Mirasys N Quick Manual

Mirasys N™ series

Network Video Recorder

Quick Guide

© 2006-2007 Mirasys Ltd. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced for any purpose, even in part.

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Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names may be the registered trademarks of their
owners.

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merchantability of this software or the suitability of this software for any particular
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These notices must be retained in any copies of any part of this documentation and/
or software.
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This product includes technology owned by Microsoft Corporation and under a
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Xerces
This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation
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Copyright © 1999 The Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

DEFAULT USER NAME AND PASSWORD ................................... 1

BEFORE YOU BEGIN .......................................................... 1

SYSTEM COMPONENTS ....................................................... 1

INSTALLATION................................................................. 2

Removing previous software version ...................................2

Installing new software version .........................................2

Getting a license key .....................................................3

Installing client programs ................................................3

Setting the IP address to system configuration files .................4

CONFIGURATION .............................................................. 4

Configuring the system ...................................................4

Adding cameras ............................................................5

Configuring cameras ......................................................5

General settings .......................................................5

Motion detection settings ...........................................6

Scheduler ...............................................................7

Profiles ......................................................................8

Users ...................................................................... 10

MONITORING................................................................. 11

User interface ........................................................... 11

Real-time monitoring ................................................... 12

Working with group windows (device windows) .................... 13

Using layouts ............................................................. 14

Controlling dome cameras ............................................. 15

Playback .................................................................. 15

Multiview playback ................................................. 16

Search ..................................................................... 16

Activity Search ...................................................... 17

Multiview search .................................................... 18

Bookmarks ................................................................ 18

Image tools ............................................................... 19

Export ..................................................................... 19

Playing video clips .................................................. 20

Default user name and password

DEFAULT USER NAME AND PASSWORD

User name:
Password:

Admin

0308

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

This guide is an abbreviated version of the N series help document set. It
includes the following topics to get you started:

• Installing the NVR software

• Adding IP cameras

• Basic settings

• Basic use

MORE INFORMATION

using the system, please refer to the following guides:

•

Installation guide

cameras.

•

Administrator’s guide

configuring the system settings.

: For more information about installing, configuring, and

. How to install other devices, for example, dome

. How to use Mirasys N System Manager for

•

User’s guide

surveillance.

The guides are on the DVMS Installation CD in PDF format. You can also access
the Administrator’s Guide by clicking
can access the User’s Guide by clicking

. How to use Mirasys N Workstation for video and audio

Help

in Mirasys N System Manager. You

Help

in Mirasys N Workstation.

SYSTEM COMPONENTS

The Mirasys N series system has these components:

• One to five network video recorders (NVRs).

• Master Recorder (one of the NVRs). All system configuration data is

stored on the Master Recorder.

• Client programs:

• Mirasys N System Manager. Use this program

system and for creating user accounts and user profiles.

for configuring the

• Mirasys N Workstation. Use this program for real-time monitoring

and for playing back recorded video

.

The client programs can be used locally on the NVR or over a network from any
computer.

1

Mirasys N Series

INSTALLATION

Removing previous software version

If there is a previous version of the recorder installed, follow these steps:

NOTE

recorder setting in System Manager to be able to restore the settings should
any problems occur.

1

2

: Before removing the current software version, back up system and

Remove the recorder and the applications (DVMS) in Add or Remove
Programs.

Install the new software version.

Installing new software version

Make sure that .NET Framework 2.0 and all critical updates have been installed
on the computer. You can install them by using Windows Update.

To install the NVR software:

1

Put the DVMS Installation CD into the CD drive. The setup program
starts automatically. You can also start the setup program by double­clicking the file dvms_X.X.msi (X.X is the version number).

2

By default, the setup program installs the recorder and the
applications System Manager and Workstation.

Click Next.

3

Select the destination folder and click Next.

4

In the Installation Configuration dialog box, specify the IP address of
the Master Recorder. Click MASTER_RECORDER, click Set, and type
the IP address or DNS name of the NVR. Use the default 127.0.0.1 for
systems with one NVR. Then click Next.

5

After DirectX 9.0c installation has started, select I accept the
agreement and click Next.

6

Select the video standard and click Next.

7

Click Next to start the installation. When the NVR has been installed,
the dialog box Recorder has been successfully installed is shown. Click
Finish.

