DVR

Q:I'm trying to burn a CD, but when I go to backup my files I get the error message "Not enough space". I have a blank CD, why am I getting this error?

You are receiving this message because the:

• disc is actually written on
• files selected are too big,
• drive itself did not properly recognize the disc.

First, verify the type of media you are trying to record on. If you have a CD burner, you will need either a CD-R or CD-RW. If it's a DVD burner, either a DVD-R or DVD-RW will work. As well, ensure that the disc is blank if it is a DVD-R/CD-R. If you are still having issues, back out to the main menu, and reinsert the blank disc from the main menu. This will allow the drive more time to read it before you try to burn to it.

Q:I'm searching for a date and time, but the results I am getting are all earlier than the time I want. Where is the search result I'm looking for?

It's there, however it's just not being displayed because there are too many results before it. Move up the start time of your search, and restart your search.

Q:My display is not properly aligned with the screen. How can I adjust it?

From the Main Menu, choose Super User, and then TV Adjust. This will allow you to control the display output, and adjust the borders of the screen. Increasing the deflate value brings the desired side in closer to the center of the screen. If that doesn’t work, you may need to adjust the monitor itself using its built in controls.

Q:I want to back up my files using an external USB Hard drive. Is this possible?

Yes, and it's done the same way as actually burning a CD. At the Backup Files screen, you should see your drive listed under the Selected Device drop down menu. Choose your drive from the list, and then backup the files as normal. ICRealtime recommends either Sony or Seagate external drives, for compatibility reasons.

Q:I'm logged in using (IE/Remote Software) and my cameras didn't come up! Where is my video?

The software, by default, does not bring up a camera view when you connect. To connect to a camera, right click in the window and choose either Realtime Monitor, or Multi-Video Preview, and then select a camera to view.

Q:​I'm logging into my DVR over the network, and my 888888 username isn't working! Why?

The 888888 username is for local access (i.e. in front of the DVR). For network or remote access, use either the admin account, or any other user created account.

I have a playback file saved to my computer/burned to a CD, but I cannot open it. How do I view .dav files?

Our newly released Flex DVR’s place the video player program itself on the CD, so it should load automatically if you are playing it from a CD. If not, or if you actually downloaded to a computer that does not have the player installed, you can grab this from our support page. Browse to http://www.icrealtime.com/support, and under Downloads for DVR Flex, install the Video Player, and it will associate itself with .dav files.

Q:The remote control for my DVR has stopped working. There is no response even after I replaced the batteries. How do I fix it?

Most likely it is that the remote control's address has been changed. To reset it, aim the remote towards the front of your DVR system and press the blue button at the top right. Wait a few seconds for the Remote Address window to open. Now with your remote, click in 008 and click on "OK" Your remote should now be reset and fully functional!

Q:I only have a mouse for my Flex machine, so how do I input letters? Is this normal?

Yes it is working as intended. If you move the mouse over any input field, you will see a gray box with either numbers, letters, or symbols directly to the right. You can cycle through these different character sheets to change what you can input with the mouse. Clicking inside the actual field will display the full tab, allowing you to input letters, numbers or characters!

Q:I'm watching my playbacks, and I don't hear any audio! How do I enable audio?

From the main menu, navigate to "CONFIG" and then "ENCODE". Select the channel which has an audio input attached, and then highlight "Enable Audio" at the bottom. Repeat as needed for all channels, and choose save at the bottom. The DVR will now record audio as well.

Q:How do you format a hard drive at the DVR?

From the main menu, navigate to "Super User" and then "HDD Management". From here, choose the HDD you wish to format from the HDD No. drop down menu. Next, from the "Set to" drop down menu, select "Format". Choose "Execute" at the right to format the selected drive. Note: formatting may take several minutes. After it is completed, you will get an indicator once you left click the mouse or by pressing enter/escape on the controls.

Q:The remote control for my DVR will not work even though I have checked the batteries! What can I do?

The remote is able to control more than one DVR, but by default it has not been paired or assigned to one. Press the blue button on the top right of the remote, and it should prompt you for an address number. By default, the DVR is set to 8, so type 8 and press OK. Your remote should now be functional.

Q: I just connected my monitor to my DVR, and I see my camera views and the grid lines, however I don't see my mouse cursor or my menus! How do I get these back?

