model of an NVR ? Thanks again for all your help.

 

[JB1970]

I detailed the 4 channel models in your other post. All that matters is whether it’s current/still available. As long as it’s still receiving updates (it is) there’s no issue.

I think it’s likely that there’s nothing wrong with your setup and it may be just your use or expectation of how the search results should work. From your description in the first post it sounds as though maybe you’re using iVMS-4200 as you mention results in no the right hand column? I don’t use iVMS much myself as I prefer the ease of searching on the connected monitor.

From Remote Playback in iVMS:

1. select the camera then the start/end date from the calendar and click search (all in the left column). That will bring up all the recording files in the right hand column.
2. Click the VCA button beneath the picture
3. At the top of the screen select line crossing
4. Click the draw area icon and place the line on screen
5. Click search
6. The right hand column will filter to show the VCA events from the date selected in step one

I did notice importantly that if you adjust the date and time in the VCA selection area at the top of the screen while carrying out steps 3-5 you will get no results, as the VCA search dates there need to be within the time period for what was set in step one...so only set the date/time in step one.

I hope that makes sense but it's awful software TBH and not at all user friendly.

 

[scooby73466]

Thank you again. I have followed your instructions as above exactly but it didn't work but I have other issues at the moment on the farm and so will get back to you later today. Thanks again.

 

[scooby73466]

One thing that is happening more and more is that when I switch my system on my pc and it automatically loads up Main View sometimes the cameras aren't showing. Please see below :

If I hover over the message in the squares that should be showing the cameras I get this :

Something is dramatically wrong somewhere. This is the version of iVMS-4200 that I am using :

 

[JB1970]

One thing that is happening more and more is that when I switch my system on my pc and it automatically loads up Main View sometimes the cameras aren't showing. Please see below :

View attachment 9031

If I hover over the message in the squares that should be showing the cameras I get this :

View attachment 9032

Something is dramatically wrong somewhere. This is the version of iVMS-4200 that I am using :

View attachment 9033

That's a very old version. Mine is on 3.9.0.5. I'd suggest you update to the latest version. Before you do go to System > Export Configuration File to save the current config. Run the latest installer then go to System > Import Configuration File to restore it. That will save adding your cameras back into the software.

 

[scooby73466]

Yes, I know it is an old version but I was working with a much older one and it was suggested to me that I upgrade to the latest version but I declined, probably quite wrongly as it has turned out. It would have meant that almost certainly I would have had another learning curve to overcome and that doesn't get any easier as you get older ! But in retrospect I think I need to upgrade to the latest version but I am still convinced that the NVR that was replaced is at fault.

I keep finding faults on the system. I can only find any videos at all now for the current day. When I go into Remote Playback and get a camera on the main screen the list of video tracks in the RH margin only start at midnight on whichever day we are in. There is no way of looking at previous days as far as I can see. Certainly nothing in VCA shows anymore.

 

[JB1970]

Yes, I know it is an old version but I was working with a much older one and it was suggested to me that I upgrade to the latest version but I declined, probably quite wrongly as it has turned out. It would have meant that almost certainly I would have had another learning curve to overcome and that doesn't get any easier as you get older ! But in retrospect I think I need to upgrade to the latest version but I am still convinced that the NVR that was replaced is at fault.

I keep finding faults on the system. I can only find any videos at all now for the current day. When I go into Remote Playback and get a camera on the main screen the list of video tracks in the RH margin only start at midnight on whichever day we are in. There is no way of looking at previous days as far as I can see. Certainly nothing in VCA shows anymore.

I'd probably concentrate on checking playback on the local monitor. If it's there then it's working. Is the disk in the NVR new or did you swap it from the old one. If the latter, you'll want to format it (or at the very least rebuild database) from the storage menu.

Also with regard to Dual VCA. For each camera - uncheck the box then apply, recheck the box then apply (just in case the NVR GUI is incorrectly showing enabled)

 

[scooby73466]

@JB1970 and @Kyle You are both being so helpful to me - thank you.
Firstly I checked my stand-alone monitor and sure enough, I could get playback for 20 daysso that's a start. I had been thinking that the NVR was only recording one day and then starting at midnight on the next day.

With regard to the Dual VCA I have used my stand-alone monitor and got to the same screen as @Kyle showed in #5 and unclicked the Save Camera VCA Data and then clicked Apply. I then proceeded to Remote Playback on my desktop and tried using VCA. Nothing happened of course as expected and then I went back to the Save Camera VCA Data box on my stand-alone monitorand clicked it on again. One thing that I am unsure about is when I am in the screen where I am able to click the Save Camera VCA Data box is that for all of my cameras and if not how do I know which one it is for ?

And finally, would I be correct in assuming that now because I unclicked the Save Camera VCA Data box and then clicked Apply to make the alteration, and then , after trying a VCA search I then clicked the Save Camera VCA Data box and then clicked Apply do I have to wait for some kind of intrusion before I know if it is working now or not ?

Thanks again to both of you for your time and patience.

 

[JB1970]

With regard to the Dual VCA I have used my stand-alone monitor and got to the same screen as @Kyle showed in #5 and unclicked the Save Camera VCA Data and then clicked Apply. I then proceeded to Remote Playback on my desktop and tried using VCA. Nothing happened of course as expected and then I went back to the Save Camera VCA Data box on my stand-alone monitorand clicked it on again. One thing that I am unsure about is when I am in the screen where I am able to click the Save Camera VCA Data box is that for all of my cameras and if not how do I know which one it is for ?

