DVR16-4200 - Voice recorder SWANN - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	Digital Video Recorder (DVR)
Model	DVR16-4200
Brand	Swann
Video Channels	16
Video Output	HDMI, VGA
Audio Support	Yes, via RCA or built-in mic
Recording Resolution	Up to 1080p (1920x1080)
Storage	1 SATA HDD, up to 6 TB
Power Supply	12V DC, 3A
Dimensions (W x D x H)	280 x 220 x 50 mm (approx.)
Weight	1.5 kg (approx.)
Network	Ethernet port for remote access
Mobile App	SwannView Plus (iOS/Android)
Maintenance	Keep in a dry, ventilated area
Safety	Use with surge protector; avoid moisture
Spare Parts	Power adapter, remote control, cables
Reparability	HDD and fan are user-replaceable

Frequently Asked Questions - DVR16-4200 SWANN

How do I set up remote viewing on my DVR16-4200?

Connect the DVR to your router via Ethernet, then install the SwannView Plus app on your phone or tablet. Add the device using its unique ID and password (found on the DVR label). Ensure remote access is enabled in the DVR's network settings.

What type of hard drive is compatible with this DVR?

It supports a single 3.5-inch SATA hard drive up to 6 TB. For best performance, use a surveillance-rated drive (e.g., WD Purple, Seagate SkyHawk).

How can I reset the password if I forget it?

Press and hold the reset button on the back panel for 10 seconds (use a paperclip). This restores the default password. You may need to contact Swann support if the button is not present.

Can I add more than 16 cameras?

No, the DVR16-4200 is limited to 16 channels. You cannot exceed 16 cameras without an additional DVR.

What is the maximum recording resolution?

The maximum recording resolution is 1080p (1920x1080) at 15 frames per second per channel when using all 16 channels. Lower resolutions allow higher frame rates.

How do I backup recorded footage?

Insert a USB flash drive or external HDD into the USB port, then go to Playback mode, select the desired clips, and choose 'Backup'. Files are saved in AVI or H.264 format.

Does the DVR support motion detection?

Yes, motion detection is supported. You can configure motion zones and sensitivity per channel in the DVR's recording settings.

How do I update the firmware?

Download the latest firmware from Swann's support website, save it to a USB drive, then go to Settings > System > Firmware Upgrade on the DVR. Select the USB drive and follow the prompts.

Why is my DVR not powering on?

First, check the power adapter and cable connections. Ensure the outlet is working. If the DVR still won't power on, the power supply may be faulty. Replace with a 12V DC, 3A adapter (same polarity).

Can I use wireless cameras with this DVR?

Yes, as long as the wireless cameras have a video output (BNC or RCA) that connects to the DVR's inputs. Alternatively, use Swann's wireless camera kits that include a receiver box.

USER MANUAL DVR16-4200 SWANN

16-Channel Digital Video Recorder

EN

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Important Information

FCC Verification

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
- Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver
- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected
- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help

These devices comply with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

• These devices may not cause harmful interference, and

• These devices must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

IMPORTANT NOTE

All jurisdictions have specific laws and regulations relating to the use of cameras. Before using any camera for any purpose, it is the buyer's responsibility to be aware of all applicable laws and regulations that prohibit or limit the use of cameras and to comply with the applicable laws and regulations.

FCC Regulation (for USA): Prohibition against eavesdropping

Except for the operations of law enforcement officers conducted under lawful authority, no person shall use, either directly or indirectly, a device operated pursuant to the provisions of this Part for the purpose of overhearing or recording the private conversations of others unless such use is authorized by all of the parties engaging in the conversation.

WARNING

Modifications not approved by the party responsible for compliance could void user's authority to operate the equipment.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

• Make sure product is fixed correctly and stable if fastened in place
- Do not operate if wires and terminals are exposed
- Do not cover vents on the side or back of the DVR and allow adequate space for ventilation

DEFAULT PASSWORD INFORMATION

The default, all-access username is 'admin', the default password is '12345'.

To ensure your ongoing privacy, we strongly recommend setting a password as soon as possible. Choose something that you'll remember, but that others would be unlikely to guess.

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Do NOT lose or forget your password. To ensure that your DVR has the best security possible, password recovery has been designed to be a complicated and time consuming process. Only a select number of staff at the Swann Technical Support Telephone Helpdesk can assist. Password retrieval can take several days, which means you will NOT be able to access your DVR during this time.

BATTERY INFORMATION

This product contains a removable battery. If you need to replace or dispose of the internal battery. The battery is located on the mainboard of the DVR. It is a primary lithium CR2032 button cell. To access, remove and/or replace the battery:

• Ensure the DVR is turned OFF. NEVER open the DVR's case while power is connected.
• Remove the five screws holding the cover on the DVR.
  • If replacing the battery, ensure that it is an exact match for size, type and capacity.
• Be sure to safely dispose of the battery. The process for battery disposal/recycling varies from location to location, please check with the relevant local authority for method.

BATTERY SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

• Do NOT attempt to open, puncture, disassemble or modify the battery in any way.
• Do NOT subject it to sudden shock or heat.
• Do NOT dispose of battery in fire.

