Question about locally remote NVR functionality

[looney2ns]

Here's a few cellphone photos (sorry haven't had a chance to figure out image transfers from NVR yet) of my display at night. I had issues email pics from phone so only got 4 out of 6 with lousy quality

The IR is so-so. Camera seems to beam the IR at an angle below center, low. Not very wide either. Found myself raising some of the cameras to get the illumination where I wanted.

In this image the camera sits to high and near the soffit. If the camera was angled any higher I got to much reflective glare. I'm gonna install a junction box under this camera to give it some more separation, that should help quite a bit. This spot is a candidate for a Starlight.

This one works out pretty well. It's a short distance and works well enough.

The backyard has lots of ambient light. The camera stays in color mode and I'm not sure how to adjust the sensitivity for switch to IR. This is probably ok though I notice a lot of high ISO grain/noise. IR might work better.

Carport also stays in color due to lots of light. This works fine for me i think.

Got a 5th image from my email finally. Front door. Well lit, in fact I had to tape half of the lamp globe to eliminate the glare from the bulb. Stays in color mode but give good image of the doorway.

Few suggestions:
First picture, you need to either lower the cam significantly away from the soffit (more than a junction box) or move the cam out towards the street so the lens is near the fascia edge.
The IR you see is most likely affecting the exposure for the worse from the bounce-back.

Picnic table pic, you don't need to see soffit and walls, tilt the cam down and away from the wall a tad. Again, probably affecting exposure from reflections.

Front porch, same thing, angle cam away from the wall more, light reflecting off the door frame probably negatively affecting exposure.

 

[looney2ns]

Here's the last view. Darkest part of yard. After raising the camera a bit the IR beam illuminates where I wanted. Lights up both my yard and the neighbor. The neighbors driveway seems out of illumination range or exposure. This would also be a possible candidate for a starlight but looks pretty good as is.

This is where "corridor mode" shines, the driveway is dark because of all the IR reflecting off the walls, thus affecting exposure.
In the cam setup, see if you can flip the picture 90 degrees, then physically rotate the cam 90 degrees. As you can see at the top of the pic, you are getting IR reflection in the lense from the soffit also affecting exposure. Watching wall's is a waste of pixels.

 

[Orly]

Few suggestions:
First picture, you need to either lower the cam significantly away from the soffit (more than a junction box) or move the cam out towards the street so the lens is near the fascia edge.
The IR you see is most likely affecting the exposure for the worse from the bounce-back.

IF the box doesnt do the job I'll have to move it closer to the edge like you said or get a pedestal for the camera if there is such a thing.

Picnic table pic, you don't need to see soffit and walls, tilt the cam down and away from the wall a tad. Again, probably affecting exposure from reflections.

I made the adjustments but maybe not enough. The glare from the lamps I feel may be part of the problem. I need to see that shed at the far end, especially to the left of it.

Front porch, same thing, angle cam away from the wall more, light reflecting off the door frame probably negatively affecting exposure.

Ok, I think it helped. That driveway at the far end is my neighbors, not my immediate concern.

 

[Orly]

This is where "corridor mode" shines, the driveway is dark because of all the IR reflecting off the walls, thus affecting exposure.
In the cam setup, see if you can flip the picture 90 degrees, then physically rotate the cam 90 degrees. As you can see at the top of the pic, you are getting IR reflection in the lense from the soffit also affecting exposure. Watching wall's is a waste of pixels.

I switched to corridor mode. Had to lower the resolution a bit for it to work. I cant raise the camera any further due to soffit coming into frame and more glare. The soffit inclines upward in front of this camera so nothing more I can do besides maybe a pedestal. The IR leaves a hot spot low in the frame. Not much difference IMO. BTW, that driveway is the niegboors so no big deal to me. I just want to see anyone that goes over that fence.

Thx for the tips.

 

[Tizeye]

While I just returned a Lorex with the same cameras but different NVR, went the BI route and don't regret it, I was VERY tempted with the Costco kit that they just stocked. I could tell it was a different NVR but couldn't really examine it as it is fully enclosed in the display which also had a finished back and couldn't look through from the other aisle. My major complaint of the Lorex and one of the reasons for return was the excessive fan noise from the NVR.

