Watch this video to learn how to setup the CCTV spot monitor function of Viewtron hybrid BNC DVRs and IP camera NVRs. In case you are not familiar with the term “CCTV spot monitor”, it’s an old-school CCTV system term that refers to a dedicated live display monitor for a camera that is independent of the DVR’s main display that is used to manage the system.

Some Viewtron DVRs and NVRs have more than one HDMI monitor output, and the secondary HDMI output(s) can be configured as a single camera spot monitor, a “multiplexed” multi-camera live display, and a dwell time sequence consisting of multiple single camera and multi-camera layouts that rotates from one screen to the next with a delay timer.

Because this feature is available on some Viewtron hybrid CCTV DVRs and also IP camera NVRs, this spot monitor feature can be setup for IP cameras and CCTV cameras. You an even combine both security cameras types on the same display layout if you are using a hybrid DVR.

Live Security Camera View / Spot Monitor Setup

Follow these instructions on your Viewtron recorder to setup the live security camera TV display (spot monitor).

Click on the Settings link in the lower left hard corner of the screen on your DVR / NVR.

On the main system menu, click on the System link.

On the general settings screen, you can setup the video resolutions for the Main Output monitor and Secondary Output monitor. The Secondary HDMI Output is the one that can be setup as a spot monitor for Viewtron recorder models that have 2 HDMI putputs.

Click on the Output Setting link.

Single Camera Spot Monitor & Multi-Camera Display Configurations

Click on the Secondary Output tab, then click on the + button to add a spot monitor screen.

1. When you click on the add button, a spot monitor or multiplexer camera layout will be added to the right panel.
2. You can select if you want a single camera spot montior display or a “multiplexed” multiple camera layout.
3. Drag the Camera(s) that you want on the display from the Camera panel on the right.

Click on the + plus button if you want to add additional displays that will be part of a rotation sequence “Dwell” time.

You can see here, that I added 3 additional spot monitor displays. When you enable a sequence of displays instead if a single live view, check the Dwell check box (1) and select the dwell time in seconds from the dropdown. Dwell time is the number of seconds to pause on each display before proceeding to the next one in the sequence.

When you are done, click on the Apply button in the lower right and close the settings screen by clicking on the X in the upper right.

Multiplexer / Multiple Camera Live View

Here is what the 6 camera “multiplexer” display looks like.

Single Camera Spot Monitor Live View

Here is what the live view of the single camera spot monitor display looks like.

DVRs & NVRs with Dual HDMI Spot Monitor Support

The following Viewtron DVRs and NVRs have more than one HDMI video output that supports the CCTV spot monitor function documented in this article.

• 16 Channel NVR – 2 HDMI outputs, second HDMI supports up to a 9 camera live video display at 1080p resolution on the second HDMI
• 32 Channel NVR – 2 HDMI outputs, second HDMI supports up to a 9 camera live video display at 1080p resolution on the second HDMI
• 32 Channel DVR (4K model) – 2 HDMI outputs, second HDMI supports up to a 9 camera live video display at 1080p resolution on the second HDMI
• 64 Channel NVR – 4 HDMI outputs, HDMI 2 supports up to 36 camera live video display at 4K resolution, HDMI 3 and 4 supports up to 16 camera displays at 1080p resolution

Video Transript

Here is a complete text transcript of the video at the top of this page.

Hey guys, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. Some of our Viewtron security camera DVRs and IP camera NVRs have two HDMI monitor outputs. In this video, I’m going to show you how you can configure the secondary HDMI output to be a CCTV spot monitor or a spot monitor for IP cameras, depending on which type of cameras you’re using. In addition, the spot monitor output, when you can configure it, can be a stationary display of multiple cameras on the screen. You can also configure multiple screens with what’s called a dwell time, which is basically when one of the camera views is displayed for a certain number of seconds, that’s the dwell time, and then it switches to the second view, the third view, the fourth view, and so forth, and then rotates back to the first one. You can configure each of those views to be a single camera or a multi-camera layout.

I’m going to show you how I configured the secondary HDMI output on my 16-channel Viewtron NVR to be a spot monitor display that I display on the TV in my living room. Here’s the primary HDMI output from my DVR. I’m going to click on the settings menu in the lower left and then click on system. On the system settings screen, you can see here that you can set up different resolutions for the main and secondary HDMI outputs. To configure that secondary output, I’m going to go into output settings and then select that secondary output tab.

To add the display grid, I’m going to click on that plus button, and then you could choose which layout you want. I’m going to choose the six camera view, and then I simply drag the different security cameras that are connected to my NVR over onto this grid depending on where I want each one displayed. Then when I’m done, I click on this apply button. Now I’ll switch to that secondary output. You could see the six camera live view here from that secondary HDMI output that’s now acting as a CCTV spot monitor or a spot monitor for my IP cameras. In this case, I’m using IP cameras. Next, I’m going to go back into the main output of the NVR and select settings again, and then I’ll go back into system and then output settings. Now I’m going to set up a dwell time, which means that it’ll be multiple displays and it’ll rotate from one to the next.

So I’m going to leave that first one as a grid, and then I’m going to add three single camera views. So as I’m adding them, I’m also selecting which security camera to display in each of those views. And then, actually, I think I’m going to change the primary view from that six camera grid to a four camera grid. And if I wanted to change any of the cameras, I could just drag those over to the four camera grid view to modify that. And then I’m going to leave it set to five second dwell time, and then I’m going to click apply.

Now let’s go back to the spot monitor output, and you could see the four camera grid view is displayed for five seconds, and then it’ll rotate to each of the single camera views with a five second dwell time or pause time in between it. Note that it doesn’t affect that primary output. I could be playing back video or doing other operations from the main video output while this is playing. Guys, I hope this video has been helpful. As you can see, the secondary HDMI output on some of our Viewtron DVRs and NVRs can be used as a spot monitor output that just always displays a live security camera view regardless of the primary monitor.

Primary monitors are used for navigating the menu system on your DVR or NVR. I want to mention a couple of things. Not all of our Viewtron DVRs and NVRs have two HDMI outputs. The 16 channel IP camera NVR does, the 32 channel NVR does, the 4K 32 channel hybrid DVR does, and actually our 64 channel NVR has four HDMI outputs. On that secondary HDMI output, you are limited to 1080p resolution and displaying nine cameras live, except on the 64 channel NVR which can display at full 4K resolution and display up to 36 cameras on the secondary HDMI spot monitor output and 16 cameras at 1080p resolution on HDMI monitor 3 and 4.

Guys, if you have any questions about setting up the CCTV spot monitor output on these Viewtron DVRs and NVRs, you can email me directly at mike@cctvcamerapros.net. If you want to learn more about our Viewtron BNC DVRs and NVRs, please visit www.Viewtron.com/DVR. Thank you for watching.

The post CCTV Spot Monitor Setup for Viewtron IP Camera & BNC Camera DVRs first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Watch this video to learn how to setup the Viewtron RTSP to HDMI decoder to enable a live view of a security camera on a TV. For my setup, I currently have 10 outdoor IP cameras installed at my house. All IP cameras are recording to my Viewtron 16 channel NVR.

In addition to the continuous and AI motion detection recording,  I also wanted to enable a live video view on the TV in my family room of the Viewtron 180 degree IP camera that monitors my front yard. The TV in my living room is not located anywhere near the DVR / NVR, but there is a network connection near the TV.

IP Security Camera to TV Decoder Overview

Although we often call the Viewtron IP-HDMI-D4 a IP camera to TV decoder, because it can connect directly to IP cameras, it can also connect to the RTSP video streams of Viewtron DVRs and NVRs. This is because Viewtron DVRs and NVRs make individual RTSP streams accessible over the network for all security cameras that are connected to them.

This makes the IP-HDMI-D4 an excellent spot live display spot monitor solution that can be used in conjunction with IP camera NVRs and hybrid CCTV camera DVRs. You can record all of your IP cameras and / or CCTV cameras centrally on a DVR, and deploy live display monitor(s) anywhere at your location where there is a network connection. The TV(s) do not need to be hard wired back to your security camera or DVR. The video is transmits over your local network via RTSP (real time streaming protocol).

Please note that the decoder supports connecting up to 4 RTSP streams, this means that you can display a single camera full screen, or any 2, 3, or 4 camera layout. Custom video layouts are supported. In my video demo, I setup mine as a single camera spot monitor.

My Home Network Setup

The above diagram shows the network setup for my security camera system. Please note that my TV and IP decoder are on the opposite side of my house from the DVR / NVR.

1. All 10 Viewtron IP cameras are hard wired to the PoE ports on the Viewtron NVR using CAT6 network cable.
2. The Viewtron NVR is connected to my home network’s router using CAT6 cable.
3. The Viewtron IP-HDMI-D4 decoder box is also connected to the network switch using CAT6 cable.
4. The HDMI output of the IP too HDMI decoder is connected to  HDMI input #2 on my TV.

Here is how I setup my decoder to display my front yard security camera on my TV.

Connect IP Camera to TV Decoder

The Viewtron IP-HDMI-D4 has an RJ-45 Ethernet port, HDMI output port, and a 12V DC power supply connection. I connected the HDMI output to my TV. I connected the RJ-45 network port to the network connection near the TV, and I powered the decoder on by plugging it in.

When you first connect the IP-HDMI-D4 to your network and TV monitor, it is not yet configured to connect to a video stream, so it displays a “no input signal” message and the IP address on the screen. Make note of this IP address so that you can connect to the decoder and configure it from a web browser.

Enable RTSP Stream on DVR / NVR

Viewtron DVRs and NVRs provide an RTSP stream for each camera that is connected to them. This is extremely useful for BNC / CCTV cameras (analog CVBS, HD-TVI, AHD, HD-CVI) being that they do not natively provide an RTSP stream like IP cameras do.

To enable RTSP streams for the camera on your recorder, login to the recorder directly or via the web browser interface.

On the DVR / NVR, click on the menu button in the lower left, then click Settings.

On the Settings menu, click on the Port link in the Network section.

On the Port settings screen, check the Enable check box in the RTSP section. Also check the Anonymous checkbox if you do not want to send your DVR’s userid:password on the URL. Make note of the URL example. The RTSP stream URL for each security camera connected to your DVR uses the following format: rtsp://IP:Port/chID=1&streamType=main

When you enter the RTSP URL into the IP decoder, you will replace “IP” with the IP address of your DVR / NVR. Replace “Port” with 554, which is the default RTSP port. Replace the value of chID with the channel of the camera that you are adding. And, replace the value of streamType with either “main” or “sub”. If you are using a camera with video resolution greater than 2mp / 1080p, then use “sub” for the sub-stream.

This is the RTSP URL that I used to add camera #1 from my NVR using the sub-stream. Please note that the local IP address of my NVR is 192.168.0.147. This is the RTSP URL for camera 1:
rtsp://192.168.0.147:554/chID=1&streamType=sub

Configure IP Camera to HDMI Decoder

Next, login to the web browser interface of the Viewtron decoder box. Please note that the computer must be on the same local network as your IP decoder.

1. Enter the IP address of the decoder box into the web browser. Enter the user id and password. The default is admin for both.
2. Click on the Stream Address Setting link.
3. Select the number of RTSP camera streams that you want to configure. Note: I am only using one camera.
4. Add the RTSP stream in the the Channel address box. Mine is: rtsp://192.168.0.147:554/chID=1&streamType=sub
5. Click on the Apply button.

Security Camera Live View on TV

After you click on the Apply button, the live view of your security camera will appear on your TV. Now, whenever you want to see your security camera live, just switch the TV to the HDMI input that the Viewtron IP to TV decoder box is connected to.

2 Security Camera Live View on TV

In addition to the single camera view demonstrated in the video, the Viewtron IP decoder also supports a dual  camera view. In the above screenshot, I am pulling the RTSP streams from 2 Viewtron 180 degree dual lens IP cameras connected to my NVR.

You will notice that the display of each camera is stretched to the full width of the TV. This is done by customizing the display layout and size of each camera stream in the IP to TV decoder’s settings.

When you log into the decoder’s web interface, click on Channel layout under Advanced settings. You can see the default 2 camera TV display layout above.

When you select Enable on the Video Channel Layout dropdown, that allows you to move each camera’s position around on the layout. You can also resize each camera’s video display. You can see in the above layout that I stretched each of the 180 cameras to the full width of the display and stacked them on top of each other.

3 Security Camera Live View on TV

This is what the 3 camera live view looks like with 180 degree camera #1 stretched to the full width on top of two 16:9 aspect ratio / non-180 degree cameras.

4 Camera Live View on TV

Here is a standard 4 camera grid layout on my TV. The Viewtron IP-HDMI-D4 decoder supports 1-4 camera RTSP decoding on its own. You do not need any other hardware to display 1-4 cameras live on your TV.

HDMI over Ethernet Solution

The Viewtron IP decoder supports decoding up to 4 cameras via individual RTSP streams. If you want to display more that 4 cameras live on your TV, you can pair the decoder with one of these Viewtron HDMI to RTSP encoders.

The Viewtron IP-HDMI-E1 HDMI to RTSP encoder takes the entire HDMI output of your DVR / NVR and encodes it into a single RTSP stream that the IP-HDMI-D4 decoder can decode and output to a TV. You can find complete kits on our HDMI over Ethernet product page.

This is how the HDMI over Ethernet kit works.

1. Connect your security cameras to your Viewtron DVR/ NVR for standard video surveillance recording and operations.
2. Connect the HDMI output of the NVR to the Viewtron HDMI to RTSP encoder.
3. The encoder converts that full HDMI signal into an RTSP stream on your network.
4. The IP to HDMI decoder picks up that signal and displays the entire HDMI output on a TV.
5. Add additional decoders if you want the same view on multiple monitors.

This works with any device that has an HDMI output, so you can use this any security DVR or NVR that has an HDMI output.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about how to connect a security camera to your TV for a live view, please email me at mike@cctvcamerapros.net anytime. Me and the team at CCTV Camera Pros can also provide you with a free consultation and custom system quote. We design security camera systems for home, business, and government customers all day. We perform assessments of what customers have in place, what works with our Viewtron equipment, what you should keep and what you should replace. We help you make a good decision if you are using some existing equipment, even if it is very old.

We are here to help!

Video Transcription

Here is a complete text transcription of the video at the top of this page.

Hey guys, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. I just finished setting up one of our Viewtron IP camera to TV decoder boxes here at my house. You could see it displaying a live view of one of our Viewtron 180 cameras on my TV behind me. And you can see the little IP to TV decoder box back there on that nightstand. And in this video, I’m gonna show you how I configured this on my network here at my house. And then I’m gonna run through a demo where I walk in front of the camera so you can see how responsive it is and what a great video picture that it provides.

Just a quick intro, if you’re not familiar with the Viewtron IP decoder box, you can directly connect it to a single IP camera or up to four IP cameras. And in addition, it can also connect to the video streams of our Viewtron IP camera NVRs and also our hybrid BNC DVRs to display up to four cameras live on any HDMI TV. At my house here, I have eight IP cameras connected to one of our Viewtron NVRs. And I’m just pulling one of the video streams from the NVR over the network here to the decoder box for display. The NVR is located on the other side of the house in a closet, and it’s not hardwired to this area.

This little spot here has a network connection, and it’s transmitting that video over the network to this location. Let me show you how I set this up on the network, and then I’ll run through a demo where I go outside and you can see how great the display looks. Okay, so this is the location where my Viewtron NVR is installed, and that’s all my network equipment up there. And the TV in my family room is over here. And as I mentioned, the IP decoder is not hardwired back to the NVR, it’s going over network. So I positioned the decoder box here and connected the HDMI output to the HDMI input of this TV, connected the RJ45 network connector to the network connection there behind that dresser, and then just powered it up with the five volt power supply that’s included.

And when you first started up, it’s not connecting to any video stream yet. So it conveniently just displays the IP address of the decoder on the screen. At that point, you can log in through a web browser to that IP address and configure the video stream, and that’s what we’re gonna do now. So I took that IP address that was displayed on the video decoder screen and I plugged it into the web browser here. And if you go to the stream address settings, you could see here, you can configure the device to consume one, two, three or four video streams.

We’re just gonna display the one camera, and this is the RTSP stream from the Viewtron NVR. And let me show you where I got that from. So I’m gonna go over to the web browser view of the Viewtron NVR, and you could see the IP address ends in .147. If I click on the port link under the network settings, you could see this RTSP stream section down here. You need to enable this checkbox, and I also enable anonymous so I don’t have to enter the user ID and password. Here it’ll display the format of the URL for the RTSP streams, and you could see that you need to specify the channel ID and the stream type of either main or sub. I’m using the sub stream in this case.

So here’s the complete RTSP stream from channel one on the NVR, and I’m just gonna save those settings there. Okay, so now that the RTSP stream is connected to the decoder, you could see the live video display on the TV behind me, and let’s go outside now and walk in front of it so you could see the video quality. So that camera is mounted on the front of the garage over here. So when I come around the corner, you’ll see me in a sec. You should start seeing me now, and we’ll just give the camera a little wave like I always do. I’ll move around a little bit so you could see the responsiveness of the video stream. Looks real nice.

And let me mention a couple of things before we wrap up. Actually, I’ll just show you where that camera is mounted right there behind me. You could see it’s one of our Viewtron 180 cameras. So I wanna reiterate a couple of things. That Viewtron IP security camera to decoder box can be used with our Viewtron IP cameras standalone. Actually, it can be used with any IP camera brand that supports RTSP streams, which they all do. But the way I’m using it here is I have all the security cameras that are mounted on my house connected to a Viewtron NVR. And I’m accessing the individual RTSP stream from the Viewtron NVR. And you can do this also with BNC security cameras using our Viewtron hybrid DVRs.

This is like a IP camera and BNC camera spot monitor solution. And you can use more than one of these. So if I wanted to have another one of these in the master bedroom or another one of the living areas here at the house, and I wanted to display different cameras on that spot monitor location, I could do that just by putting another Viewtron decoder box at that TV and configuring whatever IP cameras RTSP stream that I want displayed on that particular TV. Guys, in my next video, I’m gonna show you how you could take the entire HDMI output display of a Viewtron NVR DVR or any other brand recorder and stream the entire HDMI output over IP to a spot monitor using the decoder.

So you could display as many cameras as your recorder is capable of outputting. We have 32 channel and 64 channel recorders. If you wanna send all that entire output to a TV, you can also do that when you add one of our HDMI to IP encoder boxes and use the two in conjunction.

Guys, if you have any questions on this system, please feel free to email me anytime. I can be reached at mike@viewtron.com. If you wanna learn more about it and get the current pricing on it, we also have other setup videos and demos, please visit www.viewtron.com/IPTV.

Thank you for watching.

The post Security Camera to TV Live View: RTSP to HDMI Decoder Box first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

The Viewtron 16 channel NVR has been one of our most popular products, and after 20+ years of personally testing and supplying surveillance equipment, I can honestly say it’s the best NVR we’ve ever carried.

What makes this NVR stand out isn’t just the hardware – it’s the easy to use software and deep integration with Viewtron AI security cameras that really make it special. Human detection, vehicle detection, license plate recognition, face recognition – all managed through one interface. And because Viewtron NVRs are ONVIF compliant, they also work as replacement NVRs for existing IP camera systems from Hikvision, Dahua, Reolink, and other brands.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the key features and show you video demos of each. If you have questions, just call us – I’m happy to help you figure out the right setup for your situation.

Works with Any IP Camera

One of the biggest reasons customers choose Viewtron NVRs is compatibility. Viewtron is an ONVIF compatible NVR, which means it works with virtually any IP camera on the market – not just Viewtron cameras.

If you need a replacement IP camera NVR, Viewtron is an excellent choice. If your Hikvision, Dahua, Reolink, Lorex, or Amcrest NVR dies, you can swap in a Viewtron and keep your existing cameras. No rewiring, no replacing equipment that still works fine.

We get a lot of calls from customers who need to replace banned equipment for NDAA compliance. Our Hikvision NVR replacement page walks through that specific situation.

Of course, the full AI features require Viewtron AI cameras. But even with third-party cameras, you get reliable recording, easy remote viewing, and our support backing it up.

Have BNC/coax cameras instead of IP cameras? Check out our 16 channel DVR – it’s the hybrid version that works with analog, AHD, HD-TVI, and HD-CVI cameras.

Easy-to-Use Interface

The Viewtron NVR interface is designed to be intuitive. You can view all 16 cameras in a grid, or click any camera to view full screen. Playback, settings, and AI configuration are all accessible from the main menu.

Quick access to key functions:

• Switch between live view grid views for one camera, all 16 cameras, and everything between
• One-click video surveillance recording playback with AI alarm event annotations on timeline
• Simple AI camera configuration for human detection, car detection, face recognition, LPR
• Easy mobile app setup via QR code setup – no port forwarding network setup needed

Most customers are up and running within an hour of installation. This PoE NVR auto-detects cameras connected to its built-in ports. This is a simpl plug and play setup.

AI Human and Vehicle Detection

This is where Viewtron really separates itself from other NVRs I’ve tested over the years.

Traditional motion detection triggers on everything – a tree branch moves, you get an alert. Car headlights sweep across the camera, alert. After a few days of constant false alarms, most people just turn off notifications. That defeats the whole purpose of having alerts.

Viewtron AI cameras use deep learning to distinguish between people, vehicles, and other motion. The system ignores leaves, shadows, rain, and animals. You only get alerts when something actually matters. Our most popular model is the IP-A8D – an 8 megapixel dome with human and vehicle detection built in.

What you can configure:

• Intrusion zones – Draw areas on the camera view where people or vehicles trigger alerts
• Line crossing – Get alerted when someone crosses a virtual boundary
• People vs. vehicles – Choose to alert on one, the other, or both
• Schedules – Different detection settings for business hours vs. after hours

All AI software settings are managed through the NVR interface. Set up your intrusion detection zones, line crossing zones, schedules, etc. with the NVR’s simple user interface.

Watch more human detection AI camera videos to see this in action.

LPR Camera Integration

For customers who need to capture license plates – parking lots, HOA gates, business entrances – the Viewtron NVR integrates directly with our LPR cameras.

The LPR camera doesn’t just capture a clear image of plates – it reads the characters automatically using AI and logs them in a searchable database. You can look up any plate number and instantly find every time that vehicle entered or exited your property.

LPR features on the Viewtron NVR:

• Automatic plate character recognition (ALPR / ANPR software)
• Searchable license plate database
• Plate detection alerts
• Allowlist/blocklist for access control
• Works alongside regular AI cameras on the same NVR

You can mix LPR cameras with standard AI cameras on the same 16 channel NVR. Use a couple channels for license plate recognition at entrances, and the rest for general security coverage.

Watch more LPR camera videos to see installation examples and software demos.

Face Recognition Integration

Viewtron AI cameras also support face recognition, and all the settings are managed through the NVR.

You can create a database of known faces – employees, family members, VIPs, persons of interest – and the system will alert you when those faces are detected. It’s useful for access control, time and attendance, or identifying specific individuals in recorded footage.

Face recognition capabilities:

• Build a database of known faces
• Alert when a specific person is detected
• Search recordings by face
• Works with Viewtron AI dome and bullet cameras

This is an advanced feature that not every customer needs, but for those who do, it’s built right into the NVR software at no extra cost.

Watch more face recognition camera videos for setup tutorials and demos.

Alarm Sensor Integration

On the back of the Viewtron 16 channel NVR, you’ll find alarm input and alarm output ports. These let you integrate external sensors and devices directly with your surveillance system.

Alarm input examples:

• Magnetic door and window sensors
• PIR motion detectors
• Glass break sensors
• Panic buttons

When an alarm input is triggered, the NVR can automatically start recording on specific cameras, send push notifications, or trigger an alarm output.

Alarm output (relay) examples:

• Alarm lights and strobes
• Sirens and audible alerts
• Access control systems
• Gate and door controls

The alarm panel turns your NVR into the hub of a complete security system – not just recording video, but integrating with physical security devices. For example, you can set up a door sensor to trigger recording when a door opens after hours, then activate a strobe light through the alarm output.

Watch more alarm integration videos for wiring tutorials and setup examples.

Free Mobile App for iPhone and Android

I hear from customers all the time who bought cheap NVRs on Amazon and can’t get remote viewing to work. The app crashes, setup requires complicated port forwarding, support is nonexistent. This is one area where quality really matters.

Viewtron includes free apps for iPhone and Android that actually work. Setup takes about two minutes using P2P technology – no port forwarding required.

How to connect:

1. Go to network settings on your NVR
2. Scan the QR code with your phone
3. Enter your username and password
4. You’re connected

What you can do from the app:

• View live video from all cameras
• Play back recorded footage
• Receive push notifications for AI alerts
• Control PTZ cameras
• View multiple locations from one app

Learn more about the security camera app and what it can do. You can also browse additional mobile app videos for detailed tutorials.

VMS Software for Mac and Windows

For customers who prefer a desktop interface or need to set up a professional monitoring station, we provide free VMS software for Windows and Mac.

What the VMS software offers:

• View multiple NVRs from different locations on one screen
• Create custom camera layouts
• Manage recordings and video exports
• Support for multiple monitors
• No ongoing software fees

This is especially useful for businesses with multiple locations, or security operations that need a dedicated monitoring workstation.

Learn more about VMS software for CCTV including setup and configuration.

No Monthly Fees!

There are never any monthly fees from CCTV Camera Pros for the remote viewing capabilities, AI software, or anytime else related to our 16 channel NVR. NO recurring fees for anything. This is a self monitored system that you own.

NDAA Compliant

If you’re installing cameras for government facilities, federal contractors, schools, or healthcare facilities, NDAA compliance matters.

Viewtron NVRs are NDAA compliant – manufactured in an NDAA-compliant facility with no components from banned manufacturers (Hikvision, Dahua, or their subsidiaries). We provide an NDAA compliance letter for customers who need documentation.

Browse all NDAA compliant NVRs if this is a requirement for your project.

Viewtron NVR Comparison

All Viewtron models are 4K NVRs – they support up to 8 megapixel camera resolution for ultra-sharp video.

*64 channel NVR requires external PoE switch

My advice: if you’re on the fence between 8 and 16, go with 16ch. The price difference isn’t huge, and I can’t tell you how many times customers have called wishing they’d bought more capacity upfront.

Technical Support and Customer Service

CCTV Camera pros has been in business since 2006 and have maintained an A+ BBB rating for 18 years. We have over 1,000 five-star online reviews, and we provide free lifetime technical support for everything we sell.

When you buy from CCTV Camera Pros, you’re not just getting equipment – you’re getting access to people who actually know how to use it. I can walk you through setup, help you configure AI detection zones, troubleshoot network issues, and answer questions that go beyond reading a manual.

Free Consultation

Have questions? Call us at 561-433-8488 or request a free consultation here. You’ll talk to me or one of the guys on our team – real people who actually know this equipment.

Ready to order? Check out the Viewtron 16 channel NVR product page for full specs and pricing. You can also browse our complete selection of IP camera NVRs, or check out our AI security cameras to pair with your NVR.

The post 16 Channel NVR: Network Video Recorder with AI Camera Integration first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

If you have an older CCTV camera system and are considering upgrading to an AI camera system, this article should help you decide. If you own an older CCTV system, probably experienced the frustration of constant false alarms from motion detection. Every shadow, swaying tree branch, or passing car triggers a motion alert. After a while, most people just turn off notifications entirely – which defeats one of their goals having the security camera system in the first place.

AI security cameras solve this problem by detecting humans and vehicles as objects instead of just general video motion. But if you have an existing CCTV DVR system, is upgrading worth it? In this guide, we’ll compare traditional CCTV cameras to AI security cameras and introduce a middle-ground option for those who want AI features without replacing their coax CCTV system.

Why Analog Video Motion Detection Falls Short

Analog CCTV DVRs use pixel-based video motion detection. The camera sends a video stream to the DVR, and software on the DVR compares each frame to the previous one – if enough pixels change, it triggers an alarm. The problem? The motion detection software on the DVR can’t tell the difference between a person walking through your parking lot and a tree branch moving in the wind.

Common false alarm triggers:

• Shadows moving throughout the day
• Lighting changes (clouds, headlights, sunrise/sunset)
• Animals (birds, squirrels, stray cats)
• Weather (rain, snow, leaves blowing)
• Insects flying near the camera lens
• Spider webs on camera lens cover
• Camera changes to IR night vision mode

The result is what we call the “cry wolf” effect. After receiving dozens of useless notifications, users stop paying attention to alerts. When something actually happens, they miss it.

Most traditional analog systems also make reviewing recorded video footage painful. Looking for a specific event means manually looking through through hours or days of video recordings. There’s no way to search for “show me all people detected” or “show me all vehicles detected” – you just have to watch and hope you don’t miss anything. It is very time consuming.

What Makes AI Security Cameras Better?

AI security cameras use artificial intelligence to classify objects in the video. Instead of just detecting motion, they identify specific objects, such as a human or vehicle, and when those objects enter a detection zone or cross a line. You can see an example of a line crossing detection event using a Viewtron AI camera here.

You can also watch our “What is an AI Security Camera” video above to learn more.

Artificial Intelligence AI Detection

• Camera recognizes humans vs. vehicles vs. other motion
• Only triggers an alarm when relevant objects are detected
• Eliminates nearly 100% of false alarms from shadows, weather, and animals

Useful Mobile App Push Notifications

• Get alerts that actually matter
• Know immediately when a person or vehicle enters your property
• No more notification fatigue

Smart Search / Intelligent Analytics

• Search recorded video by object type
• “Show me all people detected today”
• “Show me all vehicles between 2pm and 6pm”
• Find events in seconds instead of hours

Types of AI Security Cameras

AI security cameras come in several types, each designed for specific applications:

• Human/Vehicle Detection – The most common type, detects people and vehicles with high accuracy. Define detection zones or line crossing zones.
• Face Recognition – Identifies specific individuals and can trigger alerts for VIPs or unknown persons. Setup a face database with white lists or black lists to trigger alarms or integrate access control applications.
• Active Deterrent Alarm Cameras – Has built-in alarm lights, and alarm speakers to actively deter intruders with alarm sounds or pre-recorded warning messages.
• License Plate Recognition (LPR) – Detects license plates and automatically reads the numbers and letters, logs all license plates. Supports a license plate database with white lists / black lists for gate access / access control integrations.
• Auto-Tracking PTZ – Pan-tilt-zoom cameras that automatically follow detected objects after they enter a detection zone or trigger a line crossing event. They can also manually be controlled from the DVR, mobile and desktop applications.

Learn about each type in our complete AI security camera guide.

The Easier Upgrade Path: Viewtron Hybrid DVR

Here’s something many people don’t realize: you don’t need to replace your cameras or rewire your building to get AI features.