Contents

Important Information....2

Contents....3

1 Live View Screen 4

Status Icons 4

Menu Bar 5

Channel Toolbar 5

2 Main Menu 6

Display Menu 6

Camera Options 6

Output Options 7

Recording Menu 8

Encode Options 8

Recording Options 9

Schedule Options....10

How to set up a recording schedule? 10

Search Menu....11

Playback Options....11

How to find and watch recordings?......11

Overview of the Playback Interface 12

Backup Options....13

How to back up recordings? 13

Event Options 14

Log Search Options 14

Network Menu 15

General Network Options....15

Advanced Options 16

DDNS 17

NTP 18

Email 18

IP Filter 20

Network Status....20

Alarm Menu 21

Motion Options 21

How to set up the motion detection area? 22

How to adjust motion sensitivity? 22

How to set the DVR's response to a motion event? 23

Video Loss Options 24

Sensor Options 25

Alarm Output Options 26

Exception Options 27

Device Menu 28

Hard Drive (HDD) Options....28

S.M.A.R.T Display....29

PTZ Options....29

How to control a PTZ camera? 30

System Menu 31

General System Options....31

User Options 32

How to add users? 32

How to configure permissions for users? 33

System Information 34

Maintenance Options 34

3 Troubleshooting 35

4 Warranty Information 37

1 Live View Screen

When you turn on your DVR, you'll see the Live View screen. Live View is the default display mode of the DVR. It is where you can watch live images from the cameras and do things on your DVR.

Read this chapter to learn about navigating around the Live View screen.

Status Icons

Status icons appear when something is happening on the channel screen. At a glance, you can quickly get useful information on your DVR and cameras' status. The following table describes what the icons represent:

Icon Description

	The camera icon indicates that this camera is currently recording. This icon will be the same whether the recording was scheduled, initiated manually or triggered by motion (though the motion icon will also be present if there's motion detected).
	The motion icon indicates that the DVR is detecting motion coming from this camera.
	The speaker icon indicates that audio is enabled on the corresponding channel.
	Video Loss indicates that the channel displaying this has lost the feed from its camera. This may be caused by a disconnected/ damaged cable, the camera may have lost power, the camera may have been de-registered from the channel or the video standard might be wrong [PAL/NTSC]. This also appears if you do not have a camera connected to the corresponding channel.
[DSAD]	(Optional - Must be enabled in the "Exception Options" screen in the Alarm menu.If you see this icon on-screen (it'll be lurking in the lower right corner by default) it indicates that something has gone wrong.Click the icon to access the Exception Log where you'll get more information about exactly what has gone wrong.

Menu Bar

The Menu Bar at the bottom of the screen is a handy place to change the viewing format of the Live View screen. You can also open the Main Menu, where you configure and manage many of the DVR basic and advanced functionalities.

To display the menu bar, right-click on the Live View screen.

Button Description

	Display the DVR main menu.
	Show images from one camera in full screen.
	Divide the screen into four viewing windows
	Divide the screen into eight viewing windows - one large and seven small windows.
	Divide the screen into nine viewing windows.
	Divide the screen into sixteen viewing windows.
	Display the next set of channel(s) in the current viewing format.
	Picture-in-picture screen format. View two channels at once, with one full screen and the other as a small overlay.
	Display the Manual Record screen where you can manually start recording on channels which do not have scheduled recording enabled.
	Display the initial startup wizard.

Channel Toolbar

The Channel Toolbar is a 'shortcut' to commonly used DVR menus and functions. Whether you want to play recordings, zoom in on the image or just adjust image settings, the Channel Toolbar is a quick and convenient way to keep up with what's happening on your cameras. Simply click on a channel to open its Toolbar.

Button Description

	Display the "Playback Options" screen in the Search menu where you can quickly find and play recordings from the selected channel.
	Show images from one camera in full screen.
[ZD02]	Display the "PTZ Control Panel" to operate a PTZ camera that's connected and configured correctly with the DVR.
	Show the selected channel in full screen and display theDigital Zoom control panel, which you can use to zoom in on interesting areas of the image.
[4728]	Show the selected channel in full screen and shows the Image Settings screen for you to change the brightness, contrast, saturation and hue levels.
	Display the "Camera Options" screen in the Display menu where you can make adjustments to how video coming from your camera appears on the screen.
	Close the toolbar.

2 Main Menu

The main menu lets you access many of the DVR's great features. You can customize camera names, keep track of recent events, create recording schedules, configure advanced motion detection settings, and much more. Read this chapter to check out all the good stuff your DVR has to offer.

Display Menu

Camera Options

These options allow you to make adjustments to how the DVR displays the feed coming from your cameras.

