TasOak

Hi from Tasmania, I’m just a homeowner with a security(system) problem, hope you can help with a few questions that some people consider trivial or I should have known before starting. Cheers TasOak

I bought the system new about 4 years ago and struggled with false alarms ever since, until discovering recently that PIR cameras were available and were compatible with the DVR8-4575 provided that the firmware was updated. I had updated the firmware sometime previously and check regularly for updates, last was in early 2019 and is still current. I purchased one camera to be sure all was good before buying the rest, installed it and nothing changed except the image quality. I then contacted Swann and after a round of faultfinding, was authorised to get a replacement….it worked🥳 Next pay I bought another one, it didn’t work, and so began another round of faultfinding, and another and another, all combinations of known good camera with channels and cables cleared the DVR but still no PIR🤪Swann help is anti help and email takes weeks to answer. I then returned to the retailer and got a changeover no problems, you guessed it, no PIR detection. So…I have two thoughts: 1. Is there any right way to connect a new camera? Should the system be turned off or left on? leading to my other thought: 2. Is there a one-time signal sent by the new camera firmware to the DVR to introduce itself, and if the power was off, by the time the DVR boots, the one-time signal has ended? No guess as to how I did it…power off and boot up afterwards. If this install 1.01, then don’t be shy, just tell me, please!!! cheers, TasOak(Glen) ps. The new PIR cameras are Swann SWPRO-1080MSB

Ok thanks tomcctv, I also need to find a way to clear a privacy panel from one view that has survived many resets and now has no way of being cancelled, perhaps the same issue with putting back the old camera to clear it. 😳 Is there an alternative camera that would work with 4575 or would I be better off scrapping it for a new system.

Hi, the USB reference was comparing the technology, no reference to Swann unit. The new cameras now have individual power supplies. “PIR and Motion”setting is not available until the camera is recognised as PIR capable. The standard Motion detection area setting is set by default at full screen, and then needs to be adjusted only if necessary. I have now done 3 full default resets, including reconfiguring without using saved settings, and also including one with original camera in place of suspect PIR camera, then doing hot upgrade of camera which should have triggered the extra choice,”PIR and Motion” in the motion detection menu item on alarm page of console screen. With old cameras, the only options were Enable and disable. It seems to me that despite loading defaults, the DVR keeps a library of cameras in its memory and I cannot find a way to erase it

Hi tomcctv, thanks for your response, it becomes clearer knowing that the 4575 is plug n play, but not quite, as the dvr cannot control when the camera gets power, (as in USB), the handshake has timed out before the dvr has booted. It’s more of a case that the cameras MUST be hot swapped in order for the handshake to occur. Am I right so far? The problem being that without the handshake, the dvr does not recognise the camera as having PIR capability. The motion detection by default is set at full screen but without initiating the systems for pir the camera remains just that, a camera. I guess that I will need to remove the suspect camera, then do a full default reset to remove its’ identity from the system then do a hot swap back in to initiate the handshake again. I figure the new cameras have their own firmware as when they are reset they show some info on the screen, they would have to carry enough intelligence to cover any shortfall in backwards compatibility for the 4575. I just hope they didn’t have to make it a one-time-only handshake.🤞$20 each would be nice😳 Early morning here in Tasmania, will have to wait till I get home to try I out. Cheers Glen