Review - Dahua SD49225XA-HNR 2MP 25x Starlight + IR PTZ AI Camera with Deep IVS & SMD Plus

So, how is the AI performance on this PTZ?
 
Glad to hear it’s working well now @GuitarKin. Glad the trick worked and happy to help. If you have any other questions or if I can help further then just reach out over DM.

Enjoy the cam !


I have tested my camera a lot and now it's seems to work very well. Anyone who doesn't have autotracking you can build it yourself :). I made it using tripwires to control PTZ presets. Im happy for this how it's works. Now camera follow presets very well and preset failure is so far gone. Thanks @EMPIRETECANDY and @Wildcat_1 for help. My camera is working after I used that my tour trick:). Check the autotracking video.

Homemade Autotracking
 
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I find the performance of this cam to be superb. As I mentioned in the thread, this absolutely rivals and in some cases beats (depending on model age of comparison PTZ) other PTZ's in other classes. For the price point, it is hard to beat this powerhouse PTZ and to be honest does feel wrong to class it as a 'Lite' camera considering all it is packing.


So, how is the AI performance on this PTZ?
 
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Is AI feature alone worth it to consider this camera over the SD5xx series (assuming I don't use the Autotracking on either model)?

I find the performance of this cam to be superb. As I mentioned in the thread, this absolutely rivals and in some cases beats (depending on model age of comparison PTZ) other PTZ's in other classes. For the price point, it is hard to beat this powerhouse PTZ and to be honest does feel wrong to class it as a 'Lite' camera considering all it is packing.
 
I am amazed by how calmly people are responding to removal of a specified feature by a firmware update. The spec sheet listed "Deep-learning-based auto tracking and perimeter protection"

In most other forums, the pitchforks would be out in droves if that happened after people paid more to get that ability.
 
@Arjun, having now used many cams in the Pro & Ultra AI line, I would say absolutely. AI is incredibly useful in 2 primary ways for me (can certainly detail more):

1) the ability to capture targets within triggered actions that you actually want (i.e. people, cars etc NOT leaves, balls rolling across a scene, carts in a parking lot),
2) event review, knowing that you can (with at least 90%+ confidence) focus capture review on the AI elements such as only having to review CarDetect or Vehicle (cam GUI vs NVR GUI) tagged / object filtered (depending on Ultra vs Pro AI lines) results saves a ton of time when trying to identify footage to hone in on, previously of course you only had the option of looking at IVS triggered or motion footage, this takes it to the next level.

Again, one key thing I want to reiterate is that power and performance of this SD49225 really is remarkable for a Lite series PTZ. Having used and owned many PTZ's including an SD6, the performance (as in responsiveness), the Auto Tracking capability (I know this is somewhat diluted by the latest news on Auto Track in this cam), its low light capabilities and the amount of new features packed in (SMD, AI Object Filtering etc) hands down for the money, this is a phenomenal PTZ. Having 2 of these currently, they do not disappoint.

Now, you specifically mentioned SD5xx, well remember that the SD59232/59432 (these 2 share the same sensor as each other) also feature the same level of AI, SMD, and DO support Auto Tracking (if that was critical to your install needs). Therefore between the 59232/59432 vs the 49225/49425, the real separation becomes Auto Tracking and price

HTH



Is AI feature alone worth it to consider this camera over the SD5xx series (assuming I don't use the Autotracking on either model)?
 
What about in comparison to the SD59225U-HNI PTZ? I know its a much older model, but @looney2ns thread's contains 108 pages of user comments / feedback :D

@Arjun, having now used many cams in the Pro & Ultra AI line, I would say absolutely. AI is incredibly useful in 2 primary ways for me (can certainly detail more):

1) the ability to capture targets within triggered actions that you actually want (i.e. people, cars etc NOT leaves, balls rolling across a scene, carts in a parking lot),
2) event review, knowing that you can (with at least 90%+ confidence) focus capture review on the AI elements such as only having to review CarDetect or Vehicle (cam GUI vs NVR GUI) tagged / object filtered (depending on Ultra vs Pro AI lines) results saves a ton of time when trying to identify footage to hone in on, previously of course you only had the option of looking at IVS triggered or motion footage, this takes it to the next level.