You can adjust aspects of each channel/camera, such as:

• the camera's name
• what information will be displayed on-screen, and where this information will be displayed
• whether information such as the date will be recorded directly onto your videos
• any areas of the video you want "masked" - that is, left blank

Option Description

Camera No Select the channel you want to configure. The Camera No is the same thing as the number written on the rear panel next to the BNC socket used to connect the camera.
Camera Name	Enter a name for the camera you've selected. By default, all channels are named as the Camera No. field, but this can be set to anything you'd like up to 16 characters.
Display Camera Name	When checked, the name you've entered for the camera/channel will be displayed on-screen as an overlay.
Record Date When checked, the date (as displayed) will be recorded directly on to your videos. This can be useful, as it creates an inseparable record of exactly when the footage was captured.
OSD Display Position	Access a screen where you can easily set the exact positions of any overlaid text, such as the camera name and the date and time.Simply select any item you want to move (such as the Channel Name and/or the Date and Time) and click and drag it to the position you'd like it to be.To exit the OSD Display Position screen, press the right click button. A context menu will appear with two options: Save and Exit. To exit without saving, simply choose Exit. If you want to save your changes, choose Save first.
Image Settings	Access the camera's image settings screen where you can make adjustments to the brightness, contrast, saturation and hue levels.
Mask Lets you create and place "privacy masks" to conceal parts of the image on the screen. This restricts what can be seen - useful when you want to protect personal privacy or sensitive areas.

Display Menu

Output Options

These options allow you to control how the DVR is going to deliver an image to your television or monitor.

You can customize settings such as:

• screen resolution and position on your monitor
- the audio output
• the appearance of the menus
• the auto-sequence dwell time
• the sensitivity of the USB mouse

Option Description

Resolution The number of "little dots" that make up an image. This should be set as high as possible, but equal to or lower than the maximum resolution your screen/monitor can display. Things change a little depending on what kind of monitor you're using, and how it's connected.
Transparency You can set the DVR's menus to be partially transparent (see-through) - in case you need to keep an eye on things while adjusting settings. The best way to set this is to simply experiment over time and see what works for you.
Mouse Sensitivity	How sensitive the mouse will be. On lowest, large and dramatic arm movements are required to move the mouse but a few inches onscreen. At the other end of the spectrum, a tiny bump or knock can send the cursor from one side of the screen to the other. Try somewhere around the lower end for starters, and then increase it little by little if it's moving too slowly.
Border Adjustment	Changes the size and position of the DVR's images on the screen. Altering the border size can be useful if you have parts of the DVR's image extending beyond the part of the screen you can see. The border adjustment is more likely to be required for older, CRT computer monitors connected via the VGA output. HDMI should (in theory) automatically adjust the DVR's image to perfectly fit your screen.
Audio Whether the DVR will output an audio signal. When checked, the DVR will output audio to a compatible device (via the HDMI [see note below] or the RCA Audio Output). When unchecked, the DVR will not output an audio signal at all.Note: If you want to send audio via the HDMI, then you'll need to use a standard HD resolution. This is due to the way that HDMI embeds audio information around video information. The two resolutions that will stream audio correctly are 720p (1280 x 720) and 1080p (1920 x 1080). Selecting any other resolution will prevent audio being sent via HDMI.

Recording Menu

Encode Options

These options allow you to customize how the DVR records footage and "encodes" the files.

"Encoding" is a term which refers to the compression algorithm used by the DVR. You can choose and alter:

• the resolution (per channel),
- the frame rate [how many images per second the DVR records]
- the data-rate of each video stream. The higher the data rate, the "better" your images will look, but the more space they'll require on your HDD

Option Description

Camera No Select the channel you want to configure.
Encoding Parameters	Select which encoding stream you want to configure for the corresponding channel.Main-Stream:The main-stream is the video feed that the DVR will record and display. This is the higher-quality stream.Sub-Stream:The sub-stream is the video stream that the DVR will send to remote devices via a network or the Internet. It is the lower-quality stream as a reduction in video size makes it easier to send over a network.
Record Audio	Enable this if you would like the selected channel to record audio. If you don't have any audio devices connected, leave this disabled.
Resolution 960H is the default recording resolution (960 x 576 PAL, 960 x 480 NTSC).
Frame Rate The number of frames per second (fps) that the DVR will record. The default (and maximum) is referred to as “real-time” and is 30fps (NTSC) or 25fps (PAL).Reducing the number of frames per second will not save hard drive space but potentially will improve the data-rate per frame (depending how you set the bitrate - see the next option).
Max. BitRate The actual amount of data that the DVR uses to record video. The higher the bitrate, the more space each recording takes up on the hard disk. Generally speaking, recordings encoded at higher bitrates will be ofbetter quality, especially when recording movement.

Recording Menu

Recording Options

These options allow you to change aspects of how the DVR will record footage such as:
- Whether the DVR will record over old footage to make room for future events
- Whether the DVR will record a short video before events take place
• How long the DVR will continue to record after events have taken place
- How the DVR will store and divide long recordings into "packs"

Option Description

Overwrite When enabled, the DVR will record over the files already stored on the hard drive. The DVR will always record over the oldest files on your hard drive first.Using the overwrite option is recommended, as the DVR will always be able to record events as they happen. However, it does mean that you'll need to get important events off the HDD before they're overwritten.
Pre-Record When enabled, the DVR will record a few seconds before an event occurs. It's actually just caching a few seconds of video which it adds to event recordings as they occur.If you're using Motion Detection (recommended) based recording as your primary recording method(s), then it's a really good idea to use Pre-Record - sometimes, if an event is fast enough, it might have left view before the DVR can trigger a recording. With Pre-Record, there's almost no chance you'll miss it.
Post-Record How long after an event occurs that the DVR will continue to record. It can be very useful - for example, if an intruder or potential target triggers the motion detection but pauses in view; having post-record enabled will get a much better look at them.
Pack Duration	This is a measurement of how long the DVR will record for before splitting the output file into discrete units. "Packs" are something like the chapter numbers on a DVD - though the video is broken up into separate units, it will still play through as one continuous movie (unless interrupted by the schedule or motion detection turning the recording on or off). If you don't want to worry about setting pack durations, you can leave the default value as it will make little difference to the day-to-day running of the DVR.

