UNIVIEW NVR201-08EP, NVR201-04L, NVR201-08L, NVR201-04LP, NVR201-08LP User Manual

Network Video Recorders

User Manual

Manual Version: V1.00

Thank you for purchasing our product. If you have any questions or requests, please do not hesitate

to contact your dealer. Please read this document carefully as it contains critical information
regarding proper use of your device.

Notice

CAUTION!

The default password is intended for your first login. To ensure account security, please change the
password immediately after your first login. A strong password (with no less than eight characters)
is recommended.

 This document may be outdated. The contents of this document are subject to change without

prior notice.

 No part of this document may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written

authorization of our company.

 Best effort has been made to verify the integrity and correctness of the contents in this

document, but no statement, information, or recommendation in this manual shall constitute

formal guarantee of any kind, expressed or implied. We shall not be held responsible for any

technical or typographical errors that may exist in this manual.

 The product appearance shown in this manual is for reference only and may be different from

the actual appearance of your device.

 The illustrations in this manual are for reference only and may vary depending on the version or

model.

 This manual is a guide for multiple product models and is not intended exclusively for any

specific product model.

 Due to uncertainties such as physical environment, discrepancy may exist between the actual

values and reference values provided in this manual. The ultimate right to interpretation resides

in our company.

 Take necessary measures to ensure data security and protect the device from network attack

and hacking (when connected to Internet). Possible risks and consequences are at user's sole

discretion.

 In no event shall our company, employees, manufacturers, suppliers, dealers or resellers, be

held responsible for any consequential, incidental, direct or indirect losses or damages

(including but not limited to losses of business profits, business interruption, loss of commercial

information, business data and the like) arising out of the use or inability to use the product,

software, and documentation, even if our company has been advised of the possibility of such

damages or losses.

Conventions

Document Conventions

Convention

Description

Boldface font

Commands, keywords, parameters and GUI elements such as window, tab,
dialog box, menu, button, etc.

Italic font

Variables for which you supply values.

>

Separate a series of menu items, for example, Device Management > Add
Device.

Symbols

Symbol

Description

WARNING!

Contains important safety instructions and indicates situations that could
cause bodily injury.

CAUTION!

Means reader be careful and improper operations may cause damage or
malfunction to product.

NOTE!

Means useful or supplemental information about the use of product.

i

Contents

Preface ································································································································ ················ 1

Part I Local Operations ························································································································ 1

1 Before You Begin ······························································································································ 1

Login ··························································································································································· 2
Local Operations ········································································································································ 2

2 Initial Configuration ························································································································· 5

Preparation ················································································································································ 5
Startup Wizard ··········································································································································· 5

3 Preview ································································································ ············································· 8

Status Icons in the Preview Window ········································································································· 8
Preview Window Toolbar ························································································································· 10
Shortcut Menu in Preview Window ········································································································· 11
Example of Auto-Switch Operation ········································································································· 11
Zoom ························································································································································ 12
Image Configuration ································································································································ 13
Preview Configuration ····························································································································· 14

4 Channel Configuration ································································································ ··················· 16

Channel Management ····························································································································· 16
OSD Configuration ··································································································································· 21
Image Configuration ································································································································ 21
Privacy Mask Configuration ····················································································································· 22

5 PTZ Control ····································································································································· 22

Using the PTZ Toolbar ······························································································································ 23
Configuring and Calling a Preset ·············································································································· 24
Configuring and Calling a Patrol Route ···································································································· 25

6 Recording ································································································································ ······· 26

Encoding Settings ····································································································································· 26
Scheduled Recording ······························································································································· 27
Motion Detection Recording ··················································································································· 28
Alarm Triggered Recording ······················································································································ 30
Manual Recording ···································································································································· 30
Other Recording Types ···························································································································· 31
Disk Management ···································································································································· 31

7 Playback ········································································································································· 32

Instant Playback ······································································································································· 32
Playback Toolbar ······································································································································ 33
Playback by Camera and Date ················································································································· 34
Playback in Corridor Mode ······················································································································ 35
Playback by Tag ········································································································································ 35
Playback by Event ···································································································································· 36
Playback by Smart Search ························································································································ 37

ii

Playback by External File ·························································································································· 39
File Management ····································································································································· 40

