Securame

Your camera is from China. Unless you have a very good reason to do so, I would NOT try to update it, or you might end up with a camera that is only in chinese.

FPS = frames per second, images per second. 720p = 1280x720 = 1 megapixel 1080p = 1920x1080 = 2 megapixel If you record at 1080p, you will get double the resolution, but half the images per second. Yes, you can mix 1080p and 720p.

DS-7216HGHI-SH supports 720p at 25fps or 1080p at 12fps.

Check out Dahua's KW12W; 1Mp, real PIR, IR, SD storage up to 64Gb, bi-directional audio, Wifi, and P2P. Way better than AVTech.

You can't, the extra IP channels on the analog and HDTVI DVRs are only for Hikvision protocol cameras.

Why not use any modern DVR unit that supports RTSP? I do not think it would be hard to make an iOS app that can get video from a RTSp stream.

7216HGHI-SH/A does not support AHD.

DS-2CD2135F-IWS has an integrated mic, and also an external audio input. You can use both of them, as long as you choose on the camera config which audio input you want to use. You also need to make sure the stream is video+audio and that you are recording audio.

You are right, if he has no audio in or only one audio in, it is time to change DVR.

You might want to check if you can make the NVR connect to the cameras with a non administrator account so that it can not change any settings. I don't think it will work, but it is worth a try.

Have you even checked if the 7208HFI-SH supports recording to a networked drive? I have not had any of these units for a long time so I can not check, but I doubt it, they are quite old.

You can, you do not need any "audio balun".

Wow, it took you 3 months to come back? It doesn't seem the problem bothers you too much. It sure seems like a network problem. What switches do you have, and how are they linked toguether? What speed are the links between the switches?

I think on DS-77xx VGA and HDMI outputs are not cloned, so you can choose to have a different view on them. So what you want to do, I think it can be done. If you have the unit already, just try... go to the "live view" section on the config, and see if you can choose a different live view settings for VGA and HDMI output.

Did you expect to read your mail from that distance? You surely seem to be expecting too much from a fixed lens camera.

Control signals are sent over ethernet cable, there is no need for the RS485 wires.

Wireless is a mistake and should only be considered if you have no other option. Not good at snaking wires through walls? Hire someone to do it for you, it will save you time and money.

... and then on the camera config choose ONVIF, the correct port, and user/password.

I have been able to get ONVIF cameras working using the integrated POE ports on Hikvision NVRs, check your settings!

1. Nope. Take a paper and pencil, and try to divide it by 5x2 maintaining proportions. Can't be done. 2. That is your camera substream. When you see many cameras, the NVR will show you the substream. When you make one of them full screen, it will use the main stream.

I think you should be able to get it working as ONVIF, I have done it with other (crappier) cameras. But you will only be able to change the basic settings on the camera, like maybe the name, for any other change you will probably have to log in direct to the camera. If you get working video and motion detection, you should be happy.

For Dahua, you have to use SmartPSS for P2P access. PSS does not support P2P (and I doubt they will update PSS any more). Is there an equivalent service for Hikvision NVR's? I'm planning to install a Hikvision DS-9616NI-ST-8TB NVR and would love to try this P2P option on the Hikvision NVR. thx, in advance, VC EZVIZ.

Probably both Hikvision and Dahua will allow you to do that. Surely Hikvision, but how to do it it will/might vary from firmware to firmware.

Allow me to bring back this old thread to the present, since it seems that this is news now: http://www.csoonline.com/article/3034284/security/hard-coded-password-exposes-up-to-46000-video-surveillance-dvrs-to-hacking.html After more than 5 years...

Use an VGA to video adapter. You could also use HDMI to video, but it will be more expensive. http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=vga+to+video