Recording Menu

Schedule Options

You can specify when the DVR records video and under what modes for each channel. By default, all channels are armed to use Motion Detection as their recording mode.

The schedule presented on-screen applies to one channel only over one whole week. There is a 24-hour timeline for each day of the week. Each square in the timeline represents an hour in the 24-hour period.

Be careful when programming your schedule. It's one of the most important aspects of setting up your DVR, and if it's wrong in any way, it could lead to disastrous complications later.

When defining a recording schedule, there are 5 types of recording to choose from:

Recording Mode	Description
Normal (Blue)	The DVR will constantly record for any period. You won't miss anything, but constant recording will fill your hard drive very quickly. Typically, we suggest Motion as a better recording mode for most users.
Motion (Green)	The default and recommended recording setting. The DVR will only record when it detects something moving in front of a camera, and will then only record footage from the cameras that do detect motion unless you alter your Action settings to include other channels.
Alarm (Red)	The DVR will record only when it detects an alarm event. This is the setting that you will need to use if you have external sensors connected to the DVR's alarm block or configured wirelessly.
Alarm/MD (Brown)	The DVR will record when there is either an alarm or motion event.
None (White)	The DVR will not record anything.

How to set up a recording schedule?

1. In the Camera No list, select a channel.
   2a. To set a recording mode for a specific time and day, click the corresponding square(s) in the timeline until the colour changes to your desired recording mode.
   2b. A quick way to set a specific type of recording over a large period of time is by clicking on the desired recording mode below the timeline then clicking and dragging the mouse over the squares corresponding to your desired days and times.
2. (Optional) Use the Copy To button to quickly assign identical schedule layouts to multiple channels at once. It copies the schedule from the channel you're editing to another channel or channels.

Note: To disable the recording schedule for a particular channel, simply uncheck the Enable box.

Search Menu

Playback Options

You can easily search and watch all your recorded videos by channel, type of recording and time period.

How to find and watch recordings?

1. Select the channel(s) you want to search for recordings. To provide the highest quality video the DVR can only playback up to 8 channels simultaneously at a time.
2. From the Video Type, select the type of recording to find. The options available are "All", "Manual", "Schedule", "Motion", "Alarm" and "Motion or Alarm".
3. Specify the Start and End Date/Time.

4. If you want to see a graphical representation of when recordings were made and what recording mode triggered them, choose Detail.

5. To immediately start watching recordings based on your search criteria, select Play. The DVR begins playing recordings in sequence from the earliest available. See "Overview of the Playback Interface" on page 12 for details on the Playback Interface.

or

To see a detailed list of recordings found based on your search criteria, select Search. The DVR shows you all of your recordings, when they were recorded and what channel they were recorded.

1. Choose the recorded event that you want to watch, and then select Play. See "Overview of the Playback Interface" on page 12 for details on the Playback Interface.

Search Menu

Overview of the Playback Interface

The Playback Interface is quite similar to a computer's media player, or to the on-screen display of a DVD/Blu-ray player.

Most of the controls are quite straight forward, and operate in the same way as a standard media player.

Current Position: The video timeline. You can click to move the current position icon to quickly scan through video events.

Mute: Turn off sound from the video.

Cut & Copy: Allows you to copy interesting parts of the recorded video to a USB storage device.

1. To activate, click Cut. A red dot appears in the Cut button.

2. Click and drag the mouse cursor [this displays the scissors (cons) along the video timeline to set the beginning and end points of video segment you want to save. You can select as many segments as you want by repeating this step. If you make a mistake, click Cut to cancel and start over from step 1.

3. When you're done, click Copy to initiate a backup to a USB storage device. Make sure you have inserted a USB stored into your DVR.

Fast Rewind: Reverse the footage.

Play: Play footage at normal speed.

Pause / Single Frame: Pause playback. Subsequent presses will move a single frame forward in the video.

Fast Forward: Speed up playback.

Slow Forward: Play back footage at reduced speed.

Recording Type: Whether the video segment being played back was recorded under normal recording or based on event.

Hide: Maximize the area on-screen for playing back your footage by hiding the on-screen controls.

Exit: Close the playback interface.

Digital Zoom Control Panel

Click:

Search Menu

Backup Options

When a video is recorded, it is stored as a file on the DVR's hard drive. You can copy video recordings on the DVR's hard drive to an external storage device such as a USB flash drive or eSATA hard drive.

How to back up recordings?

