Swann HD Pro-Series User manual

Security Made Smarter

PRO-SERIES HD

Professional HD

Security System

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

2

Important Information

FCC Verification

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class

B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are de-

signed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a

residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate ra-

dio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the

instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,

which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is

encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following

measures:

· Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

· Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver

· Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to

which the receiver is connected

· Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help

These devices comply with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to

the following two conditions:

· These devices may not cause harmful interference

· These devices must accept any interference received, including interfer-

ence that may cause undesired operation

Important Notice: All jurisdictions have specific laws and regulations relat-

ing to the use of cameras. Before using any camera for any purpose, it is the

buyer’s responsibility to be aware of all applicable laws and regulations that

prohibit or limit the use of cameras and to comply with the applicable laws

and regulations.

FCC Regulation (for USA): Prohibition against eavesdropping

Except for the operations of law enforcement officers conducted under lawful

authority, no person shall use, either directly or indirectly, a device operated

pursuant to the provisions of this Part for the purpose of overhearing or re-

cording the private conversations of others unless such use is authorized by

all of the parties engaging in the conversation.

Warning: Changes or modifications made to this device not approved

expressly by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s

authority to operate the equipment.

Important Safety Instructions

· Do not operate if wires and terminals are exposed

· Do not cover vents on the side of your device and allow adequate space for

ventilation

· Only use the power adapter supplied with your DVR

About this Instruction Manual

This instruction manual is written for the DVR-4900 series and was accurate

at the time it was completed. However, because of our on-going efforts to

constantly improve our products, additional features and functions may have

been added since that time.

Important Password Information

This DVR does not have a default password. A password is created during

the Setup Wizard. If password protection has been enabled and you have

forgotten your password, your DVR’s MAC address can be used to create

a new password (see page 3 - Password Recovery).

3

Password Recovery

Your DVR’s MAC address can be used to reset your DVR’s password. To access the MAC ad-

dress, you need to download and install SwannView Plus. Go to (support.swann.com) and

enter “SwannView Plus” in the search field. Download the version relevant to your computer

then double-click to install.

1. After installation, double-click the “SwannView Plus Client” icon to run then click “Cancel”

to close the wizard.

2. You will now see the device management screen as shown above left. Click “Show Online

Devices”.

3. As shown below left, your DVR will be displayed. Click your DVR to reveal the MAC address.

Write this down without the dashes.

4. Now go to your DVR and enter the MAC address at the password request screen. Click “OK”

when finished.

5. Your DVR will reboot and the activation screen will appear so you can enter a new password.

6. Enter a new password. The password has to be a minimum of six characters and can con-

tain a mixture of numbers and letters. Use a password that you are familiar with, but is not

easily known to others. Click “OK” when finished.

7. Write down your password in the space provided below for safe keeping.

Don’t forget to write down your password: __________________________________

Click this button to

display your DVR.

Click your DVR to

reveal the MAC

address.

