The DS-7108NI-Q1/8P/M(C) is a modern Hikvision IP NVR, part of the affordable Q series. The NVR can connect up to 8 IP cameras with up to 4 MP resolution. The built-in 8-port PoE switch enables direct connection and power supply for IP cameras. 1 SATA port enables connection of hard drives with a capacity of up to 6 TB. It is equipped with parallel HDMI/VGA outputs that display the same image. The built-in USB ports allow you to connect a USB flash drive or external disk and copy specific fragments to external data carriers.

Compression is a very important parameter proving the device advancement. The better the compression, the lower the bandwidth requirement with the same subjective quality. H.265 (HEVC - High Efficiency Video Coding) is currently the most efficient compression method. Compared to its predecessor (H.264), it reduces the data stream and the demand for disk capacity by half. Therefore, hard drives with a halved capacity can be used, or recordings can be stored for twice as long. Its improved version H.265+ has been optimized for use in CCTV monitoring systems. They allow for further reduction of data streams.

iVMS-4200 is client software dedicated to the management and supervision of Hikvision security systems, such as DVRs (IP, TurboHD), video intercoms, access control, set-top boxes, etc. The software allows you to easily and conveniently monitor all systems by offering viewing from IP cameras, remote playback of recordings, remote configuration, handling of alarm events, two-way audio transmission, e-map support, recording to a HDD and many more.

A mobile application Hik-Connect is dedicated to operate Hikvision devices using cell phones with the operating system Android or iOS. It can be used to remotely view live video from DVR, NVR, network cameras, video intercoms using Wi-Fi, 2G or 3G networks as well as to view recorded video. Video intercoms can be operated with the application which additionally allows for remote opening of electric doors, receiving notifications and transferring calls from the entrance panel to the phone in the absence of the resident. The application supports connectivity via IP and the P2P cloud. Hik-Connect is also the name of a cloud-based service that allows access to devices in the absence of an external IP address.

The image from the IP camera is sent to the recorder as a data stream. Thanks to the support of the ANR (Automatic Network Replenishment) function, the Hikvision IP camera equipped with a microSD card can save recordings on it in the event of network failure, i.e. problems with communication between the camera and the recorder. After the problem is solved, the recordings are automatically synchronized with the recorder and marked with a different color on the playback bar. Such a solution guarantees the continuity of recordings and boosts the entire system performance.

Our library provides an overview of applications dedicated for installers and users of monitoring systems based on Hikvision devices.

SADP (Search Active Device Protocol) is a free, easy-to-use utility designed to search for Hikvision IP cameras and DVRs/NVRs in the local network. The network device search tool can also be used to modify device network parameters, e.g. to change or recover default passwords. Detailed information on the software, its use and password recovery (par. 8) can be found in the following article: SADP application - LAN tool for organizing CCTV systems based on Hikvision devices.