Check the output source you are connected to at the rear of the machine. Video Out 2 only displays the actual camera views. This is traditionally used for spot monitors to display just the video feed. If you wish to see the menu and mouse overlay, you will have to be connected on Video Out 1. Please note that the VGA port and Video Out 1 are shared, thus VGA style monitors will always show the menu and mouse cursor.

Q:I have a VGA monitor and another monitor connected to Video Out 1, however only one of them has a display and the other screen has rolling lines/no display at all. What's wrong?

Video Out 1 and the VGA output are a shared port. If you have both connected they will fight for the signal, causing the described error. If you are still experiencing this issue, you can also hold down the F2 button on the front of the DVR for about 10 seconds. This will switch the video mode between the two outputs.

Q:I am supposed to have motion based recording on my DVR, but when I do a search I don't see any recordings. Where are they?

Unfortunately, if your motion settings are not configured properly, you may in fact miss important events. There are two things which should always be configured when setting up motion based recording. If you go into the 'Config' menu, and then 'Detect', ensure that your sensitivity setting is set at a high enough level. As well, you may have masked out a detection region, so you will want to check this by clicking the 'Set Region' button. Another common mistake in this menu is the 'Record Channel' section. Traditionally, the 'Record Channel' value should correspond to the actual channel drop down value, unless you actually want it to record on a different channel.

Q:I'm using the zoom feature from the search menu. Why is the zoom so blurry?

The Flex hardware supports digital zoom. A digital zoom will only enlarge the actual image, with no image enhancement. Certain cameras or devices support what's known as optical zooming, which will enlarge and enhance the image.

Q:I just connected a microphone, but I'm not hearing any audio. What am I missing?

You have to actually enable the audio on that specific channel. From the main menu, choose CONFIG, and then ENCODE. Choose the channel from the drop down, and highlight enable audio. Save your settings at the bottom, and you should hear sound from your speakers while a video is in full screen.

Q:How many people can I have logged onto my Flex at the same time?

There is no true limit to the number of people that can be logged in at once. Each person will require a separate user account. The actual quality of the stream will depend mainly on the amount of available bandwidth for your network, however.

Q:I'm setting up a recording schedule on all my channels for all days of the week, yet after I save my schedule and check back in the record menu, it only shows channel 1 and today for the weekday! Are my settings actually saved?

Yes. This is a common issue that seems to confuse a lot of people. The channel drop down menu is always going to display 1 when you first open the recording schedule, and the day of the week should pop up with today (it's got to start somewhere). If you want to verify your settings, feel free to change the channel and watch the periods update with the correct settings.

Q:Is it possible to play my search results consecutively from the DVR?

If you wish to have your results play one after another, you will need to click the button at the bottom right of the search menu that says 'repeat playback'. Afterwards, hit play, and once the current file is finished playing it will automatically start the next one from the results window at the top right.

Q:My DVR is set up for (motion/alarm) recording under the record configuration, however it appears to be recording continuously. What's wrong with my recording?

Check your manual record setting first. Manual record will overwrite whatever you have set with the scheduler. From the main menu choose 'Super User', and then 'Manual Record'. Make sure all channels are set to schedule, and not start.

Q:I just added a flash drive, or additional USB device to my MAX series DVR, and I lost control of my mouse! What happened?

The issue is very straight forward. The top rear USB port is actually the same as the front port on the DVR. If you connect any USB device to the front while having a mouse in the top/rear position, you will lose control of the mouse. Use the bottom port instead to retain both mouse and backup functionality.

Q:I'm trying to connect to my DVR through the network, however im receiving a message that states 'The connect users is full'. What's the issue?

You are exceeding the maximum number of connections allowed by the DVR. Navigate from the Main Menu, to Settings, and then to Network. Verify your setting for max connections. By default this is set to 10.

Q:I recently upgraded to Internet Explorer version 8, and now my web interface is distorted! How can I correct this?

Microsoft changed a few fundamental features with their latest version of Internet Explorer. In order to view your interface properly, navigate to Tools, and choose Compatibility View Settings. On the next settings page, check the box at the bottom which says Display all websites in Compatibility mode. Afterwards, choose close. Refer to the How-to guide if you need further guidance.

Q:I'm trying to run the Enterprise Pro Surveillance System, but I'm receiving an 'Unsupported Operation' error message before I can connect - what's wrong with my computer?

