HIK NVR keeps dying. Are there alternatives?

[sebvad]

I'm on my 3rd NVR - they seem to last 2-3 years, then simply fail. Assuming i don't want to keep buying a new one every few years, are there alternatives i might be considering? Are there web based solutions to be explored that negate the need for the physical NVR in my home in the first place?

Thanks!

 

[wittaj]

Blue Iris on a computer!

 

[busterboy]

NAS Drive

 

[sebvad]

Thanks guys - let me do some looking into what those are - and i suspect i might have a followup question or two Thanks!

 

[alastairstevenson]

What was the nature of the faults?
I do believe your experience is far from typical.
Do you have any failure rate issues with any other electronics?

 

[sebvad]

it's a home security system with just 2 cameras on it. The installers are indicating that this is about the typical failure rate they see on these NVR's - so not sure if that's true or just their standard line. We live pretty remotely, and put a whole house surge protector and conditioner in when we built to minimize disruptions (thought being that since we're a bit off the beaten path, we might have more power disurptions than n ormal - turns out that isn't the case) - but it is a long way of answering your excellent question - no we don't have any failure rate issues with other devices - in fact in 8 years since we've built the house, nothing else has failed...the fault - i don't recall the code - but what happens (and it's currently in the process of happening again) is that before it ultimately fails, the NVR will continuously 'beep' and intermittently lose the cameras for a minute or two, then reacquire them. this will go on for weeks to months, until the NVR won't move past the boot screen.

Also shouldv'e said i'm on a mac as my primary computer, and blue iris doesn't play with macs.

 

[fenderman]

it's a home security system with just 2 cameras on it. The installers are indicating that this is about the typical failure rate they see on these NVR's - so not sure if that's true or just their standard line. We live pretty remotely, and put a whole house surge protector and conditioner in when we built to minimize disruptions (thought being that since we're a bit off the beaten path, we might have more power disurptions than n ormal - turns out that isn't the case) - but it is a long way of answering your excellent question - no we don't have any failure rate issues with other devices - in fact in 8 years since we've built the house, nothing else has failed...the fault - i don't recall the code - but what happens (and it's currently in the process of happening again) is that before it ultimately fails, the NVR will continuously 'beep' and intermittently lose the cameras for a minute or two, then reacquire them. this will go on for weeks to months, until the NVR won't move past the boot screen.

Also shouldv'e said i'm on a mac as my primary computer, and blue iris doesn't play with macs.

The installers are lying to you. I am not a fan of NVR's and prefer pc based solutions, but hikvision and other brand dvr/NVR's last way longer than 2-3 years. Just look at all the crappy video recorded in 2020 on old dvrs. The issue you are describing sounds like a faulty hard drive though alastair could better speak to that.

note that blue iris plays really well with macs. You wont run BI on your mac, just as you would not run your NVR on your mac. You would buy a 100-300 dollar pc. You would access your recoding via the blue iris webserver or via a monitor connected your the BI machine.

 

[Trax95008]

I also agree that it sounds like the hard drive. Do you know which drive is being used in the NVR? Can you open it and check?

 

[alastairstevenson]

In the web GUI of the NVR you can review the log in the Maintenance menu to see what the beeps are complaining about.
Certainly the HDD is a potential cause of the problems.
The web GUI Storage menu provides a good view of the HDD health by accessing the SMART attributes.
If you can provide a couple of screenshots of those they can be interpreted.

 

[wittaj]

I have had whatever the NVR operating system is running on go out. TWICE. Got to buy a whole new NVR - TWICE

I have had the ethernet port go out on an NVR. Got to buy a whole new NVR.

i had the HDMI port go out on an NVR. Got to buy a whole new NVR.

Most I ever got was 2.5 years. The only working part was the HDD that I simply moved from the old NVR to the new one. I got to the point of realizing that an NVR is simply a stripped down computer, so I went to BI and never looked back.

So in my BI Computer, at least if the SSD goes out, I can just replace it. If the ethernet card goes out, I can just replace it. If the HDMI port goes out, I can just replace it. etc.

 

[sebvad]

Thanks for the explainations guys - i appreciate it. The first time the HIK NVR failed, i also thought it was the hard drive, and replaced it myself - and it didn't solve the issue. Interestingly, as noted the current NVR had started it's 'beeping of death/losing camera' cycle that was the early warning of previous failures - and i've had the unit off for the last month (which renders it, of course, no longer a security system). i turned it back on again last night, and it's been running well for 12 hours - so not sure what that means. I'll continue to look at PC based options vs the NVR anyway - i installed Sighthound (which runs natively on the mac) but it couldn't find the cameras - i'm guessing it's a function of me simply not really knowing what i'm doing, and haveing something configured incorrectly. Gives me a project to look into

 

[Mike Oz]

I'm running a rebranded hik nvr (LTS). Is the failure rate on these things really that high? Maybe some of you have bad luck? I'm 3+ yrs in on my current NVR and wondering if I should make plans for a replacement. Me personally it's nice just having an all in one decide like an NVR vs having to build a whole new setup for BI.

 

[Securame]

I agree with @fenderman, the installers are lying to you.

One unit fails you? You have been unlcuky. Three of them do? There has to be something else in there.

I have units that have been running for many years. The HDD and the power supply is what might fail more often (HDD even more if you are recording 24/7, or using a HDD that is not supposed to be used for CCTV).

 

[alastairstevenson]

i turned it back on again last night, and it's been running well for 12 hours - so not sure what that means.

The system logs should provide a clue as to why it's been beeping.
Network disconnects, HDD errors, crashes/reboots, IP conflicts, login issues and more all cause the NVR to beep.

Do you have any remote access to the device, if so by what method?

 

[looney2ns]

Is the NVR installed in a conditioned space? Not in an attic?
Do you periodically clean the dirt out if it that the fans draw in? Especially the power supply.
Is it installed in an enclosed cabinet? Meaning it can't get proper air flow.

 

[Kenneth Anderson]

I could never bring myself to buy an NVR. But that's because I am capable of developing my own, given an obsolete server like my son gave me when his company quit needing them. I just install a couple of 2TB hard drives on a two-interface server, Ubuntu Server OS (any Linux variety can be made to work) and program in bash scripting language. Then I am never dealing with dying NVRs, but ALWAYS dealing with tweaking the system and have no pretty monitor without connecting in with a laptop. An in-between option to reduce endless tweaking on the system could be professionally-written NVR software on a Linux server or workstation. Don't forget the PoE or non-PoE switches as needed.