8 Backup ············································································································································ 41

Recording Backup ···································································································································· 41
Image Backup ··········································································································································· 44

9 Alarm ·············································································································································· 45

Alarm Input and Output ··························································································································· 45
Motion Detection ····································································································································· 47
Tampering Detection ······························································································································· 49
Video Loss ················································································································································ 50
Alert ························································································································································· 50
Alarm-Triggered Actions ·························································································································· 51

10 Network Configuration ················································································································ 51

Basic Configuration ·································································································································· 52
PPPoE ······················································································································································· 52
MyCloud ··················································································································································· 53
DDNS ························································································································································ 53
Port ·························································································································································· 54
Port Mapping ··········································································································································· 54
Email ························································································································································ 55
IP Control ················································································································································· 56

11 System Configuration ··················································································································· 57

Basic Configuration ·································································································································· 57
Time Configuration ·································································································································· 57
DST Configuration ···································································································································· 57
Serial Port Configuration ·························································································································· 58
User Configuration ··································································································································· 58

12 System Maintenance···················································································································· 60

System Information ································································································································· 60
Network Detection ··································································································································· 62
Log Query ················································································································································· 64
System Restoration ·································································································································· 66
Auto-Maintain ·········································································································································· 66
System Upgrade ······································································································································· 66
S.M.A.R.T. Info ········································································································································· 67

iii

13 Shutdown ····································································································································· 68

Part II Web-Based Operations ·········································································································· 69

1 Before You Begin ···························································································································· 69

2 Login ··············································································································································· 69

3 Live View ································································································································ ········ 69

4 Playback ········································································································································· 71

5 Configuration ································································································································· 72

Appendix A Technical Specifications ································································································ · 72

Appendix B Acronyms ······················································································································· 82

1

Preface

This manual describes how to use your NVR locally or on the Web interface.
In this manual, the terms IP camera and IPC refer to the same thing: network camera, which requires

a connection to the network. And the IP device mentioned in this manual refers to an IP camera (also
known as network camera) or a Digital Video Server (DVS).

This manual applies to the following models.

Series

Model

NVR201 series

NVR201-04E/08E

NVR201-04EP/08EP

NVR201-04L/08L

NVR201-04LP/08LP

NVR202 series

NVR202-08EP/16EP

NVR202-08E/16E/32E

NVR204 series

NVR204-16E/32E

NVR208 series

NVR208-16/32

NVR304 series

NVR304-16E/32E

NVR308 series

NVR308-32E/64E

Part I Local Operations

1 Before You Begin

Please be aware that the parameters that are grayed out on the system user interface (UI) cannot be
modified. The parameters and values displayed may vary with device model, and the figures in this
manual are for illustration purpose only.

2

Login

CAUTION!

 Use the default username admin and password 123456 for your first login.
 The default password 123456 is intended only for your first login. To ensure security, please change

the password immediately when you are logged in.

1. Right-click anywhere in the preview window and then choose Menu. The login dialog box is

displayed.

2. Select the username from the drop-down list, enter the correct password, and then click Login.

Local Operations

You can refer to Initial Configuration and complete a quick configuration.

NOTE!

Unless otherwise specified, all operations described in this manual are performed with a mouse.
See Mouse Operations for details.

Mouse Operations

In this manual, mouse operations are performed by the right hand.

Table 1-1 Mouse Operations

Name

Action

Description

Left
button

Click

 Select or confirm an item.
 Select to edit digits, symbols, upper-case or lower-case letters in a

field.

Double-click

Enter or exit full screen mode in preview.

Drag

Draw or move a rectangle on the screen, for example, a motion detection
area.

Right
button

Click

 Show the shortcut menu.
 Exit zoom.
 Exit the current window when Cancel or Exit is displayed.

Wheel

Scroll up or
down

Scroll up or down a list or a window; or zoom in or out on a playback
progress bar.

Front Panel Buttons

The front panel buttons may vary with the NVR model.

3

Table 1-2 Front Panel Buttons 1

Button

Description

Display the main menu.

Switch to the next tab on the screen or switch the input method.

Auxiliary function button.

Exit the current window.

