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Swann DVR4-5100 Easy Setup Manual

Advanced series four channel h.264 digital video recorder
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DVR4-5100
Four Channel H.264
Digital Video Recorder
M45100H190711E

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Summary of Contents for Swann DVR4-5100

  • Page 1 DVR4-5100 Four Channel H.264 Digital Video Recorder M45100H190711E...
  • Page 2 Easy Se 1-800-627-2799 – 1300 13 8324...
  • Page 3 Guide DVR4-5100 Camera Connections www.swann.com h@swann.com...

  • Page 4: Before You Begin

    Choose something that you’ll remember, but that others would be unlikely to guess. • If you do manage to lock yourself out of the DVR, you’ll need to contact us at the Swann Technical Support Telephone Helpdesk - the number is on the back cover.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Contents Before you begin Table of Contents Overview Important Information Layout of the DVR4-5100 Layout of the Remote Control Navigating the Menus Navigating the Menus Starting the DVR The Main Menu The Display Setup Menu Record Setup Menu...

  • Page 6: Overview

    Overview Congratulations on your purchase of this Swann DVR! You’ve chosen a versatile, powerful and great value security monitoring and recording solution for your home or business. Let’s just take a moment to talk about some of the great features that the DVR off ers and some of the things to think about before installing the system.
  • Page 7 Your remote control is ideal for those times your DVR is out of arms reach. Package Contents 10.2” LCD DVR Unit Network cable Remote Control USB Mouse Operating Instructions Security Stickers (4 Pack) Power Adapter with Cable Software CD If you are missing any of these components, contact Swann Communications for assistance.

  • Page 8: Important Information

    Important Information IMPORTANT GUIDELINES • Do not expose the DVR to moisture. Water is the arch-enemy of electrical components and also poses a high risk of electric shock. • Avoid dusty locations. Dust has a tendency to build up inside the DVR case, leading to a high risk of failure or even fi re.
  • Page 9 Choose something that you’ll remember, but that others would be unlikely to guess. If you do manage to lock yourself out of the DVR, you’ll need to contact us at the Swann Technical Support Telephone Helpdesk - the number is on the back cover.

  • Page 10: Layout Of The Dvr4-5100

    Layout of the DVR4-5100 8. USB port (Storage) 1. Power Button 2. MENU button 7. PWR (power) light 3. UP button 6. HDD activity light 4. DOWN button 5. IR Sensor Front panel - screen controls IR sensor: This is the Infra-...
  • Page 11 Hard Disk Drive (HDD) caddy: we recommend you select POWER Mounted on the back of this OFF from the Maintain screen (see removable panel (caddy) is the hard “Maintain (System Maintenance drive where the data captured by the screen)” on page 55). DVR is recorded.

  • Page 12: Layout Of The Remote Control

    Layout of the Remote Control...
  • Page 13 1) 0 ~ 9 (Numeric Buttons): Used to 8) SEL (Select): The SELECT button is input numbers. 1 ~ 4 can be used as quick the equivalent of Enter/Return on a channel changing buttons in a similar computer keyboard. Use this button to manner to a television, and these will (as the name suggests) select an option work during either live-viewing mode...

  • Page 14: Navigating The Menus

    Navigating the Menus Camera Color Setup Record Record Setup Motion Area Setup Network Search Search Playback File Details File Details HDD Management Alarm Confi g Auto Email Main Menu Device PTZ Settings Mobile Date & Time Set User Password Video Settings System Language System Information...
  • Page 15 There are two main ways to navigate through the menus on the DVR. One is to use the included USB mouse. This is the fastest and easiest way to navigate through the menus, make selections and input information. We highly recommend using the mouse to operate your DVR.

  • Page 16: Navigating The Menus

    Navigating the Menus IMPORTANT - Remembering to Apply Your Changes When you’re using the menus to change settings or values, you should click “Apply” in the bottom right corner to save your changes. If you do not click “Apply, ” a window will pop up asking whether you want to save your changes.
  • Page 17 Getting Started If you’ve just unpacked your DVR and are not sure where to begin setting up your system, here’s a quick rundown of the most important things that need to be set up. • Test your system. Before installing cables into walls, it’s a great idea to plug everything in and make sure it all works.

