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USER’S MANUAL XHD 3.0 SERIES www.NightOwlSP.com Specifically Specifically Designed for Designed for Smartphones Tablets...
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Thank you for choosing Night Owl Security Products! By purchasing a Night Owl product, you receive a one (1) year warranty covering manufacturing defects in material and workmanship. In addition to warranty and technical support benefits, you will have access to our multitude of free instructional “How to Videos”.
7.1.5 Date and Time Setup .......30 7.1.6 Night Owl Apps ........31 7.1.6 (a) Using Night Owl X and Night Owl X HD .
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Customer Support ..........Back Cover Night Owl’s DVRs are manufactured for quality and ease of use. As such, our DVRs contain menus designed for advanced users that should not be adjusted without having enhanced knowledge regarding the menu.
Chapter 1: FCC Warnings This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. FCC Compliance Statement These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against frequency interference in residential installation.
Chapter 2: Safety Instructions USE THE PROVIDED POWER ADAPTER. Do not use this product with a power source that applies more than the specified voltage. NEVER INSERT METAL INTO THE DVR CASE OR ITS OPENINGS. Inserting metal into the DVR case may cause electric shock. DO NOT OPERATE IN WET OR DUSTY AREAS.
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Device. Please refer to Pg. 32 of this User’s Manual for instructions on how to create an account and add your device. Night Owl fits right in with your mobile lifestyle by allowing you to remotely monitor your home or business. Our free and exclusive Night Owl X app for iOS and Android™...
(1 cable per camera) (1 per 4 cameras) Items Not Included RESET LAN1 LAN2 LAN3 LAN4 Monitor Router Mounting Safety Mouse (x1) Hardware Stickers NOTE: For best results, use the included Night Owl accessories. Third party accessories may not work properly.
4.2.1 DVR Diagram Once you have downloaded Night Owl X or Night Owl X HD and connected your DVR to your router, you can network your DVR by scanning the QR code which is located on the top of the DVR.
4.2.2 Camera Diagram CAMERA L2 Color Boost Technology 5MP HD Resolution Wide Viewing Angle 85º IR Cut Filter Infrared PIR Sensor 3-Axis Mounting Bracket (Vandal-Proof Wire Camera Protection) Video/Power Cables Connect all cameras locally before final placement to ensure that all components function properly. 4.2.3 Mouse Diagram 4.2.3 Mouse Diagram MOUSE...
Chapter 5: Camera Installation 5.1 Video/Audio Connect all cameras locally before final placement to ensure that all components function properly. Locate an included 60 foot Video/Power cable. Connect a camera to one end of the cable by matching the BNC connectors (yellow) and DC power connectors (red).
Plug the power splitter into the labeled camera power supply, then plug the camera power supply into an available wall outlet or UPS. Keep in mind, Night Owl always recommends utilizing a surge protector to minimize the risk of damage caused to your DVR in the event of a power surge.
5.3 Mounting the Cameras Connect all cameras locally before final placement to ensure that all components function properly. Camera distance from DVR. The further the camera is from the DVR or monitor, the higher the chances of signal degradation. The camera’s power supply should be located as near to the camera as possible when the distance exceeds 200 ft.
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Follow these instructions to correctly install your cameras. Locate a camera and choose a location where you would like to mount the camera. Indicate screw positions by marking three holes on the surface where you plan to mount the camera, using the holes in the camera base as a guide.
Chapter 6: DVR Installation 6.1 Connecting to a TV (via HDMI) Locate the included HDMI cable. HDMI Plug one end of the cable into the HDMI port on the back of the DVR. Connect the other end of the cable to an available HDMI input on your TV or monitor. Select the appropriate video input channel on your TV or monitor to view the DVR.
(UPS), plug the adapter cable into one of its output sockets. Keep in mind, Night Owl always recommends utilizing a surge protector to minimize the risk of damage caused to your DVR in the event of a power surge.