QUESTION: While Costco doesn't list that kit online, one with a similar NVR doesn't appear to have a rear fan (noise culprit) and single DC power cord rather than the AC prongs. How loud is the system when running? For reference, here is the video I did where noise jumped 28dB ambient, 30dB ambient plus PC and when adding the NVR jumped to a whopping 48dB. Also, suspect only has room for one harddrive rather than 2 so expansion would either be USB external or totally replace internal for higher capacity.

 

[Orly]

While I just returned a Lorex with the same cameras but different NVR, went the BI route and don't regret it, I was VERY tempted with the Costco kit that they just stocked. I could tell it was a different NVR but couldn't really examine it as it is fully enclosed in the display which also had a finished back and couldn't look through from the other aisle. My major complaint of the Lorex and one of the reasons for return was the excessive fan noise from the NVR.

QUESTION: While Costco doesn't list that kit online, one with a similar NVR doesn't appear to have a rear fan (noise culprit) and single DC power cord rather than the AC prongs. How loud is the system when running? For reference, here is the video I did where noise jumped 28dB ambient, 30dB ambient plus PC and when adding the NVR jumped to a whopping 48dB. Also, suspect only has room for one harddrive rather than 2 so expansion would either be USB external or totally replace internal for higher capacity.

Where's the video?

My NVR has a DC plug in the rear. The fan noise is minimal IMO. I think any worthwhile NVR will have a fan but the fan quality would directly impact the noise level. My NVR is in HT system self in the living room. Only audible when everything else is off.

I really like this system. The night IQ IR or otherwise is not as good as I'd like. IR beams from cameras create nearby hotspots. Some cameras dont auto switch to IR at night. Image noise. I wont fault the system for all of it. I'll need to supplement it with IR lights or go with a couple Starlight cameras.

 

[Tizeye]

OOPS! Forgot the link.
NVR noise

 

[scquestions]

Getting ready to install a Dahua rebranded (Lorex) camera system in my home.
System: IP Camera System with 6 Ultra HD 4K Security Cameras & Lorex Secure Connectivity

The NVR is a Lorex LNR6100 and is said to have the same menu system as the Dahua: 4K NVR with 8 Channels and Lorex Secure Remote Connectivity

My original plan was to install the NVE at my home theather center, next to the router and TV. That would make everything simple. HDMI connection to TV a snap, power from UPS and room for the mouse to operate the NVR. Problem is that in the event of a break-in, taking the NVR is also a snap.

I've considered other NVR placements such as bedroom, closets and top of kitchen cabinet (best choice). This presents the issue of operating the NVR, how do you view NVR (monitor display) and use mouse from kitchen cabinet or closet? Also connection to main TV gets tricky, long HDMI?

My question is, can the same operation/functionality of the NVR be done from a PC in the house? This would eliminate the need to hook up monitor and mouse to NVR everytime I want to operate it.

My TV's also all run KODI on Amazon fires and Nvidia Shield. What options does that give me for camera viewing?

Connecting to a local PC through the home network brings up another question. IS the NVR safe to be connecting to the shared home network which has connectivity to the internet? I often here of security flaws and backdoors related to NVRs. I haven't decided on whether I'll use the remote viewing app on mobile devices. That depends on the risk.

Thx.

How is everything going with your system?

 

[Orly]

How is everything going with your system?

The system is doing well. It went through Hurricane Irma without fail. Exposed to Cat 1 winds and rain so the weather proofing is definitely good.

The IQ during the day is superb at 4K. The IQ at night is fair. Lots of grain and loss of detail. The image sensor is not well suited for low light like the starlights. The IR illumination is lacking. I probably need to augment it with better IR lights or use a couple Starlight cameras. To be fair, my outside lighting does create some issues with glare and keeps some of the cameras from switching to night mode.

The NVR is slick though I've not really used it that much. It does occasionally error out when playing back multiple streams and jumping around the timeline a lot but recovers.

Overall it does the job I needed but it's not optimized for the task. Overall I'm pleased with it.