  • Page 18: Starting The Dvr

    Starting the DVR Once the DVR has been connected to power it will switch itself on automatically. The DVR takes approximately 45 seconds to boot up, during which time the image to the right will be displayed. When you fi rst press a button on the remote control or click a button on the mouse, the DVR may ask you to LOGIN.
  • Page 19 Main Menu: Opens the Main Menu of the DVR. See page 18. PTZ: Opens the Pan, Tilt, Zoom controls. The same function can be accessed by pressing the PTZ button on the remote control. PIP (Picture In Picture): Accesses a list of available PIP modes.

  • Page 20: The Main Menu

    The Main Menu The MAIN MENU of the DVR. In this picture, the mouse cursor is currently highlighting the DISPLAY icon. “The Display Setup Menu” on page 20: The camera menu contains all the options for setting up how the DVR interfaces with and displays the images from the cameras connected to it.
  • Page 21 “The Network Menu” on page 29: Where you can confi gure the DVR to operate on your home network and over the Internet. This is the most complex aspect of setting up the DVR, and requires a good working knowledge of networking methods and protocols.

  • Page 22: The Display Setup Menu

    The Display Setup Menu The DISPLAY SETUP MENU of the DVR. In this picture, the mouse cursor is currently highlighting the CH1 title fi eld. Naming Channels You can change the name of any channel from the default (and rather drab) “CHx” to anything that you would like (up to 8 characters in length).
  • Page 23 Color Setup You can fi ne tune the look of each channel individually by adjusting the HUE, BRIGHT (brightness), CONTRAST and SATURATION values for each channel. Just select the SETUP option under the COLOR heading to open the dialog window. This is useful if peculiar lighting conditions, a non-standard camera or a conspicuously colored object in the frame cause the display to be inconveniently tinted, or over/ under exposed.

  • Page 24: Record Setup Menu

    Record Setup Menu Enabling / Disabling Recording: Choose whether the channel you’ve selected will be recorded or not here. A channel which is “disabled” will still appear in live viewing mode, but won’t be recorded. This is a “master” setting, and will override the recording schedule or manual recording modes (i.e.

  • Page 25: Manual Frame Rate Confi Guration

    Manual Frame Rate Confi guration Frame Rate: How many frames per second (FPS) the DVR records. “Real-time” is 25 fps (PAL) or 30 fps (NTSC). However, even lower frame rates are okay - even 3fps is still the equivalent of three photographs per second. Frame Rate - Fixed or Manual: If the FPS setting is “fi xed”, then the DVR will automatically adjust the frame rate to the maximum possible for your selected resolution.

  • Page 26: The Recording Schedule

    The Recording Schedule In this example image, the DVR will record only ALARM events between midnight and 3:00AM, CONSTANTLY between 3:00AM and 6:00AM, then continue to alternate be- tween alarm events and constantly recording for the remainder of the day. The DVR schedule can be set to record using three diff erent record modes.
  • Page 27 NO RECORD: As the name suggests, the DVR will not record anything from this channel while NO RECORD is selected. We suggest only using this setting if you’re absolutely sure you don’t want to see what’s going on during these times. Setting the Schedule The fi rst step in setting the schedule is choosing which channel you’d like to set the schedule for.

  • Page 28: Motion Detection Setup

    Motion Detection Setup Here, you’ll be able to set the motion detection features of the DVR for each channel. We suggest that motion detection is, under most circumstances, the most practical recording method for the DVR to employ. How it Works: Once motion detection has been enabled for a channel, it will register to the DVR as an ALARM EVENT.

  • Page 29: About Motion Detection

    About Motion Detection How Motion Detection Works The way that the DVR looks for motion is quite straight forward - it’s a process where it compares one frame (that is, a single image taken approximately a 25th/30th of a second from the previous image) with the next. A certain amount of “diff erence” between these two “frames”...

  • Page 30: Motion Detection Area Setup

    Motion Detection Area Setup Say, for example, you are trying to monitor your front yard, whilst in the background there is a busy street, and the cars driving past continually set off the motion detection. What can you do about it? Setting only part of the camera’s view to be motion sensitive might be the answer.