Chapter 7: Getting Started 7.1 Startup Wizard When your DVR is powered on it will display the Night Owl logo while initializing. After initialization, you will be prompted to use the Startup Wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to: Complete the basic setup of your DVR.
7.1.1 Camera Test The Camera Test screen of the Startup Wizard serves as a reminder to test the camera connections to the DVR. If a connected camera displays a “No Signal” message, please visit www.NightOwlSP.com and click on the Support tab. 7.1.2 Network Check The Network Check screen of the Startup Wizard displays instructions for how to connect your DVR to the Internet.
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The Advanced Network Configuration tab is recommended only for advanced users. Once the internet connection has been established, the Startup Wizard will display a successful connection screen. If your DVR is not able to establish Internet connectivity, a Connection Failed screen will appear. Follow the instructions on this screen to re-test the network.
7.1.3 Firmware Check The Firmware Check screen of the Startup Wizard will automatically check for updated firmware for your DVR. NOTE: If your DVR does not have a network connection, the firmware will not update. If a firmware upgrade is detected, the startup wizard will display the screen below. Please select “Upgrade” to download and install the new upgrade to your system.
The Password Creation screen of the Startup Wizard requires you to create an admin password for your DVR system. Night Owl strongly suggests that you write down your admin password on page 5 of the Quick Setup Guide of your DVR, as you will be required to log in any time you want to configure or adjust your system settings.
NOTE: Forgot the admin password? Click the “Forgot PWD?” tab in the Startup Wizard and a Secure Code will be sent to your recovery email address. Enter the Secure Code when prompted, then create a new password for the DVR. Your DVR MUST be connected to the Internet to receive the secure code.
Once you have installed the Night Owl X or Night Owl X HD App on your smart device and created an account, you can scan the QR code on the Startup Wizard to configure your DVR with the Night Owl X or Night Owl X HD App! Night Owl recommends using the same recovery email address that you previously chose in the Startup Wizard when creating your Night Owl X or Night Owl X HD account.
“Night Owl (no_reply@NightOwlsp.com)” . NOTE: You MUST complete Step 3 before continuing! Go to your email, open the confirmation email from Night Owl, and click the “Confirm Email” link. You MUST confirm your email to use the app!
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When adding a new device, it may take 5–10 minutes before you begin receiving notifications. A device can be added to the Night Owl X app by using the application’s Smart Auto Detection or through a QR Code Setup. With Smart Auto Detection, your DVR will automatically be detected by the Night Owl X software, making connecting easy! To use this preferred method, ensure your Smart Device and DVR are both on the same network.
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On the Device Login screen, enter the login information for the DVR (Remember, the DVR login and Night Owl X app login are different). The DVR username is admin by default. If you are not the admin, login with your username credentials. If you do not have a username and password, please contact the admin and have them create one for you using the instructions on page 7 of your QSG.
7.1.6 (b) App Overview Live View Displays real-time footage of your system. Playback Notifications Settings View recordings & Manage custom Display connected devices, images and save them Push Notifications. change view layout, view to your phone’s album. favorites, manage accounts and access the help section.
7.1.7 Password Verification The Password Verification screen of the Startup Wizard will display your Admin password. Night Owl strongly recommends writing down your password within the Quick Setup Guide of your DVR. 7.1.8 Camera/Channel Settings The Camera/Channel Settings screen of the Startup Wizard serves as a reminder to mount your system’s cameras...
The Camera Positioning screen of the Startup Wizard shows how you can use the Live View feature of the Night Owl X or Night Owl X HD app to easily adjust your cameras’ position and viewing angle. 7.1.10 Channel Configuration The Channel Configuration screen of the Startup Wizard explains in detail how you will configure your Channel...
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The second Channel Configuration screen of the Startup Wizard allows you to configure the following channel settings: Edit channel name. Turn on/off alarm (push notifications). Define motion detection area. Adjust motion sensitivity. Configure channel recording schedule: 24/7 Motion – Channel records when motion is detected. 24/7 Continuous –...