4

Contents

Important Information �� 2

Password Recovery

�� 3

Live View

�� 6

Live View Mode

�� 7

Live View Icons & Controls

�� 8

Menu

�� 9

Menu Layout

�� 10

Camera Configuration

�� 11

Record: Parameters - Record

�� 12

Record: Parameters - Substream

�� 14

Camera: OSD

�� 15

Camera: Image

�� 16

Camera: Motion

�� 17

Motion Detection Tips

�� 18

Camera: Privacy Mask

�� 19

Camera: Video Tampering

�� 20

Camera: Video Loss

�� 21

Camera: Video Quality Diagnostics

�� 22

Camera: VCA - Line Crossing Detection

�� 23

Drawing a Detection Line

�� 24

Camera: VCA - Intrusion Detection

�� 25

Drawing an Intrusion Region

�� 26

Camera: PTZ

�� 27

Creating a Preset

�� 28

Creating a Patrol

�� 29

Recording Configuration

�� 30

Record: Schedule

�� 31

Record: Advanced

�� 32

Record: Holiday

�� 33

Manual: Record

�� 34

Playback

�� 35

Playback: Normal

�� 36

Playback: Event

�� 37

Playback: Tag

�� 38

Playback: Smart

�� 39

Smart Mode

�� 40

Playback: Sub-periods

�� 41

Playback: External File

�� 42

Export

�� 43

Export: Normal

�� 44

Export: Event

�� 45

Configuration

�� 46

Configuration: General - General

�� 47

Configuration: General - DST Settings

�� 48

Configuration: General - More Settings

�� 49

Configuration: Network - General

�� 50

Configuration: Network - PPPOE

�� 51

Configuration: Network - DDNS

�� 52

Configuration: Network - NTP

�� 53

Configuration: Network - Email

�� 54

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Contents

Configuration: Network - NAT �� 55

Configuration: Network - More Settings

�� 56

Configuration: Live View - General

�� 57

Configuration: Live View - View

�� 58

Configuration: Exceptions

�� 59

Configuration: User

�� 60

System Maintenance

�� 61

System Maintenance: System Info

�� 62

System Maintenance: Log Information

�� 63

System Maintenance: Import/Export

�� 64

System Maintenance: Upgrade

�� 65

System Maintenance: Default

�� 66

System Maintenance: Net Detect

�� 67

System Maintenance: HDD Detect

�� 68

HDD: General

�� 69

HDD: Advanced

�� 70

Manual: Video Quality Diagnostics

�� 71

Glossary

�� 72

Warranty Information

�� 76

Helpdesk & Technical Support

�� 77

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Live View

Live View is the default display mode for

your DVR. Each camera connected will

be displayed on-screen. You can check

the status or operation of your DVR and

cameras using the icons and Menu Bar

on the Live View screen. Right-click the

mouse to access the Menu Bar.

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Live View Mode

Live View mode is the default display for your DVR. Each camera connected will be displayed (multiple view modes available). You can check the operation of

your DVR by using the status icons on the Live View screen. The date and time as well as the name for each camera is also displayed.

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Menu Bar

Status Icons

Date & Time

Camera Toolbar

Double-click a live

video channel to

view full screen.

Click & drag a live

video channel to

reposition it.

To gain access to the Menu, right-click the mouse

on the Live View screen to display the Menu Bar

(see page 8 for more information).

Notification

Camera Name

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Live View Icons & Controls

Menu Bar

1. Click this to access the Menu.

2. Click this to display a full-screen video channel.

3. Click this to select from one of the multi-screen viewing

modes available.

4. Click this to display the previous channel(s).

5. Click this to display the next channel(s).

6. Click this to automatically switch between channels at

specific intervals (known as “Dwell Time” in the Menu).

7. Click this to select either “Continuous Record” mode or

“Motion Detection Record” mode. This will bypass the cur-

rent recording schedule.

8. Click this to enter “Playback” mode to play your recorded

videos.

9. Click this to access the PTZ controls.

10. Click this to change the display contrast level to one of

the pre-sets available.

11. Click this to disable the internal buzzer when events or

errors occur. Click “Yes” or “No” to confirm.

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2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

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The alarm icon indicates that

an event such as motion, vid-

eo loss or tampering has oc-

curred.

The recording icon indicates

that the camera is currently

recording (either manually or

when detecting motion).

Indicates the vid-

eo channel has lost

its signal from the

camera.

This icon will appear on-

screen when there is a notifi-

cation or error. Click the icon

to view the message.

Clicking a live video channel reveals the

Camera Toolbar. This provides quick access

to manual recording, video playback, audio

monitoring, PTZ controls and the ability to

change image settings such as brightness,

contrast and saturation.

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Menu

The Menu is where you control the var-

ious actions and options that are avail-

able on your DVR. You can also access

previously recorded video for playback

and to export to a storage device such as

a USB flash drive. To maintain system in-

tegrity, a firmware upgrade can be per-

formed when available and access to the

Shutdown menu to restart or safely turn

off your DVR.

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Menu Layout

Playback: Click this to access all normal and event recordings. There are

several playback modes to choose from, such as Normal, Event, Tag, Smart

and Sub-periods. You can also play video files that have been copied to a stor-

age device such as a USB flash drive.

Export: Click this to copy footage from your DVR. You will need a compatible

storage device such as a USB flash drive to copy the data.

Manual: Access manual controls for the recording functions of your DVR.

HDD: Where you’ll be able to access information about and adjust the set-

tings of your hard drive.

Record: Access recording options, such as quality, resolution, bitrate and the

recording schedule.