Again, one key thing I want to reiterate is that power and performance of this SD49225 really is remarkable for a Lite series PTZ. Having used and owned many PTZ's including an SD6, the performance (as in responsiveness), the Auto Tracking capability (I know this is somewhat diluted by the latest news on Auto Track in this cam), its low light capabilities and the amount of new features packed in (SMD, AI Object Filtering etc) hands down for the money, this is a phenomenal PTZ. Having 2 of these currently, they do not disappoint.

Now, you specifically mentioned SD5xx, well remember that the SD59232/59432 (these 2 share the same sensor as each other) also feature the same level of AI, SMD, and DO support Auto Tracking (if that was critical to your install needs). Therefore between the 59232/59432 vs the 49225/49425, the real separation becomes Auto Tracking and price

HTH
 
I have tested my camera a lot and now it's seems to work very well. Anyone who doesn't have autotracking you can build it yourself :). I made it using tripwires to control PTZ presets. Im happy for this how it's works. Now camera follow presets very well and preset failure is so far gone. Thanks @EMPIRETECANDY and @Wildcat_1 for help. My camera is working after I used that my tour trick:). Check the autotracking video.

Homemade Autotracking
@GuitarKin is the 1st guy in the world get this camera, and thanks to his fantastic work with @Wildcat_1 to make the camera a more reliable model. 4mp nightvision at remote place, looks very good.
 
I have tested my camera a lot and now it's seems to work very well. Anyone who doesn't have autotracking you can build it yourself :). I made it using tripwires to control PTZ presets. Im happy for this how it's works. Now camera follow presets very well and preset failure is so far gone. Thanks @EMPIRETECANDY and @Wildcat_1 for help. My camera is working after I used that my tour trick:). Check the autotracking video.

Homemade Autotracking
Nice! I have a 59230HNI and it has major issues with wandering. It will notice when tripwires are set off, zoom in but while zooming in, the object already moved. annoying. Question is, is the "Draw Min Target" for how close it zooms in or the size of the smallest object that triggers the tripwire?
 
Just replied to your DM @rcirz

Nice! I have a 59230HNI and it has major issues with wandering. It will notice when tripwires are set off, zoom in but while zooming in, the object already moved. annoying. Question is, is the "Draw Min Target" for how close it zooms in or the size of the smallest object that triggers the tripwire?
 
Target size refers to min and max size of targets that are hunted/identified by the camera.

Nice! I have a 59230HNI and it has major issues with wandering. It will notice when tripwires are set off, zoom in but while zooming in, the object already moved. annoying. Question is, is the "Draw Min Target" for how close it zooms in or the size of the smallest object that triggers the tripwire?
 
@rcirz just finished the remote session on your cam, changing a lot of the config and setting up IVS and auto tracking tweaks and I was able to get it tracking you great at night (thanks for being the test human on the street as I know you said it was freezing there). I think you’re now seeing these benefits and enjoying your eye in the sky in all it’s brilliance, right ? Let me know if you need any more assistance.

HTH
 
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@rcirz just finished the remote session on your cam, changing a lot of the config and setting up IVS and auto tracking tweaks and I was able to get it tracking you great at night (thanks for being the test human on the street as I know you said it was freezing there). I think you’re now seeing these benefits and enjoying your eye in the sky in all it’s brilliance, right ? Let me know if you need any more assistance.

HTH
Thank YOU! Now lets get daytime right! LOL!!!
 
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replied to your DM with recommendations. As mentioned there, if you also want to capture vehicles then you will want to reposition the PTZ through separate preset to enable the cam to see more of the street and identify the target quicker. This can be accomplished by preset and tour OR ideally you use a separate cam (your 5231) to either a) just capture vehicles or b) act as a spotter to call the PTZ to a preset and capture the vehicle. As your FOV will always be relatively tight and the angle of target (for vehicles) less than ideal (in current preset) I would definitely use a separate cam either full time for vehicles (if that’s important to your needs) or to call PTZ preset as mentioned. If human detection is the priority then the current setup and preset I configured last night would be best.

Again, certainly can configure more optimal preset but remember don’t try to do everything with just 1 cam :)

Thank YOU! Now lets get daytime right! LOL!!!
 
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Another shout out to @Wildcat_1 for taking the time to perfect my PTZ and other 4K cam as much as possible. Not to mention they're behind glass so not the greatest but all i can do for now being in an apt.
I have been messing with the 4k on and off around a year and never liked it but was better than nothing. Both look a lot better and have more detail and barely blur if any that I can see.