 / / / : Switch windows or menu items; or control rotation

directions of a PTZ camera when the PTZ toolbar is closed. PTZ stands for
pan, tilt, and zoom.

 / : Rewind or forward playback for 30 seconds when the playback

toolbar is closed.

 / : Variable-speed forward or rewind when the playback toolbar is

closed.

Confirm an operation, or start/pause the playback.

When logged in, press and hold this button for around 3 seconds till a
confirmation message is displayed on the monitor. Click OK to shut down
the NVR.

Table 1-3 Front Panel Buttons 2

Button

Description

When logged in, press and hold this button for around 3 seconds till a
confirmation message is displayed on the monitor. Click OK to shut down
the NVR.

Enter 1; or display the main menu.

Enter 2, A, B, or C; or start instant playback.
Enter 3, D, E, or F; or start manual recording.

Enter 4, G, H, or I; or enter the PTZ control interface.

4

Button

Description

Enter 5, J, K, or L; or switch the screen layout in preview or playback mode.

Enter 6, M, N, or O; or enable or disable arming.

Enter 7, P, Q, R, or S; or take a snapshot.

Enter 8, T, U, or V.

Enter 9, W, X, Y, or Z.

Enter 0 or a space.

Delete

Switch the input method.

Auxiliary function button.

Exit the current window.

Switch to the next tab.

 / / / : Switch windows or menu items; or control rotation

directions of a PTZ camera when the PTZ toolbar is closed.

 / : Rewind or forward playback for 30 seconds when the playback

toolbar is closed.

 / : Variable-speed forward or rewind when the playback toolbar is

closed.

 : Confirm an operation; or start or pause playback.

5

2 Initial Configuration

Preparation

 Make sure that at least one monitor is correctly connected to the VGA or HDMI interface on the

rear panel of the NVR.

 Verify that the hard disk(s) are correctly installed. For detailed steps to install a hard disk, please

refer to the quick guide shipped with your NVR.

Startup Wizard

The startup wizard can guide you to complete the most basic configuration.

1. Choose a language for the system and then click OK.

2. Enable or disable the startup wizard as needed and then click Next.

NOTE!

When disabled, the startup wizard does not show up as the NVR starts. You may enable or disable
the startup wizard later under Menu > System > Basic.

3. Enable or disable the Auto-Add IP Camera function as needed and then click Next.

6

NOTE!

 NVRs with PoE ports or switching ports do not have the Auto-Add IP Camera function.
 The Auto-Add IP Camera function can also be enabled or disabled later under Menu > Camera >

Camera.

4. Enter the default admin password 123456 and then click Next.

CAUTION!

The default password 123456 is intended only for your first login. When you are logged in, please
change it immediately to ensure account security. A strong password containing at least eight
characters is recommended.

5. Select a time zone, and then complete the date and time settings. Review the settings and then

click Next.

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6. Set the IP address, subnet mask and default gateway for your NVR. Use the default settings for

other parameters unless a modification is necessary. Click Next when you are ready.

NOTE!

 For an NVR with multiple Network Interface Cards (NICs), you can configure the NICs and select one

as the default route.

 An internal IPv4 address can be configured if your NVR has PoE ports or switching ports.
 The Camera window will not be displayed if the Auto-Add IP Camera function has been enabled in

step 2.

7. Click Search. The discovered IP devices are listed. Select the desired IP device and then click Add.

After the IP device is added successfully, click Next.

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8. A 24×7 recording schedule is enabled for all cameras by default, but you may change the

recording type for a camera as needed. Click OK after you have completed the configuration.

3 Preview

Status Icons in the Preview Window

The following icons are used to indicate alarms, recording status, and two-way audio status in a
preview window.

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Table 3-1 Preview Window Icons

Icon

Description

Tampering alarm

Motion detection alarm

Recording

Two-way audio

Normally, a preview window displays live video from the linked camera. But sometimes No Resource,

No Link, or nothing is displayed. The following figure shows an example.

Table 3-2 Window Status Description

No.

Description

1

The IP device linked to the window is online, and live video from the IP device is
displayed.

2

The IP device linked to the window is online, but the NVR has insufficient capacity to
decode streams from the IP device.

3

The IP device linked to the window is offline.

4

No IP device is linked to the window.