Camera: Adjust image settings such as brightness and contrast and access

to Video Quality Diagnostics to alert you to blurred images and abnormal

brightness. Controls for PTZ, Motion, Privacy Mask, Video Tampering and

VCA (Video Content Analysis) are also available here.

Configuration: Access and configure many settings of your DVR, including

network settings, adjusting the time & date and creating or altering user ac-

counts.

Maintenance: For accessing system information, log information and to up-

grade the firmware.

Shutdown: To shutdown, reboot or log out of your DVR.

To shutdown or reboot your DVR, or

simply log out of the current user ac-

count, click the “Shutdown” button. To

ensure the integrity of your data and

recordings, always select “Shutdown”

when powering off your DVR.

To access the Menu,

right-click the mouse

then select “Menu”.

Hover the mouse cur-

sor over each button to

display a description.

To exit the Menu click

“Exit” or right-click the

mouse.

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Camera Configuration

The camera configuration options are

available in the “Record” and “Cam-

era” menus that are accessible from the

Menu. You can change the resolution

and bitrate as well as image settings

for brightness, contrast and saturation.

Your DVR has several controls for Mo-

tion, Video Tampering, Video Loss, Video

Quality Diagnostics and VCA (Video Con-

tent Analysis) as well as the ability to ap-

ply one or more masks for privacy.

Camera 03

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Record: Parameters - Record

Camera: Select a camera that you would like to edit.

Camera Resolution: Displays the camera’s recording resolution.

Encoding Parameters: You can change settings for both Continuous and

Event recording (we recommend to have the same settings for both).

Stream Type: By default “Video” is selected. Select “Video & Audio” if you

have an audio source connected to your DVR’s audio input.

Resolution: By default the recording resolution is automatically selected to

match the capabilities of the provided cameras, however you can change to a

lower resolution if needed.

Frame Rate: The number of frames per second (fps) that your DVR will re-

cord. The default is 12fps but can be changed to 6fps if needed.

Video Quality: The amount of data (bitrate) your DVR will use to record vid-

eo. The higher the bitrate, the more space each recording will consume on

the hard drive. The default setting will suit most situations, however you can

change the bitrate if needed.

Enable H.264+: By default, your DVR utilises SVC (Scalable Video Coding)

as a coding method to record video. H.264+ however, has some differences

when compared to SVC. When enabled, you can change the maximum aver-

age bitrate for both Continuous and Event recording. This may result in less

hard drive space used when recording (before older videos are automatically

overwritten) and will consume less bandwidth when using the remote play-

back feature in the SwannView Plus app.

Click the checkbox to enable then click “Apply”. A message will appear on-

screen stating that H.264+ and SVC is not supported simultaneously. Click

“Yes” to reboot your DVR.

(continued on next page)

The Parameters func-

tion allows you to change

the resolution and bi-

trate for each camera

connected. By default

the recording resolution

is automatically select-

ed to fit in with the ca-

pabilities of the provided

cameras.

· Don’t forget to click “Apply”

to save settings.

· Use the “Copy” function to

apply all settings to the other

cameras.

· Click the “Back” button to go

back to the Menu.

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Record: Parameters - Record

Max. Average Bitrate (Kbps): With H.264+ enabled, you can change the max-

imum average bitrate. For cameras that monitor medium to high traffic ar-

eas, increase the bitrate (between 4000 and 8000) to add more detail to the

camera’s image. For cameras that monitor low traffic areas, decrease the

bitrate (between 1000 to 3000). Change the bitrate in small doses until you

are satisfied with the image quality.

Click “More Settings” to reveal the following options:

Pre-record: This reduces the chance of an event not being recorded. We rec-

ommend changing this to 10 seconds (10s).

Post-record: Same as above but your DVR will continue recording after an

event has occurred. 30 seconds (30s) is the recommended length.

Expired Time (day): Determines how long the video footage will remain on

the hard drive without it being overwritten.

Record Audio: Click the checkbox to record audio when selecting “Video &

Audio” for the stream type.

· Don’t forget to click “Apply”

to save settings.

· Use the “Copy” function to

apply all settings to the other

cameras.

· Click the “Back” button to go

back to the Menu.

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Record: Parameters - Substream

Camera: Select a camera that you would like to edit.

Stream Type: By default “Video” is selected. Select “Video & Audio” if you

have an audio source connected to your DVR’s audio input.

