DAHUA IP - Simultaneous users

[gen3sis! 0]

Hi

 

We have a DAHUA IP system, based on the following hardware:

 

1 - Dahua NVR 5832

26 x Dahua IP cameras with a maximum of 1MP

 

We have successfully configured and installed the NVR, cameras and the PSS software. We want to be able to view all 26 cameras simultaneously from 4 different PC's, all running the PSS software.

 

However, we are having issues as the video stream feed on all 4 PCs regularly is delayed and freezes.

 

We have tried to reduce the bit rate and fps, but to no avail.

 

I have used a network monitoring tool to study the packets being sent between a PC and the NVR, and noted that packets are being sent via the TCP protocol. Is this normal? I thought that live video streaming is done over UDP?

 

I have also noted the multicast transmission feature on the NVR. How can this be configured?

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Don Stephens 0]

You don't have enough bandwidth to view all 26 cameras simultaneously on multiple computers if it's freezing.

 

TCP is normal.

 

The Multicast/MultiPreview/0Channel-0 feature is probably going to be your solution to your bandwidth problem. It's set up through your System Settings under Display. All you need to do is enable the feature and and adjust a few settings. This feature is meant as a method of cheating the bandwidth; just be aware that you're going to lose things like PTZ control and digtal zoom when using this as all 26 cameras will technically be displaying as one single camera view.

[buellwinkle 0]

Watching 26 1MP streams is going to use a heck of a lot of CPU power, so check that to see if that's the problem. You can use sub-streams if your cameras and NVR solution supports that. Also, if the different monitors will be displaying the same exact thing, the easiest thing to do is get an HDMI gizmo that broadcasts the same HDMI output to multiple monitors.

[gen3sis! 0]

You don't have enough bandwidth to view all 26 cameras simultaneously on multiple computers if it's freezing.

 

TCP is normal.

 

The Multicast/MultiPreview/0Channel-0 feature is probably going to be your solution to your bandwidth problem. It's set up through your System Settings under Display. All you need to do is enable the feature and and adjust a few settings. This feature is meant as a method of cheating the bandwidth; just be aware that you're going to lose things like PTZ control and digtal zoom when using this as all 26 cameras will technically be displaying as one single camera view.

 

When you refer to bandwidth do you mean that the limit is due to the NVR or to the network system?

 

Would it be possible to set video stream to UDP or that won't help?

[Don Stephens 0]

I'm talking about it most likely being a limitation of your network. I don't think changing it to UDP is going to do anything to help.

[gen3sis! 0]

Even if the network is dedicated to the CCTV system with dedicated gigabit switches?

 

Would a better NVR be able to handle multiple clients better, or is requirement simply a no go for an IP CCTV system?

[buellwinkle 0]

We use Milestone XProtect Express with about 21 cameras, mostly 3MP not even gigabit switches, but several 100Mb switches feeding up to a gigabit uplink using all sub streams and displaying that many cameras using their SmartClient or their WebClient works fine. If I try and use all mainstreams on a modern day 4th gen i7, I would hit 100% CPU making it bad. I can still playback the recorded main stream, but even then, I would have "views" of small groups of cameras for a location so as not to overwhelm the PC I'm viewing it on when playing back the recorded video.

[Don Stephens 0]

Regardless of how you accomplish it, the general consensus is for you to use some fashion of the substream; whether that be viewing your cameras in the substream instead of main, or using that Multicast/MultiPreview feature.

[Don Stephens 0]

I found this video that shows how to enable to multi-preview feature: http://goo.gl/MYDUwa

 

Hopefully that helps.

[gen3sis! 0]

Hi guys

 

Thanks a lot for your input everyone. Re zero channel feature, even with the latest update our NVR didn't have this feature.

 

Eventually we tweaked the settings of each cameras and managed to find a solution; now we have a setup whereby the cameras are accessed through 4 separate PCs and 3 phones.

 

Thanks once again

[gen3sis! 0]

For some reason, there now seems to be an issue with the recordings.

 

We have noticed that we have missing recordings at 5 minute intervals. We have updated the NVR/cameras with the latest firmware, but it seems that there are issues with the motion detection.

 

Any ideas as to the cause of this issue?