This error message is specific to users running Windows Vista with UAC (User Account Control) enabled. You can either disable UAC, or change your EPSS shortcut to always launch as an administrator. To do the latter: Right click your EPSS Shortcut, and choose Properties. On the properties sheet, choose the Compatibility Tab. At the bottom of the compatibility tab, check the box that says 'Always run this program as an Administrator', and then click apply.

Q:I converted a original file from a Flex/Max DVR to an .AVI file from the player yet when I try to play the .AVI file back through a different player, it gives me an error. Whats going on?

Playing back the converted .AVI file in a media player other then our own, requires a special codec package to make that media player understand how the file was encoded/compressed. There are several free codec packages out on the internet today but we recommend the one listed below. Download and install the package to have your favorite media player decode the converted .AVI file. Link to Codec Package

Camera

I have a 10XDN installed, and I'm trying to wire it to my DVR in order to control it through the DVR, yet I'm not getting any response. What am I missing?

The 10XDN, like many other cameras with Pan/Tilt/Zoom functionality, require a system or camera ID to be set on the camera itself in order to communicate with our DVRs. Before installing this camera, it is recommended to connect the controller to the camera via the DIN-6 connector at the rear of the camera (you will need a flathead screwdriver to remove the plug first). Once the controller is connected, press set to access the OSD (on screen display) menu. From here, navigate to Special, and then Cam. ID. Here, assign the camera a unique ID, and save the settings. If you match the ID number with the address value in the DVR, you should be able to zoom and focus the camera. Please refer to the How-To for a more in depth explanation on configuring the 10XDN.

I have an ICR 150 camera, and I'm trying to record audio, however I hear nothing. Is my camera defective?

Firstly, ensure you have your White BNC connector firmly atttached to the audio inputs at the rear of the machine. As well, if you have a Flex series DVR, you will have to enable the audio from the Encode menu, under the Configuration tab. Please see the How-to note for further guidance on enabling audio.

My image looks fine during the day, however at night time I have a strange and distorted image. What's causing this?

This scenario is somewhat indicative of an IR related issue. There are several common issues people run into after daylight hours, including:

Halos

If you have a whitish halo on your picture, your IRs are reflecting back into the camera lens. Make sure the housing is fully down on the base, and that no gaskets are interfering.

Specks

If you have white specks displaying on your screen, ensure that your camera lens is clean! Any particles including dirt, oils from your hand, or even water droplets will reflect back as a bright white during night time. Clean your camera, and the image should clear up perfectly.

What information do I need to configure my PTZ camera with your DVR?

Our DVRs support most of todays common PTZ protocols. To configure the DVR to control them however, you will need to know 3 simple pieces of information:

• Baud rate
• Protocol
• Camera ID

The protocol and baud rate can be found in the user manual of the PTZ, and most modern PTZ cameras will actually display this information during its self test start-up phase. The camera ID is something which you assign, either through the use of dip switches, or through the OSD menu of the camera.

How do I change the address ID for RS-485 control?

Remove the plug from the bottom of the EL-3000 series cameras, to reveal the joystick used to control the OSD of the camera.

Once in the OSD, use the joystick to navigate to 'Special Function', and then 'Communication'.

On this page here, you can select the ID, protocol, and baud rate.

Others

I'm viewing my DVR remotely over the internet and the quality/frames are much lower than when I view them locally. Is something wrong with my computer?

It is possible, however the more likely reason is the actual upstream from your service provider is not sufficient enough to stream all the data at full quality. To help remedy this symptom, you can choose Multi-Video Preview from the software, which will throttle the stream, automatically removing some of the quality and/or frames to meet your bandwidth restrictions.

I'm viewing my DVR locally over my network, and there is a small delay between this and the live view. I thought this was real time monitoring?

It certainly is recording at real time - that much is true. Anytime a network is between you and the DVR, you have to realize there will be a given amount of lag, or latency.

I'm running Windows Vista, and I cannot get the Internet Explorer interface to load. The software works fine however, so how do I get Internet Explorer to work also?

Vista users will have to right click on the explorer shortcut, and choose Run as Administrator. This should allow the web interface to display properly.

How can I get the external (aka public) IP for my DVR?

Navigate your internet browser to http://www.whatismyip.com. There it should list your external IP in bold numbers.

If right at this moment, the computer you are using is at the same location as the DVR is, your external IP (Public IP) is: 217.20.178.137.