7.1.11 Default View The Default View screen of the Startup Wizard allows you to select the default view of the monitor connected to your DVR. You may select several viewing options from the drop-down menu: 1*1 channels on-screen. 2*2 channels on-screen. 3*3 channels on-screen.
Remote Viewing Support page For more information, visit www.NightOwlSP.com and click the Support tab at the top of the page. 7.1.13 Wizard Complete Once you have successfully completed the Startup Wizard, click Finish to begin using your Night Owl DVR.
7.2 Displays and Icons The following sections will describe the main screens you will access for login, playback, recording and configuration. 7.2.1 Login Screen Any time you want to configure or adjust your system settings you will be required to login by entering your user name and password.
7.2.2 Live View (All Channels) Live View is the default screen you will see when viewing all channels on your DVR. You can customize the Live View by selecting Quad, Eight, or Nine channel configuration. In Quad and Nine view mode, double clicking on a channel will display the camera image in full screen;...
7.2.3 Right-Click Menu Main Menu: Access the main menu to configure or adjust settings. Be sure to store your username and password in a safe location. You will need this information to access the main menu. Lock Screen: Manually locks or unlocks screen. Once the screen is locked, you will need to enter your username and password to gain access.
7.2.4 Menu Screen Access the main menu by selecting the Menu Icon on the Live View bar. Within the menus, you will be able to access settings and parameters for all aspects of your DVR system. General Menu: Configure display and network. Cameras Menu: Access channel display, color settings, encode settings and motion record settings.
Chapter 8: Menus and Settings Some menu screens will allow you to copy similar settings to multiple channels. Choose the channel you would like to copy information from in the first drop-down box (Copy), then select the channel you would like to copy the information to from the second drop-down box (To).
8.1 General Menu The general menu will allow you to access display and network settings for your DVR system. 8.1.1 Display Slide Show: By default, checking the box for Slide Show activates all views. To remove a view, deselect the box and/or boxes next to the view you want removed.
8.1.2 Network ADVANCED Find network values and optimize connectivity based on your Internet connection. In most cases the values should populate automatically once your DVR is connected to your Modem/Router and Internet connection is established. The values in this section should only be adjusted if you are an advanced user and have extensive experience in device networking.
Enable: Allows you to enable or disable the use of DDNS protocol. Server: When using the Night Owl free domain name server, you must configure this setting to NIGHTOWL. Domain: Input the domain name you created by registering your DDNS at www.NightOwlDVR.com.
8.2 Cameras Menu Adjust or modify individual camera settings connected to your DVR. 8.2.1 Settings Channel Title: Set display options for each channel. Time Display: Time displayed on channel view. Channel Title: Display channel name on channel view. Record Status: Display record status on channel view. Alarm Status: Display alarm status on channel view.
Coding Mode: Represents the type of H264 compression that the video recordings will have based on quality and file size. The options include: High Profile (Default): Night Owl recommends this option as it is the primary profile for a high definition digital TV. Main Profile: This profile is used for a standard-definition digital TV.
8.2.3 Motion Channel: Select the channel you want to configure. Enable: When checked, the motion detection feature will be enabled on the selected channel. By default all channels have motion detection enabled. Buzzer: Toggle between ON and OFF to enable an audible alert from the DVR. Sensitivity: Adjust the level of motion detection.
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To have your DVR record motion beyond the parameters of the PIR technology, you must disable the PIR sensor. Push: Enable/Disable your DVR to send push notifications to the Night Owl X or Night Owl X HD application when motion detection is triggered.
8.3 Record Menu From this menu you can enable recording, set video settings and adjust streaming options. 8.3.1 Schedule Channel: Select the channel to edit recording settings. Video Length: Enter the duration of time to record when motion is detected, between 1 and 120 minutes. When using Continuous Recording, the video length will be the time scheduled.