2

Installation

Getting a license key

After the installation, the NVR supports only one IP camera. You need a license
key to get the full functionality. For the license key, send the MAC address of
the NVR and the serial number of the N series software to Mirasys. The serial
number is on the cover of the DVMS Installation CD.

To g e t a l i c e n s e k ey :

1

Click the DVMS System Manager icon on the computer desktop to start
the System Manager program.

2

The License Information dialog box is automatically shown when you
start the program for the first time. Copy the MAC address and send it
by e-mail together with the serial number of the software to
[e-mail]. In return, you will receive the license key.

3

Start System Manager and click the Update License Key button in the
License Information dialog box. Type the license key. The system is
updated and System Manager closed. Next time you log on to System
Manager, all cameras are available.

Installing client programs

The system can be used from any computer that has access to the same
network as the NVR and that has the client programs installed.

To install the client programs:

1

Put the DVMS Installation CD into the CD drive. The setup program
starts automatically. If the setup program does not start
automatically, you can also start it by double-clicking the file
dvms_X.X.msi (X.X is the version number).

2

By default, the setup program installs the recorder and the
applications System Manager and Workstation. Open the menu next to
Recorder and select Entire feature will be unavailable.

Then click Next.

3

Select the destination folder and click Next.

4

In the Installation Configuration dialog box, specify the IP address of
the Master Recorder. Click MASTER_RECORDER, click Set, and type
the IP address or DNS name of the Master Recorder in the Property
Valu e box. The Master Recorder can be any of the NVRs in the system,
but note that all client programs in a system should use the same
Master Recorder. Then click Next.

5

When the NVR has been installed, the dialog box Recorder has been
successfully installed is shown. Click Finish.

3

Mirasys N Series

Setting the IP address to system configuration files

If the the recorder will function as the Master Recorder of a system,
and if it will be accessed over a network, you have to set the
recorder’s IP address through the

System Manager

application.

To set the IP address through
1

Start System Manager locally on the Master Recorder as instructed in
the

Administrator’s Guide

2

In the System tab, click Change recorder addresses.

3

Click on Local Recorder.

4

Click the Change recorder address button .

5

Type the new IP address or DNS name of the recorder into the

System Manager

.

:

:

New recorder address field.

6

Click OK.

NOTE

:

You only need to set the local IP address for the Master
Recorder of a system if the recorder can be accessed over a network.
If the recorder is accessed locally, there is no need to set the address.

CONFIGURATION

Use the Mirasys N System Manager program to configure the system settings.
Only users with administrator’s rights are allowed to change settings.

Configuring the system

To configure the system:

1

Start System Manager.

2

Add IP cameras on the Recorders tab. For more information, see
“Adding cameras” on page 5.

3

After adding the cameras, the system starts to record video using the
default settings. If necessary, you can change the camera settings on
the Recorders tab. For more information, see “Configuring cameras”
on page 5.

4

The system has one default profile “Service”, which contains the
camera channels and other devices specified by the license key. If
necessary, you can edit the default profile and add other profiles on
the Profiles tab. See “Profiles” on page 8.

5

The system has one default user, “Admin”. You can add other user
accounts on the Users tab and assign profiles and user rights to them.

4

Configuration

Adding cameras

To add IP cameras to the NVR:

1

In the camera’s internal settings, give the camera a static IP address,
a user name, and a password. See the camera manual for details.

2

Start System Manager.

3

Click the Recorders tab and double-click Hardware settings.

4

On the Video tab, click Add. The Configure IP Camera dialog box is
shown.

5

Do the following and click OK:

• Select the model of the camera or video server from the list.

• Type the IP address of the camera or video server.

• Type the port number, which is usually 80.

• Type the user name and password that were set in the camera’s

internal settings.

6

A link to the camera’s settings is shown in the Settings column. You
can click the link to access the camera’s internal settings.

NOTE

DVMS Installation CD.

: For a list of supported cameras, see the file ip_cameras.pdf on the

Configuring cameras

After adding IP cameras to the system, adjust their frame rates, resolutions
and other parameters in Camera Settings.

To change camera settings:

• On the Recorders tab, double-click Cameras.

General settings

To r e n a m e a c a m e r a :

• On the General tab, select the camera and then type the new name

in the Name text box.

To disable cameras that are not used:

• Select the camera or cameras and then clear the check box In use.

To change the frame rate, image quality, or resolution:

• Select the camera and then change the settings under Video quality.