If you have an existing coax-based CCTV system with an old DVR, sometimes the most cost-effective upgrade is replacing your DVR with a Viewtron Hybrid DVR. This gives you AI capabilities and many other benefits while keeping your existing coaxial cable infrastructure in place. This is a great option is you have good quality coaxial cable in place that you do not want to replace with network cable for IP based AI cameras. There are some trade-offs vs going with AI cameras and an NVR. And, having high quality cable in place is important to facilitate the upgrade to higher quality coax cameras.

What You Get with a Viewtron Hybrid DVR Upgrade

Smart Motion Detection
The Viewtron Hybrid DVR performs AI inference directly on the recorder. It analyzes the video feed from your existing cameras and detects humans and vehicles – no special AI cameras required. You get the same reduction in false alarms and the ability to search by smart motion detection event.

Modern Interface
Legacy DVRs often have outdated, clunky interfaces. The Viewtron Hybrid DVR has a modern, intuitive interface that makes setup and daily use much easier. You can watch a video demo here to see the DVR’s simple interface.

iPhone and Android Apps
View your cameras remotely with modern mobile apps. Get push notifications for human and vehicle detection, search recordings by event type, and control your system from anywhere. You see our library of Viewtron mobile app video demos here.

Future-Proof Resolution Support
Viewtron Hybrid DVRs support all major CCTV video formats and resolutions from standard definition all the way up to 4K/8MP. This means you can upgrade your cameras to higher resolution models over time – and in most cases, your existing coax cable will work just fine. The only video format not supported by Viewtron DVRs is HD-SDI, which is fairly rare. If you have any questions about whether your existing cameras will work with a Viewtron DVR, you can contact us here for a free consultation.

For a detailed overview of features, see our 16 channel DVR guide.

Smart Motion Detection / AI Software with CCTV Cameras

The Viewtron Mobile App: Same App for DVR and NVR

One thing that sets Viewtron apart: the same mobile app works for both Hybrid DVRs and IP camera NVRs. Whether you choose the coax upgrade path or go with a full IP camera system, you get the same modern app experience.

Available on iPhone and Android, the Viewtron app includes:

• Live Remote Viewing – Watch cameras from anywhere on your phone or tablet
• AI Event Search – Jump directly to human and vehicle detection events
• Video Playback – Search and playback recorded footage from the DVR/NVR hard drive
• PTZ Camera Control – Pan, tilt, and zoom PTZ cameras with touch controls
• Multi-Camera Views – Switch between single camera and grid layouts
• Smart Resolution – Automatically adjusts video quality based on your connection speed
• Multi-Location Support – Connect multiple DVRs and NVRs to the same app, and configure customized viewed with camera feeds from multiple locations

Desktop software for Mac and Windows is also included.

Mobile App Demo

Upgrade Your Cameras Later (Use Your Existing Cable)

One of the biggest advantages of the Hybrid DVR approach is the phased upgrade path. You can:

1. Start by upgrading just the DVR – Get smart motion detection / AI features, modern interface and apps immediately with your existing cameras
2. Upgrade cameras over time – Replace older cameras with 4MP or 4K models as budget allows
3. Keep your existing coax cable – Modern analog HD formats (AHD, HD-TVI, HD-CVI) run over the same RG59 coax cable

This approach spreads the cost over time and avoids the expense of running new cable. *Please note that that you MUST have high quality coax cables in place in order to upgrade your cameras from legacy analog CCTV to analog high definition (2mp, 4mp, 8mp / 4K). For a detailed walkthrough of upgrading older systems, see our guide on upgrading older security camera systems. The type of cable you have in place is very important and there are also some trade-offs that are worth considering.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Here’s how the three options compare:

For a deeper technical comparison, see our DVR vs NVR comparison.

When to Choose Each Option

Keep Your Existing Analog CCTV DVR If:

• Budget is the only concern and you don’t need smart alerts
• The system is purely for archival recording (not active monitoring)
• You do not need an optimized way to review footage via events
• You do not rely on motion detection notifications
• You are happy with your existing DVRs interface and remote viewing apps
• You are happy with the tech support you receive from your existing DVR supplier

Upgrade to Viewtron Hybrid DVR If:

• You have good quality existing coax cable in place that you want to keep using
• You want to keep some or all of your existing CCTV cameras in place
• You want to eliminate false alarms using the Viewtron Hybrid DVR’s AI software
• You want a modern mobile app to view your cameras remotely and manage your system
• Budget is a concern but you need better motions detection reliability
• A phased upgrade makes sense (DVR now, cameras later)
• You want the option to upgrade to 4MP and 8mp / 4K cameras using your existing cable
• You need to replace your DVR with a DVR that is NDAA compliant
• Want to work with a company with outstanding technical support and customer service

Choose AI Cameras + NVR If:

• You are installing a new with no existing cameras or you already have CAT5 run
• You want to upgrade your entire analog CCTV system and do not mind running new network cable
• You need advanced features like face recognition, license plate recognition, or auto-tracking PTZ
• You want the best possible detection accuracy (AI processing at the camera)
• You want to record at a high frame rate with 4K resolution cameras (full 30 frames per second)
• You want the benefit of the PoE ports on the NVR for plug and play IP camera installation (you just run a single CAT5E or CAT6 network cable from each camera to the NVR

The Bottom Line: Is the Upgrade Worth It?

For most users, yes – upgrading to an AI-capable system is absolutely worth it. My top recommendation

The false alarm elimination alone justifies the investment. Instead of hundreds of useless notifications, you get alerts that actually mean something. Instead of spending hours reviewing footage, you search by object type and find what you need in seconds.

The good news is that upgrading doesn’t have to mean replacing everything. If you have an existing coax system, a Viewtron Hybrid DVR gives you AI features while keeping your cable infrastructure. You can upgrade over time to 4mp BNC cameras and 8mp BNC cameras as budget allows.

For new installations and / or for the best overall video surveillance system, a Viewtron IP camera NVR with Viewtron AI security cameras will 100% provide the best object detection accuracy and the most advanced features.

Either way, moving from traditional motion detection to AI-powered object detection transforms how you use your security system. Notifications become useful. Finding footage becomes easy. And your security cameras actually help keep your property secure.

Need Help Choosing AI Cameras?

Not sure which model is right for your situation? Read our complete AI Security Camera Buyer’s Guide for detailed recommendations.

Have questions? Request a free consultation and we’ll help you choose the right system for your needs.

The post AI Security Camera vs Analog CCTV: Is It Worth Upgrading? first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

The Viewtron 16 channel DVR has been one of our best-selling products for years, and for good reason. This hybrid DVR works with virtually every type of BNC security camera on the market – from 20-year-old analog CCTV cameras to the latest 4K ultra HD models. Combined with AI-powered smart motion detection, free mobile apps, and an easy-to-use interface, it’s the ideal choice whether you’re upgrading an old system, and need a replacement DVR, or building a new system with coax cable.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Viewtron 16 channel DVR and why it might be the perfect solution for your security camera system.

The Perfect Replacement DVR

One of the biggest reasons customers choose Viewtron hybrid DVRs is compatibility. If your old DVR from Lorex, Swann, Hikvision, Samsung, Night Owl, or any other brand has failed, you don’t need to replace your entire system. The Viewtron 16 channel DVR works with your existing cameras and cables. Besides hardware failure, many customers are frustrated with the lack of technical support and customer service from other security brands. We are different!

Supported video formats:

• CVBS (legacy analog)
• AHD
• HD-TVI
• HD-CVI

Supported resolutions:

• 960H / D1
• 720p (1MP)
• 1080p (2MP)
• 3MP, 4MP, 5MP
• 4K / 8MP

Every BNC port on the back of the DVR automatically detects the video format and resolution of whatever camera you plug into it. It just works. You can even mix and match different camera types and resolutions on the same DVR.

Upgrade over time: Start by connecting your existing cameras, then gradually upgrade to higher resolution models as your budget allows. The same coax cables that work with your old 1080p cameras will work with new 4K cameras.

Easy-to-Use Interface

The Viewtron DVR features a modern, intuitive user interface that’s a significant upgrade from legacy DVR systems. Navigate through live view, playback, and settings with ease. The menu system is logically organized, and most customers are up and running within minutes of installation.

Key interface features:

• Grid view for monitoring all 16 cameras simultaneously
• Quick access to playback and video search
• Simple recording schedule configuration
• Easy network and user settings

Free Mobile Apps for iPhone and Android

Remote viewing is essential for modern security systems, and Viewtron makes it incredibly easy. The free mobile apps for iPhone and Android let you view your cameras from anywhere in the world.

Setup is simple: Go to the network settings on your DVR, scan the QR code with your phone’s camera, enter your username and password, and you’re connected. There’s no complicated router configuration or port forwarding required – it uses P2P technology to establish a secure connection automatically.

What you can do from the app:

• View all cameras live (any resolution, any format)
• Play back recorded video from the DVR
• Receive push notifications for motion detection alerts
• Manage multiple DVRs from different locations

Desktop and VMS Software

For users who prefer to monitor their cameras from a computer, Viewtron provides free desktop software for both Windows and Mac.

The CMS (Central Management Software) allows you to:

• View multiple DVRs on a single screen
• Create custom camera layouts
• Search and play back recorded video
• Export video clips to your computer

This is particularly useful for businesses that need to monitor multiple locations from a central office. Learn more in our security camera PC software tutorial.

Smart Motion Detection: AI-Powered Alerts

Traditional motion detection has always been problematic for outdoor cameras. Trees blowing in the wind, shadows moving across the frame, animals walking through – all of these trigger false alarms that eventually cause most people to disable motion alerts entirely.

Viewtron’s Smart Motion Detection solves this problem using AI software that specifically detects people and vehicles. Instead of triggering on any pixel change, the DVR analyzes the video to identify actual objects of interest.

Why this matters for hybrid DVR users: The AI processing happens on the DVR itself, not on the cameras. This means Smart Motion Detection works with ANY BNC camera – you don’t need migrate to IP based AI cameras to get intelligent motion detection.

For customers who want to use their existing BNC security cameras or at least use their existing coax cable, this is actually a key advantage. You get powerful AI software based human detection and car detection using your existing CCTV cameras. The Viewtron DVR lets you configure AI smart motion detection for all of your cameras through the DVR’s unified interface. Learn more about the differences in our AI camera vs analog CCTV comparison.

Viewtron BNC Security Cameras

While the Viewtron 16 channel DVR works with virtually any BNC camera, our Viewtron BNC cameras are the ideal pairing. Like our DVRs, these cameras are also “hybrid” – they support CVBS, AHD, HD-TVI, and HD-CVI formats.

Available resolutions:

• 1080p / 2MP cameras – Great balance of quality and storage
• 4MP / 5MP cameras – Enhanced detail for identification
• 4K / 8MP cameras – Maximum resolution for critical areas

Important: Viewtron BNC cameras also work with third-party DVRs from Lorex, Swann, Hikvision, Samsung, Night Owl, and any other brand that supports these video formats. So even if you’re not ready to upgrade your DVR yet, you can start upgrading your cameras.

Available in 4, 8, 16, and 32 Channel Models

The Viewtron hybrid DVR line includes models for systems of all sizes:

All models share the same user interface, mobile apps, and Smart Motion Detection features. Need 4K resolution on a 32-channel system? Check out our 32 channel 4K DVR.

Not sure whether you need a DVR or an NVR? Our DVR vs NVR guide explains the differences and helps you choose the right recorder for your situation.

Technical Support and Customer Service

At CCTV Camera Pros, we take customer support seriously. We’re entering our 20th year of operations and have maintained an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau for 18 years. We have over 1,000 five-star reviews from real customers.

When you call us during business hours, you’ll speak directly with a knowledgeable technician who can help you with:

• Pre-sale questions and system design
• Installation and configuration assistance
• Troubleshooting and technical support

Try calling one of our competitors and asking a technical question – sometimes just getting a person on the phone is a challenge. With CCTV Camera Pros, expert help is just a phone call away.

Have Questions? Need Help?

You can reach us by phone or email.

• Phone: 561-433-8488
• Email: mike@cctvcamerapros.com

More Hybrid DVR Videos

Want to learn more? Watch additional Viewtron hybrid DVR demo videos on our blog.

Request a Free Consultation

Have questions about which DVR is right for your project? Contact us for a free consultation. We’ll help you design a system that meets your needs and budget.

Video Transcript

The post 16 Channel DVR: Hybrid Security Camera DVR with Smart Motion Detection first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Shopping for an LPR camera can be confusing. You’ll see terms like license plate capture (LPC), LPR, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR), and ANPR thrown around—sometimes interchangeably. Understanding the difference will help you choose the right solution.

The short version: We recommend Viewtron ALPR cameras for most customers because of the automation features—especially the ability to instantly find any license plate in your recorded footage. However, if you have existing coax cabling and a DVR you want to keep, an analog HD LPR camera can still capture plates clearly.

This guide explains both options so you can make the right choice.

Understanding the Terminology

The key distinction: LPC cameras produce clear footage that a human can review. ALPR cameras produce clear footage AND automatically read the plate characters using AI software—which means the system can bookmark every plate detection, alert you to specific vehicles, let you search recordings by plate number, and even integrate with gates and other access control systems.

For a deeper dive into terminology, watch this video:

Why We Recommend ALPR: Finding Plate Events Is Easy

The biggest advantage of Viewtron ALPR cameras isn’t just that they read plates automatically—it’s how easy they make it to find any license plate in your recordings.

With ALPR, every plate detection is bookmarked. Instead of scrubbing through hours of footage, you simply:

• Search by plate number (full or partial)
• Filter by date/time range
• Browse a visual log of all detected plates with thumbnails

This is similar to how other Viewtron AI cameras bookmark human and vehicle detection events. The AI does the work of cataloging events so you can find what you need in seconds.

Watch how easy it is to search license plate recognition events on a Viewtron system:

With an LPC camera that does not have AI software, you do not get this feature. You have clearly recorded video surveillance footage, but finding a specific license plate means manually reviewing recordings until you spot it. For a busy driveway or parking lot, this can take hours or days.

ALPR: Our Recommended Solution

Viewtron ALPR cameras run AI software directly on the camera to automatically read license plate characters. This enables features that simply aren’t possible with basic plate capture.

How ALPR Works:

• Camera captures the plate image
• AI software on the camera reads the characters in real-time
• Each plate detection is logged with timestamp and thumbnail
• Software can trigger alerts, open gates, or flag specific vehicles
• You search recordings by license plate detection event or by specific number instead of reviewing footage manually

Key ALPR Features:

License Plate Detection as a failsafe: Even when lighting or angles aren’t perfect, the camera still detects a plate was present and bookmarks the event. This means you can browse “plate detected” events to review footage quickly, even if the system didn’t capture every character.

Watch the authorized database and alert features in action:

Best For:

• Home driveways where you want searchable records
• Gated communities and HOA entrances
• Parking garages with access control
• Business security with authorized vehicle lists
• Any application where finding specific plates matters

Recommended Products:

The Viewtron LPR-IP4 is our top-selling LPR camera. It’s a 4MP IP camera with ALPR software built in, featuring:

• 8-32mm motorized zoom lens
• 20-90 foot effective range
• AI inference directly on camera
• Day and night performance with IR

For a complete system, the VT-LPR-S4 includes the LPR-IP4 camera, Viewtron NVR, and cabling—everything you need.

For applications where you also want an overview camera to capture the full vehicle and surroundings, the VT-LPR-S8 adds a 4MP AI camera with people and vehicle detection. The overview camera acts as a backup—if the LPR camera misses a plate, the vehicle detection on the overview camera still bookmarks the vehicle detection event.

Gate Access Control with ALPR

One of the most popular ALPR applications is automated gate access. The system maintains a database of authorized plates and can trigger a relay output to open a gate when an approved vehicle arrives.

Watch how this works:

How gate integration works:

• ALPR camera reads incoming plate
• System checks against authorized database
• If approved: triggers relay output to open gate
• If not approved: logs the plate and can send an alert
• All events recorded with plate image for review

Here’s a look at setting up the authorized plate list on the NVR:

And here’s how the NVR connects to your gate controller via relay outputs, Wiegand, or RS-485:

For more details, see our LPR Camera Systems for Gate Security category.

Night Performance

Both ALPR and analog LPR cameras are designed for 24/7 license plate capture. The built-in IR illumination and headlight compensation handle challenging nighttime conditions.

Watch the LPR-IP4’s night performance:

Here’s a real-world example showing daytime capture vs nighttime capture from a home installation:

Note: LPR camera footage at night intentionally looks dark except for the plate area. This is by design—the camera exposes for the plate, not the surroundings. If you want a wider view of the vehicle and scene, add an overview camera like in the VT-LPR-S8 system.

License Plate Capture: When You Have Existing Coax

If you already have coax cabling in place and a working DVR system, the analog HD LPR camera can add license plate capture without rewiring.

How LPC Works:

• Camera is optimized for capturing plates on moving vehicles
• Special lens and IR handle headlights and various speeds
• Footage is recorded to your existing DVR
• When you need to find a plate, you review the footage manually

What You Give Up:

• No automatic plate reading
• No searchable plate database
• No automated alerts
• No gate access integration
• Manual footage review required

Recommended Product:

The HD LPR Camera (LPR-AHD5) connects via coax cable and works with:

• Viewtron Hybrid DVRs
• Most existing BNC/coax DVR systems
• HD-TVI, AHD, and HD-CVI recorders

This camera produces clear plate captures but does not include ALPR software. It’s the right choice if keeping your existing DVR is a priority and you’re comfortable with manual review.

Side-by-Side Comparison – ALPR vs License Plate Capture

Which Should You Choose?

Go with ALPR (our recommendation) if:

• You want to find specific plates quickly without reviewing footage
• You need automation (alerts, gate control, searchable database)
• You’re installing new cabling anyway
• Time savings from automated search matters
• You have specific plates you need to track

Go with LPC only if:

• You have existing coax cabling you want to use
• You’re adding to an existing analog DVR system
• Manual review is acceptable for your use case

Still not sure? Most customers who think they only need LPC end up appreciating ALPR features once they see them in action. The ability to search by plate number alone saves hours of footage review—and you’ll use it more often than you expect.

Installation Considerations

Both LPC and ALPR cameras have specific installation requirements for reliable plate capture:

• Mounting height: 6-10 feet typical
• Horizontal angle: Maximum 30° from lane direction
• Vertical angle: Maximum 15°
• Distance: Effective range varies by camera (20-90 feet for LPR-IP4)
• One camera per lane: Each camera covers one traffic lane

Here’s an example of a home LPR camera installation:

And setting up the license plate detection zone on the NVR:

See our LPR Camera Installation Guide for detailed positioning requirements.

More License Plate Capture and ALPR Camera Videos

Want to see more? Browse all of our LPR camera video demos including home installations, gate access setups, night performance tests, and software tutorials.

Questions? We’re Here to Help

Not sure which solution fits your application? Contact us for a free consultation:

• Email: mike@cctvcamerapros.net
• Phone: Call the number at the top of this page

We’ve helped thousands of customers—from homeowners to gated communities to commercial facilities—choose the right LPR solution.

Browse all LPR cameras and systems: License Plate Capture Cameras

The post License Plate Capture vs ALPR: Which LPR Camera Do You Need? first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

These are solutions for customers that want to connect an IP camera to a TV without a DVR / NVR for a real-time live view. Watch the above video to see how it works. This new Viewtron IP camera to HDMI decoder lets you view one or more IP cameras live on a TV. You can connect to multiple TVs if you want, and you can do that with or without using a recorder.

Viewtron IP Camera to HDMI Decoder

The Viewtron IP camera to HDMI decoder enables you to display live video from any of our Viewtron IP cameras on a standard television or computer monitor. It decodes the RTSP video stream from IP cameras and converts it to an HDMI output. RTSP stands for Real Time Streaming Protocol. You can also display the entire screen from the HDMI output of a security DVR by using oone of these Viewtron HDMI to IP encoders.

Single IP Camera to TV Wiring Diagram

Here is a wiring diagram for the simplest setup.

1. The Viewtron IP camera connects via Cat5 cable to your network switch or router.
2. The Viewtron IP to HDMI decoder connects to that same network switch.
3. The RTSP stream is setup via the decoders web interface.
4. The decoder pulls the camera’s RTSP video stream over the network and decodes it.
5. The HDMI output of the decoder connects to the HDMI input of your TV.
6. The decoder can be located anywhere on the same network as the camera.

That is all! The decoder automatically detects the video stream and displays the live view on your TV. You can find detailed IP camera to TV decoder setup instructions here.

Display One IP Camera on Multiple TVs

If you want that same security camera feed showing on two or three different TVs throughout your home or business, simply add more decoders. Each Viewtron decoder connects to your network and pulls the same video stream from your IP camera. One camera can feed as many decoders and TVs as you need. This is perfect for lobbies, waiting rooms, or anywhere you want multiple displays showing the same live view.

Display Multiple IP Cameras on One TV

The Viewtron IP-HDMI-D4 decoder is not limited to decoding and displaying just one camera. It actually supports up to 4 RTSP streams. Connect up to 4 IP cameras to your network, and the decoder can pull in all of their video streams simultaneously, displaying them in a grid layout on a single TV. This is basically a video multiplexer for IP cameras. You can display one, two, three, or four cameras on on TV. If you need to display more that 4 cameras at a time, you can use our HDMI to RTSP encoder solution, which is explained below.

IP Cameras with NVR Recording and Live TV Display

It is actually really common for customers to want to record video centrally on multiple IP cameras, but then also display them on a monitor that is not located near the DVR or NVR. Here is how this works.

1. Your Viewtron IP cameras connect to the POE ports on your Viewtron NVR.
2. The NVR handles all your recording, alerts, and notifications.
3. Viewtron NVRs expose the raw RTSP video streams of all connected cameras on the network. You enable this in the NVR settings.
4. The IP to HDMI decoder connects to your network and pulls those streams through the NVR.
5. The decoder displays them on a TV wherever you need it, even if that TV is nowhere near your recorder.

This setup is extremely common in retail. For example, a department store might have 30 IP cameras all recording to a central Viewtron NVR. They want one camera at the entrance displaying a live view so customers see themselves as they walk in, knowing the area is under surveillance. With the IP to HDMI decoder, you can display just that one entrance camera on a lobby TV while all 30 cameras continue recording normally on the NVR.

Send Full HDMI Output Over IP Network

We also have a new Viewtron HDMI to RTSP video encoder. This allows you to send an entire HDMI video output signal of a Viewtron CCTV DVR or IP camera NVR over the IP network to the decoder.

1. Connect your IP cameras to your Viewtron NVR for standard video surveillance.
2. Connect the HDMI output of the NVR to the Viewtron HDMI to RTSP encoder.
3. The encoder converts that full HDMI signal into an RTSP stream on your network.
4. The IP to HDMI decoder picks up that signal and displays the entire HDMI output on a TV.
5. Add additional decoders if you want the same view on multiple monitors.

This works with any device that has an HDMI output, so you can use this with things other than security recorders if you want.

Display the HDMI Output from Security DVR in Multiple TVs

Add additional IP to HDMI decoders if you want to display the HDMI output of your security DVR on multiple TVs.

IP Camera to TV Display Over the Internet

All of these configurations can work across the internet, not just your local network.

1. Set up port forwarding on your router to allow outside access to your camera’s RTSP stream.
2. Configure the decoder at your remote location to connect to that stream over the internet.
3. Display a live camera feed from one building on a TV in another building across town or across the country.

This can be applied to any of the previous installation scenarios. If you want to remotely access the entire HDMI output using the HDMI to RTSP encoder, you can. If you want one camera from one location and two or three from other locations, you can. It is extremely flexible.

Common Use Cases

Although the Viewtron IP camera to TV decoder and Viewtron HDMI to RTSP encoder are new products, CCTV Camera Pros prod has been providing security camera to TV live display systems to customers for many years. We previously were supply live view solutions based on our BNC to HDMI converter or CCTV multiplexers with BNC security cameras.

Here are some of the types of uses that we have supplied solutions for.

• Curling Club Live TV Displays
• Live Video Display Monitor for Dance Studio
• Live Video Monitor Display to Monitor Manufacturing Process
• Parent Waiting Area for Pediatric Dentist Office
• Parent Viewing Area for Karate Dojo
• Live Outdoor View for Disabled Elderly
• Nature Viewing Monitor to Display Outdoor Area in the Lobby of a Hotel
• Remote Camera View of Different Locations on TVs in Lobby of Hotel
• LiveStock Display Monitor from Barn Camera System

There are endless use cases to display live video on a TV from an indoor or outdoor cameras. IF you need help brainstorming solutions for what you need one for, please reach out to me anytime at mike@viewtron.com.

IP Camera to TV Live View System FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions that we receive related to our IP camera live view systems.

1. Does this work with third-party IP cameras? Yes. This is a generic device that works with third-party IP cameras as long as they give you access to the camera’s raw RTSP stream. If your camera is ONVIF compliant, it will almost definitely work because ONVIF compliant IP cameras provide access to the raw stream.
2. Does this work with Ring cameras? No. Unfortunately, Ring does not play nice with other manufacturers with interoperability. They close off their system and do not give you access to the RTSP stream.
3. Does this work with Viewtron Hybrid DVRs? Yes. You can use this with coax CCTV cameras on a Viewtron Hybrid DVR because our DVR gives you access to the raw RTSP stream. You could also use the HDMI to IP converter and send the entire HDMI output over IP.
4. Can I display different cameras on different TVs? Yes. If you want to display camera one on monitor one and camera two on monitor two, you can do that. You could display four cameras on monitor one and just a single camera on monitor two. The system is extremely flexible.
5. Does the HDMI encoder work with devices other than security recorders? Yes. It works with any device that has an HDMI output.
6. How do I know if my IP camera is compatible? Reach out to me with your IP camera’s make and model and I will help look into that for you. Email me at mike@cctvcamerapros.net.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about how to connect an IP camera to your TV for a live view, please email me at mike@cctvcamerapros.net anytime. Me and the team can also provide you with a free consultation and custom quote. We design these systems for customers all day. We do assessments of what customers have in place, what works with this Viewtron equipment, and what you should keep and what you should replace. We help you make a good decision if you are using some existing equipment, even if it is very old.

Click here to learn more about the Viewtron IP camera to HDMI decoder as well as the HDMI to RTSP encoder.

You can also text or call 1-561-433-8488.

Video Transcript

How to connect an IP camera to TV without a DVR. Hey everyone, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. And in this video, I’m going to introduce you to this new Viewtron IP camera to HDMI decoder that lets you view one or more of your IP cameras live on a TV. Actually, you can connect them to multiple TVs if you want, and you can do that with or without using a DVR or NVR recorder. I’m going to start with a real simple example of how to use this, and then there’s some more complex ways you could do it. Actually, there’s a whole bunch of ways that you can, including this right here, which is displaying nine IP cameras at the same time. So stay with me and let’s start with the most simple example first. So in this diagram you’ll see we have one of our Viewtron IP cameras hardwired to a network switch or router. And then we have the Viewtron IP to HDMI decoder connected to that same network switch.

And basically what’s happening is here is that the live video stream of the camera goes over the IP network and the decoder could be anywhere on that same network. It decodes the RTSP stream to an HDMI output and displays live video on a TV. If you want, you could add 2 decoders or more to this application and take that same live video stream from our IP camera on the network and decode it on two of the Viewtron decoder devices and send that live video out to two TVs. You could add a third decoder and add a third TV if you like. So next, this diagram is showing how you can have multiple IP cameras connected to the network using Cat5 cable. And again, the Viewtron IP to HDMI decoder is connected to that same network. And it’s pulling in all four of the IP cameras video streams, decoding them and displaying all four camera live on a grid at the same time. This is basically like a video multiplexer for IP cameras.

So next, it’s actually really common for customers to want to record video centrally on multiple IP cameras, but then also display them on a monitor that’s not located near the DVR or NVR. And they may just want to display one of the cameras on the system, or they may want to display multiple cameras. What this diagram is showing is that the Viewtron IP cameras are hardwired to the POE ports on the back of the Viewtron NVR. The Viewtron NVR is connected to the network router or switch. And then of course the Viewtron IP to HDMI decoder is connected to the network, just like in the other examples. The big difference here is that those cameras are not connected directly to the local network. They’re on their own network between just them and the NVR. However, Viewtron NVR and DVRs expose the raw RTSP video streams of all their connected security cameras on the network.

You can enable that in the NVR settings and give other IP devices direct access to the video stream over RTPS. By the way, RTSP stands for Real Time Streaming Protocol. So now the Viewtron IP decoder is pulling in the four camera streams, but through the recorder. And if you wanted to just display one of these cameras on a live monitor, but record all four of them on the NVR, you could do that too. That’s typical in a retail application. It’s typical for us to supply a security camera system for a department store. For example, that department store might have like 30 IP cameras all recording back to a central Viewtron NVR. But they want a single camera at their entrance displaying a live view, so that when customers come in, they know the area is under video surveillance. And they just want to display that one camera showing the customer a live view of them walking in.

It’s very typical. Okay, so obviously you can also add a second decoder for this type of installation with a DVR if you want to display any of your cameras live on more than one monitor. And by the way, if you want to display camera one on monitor one and camera two on monitor two, you could do that. You could display four cameras on monitor one and just a single camera on monitor two. The system is extremely flexible. Okay, so next we also have a new Viewtron HDMI to RTSP video encoder. And what that allows you to do is it allows you to send an entire HDMI video output signal over the IP network to the decoder. So in this case, what I’m doing is that I have six IP cameras hardwired to the Viewtron NVR for standard video surveillance and security applications.

I am recording video, managing alerts,, push notifications, et., but I’m sending the HDMI output of the NVR to the Viewtron HDMI to RTSP encoder. Now, the Viewtron IP to HDMI decoder can pick up that signal of the entire HDMI output. And the HDMI output of the Viewtron NVR can display as many cameras from the system as you want. So in this case, I’m displaying a six camera live view all over that HDMI signal and decoding it with the Viewtron IP to HDMI decoder. You can take that same system and add a second decoder if you want the entire HDMI output to go to a second monitor. Okay, so in this last example here, what I wanted to show is that the video streams that the IP to HDMI decoder consumes and then changes into HDMI, can be from IP cameras accessed remotely over the Internet. So everything here in the gray box on the left is showing a separate site from where the live view monitor and HDMI decoder are located. And basically the Viewtron IP camera is connected to a network router.

