JohnAJohnson

problem has been solved.

I've been researching this problem for two weeks on this and other forums and could sure use some help. I am running V5.1.2 build 140116 (patched to fix the "uninitialized" problem) on four Hikvision cameras and have been successfully writing video to a 4TB WD My Cloud NAS (SMB/CIFS) for a couple of years now. I just bought three more cameras and they contain V5.2.5 build 141201, and I can't figure out how to modify them to work with the WD NAS (to combat the "uninitialized" problem). I bricked one by TFTP'ing 5.1.2 to it and don't want to try that again. Best as I can tell from reading, you can't downgrade these but if you know a way, I've been happy with 5.1.2. Otherwise, can they be upgraded to 5.3? Would it be easier to patch than 5.2.5? I downloaded the patched 5.2.5 davinci.tar.gz from another site and can't figure out how to install it in the camera. I can telnet into the camera (putty), but the 5.2.5 firmware doesn't have ftpput or ftpget, and I have been unable to FTP into the camera even after successfully doing a "setFtpService start". If anyone has patched firmware (digicap.dav) that'll work with this camera, I'd appreciate a link. If not, or there isn't a practical way to patch the firmware on these new Hikvisions, I'm open to recommendations on a new NAS that will work with Hikvisions. Thanks in advance.

I'm also trying to access video stored on my WD My Cloud, without using a camera in preparation for the "bad guy stole my cameras" scenario. I can browse to the directory on the NAS, \\security\Back\datadir0, for example, and play any of the mp4 files, but I would like to have something that will go to a specific date/time, just like the camera's web interface or the various Android/iOS apps do. I've tried to use "Local Playback" but cannot figure out how to get it to access the WD NAS. Under "Playback", "Disk Name:", it only shows "Disk 0", and when that is pulled down, Drive c: is the only one available. I have mapped the NAS (running Windows 10 and also XP) at the root and in the various directories and it still won't show up. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Any help is appreciated.

The new 7-Zip files are indeed smaller, as shown below: If something were to go wrong, you have two options. You can use the TFTP Utility to reload the firmware even if you can't get to the camera through the web interface, or if your camera has a reset button, that can usually bring it back to life. But there is always the possibility of "bricking" the camera, so there is some risk. I am new to cameras and a novice at all things Linux. I'll invite other more knowledgeable people to elaborate on or correct my thoughts, above.

I've detailed the procedure for patching Raptor 5.1 so that it keeps the NAS in a "Normal" state instead of an uninitialized state. Works with Raptor 5.1.0 build 131202 and 5.1.2 build 140116. Doesn't work with DM365 v5.1 cameras. After downloading, change the extension to "doc" instead of "zip", and open in Microsoft Word or similar. Much thanks to Heuer and others for breaking the trail on this. NAS Patch.zip

I've used onboard SD Cards for testing, etc., but prefer a LAN based 4TB NAS (no need for WAN connectivity) to store the video offsite. I've tried Email and FTP and neither work as well as the NAS (I have a crappy DSL service with only 256k upload). But I don't really need an instantaneous alert. The perimeter alarms tell me if someone is approaching the house and If I'm away and get robbed, oh well. That's why I have insurance I guess. I can check the NAS daily or so and that'll be fine, but it's not like the sheriff will actually respond anyway. So provided the crackheads don't find the NAS (on my property but not in the house), the video will survive, even if they break or take the cameras. Another thing about video vs. snapshots... Seems that snapshots always trigger when the target is looking away or has already left the scene. Motion video at 2048 x 1536 X 20 fps, starting a few seconds before, and continuing for a few seconds after, really captures a lot of angles and 20 seconds lays down about 20 MB or so. Not bad, and with 4TB to play with, it'll archive a years worth of video with five cameras capturing the day/night change and my going in and out three or four times a day. That's always been my life-long goal

The two changeovers a day are about it. I've been running the cameras for about a month now and I had a bird trip one, and lightning one night tripped all of them repeatedly. Other than that, vehicles afar and people up close are the only things that'll trip. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the internal motion detection. The cameras can be broken off and taken, but whoever does it will be on video. Of course if they are masked, I'll have nothing. I do live in an area with a lot of meth types (Ozarks). They can be unpredictable, but aren't known for critically thinking through a problem.

Then you should install PIRs/motion detectors, and forget about video motion detection (which will give you false positives). Thanks Mind. I'll research PIRs.

Excellent suggestions Kawboy. Thank you. Both the wife and I are ex-military and we are well armed. Most all your suggestions are done (driveway alarms, gates, strong doors, etc.), and the camera system is a last resort. But I sure would rather have it work than not. The sheriff is a long way off so we don't rely on them at all. I've been building a system of free standing IP cameras (without the need for a computer running external software) that can write to an email box, ftp site, or NAS outside of the home. The Hikvisions are really doing this job well right now and really meet my expectations well. Only the one problem of day/night changeover remains...

After you are killed, you really won't care. That's not the point. The idea is for these cameras to deter. This can only happen if the bad guys know they are being recorded (I have signs up) and that nothing can undo those recordings. I record to a NAS offsite so even if the house is burned down, the videos are available. Only other variable is if someone is willing to review those recordings after the event. Deterrence comes from bad guys being arrested because of video. The sooner we all make that closer to a probability instead of a possibility, the greater the deterrent. Overly paranoid, maybe. But if I show a home invader his uneraseable mug shot and license plate and convince him that leaving now will only get him two years in prison vs. the needle, he might believe it.

Me? Detect legitimate motion and record that motion clearly, 5 seconds before, to 5 seconds after. I live in the country and I built this system for a worse case: If I am the victim of a home invasion and killed, I want the police to be able to look at the recordings and identify the bad guys. I don't want them looking through days of video just to weed out squirrels playing, or the sun rising or setting, or other non-pertinent events. I want every recording to be meaningful, otherwise, it'll be trivialized and they might give up before hitting the pertinent recording. I know it would be simple but it probably isn't done because a lot of us are fine with substandard quality. See ssmith10pn's and ak357's posts, above.

My Hikvision cameras (DS-2CD2132-I and DS-2CD2732F-I, all running V5.1.0 build 131202) see the change from day to night to day as motion. My previous ACTi did it too so it isn't just a Hikvision thing. Anyone know the secret settings to get a camera to ignore the changeover?

That's your I Frame Interval, and most people usually set it to match their Frame Rate (Liczba klatek). I have mine set at 15 and 15 and the camera seems to work fine.

That did it. I have the Hikvision reliably writing video to a 4TB WD My Cloud when motion is detected. Even after multiple reboots/power downs for both the My Cloud and Camera.

Thank you Heuer