DVR Quick Start Guide (QSG)

DS-7204HGHI-SH, DS-7208HGHI-SH, DS-7216HGHI-SH

© 2017 Hikvision USA Inc. • All Rights Reserved • Any and all information, including, among others, wordings, pictures, and graphs are the properties of Hangzhou Hikvision Digital
Technology Co., Ltd., or its subsidiaries (hereinafter referred to as “Hikvision”).
This user manual (hereinafter referred to as “the Manual”) cannot be reproduced, changed, translated, or distributed, partially or wholly, by any means, without the prior written
permission of Hikvision. Unless otherwise stipulated, Hikvision does not make any warranties, guarantees, or representations, express or implied, regarding the Manual.

About this Manual: The Manual includes instructions for using and managing the product. Pictures, charts, images, and all other information hereinafter are for description and
explanation only. The information contained in the Manual is subject to change, without notice, due to firmware updates or other reasons. Please find the latest version on the company
Website (http://www.hikvision.com/us). Please use this user manual under the guidance of professionals.
Trademarks Acknowledgement: and other Hikvision trademarks and logos are the properties of Hikvision in various jurisdictions. Other trademarks and logos
™

mentioned below are the properties of their respective owners.

Legal Disclaimer: TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE PRODUCT DESCRIBED, WITH ITS HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND FIRMWARE, IS
PROVIDED “AS IS,” WITH ALL FAULTS AND ERRORS, AND HIKVISION MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION,
MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY. IN NO EVENT WILL HIKVISION, ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR INDIRECT DAMAGES, INCLUDING,
AMONG OTHERS, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, OR LOSS OF DATA OR DOCUMENTATION, IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE
OF THIS PRODUCT, EVEN IF HIKVISION HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
REGARDING TO THE PRODUCT WITH INTERNET ACCESS, THE USE OF PRODUCT SHALL BE WHOLLY AT YOUR OWN RISKS. HIKVISION SHALL NOT TAKE ANY
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ABNORMAL OPERATION, PRIVACY LEAKAGE, OR OTHER DAMAGES RESULTING FROM CYBER ATTACK, HACKER ATTACK, VIRUS
INSPECTION, OR OTHER INTERNET SECURITY RISKS; HOWEVER, HIKVISION WILL PROVIDE TIMELY TECHNICAL SUPPORT IF REQUIRED.

SURVEILLANCE LAWS VARY BY JURISDICTION. CHECK ALL RELEVANT LAWS IN YOUR JURISDICTION BEFORE USING THIS PRODUCT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT
YOUR USE CONFORMS TO THE APPLICABLE LAW. HIKVISION SHALL NOT BE LIABLE IN THE EVENT THAT THIS PRODUCT IS USED FOR ILLEGITIMATE PURPOSES.
IN THE EVENT OF ANY CONFLICTS BETWEEN THIS MANUAL AND THE APPLICABLE LAW, THE LATER PREVAILS.

Regulatory Information
FCC Information
FCC Compliance: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

FCC Conditions: 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.
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
EU Conformity Statement
This product and, if applicable, the supplied accessories too are marked with “CE” and comply therefore with the applicable harmonized European standards listed under
the EMC Directive 2004/108/EC, the RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU.
2012/19/EU (WEEE Directive): Products marked with this symbol cannot be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste in the European Union. For proper recycling, return
this product to your local supplier upon the purchase of equivalent new equipment, or dispose of it at designated collection points. For more information see:
www.recyclethis.info
2006/66/EC (battery directive): This product contains a battery that cannot be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste in the European Union. See the product
documentation for specific battery information. The battery is marked with this symbol, which may include lettering to indicate cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), or mercury (Hg).
For proper recycling, return the battery to your supplier or to a designated collection point. For more information see: www.recyclethis.info.
Industry Canada ICES-003 Compliance: This device meets the CAN ICES-3 (A)/NMB-3(A) standards requirements.
Safety Instruction: These instructions are intended to ensure that the user can use the product correctly to avoid danger or property loss. The precaution measure is divided into
“Warnings” and “Cautions.”
• Warnings: Serious injury or death may occur if any of the warnings are neglected.
• Cautions: Injury or equipment damage may occur if any of the cautions are neglected.
Warnings Follow these safeguards to prevent serious injury or death. Cautions Follow these precautions to prevent potential injury or material
damage.

