New RCA HSDB2A 3MP Doorbell IP Camera

alexdelprete said:
Nope. It also resets/aligns the underlying data structure. Me and other users found out that when upgrading to another vendor's fw, some functions of Batch Config didn't work or produced strange errors, this was what convinced me since I first tried other fw to stay on ezviz fw for my DB1. The only way I found to solve those problems when switching to another vendor's fw was using that option, I think it restores/aligns the data structure based on the fw you're using in that moment. Probably the options that don't get reset are the ones that are saved in an area that is common for the 2 firmwares.

In my case, while I was trying to go to the latest hikvision fw, and I had those issues, I found out that using the Restore Default Values option solved those problems. That's why I recommend it.
Click to expand...

I double-checked now, and I noticed that there's another way to restoring all default parameters or all except IP address. At least according to Batch Config. manual. We could try to use this function, but I haven't tested it, if someone is doing upgrades and tests it for us (@ciphershort maybe?), they can confirm if this actually resets ALL parameters to default. Then we can include it in the procedure.

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alexdelprete said:
I double-checked now, and I noticed that there's another way to restoring all default parameters or all except IP address. At least according to Batch Config. manual. We could try to use this function, but I haven't tested it, if someone is doing upgrades and tests it for us (@ciphershort maybe?), they can confirm if this actually resets ALL parameters to default. Then we can include it in the procedure.

View attachment 61353View attachment 61354
Click to expand...

I don’t mind trying this. It will probably be sometime this weekend before I have time. Do you think this resets everything except network settings in general? So in theory this would eliminate the need for the manual SSID changes? Or would you still have to reset the SSID to the new firmware default so you can set up with the app?
 
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ciphershort said:
I don’t mind trying this. It will probably be sometime this weekend before I have time. Do you think this resets everything except network settings in general? So in theory this would eliminate the need for the manual SSID changes? Or would you still have to reset the SSID to the new firmware default so you can set up with the app?
Click to expand...

I have no idea because I never used them. :)

Ideally, you should try these two new restoration functions, plus the one in my guide, and note what are the differences you notice after the reboot, what changes and what not. See what you can do. :)

I think we'll include COMPLETE RESTORATION option in the procedure, seems the most complete, instead of hardware resetting, which requires opening the cam and pressing the reset button. We want a software reset good enough to solve all the issues and doesn't require physical access to the cam. But we need to try if it works. :)

Thank you for the help, appreciate it.
 
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Ok so I followed the steps and had slightly different results. After I uploaded the new firmware and rebooted, it came back and reconnected to my original SSID. So I didn't have to connect to the cam's SSID initially to do the reset. I did choose the "part restore" but it blanked the network settings as well for me (slight edit for steps is it auto reboots after this step and no manual reboot is necessary). That's when it finally came up with the "softap" SSID. I connected to the SSID and added the cam back to batch config (default cam IP is 192.168.8.1 FYI). After that it was fine until the EZVIZ app setup and the only hiccup there was I had to manually connect to the SSID because it said the password was wrong in the EZVIZ app when it tried to auto connect. Not sure how the stock process works on Android, but the iPhone auto connected to the EZVIZ SSID previously with what I can assume is a default password it's looking for. It was no issue to manually connect though and the camera was configured just like before. Synology was a snap too using ONVIF settings with the credentials and I verified that camera motion sensor is available for alerts. Overall, the process was smooth, easy, and quick.

Now to my issue... This is probably just a Synology issue or something but I can't get live video to stream in any Synology SS app (mobile, web, native). I can go back and play recorded footage, but when I try to switch to live I just get the spinning icon like it's trying to load but never does. Is live view different somehow? Not sure why I can't view it, despite it recording just fine. I tried disabling Image Encryption in the EZVIZ app since I had to do that for the RTSP stream to work before but it didn't help this case. Anyone have any ideas why live view won't work?

A note about my network. My cameras are on an IoT VLAN that can't initiate communications to my trusted VLAN. Currently I have no ports open from IoT to trusted, but trusted can talk to IoT all day. Not sure if that has anything to do with why live view doesn't work. It had no issues being configured this way with the user-defined RTSP stream previously.

Screen Shot 2020-05-09 at 11.17.37 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-05-09 at 11.17.08 PM.png
 
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KlaverBoer said:
@ciphershort. Have you tried opening SS in another browser?

