5.3.0 Euro to 5.3.0 US. Should I bother?

[GregTR]

I got some cameras and they are all 5.3.0 but in Euro FW. I'm in the US. Should I try to install the US firmware onto them? I have a 7616 NVR that is already running US firmware.

 

[Del Boy]

It's the same answer to the following questions.

1) Is something wrong with your setup?

2) Would you like to potentially brick your cameras?

3) Should you bother?

Hint: all three answers are the same

 

[GregTR]

You see, I'm not concerned with bricking the camera. These are cameras I just received from Amazon so if there is something wrong I can just return them. I want to ensure that they can and will be updateable should a new feature come out that I would like to have at a later time, such as Google Chrome compatibility. It's a brand new setup, not something existing. So, technically, yes, there is something wrong as they were advertised as US models but looking at the firmware version, they clearly aren't. However if a simple firmware swap will turn them into US versions then I'm OK with that.

 

[alastairstevenson]

A couple of things to check:
If FW version via web GUI <> FW version on the sticker --> probably running hacked firmware
http://<camera_IP_address>/SDK/language
If English, and you don't ever upgrade the FW, all will be fine.

However if a simple firmware swap will turn them into US versions

You'd have to use hacked firmware - the region is imprinted in the flash and protected.

 

[GregTR]

Well I did upgrade my NVR from EU to US firmware and other than the problem with the initial user/password combination it seem to have taken just fine. Is something different about cameras than the 7616 NVR?

Does US get a different region code than Europe?

 

[alastairstevenson]

I got some cameras and they are all 5.3.0 but in Euro FW

How do you know it's 'Euro FW'?
The firmware version shown in the web GUI just has version numbers and build dates.

 

[GregTR]

Exactly. And the build date and version for the US version of the 5.3.0 is different than the build date of the EU version.
The latest firmware on the US site is v5.3.0_150513
The latest firmware on the EU website is v5.3.0_151016

The camera came with the 151016 build date one hence I assume it is the Euro fw. Plus in the language dropdown list I can pick a whole lot of different languages.

 

[alastairstevenson]

The latest firmware on the US site is v5.3.0_150513

And you will also find that on the EU site:
http://www.hikvisioneurope.com/portal/index.php?dir=Product Firmware/Cameras/DS-2CD2xx2/
There are 4 or 5 different build dates for the 5.3.0 firmware.

 

[GregTR]

Operative word in my comment was "latest". The version of the firmware on the camera is dated 151016 and I can chose Hungarian as a language in the dropdown list. This is obviously the EU firmware. The US firmware was released much sooner as it didn't need all the translations so it was released 150513. They probably released this version for EU at the same time ahead of having proper translations. I'm just guessing here but this is how things probably went.

So my original question still remained. Is there a regional difference between US and EU slanted hardware?

 

[Del Boy]

You are giving Hikvision way too much credit if you think the US and Euro websites have the "latest" firmwares on them or are consistent. Many people have issues updating their US or Euro cameras not just Chinese ones and alot of the reason is Hikvision's lack of firmware consistency.

alastairstevenson is one of the most patient, knowledgeable and helpful members on here, your last post is rather rude to such a valuable member being generous with his time for you.

The fact that you have stated you are happy bricking the cameras and then sending them back to Amazon says it all to me. We've already answered your original question, there is no reason to update/brick/hack the cameras. If you want to update anyway against our advice then go ahead, that's your choice, but don't belittle the helpful members on here.

 

[GregTR]

While the above poster very well could be a valuable contributor to this forum, he was of no help answering my question.


So I did "upgrade" the firmware on my camera to the v5.3.0_150513 that was on the US support website against all advice and nothing broke, it came up just fine and works as it had with the formware version it originally came with and could be found as the latest version on the EU ftp site.


However after this upgrade I still had all the European languages as a choce for me in the drop down list which made me wonder whether there was actually a different in the two identically dated versions on the US and on the EU sites. So I downloaded both and checked their MD5 hash.


Guess what? They were one and the same. So if anyone is wondering, the fact that my camera came with a firmware that is only available on the EU website at the moment and not on the US website has no bearing on whether it's a US or EU destined camera. Both EU and US websites distribute the exact same firmware. For some reason the firmware distributions hit the EU server much much sooner than they hit the US server. Why? No telling.


But to reiterate and to answer my own question, there is no difference in the firmware versions distributed by EU and by US so if one works on your camera so will the other. So in my case I will revert back to the firmware version my camera originally came with as it has fixes not available on the US server.

Disclimer: I'm a software engineer

 

[alastairstevenson]

Both EU and US websites distribute the exact same firmware.

there is no difference in the firmware versions distributed by EU and by US so if one works on your camera so will the other.

