You are correct, it shouldn't.
But the supplier had installed firmware that gave language=1 via getHardInfo (though not via /proc/hkvs/bootpara) so had English menus etc both via the web and the VGA/HDMI output.
The hardware descriptor, which is flashed during manufacture, shows language=2
So as delivered, it worked fine with cameras that were supplied with hacked English firmware, and also the same cameras subsequently converted to English region.
Before making any changes, I made a backup copy of mtdblock0,1 and 2 (which is where the firmware resides) and also created an installable firmware from mtdblock2 (with @
wzhick Hiktools, I posted this somewhere here) so I could go back to as-delivered if I wished to. Which I have quite a few times during experiments. And - important - a copy of the system configuration after the settings and cameras were finalised, for each firmware version in use.
Going forward - a firmware upgrade via the web GUI maintains / maybe converts the system configuration, including the language, so the 3.2.1 firmware is still working as English despite the region still being Chinese.
That doesn't happen if I do a
TFTP update as the config gets wiped - but if I reload the saved config specific to the version of firmware, all is OK again.
I hope that makes sense!