Resolution: The default streaming resolution is 352 x 240. You can select a

higher resolution to increase the streaming quality (704 x 480 or 960 x 480).

Frame Rate: For most instances, the default frame rate (12fps) will be suit-

able. You can change this to 6fps to lower the bandwidth required however

this may result in choppy motion if monitoring medium to high traffic areas.

Video Quality: The amount of data your DVR will use to stream live video.

Lowering the quality reduces the amount of bandwidth required however this

may reduce the overall image quality (depending on what is being monitored).

The resolution, frame rate and video quality can also be changed when using

the SwannView Plus app and Windows software.

Please note: When streaming live video, the overall quality is depend-

ent on your internet connection and the encoding settings utilised. This

is especially important when streaming multiple cameras at the same time.

Changing the resolution, frame rate and video quality may help with this.

The Substream menu

gives you control on how

live video is streamed

to your mobile device

or computer using the

SwannView Plus app

and Windows software.

You can change the res-

olution, frame rate and

video quality if you’re

having issues streaming

from your DVR.

· Don’t forget to click “Apply”

to save settings.

· Use the “Copy” function to

apply all settings to the other

cameras.

· Click the “Back” button to go

back to the Menu.

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Camera: OSD

Camera: Select a camera that you would like to edit.

Camera Name: Enter a name for the camera you’ve selected. It can be up to

32 characters in length.

Display Name: Click the checkbox if you don’t want the camera name dis-

played. Click again to enable.

Display Date: Click the checkbox if you don’t want the date displayed. Click

again to enable.

Display Week: Click the checkbox if you don’t want the day displayed. Click

again to enable.

Date Format: Select how you would like the date to be displayed.

Time Format: Choose between “24-hour” and “12-hour” time.

Display Mode: Select how you would like the on-screen display to appear on-

screen. It’s worth having a look at the different settings available to see what

best fits.

OSD Font: Select the desired font size for the on-screen display.

Using the mouse, click & drag the on-screen camera name and date to

the desired position.

· Don’t forget to click “Apply”

to save settings.

· Use the “Copy” function to

apply all settings to the other

cameras.

· Click the “Back” button to go

back to the Menu.

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Camera: Image

Camera: Select a camera that you would like to edit.

Time Segment 1 & 2: This function gives you the ability to assign a particular

pre-set mode or customised settings for two time segments. For example,

one time segment for daytime and the second time segment for night time.

Select the time segment that you want to edit then click to the right to set the

start and end time (24-hour time).

Mode: If you don’t want to adjust the settings manually, you can select from a

number of different pre-set modes available.

To adjust settings, use the slider to increase or decrease or press the up and

down arrow buttons to change sequentially. The higher the number, the more

sensitive the setting will be.

Brightness: This changes how light the image appears to be.

Contrast: This increases the difference between the blackest black and the

whitest white in the image. Don’t set the contrast too high as it will degrade

the image quality.

Saturation: This alters how much color is displayed in the image. The higher

the saturation, the more bright and vivid colors will appear.

Hue: This changes the color mix of the image.

Sharpness: Increase or decrease the overall sharpness of the image. In-

creasing the sharpness will also increase the level of video noise that is vis-

ible.

Denoising: Is a technique of reducing or removing image noise from a video

signal. This is especially useful for night time or low light environments.

Please note: Any changes made to the image settings available will af-

fect your recordings.

You can adjust the vari-

ous settings available to

help fine-tune the cam-

era’s overall image qual-

ity. At night, images that

you see from the cam-

era may have increased

noise. By tweaking these

settings, you can elimi-

nate noise and increase

image clarity.

· Don’t forget to click “Apply”

to save settings.

· Use the “Copy” function to

apply all settings to the other

cameras.

· Click the “Default” button to

revert back to default settings.

· Click the “Back” button to go

back to the Menu.

Camera 02

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Camera: Motion

Camera: Select a camera that you would like to edit.

Enable Motion Detection: This is enabled by default. You can click the check-

box to disable.

By default, the entire view of the camera has been enabled to detect

motion, however you can select certain areas within the image. Using

the mouse, click the “Clear” button then click & drag to select the area that

you want to enable. To enable the entire view of the camera, click the “Full

Screen” button.

Settings: Here you can define what will happen when the camera you’ve se-

lected has detected movement:

Trigger Channel: Select additional cameras to start recording.