It's a global setting. All cameras send the VCA data alongside/embedded in the video stream. As I understand it, with 'Save Camera VCA Data' disabled, the NVR discards that information. With it enabled, it is saved and available for searching.

do I have to wait for some kind of intrusion before I know if it is working now or not ?

I can't be 100% but I would expect that to be the case but you could simply do a motion search where something is guaranteed to be moving.

Also with regard to Dual VCA. For each camera - uncheck the box then apply, recheck the box then apply (just in case the NVR GUI is incorrectly showing enabled)

The reason I suggested this is that on occasions the NVR GUI can be out of sync with the settings in the cameras (although an NVR reboot will normally read the camera settings and update it). You could toggle it in the NVR for each camera, or alternatively you could login to the camera directly via its web menu and look to see if Dual VCA is Enabled as the NVR shows.

 

[scooby73466]

Is the disk in the NVR new or did you swap it from the old one. If the latter, you'll want to format it (or at the very least rebuild database) from the storage menu.

My apologies for not answering that question. I bought what was an alledgedly new NVR from the local Hikvision distributors who also supplied and installed the system originally. I don't know if the 2TB drive is new or if it was something that they put in prior to selling it to me. I understand that different size drives can be used in these NVRs. My original NVR, which I still have, is a 3TB drive. I used to get about 3 weeks of recording on that one and it now looks as if I am only going to get 2 weeks with the smaller drive. I did question the size when I purchased this new one but was told that video data is more compressed nowadays !

I will report back later today on whether I can see any incidents on the cameras since I carried out the Dual VCA exercise.

 

[scooby73466]

Regrettably I am still unable to get any response from my system today when using VCA even after I had carried out the Dual VCA switch off and back on again procedure yesterday. But just to show that my NVR is actually recording video files I have added a screen dump from my stand-alone monitor below. I have clicked on a few of the dates in the bottom LH corner that have the blue right-pointing arrow attached to them and they all show video on the correct days. Some are sunny, some show snow, some show frost !
I think I have seen something on this screen that will allow me to show incidents but haven't figured it all out yet.

 

[JB1970]

Regrettably I am still unable to get any response from my system today when using VCA even after I had carried out the Dual VCA switch off and back on again procedure yesterday. But just to show that my NVR is actually recording video files I have added a screen dump from my stand-alone monitor below. I have clicked on a few of the dates in the bottom LH corner that have the blue right-pointing arrow attached to them and they all show video on the correct days. Some are sunny, some show snow, some show frost !
I think I have seen something on this screen that will allow me to show incidents but haven't figured it all out yet.

View attachment 9047

Not sure which cameras you have but if they are AcuSense models, all you need to do is click the little 'human' icon in the bottom left. That would show red markers when there were human triggers. Then clicking the 'ship normal video' checkbox that appears would cause the video to jump to each event and play it before moving on to the next.

 

[scooby73466]

Thank you for your continued help.
My cameras are : 2 x Hikvision DS-2CD2342WD-1 4MP EXIR Turret Dome Cameras, 4mm and 1 x Hikvision DS-2DE4220IW-D 2MP external IR PTZ (12V) Camera. The above is copied from my original invoice.

I did follow your instructions from your last post but couldn't get any visible events. You will see from the image below that I have chosen a camera, chosen a date, clicked on the "human" icon, and ticked the "Skip Normal Videos" checkbox. The red vertical bar appears above the blue video track at the beginning but doesn't show any events. I couldn't find a search command but maybe when you click the "Skip Normal Videos" checkbox that is a signal to the system to search ? I can move the red vertical bar along the blue video track and the view will respond. i.e. I can select other times of the day and see what would have been a current view.
I then tried something else which I noticed. At the top left there are two options : Normal and Event and so I tried clicking the Event icon and went through the same procedure as before and had a general play but still nothing. Maybe I have the wrong cameras for this set of options to work ?

 

[JB1970]

Yes you have standard cameras not AcuSense so the Human filter will not work on them. AcuSense is available on some NVRs but not your model - for that you would need the DS-7604NXI-K1/4P. That NVR can be set up with standard cameras and apply the AcuSense filtering.

To do a VCA search on your model you would click 'Event' at the top rather than 'Normal'. There's then an option (I forget whether you hover over the red timeline marker or right click to see the option - my NVR is different) for 'Space rule'. You then click line crossing, draw the line and click the search icon and the timeline will be populated with the red markers.

I'd advise you to get the pdf manual for the NVR from the product page of the Hikvision website. It covers everything and is bookmarked so you can find what you're looking for and follow it step by step.

 

[scooby73466]

Thank you. I clicked Event, made sure that I had a camera selected, double clicked on a relevant date, and then hovered around the timeline and found the "Space Rule" option. I clicked that, selected the "Line Crossing" option, drew the line and then clicked Search. The red Time Line marker never moved.

I also tried the same procedure with Motion Detection and Intrusion Detection but still didn't get any results.

The suppliers of my system are also onto my problem and they say they are liasing with Hikvision HQ to try and solve the issue but I am now starting to agree with your opinion in #7 about the quality of this software. I will also have a look for the pdf manual on the Hikvision web site.

Having said that, I have received more help from you and one other on this Forum than I have from anywhere else. Thank you.