 

[bvpurvis]

I just ordered a starlight, and plan to use it with a PC and BI, now you have me questioning if I should just buy the costco kit?

 

[scquestions]

The system is doing well. It went through Hurricane Irma without fail. Exposed to Cat 1 winds and rain so the weather proofing is definitely good.

The IQ during the day is superb at 4K. The IQ at night is fair. Lots of grain and loss of detail. The image sensor is not well suited for low light like the starlights. The IR illumination is lacking. I probably need to augment it with better IR lights or use a couple Starlight cameras. To be fair, my outside lighting does create some issues with glare and keeps some of the cameras from switching to night mode.

The NVR is slick though I've not really used it that much. It does occasionally error out when playing back multiple streams and jumping around the timeline a lot but recovers.

Overall it does the job I needed but it's not optimized for the task. Overall I'm pleased with it.

Glad to hear it's working out for you so far!

I've noticed I can't see license plates during the day or at night, even though an online tool indicated we should be able to see them. I'm not sure if there's a setting that should be changed or what.. I've thought maybe lowering the quality to 1440p and increasing the FPS to 25 FPS might help with viewing the license plates but I haven't tried it.

I've also noticed some trouble with the night vision with exterior lighting. By moving the camera angle we were able to get rid of most of the glare.

Do you find the NVR difficult to use? And do you use it directly or have you used a third party application such as Tiny Cam Monitor?

And what do you mean by "it's not optimized for the task"? Have you needed to make a lot of changes to get it to work better?

 

[mat200]

Glad to hear it's working out for you so far!

I've noticed I can't see license plates during the day or at night, even though an online tool indicated we should be able to see them. I'm not sure if there's a setting that should be changed or what.. I've thought maybe lowering the quality to 1440p and increasing the FPS to 25 FPS might help with viewing the license plates but I haven't tried it.

I've also noticed some trouble with the night vision with exterior lighting. By moving the camera angle we were able to get rid of most of the glare.

Do you find the NVR difficult to use? And do you use it directly or have you used a third party application such as Tiny Cam Monitor?

And what do you mean by "it's not optimized for the task"? Have you needed to make a lot of changes to get it to work better?

Hi Scquestions,

Happy to help others out with what I have been learning here.

Try adjusting the shutter speed if you see a blur on the plates.

Also look at the LPR section for possible ideas on tuning the cameras a bit.

The nice thing about the kit is the value - and the fact that it has 2 available ports so you can add 2 more cameras - perhaps for the locations where you need to get better reading of plates.

I am still learning about tuning and adjusting the camera settings, there are quite a few options.

 

[scquestions]

Hi Scquestions,

Happy to help others out with what I have been learning here.

Try adjusting the shutter speed if you see a blur on the plates.

Also look at the LPR section for possible ideas on tuning the cameras a bit.

The nice thing about the kit is the value - and the fact that it has 2 available ports so you can add 2 more cameras - perhaps for the locations where you need to get better reading of plates.

I am still learning about tuning and adjusting the camera settings, there are quite a few options.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I looked at a few pages on here about the license plate reading. I'm just nervous about changing the default settings but I guess it's time to start experimenting.

What have you seen work for you personally in regarding to the settings? Has the shutter speed made a difference? I was on this page here and it is looking like the higher the shutter speed the better: Frame rate versus Shutter speed | Axis Communications

 

[mat200]

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I looked at a few pages on here about the license plate reading. I'm just nervous about changing the default settings but I guess it's time to start experimenting.

What have you seen work for you personally in regarding to the settings? Has the shutter speed made a difference? I was on this page here and it is looking like the higher the shutter speed the better: Frame rate versus Shutter speed | Axis Communications

Hi SC,

I'm still just learning this part, so the best I can say is what I recall reading here so far.

If you look for an active section you can try to post a few pictures and get some feedback potentially.

 

[scquestions]

Getting ready to install a Dahua rebranded (Lorex) camera system in my home.
System: IP Camera System with 6 Ultra HD 4K Security Cameras & Lorex Secure Connectivity

The NVR is a Lorex LNR6100 and is said to have the same menu system as the Dahua: 4K NVR with 8 Channels and Lorex Secure Remote Connectivity

My original plan was to install the NVE at my home theather center, next to the router and TV. That would make everything simple. HDMI connection to TV a snap, power from UPS and room for the mouse to operate the NVR. Problem is that in the event of a break-in, taking the NVR is also a snap.