Arming Schedule: Adjust your arming schedule by selecting a start day and a

time period (24-hour time). Click the “Copy” button to apply all settings to the

other cameras. Click “Apply” to save settings then click “OK” to exit.

Linkage Action: Options available are full screen monitoring, enabling your

DVR’s internal buzzer, send alerts to the SwannView Plus Windows software

(software must be running on your computer to receive alerts) and to send an

email. Click “Apply” to save settings then click “OK” to exit.

Sensitivity: This setting is controlled by a slider, allowing you to set a value

between L (low) and H (high). The closer to H the slider is set, the more sen-

sitive the detection will be. For most instances, the default selection will be

suitable, however it’s recommended to conduct a test to see if the sensitivi-

ty level is correct for the camera’s location (see page 18 - Motion Detection

Tips).

When motion has been

detected by one or more

cameras, your DVR will

alert you to a potential

threat at your home. It

does this by sending you

an email alert to your

mobile device or com-

puter with an attached

image from the camera

to use as a reference (if

this option is enabled).

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· Don’t forget to click “Apply”

to save settings.

· Use the “Copy” function to

apply all settings to the other

cameras.

· Click the “Back” button to go

back to the Menu.

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Motion Detection Tips

Placement of the cameras

1. Place cameras so they are facing areas where people have to walk through to approach your home

regardless of where they are headed. A good idea is to place a camera overlooking your front door

to capture an image of anyone approaching it for later reference. This is great if you have parcels

delivered to your door or if the potential burglar knocks or rings the doorbell to see if anyone is home.

2. Walk around your house and assess where intruders are most likely to approach to enter, and what

path they would take. Most burglars enter the home through a front or back door, so it’s advisable

to place the cameras near those areas so that you get the best amount of detail of anyone who

approaches.

3. When installing cameras outside, it’s important to keep your front and backyard as well-lit as

possible for ideal night vision and the ability to detect motion. It’s common for intruders to enter a

home through an unlocked garage or by using a garage door opener in an unlocked car located in

the driveway. Positioning your cameras to overlook cars in the driveway and similar locations can be

very useful.

Avoiding False Triggers

1. A tree, shrub or foliage that is blown by the wind - angle the camera so wind-blown objects are out

of the camera’s view or use the camera motion detection area settings to exclude these areas from

detection.

2. People moving along sidewalks or streets that are close to your home, aim your cameras and use

the motion detection area settings to ensure only legitimate threats are triggering events.

3. Vehicles moving in the background - angle the camera so as to avoid movement in the background

or use the motion detection area settings to stop detection of cars in the street.

4. Movement or light reflected off smooth surfaces such as glass - adjust the sensitivity level and/or

avoid pointing the camera directly at glass surfaces.

The red cameras illustrated (see above) are your

primary locations. Place your cameras close to the

front door, back door, garage entrance and over-

looking the backyard.

The blue cameras illustrated are your secondary

locations. If your DVR includes additional cameras,

place these at the front entrance inside the home,

the front of the house (this could overlook the front

garden or driveway), a side gate or if you have mul-

tiple entrances to the backyard.

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Camera: Privacy Mask

Camera: Select a camera that you would like to edit.

Enable Privacy Mask: Click the checkbox to enable.

Using the mouse, click & drag to select the area that you want to enable

for a mask. You can resize each mask to overlap each other. Up to four

masks can be created (each mask is color coded) per camera.

In the example above, two masks have been created to block out the view of

the neighbour’s yard. This will minimise false triggers and block movement

that is not relevant to entry or exit to and from the backyard.

Click the “Clear All” button to clear all masks or click on a particular mask to

clear (Clear Zone 1, Clear Zone 2, etc.).

This function can be

used to obscure all

or part of your image

for privacy (up to four

masks per camera).

You can also use this to

minimize false triggers

when motion is detect-

ed. Areas obscured by

a mask won’t be shown

live or recorded.

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· Don’t forget to click “Apply”

to save settings.

· Use the “Copy” function to

apply all settings to the other

cameras.

· Click the “Back” button to go

back to the Menu.

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Camera: Video Tampering

Camera: Select a camera that you would like to edit.

Enable Video Tampering Detection: Click the checkbox to enable.

Settings: Here you can define what will happen when the camera you’ve se-

lected is being tampered with: