New Dahua LPR

[rsoxhater]

So to be clear, you're using OpenALPR to do the LPR, not the camera's internal feature? I'm sure that would work well, it's the internal ALPR that I'm finding terrible. But I haven't done the firmware update yet, so hopefully there's an improvement once I do.



Are you talking about on the NVR box (external from the camera) or on the camera itself? I have enabled LPR on the camera itself of course. But again not with the latest firmware.

I am using OpenALPR. I find it superior to anything I've used, including the Milestone Xprotect LPR. Between two traffic cameras it catches about 100,000 plates a week. Its a commercial install so we need the search history, etc.

 

[wrybread]

He's referring to using the AI version of the NVR in conjunction with the camera,

Wouldn't that work with any camera? In other words doesn't that bypass the ALPR on the camera itself, like using OpenALPR on an external computer?

 

[bigredfish]

To be honest I don't know if it works with any camera or only the more advanced 7000 series.... I get your point.

While Ive not tested either, based on @Wildcat_1 's usually reliable testing I wonder if there is some setting refinement that might help...

 

[wrybread]

I am using OpenALPR. I find it superior to anything I've used

Me too, I love OpenALPR. But then there's no point in using the $450 IPC-HFW7442H-Z, might as well use the half priced IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E, which is actually a better choice since it has more zoom.

 

[rsoxhater]

Me too, I love OpenALPR. But then there's no point in using the $450 IPC-HFW7442H-Z, might as well use the half priced IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E, which is actually a better choice since it has more zoom.

I went with the Z4 version since it has the higher zoom. I'm getting reads at about 150ft easily in the far lane of traffic on the 7442 from where the camera is mounted. The close lane of traffic passes right by the camera so it does not have to work to hard at that.

I also have a 5241 for LPR on an entrance road. I would love to be able to put them side by side for a comparison on the pole on the road, but logistically not really possible. Going from memory the sensor on the 7442 is 1/1.8 compared to the 1/2.8 on the 5241, and the 7442 supports a few extra streams, 4mp, and 60fps. The 7442 in my opinion handles trickier lighting conditions a bit better, like dusk and down, but that is completely my own opinion.

For most home uses, I do agree the 5241 is a better value.

 

[wrybread]

For most home uses, I do agree the 5241 is a better value.

According to @samplenhold they have the same sensor:

The only thing that sets these apart from the 5241 Z12E cams is the in camera plate identification and processing. It has the same 2MP 1/2.8" sensor.

I have them mounted side by side, although at different angles, and their image looks exactly the same to me.

 

[bigredfish]

The 5442 and 7442 series use a 1/1.8" sensor, the 5231/5241 series use the 1/2.8"

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Some software like Milestone or OpenALPR is good but use that on a secondary stream and feed the main to the Dahua NVR.

 

[wrybread]

Some software like Milestone or OpenALPR is good but use that on a secondary stream and feed the main to the Dahua NVR.

What's the advantage of doing that over sending the main stream to both?

And I still don't understand: does the NVR do any ALPR?

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Can make all of these smart functions out on your HFW7442H-Z4 via the NVR

 

[wrybread]

Does the NVR do it's own ALPR, or does the camera do it? If it does it's own, does it do ALPR with the Z12E?

And can anyone comment on it's performance versus OpenALPR? And does it allow the user to search for license plates and/or interact with external databases?

 

[bigredfish]

Review - Dahua IPC-HFW7442H-Z 4MP Ultra AI Varifocal Bullet Camera

 

[wrybread]

@EMPIRETECANDY: I did the firmware update (thanks!) but now on Setting -> Information -> Version it says "Algorithm version does not match, please upgrade firmware.bin". Possible to send over firmware.bin?

Here's a screenshot of that page:



When I download the firmware from Dahua's site I get a zip with these files:

DH_IPC-HX8XXX-Nobel_MultiLang_NP_V2.800.0000000.2.R.190709.bin
firmware.bin
Upall_IPC-HX8XXX-Nobel-EMMC.190709.bin
web-x.squashfs.bin

You only sent me that first one, so maybe sending firmware.bin will fix it?