  • Page 31: The Network Menu

    The Network Menu This is the NETWORK SETUP screen. This is the most technically complex aspect to setting up the DVR, and does require a working knowledge of network technologies. If you are unfamiliar with networking, then we suggest talking with a professional - ideally, the same person who installed your network, as they’ll know exactly how it’s confi gured and how best to setup the DVR.
  • Page 32 MEDIA PORT: This is the port that the DVR will use to send information through. The most important things are that: You’ll need to enable UPnP on your router (see “Remote Access” on page 58) so your router can selectively open these ports, allowing the DVR to communicate via the Internet.

  • Page 33: Record (Video) Search

    Record (Video) Search Video Search In the VIDEO SEARCH screen you can search for a specifi c day for a recording and view it in playback mode. This is useful for hunting a specifi c recording of an incident if you know the time and date it occurred. To search you need to input the date of the video then select the hour of the recording.

  • Page 34: File List And Event Log

    File List and Event Log The File List This is the main screen you’ll use when locating specifi c incidents and recordings. It’s also where you’ll need to go to perform a backup to a USB fl ash drive. For more about using the File List to perform a backup, see “USB Backup” on page The Event Log The event log records all the “events”...

  • Page 35: Usb Backup

    USB Backup Preparing a USB Flash Drive Most, but not all, USB fl ash drives are compatible with the DVR. The fl ash drive will have to be formatted with the correct fi le structure, which is FAT32. This can be done via a compatible computer, or you can have the DVR itself format the USB fl ash drive.
  • Page 36 USB Backup Instructions • First, insert a USB fl ash drive into the USB port on the front of the DVR. Inserting a fl ash drive into the mouse port will not work correctly. • Make sure there are no fi les on the USB fl ash drive that you wish to keep, as data already on the drive may be lost (whether or not you use the FORMAT option).

  • Page 37: Playback

    Playback This is an example of the PLAYBACK interface, currently showing quad view. Channels 1, 3 and 4 were not recording at this time. The playback controls are displayed across the bottom of the screen. They are as follows: Rewind Play Pause Fast...
  • Page 38 Playback Controls The playback controls work in a similar manner to those you’ll fi nd on a DVD player or VCR. The playback controls aff ect all channels being played back simultaneously. Rewind: Reverses the footage. Pressing this button multiple times will increase the speed at which the footage plays in reverse.

  • Page 39: Playing Backed Up Footage On A Pc

    Playing Backed Up Footage on a PC The video fi les which the DVR backs up are not playable by standard multimedia software. This means that your usual media player is not going to be able to open or display footage from the DVR. The main reason for this is that footage from the DVR is always made of multiple channels of video which are synchronised into one data stream.
  • Page 40 The Playback Interface Assuming that you’ve used the default installation paths, you can access the playback software by selecting the desktop icon named Playback Software, or fi nding the program group of the same name in your Start Menu. This will take you to the default interface playback software, as shown to the right.

  • Page 41: Device Management

    Device Management HDD: For accessing information about your hard drive. This is where you go to correct or analyze any problem with your hard drive. Additionally, you’ll be able to see at a glance how much recording time you have left at your current quality settings, as well as being able to format (erase all data from) the hard drive here.

  • Page 42: Hdd Menu

    HDD Menu This is the HARD DRIVE (HDD) MANAGEMENT screen. All aspects of the hard drive can be managed from this screen. Additionally, this is the place to go if you want to know exactly how much space is left on the hard drive, and how much footage you can record to it. HDD STATUS: If the hard drive is not installed properly you will see a message saying NO DISK FOUND.

  • Page 43: Hdd Menu (Ctd)

    HDD Menu (ctd) You can choose how much footage the DVR will overwrite by selecting it from this menu. You can set this as low as an hour (where the DVR will only keep up to an hour’s worth of footage at a time) or up to 28 days. Alternately, you can leave it on Auto, in which case the DVR will overwrite footage as it deems necessary.

  • Page 44: Ptz Menu

    PTZ Menu This is where you confi gure the DVR to act as the controller for a PTZ capable camera system. PTZ devices are connected via the RS485 connection on the rear of the DVR. You’ll need the manufacturers documentation for your PTZ system on hand to correctly set it up. The DVR is not compatible with all PTZ systems - in these cases, you’ll need a stand-alone PTZ controller.