5

Mirasys N Series

Motion detection settings

By default, video is recorded when the system detects motion in the camera
scene. You can create custom motion detection masks for each camera on the

Motion Detection

scene that you do not want to trigger recording, you can exclude those areas
from motion detection. On the
select which mask to use during each hour of the week.

A mask contains these parameters:

tab. For example, if there is movement in the camera

Scheduler

tab of the camera settings you can

• Selected areas. The system detects motion in areas that are painted

red.

• Detection sensitivity.

• Minimum quantity of movement.

To e d i t a m a s k :

1

Select the camera from the camera list.

2

Click the mask that you want to edit.

3

To change the name of the mask, click Change Mask Name and type
a new name for the mask.

4

Paint the areas red where you want the system to detect movement
and remove the red from areas where you want to ignore movement.
Use the pen tool and the other drawing tools. For example, use the

Eraser to remove red from areas where you want to ignore movement.

5

Set the detection sensitivity.

6

Set the minimum quantity of movement.

7

Select the motion detection method, comparative or adaptive motion
detection.

8

To test the settings, click the Turn Motion Counter On/Off button

. Detected motion is shown in red in the image, and the counter
inc rements each time motion i s detected. Adjust detection sensitivity
and the required quantity of movement as necessary.

Motion detection method

You can use one of these two motion detection algorithms:

Comparative detection

differences exceed the set limits, the system detects motion. You can use
comparative motion detection in most conditions. However, if there is a lot of
movement in the background, for example, rain, moving leaves, or changes in
light levels, use adaptive motion detection.

compares an image to the image before it. If the

6

Configuration

Adaptive detection

learns the background image and the movement that belongs there
automatically. Thus, the system does not interpret, for example, moving
leaves, as motion.

compares each image to a background image. The system

Sensitivity and quantity

The system detects motion when:

• Pixels change more than the set limit (Sensitivity).

• The required number of pixels change (Quantity).

If there is a lot of background noise in the image, for example, changes in
lighting conditions, decrease sensitivity by dragging the slider to the left or
increase the quantity limit by dragging the slider to the right.

Scheduler

On the
the week. You can also turn recording off for specified hours and specify
different schedules for holidays.

Scheduler

tab, you can select which mask to use during each hour of

7

Mirasys N Series

Profiles

A

profile

access. The system has one default profile “Service”, which contains the
devices that the license key specifies. You can use the default profile as such
or modify it freely, for example, group together cameras that are at the same
location. You can also add other profiles.

The following figure shows the default profile and a modified profile:

specifies the cameras and other devices that a user is allowed to

Default profile on the left and a modified profile on the right.

8

To edit the default profile or add a new profile:

1

On the Profiles tab, do one of the following:

• Click the Edit Profile button in the

lower-right corner of the navigation
pane.

• Click the Add Profile button in

the lower-left corner of the navigation pane. The Add Profile
dialog box is shown.

2

On the General tab, type a name and a description of the profile.
Make sure that the Active check box is selected. If you want to
temporarily disable a profile, clear the check box.

3

On the Devices tab, specify a tree structure for the profile:

• To add a group to a profile, click the Add Device Group button

below the Selected devices pane.

Configuration

• To change the name of a group, click the device group and type a

name for it in the Name box in the Device properties section.

• Add as many device groups as necessary. A new device group is

always added below the selected device group.

4

Add devices to the profile:

• Select the source: a recorder or a profile. Available devices are

shown in the left pane.

• Click the device group where you want to add a device.

• Select the device that you want to add and then click the right

arrow. You can also drag a device from the left pane to the right.

• In User rights, select the functions that the user can activate.

•

NOTE:

select a device group from the left pane and then click the right
arrow. Alternatively, drag the device group from the left pane to
the right.

5

To save the profile, click OK.

To add more than one device at the same time, you can

9

Mirasys N Series

Users

There are three types of user accounts in the system:

Users
Users with monitoring rights

monitor the system on the
settings.

Administrators

settings, for example, to change camera settings or add new profiles or user
accounts.

Each user must have at least one profile that sets the user’s rights in the
system. One user can have five profiles at the most.

To edit a user account:

1

2

are allowed to log on to Workstation but not to System Manager.

are allowed to log on to System Manager and

System

are allowed to log on to System Manager and change all

Click the Add User button in the lower-left corner of the Users
tab. The Add User dialog box is shown.