1. Connect a USB or eSATA storage device to the USB/eSATA1 port on the back of the DVR.
2. Specify the channel(s), video type and time period to search for recordings.
3. Select Backup. The DVR shows you all of your recordings matching your search criteria, when they were recorded and what channel they were recorded (see screenshot on the right).

1. By default, the DVR selects all events for copying. Select the recorded events you want to copy, and then select Next. The DVR displays the Backup screen.

1. In the media list located next to the Refresh button, select your storage device. If it is not listed, you may have to format your storage device to make it compatible with the DVR. Before selecting Format, make sure you copy all existing data stored on your storage device to your computer.
2. Select Start to begin copying the events to the chosen storage device.

Search Menu

Event Options

You can easily search for recordings that were triggered by the DVR detecting motion.

Typically, the majority of recordings based upon "Events" are likely to be recordings triggered by the DVR's motion detection feature.

The search function operates in the same way as the main playback search: the only difference is you'll select an Event Type rather than a Video Type.

Log Search Options

The Log Search displays a list of events, presented in chronological order: the most recent events will be at the end of the list.

The Log will list all events that the DVR monitored, whether or not any footage was recorded as a result.

Network Menu

General Network Options

You can manually configure network settings for the DVR. It is usually not required as the DVR automatically configures them for you when you connect the DVR to your router via the Ethernet cable.

Option Description

Network Access

There are three different types of networks that the DVR can be connected to. The three types of networks are:DHCP:A system where one device on your network (usually a router) will automatically assign IP addresses to devices connected to the network.STATIC:Static networks require all devices to have their IP addresses manually defined, as there is no device dedicated to automatically assigning addresses.PPPoE:An advanced protocol that allows the DVR to be more directly connected via a DSL modem..

Option Description

IP Address Just as houses and businesses need to have an address which identifies their location on the road network, so too do computers and other devices need addresses (called IP ADDRESSES) to identify their position on the electronic network. The DVR uses IPv4 addressing, which consists of four groups of numbers between 0 and 255, separated by periods. For example, a typical IP address might be “192.168.1.24” or something similar. The most important thing when setting the IP address is that nothing else on your network shares that IP address.
Subnet Mask If the IP address is like a street address, then a subnetwork is like your neighborhood. This will be formatted in a similar way to the IP address (i.e. four numbers up to 255 separated by periods) but contain very different numbers. In the above example, the Subnet Mask might be something like: “255.255.255.0”.
Default Gateway	This is the address of the “way to the Internet” - to continue the road analogy, this is like your local access point to the highway. This is an IP address in the same format as the others, and is typically very similar to the IP address of the DVR. To continue the above examples, it might be something such as: “192.168.1.254”.
Auto DNS / Statis DNS	Choose how you’d like to define your DNS servers. We recommend leaving it on Auto unless you have a specific reason not to.
Preferred DNS Server	“Domain Name System”. Everything on the Internet is located via an IP address - however, for ease of use, we associate domain names (such as “www.exampledomainname.com”) with those IP addresses. This index is accessible in many locations online, and we call those locations “DNS servers”.
Alternate DNS Server	A backup DNS server. This is here as a redundancy - your DVR will probably work without one.
MAC Address	The Media Access Control address. This is a unique code which nothing else should share. You can’t change this one - it’s pre-set when the DVR ships out.

Network Menu

Advanced Options

Note: Many of the following networking settings are not required when using SwannLink P2P for remote access.

Option Description

DDNS The place to configure the DVR to automatically update a dynamic DNS service. DDNS is not required for SwannLink P2P remote access. If you intend to access your DVR using older IP technology you will need to configure this service. See “DDNS” on page 17 for details on setting up and configuring the DDNS.
NTP Network Time Protocol. If the DVR is connected to the Internet, you can have it automatically sync time with an online server. For more information, see “NTP” on page 18.
Email Settings	You can configure the DVR to work with an email account of your choice. This must be correctly configured for the DVR’s auto-email feature to work. For more information, see “Email” on page 18.

Option Description

IP Filter An advanced feature which allows you to exercise precise control over what devices/IP address(es) are allowed to communicate with the DVR and which are not. Recommended for advanced users only.

Server Port The default value is 9000. This is the port number you'll use when logging in over the Internet from the SwannView Link software or remote access from a mobile device.

HTTP Port This is the port through which you will be able to log in to the DVR remotely from a remote PC via the HTTP interface. Like the server port, it will need to be forwarded properly in order to ensure smooth, latency-free communication. The default value is "85". If there is another device on your network using this port, you'll need to change it to be unique.

UPNP enable (This feature is not required if you are using SwannLink P2P to access the DVR): UPnP makes configuring your network easier and faster. To use the UPnP setting on the DVR, you'll need a router which supports this feature, with UPnP enabled. Note that many routers which do support UPnP do not come with the feature enabled by default.

UID The DVR's Unique Identifier code for SwannLink P2P. For convenience, you can have this code sent to your email account by clicking Send Email (provided that you've already set up your email account).

Network Menu

DDNS

A Dynamic DNS is a service which lets you assign an address to your DVR so you can access it via the Internet. We recommend using SWANNDVR as your DNS service. This is a free service for Swann DVR owners, which we directly support.