  • Page 45: Alarm Confi Guration Menu

    Alarm Confi guration Menu From this menu you can confi gure the DVR to emit an alarm tone from it’s internal buzzer, or confi gure the DVR to send an ‘Auto-Mail’ email alert when motion is detected. Remember: After making changes to the settings press/click the APPLY button.
  • Page 46 Buzzer: Whether the internal alarm speaker inside the DVR is enabled or not. When set to OFF, the buzzer will not sound under any circumstances. You can choose which types of alarm events will trigger the buzzer by selecting or deselecting the fi rst tick box next to the type of alarm event you want to trigger the buzzer.

  • Page 47: Auto Email Setup

    Auto Email Setup You can confi gure the DVR to automatically send you email alerts when it detects an alarm event. Please note that this function is not compatible with all email servers - as the email the DVR sends is procedurally generated, many email servers misidentify it as spam. We recommend setting up a free webmail account with a compatible email provider, such as Gmail, which is compatible with the DVR’s auto-email system.
  • Page 48 Email: Choose whether you want the email function enabled or disabled here. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer): A form of security encryption often employed on the Internet. Contact your email provider to learn if they support or require SSL to be enabled.

  • Page 49: Mobile Device Confi Guration

    Mobile Device Confi guration For more information about accessing the DVR via a mobile device, see “Remote Access from a Mobile Device” on page 64. USER NAME: This is the user name that you’ll need to use when logging into the DVR via a mobile device.

  • Page 50: System Setup

    System Setup The SYSTEM SETUP menu is where most of the advanced settings for the DVR hide out. Most of the time, there isn’t much you’ll need to change here. However, a few settings might need tweaking from time to time, particularly when you’re fi rst confi guring the DVR.

  • Page 51: Date And Time

    Date and Time Setting the Date and Time It is very important if you’re planning on using the video search function that the date and time are correctly set. This is also the case if you want to be able to use the footage from your DVR in a court of law or similar legal proceeding.
  • Page 52 Confi guring DST (Daylight Savings Time) Settings As the standards for daylight savings diff er from country to country, and often state to state, you might need to manually tell the DVR exactly when it commences and ends in your locality. First, turn DST on. We suggest setting the Daylight Saving Time Mode to Date, and manually entering the dates and times that daylight savings time applies to and from, in your locality.

  • Page 53: User Setup

    User Setup You can defi ne up to seven user accounts for the DVR. One of these will always be the ADMIN account (though the name can be changed) which has total access to all aspects of the DVR. The remaining six accounts are USER accounts, and can have customised levels of access.

  • Page 54: Video / Audio Setups

    Video / Audio Setups Video System: Here you can choose between PAL and NTSC. PAL is used in Western Europe and Australia, NTSC is used in the US, Canada and Japan. If the DVR’s picture is black and white, fl ickering or similar, then this is probably caused by the video system being set incorrectly.

  • Page 55: Language

    Language Language Menu • Using the mouse or the arrow buttons, select the drop-down menu of languages. • Choose the language that best suits your needs. • Confi rm your choice pressing select or left clicking the option. A note on languages Unless you really want to change the language of the DVR menus, stay away from this setting.

  • Page 56: System Information

    System Information System Information Menu The system information screen displays system information about the DVR. There are two items that you can edit here. Device Name: This will identify the DVR over a LAN or via the Internet using remote access software - the name helps you identify the DVR. Device ID: The DEVICE ID is important if you’re running multiple DVRs - each needs its own unique device ID to function correctly when...

  • Page 57: Maintain (System Maintenance Screen)

    UPDATE: For loading new soft/fi rmware onto the DVR via a USB fl ash drive. Usually, you won’t need to use this setting unless directed to do so by Swann Technical Sup- port. LOAD DEFAULT: Returns the DVR to it’s initial factory settings. Can be useful if, for some unknown reason, the DVR is behaving erratically.

  • Page 58: Ptz Controls

    PTZ Controls You can bring up the PTZ Control window by pressing the PTZ button on the remote control, or by right-clicking the mouse in the live view mode, and choosing PTZ. The PTZ control window is not available while Cruise Mode is active. Note: the features which will be usable depend on the capabilities and limitations of your PTZ system.
  • Page 59 PRESET POINT COUNT: The total number of preset points currently defi ned. SELECTED PRESET POINT: The current preset point being defi ned/edited. 10. STOP TIME: How long the camera will pause at each preset point when using CRUISE MODE. 11. GOTO: Moves the camera to the selected preset point. 12.