Warnings
• Proper configuration of all passwords and other security settings is the responsibility of the installer and/or end-user.
• In the use of the product, you must be in strict compliance with the electrical safety regulations of the nation and region. Refer to technical specifications for detailed information.
• Input voltage should meet both the SELV (Safety Extra Low Voltage) and the Limited Power Source with 24 VAC or 12 VDC according to the IEC60950-1 standard. Refer to
technical specifications for detailed information.
• Do not connect several devices to one power adapter as adapter overload may cause over-heating or a fire hazard.
• Make sure that the plug is firmly connected to the power socket. When the product is mounted on wall or ceiling, the device shall be firmly fixed.
• If smoke, odor, or noise rise from the device, turn off the power at once and unplug the power cable, and then contact the service center.

Cautions
• Make sure the power supply voltage is correct before using the device.
• Do not drop the device or subject it to physical shock.
• If cleaning is necessary, use clean cloth with a bit of ethanol and wipe it gently. If the device will not be used for an extended period, protect it from dirt.
• Do not place the device in extremely hot, cold, dusty, or damp locations, and do not expose it to high electromagnetic radiation. Do not operate product in outside of its stated
environmental specs.
• To avoid heat accumulation, good ventilation is required for the operating environment.
• Keep the device away from liquids while in use.
• While in delivery, the device shall be packed in its original packing, or packing of the same durability.
• Regular part replacement: some equipment parts (e.g., electrolytic capacitor) shall be replaced regularly according to their average endurance time. The average time varies
because of differences between operating environments and usage history, so regular checking is recommended for all users. Contact your dealer for more details.
• Improper use or replacement of the battery may result in hazard of explosion. Replace with the same or equivalent type only. Dispose of used batteries according to the
instructions provided by the battery manufacturer.
• If the product does not work properly, contact your dealer or the nearest service center. Never attempt to disassemble the device yourself. (We shall not assume any
responsibility for problems caused by unauthorized repair or maintenance.)
 WHAT’S IN THE BOX
Make sure the following items are in your box:

DVR Mouse Remote Power Supply HDD Screws

(Installed)

HDD HDD Cables Ear Mounts QSG DVD-ROM

(Installed) (Installed)

 MENU TREE
Use this menu tree to navigate the embedded menus.

 FRONT PANEL

• Power: Illuminates when rear panel power switch is turned on.

1. Status Indicators • Status: Blinks when data is being read from or written to HDD.
• TX/RX: Blinks when network connection is functioning properly.
2. IR Receiver Receiver for IR remote
3. USB Port Connects USB mouse or USB flash memory devices
 REAR PANELS

No. Item Description

1 Video In BNC interface for TVI and analog video input
2 USB Port USB port for additional devices
3 HDMI HDMI video output connector
4 VGA DB-15 connector for VGA output. Display local video output and menu.
5 Audio Out RCA connector
6 Network Interface Connector for network
7 RS-485 Interface Connector for RS-485 devices. T+ and T- pins connect to R+ and R- pins of PTZ
receiver respectively.
D+, D- pin connects to Ta, Tb pin of controller. For cascading devices, the first
DVR’s D+, D- pin should be connected with the D+, D- pin of the next DVR.
Connector for alarm input
Connector for alarm output
8 Power Input 12 VDC power supply
9 Alarm I/O Connectors
10 Gnd Ground
11 Audio In RCA connector
12 Power Switch Switch for turning the device on/off

1 CONNECT DEVICES
1. Connect power supply cord to the DVR and plug into 110 VAC outlet (surge suppressor is
recommended).
2. Connect DVR to LAN using Cat 5e (or better) cable.
3. Connect video monitor(s) to DVR using HDMI and/or VGA cables, as appropriate.
4. Connect mouse to USB port.
5. Connect to audio I/O using RCA connectors.
2 START THE DVR
Plug power cord into A.C. outlet. Power indicator LED will illuminate to indicate unit is starting.
1. After startup, power indicator LED remains illuminated.

3 LOCAL ACTIVATION
System access requires a secure, user-assigned password.
 Set Admin Password
1. First-time access requires user to create an
admin password.
2. Input the same password in the Create New
Password and Confirm New Password
text fields.

Strong Password REQUIRED

Password must contain 8 to 16 characters,
combining numbers, lower and upper case
letters, and special characters. At least two
types of the above-mentioned characters
are required. Risky passwords, as
determined by the system, are not allowed.
Also, reset password regularly.