SPSS.PNG
 
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Just finished reading through this entire thread, what a journey! @Wildcat_1 might I suggest adding an update to post #1 regarding the removal of auto-tracking and maybe a summary of the issues outstanding and solved? After reading your initial posts I was excited about the camera only to see auto-tracking is no more and others were having some problems (that appear to be resolved??). I currently have the Amcrest IP2M-853EW that I received as a gift - and still within the return period. I just received a quote from Andy for the SD49225XA-HNR for $60 more than the Amcrest goes for. Seems like a no-brainer to return that and go for the 4922. He suggested the 4922 which lead me to your awesome review.

If I'm understanding correctly the problem of losing its positioning in relation to presets/manual control has been fixed (or was only a problem for a handful of cameras)? If I do a swap not only will I gain 25x zoom vs Amcrest's 12x zoom, but I can use the tripwire and other detection features to basically replicate basic auto-tracking (not that I really need auto-track)?

My main concern is the wandering/loss of location. Before I switched to Dahua IP cams I had an old Lorex PTZ that lost is way all the time and was super frustrating. I have full coverage with stationary cameras so this is mainly a "toy" cam and to reach our mailboxes down the street.
 
@th182 Thanks for the feedback. First off, YES for $60 more than the Amcrest I would definitely recommend the 49225. Now remember as I've mentioned, while Auto Tracking may no longer be a feature on this cam, IVS rules and preset in combination can provide a phenomenal alternative when setting up correctly. These are all gains (feature wise) over the Amcrest for sure.

The 'positioning' concern you mentioned (or what I called preset slip) is something I saw with 1 of my cams in the earliest shipping FW, as I reported, but have not seen it since I updated to 8/19 FW (my personal favorites one to use instead of 11/21) and this is a cam that I move constantly (PTZ actions) for heavy use. As you may have read, I now have a 2nd cam and also been looking at a 3rd as well. No issues seen there with any of these. Now, that doesn't mean that 3D positioning doesn't have an issue in code but as I've mentioned to Andy and we both shared here, this seems to be isolated and more sporadic in nature, almost like a ghost issue within the code and IMO appears tied to both the PTZ control FW and main FW rather than anything HW at this time. This is something we've flagged to Dahua and I feel warrants another look but is certainly not something that would dissuade me from buying this cam. If you do happen to experience a preset 'slip' then one of the workarounds I mentioned above that has worked well for others is on setup ensure that you set Preset #1 to what I call True Home which are coordinates 0.0 & 45.0. Having this that you call manually OR as part of a tour etc (let it move there for 1 sec then move again to your 'real' presets), can help keep the cam 'true' if you see this issue in the meantime while FW is analyzed further by Dahua.

If you need any other help, feel free to reach out via DM

HTH


Just finished reading through this entire thread, what a journey! @Wildcat_1 might I suggest adding an update to post #1 regarding the removal of auto-tracking and maybe a summary of the issues outstanding and solved? After reading your initial posts I was excited about the camera only to see auto-tracking is no more and others were having some problems (that appear to be resolved??). I currently have the Amcrest IP2M-853EW that I received as a gift - and still within the return period. I just received a quote from Andy for the SD49225XA-HNR for $60 more than the Amcrest goes for. Seems like a no-brainer to return that and go for the 4922. He suggested the 4922 which lead me to your awesome review.

If I'm understanding correctly the problem of losing its positioning in relation to presets/manual control has been fixed (or was only a problem for a handful of cameras)? If I do a swap not only will I gain 25x zoom vs Amcrest's 12x zoom, but I can use the tripwire and other detection features to basically replicate basic auto-tracking (not that I really need auto-track)?

My main concern is the wandering/loss of location. Before I switched to Dahua IP cams I had an old Lorex PTZ that lost is way all the time and was super frustrating. I have full coverage with stationary cameras so this is mainly a "toy" cam and to reach our mailboxes down the street.
 
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Thank you! I just asked Andy to send me an invoice for one! I've noticed an issue with the Amcrest mixing up its preset positions over time. It's reference to where "home" or zero is correct. It just seems to forget presets 13-15 and slides the higher presets into those positions. so 13-15 will become 16-18 and everything below them is shifted up as well. Really odd!