You set up port forwarding on that router to allow outside access to that camera’s RAW RTSP stream. And then you set up the Viewtron IP to HDMI decoder to connect to the stream, but now you’re connecting to it from remotely over the Internet. The setup is the same, but you have to set up port forwarding on the router to the IP camera. And by the way, this can be applied to any of the previous installation scenarios that I went through. If you want to remotely access the entire HDMI output using our RTSP to HDMI encoder. Sorry, I mean HDMI to RTSP encoder, you can. If you want one of the cameras to be from one location and the other two or three that you have connected from other locations, you can. It’s extremely flexible.

I want to mention a couple things before we wrap up this video. We have thoroughly tested this with all of our Viewtron IP cameras. It works with all of them, and you can mix and match all the different Viewtron IP cameras we have. But in reality, this is a generic device that’ll work with third party IP cameras as well. As long as they give you access to the camera’s RAW RTSP stream, it’ll work with them. And if you need help determining if your IP camera is compatible with this IP to HDMI decoder, you can reach out to me and the team anytime. Just send an email to me at mike@cctvcamerapros.net, and include your IP cameras make and model and I’ll help look into that for you. If your camera is ONVIF compliant, it’ll almost definitely work because I haven’t seen an ONVIF compliant IP camera that doesn’t give you access to the RAW stream that you’ll need.

So pretty much all ONVIF compliant IP cameras will work. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with some of the super inexpensive plug and play residential cameras like Ring. Ring doesn’t wanna play nice with other manufacturers with interoperability so they close off their system and don’t give you access to the RTSP stream unfortunately. This system works with all of our Viewtron IP camera NVRs and with all of our Viewtron Hybrid DVRs. What that means is you can use this with coax CCTV cameras on a Viewtron Hybrid DVR because our DVR gives you access to the raw RTSP stream. Or you could use the HDMI to IP converter and send the entire output of the HDMI signal over IP. And this will work with our Viewtron recorders as well as third party recorders. It actually works with any device that has an HDMI output, so you can use this with things other than security recorders if you want. Guys, thanks for sticking with me till the end. I know that was a lot of different scenarios and a lot of information.

Me and the team here design these systems for customers all day. We do assessments of what customers have in place, if they have an existing system and what works with this Viewtron equipment, and what you should keep and what you should replace. We help you make a good decision if you’re using some existing equipment, even if it’s very old. You can reach out to me anytime for a free consultation. Free questions via email. You can also text me. My email address to get me directly is mike@viewtron.com if you want to learn more about the new Viewtron IP camera to HDMI decoder as well as the HDMI to RTSP encoder, if you want to send entire HDMI over IP, you can learn about both these products at www.viewtron.com/IPTV.

Thank you for watching.

The post How to Connect IP Camera to TV with or without a DVR first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Choosing the Right Viewtron AI Camera for Your Needs

I created this buyer’s guide to help you understand the different types of Viewtron AI security cameras that we offer, what makes AI so valuable for a modern video surveillance system, and how to select the best model for your specific application. Please watch the above video and also find information and links below all about choosing the best Viewtron AI camera.

Viewtron AI Security Camera Types

Viewtron AI cameras can be broken into the following main categories.

• Human Detection / Car Detection Cameras
• Face Detection / Facial Recognition Cameras
• Active Deterrent Alarm Security Cameras
• License Plate Detection / Automatic License Plate Recognition Cameras
• Auto-Tracking PTZ Cameras

There are certain features that are common to all Viewtron AI cameras. For example, all of our Viewtron cameras have built-in IR night vision that allow them to work in normal light, low light, and zero light environments. All of them are enclosed in an indoor / outdoor weatherproof housing. All Viewtron products are manufactured under NDAA compliance, which means that are approved for US government use. All Viewtron IP cameras support PoE (Power over Ethernet) for simple plug and play installations, and all seamlessly connect to the free mobile apps for iPhone and Android. Read on to learn what sets each type apart.

What Is a Viewtron AI Security Camera?

Let’s start with the basics. A Viewtron AI security camera is an advanced IP camera with artificial intelligence software built into it’s firmware. This means the camera can accurately detect objects and activities related to security, allowing you to automatically trigger video recording on a Viewtron NVR (network video recorder).  The AI object detection events can also trigger various types of alarm actions besides video recording.

For example, you can establish a perimeter or intrusion area on your property. When a person or vehicle enters the detection zone or crosses a virtual line the system triggers recording and can send a push notification to the mobile app. Unlike traditional video motion detection, which is highly susceptible to false alarms from things like trees blowing in the wind, AI cameras eliminate these false alerts. This is a game changer for both security effectiveness and is also a huge time saver when you need to review recorded footage. Learn more in our AI security camera vs analog CCTV comparison.

The Power of AI: Reducing False Alarms

Before AI, security camera systems relied on video analysis by analyzing pixel changes to detect motion. The problem? The system couldn’t distinguish between a human and, say, a dog or swaying branches on a tree. False alarms were common and time-consuming to sift through.

Viewtron AI cameras resolve this by accurately differentiating between humans, vehicles, and other objects eliminating nearly 100% of false alarms. With AI events bookmarked and powerful search features on the NVR, you can jump to relevant events in seconds rather than scanning through hours (or even days) of footage. This is a HUGE time saver!

Save Time Reviewing Video w/ AI Event Recording Annotations

This screenshot is taken from the video playback screen on a Viewtron DVR. On the right hand side of the screen there is a timeline with all of the AI detection events annotated in light blue. Using the DVRs mouse, is is very easy to quickly jump to all of the AI events while playing back recorded video. This can save you many hours when looking for an event that occurred.

AI Annotations in Mobile App

You can also playback recorded video surveillance footage from the mobile app for iPhone and Android. All of the AI object detection events are annotated on the video plater timeline in the mobile app too.

Human Detection / Car Detection Cameras

Our general-purpose human detection / car detection AI cameras are ideal for most security applications. They can detect both people and vehicles, and you can set up custom intrusion zones or line-crossing events to trigger video recording and alarms.

Viewtron human detection / car detection camera models are available with the following features:

• Available in 2MP, 4MP, and 4K resolution models
• Built-in IR night vision for true 24/7 recording (even in zero light)
• Available in dome and bullet styles (with fixed lenses for easy installation)
• Weatherproof IP67-rated housings for indoor or outdoor use
• Audio surveillance microphones on some models

These camera are very simple to deploy: just mount them, connect to a POE port on your NVR, and they connect.  Please note that all Viewtron AI cameras, except license plate recognition models are capable of human detection and car detection. You can find all of the Viewtron AI cameras that support human detection and car detection here.

Human Detection AI Software Video Demos

Click here to watch human detection video demos using Viewtron AI cameras.

Car Detection AI Software Video Demos

Click here to watch car detection video demos using Viewtron AI cameras.

Viewtron Face Recognition Cameras

If your security application requires facial recognition, you can find all of our Viewtron face recognition cameras here.  Please note that all of our facial recognition AI cameras can also perform human and vehicle detection; however, you must choose between facial recognition or standard object detection modes. Only one can run at a time. To be clear, these cameras can either be setup for face detection / face recognition or human and vehicle detection, not both.

When I refer to facial recognition, I mean true AI-powered automation: The camera compares detected faces to a database for access control and alerting, not just recording clear images of people. Our human detection model cameras suffice if you only need facial visibility, but facial recognition models offer higher-powered processors, supporting 4K at 30 frames per second (compared to 20fps for general use models). So, in some cases, you may actually want a face recognition model even though you plan to use it for general human detection

You’ll find these cameras in both dome and bullet styles, with fixed or motorized varifocal lenses. We even offer a fantastic 180-degree camera model,my personal favorite all around AI camera camera. It is also an active deterrent alarm camera that you will learn more about below.

You can watch video demos using Viewtron face recognition cameras here. You can shop for facial recognition camera models here.

Active Deterrent Alarm Cameras

Viewtron active deterrent alarm cameras combine all the features of face recognition models with proactive security. They support facial recognition, human, detection, and car detection. These models add flashing alarm lights, a warning speaker, and a built-in microphone. You can sound a siren or broadcast a pre-recorded warning message as soon as a person or vehicle is detected. The alarm light can flash red and blue, making it clear to any intruders that your property is under surveillance.

Active Deterrent Alarm Camera Video Demos

You can watch all of our alarm camera video demos here. You can shop for Viewtron active deterrent alarm cameras here.

Active Alarm Camera 2-Way Audio Support

A standout feature of the dome alarm security camera models is the two-way audio: Using the free mobile app for Viewtron camera systems, you can talk directly to people through the camera.

License Plate Recognition (LPR) Cameras

If your goal is to record license plates clearly and / or you want the camera automatically identify the numbers and letters on plates for you, you must use a specialized LPR camera model. These are purpose-built to reliably capture and automatically read license plates even at night or in challenging lighting conditions.

If you simply want clear license plate images, or need full automation with database comparison and access control integration, the Viewtron LPR-IP4 camera is the one you need. Typically, we pair an LPR camera (focused on the plate) with a general purpose camera for scene overview. This ensures you capture both the plate details and the broader context of each vehicle. You can learn more about different types of LPR cameras here.

Auto-Tracking PTZ Cameras

Our Viewtron auto-tracking PTZ cameras can automatically pan, tilt, and zoom to follow a person or vehicle once detected within a programmed zone. You can also control them manually via the mobile or desktop app, or directly from your NVR. These cameras are great for larger properties, parking lots, or anywhere you need wide-area coverage with the ability to track movement in real-time.

You can watch our Viewtron auto-tracking PTZ camera videos here. Shop for Viewtron auto-tracking PTZ cameras here

Video Transcript

Here is a complete text transcript of the video at the top of this page.

Hey, guys. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros. In this video, I’m going to walk you through our different types of Viewtron AI security cameras in the hopes to create kind of a buyer’s guide to help you select the best model for your security application. So I want to start by explaining what a Viewtron AI security camera is. Basically, it’s an IP camera that has AI software that runs on it that can detect objects and activities related to security, so that you can trigger video recording on the Viewtron NVR and also trigger alarm sequences if you want to. So, for example, if you want to set up a perimeter or some type of intrusion area where when a person comes onto your property in that zone or crosses that line, you can trigger recording on the Viewtron NVR and you could get a push notification on your phone to let you know that that event happened. The huge benefit to AI cameras is the elimination of false alarms that traditional motion detection recording is very prone to. So before the advent of AI cameras, video analysis was used when someone would come into an area or an object would come into an area.

Basically the pixels in the video were compared to detect motion, but that video motion, it didn’t know the difference between a person walking into the area or a tree blowing into the wind in the wind. So it was extremely prone to, to false alarms. Viewtron AI security cameras eliminate almost 100% of those false alarms. And it’s a huge time saver to be able to go back on the NVR, search for all of the AI object detection events, and jump right to them. They’re all annotated on the video timeline, and there’s a search feature where you can look for all these events instead of sifting through hours or days or weeks of video to figure out what happened. If you ever done that, you know, even with a sped up recording, it can take a lot of time. This, the AI cameras with the object detection events bookmark is a huge time saver. Okay, so let’s start first with our general purpose Viewtron AI cameras.

And these can detect people and vehicles. So you can set up intrusion zones or line crossing areas to where if a person or a vehicle enters that area or crosses that line, the alarm is triggered. You can tr. You can trigger the video surveillance recording on the NVR, which was bookmarked so you can find it, and then you can optionally get a push notification on your phone. You could sound the buzzer on the NVR, and if you want, you can even trigger external sirens and lights if you connect them to the alarm panel on the NVR we have these general purpose Viewtron AI cameras in 2 megapixel resolution, 4 megapixel resolution and 4K. They all have built in IR night vision. They could do the object detection in day and at night, even in zero light. Some of them have audio microphones, some don’t.

And then we have them in both dome and bullet styles. These are fixed lens cameras. So you just mount them, connect them to the POE port on the NVR and they fire up and they’re pre focused and they just work. Very simple and powerful. And because they’re in an IP67 weatherproof housing, you can use them indoors and outdoors, even in very rainy and snowy areas. These things are rock solid with IP67 weatherproof rating. Okay, so now let’s get into some more specialized AI cameras that we carry. So our facial recognition and face detection cameras, they can also do human detection and vehicle detection.

But you have to choose between either facial recognition or vehicle and human detection. You have to choose one or the other. And let me clarify what is meant by facial recognition. I’m not referring to recording video clear enough so that you can see a face when you look at the recorded video. I’m talking about automation when where the face is recognized compared to a database and can be used for things like access controls and alarms based on a specific face database. Most of our customers don’t need that actually. They just want to be able to see video clear enough to recognize a face, which our general purpose Viewtron AI cameras do. However, there’s other benefits to the facial recognition models.

They have a higher powered processor in them, so the 4K resolution models can record at 30 frames a second. The general purpose models, they’re limited to 20 frames, but 20 frames is an excellent frame rate and it’s fine for almost all applications. We also have these in dome and bullet styles, but we have both fixed lens and motorized varifocal lens options available in the facial recognition category. We also have 180 degree model which I love and I don’t use the facial recognition AI on it. I use it for human detection and vehicle detection, both here at CCTV Camera Pros Warehouse as well as my home system. I love that camera because it also has the active deterrent lights and the active deterrent alarm speaker built in. Which brings me to my next category. The next categories are active deterrent alarm security cameras, which you get all of the features of the general purpose AI.

So you could do the vehicle detection, human detection and you could switch it to the facial recognition mode if you choose. But the game changer of the active deterrent alarm security cameras is the built in alarm light and speaker and, and, and, and microphone. So they allow you to sound a siren or a warning message when someone is detected or when a vehicle is detected. And they also let you turn an alarm light on that can flash red and blue to let the intruder know that the area is under surveillance. You can also come over the loudspeaker and talk to people via the two way audio feature that’s built into the mobile app that’s included for free. By the way, in regard to the mobile app, all of these are completely integrated into the mobile app. The remote viewing is amazing on them, as is the interface to search and playback recorded video. And you can search all those AI events right on the mobile app for iPhone and Android.

Okay, so the next category is our license plate recognition camera. And this is a very specific model that is designed specifically to detect license plates and automatically read the numbers and letters on them. Now it’s also required just to get a clear video of a plate. So even if you don’t need the automation of reading the plate numbers and comparing it to a database, if you just want reliable license plate capture, clear enough video of a plate, you have to use the specific Viewtron license plate recognition camera. And because it’s designed to be focused in on a plate detection zone, we almost always supply it with one of our general purpose cameras to act as the overview camera to get the overview of the vehicle and just the overview of the scene. And the license plate recognition camera is kind of usually mounted lower and really zeroed in on a single lane of traffic. That is the license plate detection zone. With the automatic license plate recognition software that’s built into it.

You can use these for integrations with like gate systems and access control. But again, even if you’re not doing that and you just want reliable license plate video capture, you do need to use a license plate recognition camera. Okay, the last, the last category is our auto tracking PTZ cameras. These cameras can automatically pan, tilt and zoom. You can also manually control them from the mobile app or the desktop apps or the NVR with pan tilt zoom controls. But the thing that’s kind of unique about our Viewtron auto tracking PTZs is you could set a home position, set an intrusion zone or a line crossing area, and then when a person and or vehicle intrudes on that area, the camera can autonomously pan, tilt and zoom to track that object while it’s in view guys. If you have any questions about selecting the best Viewtron AI security camera for your application. If you need a system design, we almost always sell these systems with a Viewtron NVR and multiple cameras and you do need to mix and match different models.

Me and the team here, we do designs and quotes all day for people. You can reach out to me anytime. I can reach directly at mike@viewtron.com for questions. You could schedule a phone consultation with me and I can obviously provide you with a quote. For home, business or government. Reach out to me anytime at mike@viewtron.com I have demo videos of all these different types of Viewtron AI cameras on our video blog. If you want to see all the demo videos and learn more about Viewtron AI cameras, please visit www.viewtron.com/AI. Thank you for watching.

Need Help Choosing the Best Camera?

Selecting the ideal AI security camera system often involves mixing different types and models to cover all your surveillance needs. My team and I assist customers daily designing systems, providing expert advice, and preparing detailed quotes.

If you have questions or want a personalized system design, reach out to me anytime at mike@viewtron.com. You can also schedule a phone consultation, and I’ll be glad to walk you through the options whether it’s for your home, business, or government facility.

The post AI Security Camera Buyer’s Guide first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Here is a solution for customers that want to connect a CCTV camera to a TV without a DVR for a real-time live view. Watch the above video demo to see how it works. We have been successfully supplying these live view TV camera display kits for many years because they are so easy to setup.

Although we have some TV models available, most customers supply their own TV so they can choose the exact brand and size that they like. These kits will work with any standard HD TV that supports 1080p resolution — almost all modern TVs do. These kits are plug and play – you just connect everything, power the devices on, and it just works. This is how it is setup.

BNC to HDMI Converter

The HDCV-3-T BNC to HDMI converter is what enables you to connect any of our Viewtron CCTV cameras to the HDMI input of a standard television or computer monitor. It converts the CCTV video surveillance format to standard HDMI video.

The HDMI converter has a standard BNC CCTV video input that accepts all CCTV camera video formats and resolutions. This adapter works with 720p / 1mp, 1080p / 2mp, 3mp, 4mp, 5mp and 8mp / 4K BNC security cameras. AHD, HD-TVI, and HD-CVI video formats are all supported. There is also a BNC loop output incase you want to send the video stream to another device such as a second HDMI converter or a security DVR for recording. Use of the BNC loop output is optional and not needed for a simple CCTV camera to TV live display.

Please note that although the converter can accept any BNC security camera resolution input, the HDMI output of the converter is 1080p resolution. That is why CCTV Camera Pros recommends using a 1080p CCTV camera with it. You will not get the benefit of higher resolution cameras because the HDMI output is always 1080p, regardless of the resolution of the camera.

Siamese CCTV Cable

The 100ft Siamese CCTV cable that is included with these kits allows you to run both video and power connections to the camera. Please note that we have additional cable lengths available in these pre-made Siamese cables. Please refer to the below video if you are not familiar with Siamese security camera cables.

How-to Wire a CCTV Camera with Pre-made Siamese CCTV Cable

Here is a video that I made to show customers how easy it is to wire a CCTV camera with pre-made Siamese cables. I am connecting the camera to a DVR in the video but the setup is the same to connect the BNC output of the cable to the HDMI converter included with our live TV display kits. The important takeaway is that the power supply for the camera can be located where your TV is installed instead of where the camera is installed.

CCTV Camera to TV for Live View Wiring Diagram

Here is a wiring diagram for the whole system.

1. The coax side of the pre-made Siamese camera cable (blue line above) connects the BNC video output of the camera to the BNC video input of the BNC to HDMI converter.
2. The power cable side into the Siamese cable (red line from the camera) is connected to the power adapter that is included with the camera.
3. The other end power cable connects to the 12v DC power supply that is included with the camera. The power supply plugs into a standard power outlet near your TV.
4. The BNC to HDMI converter also includes a power supply that will connect to the power outlet near your TV.
5. The HDMI cable that is included with the system connects the HDMI output of the converter with the HDMI video input of your TV monitor.

That is all! Plug and play easy setup with no manual configuration. Everything is just detected and the live view of your camera is displayed on your TV.

Connect Multiple Cameras to TV for Live View

CCTV Camera Pros also has live view TV display kits for multiple cameras available. These kits let you display a live view of multiple security cameras on a TV without a DVR. We have 4ch, 8ch, and 16ch CCTV video multiplexers available for this. You can control the display using the wireless remote control that is included. It allows you to switch between a single camera and multi live view.

Multiple CCTV Cameras to TV Live View Video Demo

Watch this video to see a demo of this 4ch CCTV multiplexer used in a multi-camera live TV display system.

CCTV Camera to TV Live View System FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions that we receive related to our live view CCTV camera kits.

1. Do these systems work with analog cameras?
   You can connect legacy low definition analog cameras (CVBS) directly to a TV using a standard RCA video input without any converter. These systems are for HD analog cameras which provide much better video quality. For example 1080p resolution of 4x the resolution of legacy analog CCTV cameras. The industry moved to HD analog (HD-TVI, AHD, HD-CVI) many years ago.
2. Can I use my TV remote to switch to the camera feed?
   Yes. You will use an HDMI input on your TV with a standard HDMI cable. You can switch to the HDMI input of your live camera feed with your TV remote.
3. Do these systems work with wireless cameras?
   No. These systems all use hard wired HD CCTV cameras. Wireless cameras are not supported.
4. Can I watch multiple video feeds?
   Yes. You can use one of our multi-camera systems that support up to 16 video camera feeds at the same time.
5. Can I display the live video of my CCTV camera on multiple TVs in different rooms?
   Yes. You can use a single TV screen with one HDI converter, or add additional HDMI converters by connecting them using the BNC loop output to chain multiple converters together for live display on multiple TVs.
6. Do these kits work with PoE cameras?
   No. These are only for BNC security cameras that use coax cable.IP cameras / PoE cameras are not supported.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about how to connect a camera to your TV for a live view, please email me at mike@cctvcamerapros.net anytime. Me and the team can also provide with with a free consultation and custom quote. In addition to the simple live display systems above, we can custom design systems with and without video recording. You can also text or call 1-561-433-8488.

The post How-to Connect CCTV Camera to TV without DVR for Live View first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Watch the above video to see an overview and setup instructions for how-to setup a wireless door sensor alarm on a Viewtron IP camera NVR. This projects uses a Shelly BLU wireless door sensor and Shelly BLU Gateway. You can find step-by-step setup instructions with screenshots below.

Please note that you can also use these instructions to install this script to integrate Shelly wireless motion sensor. The only difference is that project  documents how to install this script to integrate a Shelly wireless door sensor to trigger an alarm on a Viewtron NVR. The setup process is the same.

Wireless Door Alarm Overview

This is how it works.

• The Shelly wireless door sensor on the right communicates with a Shelly BLU Gateway via Bluetooth.
• The Shelly Blu Gateway (pictured in the middle, plugged into a standard power outlet) is connected via WIFI to the same network that the Viewtron NVR is on.
• The Viewtron NVR is hard wired to the wireless router.
• Custom javascript code is installed on the Shelly Gateway. That code is run when the door sensor is opened.
• The javascript code makes an HTTP Post to trigger a virtual alarm on the NVR.
• The virtual alarm on the NVR can trigger video recording, mobile app push notification, an audio alarm, and many other actions.

Download Shelly Mobile App

The setup is very simple from the Shelly mobile app. Download it here.

• Shelly Mobile iOS
• Shelly Mobile Android

Setup Shelly BLU Gateway

The first step in the setup is to connect the Shelly BLU Gateway to your wireless network.

Connect the Shelly Blu Gateway to a standard 5v USB power supply and plug it into a standard wall power outlet.

Open the Shelly mobile app and refer to the below screenshots.

Tap on the Add device button. Then select Add via Bluetooth, and tap Next. Click Add device again. Select the Shelly Bluetooth Gateway, and tap Next.

Please refer to the above screenshots and follow these next steps.

1. On the next screen scan for your WIFI network. Add your WIFI password, then tap Add device.
2. Choose a Device name and picture, then tap Next.
3. If you have rooms setup in the Shelly mobile app, you can select a room to add the Gateway to. Tap Save.
4. The Shelly Gateway will reboot and you will now see the Door Sensor added to your devices in the app.

Connect the Bluetooth Wireless Door Sensor to BLU Gateway

The next step is to add the Shelly wireless door sensor to the app.

1. In the All Devices tab, tap on the + button to add a new device.
2. Select Add via Bluetooth, then tap Next.
3. The app should find your Shelly BLU Door / Window sensor. If it does not, click the button on the door sensor.
4. Select the Door Sensor, then tap Next.
5. Choose a Device name  and Picture for your sensor. Tap next.

Next, you need to associate the door sensor with your Shelly BLU Gateway. This is because the wireless door sensor communicates with the Gateway via Bluetooth and the Gateway communicates with your local network via WIFI.

1. Check the box next to your Shelly BLU Gateway. Tap Next.
2. You can associate the door sensor with a room in your house if you have any setup in the app. Tap Save.
3. The door sensor will now appear in the Shelly app under All devices.

Enable the API server on the NVR

The Shelly BLU Gateway will communicate with the Viewtron NVR by sending an HTTP Post to the NVR’s virtual alarm interface. Follow these steps to enable the API server on the NVR

Click on the Settings button in the lower left, then click Settings.

Next, click on the Network link on the main settings screen.

On the network settings screen, do the following.

1. Click on Port.
2. Check the Enable API Server checkbox. Select Basic for Authentication.
3. Make note of the HTTP Port that your NVR is using. This will be used by the script that we upload to the Shelly Gateway later. The default HTTP Port is 80.

Click Apply when done.

Setup the Virtual Alarm on the Viewtron NVR

Follow these steps to configure the virtual alarm on the NVR.

1. Click on the AI / Event link.
2. Click on the Sensor link under the General Event section on the left.
3. Choose the virtual alarm channel that you want to use. I used Virtual Alarm 1 in my setup.

Important! Notice that this NVR has 8 local alarm sensor ports (above the virtual alarms). For the API script that we will upload to the Shelly Gateway, there is a variable that you need to set to tell the script which virtual alarm channel to trigger when the magnetic sensor opens. One this NVR virtual alarm 1 will actually be NVR Alarm Port 9 because the Viewtron API server also allows you to trigger the local physical alarm sensors as well.

These are the settings for the virtual alarm.

1. Choose an Alarm Name. I chose “Front Door Open” for mine. This text will be used by the mobile app push notification.
2. Select a pre-set or custom Schedule for the alarm.
3. Type is not changeable for virtual alarms and is set to NO (normally open). I know this seems counter-intuitive because the normal state for door sensors is NC (normally closed). But basically when the door sensor is opened, it is triggering the virtual alarm on the NVR by sending a message via the API that says to trigger the virtual alarm.  The normal state of the virtual alarm does not matter in this case. The right thing happens.
4. Set Enable to On.
5. Choose a Duration for how long you want the virtual alarm to be triggered.
6. Record: choose one or more security cameras to trigger recording on.
7. Snapshot: this is optional if you also want to trigger image snapshots.
8. Audio: this is for future use with IP speakers that we will be releasing next year.

Use the vertical scroll bar to access the rest of the virtual alarm settings.

1. Push: enable mobile app push notifications.
2. Alarm-out: you have the option to trigger one of more alarm outputs on the NVR and also on any IP camera that is connected to the NVR (if you have any IP cameras models that have alarm outputs).
3. Preset: if you have any PTZ cameras on your system, you can send any of them to a preset location.
4. Buzzer: this is the built-in audio alarm buzzer on the NVR.
5. Pop-up video: you can have a certain camera channel pop up in the live view on the NVR’s monitor.
6. Pop-up Message Box: you can display a text message on the NVR’s screen.
7. Email: CCTV Camera Pros doe snot recommend using email alerts. The mobile app push notifications are much easier to setup. This is because you must have access to an SMTP mail server to send emails.

Click Apply when done. You can close the settings on the NVR by clicking on the X in the upper right.

Install Custom API Server Script on Shelly Gateway

To enable the communication to the NVR’s virtual alarm when the Shelly wireless door sensor opens, we must install a custom script to run on the Shelly gateway. You can download the javascript code from Github here.

https://github.com/mikehaldas/shelly-door-sensor-script/blob/main/script.js

Download it to your computer and have it ready to edit using your preferred text editor program.

The javascript code can be installed onto the Shelly Gateway from the mobile app or from the web browser interface. Being that we need to edit some variables in the script, I prefer to do this from the web browser interface. However, we need the IP address of the Shelly Gateway and the Mac address of the door sensor first.  And, these are easier to get from the mobile app. So, open it first.

In the Shelly mobile app, tap on the Shelly BLU Gateway under all devices. Referencing the screenshot in the left, tap on the gear icon. Make note of the Gateway’s Device IP. This is the address you will use in the web browser to install the script. Close those settings when done by tapping on the X in the upper left.

Next, tap on the door sensor device under all devices in the app. Referencing the screenshot on the right, tap on the Info icon. Make note of the Device Mac address. You need this for a variable in the javascript.

Edit the API Server Code

Open up the javascript that you downloaded from Github in a text editor.

Look for a section in the code labeled CONFIGURATION VARIABLES and modify the following values.

1. SENSOR_MAC: change this to the Mac address of your wireless door sensor.
2. USERNAME: change this to the user name of the administrator on your NVR. Most likely will remain “admin”.
3. PASSWORD: change this to your admin password on your NVR.
4. NVR_IP: change this to the local IP address of your NVR.
5. NVR_PORT: this will stay 80 unless you changed this on your NVR.
6. NVR_ALARM_PORT: change to the virtual alarm port you are using on your NVR. Remember, if your NVR has 8 physical alarm ports, virtual alarm port 1 is actually 9 as far as the API is concerned.

Save the file when you are done.

Install the Script

Open up the web interface to your Shelly Gateway in a web browser by using the IP address you previously noted.

Click on the Scripts link on the left. Then, click on the Add script button.

Copy and paste the custom script into the script field. Enter a Script Name. Click the Save link. Then, click on the Start link.

Test to confirm that everything works by opening the door sensor.

Wireless Door Alarm Push Notification

When the door sensor is opened, this is what the push notification to the mobile app looks like.

• The image on the left shows the push notification on my iPhone with the phone locked.
• The image in the middle show the Viewtron app opening after the push notification is tapped. You can then click on the video playback button to jump right to the video recording of the door alarm event.
• The image on the right shows the video player in the app playing back the video from the alarm. You can see that all of the door alarms are annotated in red.

Products Used in this Project

The following products were used in this project.

• Shelly BLU Gateway
• Shelly BLU Wireless Door Sensor
• Viewtron IP Camera NVR
• Viewtron IP Camera

Have Questions?

If you have any questions related to this alarm integration project or anything related to security camera systems, please email me at mike@cctvcamerapros.net.

The post Wireless Door Sensor Alarm Setup for Viewtron IP Camera NVRs first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Viewtron LPR cameras have an API interface for software developers to create custom home automations, access control system integrations, and 3rd party applications development. The LPR camera API posts an XML document to a server’s webhook endpoint that you specify in the camera’s firmware settings, which are accessed via a web browser interface. Watch the above video to learn how to setup the LPR camera and see how it interacts with the API server when a license plate recognition event occurs. You can see a typical network diagram when the LPR is installed with a Viewtron NVR here.

Open Source Viewtron IP Camera API Server

You can download the Python API server from Github on this page. There are also step instructions on that page on how to install the server on your Linux box.
https://github.com/mikehaldas/IP-Camera-API

Viewtron LPR Camera

This is the Viewtron LPR-IP4 camera that I used in my demo. It has been thoroughly tested with the IP camera API server.

Network Setup with Viewtron NVR

If you are using a Viewtron NVR with your LPR camera, you can not connect the LPR camera to one of the PoE ports on the NVR *if you plan on accessing the LPR camera’s API from remotely over the Internet*.  If you will access the LPR camera’s API on the local area network, then you may connect the LPR to one of the PoE ports on the back of the NVR.