To create an account with SWANNDVR, go to:

http://www.swanndvr.com/ and click the Registration button. Follow the on-screen instructions to create your account.

Option Description

DDNS Type Choose the server that you're using. We recommend SwannDVR -you can sign up for a free account at www.swanndvr.net.
Device	Enter the host name that you set up in your DDNS service. This
Domain	is the address you use to access your network. For example:
Name	yourhostname.swannDVR.net
User Name Enter the username you have created for your DDNS service. ForSwannDVR users, your username is the email address you used toregister the account.
Password Enter the password you have created for your DDNS service.
Confirm	Enter the password again to ensure it matches the password
Password	entered above.
Test Check if the DDNS is working. After a short delay, a message willbe displayed on-screen, informing you whether the update wassuccessful or not.If the test is unsuccessful, a message will appear onscreeninforming you that the "Update was Unsuccessful". This couldmean there's a problem with your network setup, or there's aproblem with the DDNS Account Name and Password you're using.

Network Menu

NTP

You can configure the NTP server details to obtain current date and time.

Option Description

NTP Server The default server used to obtain accurate date and time.

NTP Port The default is 123. You should only change this if you're using a different NTP server, and you know they use a different port. If you're using pool.ntp.org, ensure the port is 123.

Sync Trigger the DVR to automatically synchronize its internal clock with the time server immediately. If the DVR is connected to the Internet, the DVR will update the date and time immediately.

Email

You can configure your email account details to enable the DVR to send notifications if an event occurs.

Option Description

Enable SSL or TSL	Whether the email server you're using requires a secure link. This is on by default, and should be left on if you're using any of the preset email servers.
SMTP Server There are three preset options to choose from: Gmail (smtp.gmail.com), Windows Live Mail (smtp.live.com) and Yahoo Mail (smtp.mail.yahoo.com).
Other (checkbox)	This is for user who want to use a different email server, typically the outgoing email server of their ISP. For commonly used mail server settings, see "Popular Email Provider Settings" on page. If your email provider is not listed in the table, use your Internet browser to easily find your email provider's server address and port by searching 'smtp settings' followed by the name of your email provider.
SMTP Port The SMTP port used by the email provider of your choice. This field will automatically self-populate if you use one of the presets.

Network Menu

Option Description

Sender Address	The address you're sending the email from. This will be the username you've set up for the email server you're using, followed by "@" and then the email server. For example: "[e-mail]" or similar.
Sender Password	The password for the outgoing email account.
Recipient Address	The email address you want the DVR to send emails to. This can be any email address you like, however, bear in mind that the DVR might send a large number of automatic emails under certain conditions.
Attach Picture	When this is selected, the DVR will attach a small image to each email alert (where applicable). For motion-based email alerts, this will be an image of whatever triggered the motion detection.
Interval The length of time that must elapse after the DVR sends an email alert before it can send another. Short interval settings are likely to lead to huge numbers of alerts being sent by the DVR - perhaps even several emails for one event (if that one event lasts longer than the interval setting). On the other hand, a long interval setting might mean you'll miss a specific update that you needed. There's no right answer, and you'll probably have to fine-tune this setting to get the results you're after - it'll be different for everyone's unique circumstances.

Popular Email Provider Settings

The following table contains mail server settings for some of the most commonly used email providers.

Email Provider	Settings
Gmail Server Address:smtp.gmail.comPort:465 or 587 Requires SSL:Yes
Hotmail/Live.com	Server Address:smtp.live.comPort:465 Requires SSL:Yes
AOL Server Address:mail.aol.comPort:465 Requires SSL:Yes
Yahoo Server Address:smtp.mail.yahoo.comPort:465 or 587 Requires SSL:Yes
iCloud Server Address:smtp.mail.me.comPort:587 Requires SSL:Yes
Outlook.com Server Address:smtp.live.comPort:587 Requires SSL:Yes

Network Menu

IP Filter

The IP Filter can be used to configure which IP addresses have permission to talk to the DVR and which do not.
This is an advanced feature, and is recommended for advanced users only. Tinkering with things here - if you're not sure what you're doing - is more likely to break things than make anything better.

Option Description

White list Contains IP addresses that have permission to connect to the DVR.

Black list Contains IP addresses that are prohibited from accessing the DVR.

Network Status

You can see a quick summary of your current network settings.

Alarm Menu

Motion Options

You can set the motion detection features of the DVR for each channel. By default, the DVR has motion recording enabled on every channel, configured to operate at an average level of sensitivity. We think that motion detection is the best way to get your DVR to operate almost autonomously for long periods of time (typically weeks to months) without you having to worry about losing old footage.

Option Description

Channel Select the channel you want to configure.
Enable Enable motion detection feature on the selected channel. All channels has motion detection enabled by default. Each channel can be configured independently of one another.
Motion Detection	Lets you set up the motion detection area and adjust motion sensitivity levels for the selected channel. See “How to set up the motion detection area?” on page 22 for details on how to do this, and what it means.
Schedule Lets you define a schedule of when the camera will be sensitive to motion. By default, all cameras are scheduled to look out for motion the entire time throughout the week. Adjusting the schedule here can affect the way the recording schedule works, particularly if you’ve set it to Motion Recording mode [see “Schedule Options” on page 10.] While a camera is not sensitive to motion, the DVR won’t record anything even if something is moving in the picture.
Action Lets you define what happens when the selected camera detects motion. For more information about the types of action available, see “How to set the DVR’s response to a motion event?” on page 23.

