Before installation (quotes and planning)
In many cases, yes.
Whether you can add cameras later depends on:
- How many spare channels your recorder has
- Whether the recorder has spare capacity on the hard drive
- Whether cable routes and power options are available
If you think you might expand in future, we can design the system with this in mind, for example fitting an 8 channel recorder for a 4 camera install, or leaving suitable cable routes.
No, unlike other companies and products - our systems do not need a fixed IP address, thus saving you at least £5 per month from your internet provider. We use the Hikvision Cloud P2P solution to ensure your CCTV is always reachable from your mobile device, regardless of IP changes.
There will be a small row of infrared lights around or beside the lens of the camera that cast light which is invisible to the human eye. Without this, your camera would not be able to see in the dark.
Some of the newer model cameras that contain Darkfighter or ColorVu technology may not even light up at all as they are very good at dealing with low light scenarios.
Yes. We can install CCTV as discreetly as possible, depending on your property and coverage requirements.
Options can include:
- Compact camera styles
- Higher mounting positions where appropriate
- Tidy cable routes and minimal visible trunking
- Recorder installed out of sight in a secure location
If your priority is a low profile install, tell us at quotation stage so we can recommend the best approach for your layout.
Yes. Your CCTV system records locally to the recorder (DVR or NVR). If your broadband drops out, it will still continue recording as normal.
What you will lose during an internet outage is:
- Remote viewing from your phone or PC
- Push notifications and alerts to your phone
- Remote playback access
Once the internet comes back online, remote viewing and notifications will resume.
For the use of Standard Definition (SD) streaming a 0.5mb service is sufficient.
For High Definition (HD) or streaming of multiple cameras at once, we would recommend anything above 2mb.
In either scenario, we always recommend using VirginMedia Fibre Optic to provide you with the best experience possible.
Recording time, also known as retention, depends on a few things:
- Number of cameras
- Camera resolution (for example 6MP, 8MP)
- Recording mode (continuous 24/7, motion only, or a mix)
- Frame rate and bitrate settings
- The hard drive size fitted to your recorder
As a rough guide, higher resolution and 24/7 recording will reduce retention. Motion based recording can greatly increase retention, but it depends on how busy the scene is.
We generally specify our systems to give you a retention period of 21 days.
Our prices are fixed, so the cost of your installation will really depend on the amount of cameras you require and the type of system.
You can obtain a free online quotation by visiting our "Online System Builder"
You can see the differences between the systems by reading "Our IP Systems Explained"
You can learn about our 'Fixed Prices, No Surprises' policy by reading our "Simple as 2, 3, 4"
Unfortunately, no.
We are authorised and Certified by Hikvision UK to supply and install their products.
We are unable to provide you with an installation only service if you have purchased your own equipment as we are not insured to do so.
In addition to this, we would be unable to provide you with our comprehensive support and warranty for three years that our systems come with.
If you are considering purchasing your own equipment, please consider our guide here : Pitfalls of buying Hikvision from eBay or Amazon
We’ll arrive at your home just prior to your agreed installation time. If we’re held up for any reason, we’ll contact you immediately to let you know.
If you require us to use an unmarked van please let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate (additional cost).
The first thing we’ll do at your property is identify areas of risk such as entry points, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Then we will plan the cable routing. This usually takes between 20 and 30 minutes and if it’s possible, we’d like you to be there to give us your approval prior to us starting the installation.
We always do our best to hide cables and make sure the job is neat and tidy, in fact, we take great pride in it.
Up to 8 camera systems can usually be installed within a day, however larger 8+ camera systems will take additional days and you would have been advised of this.
On completion of your installation, we provide you with a tutorial on how to use the system, together with our in house 'Quick User Guide'.
Completion payment is then required prior to the installer leaving the premises, as per our Terms & Conditions.
Once we’ve completed your installation, we’ll give you a full demonstration of it’s capabilities and provide you with a complete and comprehensive set of instructions that are written in plain English.
You’re more than welcome to call us at any time after your installation should you require any assistance whatsoever.
If your system is networked, with your permission, we can change any settings you want updating remotely. You may need to provide us with access details.