The above diagram shows a the network setup when the LPR is not connected to the Viewtron NVR PoE port. The camera is connected to a PoE switch that is located on the same network as the computer where the Python API server is installed. Please note that you can send the API posts remotely over the Internet with this network setup if you also setup port forwarding to your API server.

If you are not using a Viewtron NVR for your application, simple remove the NVR from the above network diagram.

Locate your IP camera on your Network

If you need to locate the camera on your network, you can download the Viewtron network IP installer tool here. We have a Windows and Mac IP camera network finder  / IP installer tool available for Viewtron IP cameras.

License Plate Detection Configuration

Once your camera is booted up and you know where it is on your network, follow these steps to configure the LPR software. You will configure a license plate detection zone and size range of plates.

Log into the camera by going to it’s IP address in a web browser.

Click on the Config tab in the upper right, then click on the License Plate Detection link.

On the License Plate Detection screen, do the following.

1. Check Enable.
2. Click on the Draw Area Button
3. Draw the license plate detection zone.
4. Click on the Draw Target Size button in area (2) then enter the min and max sizes for plates. These do not need to be exact. The min sizes should be slightly smaller than the realistic size of a license plate. The max sizes should be slightly larger. DO NOT try make the sizes exact. Give an adequate buffer. Ideally have someone hold up a license plate or park a car in the detection zone to assist you.

Click Save when done.

License Plate Database Setup (optional)

This section is optional. If you want to use the LPR cameras built-in database to manage a list of “Authorized Plates”, this is how you set that up. if you do not setup a list of authorized license plates in the database, the camera still sends all of the other data in the XML post except the authorization info.

To add plates to the license plate database, click on the License Plate Detection link on the left. Then, click on the Add button. Please note that you can also click on the Bulk Entry button if you want to upload a large list of license plates using a CSV file.

On the vehicle Information screen, enter the License plate number and select “Allow list” from the list type dropdown if you want this to be an authorized plate. The rest of the information is optional. Click Save when done. Repeat this process for each license plate that you want to add to the database or use the Bulk Entry to upload a CSV list of plates.

Configure the HTTP Post webhook server

Next, click on the Network link on the left. Then, click on the HTTP POST link.

On the HTTP Post screen, click on the Edit button.

Next, click on the Add button. Then fill in the API server’s IP address, port, and path. You can also check off the type of alarms and data that you want the server to send. In my testing, I only wanted to send LPR events, so I only checked License Plate Detection in the Smart Alarm Type section. In the Smart Alarm Data, I checked all pictures and options.

When done, click the Save button.

Installing the API Server

The open source API server is written in Python. It consists of two main files.

• server.py – the main web server program
• viewtron.py – a library class that handles all of the XML parsing from the IP camera. Basically, a data abstraction layer.

I developed the server on a Ubuntu computer and have also tested it on a Raspberry Pi. It should work well on any Linux based operating system. I documented the setup instructions here on Github.

API Server Output

Here is a screenshot of what the typical output looks like when the API server is running and receiving HTTP Posts from an LPR camera.

On the above screenshot, you can see the following print outputs from the server.

• Server startup command / initial output from the startup.
• License Plate Detection event notes whether the plate is authorized or not, then saves the images of the plate and logs the event to the CSV file.
• “Keep-alive” posts are periodically sent by the camera to make sure the server is still ready to receive posts.

License Plate Image Snapshots Sent by API

Here overview snapshot image that the camera sends in the XML payload when a license plate detection event occurs..

Here is the cropped target image that the camera sends in the XML payload when a license plate detection event occurs.

Home Assistant LPR Camera Integration

We recently used the Viewtron IP camera API to integrate the LPR camera with Home Assistant via MQTT.

Here is screenshot of the MQTT sensor device screen.

Here is a screenshot of the LPR camera card added to the Home Assistant Dashboard.

Node-RED LPR Camera Integration

We recently used the Viewtron IP camera API to integrate the LPR camera with Node-RED for industrial applications and automations.

Here is a screenshot of the Viewtron AI Camera node with a Viewtron LPR camera sending events data to Node-RED.

Here is a screenshot of the overview image snapshot and cropped license plate image snapshot displayed in a Dashboard node in Node-RED.

Complete License Plate Recognition Camera Systems

Most of our customers use Viewtron LPR cameras with a Viewtron NVR and one or more overview cameras. This provides a complete LPR solution for home, business, and government installations. The team at CCTV Camera Pros has designed thousands of custom systems for customers all of the world. However, some of our customers have the need to integrate the license plate recognition functionality of just the Viewtron LPR camera with a 3rd party application. That is why we provide the API that was documented in this article.

Viewtron License Plate Recognition Video Demos

You can watch additional Viewtron license plate recognition video demos here.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about LPR camera applications or general questions about security camera system, please email me anytime at mike@cctvcamerapros.net.

The post LPR Camera API for Software Development Integration and Apps first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Watch this video to learn how to setup a panic button alarm on your Viewtron security camera system. This is a great project for people looking for a self monitoring security system using their Viewtron camera system. This alarm panel project works for Viewtron CCTV DVRs and Viewtron IP camera NVRs. You can also follow along with the instructions below.

Alarm Input / Output Panel on Viewtron DVRs / NVRs

Most Viewtron DVRs and NVRs have an alarm panel on the back of them. The panel has alarm input and alarm output ports that are used to integrate external alarm devices with your security camera system. In the above image you can see two wires connected to the ground and alarm input port #3 on the back of the NVR at CCTV Camera Pros office.

I mounted a simple 2-pin push button to the top of this wooden box. The push buttons two wires are hard wired to the Ground and alarm input port #3 on the DVR / NVR. The alarm input is a dry contact that can be set to normally open (NO) or normally closed(NC) in the DVRs software. For a push button application, the port will be set to NO.

Alarm Sensor Setup on DVR / NVR

On the Viewtron recorder, click on Settings in the menu in the lower left.

From the main settings menu, click on the Sensor Alarm link in the AI / Event section.

On the Sensor alarm settings screen you can configure the following actions to be taken when the panic button is presses. Please note that we setup our button on alarm input port #3 (labeled Local-3 above).

• Alarm Name: Choose any name for your alarm. The name will be used when a push notification is sent to the mobile app.
• Schedule: Choose a preset schedule or make a custom schedule for the alarm.
• Type: Select NO (normally open) or NV (normally closed. For a panic button application, select NO.
• Enable: The is a master on / off setting for the sensor. Set to ON to enable.
• Duration: How long do you want the alarm to be triggered for when the panic button is pressed.
• Record: Choose one or more security cameras to begin recording when the panic button is pressed.
• Snapshot: Choose one or more security camera to trigger a snapshot image.
• Audio: Future use for IP speakers.

Scroll to the right of the screen to access the rest of the alarm settings.

• Push: Turn mobile app push notifications on / off.
• Alarm-out: You can trigger on or more of the alarm output ports on the DVR / NVR. You can also trigger alarm output ports on any IP camera that is connected to your system.
• Preset: If you are using any PTZ cameras, you can set them to a preset position.
• Buzzer: Viewtron DVRs and NVRs have a built-in alarm buzzer. You can activate it when the alarm is triggered.
• Pop-up Video: Set the DVR / NVRs live view to a specific camera.
• Pop-up Message: Set a message to be displayed on the monitor.
• Email: Send an email alert.

When you are done, click on Apply in the lower right. You can then close the Sensor settings by clicking on the ‘X’ in the upper right.

Panic Button Alarm Recording

Now, when the panic button is pressed, our Salesfloor camera pops up into view on the NVR and a red dot is displayed in the upper right which means that Sensor recording was triggered. The NVRs internal alarm buzzer is turned on.

Mobile App Push Notification

Also, a push notification is sent to the mobile app with the label “Panic Button”.

Video Surveillance Recording Playback

To playback video recording on the DVR / NVR. Select the security camera to that single camera camera is displayed in the live view. Click on the start button in the lower left, then select Playback.

Panic Button Alarm Annotations

When the video player opens, you will see all of the panic button events annotated on the video player timeline in red (right hand side of video player screen).

Mobile App Video Playback

The panic button alarm events are also annotated on the video player timeline in the mobile app for iPhone and Android.

Security Camera Alarm Solutions

If you liked this video and blog post, you may want to check out our security camera alarm video demos page to see additional alarm integration projects.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions or think that I can help you in any way, please contact me at mike@viewtron.com.

The post Panic Button Alarm Setup on Viewtron Security DVRs and NVRs first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Watch this video to see the long distance perimeter alarm / human detection testing I did with a Viewtron AI security camera. The results were very positive. Using the default human detection sensitivity settings in the AI software built into this IP camera, I was able to detection a human at 146 feet away from where the camera is installed.

Wide Angle / Fixed Lens AI Security Camera

This is the Viewtron IP camera that I used in my testing. It is a 4K resolution camera with a 2.8mm fixed lens. That is a wide angle lens that provides a 107° field of view.

Security Camera Installation

The camera is installed 11 feet off the ground on a pole. The camera is not hard wired to the Viewtron NVR. We are using a long range point-to-point wireless bridge to connect this IP camera to the IP network that the NVR is on.

Viewtron IP Camera NVR

The configuration of the AI human detection and perimeter alarm that was setup in the video was done on the Viewtron NVR that the camera is connected to and recording to.

Perimeter Alarm Events Display

You can enable real time perimeter alarm events display on the live view of the Viewtron NVR. You can see the perimeter alarm events display on the right hand side of the screen above. You can also see the Viewtron AI software detecting humans via a yellow box and motor vehicles via a purple box. The perimeter intrusion zone turns red when a human enters.

Video Recording Timeline Annotation

All AI object detection and intrusion events are annotated on the video playback timeline on the Viewtron NVR and in the mobile app. You can see in the above screenshot of the iPhone app that AI human detection events are annotated on the video player timeline in yellow. You can watch video demos using the mobile app for iPhone and Android here.

Long Distance Perimeter Alarm Testing Summary

I made this video after speaking to a CCTV Camera Pros customer who wanted to setup perimeter intrusion detection on a commercial property. The customer has a 60 x 40 foot building on about an acre of land. He wanted to mount Viewtron AI security cameras on all sides of his building and detect when anyone enters his property. The furthest distance from his building to the edge of his property line is about 100 feet. His goal is to detect humans as early as possible when they enter his property. My testing shows that even our wide angle / fixed lens 4K AI cameras are capably of detecting humans well over 100 feet away.

Please note that I used the default human detection sensitivity level in my testing. In the future, I may make another video where I bump up the sensitivity to push the limits further and see if we can detect humans further away without risking false alarms.

Perimeter Alarm Setup for Viewtron AI Security Cameras

You may be interested in this video that I made last week on how-to setup perimeter intrusion detection to sound an audio alarm on a Viewtron NVR.

Viewtron AI Security Cameras with Perimeter Alarm Support

You can find all of the Viewtron AI security cameras that support perimeter intrusion alarms here.

Viewtron NVRs

All of our Viewtron NVRs are completely integrated with the AI software and perimeter intrusion detection of our Viewtron AI security cameras. All of the configuration of the AI human detection and perimeter alarm detection that was setup in the above video was done on the Viewtron NVR.

Alarm Security Cameras / Active Deterrent IP Cameras

You can find all of our alarm security cameras / active deterrent cameras on this page. These are Viewtron AI cameras that in addition to supporting perimeter intrusion detection, they also have their own built-in alarm lights and alarm speakers on them. This can be used to alert intruders that a video surveillance system is monitoring them.

Video Transcript

Here is a a text transcript of the video at the top of this page.

Hey guys, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. I’m going to do some more perimeter alarm testing today using our Viewtron AI security camera system. And so I spoke to a customer a few days ago that wanted to set up a perimeter alarm around his commercial property. And it was a fairly big property, like one or two acres with a single building on it. And he wanted to know at what distance a person could be detected breaking the intrusion zone on his property and triggering an alarm. So what I’m going to do is I have a couple of our Viewtron 4K AI cameras up there mounted on that pole and one of them is facing west out there towards that entrance to our plaza. And, and that Entrance is about 250ft away from where the camera is mounted. So I’m going to set up a big intrusion zone and just walk this distance towards the camera to see at what point it detects me, at what point the camera detects a human object entering the intrusion zone that I’m going to set up.

So my hopes is that it’ll work at least 100ft away. But let’s go inside. On the Viewtron NVR, all these cameras are connected to a Viewtron NVR. We’re going to set up in an intrusion zone and then I’m going to walk it and then we’ll measure the distance at which it detected me entering that zone.

Here’s the live view of my Viewtron AI security camera on the Viewtron NVR. And I’m going to access the main menu system down here in the lower right and select Settings. Then select AI Event on the left hand side. I’m going to select AI Event again and then I’m going to select that Viewtron camera that we have installed in the back on that pole right here. So I’m going to enable intrusion detection here by checking this box. And then I’m going to draw a big intrusion area because I just want to see where it detects me coming into this area, how far out it’ll work. So I’m going to draw a big box and have it way out from the camera. And then I only want to detect people.

I’m going to disable motor vehicles and non motor vehicles. Right here is where you could set a schedule and the duration that you want the alarm to go off. I’m going to click Apply there and then under the trigger mode, I just want to show you this is where you can trigger the recording for this camera and, or for any other camera on the recorder. And Then I can enable mobile app push notifications and the perimeter alarm buzzer on the NVR. We don’t need that for this test. So I’m going to apply those settings and then exit out. So back at the live view, I’m going to enable the perimeter alarm visualizer over here on the right and you can see my intrusion detection box. And then I’m going to walk around to the front of the building.

I wasn’t planning on that guy coming out of that door, but that’s okay. You see it easily detected him coming out of that door right there and that’s like about 80 or 90ft away. So that worked great. We’ll just let him get out of the way here in a second. And then you’re going to see me way out by the road, actually on the sidewalk just to the side of the road. Here I come. Now I’m walking up the sidewalk and I’m going to turn and walk towards the camera. So let’s just wait and see where the AI camera detects me coming into that intrusion zone.

I’m still a little bit too far away there. Getting closer now. And then it detects me about right here. You can see the red box when it detected me. So I’m going to zoom in to see where it detected me. And it was just as I was crossing that arrow painted on the road. So what I did was I measured from the pole where the camera is mounted to that and it’s 146ft away.

So I’m just gonna let this video play through. That’s pretty awesome. We can detect humans coming into a perimeter alarm zone or an intrusion detection zone, whatever you want to call it, at about 146ft away. That worked right there. And you can see it just continues to detect me. And each of these events is five seconds. So it creates multiple events on the NVR. Those are super easy to go back and play back the recording of and to find all them.

Guys, I’m really happy with the results of this test. Being able to detect humans at 146ft away coming into a perimeter alarm zone is very powerful. So down here in South Florida we have a big community called the Acreage. It’s like ten thousand acre and a third and acre and a half lots. They’re typically 250ft wide by 250ft deep. And so if you have a 70 or 80 foot wide house, this means you can install our Viewtron IP cameras on the corners of the house and really cover that entire acre and a third, acre and a half with a perimeter alarm zone around your entire property. And maybe you’ll miss some events at the very extreme distance, but as soon as someone comes a little bit into your property, 10 or 20ft, you’re going to get them every time. And at that point you have a bunch of choices of the types of actions you can take on that perimeter alarm event.

Obviously, triggering recording on that camera and maybe all of your cameras is what you want to do. You might want to get a push notification to the mobile app in real time so you know what’s going on. You may want the audio alarm buzzer on the NVR to go off in your house to alert you that someone is on your property outside. And you can even hook up external sensors like lights and alarms to the Viewtron NVR. It has an alarm panel on the back of it. Last, our Viewtron NVRs and IP cameras have a software developer kit to where if you want to integrate with third party systems, you can even integrate with third party systems using software code. It’s very powerful guys.

If you have any questions about setting up a perimeter alarm using our Viewtron AI security cameras or anything related to security cameras in general, if you need a system design, if you need a quote, any questions at all, email me anytime. I can be reached at mike@viewtron.com. If you want to watch additional demos using our Viewtron AI cameras. We also have license plate recognition cameras. We make a lot of videos. You could view all of them at www.viewtron.com/AI. Thank you for watching.

The post Long Distance Perimeter Alarm Human Detection Camera Test first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Watch this video to learn how-to setup an audible perimeter alarm on your Viewtron AI security camera system. A few days ago a customer contacted me who wanted a security camera system with perimeter intrusion detection around the exterior of his house. He wanted to be sure that an audio alarm would wake him up at night if a person was detected on his property within the intrusion zone up close to his house. He did not think that a push notification from the mobile app would wake him up.

I told him about the built in alarm speaker that is built into Viewtron IP camera NVRs. I also told him that if the built in alarm speaker was not loud enough, he could connect a higher decibel external alarm speaker and light to one of the alarm relay output ports on the back of the NVR.

Here are the setup instructions to trigger the audio alarm speaker on the Viewtron NVR based on human intrusion detection. Please note that my Viewtron AI security camera is connected to the Viewtron NVR at my house. All of the setup is done on the NVR.

Perimeter Alarm Setup on NVR

To setup the perimeter alarm, click on the menu button in the lower left on the NVR, then click on Settings.

On the main settings menu screen, click on Perimeter Detection in the AI / Event section.

On the Perimeter Detection screen do the following.

1. Choose the security camera that you are settings up the perimeter on.
2. Check the Enable Detection by IPC box.
3. Draw the perimeter detection zone by clicking on point of the image with the mouse.
4. Choose a schedule for the alarm, duration for the alarm, and whether you want the AI software to detection humans, motor vehicles, non-motor vehicles, or any combination of those three object types. You can also setup minimum and maximum sizes for each object type to make the detection more accurate.

Click on the Apply button in the lower right when done.

Next, follow these steps.

1) click on the Trigger Mode link.

On this screen, you can enable the different types of actions you want taken when a perimeter intrusion alarm occurs.

2) To enable the audio speaker alarm / buzzer on the NVR, check the Buzzer checkbox.

Please note that you can enable the following additional alarm actions: snapshot image, mobile app push notification, pop-up live video on the NVR display, email alert, trigger video surveillance recording on one or more security cameras, turn one or more alarm relay output ports on, trigger a PTZ camera preset location, and turn an IP speaker on.

When done, click on the Apply button in the lower right. You can then click on the X link in the upper right to close the perimeter detection settings. Your security camera system is now setup to trigger the alarm speaker when a perimeter alarm event occurs.

180 Degree Alarm Security Camera

Please note that the security camera that I am using at my house to document this setup is this 180 degree security camera. This is one of our Viewtron alarm cameras. It has a built-in alarm light and alarm speaker. With this camera, I also have the option to turn the alarm light and alarm speaker on when there is a perimeter intrusion alarm. You can see these options on the above setup screen on the last step of the perimeter alarm setup instructions : IPC_Audio and IPC_Light. “IPC” stands for IP camera.

Viewtron AI Security Cameras with Perimeter Alarm Support

You can find all of the Viewtron AI security cameras that support perimeter intrusion alarms here, including our 4MP dome camera and 4K models.

Viewtron NVRs

All of our Viewtron NVRs are completely integrated with the AI software and perimeter intrusion detection of our Viewtron AI security cameras.

Alarm Security Cameras / Active Deterrent IP Cameras

You can find all of our alarm security cameras / active deterrent cameras on this page. These are Viewtron AI cameras that in addition to supporting perimeter intrusion detection, they also have their own built-in alarm lights and alarm speakers on them. This can be used to alert intruders that a video surveillance system is monitoring them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions we receive that are related to our Viewtron AI security systems.

• Can you setup a line crossing trip alarm instead of a polygon shape intrusion zone to trigger alarms?
  Yes. You can see a video demo here of the line crossing detection being used as a trip alarm.
• Are there many false alarms with these security systems?
  No. That is the advantage of using highly trained AI software for human detection and vehicle detection instead of traditional motion detection. You can watch a video here where Mike explains why AI security cameras are so much better that traditional CCTV camera systems.
• What is the detection range for the AI software human detection?
  This varies by Viewtron camera model and can be found in the spec sheet for each camera. However, in general Viewtron AI cameras can detect humans over 100 feet away.
• Can an alarm light or strobe light be triggered when a detection event occurs?
  Yes. Viewtron DVRs / NVRs have an alarm panel on the back of them that supports connecting alarm system devices such as strobe lights. The strobe light can be turned on whenever an intrusion occurs.
• Do you supply battery powered cameras?
  No. All of our Viewtron IP cameras support PoE (Power over Ethernet) or 12V DC power supplies.
• Do these AI cameras detect small animals?
  No. Viewtron AI cameras are specifically trained for human detection and vehicle detection. Some models also support facial recognition and license plate recognition.
• Can I use a mobile app for remote control of my system?
  Yes. Mobile apps for iPhone and Android allow you to watch your cameras live, playback recorded video, receive push notifications, and remote control almost all functions of the system.
• Can I use solar panels to power my cameras?
  Yes. Although CCTV Camera Pros does not supply or design solar panel powered systems, some of the installation companies that purchase our products use solar panels with our systems.
• Where can I find the current price of these systems?
  Please visit this page for the current price of all Viewtron AI cameras, and here for Viewtron IP camera NVRs.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions or need a system design or quote, please contact me anytime at mike@viewtron.com.

Video Transcript

Here is a text transcript of the video at the top of this page.

Hey guys, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. In this video I’m going to show you how to set up a perimeter alarm using our Viewtron AI security camera system. And for this demo I’m going to use that Viewtron 180 degree security camera that you see behind me and I’m going to set up an intrusion zone out here so that an alarm is triggered in the house and I know when someone has entered the property.

The reason why I’m making this video is I designed a system for a customer the other day that wanted to set up a perimeter alarm around his entire home. And he wanted to make sure that when an intruder enters the intrusion zone at night that it would wake him up. So I suggested that he used the built in alarm that’s built into our Viewtron NVRs. He was concerned that it wasn’t going to be loud enough, so I told him he can also hook up an external siren like 110 or 120 decibel siren to the alarm outputs on the Viewtron NVR. If the built in alarm buzzer is not loud enough.

In this video I’m going to demonstrate the built in alarm buzzer on the Viewtron NVR. So let’s go inside and set up the intrusion zone out here and then I’ll walk through a demo and set off the alarm so you can hear what it sounds like.

Here’s the live view of the Viewtron IP camera that’s connected to our Viewtron NVR. And I’m going to access the menu system of the NVR down here by selecting Settings and then select Perimeter Detection from the AI event menu on this screen. I’m going to select the camera that we’re working with, which is that 180 camera on the side of my house. And it’s the regional intrusion that we’re going to enable. So I’m going to enable this checkbox here for regional intrusion and you can see the perimeter that I already drew by pointing and clicking on the screen down here. I already took this step and then obviously only people detection is applicable in this case, but you could also enable motor vehicle detection. So I’m going to click apply there. Oh, one other thing, you can set these alarms on a schedule, so I’m just going to have mine 24/7 around the clock for now and I’m going to trigger the alarm for a 10 second duration.

So next if I go into trigger mode you could see I already have push notifications set up. But this buzzer is the thing that I want to enable. That’s what enables the audio alarm to be triggered on the NVR. The audible alarm when the perimeter detection is triggered. So I’m going to click Apply there and then when I’m done with those settings, I can X out of the settings there and I’m back at the live view of the IP camera. If I click on this button, this enables the intrusion detection screen over here on the right. In a few seconds you’ll see me walk around the corner and when I cross the threshold of that intrusion zone, you’ll hear the perimeter alarm go off on the NVR. I left my iPhone back over at the NVR recording so you can hear how loud the perimeter alarm is on the NVR.

Notice that the Viewtron NVR recorded this perimeter intrusion event and annotated it with these thumbnail images on the right. All of the recorded perimeter alarm events are extremely easy to locate and play back on our Viewtron NVRs, which I cover in other videos.

Guys, I hope this video has been helpful. I want to mention a few other things before we wrap up. Although I was mainly demonstrating the audio alarm on the Viewtron NVR that’s triggered from a perimeter intrusion. Those perimeter intrusions can trigger all types of events. So in addition to the audio alarm that’s built into the NVR, you could send a push notification to the mobile app, you could trigger external alarms that are connected to the alarm output panel on the Viewtron NVR. In addition, if you want the intruder to be alerted that an alarm was set off, this particular camera that I’m demo’ing, the Viewtron 180 degree security camera has a built in alarm light and a built in speaker so when the perimeter is intruded on, that can trip the light on the camera itself and also an audio siren or a warning message so that that speaker can play an alarm siren sound or a pre recorded message and you can upload customized audio messages and customized alarms to it.

Guys, if you have any questions about setting up perimeter alarms using our Viewtron AI security cameras or anything related to security cameras, you could always reach out to me directly. I could be reached via email at mike@viewtron.com. If you want to learn more about our Viewtron AI security cameras where you can set up these perimeter zones, you could set up virtual trip wires and by the way, they can be set off by vehicles in addition to humans. Obviously humans were only applicable back here, but in the front driveway I have it set up to detect cars when they enter the driveway as well. Anyways, you can learn about all the Viewtron AI functionality at www.viewtron.com/AI. Thank you for watching.

The post Perimeter Alarm Setup for Viewtron AI Security Cameras first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

The virtual alarm and webhook API integration capability of Viewtron IP camera NVRs provide a simple and powerful way to integrate IoT (Internet of things) with your security camera system. The Viewtron API uses HTTP Posts to communicate with the NVR. Watch the above video to see a how I created wireless alarm button using an Arduino board to demonstrate this.

This is how it works.

Viewtron NVR Virtual Alarm Function

Viewtron NVRs now support a feature called “virtual alarm”. It’s functionality is similar to the physical alarm inputs on the back of Viewtron NVRs, except virtual alarms can be triggered from IoT devices over an IP network.  The devices that trigger virtual alarms are not hard wired to the alarm panel on the back in the NVR. They send an HTTP Post to a webhook endpoint on the Viewtron NVR. A webhook endpoint is simple a URL that gets sent some data to let the NVR know the alarm was virtually triggered.

This is how it is setup on the NVR.

Enable API Server on NVR

Click on the Start button in the lower left, then click on Settings.

Click on the Port link in the Network settings section of the main settings menu.

On the Network Port settings screen, check the Enable checkbox in the API Server section. You can leave the Authentication type as Basic. Click Apply on the bottom of the screen.

Configure Virtual Alarm on NVR

To configure the Virtual Alarm on the Viewtron NVR, do the following.

1. Click on the AI / Event link on the top menu.
2. Click on the Sensor link on the side menu.
3. Locate the virtual alarm that you want to configure. The virtual alarms are below the local physical alarms on this screen. If this is the first virtual alarm that you are configuring, use Virtual-1.

You can configure the following fields and alarm actions.

• Alarm Name: The NVR will use this name to report alarm activations to you. For example, when you receive a mobile push notification. I names my virtual alarm “Panic Button” for my Arduino project.
• Schedule: You can select a time schedule that you want the virtual alarm to be active.
• Type: This field is not applicable. Virtual alarms are always NO (normally open).
• Enable: Set to On.
• Duration: The length of time that you want the alarm to be active when it is triggered.
• Record: You can select one or more security cameras to begin recording when the virtual alarm is triggered. All of the events will be bookmarked even if you also record video surveillance footage continuously.
• Snapshot: You can configure one or more security cameras to capture a snapshot image and save it to it’s local SD card (if you have one installed).
• Audio: This is for future use with IP speakers.

To see the rest of the virtual alarm settings can be accessed by sliding the screen using the bottom scroll bar.

• Push: Sets mobile app push notifications On / Off.
• Alarm-Out: Trigger one or more physical alarm devices that are connected to the alarm relay output ports on the Viewtron NVR. You can also trigger an alarm output on any other IP camera that is connected to the NVR (if it has an alarm relay output port).
• Preset: If you are using any PTZ cameras on your system, can may configure the PTZ camera to pan tilt zoom to a preset location when the virtual alarm is activated.
• Buzzer: This is the audio buzzer alarm built into the NVR.
• Pop-up Video: Set a certain security camera to pop-up on the live view of the NVR.
• Pop-up Message Box: Setup a custom message to appear on the NVR.
• E-mail: Send an email. Note: I do not recommend using email alerts because you need access to an SMTP mail server. Mobile app push notifications are a much better solution for real time alarm alerts.

When you are done configuring the virtual alarm, click on the Apply button in the lower right of the screen. You can then close the NVRs settings by clicking on the X in the upper right.

Trigger Alarm via Viewtron Security Camera API

Viewtron DVRs, NVRs, and IP cameras have a software development API available to integrate Viewtron security camera systems with third party alarm devices, IoTs, and computers. It is a HTTP Post API, also known as webhooks. The webhook endpoint to trigger the virtual alarms is as follows.

http://your_nvr_ip_address/TriggerVirtualAlarm/17

In the above example, “your_nvr_ip_address” would be replaced with the actual IP address of your NVR and the #17 on the end of the URL would be replaces with the virtual alarm number that you are accessing. On a 16 channel Viewtron NVR, there are 16 physical alarm ports. So, virtual alarm #1 is designated as alarm #17.

The HTTP Post also must send an XML document. It looks like this.

<config version=”2.0.0″ xmlns=”http://www.Sample.ipc.com/ver10″><action><status>true</status></action></config>

You must also send in the userid and password for basic authentication in the HTTP Header. You can see code examples below.

Simple Python App to Trigger Virtual Alarm

I wrote a very simple Python application that developers can use as an example on how to integrate with the virtual alarm on the NVR. I uploaded the Python script to Github here.

https://github.com/mikehaldas/Arduino-Alarm-Button/blob/main/viewtron_alarm_sample.py

Arduino Alarm Button Project

Here is the source code for the Arduino project that I created to demonstrate the Viewtron security camera alarm API.

https://github.com/mikehaldas/Arduino-Alarm-Button

Viewtron IP Camera NVRs

The Viewtron software development API and virtual alarm webhook is available on all Viewtron NVRs.

AI Security Cameras

I highly recommend using our Viewtron AI security cameras with Viewtron NVRs.

You can watch all of our Viewtron AI camera video demos here.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions or need help designing a security camera system for home, business, or government, please email me anytime at mike@viewtron.com.

Video Transcript

Here is a complete text transcript of the video at the top of this page.

Hey guys. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here in this video I want to tell you about an awesome new feature on our Viewtron IP camera NVRs. It’s called Virtual Alarm. And so I’ve made a bunch of video demos in the past with our Viewtron DVRs and NVRs with the physical alarm input and alarm outputs. That’s the alarm block on the back where you can hardwire things like door sensors and motion sensors and lights physically to the NVR hardwired. This virtual alarm works over an IP network. So to demonstrate it, I set up this Arduino right here and I programmed a little push button application so that when that button is pressed, it’ll communicate with the Viewtron NVR to tell. it that I push the button and to trigger the virtual alarm. And this is not connected via hardwiring in any way to the NVR.