I'm using a similar installation except from the network seperation part. And it is working fine now. btw i'm using Firefox.
Click to expand...

I don’t have Firefox on my main computer but I can give it a go. I rarely use a browser so I’m not exactly concerned about the browser but it’s annoying that DS Cam on the iPhone does the same thing.
 
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So it didn't work in Firefox so I started looking at the Batch Config image settings and realized that Video Type was set to Video only. I changed it to Video & Audio (since I want audio and no audio was appearing in the recorded clips which I missed last night) and now the live view is working. Very strange. The only issue I'm having right now which I can't figure out is why live view plays audio, but recorded video does not contain the audio stream.... :banghead:

Edit: Now it appears to work in the mobile app, but not in the Surveillance Station native Mac client.
 
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Using the Guarding Vision app, is there a way to download event/call video clips or do you have to manually pull the microsd card? I see that you can download the picture snapped when call button is pressed but not the actual video.
 
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ciphershort said:
Ok so I followed the steps and had slightly different results. After I uploaded the new firmware and rebooted, it came back and reconnected to my original SSID. So I didn't have to connect to the cam's SSID initially to do the reset. I did choose the "part restore" but it blanked the network settings as well for me (slight edit for steps is it auto reboots after this step and no manual reboot is necessary). That's when it finally came up with the "softap" SSID. I connected to the SSID and added the cam back to batch config (default cam IP is 192.168.8.1 FYI). After that it was fine until the EZVIZ app setup and the only hiccup there was I had to manually connect to the SSID because it said the password was wrong in the EZVIZ app when it tried to auto connect. Not sure how the stock process works on Android, but the iPhone auto connected to the EZVIZ SSID previously with what I can assume is a default password it's looking for. It was no issue to manually connect though and the camera was configured just like before. Synology was a snap too using ONVIF settings with the credentials and I verified that camera motion sensor is available for alerts. Overall, the process was smooth, easy, and quick.

Now to my issue... This is probably just a Synology issue or something but I can't get live video to stream in any Synology SS app (mobile, web, native). I can go back and play recorded footage, but when I try to switch to live I just get the spinning icon like it's trying to load but never does. Is live view different somehow? Not sure why I can't view it, despite it recording just fine. I tried disabling Image Encryption in the EZVIZ app since I had to do that for the RTSP stream to work before but it didn't help this case. Anyone have any ideas why live view won't work?

A note about my network. My cameras are on an IoT VLAN that can't initiate communications to my trusted VLAN. Currently I have no ports open from IoT to trusted, but trusted can talk to IoT all day. Not sure if that has anything to do with why live view doesn't work. It had no issues being configured this way with the user-defined RTSP stream previously.
Click to expand...

1. After the upgrade of the firmware, instead of rebooting, we could also do a total restore of the settings, that resets default values and reboots. What do you think? I updated the procedure, check if it's better based on your experience.

2. After the part restore, did you change the SSID to EZVIZ instead of softap? So EZVIZ mobile app auto-connected to the SSID but it said wrong password? The app should ask you to read the QR code of the serial with the cam, that's how I did it (I got it from the sticker on the manual), that is how it knows the password to use for connecting to the EZVIZ_xxxxxx SSID. There's no "default pw", the pw uses the authcode. Maybe this is specific to iPhone app. On Android when you add the cam it asks you to scan the QR code because it needs to retrieve the s/n and the authcode.

3. I read that you found out the problem for the preview is the Video Type setting in batch config, you mean this one, right? If you are sure about this, you solved an issue some users are reporting. This should go to 101 (@David L), but we need to verify that with other users that reported the same problem: @KlaverBoer might confirm maybe.

1589121269769.png

4. Regarding the fact that you don't hear audio in recordings, I'm thinking that maybe when you configured the cam via ONVIF, the audio capability was reported as unavailable to Surveillance Station (see point #3), so now it is not recording audio because it thinks the audio function is not available on the cam. I would delete the cam from Surveillance Station, and only add it once the configuration via Batch Config is correct. Also make sure these options are set correctly in surveillance station.

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alexdelprete said:
1. After the upgrade of the firmware, instead of rebooting, we could also do a total restore of the settings, that resets default values and reboots. What do you think? I updated the procedure, check if it's better based on your experience.