3. Click OK to save password and activate

device.
 Log In
1. User Name field will be prefilled with
“admin.”
2. Input Password (default = wrong password
7 x locks account for 30 minutes; can be
changed in setup).
3. Click OK.

4 FORMAT THE HARD DRIVE (IF NEEDED)

Hard drives must be formatted before use. If they are not formatted, the DVR will beep until they are.
1. Go to MENU > SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > HDD.
2. Use the checkboxes to select the HDDs that need to be formatted.
3. Press INIT.
NOTES: Units purchased with HDDs come with HDDs preformatted. Formatting
erases any recorded video (this does not affect settings).
4 FORMAT THE HARD DRIVE (IF NEEDED) (continued)

 HDD LIST
 TOTAL HDD SPACE
 FREE SPACE






5 SET DATE AND TIME

1. Go to MENU > SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > GENERAL.

DATE/TIME
Date and time settings

 TIME ZONE
Time zone and daylight savings
time settings

ENABLE NTP
Network Time Protocol settings


6 SET UP NETWORK ACCESS

A network connection is required to access the cameras remotely.
1. Go to MENU > SYSTEM CONFIGURATION > NETWORK.
2. Enable DHCP (check the checkbox).
3. Press Refresh button to update the IPv4 address, subnet mask, and IPv4 default gateway.
6 SET UP NETWORK ACCESS (continued)
4. Disable DHCP (uncheck the checkbox).
5. Change “Preferred DNS Server” value to 8.8.8.8 (leave Alternate DNS Server blank).
 GENERAL TAB
Select this tab
  NIC TYPE
Not changeable
 ENABLE DHCP

 Check box so that router will
assign IP address
IP V4 ADDRESS
Default 192.0.0.64
 PREFERRED DNS SERVER
 Default is 8.8.8.8
ALTERNATE DNS SERVER
Leave blank or use 75.75.75.75
or other known DNS address

7 SET COMMUNICATION PORTS

After assigning the IP information, click the More Settings tab.

The More Settings tab contains the ports that need to be forwarded for remote access.

• SERVER PORT is responsible for the mobile app and client software log-in.
• HTTP PORT is responsible for Web browser log-in.
• RTSP PORT is responsible for video/audio streaming.
NOTE: The HTTP port, server port, and RTSP can be changed to avoid conflicts
with the ISP or if multiple devices are installed at a single location.
8 SET UP HIK-CONNECT P2P CLOUD SERVICE
NOTE: Ports 9010 and 9020 must not be blocked for the Hik-Connect Cloud service to work.
Use the Hik-Connect mobile app (from iOS App Store or Google Play) to create a Hik-Connect P2P Cloud
account to connect Hikvision devices over the Internet. You must create a Hik-Connect account so you can
associate your devices with your account. Please download ‘How To’ documentation about setting up your
Hik-Connect account from http://tech.hikvisionusa.com/. Remote access to the DVR from more than one
account can be enabled by setting up the sharing function which does require ports to be forwarded and
additional setup on the Hik-Connect app.

1. Enable Hik-Connect P2P on the DVR.

1) Go to Main Menu > System Configuration > Network > Platform Access.
2) Check the Enable checkbox.
3) Server Address must be “dev.hik-connect.com.” If not, check the Custom checkbox, and type
“dev.hik-connect.com.”
4) Click the Apply button. Status will change to “Online” (if all settings are correct).
5) Note the Serial Number and Verification Code shown here (for use when registering the DVR in
your Hik-Connect account) or use the QR code displayed.

2. To see a device’s video stream on the Hik-Connect or iVMS-4500 mobile app, add the device.
1) Login to Hik-Connect mobile app with your user name, e-mail, or mobile number and password.
2) On the Home screen, click the “+” button (upper right corner).
3) Enter the device’s information.
 If you have the device’s QR Code: Use the QR Code Scanner to scan the device’s QR Code
 If you do not have the device’s QR Code: Enter the device information manually:
a. Click the Edit (pencil) icon on top right corner.
b. Enter device serial number (device must be online), then click the OK button.
c. When the device appears on the “Results” screen, click the Add button.
d. Enter device’s 6-character Verification Code (all upper case), then click the OK button.
e. Click the Finish button.
9 ADD IP CAMERAS
1. Right click a window in Live View mode to display the Quick Menu.
2. Highlight Add IP Camera and select Auto or Manual.
• Auto: System will add the first two pre-activated Hikvision cameras automatically
• Manual: Use if there are more than two Hikvision cameras on the network or if the
cameras have not yet been activated
˗ Add the desired camera(s) by clicking the + sign in front of the camera listing(s)
˗ Non-activated cameras will automatically be activated when added
IP Camera Management Icons
Icon Explanation Icon Explanation
Edit basic camera parameters Add the detected IP camera
Camera is disconnected; click icon
for camera’s exception information Delete the IP camera
Play camera’s live video Advanced camera settings

