Digital-Ally FirstVu HD Operation Manual
Operation Guide
Professional, Wearable Digital Video Recording System
860-00177-00 Rev D
Copyright © 2013 Digital Ally, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This publicati on may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in whole or part in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, recordin g, photocopying, or in an y other
manner without the prior written approval of Digital Ally, Inc.
FirstVu™ HD Operation Guide 860-00177-00 REV D
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
SECTION - 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................1-1
FIRSTVU™ HD FEATURES ...................................................................................................................................1-1
FIRSTVU™ HD CONTROLS ..................................................................................................................................1-1
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES LIST .............................................................................................................................1-2
SECTION - 2 GETTING STARTED ......................................................................................................................2-1
SOFTWARE UPDATES ............................................................................................................................................2-1
BATTERY CHARGING INFORMATION .....................................................................................................................2-1
Charging From a Computer .........................................................................................................................2-1
Charging In a Vehicle ...................................................................................................................................2-1
Charging Using an AC Power Outlet ...........................................................................................................2-1
Charging Using the Battery Charger ...........................................................................................................2-1
FirstVu HD Charging and Battery Indicators ..............................................................................................2-1
CONNECTING THE CAMERA ..................................................................................................................................2-2
SETTING THE DATE AND TIME ..............................................................................................................................2-2
Automatically setting the date and time .......................................................................................................2-2
Manually setting the date and time ..............................................................................................................2-2
SECTION - 3 DEVICE CONFIGURATION - VUVAULT ...................................................................................3-1
DEFAULT CONFIGURATION ...................................................................................................................................3-1
USING VUVAULT TO CONFIGURE YOUR FIRSTVU HD ..........................................................................................3-1
Location ........................................................................................................................................................3-2
Settings .........................................................................................................................................................3-3
Data Transfer ...............................................................................................................................................3-4
ACTIVA TING YOUR FIRSTVU HD WITHIN VUVAULT .............................................................................................3-4
SECTION - 4 DEVICE CONFIGURATION – MINI CONFIGURATION
MANAGER ...............................................................................................................................................................4-1
DEFAULT CONFIGURATION ...................................................................................................................................4-1
MINI CONFIGURATION MANAGER PC SOFTWARE .................................................................................................4-1
Load Configuration File ...............................................................................................................................4-1
Location ........................................................................................................................................................4-2
Settings .........................................................................................................................................................4-3
Save Configuration File ...............................................................................................................................4-4
SECTION - 5 OPERATION ....................................................................................................................................5-1
POWERING ON/OFF ..............................................................................................................................................5-1
VIDEO RECORDING...............................................................................................................................................5-1
Start Recording .............................................................................................................................................5-1
Stop Recording .............................................................................................................................................5-1
MARKING EVENTS ...............................................................................................................................................5-1
AUDIO RECORDING ..............................................................................................................................................5-1
UPLOADING FILES TO A COMPUTER ......................................................................................................................5-2
UPLOADING FILES USING VUVAULT.....................................................................................................................5-2
Non-Secure USB Port method ......................................................................................................................5-2
Secure USB Port Method ..............................................................................................................................5-4
VIDEO PLAYBACK AND MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................5-7
Using VuV ault ...............................................................................................................................................5-7
Using the Digital Ally Viewer .......................................................................................................................5-7
Toolbar Controls...........................................................................................................................................5-8
Playback Controls ........................................................................................................................................5-8
Playback Slider bar ......................................................................................................................................5-8
View Selection and Options ..........................................................................................................................5-9
© 2013 Digital Ally, Inc.
FirstVu™ HD Operation Guide 860-00177-00 REV D
EMORY & BATTERY ALERTS ..............................................................................................................................5-9
M
Memory Alerts: .............................................................................................................................................5-9
Battery Alerts: ..............................................................................................................................................5-9
Battery Replacement: ...................................................................................................................................5-9
SECTION - 6 STATUS INDICATORS ...................................................................................................................6-1
SECTION - 7 SPECIFICATIONS ..........................................................................................................................7-1
SECTION - 8 WARRANTY INFORMATION ......................................................................................................8-1
SECTION - 9 CONTACT INFORMATION ..........................................................................................................9-1
SECTION - 10 REGULATORY ............................................................................................................................ 10-1
© 2013 Digital Ally, Inc.