Often, but not always.
You do seem prone to sweeping generalisations on limited evidence.

The firmware version is buried inside the (encrypted) contents.
And it does differentiate between regions, for example <redacted>

he was of no help answering my question.

A couple of things to check:
If FW version via web GUI <> FW version on the sticker --> probably running hacked firmware
http://<camera_IP_address>/SDK/language
If English, and you don't ever upgrade the FW, all will be fine.

Maybe it needed stated more bluntly - see what you've actually got first before changing it.
Much of this forum is oriented around people innocently doing Hikvision upgrades and suffering the consequences.

 

[GregTR]

I did check what you asked me to and it did show up with "english". However my problem was with the second part of your advice: "If English, and you don't ever upgrade the FW, all will be fine."

I want to upgrade! That is the whole point of buying a legitimate English version for twice the cost. If the MD5 hash is identical between two firmware files then they are identical, simple as that. So if the US site and the Euro site distributes the identical firmware files than one can assume that it must work on both EU and US targeted cameras.

"Much of this forum is oriented around people innocently doing Hikvision upgrades and suffering the consequences"

Nope. Much of this forum is oriented around people buying cheap Chinese versions and trying to hack it into a US version which the manufacturer is trying to stop by enforcing region code flags in the EEProm or NVRAM. I purchased something that was advertised as a US version. I wanted to verify it to be the case. I think I have done that now so I can sleep better knowing that if a new upgrade comes out I'll be OK.

Thanks!

 

[whoslooking]

To the Chinese an English build is an English build, they won't make one just for one market because the US uses alternative spelling in the use of the English and the reverse.

 

[alastairstevenson]

So if the US site and the Euro site distributes the identical firmware files than one can assume that it must work on both EU and US targeted cameras.

There you go again with your generalisations.

Nope. Much of this forum is oriented around people buying cheap Chinese versions and trying to hack it into a US version which the manufacturer is trying to stop by enforcing region code flags in the EEProm or NVRAM.

Actually I think many people simply do the updates from the versions freely published on Hikvision's websites just assuming they will get some fixes / new features / as one does when updates are offered. I doubt they believe they are 'hacking'. Then looking for help when the unexpected occurs.

 

[GregTR]

There you go again with your generalisations.

You must not be an engineer... If identical files are released on both US and Euro sites then one can assume that it works on both. Otherwise they would cause great havoc. Could there be a firmware released that works on one but not on the other? Sure. But in this case that's not what's happening. Btw, as of right now nobody came forward and:
A) confirmed the various regional zones that Hikvision embeds in their cameras.
B) confirmed which regions have unique or non-working and/or incompatibility issues with which firmwares.
C) explain a method to find out which region a particular camera's hardware is tied to

These are the only questions I'm interested in getting answers to. The rest of it is a don't care as it doesn't affect me as I allegedly purchased a US unit that is US upgradeable. All I want is to verify this claim within the 30 day return window.

My original assertion that my camera was a Europe version was wrong. It very well could be a US version and the factory puts the latest firmware on it even if it's not available on the US website. However, as of right now nobody could state it with authority that there is even two different coding for EU and th US and nobody could provide evidence for such or method to test such claim.

Actually I think many people simply do the updates from the versions freely published on Hikvision's websites just assuming they will get some fixes / new features / as one does when updates are offered. I doubt they believe they are 'hacking'. Then looking for help when the unexpected occurs.

I never said people are 'hacking' their cameras. I said they're cheap, buy the Chinese one with a hacked firmware then get surprised that they can't update it from the legit regional distributor's sourced firmware.

My time is far more valuable than wanting to deal with that crap so I paid premium for what was sold as a US model. I just wanted to see if I could verify that. Given the discovery of identical firmware files on both EU and US sites makes me more confident that there is no difference between the two regions hardware wise and the ones I bought are legit and should upgrade just fine.

As for people buying Chinese crap, caveat emptor.

 

[whoslooking]

There a are 3 regions with Hikvision CCCH CCWR CCAA
Locked down with a region code to 2 Region for sales

China
Rest of the World

Simple as that.

 

[alastairstevenson]

A) confirmed the various regional zones that Hikvision embeds in their cameras.

It's not quite as simple as that any more.
There is what you might call a 'hardware descriptor block' that's written to the device during manufacturing.
From the model code a table of the device attributes provides a pretty open-ended way to tell the firmware how to behave when it initialises.
Good product engineering - unify the hardware that's manufactured, and use deferred design methods for flexibility.

 

[GregTR]

Would you mind sharing how one would verify the 'hardware descriptor block'?

 

[alastairstevenson]

For the 2-series cameras, some info here : https://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/3474-Hikvision-5-2-5-amp-5-2-8-Full-English-(INC-DAYS-OF-WEEK)-mtd-Hack