I've considered other NVR placements such as bedroom, closets and top of kitchen cabinet (best choice). This presents the issue of operating the NVR, how do you view NVR (monitor display) and use mouse from kitchen cabinet or closet? Also connection to main TV gets tricky, long HDMI?

My question is, can the same operation/functionality of the NVR be done from a PC in the house? This would eliminate the need to hook up monitor and mouse to NVR everytime I want to operate it.

My TV's also all run KODI on Amazon fires and Nvidia Shield. What options does that give me for camera viewing?

Connecting to a local PC through the home network brings up another question. IS the NVR safe to be connecting to the shared home network which has connectivity to the internet? I often here of security flaws and backdoors related to NVRs. I haven't decided on whether I'll use the remote viewing app on mobile devices. That depends on the risk.

Thx.

Did you ever figure out how to access the NVR remotely? It was mentioned on here about a web interface or downloading a program from Dahua. Personally I'd prefer a web interface. Have you figured out a way to connect?

 

[scquestions]

Did you ever figure out how to access the NVR remotely? It was mentioned on here about a web interface or downloading a program from Dahua. Personally I'd prefer a web interface. Have you figured out a way to connect?

I was able to figure it out. When plugged the NVR in a router it gave me the IP address and I was able to type that in a web browser. It then asked me to get a Chrome app (which doesn't make sense to me). So, I got that app, and it almost looked like another web browser that came up, I typed in the IP address, and it allowed m to connect. The interface is just about the same as the NVR itself. And it didn't work good from my experience.

What I've learned about a VPN is that it'll allow you to access everything as if you're on your home network. So, it should allow you to access the NVR remotely, if you download that weird Chrome app they require (so it won't work on a smartphone).

 

[Orly]

Is there an app for accessing my NVR from a cellphone? I'll be on vacation soon and would like access for that time period.

Update: I found the Lorex Secure app. I'll run the setup later.

 

[Probird79]

Is there an app for accessing my NVR from a cellphone? I'll be on vacation soon and would like access for that time period.

Update: I found the Lorex Secure app. I'll run the setup later.

Make sure you set up a VPN and not port forwarding. VPN Primer for Noobs

 

[Orly]

Make sure you set up a VPN and not port forwarding. VPN Primer for Noobs

Ok so I gave that link a quick read through. It doesn't give complete instructions on setting up the VPN for my NVR and my phone, just a basic overview. I'd need more time to research in more depth what's involved in setting this up with my devices. Unfortunately I don't have time since I'll be out of town soon and would like the remote access for just this reason.
Also, how would the router based VPN effect other devices on my home network like PC's and media players, firetv's, etc?

Since the only online device that will be running (on) while I'm out ( a week) will be the NVR, what would the risk be in such a case of running without the VPN? I do use a pay-for VPN service (PIA) on my PC but I don't think it's applicable in this case.

I'm PC savvy but haven't dabbled in advanced network config in years (was network certified almost 20 years ago and have forgotten most of it), much less security. This stuff is beyond the scope of your average user which really sucks if you think about it.

So it's either have the non-VPN'd remote access to my NVR for a week or none at all.

 

[mat200]

..
Since the only online device that will be running (on) while I'm out ( a week) will be the NVR, what would the risk be in such a case of running without the VPN? ..

Hi Orly,

Check your router if it can easily do VPN for you, this will not be the same VPN as PIA.

Risk - port forwarding is the way people have traditionally accessed their compute resources at home - normally this is like having a "portal" of your front door into the worst neighborhood in the world. Just a matter of time that some thief / robber finds a way to unlock or kick in your door and ... well, that is an analogy.

Truth is today there are active "bots" searching 24/7 for services and computers which have been port forwarded so they can hijack your computer / NVR / cameras are use those resources... often for illegal purposes - say as a way to attack a bank, or share illegal files, or...