This little Arduino has a built in WIFI port and it’s connecting to the wireless access point here and communicating over the local area network with the NVR using an HTTP post. HTTP posts, also known as a webhooks. So this basically sends a command over the local area network, but you could do this over the Internet remotely as well, saying hey, this button was pressed, trigger the virtual alarm. Then, on the NVR side you could set up that virtual alarm to trigger actions like mobile app push notification recording on one or more cameras. You can trigger the audio alarm on the NVR. You can trigger physical alarm outputs on the NVR. It’s extremely powerful because all of these new Internet of things that are being created all over the place use this technology called webhooks. When an action takes place, it can send a command to an external system via a webhook endpoint to take some type of action. So I’m going to press the button.

Here right now and I think you’ll hear the alarm on the NVR, have the audio alarm enabled so you can hear the alarm on the NVR. But what also happened is that sent a push notification to my mobile app and it triggered recording on the NVR. And all of those events will be bookmarked on the NVR. So I know any time that button was pressed. Let’s shift over to the NVR real quick. I’m going to show you how the virtual alarm is configured over there and then before wrap up, I’ll tell you a little bit more about this Arduino program. I also wrote a little Python script that runs from my MacBook to demonstrate that you could use any programming language to interact with our Viewtron IP Camera NVRs to do these types of API integrations. Let’s go over to the NVR now and I’ll show you how it’s set up.

Here’s the live security camera view on my Viewtron NVR and to access the menu, I click on this Start button down here and click Settings on the main menu screen. I’m going to go into the Network section first and then click on the port link. So you need to enable this API server. So I check that Enable box and I’m going to leave the authentication type as Basic. I click Apply there and then next I’m going to go into the AI event settings and then I’m going to click on the sensor link.

You will see a list of all of the alarm sensors on the NVR. And the first 16 of them are physical alarm relays on the NVR. And then the virtual alarms are below there. The new 16 channel NVRs, have 16 virtual alarms.

I already named this one “panic button”, but you can name it whatever you want. And then you can set a schedule if you want so that when the Button is pressed, it’ll only trigger the alarm during that time frame in the schedule. And then you could set the duration for the amount of time the alarm goes off for. And then I have mine set up to trigger recording on the front camera on my house. I could set up other cameras too, but I’m not going to.

So I’m going to scroll over here so you can see the rest of these settings. You can set up a snapshot. I have push notifications enabled to the mobile app. If I wanted to, I could trigger alarm outputs either on the NVR or alarm outputs on any of the IP cameras that I have connected to the NVR. And then I have the buzzer alarm on the NVR enabled. I can setup a pop up message and trigger an email alert if I wanted to. So when I’m done, I click Apply. And X out of those settings and now I’m back at the live security camera view.

Let’s take a quick look at the Arduino code, just to go over the variables that need to be configured and a basic understanding of how this works from the programming side. So the first thing at the top of this sketch is the wi fi user ID and password. The Arduino ESP8266 board that I used has built in Wi-Fi and I’m using that to connect to the network so that I can connect to the Viewtron NVR. You’ll need to change that server IP variable to the local IP address of your Viewtron NVR. You can get that from the network settings page right on the NVR. And the default server port is 80 and then the endpoint URL, this is the URL of the HTTP post. The only thing you might need to change here is that that number 17 on the end of the URL endpoint. The 16 channel Viewtron NVR that I was using has 16 physical alarm ports.

So virtual alarm port number one is alarm port 17. And then the user ID and password, that’s just your standard user ID and password that you log into your NVR with. And then you don’t need to change it, but just so you see how it works, that XML payload variable, that’s the XML that’s sent into that URL from the application that triggers the virtual alarm.

Guys, I hope this video has been helpful. This virtual alarm feature and the application programming interface that’s available on the Viewtron NVRs is extremely powerful. I mean this lets you integrate any third party system that can send a webhook out to an endpoint. It allows you to integrate with all kinds of devices and systems that communicate over IP networks. Before starting CCTV Camera Pros with Greg almost 20 years ago, I did software engineering for about 10 years and I do like to get in and tinker with with software code still and these types of projects really get me fired up. I’ll be doing more testing with this as there’s opportunities to integrate other types of devices with the Viewtron NVRs. I definitely want to make more examples. I’ve been researching so far and things like, you know, smart door locks and things like that seem to be a really great fit to be able to bookmark anytime a door lock opens, (is unlocked or locked) on a centralized place on the NVR or you may want to trigger recording on the camera that faces that door.

There’s tons of scenarios like that that I’m really excited to get into. Anyways, if you have any questions about the viewtron virtual alarm feature or anything related to security camera systems in general, if you need help with a system design or really anything, you could reach out to me anytime. I could be reached via email at mike@viewtron.com. I’m going to post all the code for this little Arduino project and also the Python script that I wrote, I’m going to put that on GitHub and I’ll link to it in the blog post that I’m going to make. If you want to jump directly to that blog post at any time and learn more about this, you can. You could go to www.viewtron.com/valarm. Thank you for watching.

The post Viewtron Security Camera Alarm API for Systems Integration first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Viewtron AI security cameras can trigger many different types of actions when an alarm is triggered. For example, you can trigger video recording and a push notification to the mobile app when a person is detected intruding in a certain area of your property. But what if you only want to trigger alarms during certain times? You can setup custom schedules for each of your Viewtron AI cameras. Watch the above video and follow the below setup instructions to setup a custom alarm schedule.

Please note that the setup documented in these instructions are with the Viewtron AI security camera connected to a Viewtron NVR. All of the setup is done on the NVR.

Custom Alarm Schedule Setup on Viewtron NVR

Select Settings from the start menu in the lower left.

From the main settings screen, click on the AI / Event link.

Click on the AI Event link on the left hand menu. Then, select the security camera that you want to configure in the Camera Name field. These instructions assume that you have already configured your AI event, such as Regional Intrusion or Line Crossing detection. If you need help setting up the AI event that you want to use, please refer to these videos first.

• Viewtron AI Security Camera: Human Detection / Intrusion Detection Setup
• Viewtron AI Security Camera: Line Crossing Detection Setup

Click on the Manage button next to the alarm schedule.

On the Schedule Management screen, click on the Add button in the upper right.

On the Edit Schedule screen, enter a name for the custom schedule the Schedule Name field. Then, click and drag across the time line for each day to setup the time schedule. If the schedule will be the same for multiple days or all days, you can use the Copy To function to copy the schedule from one day to the other. Click the Apply button when done.

Now the custom schedule that you created will be available in the Schedule dropdown box. You can select it and press the Apply button. This applies the custom schedule to this security cameras alarm schedule. You can select additional cameras from the Camera Name select box at the top. Press Apply for each that you configure. Then. close the settings screen when you are done by clicking on the X in the upper right.

Viewtron AI Security Camera Video Demos

You can find all of our video demos for Viewtron AI security cameras here.

Viewtron AI Cameras

You can find all of our Viewtron AI security cameras on this page.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about Viewtron security camera systems, you can contact me at mike@viewtron.com. Me and the team at CCTV Camera Pros are also available for free phone consultations. We design custom security camera systems for home, business, and government.

Video Transcript

Here is a text transcript of the video at the top of this page.

Hi guys. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. In this video I’m going to show you how to set up a custom alarm schedule for Viewtron AI security cameras. So I’m going to use the Viewtron alarm security camera that you see behind me. It’s the turret dome camera that you see on the left, not that pan tilt zoom camera. And those cameras have a built in alarm light that can flash when an object is detected. And it also has a speaker that can play a custom alarm sound or a custom warning message. And I already uploaded a custom message to that camera a while back.

You do that by inserting a micro SD card and then you can upload again custom alarm sounds or a voice message. So lately we’ve had some trouble out here. This is the entrance to our office here in Lantana, Florida. And we’ve had some homeless people that are sleeping here at night, which at first wasn’t a big deal, but they started making a mess here, leaving all kinds of garbage. And then they started going to the bathroom in the bushes over here. So that’s when we drew the line and said that this can’t go on anymore. So what I did was I set up an intrusion zone in this area here that will play the warning, the warning message that I uploaded and also turn the alarm light on. But I obviously don’t want that to be triggered during business hours.

I only want to go off like after 8 o’ clock at night and up until about 5:30 in the morning. And it’s worked really good. So let’s go back onto the Viewtron NVR. That camera, along with all the other IP cameras here are connected to a Viewtron NVR. And all the setup that I’m about to show you is done on the Viewtron NVR. Let’s take a look and you’ll see how it’s done.

Here’s the live view of the security camera on the Viewtron NVR. And I’m gonna select Settings here from the menu in the lower left and then click on AI Event. I click AI Event again on the left. And then this is where the intrusion detection is set up for this camera. So the regional intrusion you see is enabled. And I have this region set up here for the intrusion detection. And I have it set to people only. Obviously in this area there’s no vehicles.

But this is the important part. Up here is where you could set the custom schedule. And I already set up one called Night. But I’m going to go in and manage to show you what I did. So if you were adding a new custom schedule here, you’d click this add button in the upper right. I’m just going to edit the one that I already created and clear out the settings and then you could just click and drag across each day of the week for the time frame that you want the alarm schedule enabled. In my case, I want it the same time every day of the week. So I’m just going to copy those settings to all days and then when you close this menu, the custom schedule option will now be in this drop down box here.

So I’m going to set mine back to night and click Apply for this particular camera. I have mobile app push notifications set up, then the IP camera’s audio and light to come on. So I click Apply there and then the last thing I want to show you is we are setting up a custom audio message. So if you go into audio, this is where you could select the custom message that you want played on that camera and then you could set the audio to the same night schedule. That’s all optional because I’m specifically setting up a voice alarm for this camera, but the custom alarm schedule applies to any of those settings and it’s on a per camera basis.

Guys, I hope this video has been helpful. These Viewtron AI security cameras are extremely flexible. All that configuration that I just showed you that’s configurable by camera. So each of your cameras can have its own schedule for the human detection and or vehicle detection, whether or not it sends a push notification or just triggers recording. Or you might want to trigger some external sensor that you have connected to the alarm relays on the back of the NVR. There’s so much you could do with these things and each camera is individually configurable on its own schedule. If you have any questions related to our Viewtron AI cameras or anything related to security camera systems for home, business or government, you could reach out to me anytime. I could be reached via email at mike@viewtron.com. If you want to learn more about these Viewtron AI security cameras and the NVRs that you connect them to, please visit www.viewtron.com/AI.

Thank you for watching.

The post Viewtron AI Security Cameras: Custom Alarm Schedule first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

The Viewtron IP-C4 wireless IP camera works great with Viewtron hybrid CCTV DVRs. This is because Viewtron DVRs are compatible with IP cameras, in addition to analog CCTV and HD over coax security cameras. As a matter of fact, the only major type of security camera that does not work with Viewtron hybrid DVRs is HD-SDI format cameras, which are rare.

IP-C4 Wireless Security Camera DVR Setup

Follow these instructions to setup the Viewtron IP-C4 wireless security camera with your Viewtron DVR. Please note that these instructions also work for Viewtron IP camera NVRs.

There are two methods for connecting the Viewtron wireless camera to your router.

• Wireless Setup Method 1: WPS WIFI Connection
• Wireless Setup Method 2: Manual WIFI Connection

Both method require that you connect your DVR to your network router. Please note that you can also connect the DVR to a network switch that is connected to your wireless router.

Step 1: Connect DVR to Network Router

If you have not already connected your DVR or NVR to your network, you should do this first. Connect your DVR to your network router or switch with a CAT5E or CAT6 network cable. The RJ-45 network port is located on the back of the DVR as seen above. Viewtron DVRs and NVR do not have built-in wireless capability. You must connect the DVR to a network that has a wireless access point. The most common way this is done is by connecting the DVR to one of the hard wired ports on a wireless router.

This is what a typical home or small business network setup looks like. The CCTV cameras are hard wired to the DVR with coax cable. The DVR or NVR or hard wired to a wireless router with CAT5e or CAT6 cable.

Wireless Setup Method 1: WPS Router Setup

If your network router supports WPS, you can follow the instructions in this section. If your router does not support WPS or you can not get the connection working via WPS, then skip to the next section, labeled Wireless Setup Method 2.

The Viewtron IP-C4 includes a 12V DC power supply. Connect the power supply to the back of your camera and plug in to a power outlet. It will take the camera about a minute to fully boot up.

On the back of the camera, there is a reset button / pin. This reset button is also used to connect the camera via WPS. You can use a paper clip or very small screw driver to press this when ready. You must press the WPS on your router first though.

IMPORTANT NOTE: pressing this button in for more than 3 seconds will reset the camera to the factory default settings. To connect WPS, you use a quick / one second press.

Follow these steps to connect the wireless camera to your WIFI router via WPS.

1. Press the WPS button on your router, this will enable WPS connections on your router for a few minutes. For some routers, it is enables for 2 seconds. Check the manual for your specific model to know for sure.
2. After you press the WPS button on your router, quick press the reset button on the Viewtron IP-C4 within 1-2 minutes. Remember to press the reset button on the IP camera only for one second for the WPSS function.

If your camera successfully connects to your wireless network, the camera’s status light will flash blue. Your camera is now accessible to your Viewtron DVR / NVR and you can skip ahead to the section labeled “Add Wireless Camera to DVR”.

Wireless Setup Method 2: Manual WIFI Connection

Follow the instructions in this section if your router does not support WPS or you could not successfully connect via WPS.

Connect IP Camera to Network (Hard Wired First)

In order to manually setup the wireless connection, you must first hard wire the Viewtron IP-C4 to your network. In the above image, I connected our Viewtron IP-C4 to a PoE switch. If you do not have a PoE switch on your network, you can also connect the IP-C4 to one of the ports on the back of your wireless router. However, most routers network ports are not PoE (power over Ethernet), so you will also need to plug your camera in using the 12V DC power supply provided.

Locate your IP Camera on your Network

Now that your camera is connected to your network, you must locate it’s IP address so that you can log into it via a web browser. You can use your DVR or NVR to locate the IP camera’s IP address.

On your Viewtron DVR, click on settings from the button menu. Then, click on the Add Camera link.

The DVR will search the local network for all IP cameras. You can see at the top of the list above is our Viewtron IP-C4. You can see the local IP address. After you note the IP address, you can close this screen by clicking on the Cancel button. We are not going to add the camera to the DVR until it is connected over the wireless connection, in case the IP address changes.

Log into IP Camera in a Web Browser

Using a Windows or Mac PC that is on the same network as your DVR and IP camera, type the IP address of your IP camera into the web browsers address bar. Then, enter the default User Name and Password for your IP camera. The default Name is “admin”. The default password is “123456”. You may be required to change these when you first login. Please make note of the new password if you change it,.

Once you are logged it the camera, click on the Config tab in the upper right. Then, click on the WIFI link in the Network section.

On the WIFI security camera configuration screen, do the following.

1. Click on the Enable check box.
2. Click on the Search button to search the area for all available wireless networks.
3. Select the wireless network that you want the wireless camera to connect to.
4. Enter the wireless network Key / Password and click on the Test button to test the connection.

Scroll down lower on the screen.

Lower on the screen, you will see a section where you can 1) enable a static IP address and 2) Save the WIFI settings.

You do not want the IP address of the camera to change every time you plug it in somewhere because the DVR will not be able to connect to it. You can either specify the static IP address here on the camera or you can reserve the IP address on your router. The process is different depending on the make and model of your router and we can not document all of them. However, it is my preferred method for reserving an IP address for a device.

If you do not know how to reserve an IP address for the camera on your router, then select “Use the following IP Address radio button and fill in the IP address of the camera. Leave the Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0. You may need to change the Gateway IP address to match the range of the IP camera. For example, if your IP camera is in the 192.168.0 range, then you most likely need to set the Gateway to 192.168.0.1. You can set the Preferred DNR Server to the same IP address as the Gateway. The Alternate DNS Server can be set to 8.8.8.8.

Click on the Save button when done.

You can now disconnect the camera from the hard wired connection to your network and disconnect the power supply.

Connect IP Camera to Power

The Viewtron IP-C4 includes a 12V DC power supply. Connect the power supply to the back of your camera and plug in to a power outlet. It will take the camera about a minute to fully boot up.

If your camera successfully connects to your wireless network, the camera’s status light will flash blue. Your WIFI security camera is now accessible to your Viewtron DVR / NVR.

Add Wireless Camera to DVR

Now you can add the camera to your DVR.

On your Viewtron DVR, click on settings from the button menu. Then, click on the Add Camera link.

The DVR will search the local network for all IP cameras. You can see at the top of the list above is our Viewtron IP-C4. Click on the checkbox next to the camera that you are adding to the DVR. Then, click on the Add button on the bottom of the screen.

IMPORTANT NOTE: if you changed the password of your IP camera, your DVR will not be able to connect to it.

To fix this, click on Settings again and this time select Edit Camera.

On the Edit Camera screen, you will see that the IP camera is “Offline”. Click on the Pencil Edit icon.

On the Edit Camera screen, enter the correct password. Then click Test to test the connection. If successful, click on the save button.

Close the settings screen and return to the live security camera view on the DVR. You can now see a live video display of the wireless camera.

Additional WIFI Security Camera Features

The Viewtron IP-C4 supports the following important features. You can learn more about the Viewtron IP-C4 here.

• 4 Megapixel HD Video Quality
• Smart Detection / Smart Motion Detection Support
• Micro SD Card Slot for Local Storage
• Infrared Night Vision
• Two Way Audio from Mobile App
• Remote Viewing from Mobile App and Desktop Software
• Built-in Microphone

This camera is great for business and home security.

Mobile App for Wireless Security Camera

Most of our customers want to setup the mobile app for iPhone and Android so that they can view their security cameras remotely. You can find the setup instructions for the mobile app here. You can watch a bunch of video demos using the mobile app here.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about setting up the Viewtron wireless camera for CCTV DVRs or IP camera NVRs, you can email me at mike@viewtron.com. You can also email me with any additional questions and if you need help with a system design or consultation.

Related Security Camera Products and Pages

• Smart Motion Detection Security Camera Reduces False Alarms
• Infrared Night Vision Security Cameras
• Two Way Audio Setup for Viewtron Security Cameras
• Pan Tilt Zoom Cameras with AI Smart Features
• Remote Viewing Setup for Mobile App

Video Transcription

Here is a text transcript of the video on the top of this page.

Hey guys. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. In this video I’m going to show you how to set up our wireless security camera with a CCTV DVR, specifically our Viewtron Hybrid DVR. So, typically you can’t use wireless security cameras with analog DVRs, because wireless cameras are IP cameras and most analog DVRs don’t work with IP cameras. But the Viewtron Hybrid DVR, I have one right over here. In addition to being compatible with all the main BNC video formats and video resolutions, it also works with IP cameras up to 4K resolution. And we have this really nice 4 megapixel cube camera. It’s the Viewtron IP-C4 that you can use either hardwired, it has built in POE, or, or it has built in WIFI and you can connect it over a wireless network.

And this is a layout of how it works. So all your BNC cameras are hardwired to the DVR just like a traditional CCTV DVR. And the DVR has to be connected to your wireless router or on the network with a wireless access point. And then when you connect the Viewtron IP-C4 over WIFI, now that camera is on the same network as the DVR and the DVR can connect to it. And I’ll show you how that’s done in a minute. For people that have an existing CCTV camera system and that want to do this, you will need to upgrade to a Viewtron Hybrid DVR, which there’s other benefits. It’ll work with all your existing legacy CCTV cameras and, and you could start upgrading those to HD-over-Coax cameras up to 4K. And then you can also use Viewtron hardwired IP cameras and this Viewtron wireless IP camera.

But your network router or your access point has to support 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band. This does not work with, with 5 GHz. And one of the ways that you can have this connect to your network is using WPS. WPS stands for Wireless Protected Setup. And if your wireless router has that, it’ll have a WPS button on it that you can click and then for like two or three minutes, it enables you to connect WPS compliant devices to it. So in the case of the Viewtron IP camera, the little reset pin on the back, you just click that once quickly. Don’t hold it in because that resets the firmware. You just hold it for one second and then it would automatically connect to your wireless router. That’s the easiest way to do it.

But not the way I’m going to go over in detail in this video. I’m going to go over the more typical way, which is a bit more manual. To set this up, you have to hardwire the camera to your network at first. So I have this hardwired to this POE switch. The POE switch is connected to our router. So it’s on the same network as the Viewtron DVR. So, this is already fired up and I have it running over here.

And the first thing that you need to do after you log in is go into config. My login timed out, so let me log back in. If you click on the Config tab and then under Network, click on WIFI. You have to check this Enable wireless network button here. And then you could search the area for all the wireless access points. Then you simply just click on the one that you want to use, and then you enter in the wireless password key down here and you can click Test to make sure that it’s able to connect to that network. It says test successful, so we are good to go.

So if I click Save now, this camera is configured to connect to the wireless network here in the office. Before we move on, another thing that you may want to do at this point that I recommend is changing the camera to the static IP in the camera’s firmware or reserving this static IP for it on your router. That way, if you unplug this and put it somewhere else when it connects to your network, it’ll always connect to that same IP address and the DVR will connect with no interruption. The DVR will just connect right back up. But if that IP changes, you have to redo some of this. So you’ll want to change to a static IP address from the obtain IP address automatically setting. Okay, so once this is able to connect, you click Save here and then now you can unplug the camera from the hardwired network connection.

And then you can use the power supply that’s included with the camera and you can drop this anywhere in the office now and plug it in to power. And then it will connect up to the network. So I’m going to let that boot up. It takes a couple minutes. And then I’m going to show you how to add this camera to the Viewtron DVR. While that’s booting up, I’ll go over a couple other things.

So again, once this works, you can plug this in to power and use it on demand. So this is this is an indoor wireless IP camera. This is not really meant for outdoor use. Though I’ve used it in my covered patio before. But it’s completely protected from rain and moisture. You can’t have this exposed. It’s really an indoor camera. And wireless cameras, if you’re using an indoor wireless access point, they’re really only going to connect to connect good to a outdoor camera.

What is this used for? One of the ways I use it is every now and then, if we’re going out for a while and we want to keep an eye on our cat, we can plunk it down by the area she is that she hangs out. Or if we put her in her cage, we call it a nest, and we just want to keep an eye on her, it’s great as a pet camera. If you have an elderly person that you’re taking care of in your home, it makes a great nanny cam because you could put it in your loved one’s room or in the living room where they are. You can use more than one of these just to keep an eye on them when you’re away. If you have a caregiver that comes into your house and you want to make sure that they’re doing things that they’re supposed to and not doing things they’re not supposed to do. And again, just keeping an eye on the safety of your loved one, it makes for a great nanny cam. We have people use this at vacation homes when they’re not there.

If they want some extra protection and they want to be able to remotely log into their house, just check on things. It’s great for vacation homes. When it’s not there, unplug it, put it away. When you leave for an extended period of time, just plug it in and put it where you want it. It’ll just automatically connect back up. You could use it to monitor workers in your home. Let’s say you’re having bathroom or a kitchen remodeled and you need to step out. You’re just not always there and you want to keep an eye on these workers when you’re not there, that’s a great use case right there.

If there’s a problem area of your home where you have fixed a leak recently and you want to, when you’re away, peek in and make sure everything is good to go, that’s another use case. Okay, so it’s, it’s now booted up. It’s connected to the wireless network. And I’m going to switch the TV display over now. I’m going to make the wireless camera connect to the DVR over here. On the Viewtron DVR, I don’t have any cameras connected to this DVR right now. So if you go into Settings and then go into Add Camera. On this Add Camera screen, it scans the network for all of the IP cameras that it can find. So these are all the Viewtron IP cameras that are installed at our office and we have a bunch of them.

But at the very top is the Viewtron WIFI security camera. So I’m going to check the box next to that and click Add. So one other thing that you’ll need to do is if you go back into Settings and go into Edit Camera, you’ll need to change the password to whatever your camera’s password is. I changed the default password on mine, so I’m going to change it to what I changed it to. And I’m going to click Test to make sure that it can connect test successful. So then I’ll click ok. And this offline status should change to Online here in a few seconds after it syncs up. Now it’s online.

So I then close out the setting screen and then there it is. There’s the live view, there’s the full screen view of the camera. So now whenever I want to use this, I can simply just plug it in at any location that’s within the range of our wireless router and it’ll automatically connect up to the DVR. So it’s very typical to have a hardwired CCTV camera system in place and then use this on demand as needed. Just plug it in. Or if you have some location that you never ran BNC cable to inside the house, which is typical. Usually people don’t have BNC cables run inside their house. You could just put this on a shelf or a desktop anywhere.

Guys, if you have any questions in regards to setting up this Viewtron wireless security camera with our Viewtron Hybrid DVRs, it obviously also works with the network recorders (NVRs) that we have for the IP cameras. You can reach out to me anytime. I can be reached at mike@viewtron.com. If you want to learn more about the Viewtron Hybrid DVRs that work with this, you can go to www.viewtron.com/DVR. If you want to learn more about the Viewtron wireless camera, it’s the Viewtron IP-C4. That’s the model number. You can go to www.viewtron.com/C4. Thank you for watching.

The post Viewtron Wireless Camera for CCTV DVR Setup first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

After years of telling customers not use LPR cameras for home installations, I put the Viewtron LPR-IP4 to the test at my own house and the results changed my mind.

Introduction: Challenging Conventional LPR Camera Wisdom

Over the years, countless homeowners have asked me if they can use our license plate recognition (LPR) cameras to record license plates on cars passing by the front of their house. These customers wanted to mount the LPR camera on the front of their house, as you would a traditional security camera that is monitoring your property. My answer, over and over again, has always been no—and for good reason. LPR cameras have much more strict installation requirements than traditional cameras, and most houses just can’t meet them.

Last year, I decided to put our new Viewtron LPR-IP4 to the home-use test myself. Can license plate capture and / or automatic license plate recognition actually work if the camera is installed on the front of a house?  The results genuinely surprised me, and I think theyâ€ll surprise you too.

Viewtron LPR Camera System with NVR

This is the license plate capture system that I used in my testing at home. Please note that I have an 8ch Viewtron NVR installed at my house because I have additional Viewtron AI security cameras installed to monitor my entire yard. I have a total of six security cameras installed on my house.

Challenges With LPR Camera Installation

First, a little background. LPR cameras have strict installation requirements when compared to typical “overview security cameras”. In order to work well, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Mount as low as possible – ideally level with the height of typical license plate on a car which is typically 24 to 36 inches from ground level.
• Minimal both horizontal and vertical angles – in addition to mounting low to the ground, the offsite to the side of the road should also be minimized. The smaller the horizontal and vertical angle to the plate detection area, the more accurate license plate capture and automatic license plate recognition is.
• Proximity to the detection area – check the maximum effective distance of your LPR camera. Our Viewtron LPR-IP4 is effective up to 100 feet. Though we have tested further than that and it still works in some cases for license plate capture, but not automatic license plate recognition. You can learn about the difference between license plate capture vs automatic license plate recognition here.

When homeowners ask to mount an LPR camera on their house, itâ€s usually much higher and set far from the road—conditions I always considered a non-starter for LPR technology. Until now, we’ve told folks theyâ€d be disappointed with the results and recommended against it.

These have always been tough requirements for a home installation unless you do not live in an association and can install a pole close to the road that you love on. Then, even if you can install a pole, running cable to the pole is a whole other challenge.

Putting the Viewtron LPR-IP4 to the Test

Determined to prove (or disprove) my own advice, I temporarily installed the Viewtron LPR-IP4 on the front of my house. This testing allowed for evaluation of the camera’s performance in a typical home environment. Here’s how:

• I mounted the LPR camera on the front of my house above the garage door,  9 feet, 4 inches above the ground—much higher than ideal for an LPR application.
• My home sits 35 feet back from the road. This creates a horizontal angle much greater than what is recommended for LPR.
• The road itself isnâ€t perfectly straight; it curves gently in front of the house, but not dramatically. However, the plate detection area is setup before the road curves.
• I angled the camera as far down the road as possible to minimize the angle between the camera and the license plate detection area, and then zoomed the lens in as far as possible. The Viewtron LPR-IP4 has an 8-32mm motorized zoom lens.
• The actual detection zone was 110 feet away from the camera—beyond our typical recommendations for the Viewtron automatic license plate recognition software.

Honestly, my whole plan was to show everyone exactly why you shouldnâ€t do this. I thought it would be a perfect demonstration of poor LPR performance. But to my surprise, the camera performed exceptionally well!

LPR Camera Home Installation

This is the location where I installed the Viewtron LPR camera above my garage door.

My house sits 35 feet back from the edge of the road.

LPR Detection Area

To minimize the horizontal angle to the license plate detection area as much as possible, I angled the camera down the street, to the right. Florida license plates are only required on the rear of vehicles, so my best chance at capturing plates was on the lane on the right (closest to the house).

Please also note that the road in front of my house does start to turn shortly after my detection zone. I believe this helped with the angle of view a bit. Though, we do have customers now that have Viewtron LPR cameras installed on their house and the road is 100% parallel to the front of their house (no curve).

The Surprising—and Successful—Test Results

When I started reviewing the surveillance footage on the Viewtron network video recorder (NVR), the results really surprised me. Both daytime and nighttime license plate capture was crystal clear. The numbers and characters on the plates were easy to read. AND, the ALPR software was detecting plates a lot of the time. ALPR stands for automatic license plate recognition.

Daytime License Plate Recognition

Here is a screenshot of one of the license plate recognition events from daytime recording. You can click on the above image to open a higher resolution screenshot so that you can see the license plate better.

Here is a close-up view of the day time license plate capture.

Night Time License Plate Recognition

Here is a screenshot of the night time license plate recording. Please also notice the timeline on the right hand side of the video playback screen. All of the license plate recognition events are notated with a light blue color so that you can easily jump to other LPR events on the video playback screen.

Here is a zoomed in view of the night time plate capture.

Automatic License Plate Recognition Software Integration with NVR

Viewtron NVRs are 100% integrated with the ALPR software on these Viewtron LPR cameras. Setting up to plate detection zone and adjusting the motorozed zoom lens of the camera can all be done from the NVR.

One of the strengths of our Viewtron system I want to highlight is how easy it is to review LPR footage. With the analytics, I can pull up every plate detected, jump straight to recorded video, and scrub through events by color-coded markers. Itâ€s simple and intuitive, a feature every homeowner will appreciate if they need to look back at an incident quickly. The user interface allows you to:

• Filter for just license plate recognition events.
• See thumbnail previews of plates that were captured.
• Click on an event, jump straight to playback, and zoom in on the plate in question.
• License plate recognition events are color coded on the video player timeline.

