Is DS-7608NI-E2 / 8P compatible with H264+ ??

[Schmark]

Setup: NVR is DS-7608NI-E2 / 8P, FW 3.4.98 build 171121 with 7 cameras. Four of the cameras are in H264+ mode.

While connecting to the NVR remotely (via OpenVPN), I can see playback videos of all the cameras, but I cannot view the main-stream, real-time videos of the four H264+ cameras (I can view their sub-stream though). I believe the main-stream comes out of these camera encoded in H264+. At home, the real-time videos show up as expected on a TV.

Note: when I remotely log directly into any of the H264+ cameras, I see the main-stream video as expected. This is strange because the camera's H264+ stream passes through the NVR (and is decoded there?) before being piped to Internet.

I believe the video playback is a replay of recorded NVR data, though not sure if that is pre- or post-decoding, while the real-time data is decoded in the NVR and then piped through the Internet.

Is my NVR the problem (can't decode H264+) ?

Thanks

-S

 

[StewartM]

Pretty sure your NVR is capable but you can check.
Amend the following and paste it into Chrome:
http://192.168.1.xx/ISAPI/Streaming/channels
You may have to enter the admin credentials.
Have a look in the Channel ID (101) for:
<videoCodecType>H.264</videoCodecType>
and
<SmartCodec>
<enabled>true</enabled>
</SmartCodec>

What do you see?

 

[Schmark]

Thanks StewartM. I did what you suggested and got the following:


Any idea on how to proceed?
Where do I look for Channel ID (101)?

-S

 

[Schmark]

So I checked the DS-7608NI-E2/8P datasheet and as StewartM suspected, it is compatible with H264+ encoding. Why, then, can't I remotely view the main stream of the 4 cameras that have H264+ enabled?

-S

 

[StewartM]

Stab in the dark, might be a port issue. RTSP needs port 554 open. Does OpenVPN have an option to configure ports? Ditto on port forwarding on your router.
As for the error, enable ISAPI and CGI on your NVR and add a user account with admin privileges. Then try the url again.

 

[Schmark]

StewartM: I do NOT port-forward on my router as this forum strongly recommended against it.
I did some tests with interesting results. Based on your suggestion, I changed the RTSP port on the NVR from 10554 (I don't remember why I had it at that value) to 554.
==> Partial success as one of the four cameras main stream is now remotely visible (I'll call that unit "Camera 1"). The other three main streams are still not remotely visible.
Further checks showed that Camera 1 has FW version 5.5.61, whereas the other three (Cameras 2, 3, 4) have a NEWER FW, version 5.5.82 which adds an "Enhanced SDK Port" to the port list (see image below)

Questions:
1. Is this Enhanced SDK port (brought by newer FW 5.5.82) part of the problem? Should I downgrade the three cameras back to FW 5.5.61 without bricking them?
2. Where in the NVR configuration do I access ISAPI and CGI?

Thanks for your feedback

-S
= = = = = = =

 

[StewartM]

I have never bricked a legitimate (non grey market) Hikvision camera and I have pushed the G1 series back to v5.5.0 and everything in between for testing. I'm currently on v5.5.83 and have no issues. What are your camera models?
The Enhanced SDK Service just added TLS (transport layer security) for client applications. I doubt it is the cause. You can disable it here:

Enable CGI for ISAPI and also enable ONVIF for RTSP (create a admin user!)

 

[Schmark]

Thanks again, StewartM.

My cameras are 2CD2335FWD-I. I adjusted their setups as you suggest above, but still can't see H264+ main streams remotely. To understand what is involved with the end-to-end data path, I generated the simple graphics below (please correct any errors). Out of the NVR, I can see the decoded real-time main streams on the TV but not remotely. I can, however, see all the main-streams in playback mode. Further, when I remotely log directly into each camera, I can see their real-time main streams, presumably decoded by the NVR decoder. Keep in mind that I always remotely saw the H264 main streams.

As for the TLS, does the NVR support both TLS1.1 and the newer TLS1.2 ? I ask because the NVR only shows a box to enable the older SSL (no version). Finally, I am using IE which is setup to use TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1, and TLS 1.2 (SSL 3.0 disabled)

So, I am at a total loss to determine my problem.

-S

 

[StewartM]

What happens when you try remotely access the main stream from camera 1 via the NVR, using VLC (Media>Open Network Stream)?
rtsp://192.168.1.xx:554/Streaming/tracks/101

 

[StewartM]

RTSP enabled here?

 

[Schmark]

I tried and got interesting results. First, my NVR does not have the "Enable RTSP" option. Then, I tried remotely accessing the streams from the four H264+ cameras and the other three H264 cameras with VLC and here is what I got:
1. Camera 1, rtsp://192.168.1.xx:554/Streaming/tracks/101 => Error message with "Your Input can't be opened . . . Check the log for details". I can't find where the log is.
2. Camera 2, rtsp://192.168.1.xx:554/Streaming/tracks/201 => Streams, starting with the oldest Camera 2 footage stored on the NVR hard disk. I don't know how to go forward or how to get the real-time stream
3. Camera 3, rtsp://192.168.1.xx:554/Streaming/tracks/301 => Error message with "Your Input can't be opened . . . Check the log for details"
4. Camera 5, rtsp://192.168.1.xx:554/Streaming/tracks/501 => Same as Camera 2 above. Streams oldest stored footage
5. The other H264 (not +) cameras do stream, also from the oldest stored footage

Not sure what to conclude from these tests.

-S

 

[StewartM]

Load the ONVIF Device Manager and try lets' try test from there.

 

[Schmark]

This is what I get. The address I entered is that of the NVR.

 

[StewartM]

This points to CGI and ONVIF not being activated on the NVR. Just to clarify, did you enable it on the NVR and add a user?

 

[Schmark]

I do not have the Integration Protocol screen on my NVR (see below). However, many of my cameras do have a screen similar to yours, with ONVIF and Hikvision-CGI enable boxes (not ISAPI).

 

[StewartM]

Let's start by trying to activate ISAPI/ONVIF/CGI on the NVR. Open Chrome and navigate to the RestLet Client. Once you have added it, login without an account.
Select GET and paste this URL with your amended NVR password and IP:
http://admin:xxxx@192.168.1.xx/ISAPI/System/Network/Integrate
Please post the response.

 

[Schmark]

No response, whether or not I add the HTTP port I use in IE11 to get to the NVR. The abort count keeps going up and I stopped it when it reached 200 seconds.

 

[StewartM]

Odd, you should get something.
Try from a Chrome/FF tab:
http://192.168.1.xx/ISAPI/System/Network/Integrate

 

[Schmark]

I do get something, but only if I add the HTTP port (below). No ONVIF though

 

[StewartM]

Back in RestLet:
PUT http://admin:xxx@192.168.1.xx/ISAPI/System/Network/Integrate
Body:
<Integrate xmlns="http://www.isapi.org/ver20/XMLSchema" version="2.0">
<ONVIF>
<enable>true</enable>
</ONVIF>
</Integrate>

If you don't get a response untick Host