FirstVu™ HD Operation Guide 860-00177-00 REV D
Section - 1 Introduction
The FirstVu™ HD is a Professional, Evidentiary, Wearable, Mountable, and WeatherResistant Digital Video System.
Record video and audio, evidence wherever the job requires, day or night while also
collecting useful information such as a date/time stamp, and marks (video bookmarks).
This Operation Guide is designed to get you up and running quickly with its basic features.
For integration within the VuVault™ back office software, please refer to Section 3.
FirstVu™ HD Features
Easy to Operate – One button start/stop record
Small and Lightweight
Easily and securely mounts almost anywhere
High Quality 720p Video – H.264 codec – 1280 x 720 resolution, 30 frames per
second (configurable for lower settings)
Wide Field of View
Encoded AVI videos may easily be viewed on standard PC video player software.
Saves Metadata along with Video
Up to 60 Seconds Pre-Event Record (when configured) – Capture the action
before activating a recorded event
Low light sensitivity for night time operation
Instant Record ON while in Stand-by Mode
User can insert a ‘Mark’ during a recording which records to Metadata
Covert Mode – Vibratory notifications
Secure 32GB of internal event record memory with easy download thru USB port
Software Upgradeable via USB
Up to 4.5 hours of continuous recording on a single charge
FirstVu™ HD Controls
1 PowerOn‐Off
2 RecordStart/Mark/RecordStop
3 CameraPort
4 USBPort
5 BatteryCover
6 MicrophoneON/OFF
7 StatusLED’s
Digital Ally, Inc. | Introduction 1-1
FirstVu™ HD Operation Guide 860-00177-00 REV D
Parts and Accessories List
Kit Part Number 001-00203-00
Item Part Number Qty Description
1 050-10110-00 1 Assembly, FirstVu HD Camera
2 050-10091-00 1 Assembly, FirstVu HD DVR
3 008-0100 2 Cable, USB 2.0 Type A to Mini-B, 3.3 ft.
4 050-10101-00 1 Kit, Velcro Mount
5 050-10090-00 1 Assembly, Fabric Clip
6 860-00182-00 1 FirstVu HD Quick Referenc e Guide
7 050-10096-00 1 Assembly, Button Mount
8 009-00004-00 1 Charger, 110Vac wall to USB Type A
009-00005-00
9
10 135-00398-00 2 Battery, 3.7V 2200mAh Li-Po
11 009-00008-00 1 Charger, Battery
Charger, 12Vdc Auto Plug to USB Type A
1
Digital Ally, Inc. | Introduction 1-2
FirstVu™ HD Operation Guide 860-00177-00
Section - 2 Getting Started
Software Updates
Log on to www.digitalallyinc.com/tech-support.php and register for an account to be an
authorized user. By registering you will be able to download all the latest
firmware/software updates and will be notified of future upgrades.
Battery Charging Information
The FirstVu HD should be fully charged before initial use using the AC power outlet or DC
auto adapter. With the unit powered off, charge the unit initially for 12~16 hours.
Subsequent charges should take approximately 4 hours.
Charging From a Computer
Plug the USB cable into the computer’s USB port. Insert the other end of the cable into the
FirstVu USB port and the unit will begin charging.
Charging In a Vehicle
Plug the DC auto adapter into the vehicle’s 12Vdc receptacle and the
other end into the FirstVu HD USB port or charging cradle USB port; the
unit will begin charging.
Charge time is minimized when the FirstVu HD is powere d off but note
the status indicators will not operate.
In some vehicles, the 12Vdc receptacle may be controlled by the
position of the ignition switch. In such cases, the FirstVu™ HD will
only charge when the ignition switch is in the “On” position.