A Few Caveats and Words of Caution Regarding Home LPR

Now, does this mean everyone can mount an LPR camera on their house and expect flawless results? Not quite:

• The slight curve in my road may have helped minimize the detection angle. If your street is perfectly straight and perpendicular to your home, your results may vary.
• Every property is different. Factors like distance, height, mounting options, and road layout all impact the final outcome.
• It pays to test your specific scenario. If youâ€re thinking about this for your own home, try before you buy if possible—or at least consult with us.

Updating My Recommendations: Home LPR Is Now Worth Considering

After this real-world test, the team at CCTV Camera Pros modified the advice that we give to homeowners regarding LPR cameras. Clearly, the new capabilities of the Viewtron LPR-IP4 make it practical for a lot more residential installs than I thought possible.

We used to push back on these requests because the tech just wasnâ€t there. But with this test, we have revisited our guidelines. Is it going to work in every home scenario? No. But if youâ€ve got a setup similar to mine, thereâ€s a good chance youâ€ll be pleased.

Additional LPR Video Demos

You can check out all of our license plate capture and LPR camera videos here.

Video Transcript

Hey, guys. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. In this video, I’m going to discuss the challenges around using an LPR camera for home use. And then I’m going to show you the amazing results that I’ve had with our Viewtron LPR camera that I installed on my house last year with capturing license plates on cars passing in front of my house. We’re going to discuss a lot of concepts in this video, so it might be a bit long, but stay with me. You’re going to learn everything you’ll need to know if you’re considering installing a license plate recognition camera at your house. Actually, the concepts in this video are applicable to commercial use as well. So let’s start with some basics here.

So that’s one of our Viewtron LPR cameras behind me, and I’m at the office right now. We have this mounted on a pole behind our warehouse. And you’ll notice that the camera is mounted very low to the ground. And you’ll also notice that the offset from the road here is. Is not that great. It’s mounted pretty close to the road. So with license plate recognition cameras, ideally, you want to mount them as level to the license plate detection zone as possible. License plates on cars and trucks are typically between 24 and 36 inches off the ground.

And that camera’s mounted about 4ft off the ground, so just a little bit higher than the top of that range. And then you don’t want the horizontal axis to be offset too much. That’s why it’s mounted close to the road. And that’s challenging in a home installation setting. Right? Because for a home security camera system, you’re almost always mounting the cameras on your house. Your house is set back from the road, and the front of your house is parallel to the road. So the angle is terrible, typically. And we’ve been telling people for years that you really can’t use license plate recognition cameras on homes.

And that was true for many years. We’ve been selling LPR Cameras for almost 20 years at CCTV Camera Pros. And until the advent of these more modern cameras like this 4 megapixel Viewtron LPR, it just wasn’t possible. And I didn’t think it was possible. Even last year when I first installed it on my house, I actually made that video to show people that it wouldn’t work. And it did. Here’s why.

So first of all, on my house, the front of my house is set back through 35ft from the road, not even close to Ideal for license plate recognition. And then of course, I don’t want to mount the camera low on my house. It’s mounted 9 feet, 4 inches off the ground, like a typical height that you’d put above your garage door that you see here. And again, you can’t just point the camera straight out to the road because the plates are not going to be visible. So with the, with the motorized zoom lens on the Viewtron LPR-IP4, it has an 8-32 millimeter lens. So what I did was I pointed the camera down the street, I angled it way down the street and then zoomed in the lens. The license plate detection zone is about 110ft from where the camera is mounted on my house. And then I zoom the lens in to minimize that horizontal angle.

But again, at 9 feet 4 inches, the vertical angle is not good either. And I didn’t expect the results to be good. Watch this video that I’m going to. I’m going to switch now to the playback on the Viewtron NVR to show you the daytime and the nighttime license plate recognition that this camera was able to get on my house. And, and I did this like a year and a half ago. And since then, we’ve sold these Viewtron LPR systems to a lot of homeowners whose house is all from their home, is also parallel to the road, and they’ve had amazing success. So we’re very confident now that this can work for homeowners as long as you have a clear view down your street and you can angle the camera like I did on my house. But check out these results.

Stay with me because I’m going to go over some other important things to consider after this demo. Take a look. Here’s the live view on the Viewtron NVR that the LPR camera and my other IP cameras are connected to. This is the Viewtron LPR camera right here. So I want to search for all the license plate recognition events. I do that by selecting Intelligent analytics from this menu on the left. And then on the Intelligent analytics screen, I’m going to select Vehicle. I’ll leave the date as today. And I only want to search the Viewtron LPR camera for events. So I’ll select that.

And then the type of event is plate detection and license plate recognition. When I’m done, I click on this search button and now it’s querying the database for all the license plate detection and license plate recognition events. So it shows a thumbnail image of the plates that were captured. And. And then you’ll see down below the number plate recognition. So if I check off one of these events and select playback, that’ll start the video surveillance recording at that moment in time. And I’ll zoom into the license plate here and you can see it’s crystal clear. So when I’m done, I’m going to click exit and I’ll go back to the event search screen again.

And I want to pull up an event now that was when it was dark out. So I’ll go to like very early this morning when before the sun was up. And I’ll select one of the nighttime license plate recognition events by checking the box on the thumbnail and then selecting playback again. Went a little too far there. So I’m going to back that up. You could use these video controls down here, obviously to go in forward and reverse and then speed up the video. So I’ll pause it again and zoom in. You can see that the nighttime license plate recognition is even better than the daytime.

That is crystal clear. Another thing I want to show you is when you have the playback screen open, you can jump to any of the license plate recognition events by using this timeline over here. The license plate recognition events are annotated in that like light aqua blue color. So I’ll just pull up one more here and pause it again and zoom in on the plate. And you could see another excellent nighttime license plate recognition event captured right there. When I’m done, I can exit out of the video playback screen down here and I’ll close that search screen and I’m back at the live view of the LPR camera and we’ll go back to that six camera view that we started out. Here’s the live view of my home system.

Guys, as you just saw, the results of the license plate recognition that I was doing at my house are pretty amazing. Although my house is set back 35ft from the road and I mounted the camera over 9ft high by angling this Viewtron LPR down the street, zooming that lens in. It really works great. But here’s some other important concepts to consider. So let’s talk about license plate capture versus license plate recognition. The term license plate capture is the ability of the camera to record video clear enough so that when you go back and review footage, you can read the plate clearly. A human can review footage and see the license plate.

That’s license plate capture, OK. And then there’s automated license plate recognition (ALPR) software, which is what’s built into these Viewtron LPR cameras. That’s what can automatically detect the node numbers and letters on the plate, compare them to a database of plates if you want, and you could do access control and all kinds of other things. Not typically applicable both to a home installation, but very applicable to commercial homeowners associations with gate access control and those types of things. And the automatic license plate recognition could also just log all those plates to a database. So you can very easily, like you saw in the video, see a thumbnail image of all the plates that were captured. Now, license plate capture is easier than automatic license plate recognition. So for LPR for home use, it’s much more realistic to capture the plates than it is to automatically log all of the alphanumeric characters automatically. I want to set reasonable expectation here.

Don’t expect the automatic license plate recognition software in these Cameras to work 100% when you install this on a home like mine. Like this, it’s work as good as this one in a more ideal installation with it mounted low and not too far offset from the road. But most homeowners don’t need the automatic license plate recognition. They just need to be able to go back and see clearly what plates were passing by their house. So that’s usually not an issue. License plate capture is, is extremely reliable when installing these on a home. Like I was showing here in this video. I just don’t want people to think they’re going to capture every plate automatically and log to a database when you install this way.

That that’s not realistic. It works a lot. It’s working good at my home, but it’s not nearly, you know, the 99-100% that we get in these commercial applications when it’s installed way more ideally. Guys, I want to mention a couple other things before we wrap up. I was just about ready to publish this video and thought let me get with James and pick his brain a little bit just to make sure I’m not over simplifying this and making it seem easier than it is. James is my nephew. He’s been doing tech support with us for over 15 years and he does a lot of our license plate recognition tech support. So he deals with this stuff every day.

And so first off, you’ll notice in the video that, that the front of my house is parallel to the road I’m on, like a typical single family home. But there is a slight curve just after that license plate detection zone and that might be helping me a little bit. Although the detection zone is 110ft out and the road doesn’t really start curving yet. It just barely does right there. That probably is helping me a little bit in my situation. Also, some states have both rear and front license plates and some just have rear plates. So James mentioned that we’ve had a lot more success.

Like for example, the way I pointed my camera to the right. Getting rear license plates because they’re on the side of the street, close from my house. That would be much easier than getting a front plate that’s on the other side of the street because you’re just creating more distance and more angle. So he wanted me to add a bit of caution there. Also, the setbacks of homes is different. So my house is set back 35ft from where I mounted the camera to the edge of the road. Not the middle of the road, but. But where the road starts is 35ft away.

Some houses are less because there’s no sidewalk. So your house might be set back 30 feet, you’ll be in better shape than me for license plate recognition. But some houses are more. If your house is set back 45, 50, 60ft, that’s going to become more and more difficult. So you may want to measure from where you’re going to mount the camera on your house to where the road begins and let us know. We can, we can help you with this.

If you want to get front and rear plates, you. You may need two LPR cameras, one going in one direction and, the other in the other direction. You may want to try one first because maybe you can get both front and rear plates on both lanes with one LPR camera. There could be some trial and error with this, so I just want to mention it’s not a slam dunk. These are not ideal situations for license plate recognition to mount an LPR camera on a home. But the Viewtron LPR is a great solution. And along with our outstanding technical support that we provide for free with all the equipment that we supply, I believe we can give you your best chance at successful license plate recognition in a home installation. Guys, if you have any question about license plate cameras for your home, business or government, we’ve helped thousands of customers over the years with our Viewtron LPR camera system.

You can reach out to me anytime for questions. I can be reached at mike@viewtron.com. You can bounce your entire scenario off me. The setback of your house, you know, if it’s front plates and rear plates, making sure there’s no obstructions where you need to angle the camera down.I can log into Google Maps and take a look. We do this every day. It’s not a problem. Email me anytime. mike@viewtron.com. If you want to see additional video demos of our Viewtron LPR camera in action.

I go over all the operations of it. Playback, daytime recording, nighttime recording. I’ve been making videos using this system for quite a while now. Just go to www.viewtron.com/LPR. Thank you for watching!

Have Questions / Want to have a Free Phone Consultation?

If you have any questions or want to schedule a phone consultation, please email me at mike@viewtron.com.

The post LPR Camera for Home: Viewtron LPR-IP4 Surpasses Expectations first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

If you are deciding whether to purchase a security camera DVR or NVR, you should watch his video first to understand the differences. Please note that the concepts discussed in this video apply to most other DVRs and NVRs on the market, however the video was made to help CCTV Camera Pros customers that are deciding between a Viewtron hybrid DVR and Viewtron IP camera NVR.

If you have an existing DVR camera system with coax cable in place, this article will help you deciding whether you should upgrade to a Viewtron hybrid DVR and continue to use your existing coax cable and cameras, or if you should pull new network cable and migrate to an all IP camera system with a Viewtron NVR.

What is the Difference Between a DVR and NVR?

Let’s get some basics out of the way first and understand the difference between a DVR  and NVR. To make an informed choice between DVR and NVR systems, itâ€s important to understand what each acronym means and the type of cameras and cables each system uses.

What is a DVR?

DVR stands for Digital Video Recorder. These systems are almost always associated with CCTV cameras (also called BNC cameras). DVRs connect to cameras using coaxial cables (commonly called “coax cable”) with BNC connectors. Each camera is wired directly to the DVR via a dedicated coax line. Cameras receive power from a separate power cable such as 18/2 conductor, and with an external power supply or a power supply box. RG59 Siamese coax cable is commonly used.

What is an NVR?

NVR stands for Network Video Recorder. NVRs are designed to work with IP (Internet Protocol) cameras, which connect using network (Ethernet) cables like Cat5e or Cat6. What sets NVRs (like the Viewtron models) apart is their Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports, which allow a single network cable to supply both power and data connectivity—making installation more streamlined and reducing cable clutter. For example, you can find our 8 channel NVR model and 16 channel NVR model on these pages.

What is a “Hybrid DVR”?

Hybrid DVRs work with multiple types of security cameras. Viewtron hybrid DVRs work with just about all security camera types, including the following.

• Analog CCTV Cameras – CIF, D1, 960H Resolutions Supported
• AHD Cameras (Analog High Definition) – 720p / 1mp, 1080p / 2mp, 4mp, 8mp / 4K Resolutions Supported
• HD-TVI Cameras – 720p / 1mp, 1080p / 2mp, 4mp, 8mp / 4K Resolutions Supported
• HD-CVI Cameras – 720p / 1mp, 1080p / 2mp, 4mp, 8mp / 4K Resolutions Supported

The ONLY type of BNC camera not supported by Viewtron hybrid DVRs is HD-SDI and these are very rare because they were only prevalent in the surveillance industry for a short period of time.

Viewtron Hybrid DVRs also work with IP cameras! Yes. You can also use any Viewtron IP camera with Viewtron hybrid DVR. This makes them an excellent choice for customers that want to upgrade their DVR and some cameras, but also use their legacy CCTV cameras.

Viewtron hybrid DVRs are available in 4 channel, 8 channel, 16 channel, and 32 channel DVR configurations.

Choosing a Security Camera Recorder for New Installations

If youâ€re installing a completely new security camera setup and have no pre-existing cable infrastructure, the choice is clear: go with IP cameras and an NVR. IP camera systems are the newer technology and thereâ€s a number of advantages to them such as the integration with AI software and the ability to update the camera’s firmware and improve functionality over time. My top recommendation is to go with a Viewtron NVR and IP cameras and definitely consider going with the Viewtron IP cameras with AI software.

NVR systems with PoE IP cameras offer a simpler, plug-and-play installation process because one cable per camera is all thatâ€s needed. You simply run the cable from each IP camera to the NVR, and power and video connectivity travel through the same line using Internet protocol.

Upgrading an Existing System: Coaxial Cables and Hybrid DVRs

The decision gets a little more nuanced if youâ€re upgrading an older DVR setup that already uses coaxial cable throughout your property. Maybe youâ€ve invested heavily in your coax cable infrastructure and pulling new network cables isnâ€t practical.

This is where hybrid DVRs, like the Viewtron hybrid DVR models from CCTV Camera Pros, shine. These hybrid DVRs bridge the old and the new by supporting both legacy analog/BNC cameras and newer HD-over-coax models (2MP, 4MP, 4K). They also support IP cameras. Hybrid DVRs allow you to slowly upgrade your camera system. You can swap out older cameras for new ones one by one, and in some cases use all of your existing cable. If you have RG59 Siamese cable in place, you can upgrade to the latest 4K BNC cameras using that same cable. For new cameras, you can run network cable for IP cameras.

There are some caveats: if you wish to add IP cameras to a hybrid DVR, youâ€ll need an external PoE switch. Unlike NVRs, hybrid DVRs donâ€t provide built-in PoE ports for direct plug and play with IP cameras. And, the AI software functions of Viewtron AI cameras are only integrated with the Viewtron NVRs. So you can not take advantage of the advanced object detection and intrusion detection functions.

Advanced Features: AI Cameras, Object Detection, and False Alarm Reduction

One of the most significant advantages of moving to an all-IP camera and NVR system is the ability to take advantage of artificial intelligence features.

• AI (Artificial Intelligence) Cameras: Viewtron IP cameras with AI software can detect humans, vehicles (cars and trucks), as well as non-motorized vehicles (like bicycles).
• Facial Recognition and License Plate Recognition: Some AI cameras support these advanced analytics natively. You can find Viewtron face recognition cameras her. You can find our Viewtron LPR cameras here.
• Full Integration with NVRs: Viewtron NVRs can fully interact with these AI features; for example, you can set up custom intrusion zones and receive push notifications or trigger alarms only when specific objects (e.g., people or cars) are detected.

Why is this important? Traditional motion-detection systems on older CCTV setups are notorious for “false alarms”—the wind blows, a tree moves, or a squirrel runs past, and you get a false alert. AI object detection solves this, giving “99+% accuracy” in detecting actual threats, drastically cutting down on false alarms and missed events.

Hybrid DVRs, on the other hand, do not fully integrate with AI features, meaning you wonâ€t get the advanced false alarm filtering or recognition functions.

AI Security Camera Video Demos

Click here to view CCTV Camera Pros video demo library using Viewtron AI cameras.

Facial Recognition Camera Video Demos

Click here to view our face recognition camera video demos.

License Plate Recognition Cameras Video Demos

Click here to view our Viewtron LPR camera video demos.

System Capacity: Channel Limitations and Maximum Bandwidth

Another key difference between DVRS and NVRs lies in how each system handles video processing and how many cameras you can use at high resolutions.

• DVR Processing Limitations: A hybrid DVR, for example, might support sixteen BNC/coax cameras and an additional eight IP cameras. However, the total bandwidth from IP cameras is capped at 36 Mbps; this means you canâ€t record as many 4K/30fps streams at full quality compared to an NVR. This is because all of the video processing for CCTV cameras happens on the DVR, so there is not as much processing power available for IP camera recording.
• NVR Bandwidth: A similarly sized NVR can support up to 160 Mbps—more than five times the hybrid DVRâ€s capacity. This allows you to have multiple high-resolution, high-frame-rate IP cameras running simultaneously without sacrificing quality. IP cameras process video on the camera which streamlines the processing on the NVR and frees it up for other things like AI inference.

So, although adding IP cameras is possible with a hybrid DVR, the number and resolution of such cameras will be limited. If you want to scale up with a large number of high-resolution cameras, NVR is the clear choice.

Installation Simplified: The Plug-and-Play Advantage

Plug-and-play installation is at the core of NVR IP camera systems. The built-in PoE ports on Viewtron NVRs let you connect each camera with just a single Cat5e or Cat6 cable, making setup fast, tidy, and reliable. No separate power supplies or adapters—just run one cable per camera, and youâ€re good to go.

Conclusion: Which System Is Right for You?

• New installations? Pick Viewtron NVRs with IP cameras. Youâ€ll benefit from future-proofing, advanced AI features, higher capacity, and simpler installation.
• Upgrading an old system with existing coax cables? A Viewtron hybrid DVR lets you reuse your infrastructure, mix old and new cameras, and transition gradually. If you want full AI functions, facial/plate recognition, or high-resolution video everywhere, it may be worth the investment to upgrade your wiring and switch to an NVR-based system.

If you have further questions about whether a DVR or NVR is the best choice, please reach out to me anytime at mike@viewtron.com. You an email me questions and / or we can schedule a free phone consultation.

Video Transcript

What is the difference between a DVR and NVR for security camera recording? Hey everyone, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here and in this video I’m going to talk you through some of the difference between a security camera DVR and NVR. And I’m in some cases talking specifically about our Viewtron DVRs and NVRs that we supply. So let’s talk about some basics here. DVR stands for digital video recorder and almost always refers to CCTV cameras, otherwise known as BNC cameras that run over coax cable. A BNC connector plugs into the camera and a coax cable runs back to the DVR BNC connector into the back of the DVR and then there’s a separate power supply, sometimes a power supply box, but that power supply is supplied externally from the DVR. A NVR stands for network video recorder and is used for IP cameras. IP cameras use network cable, Cat5e, Cat6 cable. And on the back of our Viewtron NVR there’s power over ethernet ports. So you can plug that network cable from the camera into the back of the NVR and that one cable is providing both the connectivity as well as the power between the NVR and the IP camera.

If you are installing a new system and you don’t have any in cable in place, it’s a no brainer to go with IP cameras. They’re the newer technology. There’s a number of advantages to them and, and there’s not a lot to consider in the way of going with a coax DVR system. Now where some questions and trade offs come into place is if you’re replacing an old DVR and upgrading your system and you have coax cable in place. And let me just mention, our Viewtron DVRs are hybrid. They work with all of the old CCTV cameras as well as the latest 2 megapixel, 4 megapixel and 4K BNC cameras. So you can go HD over coax. And our Viewtron Hybrid DVRs also support IP cameras.

So why would you go with an NVR? The Viewtron Hybrid DVR supports all the coax cameras as well as IP cameras. Why wouldn’t you just go with one of those? There’s several reasons. So number one, our Viewtron NVRs are fully integrated with our Viewtron AI cameras. Our AI cameras are all IP cameras and AI cameras support object detection. These cameras can detect human objects, vehicle objects, cars, trucks and other non motorized vehicles like bicycles. They can do facial recognition and some of them can do Automatic license plate recognition. Those are our AI IP cameras. And all of those functions are fully integrated into the Viewtron NVRs, meaning from the NVR interface you could do things like create intrusion zones so that when a human or a car enters that area, it triggers recording, it can send you a push notification, it can trigger external alarms.

That’s fully integrated with the NVR. However, it’s not fully integrated with our DVR. So you don’t get to take advantage of the AI software. And that AI object detection, it solves a huge problem with that legacy that you see in legacy CCTV camera systems. And that’s false positives from motion detection. If you’ve ever had one of these systems and you have motion detection set up, especially with an outdoor camera, you’ll know that it’ll drive you crazy with false alarms because it doesn’t know the difference between a person intruding in an area and a tree blowing in the wind in the background. So that solves the problem. It’s, you know, 99 plus percent accurate in detecting those types of objects and it solves the false alarm problem.

Another reason why you would go with the NVR over the DVR if you plan on using IP cameras is because with IP cameras the video processing happens on the camera. You can put a lot more cameras on an NVR and you can record at the max resolution and max frame rate. Whereas the DVR is limited because it’s doing all kinds of processing for the coax cameras. So it can’t handle quite as many IP cameras. It’s basically limited by the bandwidth, the traffic coming into the DVR from the cameras. For example, our 16 channel hybrid DVR can support 16 BNC cameras. And in addition you can add 8 IP cameras. However, it only supports 30 Mbps total of traffic coming from IP cameras into the recorder.

Whereas our 16 channel NVR supports 160 Mbps. What does that mean in practice? Basically, the higher resolution the camera, the higher frame rate and the higher quality you’re recording at, the more bandwidth that’s required. So for a 4K camera at 30 frames requires a lot more bandwidth than like a 720p camera at 15 frames. So although you can add IP cameras to our DVRs, you can’t load them up with a whole bunch of 4K cameras at max frame rate and max resolution, whereas on the NVRs you can. The POE ports on the NVR make for a very simple plug and play installation. You Simply run a Cat5 or Cat6 network cable from the IP camera back to the NVR, plug it in and it powers up. It’s plug and play. Very simple to set up.

So in summary, if you’re installing a new system, I highly recommend you go with the Viewtron IP camera system. If you’re upgrading an old system and you have coax cable in place, you’ll have to weigh the benefits. So if you invested a whole bunch of money in cable infrastructure in that coax cable and you just can’t invest in replacing it with network cable, the Viewtron hybrid DVR is an excellent choice because you can use your existing legacy cameras. You can upgrade cameras over time one by one because you can mix and match old analog cameras with the latest 4K over coax cameras. And then if you did want to add a couple of IP cameras for the new cameras, you could do that. You just, you have to use an external POE switch. There’s no POE ports built into the hybrid DVRs like there is the NVR. If you want to take advantage of the AI software. If human object detection or vehicle object detection is important to you and you had a whole bunch of false positives on your legacy system and you want to address that issue, then you may want to upgrade your cable to network cable and go with the NVR and upgrade all of your cameras and upgrade the cable.

If you want to add license plate recognition or facial recognition again, you’re going to need to replace your cable and go with the IP cameras with the NVR and get rid of your old coax cable and don’t bother with a DVR. What else? Guys, if you have any questions about any of this, if you have questions about whether you should upgrade your old DVR, if you should leave your coax cable in place, if you’re having trouble deciding if you should upgrade to network cable and get the NVR with the Viewtron IP cameras. If you want to bounce anything off me, you can email me anytime. I can be reached at mike@viewtron.com. We could also set up a free phone consultation. Just, just email me your questions and if you want to have a phone call, just let me know. If you want to learn more about our Viewtron IP camera systems or the Hybrid DVRs, you could see all of our Viewtron products at www.viewtron.com. Thank you for watching.

You can check out the entire line of Viewtron video surveillance products at www.viewtron.com.

The post DVR vs NVR: Which is Best for your Security Camera System? first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Viewtron IP cameras support the ability to take snapshot images automatically at a set interval and save the images to a local micro SD card. This is a handy feature if you later want to compile all of the images into a time-lapse video. Watch this video or follow the instructions below to see how easy it is to setup automatic timed snapshots on your Viewtron IP camera.

Please note that compiling a time lapse video is not a function of the IP camera and must be done by a separate program. The Viewtron IP camera’s user interface makes it very easy to download individual pictures from the security camera in the mean time.

Insert Micro SD Card into IP Camera

All of our Viewtron IP cameras have a micro SD card slot. You can see the enclosed compartment where the SD card goes on the back of the Viewtron 180 degree camera that I am using for my project. **Please note that micro SD cards are NOT included with our Viewtron IP cameras. You must purchase these separately. At the time of this writing, some of our Viewtron IP camera models support up to 128GB cards and some newer models support up to 256GB cards. I am using a 128GB card. I can take a snapshot every 10 minutes and have enough storage for several years worth of images.

Here is the compartment opened with the micro SD card inserted into the security camera. Be sure to securely re-attach this cover when you are done.

Option 1: Connect IP Camera to Viewtron NVR

My IP camera is one of many cameras that are part of my home security camera system in Colorado. I have all of my cameras connected to my Viewtron NVR. They are hard wired to the PoE ports on the back of my Viewtron NVR.

This allows me to have video surveillance recording continuously and when motion is detected on all of my cameras (centrally recorded on the NVR). The timed snapshot images function will be happening in addition to this, and that will take place directly on the IP camera (independently of the NVR).

Option 2: Connect IP Camera to Network

If you are not using a Viewtron NVR, you can connect your IP camera directly to your office or home network with a PoE injector or PoE switch. If you plan on also recording video surveillance footage and / or plan on using more than one IP camera, CCTV Camera Pros highly recommends using a Viewtron IP camera NVR (option 1 above).

Login to NVR via Web Browser

If you have your Viewtron IP camera connected to a Viewtron NVR, log in to your NVR from a web browser. Please note that the PC you use must be on the same local network at the Viewtron NVR. If you do not know the local IP address of your NVR, you can get it from the monitor connected to your NVR. Select Settings > Network. If your IP camera is not connected to a Viewtron NVR, then log into it directly from a web browser and you can skip ahead to the section named “IP Camera Firmware Screen”.

NVR Functional Panel

Once you are logged into the Viewtron NVR from the web browser, click on the Functional Panel link.

Camera Settings

On the NVR’s Functional Panel, click on the Camera link.

IP Camera Firmware Settings

On the camera settings screen, there is a gear icon for each IP camera. These gear icon links open up a new web browser tab and takes you to the firmware for each IP camera.

IP Camera Firmware Screen

Here is the new browser tab that is opened to the login screen of the IP camera. If your IP camera is connected directly to your network and you are NOT using an NVR, you would start the setup here.

IP Camera Configuration

Once you are logged into your IP camera, click on the Config tab in the upper right. Then, click on the Storage link in the System section.

Format Micro SD Card and Set the Snapshot Quota

On the storage screen, set the Video Quota and Snapshot Quota to 50% each. Then, click on the format button to format the micro SD card.

Setup Snapshot Image Timing Interval

Next, click on the Snapshot link. Check the Enable Timing Snapshot checkbox. Enter the Snapshot Interval in seconds. Click the Save button.

Setup Highest Resolution Snapshot Image

You probably want to capture the highest resolution snapshot images that your Viewtron IP camera is capable of. To enable the highest resolution images, click on the Video / Audio link under Image on the left. Then, select Main Stream from the Send Snapshot size dropdown box. Click on the Save button.

Snapshot Image Search and Download

At any time, you can search and download snapshot images from your Viewtron IP camera. Click on the Search tab in the upper right. Then, select the date and time frame that you want to search. Then, click on the magnifying glass search icon. All of the images in that range will be displayed in a list. You can click on any of them to display the image. You can click export to download the image to your PC.

Time Lapse Video Creation from IP Camera Images

I am going to let the timed snapshots run on my IP cameras for a year and then compile a time lapse video to see the change of seasons in my back yard. I will update this post later and document how I make that video when that time comes. Most likely I will write a Python program to do this. If I do, I will open source that program and post it on Github for customers to be able to download and us it.

Viewtron IP Cameras

This article and video is applicable to all Viewtron IP cameras that have a micro SD card slot.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about this article or anything related to security camera systems for home, business, and government, please email me at mike@viewtron.com.

Video Transcript

Hi guys. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here in this video I’m going to show you how to set up automatic snapshot images on our Viewtron IP cameras. So most of the time our Viewtron IP cameras are just used for continuous or motion detection, motion detected video recording. But in addition to that, you can also set up periodic snapshot images. So you could set up any of our Viewtron IP cameras to save a snapshot image to a Micro SD card that you install directly on the camera. And you can set up the interval anywhere between 1 second and 3600 seconds, which 3600 seconds is one hour. I’m going to set mine up to take a snapshot image every 10 minutes and I’m going to let this run for like months or a year. And eventually I’ll take all those images and probably create a time lapse video to show the change of the seasons back here.

All these leaves are going to be changing here soon and then winter will come and the season change should be pretty amazing to watch. But anyways, I have these connected to a Viewtron NVR. So I have to go through the NVR to get to the firmware of the camera. You could do this without a Viewtron NVR as a standalone IP camera. If you don’t want video recording and you just want the snapshot images, you could just do that. Anyways, let’s go inside, log into the NVR. I’ll show you how to navigate to the camera’s firmware. We’ll format a Micro SD card and then set up the automated snapshot images so later we can create a time lapse video.

So here’s the login screen for the NVR in a web browser and I’m accessing the NVR on my local area network. So I’m going to enter in the user ID and password to log into the Viewtron. And the only reason why I’m doing this is to get to the camera’s firmware because each of these are usually cameras on my system are connected to the NVR directly. So I don’t have an IP address that I can get to them directly on the network. I have to go to the NVR. And I do that by going into these camera settings. And then you’ll see for each of the camera there’s a gear icon for the settings for each camera. What that does is that opens up a new tab in the browser.