Alarm Menu

How to set up the motion detection area?

In the Alarm: Motion menu, select the channel that you want to set up motion detection for and then select Motion Detection - Set to display the Motion Detection Area Setup Interface:

Modern living room interior with red sofas, a wooden table, and a large wall-mounted lamp (no visible text or symbols)

• You will see a grid of red boxes on the selected channel. The outlined boxes mark the area that is sensitive to motion. The area without the red outlines is not sensitive to motion.
• Use the mouse to move the cursor around the screen.
• By pressing select or left clicking an area in the grid, you can toggle motion detection ON or OFF in that location.
• Areas marked by red boxes will be sensitive to motion, those not marked will not be.
• Click and drag to select the area you want to select or de-select.
• You can also set motion sensitivity levels according to different times of the day. Right-click on the mouse and then click Sensitivity on the pop-up menu. For more information, see "How to adjust motion sensitivity?".
• Once you've chosen the area(s) in the picture to monitor for motion, right-click on the mouse and then click Save on the pop-up menu to save your configuration.

In the sample image on the left, a person moving about the room would trigger the motion detection. However, a person entering from the right of screen and ascending the staircase should avoid the motion sensitive area. This is a good solution to monitor the door (center of image) without getting false triggers every time someone ascends the stairs.

How to adjust motion sensitivity?

There are four time periods which you can define different motion sensitivity values for.

You can change what time(s) each period starts and ends to best match the changing lighting conditions in your location.

There is no requirement for all four time periods to have different sensitivity levels, although we suggest that usually gives the best performance.

To find the best sensitivity values for different times of day/night, it's best to test the system during different time periods. Get an able-bodied volunteer to move about in front of the cameras you'd like to tune the sensitivity for. The ideal sensitivity level is when your volunteer moving about always triggers the motion detection, but there are no false triggers (or very few) when your volunteer isn't moving about.

Alarm Menu

How to set the DVR's response to a motion event?

In the Alarm: Motion menu, select the channel that you want to set up motion detection for and then select Action - Set to display the Action menu:

You can specify how you want the DVR to notify you when it detects motion. You can select more than one action type.

Option Description
AudioWarning	The DVR uses its internal buzzer to emit an alarm tone. It sounds like an old computer indicating an error, or a large truck backing up.
Send Email The DVR sends an auto-email alert when the event type you have selected occurs. Selecting Email Settings brings you to the same email configuration screen accessible from the Network menu - see “Email” on page 18 for details.
TriggerAlarm Output	The DVR triggers an alarm signal from one or both alarm output terminals. The alarm output must be correctly connected and configured.

Option Description

Trigger Camera

The DVR triggers recording on one or more of the other cameras. This can be useful in a number of situations. For example:If you have two cameras overlooking a yard, one with a wide view from well overhead and one with a much narrower view of a corner or path. You may find that using the camera with the narrow view for motion detection gives fewer false triggers and doesn't miss an event as often as the really wide view might, so triggering the wide view to record as well ensures you know where the subject went after they left the narrow view.One camera might face a public area, while another camera looks down a private corridor which exits into the public area. Having the camera in the private area trigger the one in the public area to record can give you a record of where a subject went after they left the private area, without filling your hard drive with recordings triggered by random passers by.

Alarm Menu

Video Loss Options

Video loss is regarded as a potential alarm event, and is considered to occur any time that the DVR doesn't receive an active video signal on any of its inputs.

The default behaviour of the DVR, when a channel has no incoming video signal, is simply to display "Video Loss" in white text on a black background over the associated channel. If you're not using all the inputs on your DVR, then some channels will be in "permanent" Video Loss state. Just be sure that you don't enable a video loss action for these channels.

Option Description

Channel Select the channel you want to configure.

Enable Enable video loss monitoring on the selected channel.

Schedule Lets you define a schedule of when the current Video Loss Action is active.

Action Lets you specify the DVR's actions when a video loss event occurs.

It's set in the same way as the action for any other event. The types of action available are:

• Audio Warning: The DVR uses its internal buzzer to emit an alarm tone. It sounds like an old computer indicating an error, or a large truck backing up.
• Send Email: The DVR sends an auto-email alert when the event type you've selected occurs. Selecting Email Settings brings you to the same email configuration screen accessible from the Network menu - see "Email" on page 18 for details.
• Trigger Alarm Output: The DVR triggers one or more external alarms connected to it.

Alarm Menu

Sensor Options

You can customize and configure how the DVR interprets and responds to the alarm inputs connected to the alarm block on the back of the DVR.