Hikvision CCTV systems can support a multitude of notifications that can be configured to perform various actions from alerting your mobile phone to activating a parking barrier.
That being said, this guide talks about the three main notification options.
Motion Detection
In its simplest form, this is when an object enters the camera view area and a motion is triggered.
Line Crossing
An invisible line can be drawn on a particular area of your camera view area, for example the driveway threshold or the garden boundary. Once an object crosses over that line (from either way) - a line crossing is triggered.
Intrusion Detection
This is similar to Motion Detection but more specific. With Intrusion Detection an invisible quadrilateral shape can be drawn on a particular area of your camera view, for example directly outside your front door. Once an object then enters that area - an intrusion detection is triggered.
With all of the options above, the system is unable to detect the difference between a human, pet or other object. This can often result in false notifications being triggered to the user. In addition to this, if the system generates the notification - it is then down to your broadband provider (router) to push the notification out to your mobile device. This will often fail if your provider is not quite up to scratch or your mobile phone is currently in an area with poor coverage.
Because of this, we do not provide support on notifications that are sent to your mobile device.
The recorder (DVR or NVR) is normally installed indoors in a secure, sensible location with good ventilation.
Common locations include:
- A cupboard or utility area
- An office
- A comms cabinet or rack
We typically install it near your internet router if you want remote viewing on your phone, as it needs a network connection.
If you have a preferred location, let us know during the quote stage and we will advise if it is suitable.
After installation (using your system and troubleshooting)
Seen GoCardless on your bank statement?
If you’ve seen GOCARDLESS LTD appear on your bank statement and would like to know when you can book a CCTV Service, please note the following;
- Once the DD leaves your bank account, it takes around 3-5 working days for the funds to reach our account.
- When we receive the funds, an SMS (text message) will be sent to the mobile number we have on record, inviting you to book a date.
- The process is fully automated, so there is no need to contact us requesting to book a date.
We will message you, so please be patient - as the process can take up to FIVE working days from when the funds leave your account.
Yes, in many cases we can.
Before we confirm, we will normally need to know:
- The make and model of your recorder and cameras
- Whether you have working access, including the admin password
- A quick description of what you want checked or improved
If the system is very old, unsupported, or parts are not available, we will tell you honestly and advise on the best upgrade route instead.
Your DVR / NVR would have been installed using the latest firmware at the point of installation.
Use caution when updating your firmware, as an incorrectly flashed file can render your DVR / NVR useless.
Please visit our CCTV Servicing page for more information on how we update your CCTV System as part of an annual service.
Most modern CCTV recorders can update time automatically when set correctly, but it depends on how the system is configured.
If the time is incorrect after the clocks change, check the following:
- Make sure the recorder time zone is set to London
- Enable daylight saving / DST settings if available
- If the recorder supports NTP, enable it so the time updates automatically
If you are unsure, contact us and we can advise. If your system is on a servicing plan, we can correct time settings as part of a maintenance visit.
To help us diagnose issues quickly, please include as many of the details below as possible:
- Your name, address, and best contact number
- What the problem is, and when it started
- The recorder type (DVR or NVR) and brand if known
- A photo of the recorder front and rear if possible
- A photo of any error message on screen
- Whether the issue affects all cameras or only one
- Whether remote viewing is working, or has stopped
- If you recently changed your internet router or provider
- If you use powerline adapters, switches, or Wi-Fi links
If it is urgent, call us. If you email, add clear photos or a short video if possible, as that often speeds things up dramatically.
The engineer will setup your mobile phone and devices for you on the day of installation, however if you wish to setup additional devices, or you change your device the settings will need to be reapplied using the method below.
- Download the app to your device, search for 'Hik-Connect’ from your app store.
- Open the app. On Android devices the app will assume permissions, however on Apple devices you will need to ‘Allow’ when the app asks you for permissions.
- Locate the Login option from the app.
- Enter the details provided you created during your installation. If you have forgotten them, you can 'reset' your password within the Hik-Connect App.
- If all details entered are correct, you should see your property name at the top, followed by screenshots of your camera(s) below.
