Why Flash Hikvision Firmware Over My LaView Equipment

S

SDeGonge

n3wb
Nov 14, 2018
11
2
Texas
I have a LaView NVR and cameras and have read numerous threads about flashing the HikVision firmware over the LaView stuff. My question is...

What's the benefit of doing this?
Is it worth the risk?
Is interface better than the crappy LaView stuff?
Will the image quality be better?
 
So far no responses. I currently have my NVR system up and running with the LaView firmware. It seems okay but since I haven't seen the Hik firmware I really don't know the benefits. You know the saying....I don't know what I don't know.
 
Curious LaView owner here also.

FWIW I highly recommend changing out from the cables that came with LaView package to a good Cat5e or Cat6. Made a huge difference with my setup.

*May also want to search your local classifieds as I found 2 new 1000' boxes of Cat6 with crimp pliers for 100.00
 
I have opened a ticket with Laview to ask about using Hikvision firmware on my Laview IP camera.

The reason I want to use the Hikvision 5.5 firmware instead of the latest Laview 5.4 firmware that is available is because the Hikvision 5.5 firmware corrects the giant bug in the 5.4 firmware which lets anyone (that knows how) bypass the login screen and gain access to your camera. All the Laview IP cameras with firmware 5.4 that I had open to the Internet were constantly being hacked and I had to close them off to only local viewing.

It pisses me off that I have a dozen of these Laview cameras that cost over $1000 and I cannot use them for their intended purpose over the Internet. Laview says theLV-PC902F2-W IP cameras are no longer being supported and they are not releasing any more Laview specific firmware updates (they do not even create the firmware) for the camera. This is pathetic support to leave a product with this type of firmware issue without an update when Hikvision fixed the problem a year ago.

I could just try flashing the firmware but I am afraid of bricking a camera that still works for internal viewing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zion
I think you will lose the warranty if you flash it though (unless you flash it back to Laview when you need to RMA)...double check with them if possible.
 
Jay Cahow said:
I could just try flashing the firmware but I am afraid of bricking a camera that still works for internal viewing.
Click to expand...
Presumably these are not CN language cameras - does SADP see them and does the serial number look anything like the usual Hikvision style with the 4 capital letters?
It's more likely to simply reject the firmware if what's installed takes note of the OEM flag in the firmware header.
My guess is that the cross-flashed firmware will work OK.
 
Did you try the closest match of firmware? Since it's automatically rejected I wonder if you can try a few variations to see which one takes. These cameras are WAY too good to be crippled by LaView's bunk firmware. I really hope someone can figure this out. Would be amazing.
 
robbinh00d said:
Did you try the closest match of firmware? Since it's automatically rejected I wonder if you can try a few variations to see which one takes. These cameras are WAY too good to be crippled by LaView's bunk firmware. I really hope someone can figure this out. Would be amazing.
Click to expand...
+1 !
I still want to get rid of this crap LaView firmware but am hesitant until someone with more experience does it before me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zion and robbinh00d
its possible that the LaView will accept the generic version of the Hik firmware... but you need to know what the equivalent model number is
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom