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The ClareVision Camera User Manual covers all configuration settings found in the camera web console. Accessing the web console can be done by navigating to the cameras IP address which can be discovered using the IP Search Tool.
Download the ClareVision Cameras User Manual Here.
Quick Start Guides:
Getting Started with ClareVision – WiFi Camera Setup
Getting Started with ClareVision – Standalone Camera Setup
Getting Started with ClareVision – NVR and Camera Setup
Additional Getting Started Articles:
Where to download the latest firmware
Video: How to set up ClareVision Cameras
Video: How to set up ClareVision cameras to work on a ClareVision NVR
How to Quickly Update Firmware on ClareVision Cameras
How to update ClareVision camera firmware through the NVR Virtual Host
Where to find the default password for ClareVision cameras and NVRs?
How do I configure Smart Events like human body detection?
Understanding recording schedule vs arming schedule
Read Next : ClareVision Firmware Camera and NVR
Overview
The following article provide the following information:
- Setting up your WiFi camera
- Configuring motion, image, and event settings
- Adding the camera to the ClareVision App
Step One: Connect the Camera to Your LAN
To add the camera to a WiFi network, first connect the camera to the Local Area Network (LAN) through a router, modem, or network switch.
- Using an Ethernet cable, connect the WiFi camera to a router, switch, or modem that is on the network you would like to configure WiFi for.
- Power up the camera using the included power supply (Bullet and Turret cameras)
- Once the camera has connected to the network, use the IP Search Tool to discover the camera IP Address.
IMPROTANT: The WiFi Turret (CLR-V100-4T36WF-W) and Bullet (CLR-V100-4B36WF-W) do not support POE. You must connect the camera to the network using an Ethernet cable and power the camera with the included power supply.
Step Two: Discover the Camera
All Clarevision cameras ship with DHCP turned on. DHCP simply means the router will assign an IP address to the camera when it boots up using the LAN IP address scheme. Example:
- Router IP Address: 192.168.1.1 (typical)
- IP address range that may be available: 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.255
- Router will assign an address like this: 192.168.1.x, where x can be any number between 2 and 255.
- Install and launch the IP Search Tool and select “Search”
- Open a Chrome or Edge browser and input the WiFi camera’s IP address into the URL field on your web browser
- Input the default username and password.
IMPORTANT:
The default username is: admin
The default password is the first six characters of the UUID. The UUID can be found on the camera label or the quick start guide. If those are not available or inconvenient, you can use one of these methods found HERE to discover the UUID.
Tip:
When you login, you will be asked to change the password and answer security questions. Make sure you configure the security questions and store them. If you do not and you lose the password you will have to go to the camera and physically reset it.
Step Three: Update the Camera to the Latest Firmware Release
Clare Controls releases camera firmware with new features about once every four months. Chances are, your camera will need to be updated when you take out of the box. The camera firmware database is located here.
- Log into the camera and go to the Configuration > System Configuration > Device Information to review the firmware version.
- Cameras with version numbers where the last 3 digits are lower than 30.x will require you to to to the maintenance tab and upload the firmware to the camera you retrieved from our website. Cameras with version numbers greater than 30.x will have online update services directly from the web console as shown below:
- Simply click on the “Check” button and the camera will check our servers for an update and if available ask you if you want the camera updated. Updates take about 3 minutes.
Step Four: Configure the WiFi Settings
Make sure the camera is connected to a router, switch, or modem before proceeding with the next steps.
- Select WiFi Configuration on the home page or navigate to Configuration > Network > Advanced Setup > WiFi.
- Tap Scan to discover available WiFi 2.4GHz WiFi networks.
- Select the desired WiFi network you would like to connect the camera to.
- All fields should automatically populate when you select a WiFi network. Input the WiFi password into the Key field.
- Check DHCP if you would like the network to assign the network parameters automatically. Leave this field unchecked if you would like to manually configure settings such as IP Address, Netmask, Default Gateway, and Preferred DNS Server.
- Tap Save to complete and save your configuration.
Step Five: Configure the Video Stream
Video stream: the IP Camera streams one or more streams to mobile apps, NVR’s and integrated systems. The video settings control the configuration of those streams. Image settings control the parameters that affect the way the image is captured.
The video stream is configured through two basic menu items: Video and Image.
ClareVision Cameras are configured for best optimal settings out of the box. You will most likely not need to adjust settings unless specific settings require it. You can adjust image settings under Configuration > Image > Image Adjustment.
Tip:
We have configured the encoder for H.264 encoding on all streams. You may want to encode the main stream (stream 1) using H.265 as it requires about 50% of the network bandwidth and 50% of the HDD storage space vs. H.264. We set the main stream to H.264 because certain control systems and mobile phones do not decode H.265. You can tune this to your application.
Step Six: Configure Events
Events are the heart of the intelligent camera. All configuration is found under the Configuration Tab/Events. Events are broken into two categories: motion and smart.
The standard configuration for events from the factory is as follows:
- Motion detection: enabled, full field (entire field of view
- Motion sensitivity: 5 (medium) – will detect a human about xx feet for Value Series and yy for Performance Series
- Motion record calendar: 7×24
- Motion event arm calendar: 7×24
- Motion record: main stream (except V100 4mp, which is set to sub-stream)
- Smart event: disabled
1. Determine whether you want to use Smart Events or Motion Events:
-
- Smart Events: detects human objects only and is quite accurate. Use this when other objects, like vehicles are not required. Smart events include intrusion zone, line cross detection, loitering and people gathering. False positives with Smart Events are very rare.
- Motion Events: detects motion of any kind (human, package, vehicle, animal)
Tip:
When using the camera stand alone, do not set up more than one event type (motion, smart). It is the event arming action that sends the event to the push notification server and the recording engine inside the camera. The camera will only record ONE event type (motion OR smart). If you arm both, you will get both event types sent to the user as push notifications but only one will record. The user could then receive a push notification for which there is no recording.
2. Go HERE for details on setting up motion events
3. Go HERE for tips on setting up smart events.
Step Seven: Configure Storage
While you may store events locally to the SD Card and to an NVR at the same time, in this example, we will discuss the SD Card storage only.
1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Recording Schedule.
Set the storage schedule and event type you wish to store.
Tip:
It is the COLOR of the bars that indicate the events that are going to be recorded NOT the drop down box above.
Caution:
Always set the recording schedule to 7×24 and use the EVENT ARMING calendar to control when something will actually be detected, recorded and a push notification sent.
2. Click on storage management to see the status of the SD Card. If it needs to be formatted it will indicate that, simply press the FORMAT button. The SD Card overwrites by default.
3. Advanced properties allows you to control the pre-record and post record interval. When an event is detected in the example below, the camera will store the 5 seconds leading up to the event and 10 seconds after the event ends.
Step Eight: Add the Camera to the Mobile App
Now that you have set up your camera, it is time to add it to the ClareVision app. It is quite simple.
- Launch the ClareVision App
- Tap the ‘Plus’ sign and you will be presented with the three options shown below.
- If you tap device is on the network, the app will scan the LAN for any ClareVision cameras and present them in the following screen. Device is on a remote network provides you with the option of scanning a QR code for a camera on a remote network.
The system will locate it anywhere in the world and provide you with a login screen to add the remote camera.In our example, we tapped on “Device is on the local network” and two devices were found.
- Tapping on a device brings you to a login screen where you may enter the credentials
- And DONE!
You have just successfully installed, configured and enabled a stand alone ClareVision camera on the ClareVision mobile app. Any push notifications and events that are configured will automatically propagate to your customer’s mobile device.
The following is a getting started guide to for ClareVision cameras…it is the basics.
Overview
The following article provide the following information:
- The basic functions of an NVR
- The basic functions of an IP camera
- Best practices for setting up a stand alone camera
NVR’s
The NVR provides two basic functions: it network attaches the cameras and provides storage. In fact, the NVR does very little else.
- Network services: the NVR provides a central place to access IP cameras. You can attach IP cameras directly to the ports of the NVR or leave the cameras on the LAN. The NVR can be configured attach to those cameras for purposes of centralized access and recording. Centralized access can be viewing on the web console or providing access to integrated solutions such as the ClareOne Panel or a home automation system such as Control4
- Recording services: the NVR also provides recording services. You may record full time video or motion events, smart events, alarm events or any combination.
Note:
The NVR does NOT create events. The camera creates all events and the NVR simply records them. Why are the settings in the NVR for motion events, smart events and alarm events? Convenience. The NVR is simply configuring the camera so you do not have to log into each camera to configure an event. Check it out: configure an event in the NVR and log into the camera. You will see the exact settings you configured in the NVR in the camera settings web console.
Tip:
Since many ClareVision cameras come with SD cards installed, when should I use an NVR?
- Full time recording: the SD Cards are not useful for full time recording. A 4MP camera will overwrite in less than one day on full time record
- Storing multiple event types: the camera will store motion OR smart events OR alarm events. Use the NVR if you need multiple event types stored
- Camera count: if you are getting above 2 to 3 cameras, it is probably time for an NVR. Centralized access and storage flexibility will be very useful in those use cases.
IP Cameras
The IP camera is where almost everything interesting happens. The IP camera collects, analyzes and forwards video streams and snapshots to one or more clients. The camera can provide service to a mobile app, the NVR and an integrated control system simultaneously. It also provides multiple streams of video in different resolutions and frame rates so the client device can select the stream it can process. The following provides a high level reference highlighting the differences between the Value Series and Performance Series ClareVision IP cameras:
| Feature | Value Series | Performance Series |
| Motion | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Advanced Motion | ✔️ | |
| Smart Events | ✔️ | |
| Streams | 2 | 3 |
| Starlight | ✔️ | |
| Available Varifocal | ✔️ | |
| Fixed Lens | 3.6mm | 2.8mm |
| Color at Night | Coming Soon |
In summary, the camera is where everything interesting happens. The NVR simply provides convenient access and storage.
Next, let’s set up a camera, stand alone and attach the ClareVision mobile app….
Setup a Stand-Alone ClareVision Camera, Connect to ClareVision Mobile
What You Need
Learning by doing is far better than reading articles and watching videos. Before you proceed, you will need the following:
- ClareVision IP camera: we will use a Performance series camera in our exercises.
- A computer with internet access
- A mobile phone with ClareVision installed. (Do not install ClareVision Plus – that is our legacy app)
- A PoE switch or a standard ethernet switch with a stand alone PoE injector.
Step One: Install the Camera on Your LAN
The following image shows the connection scheme for a PoE switch connected to a camera.
Tip:
If you are using a PoE switch, most switches have two LED’s on them: power and link. The power LED indicates the switch is powering the camera and the link light indicates data is being transmitted to the camera. Both of these LED’s should be lit. The link light will often flash.
If your link light is flashing on the ethernet switch and the power LED is lit – you have powered up the camera. Success!
Step Two: Find the Camera on Your LAN
All Clarevision cameras ship with DHCP turned on. DHCP simply means the router will assign an IP address to the camera when it boots up using the LAN IP address scheme. Example:
- Router IP Address: 192.168.1.1 (typical)
- IP address range that may be available: 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.255
- Router will assign an address like this: 192.168.1.x, where x can be any number between 2 and 255.
Tip:
While you can simply launch the mobile app, discover the camera and configure the password change, we DO NOT recommend this as a best practice. Many configuration parameters and all Smart Events are configurable from the web console only. Take the time to tune the camera to the installation, it will pay dividends in customer satisfaction!
How do you find your camera so you can login and configure? Download the IP search tool here.
Install and Launch IP Search and select “Search”
All IP cameras and NVR’s regardless of their IP address will appear in the results window.
Next launch a web browser (Chrome or Edge) and enter the IP address of the camera you just installed.
The default USERID is: admin (not case sensitive)
The default password is the first six characters of the UUID. The UUID can be found on the camera label or the quick start guide. If those are not available or inconvenient, you can use one of these methods found HERE to discover the UUID.
Tip:
When you login, you will be asked to change the password and answer security questions. Make sure you configure the security questions and store them. If you do not and you lose the password you will have to go to the camera and physically reset it.
Step Three: Update the Camera to the Latest Firmware Release
Clare Controls releases camera firmware with new features about once every four months. Chances are, your camera will need to be updated when you take out of the box. The camera firmware database is located here.
Log into the camera and go to the Configuration tab and click on System Configuration/Device Information to review the firmware version.
Cameras with version numbers where the last 3 digits are lower than 30.x will require you to to to the maintenance tab and upload the firmware to the camera you retrieved from our website. Cameras with version numbers greater than 30.x will have online update services directly from the web console as shown below:
Simply click on the “Check” button and the camera will check our servers for an update and if available ask you if you want the camera updated. Updates take about 3 minutes.
Step Four: Configure the Video Stream
Video stream: the IP Camera streams one or more streams to mobile apps, NVR’s and integrated systems. The video settings control the configuration of those streams. Image settings control the parameters that affect the way the image is captured.
The video stream is configured through two basic menu items: Video and Image.
Here’s the good news. You likely will not have to adjust any video settings. We have configured those to allow for seamless integration into the ClareOne system and third party control systems.
Tip:
We have configured the encoder for H.264 encoding on all streams. You may want to encode the main stream (stream 1) using H.265 as it requires about 50% of the network bandwidth and 50% of the HDD storage space vs. H.264. We set the main stream to H.264 because certain control systems and mobile phones do not decode H.265. You can tune this to your application.
You likely will not touch any image settings except image rotation. Clare put a lot of time into optimizing all settings. We believe you will agree when you see the image quality!
Here is the image rotation setting:
That’s it! You are done with video and image settings!
Step Five: Configure Events
Events are the heart of the intelligent camera. All configuration is found under the Configuration Tab/Events. Events are broken into two categories: motion and smart. (V200 only).
The standard configuration for events from the factory is as follows:
- Motion detection: enabled, full field (entire field of view)
- Motion sensitivity: 5 (medium) – will detect a human about xx feet for Value Series and yy for Performance Series
- Motion record calendar: 7×24
- Motion event arm calendar: 7×24
- Motion record: main stream (except V100 4mp, which is set to sub-stream)
- Smart event: disabled
1. Determine whether you want to use Smart Events or Motion Events:
-
- Smart Events: detects human objects only and is quite accurate. Use this when other objects, like vehicles are not required. Smart events include intrusion zone, line cross detection, loitering and people gathering. False positives with Smart Events are very rare.
- Motion Events: detects motion of any kind (human, package, vehicle, animal)
Tip:
When using the camera stand alone, do not set up more than one event type (motion, smart). It is the event arming action that sends the event to the push notification server and the recording engine inside the camera. The camera will only record ONE event type (motion OR smart). If you arm both, you will get both event types sent to the user as push notifications but only one will record. The user could then receive a push notification for which there is no recording.
2. Go HERE for details on setting up motion events
3. Go HERE for tips on setting up smart events.
Step Six: Configure Storage
While you may store events locally to the SD Card and to an NVR at the same time, in this example, we will discuss the SD Card storage only.
1. Go to Configuration/Storage/Recording Schedule
Set the storage schedule and event type you wish to store
Tip:
It is the COLOR of the bars that indicate the events that are going to be recorded NOT the drop down box above.
Caution:
Always set the recording schedule to 7×24 and use the EVENT ARMING calendar to control when something will actually be detected, recorded and a push notification sent.
2. Click on storage management to see the status of the SD Card. If it needs to be formatted it will indicate that, simply press the FORMAT button. The SD Card overwrites by default.
3. Advanced properties allows you to control the pre-record and post record interval. When an event is detected in the example below, the camera will store the 5 seconds leading up to the event and 10 seconds after the event ends.
You have just professionally configured a ClareVision camera!
Step Six: Add the Camera to the Mobile App
Now that you have set up your camera, it is time to add it to the ClareVision app. It is quite simple.
Launch the ClareVision App
Tap the ‘Plus’ sign and you will be presented with the three options shown below.
If you tap device is on the network, the app will scan the LAN for any ClareVision cameras and present them in the following screen. Device is on a remote network provides you with the option of scanning a QR code for a camera on a remote network. The system will locate it anywhere in the world and provide you with a login screen to add the remote camera.
In our example, we tapped on “Device is on the local network” and two devices were found.
Tapping on a device brings you to a login screen where you may enter the credentials
And DONE!
You have just successfully installed, configured and enabled a stand alone ClareVision camera on the ClareVision mobile app. Push notifications and events as configured will automatically propagate to your customer’s mobile device!
The following guide gives you the basics on getting started with ClareVision NVRs and Camera setup.
Overview
The following article provide the following information:
- The basic functions of an NVR
- The basic functions of an IP camera
- Best practices for setting up an NVR
NVR’s
The NVR provides two basic functions: it network attaches the cameras and provides storage. In fact, the NVR does very little else.
- Network services: the NVR provides a central place to access IP cameras. You can attach IP cameras directly to the ports of the NVR or leave the cameras on the LAN. The NVR can be configured attach to those cameras for purposes of centralized access and recording .Centralized access can be viewing on the web console or providing access to integrated solutions such as the ClareOne Panel or a home automation system such as Control4
- Recording services: the NVR also provides recording services. You may record full time video or motion events, smart events, alarm events or any combination.
Note:
The NVR does NOT create events. The camera creates all events and the NVR simply records them. Why are the settings in the NVR for motion events, smart events and alarm events? Convenience. The NVR is simply configuring the camera so you do not have to log into each camera to configure an event. Check it out: configure an event in the NVR and log into the camera. You will see the exact settings you configured in the NVR in the camera settings web console.
Tip:
Since many ClareVision cameras come with SD cards installed, when should I use an NVR?
- Full time recording: the SD Cards are not useful for full time recording. A 4MP camera will overwrite in less than one day on full time record
- Storing multiple event types: the camera will store motion OR smart events OR alarm events. Use the NVR if you need multiple event types stored
- Camera count: if you are getting above 2 to 3 cameras, it is probably time for an NVR. Centralized access and storage flexibility will be very useful in those use cases.
Note:
A word about ports on the NVR. Ports and channels often get used interchangeably. For Clare Controls, an NVR port is a PoE port on the back of the NVR. Each port is a “physical channel”. For example, an eight channel NVR has 8 physical channels or ports. A virtual channel is a channel that is connected to the NVR via the LAN port, not a PoE port. Therefore, a channel is a connection between the NVR and a camera whether physically on a port or virtually via the LAN. The following table details the channel count by model number for ClareVision NVR’s:
| Model | Physical Channels | Virtual Channels | Total Channels |
| CLR-V200-4PNVR1 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| CLR-V200-8PNVR2 | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| CLR-V200-16PNVR4 | 16 | 9 | 25 |
IP Cameras
The IP camera is where almost everything interesting happens. The IP camera collects, analyzes and forwards video streams and snapshots to one or more clients. The camera can provide service to a mobile app, the NVR and an integrated control system simultaneously. It also provides multiple streams of video in different resolutions and frame rates so the client device can select the stream it can process. The following provides a high level reference highlighting the differences between the Value Series and Performance Series ClareVision IP cameras:
| Feature | Value Series | Performance Series |
| Motion | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Advanced Motion | ✔️ | |
| Smart Events | ✔️ | |
| Streams | 2 | 3 |
| Starlight | ✔️ | |
| Available Varifocal | ✔️ | |
| Fixed Lens | 3.6mm | 2.8mm |
| Color at Night | Coming Soon |
In summary, the camera is where everything interesting happens. The NVR simply provides convenient access and storage.
Next, let’s set up an NVR with ClareVision and ONVIF cameras…
Setup a ClareVision NVR and IP Cameras
What You Need
Learning by doing is far better than reading articles and watching videos. Before you proceed, you will need the following:
- ClareVision IP camera: we will use a Performance series camera in our exercises.
- ClareVision NVR
- A computer with internet access
- A mobile phone with ClareVision installed. (Do not install ClareVision Plus – that is our legacy app)
- A wired connection to your LAN
- An 8 port PoE switch (you will not leave this at the job site)
Step One: Install the NVR on Your LAN
The following image shows the connection scheme for an ethernet switch connected to an NVR and camera.
Tip:
If you are using an ethernet switch or router with a built in switch, the switch port will have LED’s indicating connection status. One of the LED’s will be the link light. The link light indicates whether data is being transmitted to the NVR. The link light will often flash.
If your link light is flashing on the ethernet switch you are passing data to the NVR. Success!
Step Two: Find the NVR on Your LAN
All ClareVision NVR’s ship with DHCP turned on. DHCP simply means the router will assign an IP address to the camera when it boots up using the LAN IP address scheme. Example:
- Router IP Address: 192.168.1.1 (typical)
- IP address range that may be available: 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.255
- Router will assign an address like this: 192.168.1.x, where x can be any number between 2 and 255.
How do you find your NVR so you can login and configure? Download the IP search tool here.
Install and Launch IP Search and select “Search”
All IP cameras and NVR’s regardless of their IP address will appear in the results window. The model numbers will appear as well so you know which one is an NVR.
Next launch a web browser (Chrome or Edge) and enter the IP address of the camera you just installed.
The default USERID is: admin (not case sensitive)
The default password is the first six characters of the UUID. The UUID can be found on the NVR label or the quick start guide.
Step Three: Download the Plugin
The NVR’s and cameras support Chromium browsers. We test on Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The plugin dramatically improves video performance vs. browsers without a plugin.
Note:
The plugin for the NVR is different than the camera plugin.
NVR plugin: LsNXVRPlugin.EXE
Camera plugin: LSIPCPlugin.EXE
The plugins can be downloaded directly from the web interface of any camera or NVR
See the upper right corners of the NVR web user interface
Step Four: Update the NVR to the Latest Firmware Release
Clare Controls releases NVR firmware with new features about once every four months. Chances are, your NVR will need to be updated when you take out of the box. There are two ways to update the NVR firmware.
You can go to the NVR firmware database is located here and download the firmware file. You then select manual upgrade by selecting the Configuration tab, Maintenance/Manual Upgrade
OR
Log into the NVR and go to the Configuration tab and click on Maintenance/Online Upgrade to review the firmware version.
Click on “Check”. The NVR will go to our OTA servers and check for an upgrade. If one is available you will be prompted to accept the upgrade. You should always accept.
Go HERE for a guide to quickly updating the firmware on your cameras
Next, we will add cameras to the NVR. We will break this down into three steps:
- Adding ClareVision cameras to the NVR by attaching to the NVR physical channels
- Adding ClareVision cameras to the NVR by attaching them to the NVR virtual channels on the LAN
- Adding ONVIF cameras to the NVR (Luma, ClareVision Plus/Legacy, Hikvision etc)
Step Five: Add ClareVision Cameras to the PoE Ports
Attach the camera to the NVR physical PoE port. This connection must be direct and cannot be routed through an ethernet switch on the way to the PoE port. Once connected, wait until the two LED’s on the NVR are illuminated.
The green LED is the PoE power indicator. If it is lit, the NVR is supplying power to the camera. The amber LED is the link light. When this is flashing, the NVR is communicating with the camera.
Now simply wait a couple of minutes…..
Go to the Live View tab and click on the left side of the icon next to the channel number to which you connected the camera. A small green indicator will light up just to the left of the “C” in the word channel. The camera video should show up in the appropriate tile. In the example below, the camera is connected to physical channel one and shows up in tile number one on the Live View Screen.
What just happened?
The NVR powered the camera and the camera booted up. Upon boot-up the NVR discovered the Clare Camera, added it to the channel list based on the port number to which it was attached, the NVR assigned the camera a static IP address based on the NVR’s private IP subnet and changed the camera UserID and password to match the NVR admin UserID and password. That is Plug-n-Play.
You can continue adding cameras to the physical channels of the NVR and all will behave as noted above.
Step Six: Add ClareVision Cameras to the Virtual Channels (on the LAN)
Let’s assume you had no way to physically route a wire back to the NVR, but wanted the camera on the NVR. No problem – you are now going to add the camera to a ‘virtual channel’ on the NVR.
To do so, go to the Configuration tab, Channel/Camera.