The engineer will setup your mobile phone and devices for you on the day of installation, however if you wish to setup additional devices, or you change your device the settings will need to be reapplied using the method below.
- Download the app to your device, search for 'iVMS-4500' from your app store.
- Open the app. On Android devices the app will assume permissions, however on Apple devices you will need to 'Allow' when the app asks you for permissions. Then select your region by pressing the pencil icon then click next.
- Press the menu button at the top left, it is the circle with lines running horizontally.
- Tap on the 'Devices' option
- Click on the + a the top right, then select 'Manual Entry'
- Enter the details provided to you by the engineer (usually via SMS) then press the Save icon (top right)
- If all details entered are correct, the 'Camera No' should change, then you will be presented with 'Start Live View' at the bottom. Tap this to view your CCTV.
If you are unable to view your CCTV on your mobile device, the problem will be related to your Internet Router (WiFi) not sending an internet connection to your CCTV Recorder (DVR / NVR). There could be several reasons why this exists, so please identify the app you are using from the list below first.
iVMS-4500
If your system was installed before January 2017, then you should be using the 'iVMS-4500' app to view your CCTV, unless you were migrated to the 'Hik-Connect' app during a CCTV Service Visit.
If you were using iVMS-4500 and you have reset, upgraded or changed your router then your system and app needs to be upgraded as Hikvision has ceased support for the iVMS-4500 app.
Hik-Connect
If your system was installed after January 2017, then you should be using the 'Hik-Connect' app to view your CCTV then please read on.
Troubleshooting.
To troubleshoot your problem, please try the following steps first.
a) My CCTV is hardwired to the internet router.
- Check the internet connection is actually working at home / businesses first.
- Reboot your router (BT, Sky, Virgin, etc) - this means physically unplugging the power for 30 seconds, then turning it back on again.
- Reboot your CCTV correctly, as per your Quick User Guide and tutorial given on the day of installation.
- Refresh your app by dragging down with your finger the camera list view.
- If you checked all of the above and are confident the issue it not with your internet, then please contact our support via email and log a ticket.
OR
b) My CCTV is using TP Link Power Line Adapters (Illustrated below)
- Check the internet connection is actually working at home / businesses first.
- Ensure that the adapters are displaying three green lights on them. If the adapters display two or less lights the connection will not work. This usually happens during a power surge or spike. To rectify this, you will need to turn off the TP Link Plug from the mains switch, count to five - then turn it back on. You should then see three green lights on the plugs, thus restoring the internet connection to your CCTV.
- Reboot your router (BT, Sky, Virgin, etc) - this means physically unplugging the power for 30 seconds, then turning it back on again.
- Reboot your CCTV correctly, as per your Quick User Guide and tutorial given on the day of installation.
- Refresh your app by dragging down with your finger the camera list view.
- If you checked all of the above and are confident the issue it not with your internet, then please contact our support via email and log a ticket.
Please ensure you have followed ALL of the above troubleshooting procedures before contacting us.
If your CCTV system was installed after January 2017 and you are using the Hik-Connect app, this does not apply to you - unless you have a bespoke installation and some of your cameras are not connected directly to your NVR.
If however your system was installed prior to this and you are still using the HiDDNS (iVMS-4500) app, then this applies to you.
When the engineer would have installed your system, a particular set of 'Port Forwarding' rules would have been applied to your router. If you change, upgrade or even reset your router (broadband modem) - then these settings will become non existent, as will your ability to remote view your CCTV.
In order to resolve this, you can do one of the following:
This is normal. It is more apparent on the analogue systems than the digital IP range.
This is simply the cameras working at night and trying to provide you with the best picture possible with the infrared lights.
Our 'High End' systems are able to provide a crystal clear image even during the night!
This probably means that the camera has switched over to night vision mode.
Each camera has a sensor that detects light, once this light source drops to a certain level the camera will flick over to night vision mode and become black and white. This is to ensure that the camera can provide the most optimum image quality in the dark.
Sometimes, only one camera may switch onto night vision mode at a time. For example, if you have a 4 camera system and one of the cameras is located in a shaded area, this will become black and white first, whilst the other still remain in colour. After a short period of time however, the remaining colours will also turn black and white so that night vision can see in the dark.