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Charging Using an AC Power Outlet
Plug the AC power adapter into an appropriate power outlet and the USB
connector into the FirstVu USB port. The unit will begin charging.
Charging Using the Battery Charger
Remove your battery from the FirstVu HD and insert into the
supplied battery charger shown to the right (009-00008-00).
Then plug your battery charger into an available USB port on
your computer or one of the chargers pictured to the right
using the supplied USB cable. A status LED indicates the
charging mode of the battery. When the LED is green, your
battery is charged and ready for use.
FirstVu HD Charging and Battery Indicators
Charging with unit powered ’ON’
Charging in progress is shown with a solid blue status indicator.
When charging is complete the blue status indicator is not illuminated.
For more information consult Section 6.
Charging with unit powered ’OFF’
The unit may be charged via USB cable with the power switch in the OFF
position. However, no LED indicators will be present while it is charging.
Digital Ally, Inc. | Getting Started 2-1
FirstVu™ HD Operation Guide 860-00177-00 REV D
Connecting the Camera
Connect your camera to the camera port on top of the DVR as
shown to the right. The camera port can only be used with an
approved Digital Ally camera. Never plug any other device or cable
into the camera port. Doing so may cause permanent internal
damage to your FirstVu HD.
Setting the Date and Time
Automatically setting the date and time
The date and time is set by the factory prior to shipment. However, you must also enter the
correct UTC offset when configuring the device so that the time zone can be set properly.
For example, USA Central Standard Time =UTC -6. For more information, consult the
Device Configuration sections of this manual. USA time zones are listed below for
reference.
PST = Pacific Standard Time (UTC - 8 hours)
MST = Mountain Standard Time (UTC - 7 hours)
CST = Central Standard Time (UTC - 6 hours)
EST = Eastern Standard Time (UTC - 5 hours)
AST = Atlantic Standard Time (UTC - 4 hours)
ALST = Alaskan Standard Time (UTC - 9 hours)
HST = Hawaiian Standard Time (UTC - 10 hours)
Camera Port
Manually setting the date and time
The date and time is set by the factory prior to shipment and should not need manual
adjustment. However, date and time can still be set manually if needed. Follow the
procedure below to manually set the date and time.
1. Open Notepad from your computer.
2. Inside Notepad, type in the year, month, day, hour, and seconds you wish to
program into the FirstVu. Use the following format (YYYYMMDDHHMMSS) using 24
hour UTC time. You must also apply your time zone offset.
For example, If you live in the CST zone and the current date & time is 5/23/2013
10:47:50pm, you would enter 20130524044750. Since CST is UTC-6, you have to add
6 hours to the current time to reflect the UTC time.
3. Go to File>Save As and name the file “DATE.txt”
4. Connect your FirstVu HD via the supplied USB cable and transfer the DATE.txt file to
the root drive.
5. Cycle the power on your FirstVu HD. The unit will apply the system date/time during
boot up. When completed, the FirstVuHD will erase the .txt file.
Digital Ally, Inc. | Getting Started 2-2
FirstVu™ HD Operation Guide 860-00177-00
Section - 3 Device Configuration - VuVault
The FirstVU HD contains a default configuration and can be used immediately. It may
be reconfigured by activating the device either using the Mini Configuration Manager
application supplied on the FirstVu HD product DVD or by using Digital Ally’s optional
VuVault™ back-office software. If you have purchased VuVault™, follow the
instructions in this section to configure and activate your FirstVu HD. If you have NOT
purchased VuVault, skip to Section 4 to configure your device.
Default Configuration
If the unit has never been activated, the unit will use the following default settings:
Central Standard Time (UTC-6)
Daylight Saving enabled
Date format: Month/Day/Year
Time format: 12-hour
Pre-Event disabled
1280x720p record size/high record quality
Pre-Event Audio disabled
30 frames per second
Record LED enabled
Secure USB port disabled
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Using VuVault to Configure your FirstVu HD
You must upgrade VuVault to version 4.2 (minimum) to configure and
activate a FirstVu HD device. VideoManagerII and previous versions
of VuVault will not work with the FirstVu HD.