  • Page 60: Remote Access

    Remote Access The primary requirements for accessing the DVR via the Internet are: A High-Speed Internet Connection Video uses a lot of data, so you’ll need a fast Internet connection in order to get smooth playback and monitoring remotely. Note that upload speed refers to the rate at which an Internet connection can send data, not receive it.
  • Page 61 Enabling UPnP UPnP is a setting which can be enabled on certain routers. You’ll have to see your router’s documentation for instructions on how to enable UPnP, if your router supports it. Enabling UPnP will have a minor eff ect on your network security. If your network is free from malware (such as viruses, spyware, adware and so on) then UPnP will improve the security of your network.

  • Page 62: Remote Access - Ip Addresses

    Remote Access - IP addresses Public and Private IP Addresses The IP address used by the DVR, whether entered manually (STATIC) or assigned by the dynamic host (DHCP) is the private IP address of the DVR. The private IP address is used to locate the DVR on your private network.
  • Page 63 Static and Dynamic IP Addresses In much the same way as your home network can use static or dynamic IP addresses, many Internet providers don’t issue (or charge more for) a static IP address for users. The easiest way to fi nd out is to contact your Internet service provider. Alternately, you can access the www.whatismyip.com service, make a note of your IP, then reboot...

  • Page 64: Remote Access Via Internet Explorer

    Remote Access via Internet Explorer The easiest way to access your DVR remotely is via an Internet browser. These ® instructions will detail how to access the DVR via Microsoft Internet Explorer . This section assumes that you’ve already confi gured the DVR and your network to operate properly.
  • Page 65 Adjusting the Security Settings in Internet Explorer Open Internet Explorer. You will now see the list below (or similar, depending on the Click Tools --> Internet Options. version of IE you are running). Internet Options click the Security tab at the top. Download signed ActiveX...

  • Page 66: Remote Access From A Mobile Device

    Remote Access from a Mobile Device The DVR supports access from mobile devices, such as mobile phones with Microsoft ® Windows Mobile as their operating system, as well as the increasingly popular iPhone. To correctly confi gure your DVR for remote access via a mobile device, or indeed any remote access, it is important to have your network and Internet connection confi gured correctly.
  • Page 67 Preparing your Mobile Device Mobile technology is becoming increasingly advanced, and the rate of change is increasing. We’re constantly updating software to keep up with the evolution of handsets and other devices available, and developing new apps (or “applications”, for those who still prefer whole words) for other operating systems and hardware. Thus, we can’t tell you exactly how to prepare your mobile device here.

  • Page 68: Changing Or Installing The Hard Drive

    Changing or Installing the Hard Drive Note: The following instructions are for Remove installing or changing the hard drive. If your DVR already has a hard drive pre- installed, and you don’t want to change it, disregard these steps. Ensure the DVR is switched off and unplugged from mains power.

  • Page 69: Troubleshooting

    Try connecting another (working) hard drive to the DVR; if this still doesn’t work then the DVR maybe faulty. We suggest calling Swann Technical Support. The contact information is on the rear cover of this booklet.

  • Page 70: Technical Specifi Cations

    Technical Specifi cations Display Size LCD monitor 10.2” Aspect Ratio Video Compression H.264 Video System NTSC / PAL Operating System Linux Video BNC: 4-ch inputs / BNC: 1-ch output Input/Output Audio RCA: 1-ch inputs / RCA: 1-ch outputs Resolution NTSC: 704 x 480 / PAL: 704 x 576 Display Frame Rate NTSC: 120fps / PAL: 100fps (shared by 4 cameras)

  • Page 71: Warranty Information

    Swann. The end user is responsible for all freight charges incurred to send the product to Swann’s repair centres. The end user is responsible for all shipping costs incurred when shipping from and to any country other than the country of origin.
  • Page 72 (M-Th, 6am-10pm US PT) (Tu-F 1am-5pm AUS ET) (F 6am-2pm US PT) (Sa 1am-9am AUS ET) USA Exchange & Repairs NEW ZEALAND toll free 1-800-627-2799 (Option 1) 0800 479 266 (M-F, 9am-5pm US PT) 0203 027 0979 © Swann Communications 2011...

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