1

2

3 4

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Preview Window Toolbar

A toolbar appears (see below) when you click in a preview window.

Figure 3-1 Preview Pane Toolbar

Table 3-3 Preview Window Toolbar Description

Button

Name

Description

PTZ Control

Click to display the PTZ control panel for a PTZ camera.

Manual
Recording

Click to start recording live video to the NVR. The button turns

into when recording is started. To stop recording, click .

Instant
Playback

Click to start playing the recording in the last 5 minutes and 30
seconds.

Zoom

Click to zoom in on a certain area of the image.

Image Config

Click to change the mode and adjust image settings. Image
configuration can also be made under Menu > Camera > Image.

Manual Capture

Click to take a snapshot.

To view or back up a snapshot, click Menu > Backup > Image.

Camera Info

Place the mouse cursor on it for live video information.

Start Talk

Click to start two-way audio with a remote device connected to

the NVR. To stop, click .

Switch Camera

Click to link another camera to the current window.

Note: NVRs with PoE ports or switching ports do not have this
function.

Exit

Click to quit the toolbar.

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Shortcut Menu in Preview Window

A shortcut menu appears (see figure in the table below) when you right-click in a preview window.

Table 3-4 Shortcut Menu Description

Menu

Description

Screenshot

Single Screen

Select the desired camera for live video in
full screen.

Multi-Screen

Select the desired screen layout.

Corridor

Click to view video in corridor mode in a
variety of windows.

Note: You may also click Menu > System >
Preview and select the desired corridor

layout from the Default Layout drop­down list.

Previous Screen

Next Screen

Switch to the previous or next screen.

Start Auto-Switch

Stop Auto-Switch

Start or stop auto-switching one or
multiple preview windows.

Playback

Display the playback window.

Menu

Display the main menu.

Example of Auto-Switch Operation

Auto-switch requires you to configure the screen layout, windows, the linked cameras, and the auto­switch interval.

This example describes how to configure auto-switch for five cameras based on a 4-window screen
layout.

1. Right-click anywhere in the preview window, and then click Multi-Screen > 4 Screens. Four

windows are displayed.

NOTE!

Depending on the model of your NVR, the number of windows that can be displayed may vary.

2. Right-click anywhere in the preview window and then click Start Auto-Switch. Auto-switch

starts to display four windows on the first screen and then the fifth window on the second
screen at the set interval.

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NOTE!

The default auto-switch interval is eight seconds, which can be modified under Menu > System >

Preview.

Zoom

This function allows you to zoom in on an area of images in a preview window for details.

1. Click the desired preview window and then click on the toolbar.

2. In the small window in the lower right corner, click and drag your mouse to specify an area to

zoom in on.

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Image Configuration

This function allows you to adjust image settings to capture optimal images from a camera.

1. Click the desired preview window and then click on the toolbar.

2. Select an appropriate mode and then adjust the settings.

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Table 3-5 Image Parameter Description

Icon

Meaning

Description

Contrast

Defines the degree of difference between the lightest (white) and
darkest (black) parts of an image. Setting a greater value increases
contrast.

Hue

Purity of colors in an image.

Saturation

The amount of color in a specified hue.

Brightness

Brightness of images.

The images appear brighter when a greater value is set.

3. Click OK to save the settings and exit.

Preview Configuration

Normally, you can start live view after completing the configuration by following the startup wizard.
To modify preview settings, perform the following steps.

1. Click Menu > System > Preview.

2. Modify the settings as needed, for example, video output, resolution and the default layout.

NOTE!

The output interfaces provided and the number of windows supported may vary with the NVR
model.

3. Configure view.

Configure view to link cameras to intended windows. The following example describes how to switch
the windows linked to D1 and D2 cameras.

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Step 1: Click window 1 on the right to select it, and then click D2 in the Camera column on the left.
Now D2 appears in window 1, and None appears in window 2.

NOTE!

Now the camera D1 icon is grayed out and displayed as , which means camera D1 is not linked to
any preview window.

Step 2: Click window 2 on the right to select it, and then click D1 in the Camera column on the left.
Now D1 appears in window 2, and cameras D1 and D2 are linked to their previous windows
respectively.