Upgrade the connected camera Security Show active/inactive camera security

status or the password strength

TRASH CAN
Press to delete camera
 +
 Press to add camera
EDIT
Press to change IP address
 CAMERA LIST (WHITE)
 Added cameras 

  CAMERA LIST (YELLOW)
Detected cameras 
 REFRESH
Press to find network cameras 
NOTE: To change camera
name, go to OSD.

10 ADD ANALOG CAMERAS

 Adding Analog Cameras
1. Connect analog camera(s) to the “Video In” BNC connectors.
 Enabling Analog Cameras
Analog cameras are enabled by default; no further action is required.
11 VIEW LIVE VIDEO
Live View displays real-time video. Icons in the upper-right of screen show each
camera’s record and alarm status.
• Alarm (video loss, tampering, motion
detection, sensor alarm, or VCA alarm)
• Record (manual record, continuous
record, motion detection, alarm, or VCA
triggered record)
• Event/Exception (event and exception
information appears at lower-left corner of
screen)

12 SET UP RECORDING
Set up recording to capture camera video.
 Continuous Recording (Default)
1. Go to MENU > RECORDING CONFIGURATION.
2. Click CONTINUOUS under the calendar (blue) and the cursor will change to a wand.
3. Select the calendar days you wish to record continuously and the days will turn blue.
4. Press APPLY.

 COLOR
Shows Recording Schedule:
• Blue=Continuous
 • Yellow=Event (motion/alarm)
 • Grey=None

 SECTION
Customize part of existing schedule
 (ignore for “motion only” recording)
 SCHEDULE TYPE
Motion or Continuous (default)
ENABLE SCHEDULE
If not checked, camera will not record
12 SET UP RECORDING (continued)
 Motion Detection Recording
Motion Recording will capture video only when motion in the scene is detected.
1. To set MOTION RECORDING, go to MENU > RECORDING CONFIGURATION
2. Click on EVENT under the calendar (yellow) and the mouse cursor will change to a wand.
3. Select the days you wish to set motion recording and they will turn yellow.
4. Press APPLY.
5. Press COPY button to copy the new schedule to the remaining cameras.
6. After recording has been set to Event Recording, go to Motion Detect to set the motion
detection for each camera. In this step, the Copy option is only for analog cameras; IP cameras
need to be configured individually.

 CAMERA
Select camera
ENABLE MOTION DETECTION
 Click to enable/disable

 MOTION GRID
Draw grid area that will detect
motion

MOTION SENSITIVITY
Selectnumber of green squares to
set sensitivity (in example,
sensitivity is set to 3)
APPLY
Click to apply settings



7. Go to RECORDING CONFIGURATION > RECORD QUALITY and set the following items:
• Stream Type enables/disables audio streaming from the cameras (if the camera does not
have audio capabilities, Stream Type will have only Video option).
• Resolution sets recording resolution.
• Bitrate Type saves HDD space when set to Variable. Choices: Variable and Constant.
12 SET UP RECORDING (continued)

 MAIN STREAM
Select tab
  CAMERA
 Select camera
 EVENT
For event recording only (motion
or alarm)
 CONTINUOUS
For live view image and
continuous recording
  VIDEO QUALITY
Selectnumber of green squares
to set quality (in example,
sensitivity is set to 3)