VuVault is used to manage FirstVu HD settings as well as activate your device for use
within the system.
Before you can configure your device for use within VuVault, the serial number must be
added into the system. Select Admin>Devices>Add Device to add your device into
VuVault. Type in your device serial number and assign it a name within the system.
When done, press Save (for more information consult the VuVault User’s Guide
“Adding Devices” section).
Digital Ally, Inc. | Device Configuration - VuVault 3-1
FirstVu™ HD Operation Guide 860-00177-00
A configuration field will be available in the Admin>Settings tab within VuVault once a
valid FirstVu HD serial number has been added into the system. These global settings
will define how all users will interface with the FirstVu.
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Location
TimeZone
The local time zone is used to adjust the device when synchronizing to the
Greenwich Mean Time. During device configuration, the local time from the
PC real time clock will be used and Central Standard Time is set by default.
Settings: UTC,UTC-6(CST)[default]
DaylightSaving
When set to On, Daylight Saving setting time will be automatically adjusted
for the configured Local Time Zone. If this is disabled, time will not be
adjusted for Daylight Saving.
Settings: Off, On[default]
DateFormat
The date format displayed on the event recordings is selected through this
setting.
Settings:mm/dd/yy[default];yy/mm/dd;dd/mm/yy
TimeFormat
This time format allows the device to be configured in a 12-hour format or a
24-hour format.
Digital Ally, Inc. | Device Configuration - VuVault 3-2
FirstVu™ HD Operation Guide 860-00177-00 REV D
Settings
Pre‐EventTime
The Pre-Event Time option allows you to set the amount of time for the preevent buffer. The FirstVu HD will buffer the last 0-60 seconds of audio and
video so it can be recorded during a record event. If set for 0 seconds, preevent function will be disabled.
Settings:0-60seconds[default=0seconds]
RecordQuality
The Record Quality parameter allows the video compression bit rate to be
adjusted. Digital video is compressed by taking out data that remains
constant from each frame, and only storing data that actually changes. This
allows videos with still backgrounds to be much smaller than they would be
if the background had to be present in every single frame.
The bit rate is the amount of bits that can be used in one second of video.
The higher the record quality, the higher the bit rate and the size of the
event files. The default setting is “high” for excellent video quality, and can
be lowered or raised to adjust the bit rate and storage space. (VuVault 4.2
Update 2 or newer is required for the super high setting).
Settings: Standard(2Mbps),Medium(4Mbps),High(6Mbps)[default],SuperHigh(12Mbps)
RecordSize
The Record Size parameter allows the video image size to be adjusted from
VGA (standard definition) to 720p (high definition). VGA has a picture size
of 640x480 pixels, whereas 720p has a picture size of 1280x720 pixels.
720p will provide a larger & more defined video picture, but because of its
larger size, will require about 3 times as much storage space as VGA. Also,
the shape of the final video frame will be slightly different, with 720p being a
longer and thinner frame (higher width ratio to height).
Settings: VGA(640x480),and720p(1280x720)[default
AudioMode
The audio mode determines how audio will be recorded to your device. If
enabled, audio information is recorded during the recorded event and
during the configured pre-event time.
If enabled (w/o Pre-event), audio will be recorded during the event but not
recorded during pre-event. If this option is disabled, no audio will be
recorded.
If the Pre-Event Time is set for 0, there cannot be pre-event audio.
Settings: Enabled,Disabled,Enabled(w/oPre-Event)[default]
FramesPerSecond
This parameter sets the number of frames per second the FirstVu HD will
record. The higher the setting, the better the video quality, and the larger
the size of the event files.
Settings:5,10,15,30fps[default=30fps]
Digital Ally, Inc. | Device Configuration - VuVault 3-3
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