A computer mouse (plural mice, rarely mouses)[1] is a hand-held pointing device that detects two-dimensional motion relative to a surface.
What does this mean? Your CCTV system comes with a mouse to control the NVR / DVR accordingly on your TV.
The mouse supplied with your system may be wired, or wireless.
CCTV recorders contain Linux based software, meaning that the mouse does not always react the same way it will do on your computer or laptop. It is not always 'plug and play'
If you are trying to use your mouse and have noticed that it is not responding at all, the cause is often the following;
- The (wired) mouse has been unplugged at some point.
- The (wireless) mouse receiver that is plugged into the USB has not been used for some time, and as such - has entered a 'deep sleep'
- The batteries on the wireless mouse have depleted.
- The wireless mouse is switched in the 'off' position (found underneath)
If you have found that your mouse as frozen and unresponsive, you can not simply unplug then replug the mouse back in as the system will not detect this from the deep sleep state. Assuming the (wireless) mouse has batteries, the only way to resolve this issue is to ensure the (hard wired) mouse is plugged into the recorder (NVR/DVR) then reboot the machine. The only way to do this (assuming the mouse is unresponsive) is by logging into the IP of the NVR and selecting 'reboot' from the Maintenance option. If you are unfamiliar with entering IP addresses to do this, your only other alternative will be to physically turn OFF the NVR / DVR, then turn it back on again ensuring the mouse is plugged in before turning back on.
Once the CCTV recorder has rebooted back up, the mouse will become responsive again and you can use your system as normal.
Warranty covers faults with supplied equipment under normal use. This includes issues such as:
- Recorder faults
- Camera faults
- Power supply issues caused by component failure (not by improper shutdown)
- Cabling faults where the cable has not been physically damaged
Warranty does not cover accidental damage or external causes, for example:
- Physical impact damage to a camera or cable
- Water ingress caused by third party alteration or damage
- Damage caused by builders, decorators, gardening works, or pets
- Power surge or lightning damage
- Damage caused by tampering or unauthorised changes to the system
If something stops working, contact us with details and we will advise the quickest route to get it resolved.
Hikvision CCTV systems can support a multitude of notifications that can be configured to perform various actions from alerting your mobile phone to activating a parking barrier.
That being said, this guide talks about the three main notification options.
Motion Detection
In its simplest form, this is when an object enters the camera view area and a motion is triggered.
Line Crossing
An invisible line can be drawn on a particular area of your camera view area, for example the driveway threshold or the garden boundary. Once an object crosses over that line (from either way) - a line crossing is triggered.
Intrusion Detection
This is similar to Motion Detection but more specific. With Intrusion Detection an invisible quadrilateral shape can be drawn on a particular area of your camera view, for example directly outside your front door. Once an object then enters that area - an intrusion detection is triggered.
With all of the options above, the system is unable to detect the difference between a human, pet or other object. This can often result in false notifications being triggered to the user. In addition to this, if the system generates the notification - it is then down to your broadband provider (router) to push the notification out to your mobile device. This will often fail if your provider is not quite up to scratch or your mobile phone is currently in an area with poor coverage.
Because of this, we do not provide support on notifications that are sent to your mobile device.
iVMS-4200
The Windows-based iVMS-4200 is a versatile client software application for Hikvision video surveillance, access control and video intercom systems
Please visit the [ Hikvision Portal ] and look for 'iVMS-4200' which is available for Windows.
The Mac OS version is no longer supported.
VS Player
A video stream player for Hikvision products that allows users to play and edit recorded video files and Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) live view.
Please visit the [ Hikvision Portal ] and look for 'VS Player' which is available for both Windows and Mac OS
Note
Please be aware that Hikvision products are region-specific and regionally supported. If you have purchased your Hikvision products from an online source or unauthorized distributor, they may not be compatible with the UK region’s firmware and are considered to be “gray market” product. If your camera has “CH” in the serial number, you are most likely using a “gray market” product. Updating the firmware from this site can lead to several complications in those cameras, up to and including camera failure. If you are unsure, please visit Hikvision UK for more information alternatively get in contact with us today.