2. After the part restore, did you change the SSID to EZVIZ instead of softap? So EZVIZ mobile app auto-connected to the SSID but it said wrong password? The app should ask you to read the QR code of the serial with the cam, that's how I did it (I got it from the sticker on the manual), that is how it knows the password to use for connecting to the EZVIZ_xxxxxx SSID. There's no "default pw", the pw uses the authcode. Maybe this is specific to iPhone app. On Android when you add the cam it asks you to scan the QR code because it needs to retrieve the s/n and the authcode.

3. I read that you found out the problem for the preview is the Video Type setting in batch config, you mean this one, right? If you are sure about this, you solved an issue some users are reporting. This should go to 101 (@David L), but we need to verify that with other users that reported the same problem: @KlaverBoer might confirm maybe.

View attachment 61452

4. Regarding the fact that you don't hear audio in recordings, I'm thinking that maybe when you configured the cam via ONVIF, the audio capability was reported as unavailable to Surveillance Station (see point #3), so now it is not recording audio because it thinks the audio function is not available on the cam. I would delete the cam from Surveillance Station, and only add it once the configuration via Batch Config is correct. Also make sure these options are set correctly in surveillance station.

View attachment 61453
View attachment 61454
Click to expand...


Correct on the batch config video type. Glad this helps. I did notice later that the EZVIZ app that audio was turned off so I flipped it on. I'm wondering if that toggle in the EZVIZ app sets that video type attribute that I changed in Batch Config.

I finally fixed my audio issue in the Synology SS Native app by deleting and re-adding the camera. It's like something got cached in the Synology client that a delete and re-add fixed :idk:. By default Synology adds the stream at 800x600 resolution and audio worked out of the gate. When I switched it to max res (2048x1536) audio stopped working again in playback but after I rebooted the camera it started working so who knows what my issue was there but it's finally working exactly the way I want it and I'm not touching it anymore!

Another thing I turned on which has been mentioned is WDR. Greatly helps the image in my situation since the area close to my door is dark. See pics below:

WDR turned off:
IMG_2809.PNG

WDR turned on @ 50%:
IMG_2808.PNG
 
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ciphershort said:
Correct on the batch config video type. Glad this helps. I did notice later that the EZVIZ app that audio was turned off so I flipped it on. I'm wondering if that toggle in the EZVIZ app sets that video type attribute that I changed in Batch Config.

I finally fixed my audio issue in the Synology SS Native app by deleting and re-adding the camera. It's like something got cached in the Synology client that a delete and re-add fixed :idk:. By default Synology adds the stream at 800x600 resolution and audio worked out of the gate. When I switched it to max res (2048x1536) audio stopped working again in playback but after I rebooted the camera it started working so who knows what my issue was there but it's finally working exactly the way I want it and I'm not touching it anymore!
Click to expand...

I will do some tests on the app regarding that setting, if it also reflects on that Batch Config options, I think so obviously, it's probably the same. So we know that audio has to be turned on for the live preview to work. Thanks for the finding. :)

Like I said, readding the camera fixes it because basically when you add an ONVIF camera to an NVR/or sw app like SSS, there's a discovery phase initially in which the camera tells the sw what feature supports, resolutions, motion detection, tilt, pan, etc.
Once the NVR/sw app gets those parameters, it configures itself based on those. So if you do the ONVIF discovery with audio off, probably the SSS would work with that camera without audio functions enabled. It makes perfectly sense.

So you either delete and re-add the camera once properly configured, or when you change significant parameters, or I think there's another way for SSS:
1589131154911.png

I think what this does, is restart the discovery process you do initially when you add the ONVIF camera. It is also mentioned in SSS's help:

1589131293575.png
 
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andycots said:
To adjust the WDR, on a day night setting through BI, like I do on my other cams I have.
Cheers
Click to expand...

I remember someone reporting ONVIF API for these cams. But I don't know if they're exposed via HTTP. Did you do some research in the thread?
 
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alexdelprete said:
I remember someone reporting ONVIF API for these cams. But I don't know if they're exposed via HTTP. Did you do some research in the thread?
Click to expand...
I did look at the thread and nothing much either way, I did try postman to get info but kept getting 443 error, this is with EZVIZ firmware, not an Onvif one, but not sure if it would make a difference.

Cheers
 
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