8.3.2 Playback 8.3.2 (a) Video Playback Search and playback all recorded video from this menu. Choose your desired date and times from the options below, then click Play to view recorded video. Right-click to exit back to the menu screen. Playback Origin: Select the origin of the playback, it’s possible choosing two options: Read/Write: Reading the recording on the HDD.
8.3.2 (b) Right-Click Menu Right-click within the Video Playback screen and the menu bar shown above will appear. This menu bar will allow you to go back, stop playing, set full screen and select play mode. Play mode options are Full Decode, Skip Decode and Average Decode.
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Start/Play/Pause: Start/Play/Pause playback. Play Backward/Pause: Play/Pause backward playback. Stop: Stop playback. Slow Down: Slow down video playback (x1/2, x1/4, x1/8). Rewind: Rewind video playback (x1/2, x1/4, x1/6, x1/8). Fast Forward: Fast Forward video playback (x1/2, x1/4, x1/6, x1/8). Previous Frame: Move the video to the previous video frame. Next Frame: Move the video to the next video frame.
8.3.3 Exporting Recordings To export a Recording, once you have selected a specific date, switch to Export Recording Mode by clicking the Export File icon. A list of all recordings will show in the navigation panel. You can play the video on the video screen before exporting. Play the video on the video screen, before exporting, by double clicking the video segment you want to watch.
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The backup Dialog: Refresh: Will search for USB storage devices plugged into the DVR. Backup: Export the recording videos. Burn: Start recording the live view video in the selected flash drive. Format: Format the selected flash drive. NOTE: This option will delete all data from your flash drive.
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When “Backup” option is selected: Type: Select the type of Recording. Options: Motion Detection (MD), Manual, General, Alarm/MD, and All. Channel: The channel to export recordings. Start Time: Date/Time to start searching for recordings. End Time: Date/Time to end the search for recordings. Add: Shows the recordings.
8.4 Device Menu 8.4.1 HDD Check available memory on your DVR HDD and set recording parameters to optimize storage. Select: If multiple drives are installed, choose the HDD you would like to customize. View Recording Times: Shows recordings that are on your HDD. View Type and Capacity: Shows total storage being used and available space on your HDD.
StopBit: Select the amount of extra data to send each time a direction is sent to the camera. The stopbit serves as a buffer between commands and should be 1 (by default) when utilizing Night Owl’s AHD PTZ camera. Parity: Detects corrupt commands sent to and from the PTZ camera. This should generally be left Disabled.
8.4.2 (b) Using Control Method UTC (Up-The-Coax) If you are connecting a PTZ camera that utilizes UTC (Up-the-Coax) technology and does not require the use of the RS-485 port, you will need to change the control method for the channel the PTZ is connected to. As the PTZ camera and DVR will communicate via the BNC Video/Power cable, you will need to change the control method to UTC.
8.5 System Menu 8.5.1 General Set or adjust basic DVR settings such as the time, date and language. 8.5.1 (a) Settings Basic system configuration. System Time: Manually set the date and time of your DVR. Date Format: Choose the display format for the date. You can select Month/Day/Year, Year/Month/Day or Day/Month/Year.
8.5.1 (b) DST Configure Daylight Savings Time settings. DST: Enable or Disable the Daylight Savings Time feature. Week Day - Date: Indicate whether you would like this feature to be applied the week of or an exact date. Start Time: Select the date and time to apply the DST offset. End Time: Select the date and time to remove the DST offset.
8.5.2 Users Create and modify user’s permissions. Modify User: Select an existing user from the list to change the Username, Enable or Disable password access and modify permissions. Modify Group: Select an existing group from the list to change the Group Name, Enable or Disable password access and modify permissions.
8.5.2 (a) Modify User User Name: Create the new user’s User Name. Password: Set the password for the new user. Confirm Password: Re-input the set password for the new user. Memo: Optional description of the new user account. Group: Select a group to administer authority parameters. Authority: Customize DVR authorities for the selected Group.
Keep in mind you can also scan the QR code on this screen using your Night Owl X or Night Owl X HD App to quickly reconfigure your mobile device via our Owl Scan feature.