• Video Quality adjusts picture clarity (medium setting = three green squares is
recommended). Medium setting is a balance between good picture and saving HDD space.
• Frame Rate sets recording frame rate (12-15 fps is recommended to save HDD space and
prevent “choppy” video).
• Max Bitrate Mode chooses between pre-set bitrate values and customized values (General
setting is recommended).
• Max Bitrate (KBPS) is the chosen bitrate for streaming the video.
• Max Bitrate Recommended is the recommended bitrate according to the parameters set.
• Record Audio turns audio recording on/off (available only if camera has a connected
microphone or only analog channels 1-4).
• Video Stream changes recording between Main Stream and Sub Stream (requires restart).
Recommended Recording Parameters
Resolution Video Quality Frame Rate (fps) Bitrate (Kbps)
320 x 240 (QVGA) 207
352 x 240 (CIF) 384
640 x 480 (VGA) 768
704 x 480 (4CIF) 1024
1280 x 720 (720p) 12-15 2048
Medium (3 squares)
1280 x 960 (960p) 2048
1600 x 1200 (2 MP) 2560
1920 x 1080 (1080p) 3072
2048 x 1536 (3 MP) 3072
2560 x 1920 (5 MP) 8 4096

8. Set up the Sub Stream to stream to mobile devices and display multiple cameras locally.
NOTE: If upload speed is insufficient, lower frame rate, bitrate, and/or resolution.
12 SET UP RECORDING (continued)

 SUBSTREAM TAB
  Select
 CAMERA
 Select camera
  STREAM TYPE
Select choice
 RESOLUTION
 Can go up only to 4CIF
 VIDEO QUALITY
Select number of green squares
to set quality (in example,
sensitivity is set to 3)

SUBSTREAM TAB

13 PLAY BACK RECORDED VIDEO

Video playback plays back recorded video.
1. Go to MENU>PLAYBACK.
2. Select the desired camera from the drop-down menu.
3. Select the desired date (days that contain recordings will be highlighted).
4. Select the desired time using the Timeline or “Jump to Time” feature.
5. Press PLAY.

 SMART SEARCH/PLAYBACK
Search for specific defined
activities
FULL SCREEN
Goes to full screen for multiple
 channel playback
PLAY/STOP
Begin playback (toggles between
Play and Stop)
CAMERA LIST
Select camera to play back
CALENDAR
Select date to play back
TIMELINE
Click on timeline to select desired
playback time




 

 Play Back Record Files

1. Choose a camera in Live View and click the button in the shortcut operation menu. Only
files recorded in the past five minutes will be played.
13 PLAY BACK RECORDED VIDEO (continued)
 Playback Controls
1. Use toolbar on bottom of Playback interface to control playing process.
2. Check camera(s) to play back.

14 BACK UP VIDEO RECORDINGS AND CLIPS

Back up recorded video clips to ensure important video is not lost or destroyed.
 Choose Recorded Video Clips To Back Up
Connect a USB flash drive, HDD, or DVD writer to an available USB port.
1. Go to MENU > PLAYBACK.
2. Select the date and beginning time of the incident.
3. Click START CLIPPING button.
4. Select the ending time of the incident.
5. Click END CLIPPING (same button as START CLIPPING). Clip will be marked.
6. Repeat steps 1-6 as many times as required.
7. Click FILE MANAGEMENT to display a new window containing all marked clips.
8. Select the desired clips.
9. Click EXPORT.

CAMERA LIST
Select cameras to view
CALENDAR
Select dates to view
PLAY/STOP
 Toggles between Play and Stop
START/STOP CLIPPING
Toggles between Start Clipping
and Stop Clipping
FILE MANAGEMENT
Displays Clips Export, a list of
saved clips




  
14 BACK UP VIDEO RECORDINGS AND CLIPS (continued)
 Back Up Video Clips
1. Connect a USB flash drive, HDD, or DVD writer to an available USB port.
2. In the Video Export interface, choose camera(s) to back up and click Quick Export button.
3. Choose backup device (USB flash drive, USB HDD, or DVD writer).
4. Click Export (to check backup, choose recorded file in Export interface and click button).

 CLIP LIST

Select desired clips (multiple clips
selected from same camera will
be stitched together)
  EXPORT
Save clips to USB device


Hikvision USA Inc., 18639 Railroad Street, City of Industry, CA 91748, USA
Hikvision Canada Inc., 4848 Levy Street, St-Laurent, Quebec, Canada H4R 2P1
Telephone: +1-909-895-0400 • Toll Free in USA: +1-866-200-6690
E-Mail: [email protected] • www.hikvision.com
© 2017 Hikvision USA Inc. • All Rights Reserved
Specifications subject to change without notice. QSG DS-72xxHGHI-SH 051617NA