Do the following:

tab, but they are not allowed to change the

• Type a name for the account in the User name box.

• To add a password to the account, click Edit and type the password

two times.

• Type an optional description about the user account.

• Set the user’s rights in the system.

• Select the profile or profiles you want to assign to the user. Click

the arrow buttons or drag the profiles from the left pane to the
right.

TIP:

To select more than one profile at a time, keep the SHIFT or

CTRL key pressed.

• Select the user interface language for the user.

• To protect the program, you can use an automatic lock or

automatic logoff. If the user does not use the program for the
specified time, the program is locked or the user is logged off. The
user can also manually lock the Workstation program at any time.

3

Click OK to save the new user account.

10

Monitoring

MONITORING

Use the Mirasys N Workstation program for monitoring real-time video and
playing back recorded video. You can use the program on the same computer
where the NVR is installed or over a network from any computer where the
client programs have been installed.

To start Mirasys N Workstation:

• Double-click the DVMS Workstation icon on the computer desktop.

User interface

The Navigator on the left contains profiles and devices. A profile specifies the
devices that you have access to. Select the profile that you want to use from
the drop-down menu. After selecting the profile, you can access the devices,
for example, cameras, shown in the profile tree.

To change user interface language:

1

On the menu bar, click User and choose User Settings.

2

The User Settings dialog box is shown.

3

Choose the language from the menu and click OK.

11

Mirasys N Series

Real-time monitoring

To monitor real-time video from one camera:

1

Select the profile that you want to use from the

2

Right-click the camera and choose Show Real-Time View from the
menu.

Navigator

.

To monitor real-time video from multiple cameras:

• Right-click a camera group icon and choose Show Real-Time View.

This opens a window that contains a real-time video view from all the
cameras in that group.

12

Monitoring

Working with group windows (device windows)

To change the shape of a device window:

• Put the mouse pointer on the edge of the device window, and drag the

edge to the direction you want.

To change the dimensions of a device window:

• Drag the device window from one corner or from one edge. Each

device view is scaled accordingly.

To move a device view away from a device window:

• Right-click the device view and choose Move Apart or drag the view

from the device window to the work space.

13

Mirasys N Series

To close a view from a device window:

• Right-click on the device view and choose Close.

To change the order of the devices views:

• Drag a view to a new position.

To add a device view:

• Drag the device or device group from the

space to the device window.

Navigator

or from the work

Using layouts

You can save different user interface layouts for easy access. A layout specifies
the windows that are shown and their dimensions and positions. In addition, a
layout remembers the profile that was used to create the layout and possible
image filters.

To s a v e a l a y o u t :

1

Arrange the windows the way you want them in the layout.

2

On the toolbar, click Save Layout.

3

Type a name for the layout.

4

Click OK.

To apply a layout:

• Select the layout from the Saved Layouts list. The selected layout is

applied. The profile that was used to create the layout also becomes
active.

14

Monitoring

Controlling d

Dome cameras (PTZ cameras) are shown with the dome camera icon on
the

Navigator

To a c ti v a t e d o me c o n t r o l :

ome cameras

.

• Right-click on the camera view, and choose Dome Control from the

menu. The zoom, iris, and focus controls appear on the camera view.

To p a n a n d t i l t th e c am e r a :

• Click on the video view and keep the mouse button pressed.

To adjust zoom, focus, and iris:

• Click and hold the zoom, focus, or iris control on the dome camera

view.

To move a camera to a preset position:

• Right-click the dome camera on the

Position and then select the position that you want to move the
camera to.

To s t a r t a c a m e ra t o ur :

Navigator

, point to Select

• Right-click the dome camera on the

and then click the tour that you want to start.

P

layback

To play back video from one camera:

• Right-click a camera on the

View.

Navigator

Navigator

, point to Camera Tours

and choose Show Playback

15

Mirasys N Series

AB C

Multiview playback

You can play back synchronized video from as many as eight cameras.

A. Save and print images B. Playback controls C. Search Tools

To play back video from multiple channels, do one of the following:

• Right-click on a device group icon on the

Playback View.

• Right-click on a camera on the

video view and choose Show Playback View. Then drag other cameras
to the playback view from the

Navigator

Navigator

Navigator

or right-click on a real-time

or from the work space.

and choose Show

Search

When you want to find recorded video, there are three search methods to
choose from:

• Motion search

• Activity search

• Time search

Use

Motion Search

camera scene.

to find images with movement in a specified area of the

Activity Search

Use

Time Search

Use
point.