This NVR is the CLR-V200-8PNVR2, 8 channel NVR. Notice it has 10 cameras on it. To discover new cameras, click on the “Add” button.
What just happened?
Based on the selection in the dropdown box in the upper right corner, the NVR just scanned all physical ports and the LAN for any ClareVision (private) and ONVIF cameras. It found two that were not on the NVR prior to the scan.
If a camera shows up as private and you click in the white box on the left side of the row, and click “Add”. The camera will be added exactly the same way it would have been added had it been on a PoE port – Plug-n-Play.
That is really all there is to adding ClareVision cameras to a ClareVision NVR.
Step Seven: Adding ONVIF cameras to a ClareVision NVR.
Let’s assume the ONVIF camera is on the general LAN like in step six above. Follow the exact same procedure as in step six, plus the following:
In the channel screen below, click on the edit link in for the ONVIF camera you just added
The following screen will pop up:
Enter the ONVIF UserID and Password for the discovered camera, click “OK”.
Note:
ONVIF must be enabled in the camera being attached to the ClareVision NVR. The NVR uses WS-Discovery to find ONVIF cameras. If ONVIF is not enabled the NVR will not discover the camera. Several Hikvision models require and ONVIF user to be enabled to allow connection to the camera via ONVIF. Consult your installation manual for the camera you are trying to attach to the ClareVision NVR if it does not discover for additional details.
This ARTICLE details adding an ONVIF camera to a PoE port on the NVR. The process is slightly different than detailed above.
Step Eight: Aligning Connections to Channels on Your NVR
The NVR will assign channels based on either the physical connection (PoE port 1, 2 etc) or based on the order in which they were attached for virtual channels. The first camera added to the NVR on the general LAN will be assigned to channel 9, the second to channel 10 etc.
Let’s say you had 10 cameras, but only ONE on a physical channel / PoE port. The Live View screen would show a camera in tile 4 since that is where it was attached. The next 8 cameras would automatically be assigned to ports 9 through 16.
Two problems – what about the 10th camera and the NVR Live View Screen would be very awkward showing one camera on tile 4 and 8 cameras on tile 9-16.
This where PoE bonding configuration becomes very handy.
PoE bonding allows you to decouple the logical connection between a physical channel and a channel number. In the example above, all channels besides channel 4 are unbonded from the physical ports. This makes 7 of the first nine channels available for virtual channel assignments.
Two problems just got solved:
- We now have enough channels for the 9th camera located on the LAN
- The channel assignments are now 1-10 making the NVR preview interface very organized.
It was the un-bonding process that allowed the channel list to appear as orderly as it did in the above example.
Caution:
The channel list is very important to get organized up front before you start configuring cameras and recording schedules. Get your list sequential and in the order in which you want channels to appear in the Live View screen before you do anything else. You can see in the edit screen shown above the channel number is configurable. Do all of this organization before you start setting up recording, integrating to ClareOne, Control4 or setting up the mobile app.
If you get the channel list twisted up and want to start over, you can default the camera list alone by going to the Configuration tab Maintenance/Default
Click on the “Camera” button and the channel list will be wiped. You can start over.
Step Nine: Setting up Events on Your Cameras
Now that your cameras are solidly on the NVR, it is time to set up motion and smart events for all of your cameras. The good news is you can do all of that from the NVR interface.
Note:
Remember, the NVR does not analyze video or create events, the cameras do that. When you access the NVR menu to configure an event such as motion, you are really just using the NVR to configure the camera.
The only thing you configure on the NVR that is actually an NVR setting is the recording schedule.
Go to the Configure tab and select System/Motion Event or System/Smart Event. In the following example, System/Motion Event was selected
This configuration screen is extremely similar to the native camera configuration screen. If you make changes here to the motion grid layout for example and log into the camera, you will see the changes you made from the NVR web UI.
Warning:
You must have the Channel Recording option selected AND the event enabled for the camera channel to record and send push notifications. The Channel Recording box is selected by default from the factory. Do not deselect it.
The drop down menus for channel selection are smart and will only show you the channels that have cameras that support that event type.
As an example, although this NVR has 10 cameras on it, only 5 support smart events.