And now I’m logging directly into the IP camera using a special port through the NVR from this Point forward. It’s the same as if even if you’re just using one of our IP cameras without the NVR for this snapshot setup. So I’m going to go into the Config tab and then click on Storage underneath the system settings. And the first thing I need to do is I want to set. I want to lower the video quota so I can allocate 50% quota for the snapshot images. And then I’m going to click Format, because this is the first time I insert this Micro SD card into this IP camera. And it only takes a couple seconds here to format that. And when I’m done, I’m going to go into the video audio settings for this camera and change the snapshot images to come from the mainstream, not the substream that will allow us to get the full 4K resolution images because we’ll be pulling them from the main stream.

And while we’re in here, I’ll bump the video quality up to the highest so we get the highest resolution snapshot images. When I’m done, I’m going to go back into that storage section and then click on this snapshot link. And then I’m changing the snapshot quantity too. But that really doesn’t matter for what we’re setting up. What’s more important is you need to enable the timing snapshot and then set your snapshot interval in seconds. I’m going to set mine to 600, which is every 10 minutes, and then click Save. So now the raspy camera is set up to take a snapshot image every 10 minutes. And when you want to retrieve any of the images, you go up to this search tab and select Picture, and then you select the date that you want to query and list all the images for.

We just set this up so this is the only image so far. We’ll double click on that so you can see it. And if I wanted to export this image and save it to disk, I could click Export right here and then browse to a directory where I want to save that image. So these will just start accumulating on this Micro SD card and I can go into this search screen anytime to retrieve them.

Guys, I hope this video has been helpful. As I mentioned earlier, all of our Viewtron IP cameras have a Micro SD card slot. They do not include the Micro SD card. So you have to buy like a 64, 128 or even a 256 gigabyte micro SD card. I used 128 because I calculated it and taken a snapshot image at 4K resolution every 10 minutes. There’s enough storage on one of these 128 gig cards for a few years of snapshot images. So anyways, if you have any questions about any of this, if you want to create if you want to save snapshot images, automate this and later create time lapse, you can email me questions. I could be reached directly at mike@viewtron.com. If you want to learn more about our Viewtron IP cameras.

All of them have this feature built into the firmware. Now you could see all of them at www.viewtron.com. Thank you for watching!

The post IP Camera Timed Snapshot Images Save to Micro SD Card Setup first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

This video shows the angle of view range provided by the 2.8-12mm motorized varifocal lens on the Viewtron IP-A8DZ security camera. Please note that although I used the Viewtron IP-A8DZ IP dome camera to demonstrate of how to adjust a motorized zoom lens, we have many other security cameras with motorized varifocal lens.

The Viewtron IP-A8DZ is a 4K dome IP camera that can be installed indoors and outdoors. The camera’s housing is IP67 weatherproof rated.

Viewtron IP Camera NVR with PoE

The security camera is hard wired to the 16 channel Viewtron NVR located inside my house. CAT6 cable is used to hard wired the camera’s RJ-45 network port to one of the PoE (power over Ethernet ports on the back of the NVR.

PTZ Camera Controls on NVR

The pan tilt zoom controls on the Viewtron NVR are used to zoom the motorized lens in and out. The camera auto-focuses on its own as you zoom the lens.

Outdoor Wall-mount Installation

To perform the motorized varifocal lens demonstration, I installed the dome camera to the side of my garage. This IP camera can be wall mounted or ceiling mounted. For this installation, I used the optional VT-J302 camera junction box. I always recommend using one of these for outdoor installations.

80 Foot Distance to Focus Area

The edge of the driveway at my house is 80 feet away from where the camera is installed. I parked my truck at the edge of the driveway and placed a piece of artwork leaning up against it. The artwork has some text on it which will be a good focal point to text the varifocal lens.

2.8mm Lens Setting

This is what the angle of view and distance to the truck looks like with the lens set to the widest angle, 2.8mm. Please click on the image to see the full 4K video resolution recorded by the Viewtrom NVR.

12mm Lens Setting

This is what the angle of view and distance to the truck looks like with the lens set to the most narrow / zoomed in angle, 12mm. Please click on the image to see the full 4K video resolution recorded by the Viewtrom NVR.

Optical Zoom on NVR at 2.8mm Lens Setting

The Viewtron NVR has an optical zoom function that lets you zero in on specific areas of the video. I used the optocal zoom function to see if I could read the word on the artwork at the 2.8mm lens setting. You can see that the words are not legible. You can click on this above image to see the full 4K video resolution recorded by the NVR.

Optical Zoom on NVR at 12mm Lens Setting

The above snapshot was captured with the lens set at the 12mm setting. The optical zoom on the NVR was used to zero in on the artwork and you can see that the words are readable. You can click on this above image to see the full 4K video resolution recorded by the NVR.

Motorized Varifocal Lens Controls from Mobile App

In addition to being able to adjust motorized varifocal lenses from Viewtron DVRs / NVRs, you can also adjust the zoom via the mobile app for iPhone and Android. Please watch the above video to see a demo.

2.8-12mm Varifocal Lens Summary

The 2.8 to 12mm motorized varifocal lens works great to focus on areas of interest up to 80 feet from where the camera is installed. The motorized lens can easily be adjusted from the Viewtron NVR that the camera is connected to and also from the mobile app for iPhone and Android. The optical zoom function on the Viewtron NVR allows you to digitally zoom into specific areas on the video surveillance image.

Security Cameras with Motorized Varifocal Lens (IP and CCTV)

You can adjust the motorized varifocal lens on all Viewtron cameras from the Viewtron DVR / NVR, from the mobile app, and desktop VMS software. The process is the same for our network IP cameras that have motorized lenses and our coax CCTV / BNC cameras. You can find all of our Viewtron security camera models with motorized varifocal lens here.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about this video / article, you can reach me via email at mike@viewtron.com. Me and the team at CCTV Camera Pros can design a system for your home or business. We provide free phone consultations, systems designs, and quotes. You can learn about all of our Viewtron security camera systems here.

Video Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. I’m going to use my home security camera system this morning to give you a quick demo of how the motorized zoom works on one of our network IP cameras. This is one of our Viewtron AI security cameras, but the motorized zoom controls work the same on these Viewtron cameras, whether it’s an IP camera or an HD BNC camera. The controls are the same. I’m going to show you how to do it directly on the DVR or NVR using the mouse controls. I’m also going to show you how to do it using the mobile app for iPhone and Android, and then I’m going to show you how to zoom in and out using the desktop software for Mac. And it’s the exact same for Windows.
Before I go into the demo, let’s talk about why motorized zoom cameras exist. Primarily, it’s for installation, so these are meant to replace the old-style varifocal lens where you had to manually turn a focus ring and an angle ring and then manually focus it, looking at a test monitor. These motorized zoom controls let you just press a button in and out, and then the lens automatically focuses for you. It’s very convenient, especially for a single installer to deal with. If you already have the DVR or NVR installed, you connect the camera, pull up the mobile app, use that as a test monitor, and you can adjust the angle of view right from the mobile app, and it focuses for you. That’s the primary use.
Secondary, some customers do use this to zoom in and out after installation. It’s not ideal, because it just goes straight in and out. And you’ll see when I demo the camera that monitors my driveway, there’s a wide-angle view and you could see across the street, but the camera’s angled down, so when you zoom in, the area just comes way in and zoomed, and it zeros in on my driveway, so you can’t move left and right. It’s just straight in and out. Anyway, let’s get to the demo now. I’ll run through it directly on the NVR, then the mobile app, then the desktop software.
Here’s the live security camera view on my Viewtron NVR. And I’m going to be controlling this camera’s zoom here, so I’m going to switch to the full camera view, and then click on this PTZ icon. That brings up the PTZ controls. And I’m just going to put them off to the side over here. And then the only controls that are applicable to this camera are the zoom in and out. So I’m going to go ahead and take the zoom level in a bit. And I’ll pause there, and you can see that the motorized zoom lens automatically focuses when I stop. And then I’ll go in further.

Actually, I’m going to zoom in all the way. There’s the most narrow zoomed-in angle. And, again, it automatically focused. And then we’ll back it back out. Pause it there for a second, let it focus, and then we’ll bring it all the way back out to the widest angle, which on this camera is 2.8 millimeter. When I’m done, I can just close out these PTZ controls, and I can double click to switch to the multi-camera view on my NVR again.
Next, I’m going to go through the same process on the mobile iPhone app. This is the live view from my iPhone, and, again, I’m going to go into the full camera view for the motorized zoom camera that we’re using. And then when I tap on the screen, I can select the PTZ controls. And the difference here, obviously, I’m not using a mouse, so I’m actually spreading the screen. So the opposite of pinching. I’m actually taking my fingers and pushing outward towards those arrows to zoom in. And it’s a little slower. The network at my house, I’m actually having some trouble. So it’s a little bit slower than directly on the NVR, but you could see even with my network being messed up right now, the experience is pretty good. So I’m all the way zoomed in now, and you can see the auto focus again.
Now, if I want to switch to a full screen view, I can close those PTZ controls out temporarily, and then I just brought them back in. And now I’m going to do the opposite to zoom out. Now I’m pinching the screen. So pulling the screen together to zoom back out. And I’ll pause along the way again just so you can see the auto focus kick in. And then I’m going to stretch and zoom all the way back out to the widest angle that this IP camera supports. When I’m done, I can click that X icon in the lower right, tap on the screen to hide all the controls, and now I’m back at the live view. And then I can tap and select the multi-camera live view.
Last, I’m going to demonstrate the video management software for Mac. So I can tap on the screen, just like directly on the NVR, but I’m on my Mac PC now, and then click on the PTZ icon to bring up the PTZ controls. And then, again, the only controls that are applicable are the zoom in and out. And, by the way, the Windows software is identical to this. So although I’m using my Macintosh PC, the user interface for the Windows video management software is identical to this. So, again, just going to zoom in a bit, and now I’m zooming back out to the widest angle, and the lens will auto focus. And when I’m done, I could just close those PTZ controls out by clicking on that X.
I hope this video has been helpful in showing you how to control the motorized zoom lens using one of our Viewtron IP cameras. And, again, it’s the same process for our BNC and coax cameras, and no additional cable is required. Those zoom controls go right over the same coax camera that’s handling the video transmission. If you want to learn more about these Viewtron security camera systems, DVRs, NVRs, IP cameras, and HD BNC cameras, please visit www.cctvcamerapros.com/viewtron. Thank you for watching.

The post 2.8-12mm Motorized Varifocal Lens 4K IP Camera Video Demo first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Check out this video surveillance footage of a bear in Keystone, Colorado recorded with my Viewtron home security camera system. I recently completed the camera system installation at my house in Keystone, which is in Summit County, Colorado near Breckenridge. The system consists of 9 exterior cameras, which are all Viewtron 4K IP cameras. Two days into the installation (before the back yard cameras were even done) the cameras monitoring the front and side yard recorded this bear walking up our driveway and onto the yard on the side of the house.

My security system captured video of this bear on five of the cameras. The above video shows the recorded video surveillance footage from these three IP cameras that got the best angle of view.

Viewtron IP Camera NVR with PoE

All of my exterior IP cameras are hard wired to this 16ch Viewtron NVR. I also use this wireless IP camera in the interior of our house when we are not there. The NVR has built-in PoE ports on the back which makes installation very easy. You simply run CAT5E or CAT6 network cable from each camera to a PoE port on the back of the NVR and the camera is supplied power by the recorder, and just connects.

Viewtron 180 Degree Camera, Model IP-180-4D

This is the location of the Viewtron IP-180-4D that recorded the bear walking up my driveway and front yard. This 180 degree camera does an amazing job at capturing the entire area in the front of it. This video was recorded before my camera installation was even complete and I did not realize that I only had the NVR recording at 6mp resolution and 20 frames per second. This 180 camera is actually capable of recording 4K / 8 megapixel resolution at 30 frames per second.

Here is a snapshot that I captured from the recorded video. You can click on the image to download the 6mp resolution image. You can also download the original recorded video export from the Viewtron NVR here. Again, this is only 6mp resolution (3632 x 1632). The Viewtron IP-180-4D is capable of 4K video resolution (4640 x 1760).

A few days after this, the two 180 security cameras in my back yard recorded a moose. I had all of my cameras set to 4K video recording at 30FPS. You can see the full 4K security camera resolution exported from the NVR here.

Viewtron Dome 4K Security Camera, Model IP-AX8D

Here is the dome security camera under the eave of our roof that recorded the bear as he made his way from the front to side yard. The Viewtron IP-AX8D is a 4K dome security camera with built in alarm functions. This IP camera has alarm lights and a speaker that can optionally be used as a deterrent to intruders. You can setup detection zones so that when a person of vehicle is detected, the alarm light can be turned on and you can also broadcast an audio alarm or warning message. You can watch video demos of Viewtron security cameras with alarm functions here.

Here is a snapshot image that I grabbed from the recorded video. You can click on the image to see the full 4K resolution photo. You can download the video surveillance footage export from the NVR here. Please note that the NVR was recording video from this IP camera at 20 frames per second. My system is now configured to record at 4K resolution at 30 frames per second.

Viewtron Bullet 4K IP Camera, Model IP-A8BL

Here is the location of the Viewtron IP-A8BL that is installed on that same side of the house, but facing the opposite direction. Viewtron bullet-style and dome-style cameras mount neatly on the underside of roof eaves using the optional junction box. The bullet cameras are extremely easy to point in the direction that you want them to monitor. This 4K bullet IP camera has built-in AI software for human detection, vehicle detection, and facial recognition / face detection.

Here is a snapshot image that I captured from the recorded video. You can click on the image to see the 4K resolution snapshot. I also exported the raw video footage from the DVR  from this camera. You can download the exported 4K resolution video here.

Security Camera System Recording of Moose

The 180 degree cameras in my back yard recording this video of a moose a few days after this bear was recorded. You can see the moose camera video and blog post here.

Breckenridge Colorado Security Camera Installation

CCTV Camera Pros now has an installation partner in Breckenridge Colorado that can install our Viewtron security camera systems for you. Please contact me if you are interested in a security or wildlife camera system quote in Breckenridge or anywhere in Summit County Colorado, including Frisco, Dillon, Keystone, and Silverthorne.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about security camera systems for home, business, or government, please email me at mike@viewtron.com. Or text call me at 561-433-8488.

Video Transcript

Here is a text transcription of the video at the top of this page.

Hey guys, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. The other day we got some awesome video surveillance footage of a bear that came up our driveway and then walked through our side yard. And it was a few days after I installed our new Viewtron IP camera system at our house up here in the mountains in Colorado. I actually caught footage of this bear on five of our cameras that, that, that showed me how great the coverage we have up here is with the new system I installed. But I want to show you footage from three of those cameras. The first one being this Viewtron 180 degree security camera. It captured footage of the bear walking right up our driveway. It was absolutely perfect.

And then when the bear walked over here to side yard, one of our Viewtron IP AX8D cameras, that’s one of our alarm security cameras, caught him coming around the corner. And then when he walked through the neighbor’s yard over here and headed towards the gulch, that, that Viewtron IP A8BL captured him. These are all 4K IP cameras and they’re all hardwired to our Viewtron 16 channel NVR that we have in the house. Take a look at this awesome video footage of this bear.

Here’s the multi camera live view on the Viewtron security camera system. And what I’m going to do to enter the playback mode is I’m going to select this button in the lower left and then select playback. This opens up the recorded video playback screen. And here you can see all eight cameras that I have connected. And I’m going to jump right to the date and the time I that I know that this, this bear recording took place. So we’ll, we’ll jump to that time and date. You can use this timeline over here to jump right to a point in time. And then I’m going to enable full screen mode to get rid of that timeline scrubber on the right.

And there you can see the bear coming over from my neighbor’s yard over there on the right. And he just comes right across my driveway and really is heading right towards the Viewtron One 180 camera right now. What, what an amazing view. And then in a second I’m going to pause the video so I can switch to the multi camera screen on the video playback. Because I’m going to switch to one of the side yard cameras now. So I’ll double click on this camera and you’ll see him come right around the corner. We get a great shot of him and then I’m gonna pause the video again and switch to the other side camera, so you can see him walking away and heading off to the Keystone Gulch. And I’ll, I’ll rewind it a bit so we can get a little more footage of him from this angle.

And on the, on the Viewtron video player, on the DVRs and NVRs, you can go in forward and reverse and, and you can go in regular speed, or you could slow things down or you could speed things up, which comes in handy when you’re sifting through video footage. But there he goes. I mean, he’s getting pretty far from the camera right now, and you can see him great. I mean, he’s probably 60-80ft away. He’s well into the neighbor’s yard and he’s just. There’s a gulch over there which is like a small river, and I guess he’s heading over there.

Guys, I hope you enjoyed that video footage of that bear coming across our property. Although I installed these cameras up here for, for security, the wildlife up here is, is amazing. And I’m going to be working on testing out this new piece of equipment that can actually detect bear and moose and big cats and, and all kinds of wildlife. Our Viewtron IP cameras are primarily for security, but I hooked up with this other company that specializes in animal detection and their AI software is compatible with our Viewtron cameras. So I’m going to be testing that up here. So be on the lookout for some of those videos. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about these cameras that I’m using at my house up here in the mountains, you can email me directly anytime. I could be reached at mike@viewtron.com. I’m going to post a whole bunch of still images.

I’m going to post the original video export files from that bear footage on our blog. If you want to take a look at the blog post, please visit www.viewtron.com/bear. Thank you for watching.

The post Home Security Camera System Records Bear in Keystone Colorado first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Check out this video surveillance footage of a moose that was recorded with the Viewtron 180 cameras that I installed last week. I am using the Viewtron security camera system installed at my house in Colorado for both security and wildlife viewing. You can also download the exported video footage from the NVR here.

A few days ago, I saw this moose walking across my back yard while I was washing dishes in the kitchen. I hurried to find my iPhone so that I could record video of the moose. Well, I did not find my phone in time, but luckily my security cameras were setup to record continuously, so I never miss anything.

Viewtron 180 Camera Installation

This is where I have the two Viewtron IP-180-4D IP cameras installed. You can see them attached to that facial board of our wooden deck. These two cameras provide amazing video coverage of the side and back yard.

I have another Viewtron 180 camera installed on the front of the house to monitor the driveway and front yard.

Security Camera Captures Photos of Moose

Here is a cropped snapshot photo of the moose that I captured from the video footage. I wish that he would have come closer to the camera. This is about 70 feet away from where the camera is mounted to my desk.

Here is another snapshot of the moose captured by the other 180 IP camera. This is even a bit further away from where this camera is mounted, about 75-80 feet away.

Security Camera Records Bear in Colorado

A few days earlier, the Viewtron 180 IP camera installed on the front of my house recorded this bear walking up the driveway. Please click on the image to see the full 4K resolution surveillance snapshot of the bear.

16 Channel IP Camera NVR

All of the Viewtron IP cameras at my house are hard wired to a 16ch Viewtron NVR. The PoE ports on the back of the NVR provide power to all of my cameras. We have Viewtron NVRs available in 4ch, 8ch, 16ch, 32ch, 64ch, and 128ch models.

180 IP Camera Features

Although the primary purpose of the Viewtron 180 IP camera is for security, it is turning out to be an amazing wildlife camera. Here are some of the additional features.

• Audio Microphone – Records audio and also used for 2-way communication from the mobile app.
• Spotlights – White spotlights can optionally be turned on when motion is detected by the camera.
• Speaker – The audio speaker can optionally be used to play a siren sound or warning message when motion is detected by the AI software. The speaker is also used for the 2-way audio communication from the mobile app.
• Infrared LEDs – The IR night vision of this camera is rated up to 90 feet.
• Alarm Light – The red and blue alarm light LED can optionally be turned on when motion is detected by this IP camera.

Please note that the Viewtron IP-180-4D is an AI security camera. It can detect people, cars, and faces using AI software. The AI intrusion detection is much more accurate compared to standard video motion detection. You can learn more about all Viewtron AI cameras here.

4K Video Surveillance Footage Export from NVR

Want to see the original 4K resolution recorded video that was exported from the NVR. You can download the exported video surveillance footage file here and play it back on Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player, or VLC player. You can learn about how-to export recorded video surveillance footage from a Viewtron DVR / NVR here. You can also see a larger resolution picture of the above snapshot here.

You can download the DVR / NVR video export from the 2nd security camera by clicking on this link. You can see the higher resolution snapshot image here.

180 IP Camera: IR Night Vision

Here is another video I recently made with the Viewtron IP-180-4D installed on the front of my house. This video shows the IR night vision capability of this 180 camera.

Wall Mount Installation

Here is a close-up of the wall mount installation of the 180 camera to the side of my desk. Please note that I always use the optional junction box for this camera when installing this or any Viewtron security camera outdoors.

Ceiling Mount Installation

Please note that this dome 180 camera also can be installed to a ceiling, with or without the optional junction box.

180 Degree Camera Demo Videos

You can watch additional video surveillance demos with the Viewtron 180 degree security camera here.

Need a Free System Design and Quote

Please contact me for a free consultation, system design, and quote. I can be reached via email at mike@viewtron.com. You can text or call the team at 1-561-433-8488.

Professional Security Camera Installation in Summit County, Colorado

CCTV Camera Pros now has a professional security camera installer in Summit County, Colorado. CCTV Camera Pros, co-founder Mike Haldas, lives in Keystone Colorado half of the year. Mike can design camera systems for home, business, and government installation. Our installation partner can install our Viewtron security camera systems in Keystone, Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, and all areas around Summit County. You can text Mike directly for a free consultation at 1-561-327-7386.

Video Transcript

Hey, guys, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. Check out this video surveillance footage that my Viewtron 180 security cameras captured last night. There was a moose that came across the backyard here. And as you can see, I actually have two of the Viewtron 180 security cameras, one facing north and one facing east. These things provide amazing coverage in my backyard. And look how well they tracked this moose that came across here.

Here’s the video surveillance footage of the moose. So on this camera that’s facing east, you can see him right at the top of the screen, right in the middle, coming towards my yard. And he pauses there behind that tree for a minute, and then he comes closer and he’ll pause again behind that big pine tree. You’ll see him coming closer here in a minute. And I was fumbling around trying to find my iPhone so I could record him and, and I didn’t get it in time. I’m so lucky that I had these cameras in place to get him. Here’s the camera. Here’s the 180 camera that faces north, so you’ll see him coming from the right.

And this, this is the same moose. It’s just, it’s just the other camera capturing him from a different perspective. Man, these 180 cameras capture this entire back area of my yard so well, I’m so lucky I have these in place. So he pauses behind this big pine tree that, before he appears again to the left of it. And then he’s going to come out and pause again before he heads over to the river and. And now you can’t see it because that, that river is far away. That river’s got to be 120, 150ft away from the house. But he actually crosses that river, which is, which was really cool to watch.

Guys, I hope you enjoyed that video as much as I did. What an amazing creature that is. If you’ve been following our videos, you know that I installed one of the Viewtron 180 cameras out in, in the front yard here, and that wasn’t planned. I, I didn’t have the camera out here yet that I was going to use, and I put that out temporarily, and I ended up loving it so much that I told Greg to send me two more for the backyard here. And man, these things are awesome. I won’t go into all the details because I do that in a lot of the other videos. And if you want to learn more, I’m going to give you a link. But these things have built in infrared night vision that’s awesome.

They have an alarm light built in, they have a spotlight built in, they have two way audio. The 4K resolution as you saw is just amazing. So happy with them. I believe these are going to become one of our best selling IP cameras that we’ve ever had. Guys, if you have any questions about this Viewtron 180 IP camera or anything related to video surveillance systems, if you need a quote, if you need a free consultation, you can reach out to me directly. I could be reached at mike@viewtron.com. If you want to learn more about the Viewtron 180 camera that you saw just captured that video of that moose back here, please visit www.viewtron.com/180. Thank you for watching.

The post Viewtron 180 Degree Security Camera Records Moose in Colorado first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Check out the IR night vision video surveillance I recently recorded with the Viewtron 180 degree camera, model IP-180-4D. I recently installed this 180 IP camera at my house in the Rocky Mountains. The street where my house is located does not have any street lights on it and it is very dark up in this mountain area. It was a great place for me to test out the infrared night vision capability of the IP-180-4D.

Honestly, this is the best 180 degree outdoor security camera that I have ever testing in my 20 years in doing all of the product testing for CCTV Camera Pros. The 4K video resolution, AI software, alarm light, and security spotlight features are all outstanding.

180 Degree Camera Outdoor Installation

This is the location where I installed the 180 camera on the side of my garage. I chose to do a wall mount installation so that I could bring the view down low for a more straight on angle to see people and cars entering the driveway of the house.

Wall Installation with Junction Box

Here is a close-up of what the wall mount installation looks like. Please note that used the optional Viewtron VT-J302 security camera junction box to install the camera to this wood framed house. I always recommend using these when installing our Viewtron IP cameras outdoors.

Ceiling Mount Installation

Please note that this turret-style dome 180 camera also can be installed to a ceiling, with or without the optional junction box.

Infrared Night Vision with Built-in IR LEDs

Here is a snapshot image that I captured from the recorded video surveillance footage. All of the illumination that you see is from the camera’s built-in infrared LEDs. There is a small amount of ambient light from the next door neighbors house lights, but those appear much brighter than they really are in the image. Please click on the image to see the full 4K resolution image.

180 Degree Security Camera Features

In the above diagram, you can see the location of the camera’s infrared LEDs. Here are some additional features of the Viewtron IP-180-4D camera that are worth mentioning.

• Spotlight Camera Model with White LEDs: In addition to the IR night vision LEDs, this IP camera also has visible white light LEDs. These are optional to use. They can be configured to turn on, like a spotlight camera, when motion is detected by the camera
• Security Camera with Alarm Light: The alarm light is also optional to use. You may configure the flashing blue and red alarm light to turn on when the camera’s AI software detects an intrusion event from a human or vehicle object.
• Audio Microphone: The microphone can optionally be used to record audio surveillance. It can also be used for 2-way communication from the mobile app.
• Audio Alarm Speaker: The audio speaker can be used to sound alarm sirens or verbal audio warning messages when motion detection events occur. You may configure human detection and vehicle detection events with the camera’s AI software.

Viewtron AI Security Cameras

The Viewtron 180 IP camera has built-in AI software that supports human detection, vehicle detection, and facial recognition. You can learn more about all Viewtron AI security cameras here.

Viewtron NVRs

The infrared video sureveillance recording in the above video was captured with the Viewtron IP-180-4D connected to a 16 channel Viewtron NVR. You can learn about Viewtron NVRs here. All Viewtron NVRs are integrated with the AI software and alarm features built into Viewtron IP cameras.

AI Camera Videos

You can watch additional demo videos using Viewtron AI secuciry cameras here.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions related to this article or anything related to security camera systems, you can email me at mike@viewtron.com.

Video Transcript

Here is a complete text transcript of the video at the top of this page.

Hey guys, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here. I did some IR night vision testing early this morning with our Viewtron 180 degree security camera that I have monitoring the front yard here in front of the house. And unlike a lot of videos that I make down in South Florida where there’s supplemental light from, from street lights, there’s no lights up here in, in the mountains. We’re up in the Rocky Mountains. And this is a true zero light infrared test that you’re about to see again using that Viewtron 180 camera that you see behind me.

Here’s the recorded video surveillance footage from the Viewtron 180 degree security camera. So you see me coming from the side of the house here and I’m going to walk out to the edge of my driveway and this is a great test because this camera’s IR night vision is rated at 30 meters or 90ft. And the edge of that driveway right there is right about 80ft, like 80, 82ft away. And I have to have the flashlight on, on my camera because there’s no light out here, there’s no street lights or anything up in the mountains. So I really couldn’t see anything without my flashlight on the camera on. I will turn it off right here so we can get a picture without any ambient light at all. That’s all illumination from the built in infrared LEDs on the 180 camera. So I’m just going to walk back to the side of the house again and I’m going to show you another clip too.

That was a zero light early in the morning this early evening last night. So there is some ambient light from the house next door. You can see the house next door has some of their lights on but, but it is very dark. The sun is completely down here. It’s 9:30pm at night and I’m just going to walk the full length of the driveway which again is 80ft long. And I’ll stop here in front of the camera about 10ft away and just show you what the IR night vision looks like close up. It is dynamic. This camera does have small smart IR so it does adjust. And then I’m just going to walk back to the side of the house again. Over here.

Guys, I hope this video has been helpful to show the infrared night vision capability that’s built into that Viewtron 180 IP camera. I want to mention a few more things about this camera before we wrap up. In addition to the IR night vision that’s built into that camera, that camera also has two white LEDs that act as a spotlight camera. So if you want those spotlights to come on when someone is detected in the area, instead of running 100% in IR night vision mode where it always stays in black and white, you can have those spotlights triggered and then the camera turns to color. It’s called a supplemental light mode. I like to call it spotlight mode because it really acts as a spotlight. But anyways, I’m going to make another video to show the spotlight camera supplemental light mode and I’ll be I’ll be posting that very soon.

In addition, that camera also has a red and blue LED that act as an alarm light. So if you want alarm lights to come on anytime a person or a vehicle is detected in the area, you can have those alarm lights come on as well. There’s also an audio surveillance mic on there to record audio surveillance and it supports two way audio communication as well. So you could get a push notification on the mobile app when when the the camera detect someone in the area and you can come over the speaker that’s built into that camera using the mobile app and talk to someone that’s on your property. Anyways guys, this camera has a ton of features. I’m going to be doing a lot more testing with it. It’s really becoming one of my favorite Viewtron cameras at this point. It’s really working out great.

If you have any questions about anything related to this 180 security camera or anything related to security cameras in general, you can email me anytime at mike@viewtron.com. If you want to learn more about these Viewtron 180 IP cameras, please visit www.viewtron.com/180. Thank you for watching.

The post 180 Degree Camera: IR Night Vision Video Surveillance Demo first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

The Viewtron IP-A8BZ is a dome 4K IP camera with excellent IR night vision and a wide angle lens (motorized varifocal). I recently added this Viewtron dome IP camera to my home security camera system. Watch this video to see some day and night-time infrared video surveillance that I recorded with it.

Dome IP Camera Installation

The 4K dome IP camera that I recorded the above video surveillance with is installed above my garage door 9 feet, 4 inches from the ground.

My house is set back 35 feet from the street. I am showing this for perspective on how large of an area at my home this IP camera monitors.

The width if my front yard extends from just to the left of that oak tree to my mail box. This area is 65 feet wide. When I recorded the video surveillance footage, I had the motorized varifical lens of the camera set to the widest angle, which is 2.8mm. The Viewtron IP-A8DZ has a motorized / autofocus 2.8-12mm lens.

Turret-Style Dome IP Camera

The IP-A8DZ is enclosed in an IP67 weatherproof rated turret-style dome housing. The gimbal style allows installers to mount this camera to a wall or ceiling. The IP67 weatherproof rating holds up to harsh weather climates, wet and cold. This camera is great for indoor and outdoor installations.