4. Click Apply to complete the configuration

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4 Channel Configuration

Channel Management

Before you start, make sure the IP device to add is connected to your NVR via network. The IP device
mentioned in this manual refers to an IP camera (also known as network camera) or a Digital Video
Server (DVS).

CAUTION!

Make sure an IP device is connected to one NVR only. Otherwise, unwanted issues may arise.

Adding an IP Device

This section provides three options to add an IP device. Some options are not applicable to all NVR
models. Choose one as appropriate.

Option 1

NOTE!

Normally, all the IP devices discovered can be added, and appears in the Status column to
indicate that a device is added successfully. In the case of a failure, check network connection and
verify that the username and password for the IP device are correct. To modify the username and

password for an IP device, click .

1. Click Menu > Camera > Camera.

NOTE!

 With Auto-Add IP Camera selected, the NVR can automatically add the discovered IP cameras but

may also change their IP addresses. Disable this function if you have more than one NVR on the
network.

 The Auto-Add IP Camera function is not available to NVRs with PoE ports or switching ports.

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2. The system automatically performs a quick search. You may click Refresh to search and refresh

again.

NOTE!

To search for IP devices on a specified network segment, click Search.

3. Click to add the desired IP device.

 Clicking One-click Add will add all the discovered IP devices, as long as the total number does

not exceed the upper limit allowed by the NVR.

 After clicking Custom Add, you may:

Select a discovered IP device and click Add to add it.

Complete settings for an IP device manually, including its IP address, and then click Add to add it.

NOTE!

For a multi-channel DVS, select the desired channels and then click OK to add cameras connected to
the DVS.

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Option 2

NOTE!

This option is not applicable to NVRs with PoE ports or switching ports.

1. Click in a preview window.

2. Select the desired IP device and then click Add.

Option 3

NOTE!

 This option is only applicable to NVRs with PoE ports or switching ports.
 A channel corresponding to a PoE port or a switching port cannot be deleted.

1. Connect an IP camera to a PoE port or a switching port on the NVR with a network cable. The

NVR automatically connects to the IP camera.

2. Click Menu > Camera > Camera and check connection status of the IP camera.

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NOTE!

 If a camera added via ONVIF is offline, click for the camera, set Add Mode to Manual, and then

change its username and password to the actual one.

 For a NVR with PoE ports, appears in the Status column if the power output from a PoE port is

below or above the rated power of the camera connected to the PoE port.

Managing an IP Device

Click Menu > Camera > Camera.

Edit an IP device

Select the channel to edit and then click . Modify the settings as needed and then click OK.

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NOTE!

To link a channel to another IP device, change the current IP address into that of the desired IP
device, modify other settings as appropriate, and then click OK.

Delete an IP device

 To delete an IP device, click . A confirmation message appears. Click OK to proceed.
 To delete multiple IP devices at a time, select them and then click Delete. A confirmation

message appears. Click OK to delete the selected IP devices.

NOTE!

A channel corresponding to a PoE port or a switching port cannot be deleted.

Use the advanced function

The Advanced function is mainly used to change the IP address of an IP device that is online (with

displayed) and connected to your NVR via the private protocol.

To change the IP address of an IP device, click for the device in the Advanced column, and then
modify its IP address. Edit other settings as needed.

NOTE!

The Advanced function is not intended for a DVS. Its IP address can be modified on the Web
interface.

Upgrade an IP camera

Only online IP cameras (with displayed) connected via the private protocol can be upgraded.

 Cloud upgrade: Select the desired IP camera and then click . A confirmation message

appears. Click OK to start upgrade.

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 Local upgrade: Select the desired IP camera and then click . In the window displayed, locate

the upgrade file in the USB storage device and then click OK to start upgrade.

OSD Configuration

On Screen Display (OSD) are characters that you want to display together with video images, for
example, date and time, camera name, and surveillance location.

1. Click Menu > Camera > OSD.

2. Select the desired camera and enter a name for the camera.

3. Configure OSD by selecting the desired date and time formats and enabling time and/or name

display. To change the OSD position on the screen, use the mouse to drag it in the preview
window on the left.

4. Click Apply to complete the configuration.

Image Configuration

1. Click Menu > Camera > Image.

2. Select the desired camera and then drag the sliders to adjust settings.