See this article for motion detection setup.
See this article for smart event setup.
Although those articles are written referencing the camera web user interface, they are extremely similar on the NVR.
The recommendations related to Event Arming vs. Record Schedule apply to the NVR setup as well.
Caution:
It is easy to get confused by the multiple calendars that are in a camera or NVR. The event arming schedule shown above is the primary calendar you need to manage.
If your installation requires events to be disabled during certain hours of the day or days of the week ALWAYS do the following:
1. Use the event arming schedule to control when the event will be analyzed and propagated
2. Leave the record schedule on 7×24 record. DO NOT try to match the two calendars – use the event arm schedule to control when events happen NOT the record schedule.
Let’s move on to recording!
Step Ten: Setting up Recording on Your NVR
The primary difference, other than capacity, between camera based recording and NVR based recording is the NVR can record all event types and full time record simultaneously while the camera can only record one event type to the SD card.
Recording schedules are setup under the Configuration Tab Storage/Recording Schedule.
You can record any one or all of: normal (full time), motion, alarm, motion and alarm and smart events (intelligent).
Warning:
You must check the enable box for any recording to happen on the selected channel.
At the risk of being completely redundant, if you are arming an event such as motion or smart events you should set the recording to 7×24 and use the event arming schedule to control when the camera will propagate that event type. Doing so will ensure the user will always have an event to look at in the event log of the mobile app when a push notification is sent.
To change a recording parameter, just click on a line and the following will pop up:
Lastly, “More Settings” is where you will find pre-record and post-record settings.
Step Eleven: Directly Accessing Your Cameras that are on the Physical Channels
The cameras that are on the physical channels will not show up on an IP scan and are not accessible on the general LAN.
Note:
The four channel NVR does expose the cameras on an IP Search scan, but are not accessible from a browser interface on the general LAN. The 8 and 16 channel NVR’s do not expose the physical ports at all.
Enter the Virtual Host. You can access any camera, whether on the Virtual Channel or a Physical Channel (PoE Port) using the Virtual Host.
Go to the Configuration tab, Channel/Camera:
Click on the IP address in the right column and you will be taken to a login screen for that camera:
Notice the IP address is really the NVR with a port number. From this screen you can log into the camera, check settings, configure local record and manage firmware updates. You are accessing the camera directly.
Tip:
When integrating ClareVision cameras to control systems such as Control4, use the ClareVision Camera driver, not the NVR driver. The IP address you use is the NVR IP address with the associated port number as shown above. When you integrate that way, you are using the NVR to proxy access to the camera, but using an ONVIF driver to access video streams, snapshots, motion events and smart events. You can create push notifications and/or rules in the Control4 automation system based on events in the camera when you integrate in this fashion. (Events are not available in the NVR driver)
Use the NVR UserID and password, and we are in!
Step 12: Adding the NVR to the ClareVision Mobile App
Now that you have set up your NVR, it is time to add it to the ClareVision app. It is quite simple.
Launch the ClareVision App
Tap the ‘Plus’ sign and you will be presented the following options:
Selecting NVR will cause the app to bring up a different user interface than it does for an individual camera
Tap the NVR Icon and you will be presented with the three options shown below.
If you tap device is on the network, the app will scan the LAN for any ClareVision cameras or NVR’s and present them in the following screen. Device is on a remote network provides you with the option of scanning a QR code for a camera on a remote network. The system will locate it anywhere in the world and provide you with a login screen to add the remote camera or NVR.
In our example, we tapped on “Device is on the local network” and two devices were found.
Tapping on a device brings you to a login screen where you may enter the credentials
And DONE!
You just successfully installed, configured and enabled a ClareVision NVR with ClareVision cameras on and off the physical ports as well as adding an ONVIF camera. We then connected the NVR to the ClareVision mobile app. Push notifications and events as configured will automatically propagate to your customer’s mobile device!
Closing:
This was not an attempt to explain in great detail every option/setting/configuration in the NVR. Rather this article was intended to give you a simple step by step guide to setting up and NVR with cameras in multiple configurations from multiple manufacturers. If you follow the steps in the order detailed you will win more than you lose.