8.5.4 Log Search for logs of all events and notifications on the DVR. Type: Select the type of event log that you would like to Search for. Each choice corresponds to an action or event that was triggered and noted within the system. For example, System logs are recorded when the DVR time is synced with NTP (if enabled) or if the system is turned on or off.
8.6 Advanced Menu Configure additional settings related to maintenance, hard drive space and upgrades. 8.6.1 Maintain Adjust settings related to default user access and reboot schedules. Auto Reboot: Enable or Disable the automatic reboot feature. Reboot: Set the frequency of reboots if this feature is enabled. Auto Delete Old Files: Set whether you would like the DVR to automatically delete old files.
Within the Load Default menu, you may select which settings you would like to restore to default. 8.6.2 Events Configure notification settings for other triggered events not related to motion detection such as disk error, disk full or and/or video loss. These events will be added to the Alarm Status window.
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Buzzer: Turn an audible buzzer on for a duration of time to alert you when this Event Type happens. Deselect to disable this feature. Push: select this option to send a notification to your Night Owl X or Night Owl X HD App when this Event Type TIP: This option is not available for Event Types: Net Disconnected or IP Conflict.
8.6.3 Alarm Status The Alarm Status notification message shows each camera’s alarm status. To prompt the Alarm Status message, you should enable the “Show Message” check mark on the Camera>Motion or the Advanced>Events menus. By default, this message is disabled. Index: Represents each camera.
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Advanced: Provides information about this window and allows you to adjust alarm notification settings. OK: Hide the alarm status and verify that the alarm was noticed. Red Check: The alarm is happening. Green Check: Unchecked alarm that already finished. Empty Box: No trigger detected. Clear Alarm State In Time: 0 Seconds: 0 Seconds: Clear alarm after 0 seconds.
8.6.4 Auto Upgrade Control settings for auto upgrades of the DVR software. Auto Upgrade: Enable or Disable the auto upgrade feature. Firmware updates will be detected automatically when this feature is enabled. The default selection for the auto upgrade feature is enable. Check For Updates: Check this tick box to periodically check for updated software versions.
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Chapter 9: Glossary DDNS: Dynamic Domain Naming System. Method for automatically updating hostnames, address or other information like a URL on a given name server. DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A network protocol that allows a server to automatically assign a device and IP address.
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Product. In no event shall Night Owl be liable for any special or consequential damages arising from the use of the Product or arising from the malfunctioning or non-functioning of the Product or for any delay in the performance of this warranty due to any cause beyond its control.
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Returns Under This Warranty In order to obtain service, please make sure that you have registered your product on-line no later than thirty (30) days after purchase at www.NightOwlSP.com in the warranty registration section or in any other manner described in the instructions. Disclaimer Certain uses, publication and/or distribution of video/audio recordings from security cameras and/or audio devices are prohibited or restricted by federal, state and local laws.
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Chapter 11: Troubleshooting If a problem occurs, you may be able to easily correct it yourself. The following table describes some common issues and their most likely solutions. Please refer to the table before calling technical support. Error Possible Causes Solutions 1.
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Error Possible Causes Solutions 1. Check the camera video cable and connections. 2. Disconnect and reconnect the There is no picture on selected Camera cables are loose or have cable at the system and at channels/camera picture is not become disconnected. the camera.
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Chapter 12: User Information Be sure to write down all the important information below and place it in a secure location. General DVR Information Admin Password: User Password: Mac Address: Component Model Number: NOTE: This information can be found on page 67. Internet Login Information NOTE: This information can be found within the General Menu tab under Network in your DVR’s Main Menu.
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For system manuals, troubleshooting guides, FAQs, video tutorials and more: Please visit www.NightOwlSP.com. Click the Support tab. Type XHD30 in the top right search bar. Access the support material needed. Contact Us PHONE (English, Spanish & French) Sales/ Technical Support 1.866.390.1303 Live Chat 24/7, 365 days a year EMAIL...
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