16

to quickly find recorded video and audio using a bar graph.

to find the nearest recorded image from the specified time

Monitoring

This guide shows how to use

Activity Search

.

Activity Search

To show Activity Search:

• Right-click the camera on the Navigator and choose Activity Search.

The

Activity Search

window shows recorded video or audio as a bar graph.

The horizontal axis shows the time, and the vertical axis shows the quantity of
recorded video or audio. By looking at the height of the bars, you can
immediately see if there has been activity in the camera scene. This requires
that recording is based on motion detection or audio detection.

If video or audio is recorded continuously, the bars are all of the same height.
To find events from continuous recordings, try using

To use Activity Search:

1

Click the Months tab and then click the month (vertical bar) that you
want to examine. Then click the Days tab to choose the day, and then
the Hours and Minutes tabs (if necessary) to select the hour and the
minute.

2

The selected bar is shown in yellow, and the first image of the bar is
shown in the video view.

3

To play back video or audio, use the playback controls in the

Window

NOTE:
Next

and

To find the right image, you can move from image to image using the

.

Previous

buttons.

Motion Search.

Device

17

Mirasys N Series

AB CD

Multiview search

You can show as many as eight video or audio views in Activity Search at the
same time.

To add a camera or audio channel to the search window:

• Drag the camera or audio channel from the

space to the search window.

To remove a camera or audio channel from the search window:

Navigator

or the work

• Drag the view away from the search window or right-click on the view

and choose Close.

Bookmarks

When you use Motion Search, the program adds found events to the

Bookmarks

the list for easy retrieval.

list. In addition, you can manually add images or audio samples to

Bookmarks list. A. Shows the bookmarked image or audio sample B. Saves
the bookmark C. Deletes the selected bookmark or bookmarks D. Deletes
all unsaved bookmarks

18

Monitoring

To bookmark an event:

• Right-click on a video view in playback mode and choose Add to

Bookmarks.

Image tools

You can enhance real-time and recorded video by using the image tools. For
example, you can adjust brightness or contrast. These image tools are
available: sharpen, reduce noise, find edges, grayscale, equalize, deinterlace,
mirror, and flip.

To use the image tools:

• Right-click on the video view that you want to enhance and choose

Image Tools.

Export

To print an image:

1

Find the image that you want to print.

2

Click Export and then Print Image. The image is sent to the default
printer.

To export an image:

1

In playback mode, click Export and then Save Image. The Save Image
dialog box is shown.

2

First select the target disk and then the target folder. To create a new
folder in a currently open folder, click the New Folder button. To
move up to a higher level folder, click the Up button.

3

Type a name for the image, choose the image format, and then click
OK.

19

Mirasys N Series

To export a media clip:

1

To save on a CD or DVD, put the disc into the disc drive. To save on a
removable device, plug the device in.

NOTE

action. The recorder will write the clip to the disc automatically.

2

Open a playback view from the cameras that you want to export a clip
from. If you want to export a synchronized clip from more than one
channel, the playback views must be in the same

3

Use a search tool to find the image that you want to start the media
clip from. For more information, see “Search” on page 16.

4

Click the Export button in the playback panel and choose Save Clip.
The Media Clip Settings dialog box is shown. Do the following and
then click OK:

: If the Windows dialog box Blank disk is shown, select No

device window

.

• Select where you want to save the clip.

• In File Name, type a file name for the clip.

• In Length, set the length of the clip.

NOTE: If you have cleared the option
saving a media clip

automatically with the given settings.

To change media clip settings:

1

On the menu bar, click User and choose Media Clip Settings.

2

Type or s elect t h e necessary settings.

in

Media Clip Settings

Playing video clips

Video clips are exported as Windows Media files (WMV). They can be played
using

To play a media clip from a CD or DVD using Mirasys Media Player:

Mirasys Media Player

or Windows Media Player 10.

Always show this dialog box before

, the program will export all clips

• Put the CD or DVD into the CD/DVD drive. Mirasys Media Player starts

automatically and starts to play the clip.

To play a media clip using Windows Media Player 10:

• Right-click the media clip file (WMV file), choose Open With and then

Windows Media Player. The clip starts to play automatically.

20