 

[wrybread]

And after the firmware update I still don't see a way to search for license plates, or even to see the license plates for recorded footage. It shows them on the Live tab as cars drive by, with the same 50% average plate recognition. Hopefully that recognition rate improves with the Algorithm Version update. But even if it was recognizing every plate I question the usefulness of the feature without a way to search or even export the plate data...

 

[bigredfish]

Maybe you should read the review Andy and I have linked to showing @Wildcat_1 's testing...

A small portion of it:
_

Setting expectations On Web GUI vs AI NVR Abilities For Certain Functions

Some people have asked me about what is vs isn’t possible with regards to ANPR, People Counting & other AI etc in web GUI vs AI NVR so I wanted to list them here. Its worth pointing out that anything that can be done in-cam CAN be done by the AI NVR (and more) but not the other way around:

In-Cam / Web GUI - Assume SD Card Installed For Local Capture

• ANPR / LPR Plate metadata is captured / embedded to the still images recorded when using ANPR or Video Structuralization with Vehicle Rule
• Vehicle Video Captures will NOT embed the metadata for the vehicle locally
• Web GUI can provide bar or line charts for # of Vehicle, Non-Vehicle, People it has captured across a period of time BUT cannot export the data behind it including metadata
• Cannot build black or whitelists within the web GUI

AI NVR

• All ANPR / LPR metadata is tagged, recorded and available for Smart Search by any of the metadata values (vehicle color, age of person, model)
• NVR playback of Vehicle Detection WILL also show the metadata while the video plays back
• Black & Whitelists can be built and saved to the AI NVR with ALARM OUT options when a plate is picked up matching one of the lists
• Exporting of Vehicle Detection data results in a wonderful CSV spreadsheet with hyperlinks to the embedded metadata still pics it also downloads at the same time, very cool !
• Exporting of any of the other AI data from the NVR does the same as above, spreadsheet with all details and hyperlinked local image.
• People counting report also gives you the opportunity to export CSV for hourly, daily counts OR pics across the timeframe specified
• When connecting an Ultra AI cam to an AI NVR, the 2 devices work in tandem from an AI perspective and in doing so enhance the AI capture experience and results

 

[wrybread]

Vehicle Video Captures will NOT embed the metadata for the vehicle locally

So in case it's not clear for anyone considering buying this camera: this $450 camera requires a $400+ accessory (the NVR) to make it's ALPR even somewhat usable...

And I'm still unclear: does the NVR do any ALPR of its own, or is it just reading the ALPR metadata from the camera?

And if it does its own ALPR, does it do ALPR for cameras without internal ALPR such as the Z12E? And how does it's ALPR it compare to OpenALPR?

 

[biggen]

So in case it's not clear for anyone considering buying this camera: this $450 camera requires a $400+ accessory (the NVR) to make it's ALPR even somewhat usable...

And I'm still unclear: does the NVR do any ALPR of its own, or is it just reading the ALPR metadata from the camera?

And if it does its own ALPR, does it do ALPR for cameras without internal ALPR such as the Z12E? And how does it's ALPR it compare to OpenALPR?

This has always been the case. You need to attach a Dahua NVR to a Dahua camera in order to unlock the full set of AI. Its not just this camera. All the Dahua "Smart Cameras" need to be paired with the NVR.

I'm not sure which actually "does" the ALPR. I just know you need both items.

 

[wrybread]

I'm hoping the NVR does the license plate recognition, because so far I can't imagine relying on this camera's ALPR.

 

[wrybread]

Someone sent me an update that brought me up to AI Version 4.0.7.



I don't think it improved the ALPR at all, it still correctly reads less than 50% of the plates it sees, and I have a really good view of cars moving slowly. For example it missed this plate, which is downright amazing:

I submitted that vehicle pic to the top 5 google results for "online alpr" and every one of them got it right. It's amazing to me that any LPR software would have trouble with it.

 

[samplenhold]

According to @samplenhold they have the same sensor:

that was in response to the OP linked cams, which are not the 7442 you are talking about.