Video Surveillance Snapshot Images

I saved a few snapshot images when I was recording. Here is the normal light daytime image captured by the Viewtron dome.

IR Night Vision Surveillance

Here is a night time snapshot using the camera’s built-in IR night vision. Please note that there is a street light in front of my house that provides ambient light. So, this is not a zero light infrared test.

Motorized Varifical Lens with Auto-Focus

The Viewtron IP-A8DZ has a motorized varifocal lens with auto-focus. The Viewtron IP-A8BZ (the bullet version of this camera) also has a 2.8-12mm motorized lens. Watch the above video to see the angle of view range that this lens provides. You can see the original blog post here: 4K IP Camera with Motorized Varifocal Lens.

Viewtron NVR

All of the security cameras at my house are Viewtron IP cameras that are hard wired to a 8 channel Viewtron NVR. All of the cameras are connected to the NVR’s built-in PoE ports.

IP Camera with AI Software

The Viewtron IP-A8DZ is an AI security camera that supports human detection, vehicle detection, and face detection / facial recognition. You can watch videos of the Viewtron AI software performing all of these functions on our Viewtron AI camera video page.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about security camera systems for home, business, or government, please email me at mike@viewtron.com.

Video Transcript

Hey everyone, Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here in this video I’m going to show you some video surveillance footage that I captured with one of our new Viewtron dome IP cameras. It’s that dome IP camera that you see mounted up above my garage door there behind me. And that’s a 4K resolution IP camera with a motorized 2.8 to 12 millimeter lens. And I have the lens at the widest angle so so it can monitor my entire driveway out here in front of the camera. And the angle of view is really nice and wide. I’m gonna do a daytime video demo first and then I’m gonna show you what the IR night vision looks like. Let’s take a look.

Here’s the daytime video surveillance recording. First you’ll see me in a minute, start to walk up the sidewalk right there on the right hand side. And my daughters are out riding their bikes, which I always love. And for frame of reference, my driveway is about 35ft long. So I’m right there, I’m about 35ft away from the camera and I’m going to stop at about 10ft in front of where the camera is installed. Just give a quick wave so you can see a close up view. That car that just pulled up across the street, that’s like 55-60ft away. And you can see that is still crystal clear at that distance.

So you can see that guy getting out of his car. You can see him quite well. And next I’m going to switch to the nighttime infrared video surveillance footage. And again I’m going to walk up from the right hand side and approach the camera. Look at the ultra wide angle of view. I mean this camera is covering my entire front yard really, not just the driveway. And again I’m going to stop about 10ft in front of the camera so you could see a closer up angle when the camera is using its IR night vision. I’ll back up a bit here. And my front yard is 65ft wide. So from that, that left hand side of the camera over to that mailbox, that’s about 65ft wide for frame of reference.

Guys, I hope this video has been helpful. I want to tell you a little bit more about this dome IP camera before we wrap up. So first off, the model is the Viewtron IP-A8DZ and it’s a 4K resolution IP camera with built in power over ethernet. I have that one hardwired using Cat 6 cable. It runs back to the Viewtron NVR that I have up in my loft. And the power over Ethernet provides power to the camera and the connectivity so the NVR can record. Now that’s a motorized varifocal lens and the range is 2.8 to 12 millimeters. So unlike the old CCTV cameras where you have to dial in the angle of view and the focus with two rings, that one you could just mechanically zoom in and out using the mobile app or using the controls on the DVR and it automatically focuses.

In addition, I didn’t demonstrate in this video, but I’ll make another one probably tonight. That’s a Viewtron AI camera. It has built in AI software that that can detect human objects, vehicles or your car objects, and it also does face detection and facial recognition. So what I’m going to do is I’m going to set up an intrusion zone up here in my driveway so that I know anytime a person or a car enters my driveway, especially late at night, like I’ll probably enable that intrusion detection late night, like after 9 or 10pm So I know anytime someone came into the driveway when really no one should have been. In addition, that has a built in audio surveillance mic. So if you want to record audio surveillance in addition to the video that’s built in and that runs over the same Cat 5e or Cat 6 network cable as the video and the POE, you don’t have to do anything addition to that. As you can see, I have mine mounted to my house here using one of our Viewtron 5 1/2 inch junction boxes. I had that already mounted up there because I switch out cameras here all the time.

It’s real convenient. That’s the same junction box used by the Viewtron license plate recognition camera that I was testing here for about a year. So I always recommend using one of those junction boxes for outdoor installations. It provides a nice weatherproof housing for the Cat5 connection. And there’s some other cables that dangle off of that camera. Guys, if you have any questions about this Dome IP camera or anything related to security camera systems, you can email me directly anytime at mike@viewtron.com. If you want to learn more about this Viewtron 4K IP camera, as well as any of our other Viewtron AI security cameras, I have a whole bunch of demo videos on our website. You can learn more about all of them at www.viewtron.com/AI. Thank you for watching.

The post Dome 4K IP Camera: Day & Night Infrared Video Surveillance first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Check out the new Viewtron mini PTZ camera with 4mp lens, 3x zoom and built-in AI software. The Viewtron IP-PTZ-24 is a 4mp resolution network IP camera with PoE support. The 3x motorized zoom lens is equivalent to a 3 to 7mm range. This is the first video demo that I have dome with this mini pan tilt zoom camera.

Pan Tilt Zoom Camera Ceiling Mount

We installed a Viewtron IP-PTZ-24 at CCTV Camera Pros office about 6 months ago. We always thoroughly test new products before offering them to our customers.

Here is a closer up photo of the ceiling tile installation of the mini PTZ in our office. The base of this camera is less than a 5 inch diameter.

Ultra Small Sized PTZ Camera

This PTZ camera is ultra small in size. Here is a mm to inches conversion for reference.

• 116mm = 4.45 inche diameter base
• 43mm = 1.69 inch tall metal enclosure
• 75mm = 2.95 inch total height from base to dome

Power over Ethernet Support

The Viewtron IP-PTZ-24 has built-in PoE support. This means that you can simply connect the camera to one of the Power over Ethernet ports on the back of a Viewtron NVR for a simple plug and play installation. Use standard CAT5E or CAT6 cable for installation.

AI Software: Human Detection, Car Detection, Facial Recognition

The Viewtron IP-PTZ-24 has built-in AI software that supports human detection, car detection, and facial recognition. I will be making videos to demonstrate these features using this cameras as soon as possible. Until then, you can see these features demonstrated using other Viewtron AI security camera models on our video AI camera video demo page.

Auto-Track PTZ Camera

The Viewtron IP-PTZ-24 supports autonomous auto-tracking pan tilt zoom and manual PTZ controls from the mobile app for iPhone and Android. I will be making demo videos using this new camera as soon as possible. Until then, please check out how Viewtron auto-track software works on our Viewtron auto-tracking PTZ video demo page.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions about any of our Viewtron security camera system products, please email me anytime at mike@viewtron.com.

Video Transcript

Here is a text transcription of the video at the top of this page.

Hey guys. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here in this video, I want to introduce you to our new Viewtron mini PTZ camera. You could see it there mounted behind me to the, to the ceiling, on the ceiling tiles. And what I’m going to do is I’m going to control the pan tilt and zoom of that camera from the Viewtron NVR. That’s connected to, that’s a 4 megapixel IP camera that with built in power over ethernet, it’s hardwired back to a Viewtron NVR and I can control it from the NVR using the mouse. Now stick with me. After the demo, I want to tell you more about this camera because it has a whole bunch of functions and I want to go over them afterwards. But let’s take a look at the pan tilt zoom controls from the Viewtron NVR.

First. Here’s the live view of our mini PTZ camera on the Viewtron NVR. And you’re going to see me walk out of our data closet back there. And I just want to come in front of the camera and give a quick wave. I’m about 7 or 8ft in front of the camera right there. And then I’ll head back to the data closet so I can control the pan tilt zoom from the Viewtron NVR. So to bring up the pan tilt zoom controls, you just click on the live view screen and then hit the PTZ icon right there. And then you can move those PTZ controls off to the side.

You can position them anywhere you want on the screen. And then I’m just going to pan around the room a little bit. This room is 30ft wide and it’s again 15ft deep. So I’m going to, first thing I’m going to do is I’m just going to pan back over here and focus in on our dartboard just so I can show you going in the three times zoom that you can clearly read the numbers on the dartboard. So that Dartboard is about 18 or 19ft away from where the camera is mounted. And then I’ll stay zoomed into that roughly 7 millimeter angle. And then I’ll pan over and tilt over to James, see what he’s up to. And then I’m going to zoom the motorized zoom lens out a bit, go back to the 3 millimeter setting again.

There I am controlling the PTZ from the Viewtron NVR in our data closet. And then I’ll just move the camera back over to its home position, which is basically, you know, centered on this room.

Guys, I hope this video has been helpful. I want to go over a couple more things before we wrap up. So although I think this is going to be an extremely popular indoor PTZ camera because it’s small size and, and it’s lightweight so you can see, you can mount it right to ceiling tiles. It is outdoor rated, it’s IP67 weatherproof rated, so it can be used outdoors. But it’s only a 3x zoom lens, so it’s not super powerful like our big Viewtron outdoor PTZs that can zoom in, you know, 4, 5, 6, 700ft away. This is the equivalent of a 3 to 7 millimeter lens. So it’s a 3x motorized zoom. So, so really better for like small and medium sized rooms like this one.

This room is 30ft wide by 15ft deep. In addition to the manual pan tilt zoom controls, that camera also has AI software built into it that could do human object detection, vehicle object detection and facial recognition. So like our other Viewtron AI cameras you could set up intrusion zones or virtual trip wires so that an alarm is triggered when those events occur. And this is an auto tracking PTZ so you can set up an intrusion zone so that when a person enters that zone, the camera will autonomously pan, tilt and zoom to follow that person the entire time that they’re in view. Some other things it does have built in IR night vision that is effective up to 60ft. It also has a built in microphone for audio surveillance that’s optional to use, but that’s built in. You can record audio surveillance to the Viewtron NVR just like the video and that goes over the same Cat5e or Cat6 network cable. The camera has built in power over Ethernet so you hardwire this back to a Viewtron NVR to one of the POE ports and and it powers the camera.

It’s plug and play. In addition to the flush ceiling mount that you see there, we do also have an optional arm-mount bracket so that you can mount this to the wall and then you can use that arm mount bracket to also attach it to our pole mount if you want it mounted outside to a pole and also a corner mount bracket if you want to mount it on the corner of a building. Guys, I’m really excited about this mini PTZ camera. I’m also still super excited about our big outdoor auto tracking PTZ cameras. If you have any questions about them, you can always email me directly at mike@viewtron.com. If you want to watch additional videos using this mini PTZ as well as I have a whole bunch of videos I made with our big outdoor 32x Zoom and 40x Zoom PTZs. You can see videos of all of them at www.viewtron.com/PTZ. Thank you for watching.

The post Mini IP PTZ Camera with 4mp 3x Zoom Lens, AI Software first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

If you are shopping for the best LPR camera solution, I recommend that you understand the difference between license plate capture and automatic license plate recognition first. Equally important is understanding the differences in installation requirements to accomplish LPC vs ALPR. Let’s start with some definitions.

• License Plate Capture Camera (LPC) – a specialized security camera that is capable of capturing video surveillance footage of moving vehicles clear enough for a human to identify license plates clearly when reviewing recorded video. LPC cameras are typically connected to a DVR / NVR to record the video surveillance footage.
• Automatic License Plate Recognition Camera (ALPR) – a specialized security camera with embedded software that can automatically identify the alphanumeric characters on a license plate. The license plate numbers are typically logged to a database and / or used for access control integrations such as automated gated entries for vehicles. The video recording typically happens on a DVR / NVR and the license plate database may also be located on the security recorder.

Please note that all ALPR cameras are also LPC cameras, but not all LPC cameras have ALPR software built into them. Sometimes, both of these camera types are simply referred to as “LPR cameras”. This can be confusing in the security industry, and we even do this here at CCTV Camera Pros.

Automatic License Plate Recognition Camera

This is the Viewtron LPR-IP4. It is, by far, our best selling “LPR Camera”. It has automatic license plate recognition software built into it. However, it can be used simply as a license plate capture camera. Using the ALPR software is optional. The Viewtron LPR-IP4 is a network IP camera with PoE support. It is my top recommendation for license plate capture and automatic license plate recognition. We almost always sell our Viewtron LPR cameras with a Viewtron NVR. Viewtron NVRs are 100% integrated with the license plate detection and automatic license plate recognition software functions. All of my most recent license plate recognition video demos use this camera.

License Plate Capture Camera

For customers looking for a CCTV camera solution for license plate recording, our LPR-AHD5 license plate capture camera is an excellent choice. This is NOT an IP camera. It uses coax cable with BNC connectors to record video to a CCTV DVR. This is an LPC camera. It DOES NOT have ALPR software built into it.

Automatic License Plate Recognition Installation Requirements

Here is the Viewtron LPR-IP4 that is installed on a pole located in the back of the plaza where CCTV Camera Pros warehouse is located. Notice how low to the ground the LPR camera is installed – just 4 feet off the ground. Also notice that the pole is not set back too far off to the side of the road – only 10 feet. This minimizes the vertical and horizontal angle to the license plate detection zone.

License Plate Detection Zone

You can see in this picture how this minimizes the angle of view to the license plate detection zone, which is configured in the software on the Viewtron NVR that this camera is recording to. You can see our complete LPR camera installation guide here.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition for Gate Access Control

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Watch this video demo to see how automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), synonymous with ALPR, can be used to trigger the alarm relay output on a Viewtron NVR. The alarm relay output can be used for access control (to open a community gate). The camera is used to capture license plates to the NVRs database and also check those plates or access control to the community. In addition to the alarm relay output, the Viewtron NVRs also have Wiegand  ports for access control integration.

License Plate Capture Camera Installation

Here is the same model Viewtron LPR camera installed on my house. I installed this camera about a year ago to test license plate capture at a much more extreme mounting angle.

The camera is mounted 9 feet 4 inches high.

The location where the LPR camera is mounted on my house is set back 35 feet from the road.

To help minimize the horizontal angle as much as possible, the camera is focused on a license plate detection zone 110 feet away. The results are that the Viewtron LPR-IP4 works great as a license plate capture camera at this angle, but does not reliably detect the alphanumeric character on plates via the ALPR software. To be clear, I can review the recorded video surveillance footage on my NVR and see every license plate that passes by my house clearly.

Here is the video that I made back when I first tested this ALPR camera at my house. Please note that when I started testing and recording video surveillance footage for this video, my intention was to show people why installing an LPR camera on a house does not normally work well. It was to my pleasant surprise to find out how well the Viewtron LPR-IP4 worked when installed at this distance and angle. Ever since then, the team at CCTV Camera Pros has been recommending our Viewtron license plate recognition systems for “license plate capture” applications when the camera can not be installed down low and close to the road.

Viewtron NVR with ALPR Software Integration

These Viewtron NVRs have ALPR software integration. This means that you can setup / configure all of the ALPR functions from the simple to use interface of the NVR. You can also control multiple LPR cameras centrally on the NVR. I always recommend using a Viewtron NVR with Viewtron LPR cameras.

More LPC and ALPR Camera Videos

You can watch additional license plate capture and automatic license plate recognition videos here.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions related to license plate detection or anything related to security camera systems, please email me anytime at mike@cctvcamerapros.net.

Video Transcript

Here is a text transcript of the video at the top of this page. CCTV Camera Pros co-founder, Mike Haldas is the speaker in this video.

Hey guys. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here in this video, I want to talk about the difference between license plate capture and automatic license plate recognition when it comes to LPR cameras. So by definition, license plate capture is the ability to record video surveillance footage of license plates clear enough so that when a human reviews the recorded video surveillance footage on the DVR, they can clearly identify the license plate numbers and letters. Whereas automatic license plate recognition, that’s specialized software built into an LPR camera where the camera can automatically identify the letters and numbers on the license plate and log that plate to a database or check that plate against a database for things like access control and access control systems. And our Viewtron LPR camera is an ALPR camera, but it can also do license plate capture. So generally, any LPR camera that has automatic license plate recognition software built into it, obviously they can also act as LPC cameras or license plate capture cameras. Whereas a license plate capture camera like the one we have with our LPR-AHD5, which is a CCTV camera that uses BNC connectors and coax cable, as opposed to the Viewtron IP camera that is capable of clearly recording license plates. But there’s no automatic license plate recognition software built into it.

So what becomes important here is the installation requirements for license plate capture versus automatic license plate recognition. For the automatic license plate recognition, the installation requirements are much more strict. Ideally, you have to mount the plate fairly low to the ground, like at license plate level, and not offset at an extreme angle horizontally or vertically, whereas license plate capture, you could be a little more lenient with those requirements that set the camera further back and higher and more off to the side. So here is how. We have the Viewtron LPR camera installed in the back of our warehouse on this pole. And as you can see, that pole was strategically installed not too far off to the side of the road. And you could see that the, the LPR camera is mounted about three and a half, four feet off of the ground. That’s to minimize the horizontal and vertical angle to the license plate detection zone.

And that camera works extremely well, almost flawlessly for automatic license plate recognition. Now, a while ago, I took that same Viewtron LPR camera to my house and mounted it about eight and a half, nine feet high. And my house is set back from the road about 35ft, so a pretty extreme angle for license plate recognition. And honestly, when I made that video back then, my intention was to show viewers that this is not a good idea and does not work well. But with this new Viewtron LPR camera. What I found was even at this extreme angle and height, in a lot of cases the automatic license plate recognition software was still working. Not as good as the camp when we have installed out back more properly, but pretty well. And the license plate capture was working almost flawlessly.

I was recording every plate that went by my house and I was able to go back through the footage and read all of those plates even though the automatic license plate recognition software was not able to. So in most cases we have customers contact us and what they need is license plate capture. They don’t need the automatic license plate recognition. And our Viewtron LPR camera is excellent for this even though it has the ALPR software built into it. You don’t need to use that. You could use it as a license plate capture camera and it’s the best hands down at doing that. I want to mention that CCTV Camera Pros helps our customers design LPR camera systems for home, business and government projects. We work with homeowners that just need a very simple solution and we’ve done government projects that consist of hundreds of systems across a huge enterprise.

And we help customers in between those two extremes. And we provide lifetime technical support for all of the Viewtron products, actually all the products that we supply here. Guys, I hope this video has been helpful. You can reach out to me anytime. If you have questions, I could be reached directly mike@viewtron.com if you want to learn more about our Viewtron LPR camera systems and see a bunch of demo videos that I did over the years with them, please visit www.viewtron.com/LPR. Thank you for watching.

The post License Plate Capture vs Automatic License Plate Recognition first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Watch this video to learn how to setup missing object detection on Viewtron AI security cameras. The missing object detection function allows you to define a polygon shape around a fixed object. When the AI software detected the object has been removed from the area, an alarm event occurs. The Viewtron DVR / NVR can take any of the following actions when the missing object alarm occurs: video recording, snapshot image, sound buzzer, video pop-up on screen, email notification, push notification to mobile app, and trigger an external alarm sensor via the alarm relay output ports.

AI Software Setup on NVR

This is how you can setup the missing object detection on your Viewtron AI camera. Please note that in this setup, the Viewtron IP-A8D IP camera is connected to a Viewtron NVR and all of the setup screens below were taken from the NVR. Viewtron NVRs are completely integrated with Viewtron AI cameras. This allows you to perform all of the setup and configuration on the NVR.

To setup missing object detection on the Viewtron NVR, click on the button in the lower left and select Settings.

From the main settings screen, click on the AI / Event link.

On the AI / Event setup screen do the following.

1. Click on the More link
2. Select the IP camera that you are setting up and click on the Object Abandon / Missing link.
3. Check on the Enable check box.
4. Setup the schedule that you want to enable.
5. Select the duration of the alarm that you want when an object missing event occurs.
6. Select Missing Object from the Detect Type dropdown.
7. Click on the point of the image to create a polygon around the object.
8. Click apply.

Click on the Trigger Mode link. Check off all of the actions that you want the NVR to take when a missing object event occurs. You can also select one or more cameras to trigger video recording on. Click on the Apply button when done. Click on the X in the upper right to close this screen.

AI Missing Object Event Detected / AI Event Video Recording Triggered

When the missing object detection event occurs, the NVR will display the AI Event icon in the upper right. The video recording circle icon will also change to the same light blue color to signify that AI / Event type recording is running.

Recorded Video Surveillance Playback

To play back recorded video events, click on the button in the lower left then select Playback.

When the video player opens, you will notice that all of the missing object detection events are annotated in light blue on the video player timeline. This makes it very easy to quickly identify the AI events so that they can be clicked on to jump to that point in time.

Viewtron AI Security Cameras

You can learn more about the Viewtron AI security cameras that support missing object detection here.

Viewtron NVRs

You can learn about Viewtron NVRs here. All Viewtron NVRs are integrated with the AI software built into Viewtron AI cameras.

AI Camera Videos

You can watch additional demo videos using Viewtron AI cameras here.

Have Questions / Need Help?

If you have any questions related to this article or anything related to security camera systems, you can email me at mike@viewtron.com.

The post Viewtron AI Security Camera: Missing Object Detection first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Here is a video demo using the Viewtron security camera app to playback recorded video surveillance footage on a Viewtron DVR / NVR. This mobile app is available for iPhone and Android phones. You can find links to download all Viewtron security camera apps here.

Follow these steps to playback recorded video footage from your Viewtron DVR or NVR using the mobile app.

Live Security Camera View

From the live view in the app, tap on the screen to bring up the menu icons. Then, tap on the video playback icon in the lower right.

Recorded Video Playback

When the player opens, the recorded video from midnight on the current day will start playing back. By default, the secondary video stream is used for video playback. This is not the high resolution video stream. If you want to switch to high definition, tap on the video stream icon in the lower right.

Tap on the Main Stream text to select the highest video resolution playback.

Video Player Timeline

When you are playing back video in the app, you will notice that the video timeline is annotated in sections with different colors. This makes it easy to locate specific types of recordings and alarm events. Referring to the above screenshot you will notice the following annotations on the timeline.

• Blue: Continuous Recording
• Orange: Motion Detection Recording
• Clear: No Recording
• Yellow: AI Software Human Detection Recording

You can toggle the visibility of the video timeline and video player controls by single tapping on the video player screen.

Video Player Controls and Functions

Please note the following controls and functions that are available on the recorded video playback screen of the Viewtron security camera app.

• Live View: Switch from video playback mode to live security camera view.
• Select Camera: Select a different camera to playback video from.
• Audio on/off: If the displayed security camera has an audio surveillance microphone, turn on / off.
• Multi-Camera: Switch between single camera view and various multi-camera layouts.
• Timeline Annotations: Toggle color coded timeline annotations on / off.
• Choose Date: Select a different date for video playback.
• Player Controls: Fast forward, Reverse, Pause video player.
• Select Stream: Switch between Main Stream and Substream recordings. Main Stream is the high definition video.
• Record Video: Turn local video recording on the mobile app on / off.
• Take Snapshot: Take a image snapshot of the current frame in the video playback window.

Mobile App Video Demos

Click here to watch additional video demos using the Viewtron security camera app?

The post Viewtron Security Camera App: DVR Recorded Video Playback first appeared on Security Camera & Video Surveillance Blog.

Here are 3 reliable solutions for a barn camera system that also work well for security cameras for a detached garage or other structure. CCTV Camera Pros has helped many customers that need to install one or more security cameras on the exterior or interior of their barn. Typically, customers want to be able to keep an eye on the animals in their barn from their house. Most customers also want to be able to check in on their animals when they are away from the property using a mobile app.

Planning a camera system for a barn has many of the same challenges as with detached garages and other structures. Here are a few of the most common challenges that we encounter, along with practical solutions.

The Key Questions: Power and Cable Access

There are two main factors to consider before planning your camera installation:

1. Is power available in your barn or garage?
2. Can you run network cable between the house and the detached structure?

Your answer to these questions determines the best route for installing cameras in your barn and connecting them to your home security camera system.

Solution 1: Barn Has Power, Network Cable Can Be Installed

This is the best-case scenario in my experience.

If your barn or garage has power and the distance to your house is less than 328 feet (the limit for Ethernet cable and Power over Ethernet or PoE), you only need to run a single Cat5e or Cat6 cable from your homeâ€s network router to a PoE switch located in the detached building. This PoE switch will power your IP cameras and bring all their video feeds back to the house via the switch’s network uplink port.

For example, if you install an 8-port PoE switch in your barn, you can connect up to eight IP cameras—covering all angles both inside and outside. The switchâ€s uplink then runs back to the router in your house. Everything is neatly hardwired, robust, and ready for recording on your homeâ€s NVR (Network Video Recorder).

You can connect a standard TV to the HDMI video output on the Viewtron IP camera NVR so that you always have a live video view of the animals in your barn.

Solution 2: Barn Does Not Have Power, But Cable Can Be Run

If thereâ€s no power in the barn or garage, but youâ€re still within 328 feet, you can run individual Cat5e or Cat6 cables for each IP camera. Each camera would be directly hard wired from the PoE ports on your NVR in the house to each camera in the barn. Since thereâ€s no power at the barn to run a PoE switch, each camera must have its own dedicated cable supplying both data and power from the NVR. For four cameras, thatâ€s four cables. Itâ€s more work, but absolutely doable and often worth the effort for a reliable hardwired connection.

CCTV Camera Pros has 4 channel, 8 channel, 16 channel, and 32 channel Viewtron NVRs available that have built-in PoE ports.

Solution 3: Cable Can Not Be Run, Barn Has Power

Sometimes, itâ€s simply impossible to run cable between your house and the barn, or the distance exceeds the max 328 foot distance that Ethernet can handle. In these situations, CCTV Camera Pros typically recommends this point-to-point wireless bridge for IP cameras.

With this solution, you mount a wireless antenna on the barn, pointing towards the house, and another antenna on the house pointing back at the barn. This creates a high-speed wireless bridge—the two buildings are now networked together.

Install a PoE switch in the barn, connect your IP cameras to the switch, then connect the switchâ€s uplink to the wireless bridge. The video feeds travel wirelessly back to the house, where your NVR does all the recording. While wireless is usually a last resort (I always recommend hardwiring if possible), this point-to-point WIFI system is very reliable when installed properly and has helped many of our customers monitor barns, detached garages and other outbuildings.

Viewtron AI Security Cameras

All three of the above solutions support all of the Viewtron IP cameras that we supply. If you would like to use human detection, vehicle detection, face detection / facial recognition, I highly recommend our Viewtron AI cameras. We also have some of the best license plate recognition cameras available.

Free Phone Consultations and Security Camera System Designs

If you need help designing a camera system for your barn, home, business or any other type of property, you can request a phone consultation here.

Video Transcript

Hey guys. Mike from CCTV Camera Pros here in this video I want to talk about some solutions for a barn camera or a security camera system for a detached garage. These situations pose the same challenge. Basically the idea is that you have a home and some type of detached structure like a barn or a garage. And we’ve helped a number of customers with, with barns and detached garages over the years to enable them to put one or more cameras on that detached structure and to be able to record the cameras back at the DVR that’s installed in their home. So the, the idea is that the, your house is where your Internet connection is and, and that’s where the recorder is going to be installed. But you want to keep an eye on the animals in your barn or, or your car that’s in the detached garage or workshop or whatever you have going on out there. So how can you do it? Two main factors.

Do you have any power in your barn or garage? And can you run cable, network cable between the house and the barn? Because the solutions here I’m talking about use IP cameras. So number one, let’s say you have both power available in your barn and you can run network cable, Cat 5 ear, Cat 6 cable, and it’s less than 328ft. The cable run between the, the house and the barn. Because 328ft is, is the limit for network cable and for power over Ethernet. If you have power at the barn and you can run cable, you can run a single Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable from the router, the network router in your house, to a POE switch in your barn. And that POE switch then can power one or more IP cameras that you install in or outside of your barn. So for example, if you install a 8 port poe switch in the barn, you can hardwire up to eight IP cameras back to that network switch and then use the, the network uplink port to connect the network back to your house. So the Cat 6 cable from the uplink port in the POE switch back to your network router at the house.

Okay, so that’s, that’s best case scenario in my opinion, that you have both power and you can run cable to the barn. Now let’s say that you don’t have any power in your barn, but you’re still 320ft or less to run cable from the house to the barn. Then what you could do is you can run a Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable, one for each IP camera in the barn, because each IP camera at the Barn is going to be hardwired back to the NVR at your house to one of the POE ports on your NVR. And all of our Viewtron IP camera NVRs have built in Poe. So you could just hardwire each camera back to the recorder. But in this case, being that you don’t have power at the barn, to power a POE switch you have to run one cable for each camera. So if you have four cameras, you have to run four network cables. Okay, option number three, let’s say you have power in your detached barn or a garage, but you cannot run cable, or the distance is greater than 328ft.

You can use one of our point to point wireless bridges. You have a wireless antenna on the barn pointing back at the house, and you have a wireless antenna on the house pointing towards the antenna at the barn. That creates a wireless bridge between the house and the barn. So now the house and the barn are basically networked together. On the barn side, you put a POE switch, you hardwire all of the cameras in your barn to the POE switch and then hardwire the uplink port of the, the POE switch to the wireless antenna. And now the signal from all those IP cameras can travel over that wireless bridge back to the house. And the IP camera NVR can connect to all those IP cameras basically over WI FI using that wireless bridge. And we’ve helped a lot of customers that have barns with the solution.

It’s really applicable to any detached structure. Anytime you want to wire a main structure to a, to another detached structure and those, those, those structures are not networked together, you can use one of our point to point wireless bridges. They work great, but I do only recommend them as a last resort if you cannot hardwire the network cable. Wireless is always a last resort option. Guys. Once you have this connected, you can use any of our Viewtron IP cameras with AI software built in. So you, so even if you’re using a, any of these solutions, the wireless bridge or the hardwired solution, you could take advantage of all the AI software object detection that’s built in, the human object detection, the facial recognition. That way you can trigger alerts if you have anyone that is, is entering those areas when you don’t want them to.

And you could be alerted being that the NVR is back at the house. You can keep an eye on all of the animals in your barn live from a TV at your house. And if you have Internet access back at the house location, of course you could set up remote Internet access so you could keep an eye on all your animals remotely over the Internet using like the Viewtron app for iPhone and Android, or the desktop software for Windows and Mac. Guys, if you have any questions related to the barn camera solutions I discussed in this video or anything related to video surveillance equipment, feel free to reach out to me directly. I could be reached at mike@viewtron.com if you want to learn more about these solutions that I’m talking about in this video, please visit www.viewtron.com/barn. Thank you for watching.

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