Can I view my videos from my PDA / Smart Phone?

Yes you can! We now have our mobile application ready for iPhone, Android devices, Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices. Please follow the links below for more information.

ICRSS mobile application for iPhone,iPod Touch and iPad

ICRSS mobile for Android devices

For other phone platforms, please contact us for further information.

I'm trying to control a PTZ (or controllable device) from two different controllers, yet I get no response from either. How can I control the PTZ from both controlling devices?

You may need to use a diode (also named rectifier) to correct this issue. The most common function of a diode is to allow an electric current to flow in one direction but to block it in the opposite direction. Thus, the diode can be thought of as an electronic version of a check valve or check sum. This should correct the communication problems that the two (or more) contoller devices were trying to fight over. The diodes would need to be placed on both sides of the communication run for both your positive and negative (+ & -) terminals. You should be able to buy these simple devices at your nearest electronic store and remember to get at least ones that are rated at 1Amp.

My DVR system was originally setup for remote access, but it's no longer working! What happened to my DVR?

There could be a number of things causing connectivity issues. The first thing to check would be the current public IP you are trying to log in to. If you do not have a static address from your provider, it is quite possible that your address has already changed. As well, if you have added or changed any network equipment (modems, routers, firewalls, etc.) to that network, you will need to reconfigure them to allow remote access to the DVR.

My DVR is supposed to be recording for X amount for days! I'm getting less than what the storage calculator said. Why is this?

Firstly, all figures from the storage calculator are approximate. These are based on good quality cameras that support DNR, or Digital Noise Reduction. If you are using a lower end camera without DNR, you will be capturing erroneous 'noise' in each recording, ultimately resulting in a larger than normal file. For example, a camera without DNR could generate an hour long file as large as 300MB, and over!

Secondly, if you are recording audio data on certain channels, this is also going to take up more space on your hard drive.

Lastly, if you are doing multiple types of recording simultaneously (ex: Motion and continous), this is obviously going to take even more space than normal.

I recently added a PTZ keyboard to my DVR system. Previously, I was able to use the DVR to control my camera, but after adding this keyboard to my setup, neither the keyboard or DVR controls will work. What's with my wiring?

It is possible to have both devices control the PTZ camera. The problem occurs when they both send an impulse, the devices get confused and you'll wind up with data collisions. The result is no communication whatsoever. The fix to this is to add simple rectifier diodes to your line. The diodes work as a one way sign (figuratively speaking), and allow your wiring to function without the collisions. You will want to have your diodes polarized to your lines, and you will want them at the junction between your joystick and DVR.

I'm using an IVB213 video balun - what is the pin configuration on the UTP cable?

• Pin 1 = Vid +
• Pin 2 = Vid -
• Pin 3 = Not Used (AUX)
• Pin 4 = DC 12+
• Pin 5 = DC 12+
• Pin 6 = Not Used (AUX)
• Pin 7 = DC 12-
• Pin 8 = DC 12-

I want to use a 3G/4G service to access my DVR/IP camera remotely. What service provider is preferred to use?

Certain 3G/4G service providers usually block most ports from being opened. The table below shows which services are more perferred to use. Carrier Port Restrictions Verizon Wireless All ports open AT&T Depends on APN used: All ports blocked All ports open isp.cingular internet & I2GOLD Sprint Most ports open. Port 80 blocked. T-Mobile All ports blocked Contact third-party M2M service providers for alternate APNs

DVR (Legacy)

How do I get to channels above 10, 20, 30 on my pro series DVR?

If you're at the DVR, using the front panel you will need to hit the -/-- button. Hitting this once works as a 10+, twice works as 20+, three times as 30+. On the remote, you will need to hit the setup button for this function.

Example:

• Pulling up channel 24
• Press (-/-- or setup) twice, then 4.
• Pulling up channel 12
• Press (-/-- or setup) once, then 2.

I want to use a 3G/4G service to access my DVR/IP camera remotely. What service provider is preferred to use?

Certain 3G/4G service providers usually block most ports from being opened. The table below shows which services are more perferred to use. Carrier Port Restrictions Verizon Wireless All ports open AT&T Depends on APN used: All ports blocked All ports open isp.cingular internet & I2GOLD Sprint Most ports open. Port 80 blocked. T-Mobile All ports blocked Contact third-party M2M service providers for alternate APNs