Option Description

Alarm Input No	The connection that corresponds to the input you've connected the sensor to. Note that the Alarm Input Number and the Channel Number don't have to be the same.The <- characters indicate that these are alarm inputs.
Alarm Name The name you want to associate with the alarm. We suggest something descriptive and useful, such as "Lounge Room PIR Sensor" or "Front Door Sensor". The DVR will use this name in email alerts and in the event log to let you know where alarms are being generated.

Option Description

Type Choose whether the sensor is a NO (normally open) or NC (normally closed). You'll need to check your sensor's documentation to learn the correct value to use. It refers to the way the sensor tells the DVR when it has detected something. If this is set to the wrong value, you'll get an constant "false" alarms, which will stop only when the sensor detects something.

Enable Enable the selected alarm input.

Schedule Lets you define a schedule of when the selected alarm input is active.

Action Lets you specify the actions the DVR will take when it detects an alarm event generated by this sensor. It's set in the same way as the Action for any other event. The types of action available are:

• Audio Warning: The DVR uses its internal buzzer to emit an alarm tone. It sounds like an old computer indicating an error, or a large truck backing up.
• Send Email: The DVR sends an auto-email alert when the event type you've selected occurs. Selecting Email Settings brings you to the same email configuration screen accessible from the Network menu - see "Email" on page 18 for details.
• Trigger Alarm Output: The DVR triggers an alarm signal from one or both alarm output terminals. The alarm output must be correctly connected and configured.
• Trigger Camera: The DVR triggers recording on one or more cameras.
• PTZ Camera: If you have a pan, tilt & zoom camera connected to the DVR, you can control its movements when an alarm event occurs. This can be useful to aim a moving camera directly at the exact spot where the alarm event was generated, or cover likely entry/exit points a security threat may utilize.

Alarm Menu

Alarm Output Options

You can control the operation of the DVR's two Alarm Out ports (N01 and N02).

Both alarm outputs on the DVR are Normally Open (NO). If you have an external device, it must be configured to use a NO triggering method, otherwise they'll be in a permanently alarmed state.

Option Description

Alarm Output No	Select the alarm output you want to configure. The -> characters indicate that these are alarm outputs.
Hold For The amount of time the DVR should maintain the Alarm Output status.
Type Select whether the alarm output device is a NO (normally open) or NC (normally closed). You'll need to check your device's documentation to learn the correct value to use.
Schedule You can define the alarm output to only be active on certain days and for certain times. The schedule operates in the same way as the recording schedule, except it contains only two possible states.The red squares indicate times that the alarm output condition you've selected are active.The white squares indicate the time that the alarm outputs are not active.

Alarm Menu

Exception Options

An exception is any deviation from the DVR's normal behaviour - phrased another way, it's like saying the DVR's been working fine except for these events

Option Description

Exception Type

Select the event type you want the DVR to react to. By configuring the action for these events, you can create any combination of audio alerts or auto-emails to be sent for different event types. The types of exception available are:HDD Full:Occurs when the DVR runs out of space on the hard drive to save new footage. This event is redundant if you have overwrite enabled, as the DVR will automatically delete old footage to ensure it can continue to record.HDD Error: Occurs when the DVR has trouble accessing its hard drive, or when it cannot detect one at all. This error could be generated by either an internal hard drive, or an external one connected to the eSATA port.Net Disconnected: Occurs when the DVR has problems connecting to the Internet. This may indicate a problem with the DVR's configuration, a fault with your network or a problem with your Internet Service Provider (ISP).IP Conflict: Occurs when the DVR detects another device on the same network with a conflicting IP address. Basically, it indicates that two devices are trying to use the same IP address. This shouldn't occur if you're using DHCP addressing, unless one or more devices is set to use a STATIC IP (the static addressing method overrides the automatic assignment process).

Audio Warning The DVR uses its internal buzzer to emit an alarm tone.
Send Email The DVR sends an auto-email alert when the event type you've selected occurs. Selecting Email Settings brings you to the same email configuration screen accessible from the Network menu - see “Email” on page 18 for details.
Show Exception	The DVR displays the icon at the bottom right corner of the Live View screen when the selected event type occurs. Click the icon to access the Exception Log and learn about the exception that occurred.
Trigger Alarm Output	The DVR triggers an alarm signal from one or both alarm output terminals. The alarm output must be correctly connected and configured.

Device Menu

Hard Drive (HDD) Options

You can find a comprehensive list of hard drives connected to the DVR.

External drives connected via eSATA will be listed here, and will behave like a standard hard drive. They will be labeled as eSATA.

External drives connected via USB will not appear on this list, and can't be used to record footage - USB lacks the bandwidth to write multiple streams simultaneously. External USB drives can only be used for backing up footage.

Option Description

Label A quick way of differentiating between hard drives. For the first setup, there will usually only be one hard drive - you can always add and initialize another hard drive later (connected via the eSATA port).

Capacity The total amount of space on the hard drive. This will typically be slightly less than the rated capacity of the hard drive as a fraction of the space is required by the file allocation table (FAT).

Format Whether the hard drive has been formatted to operate with the DVR. When the hard drive is formatted appropriately, this will simply read "yes". If it says anything else, such as an ominous "no", then select the disk and choose Format.

Mount Whether the drive has been initialized and is detected by the DVR. If the drive isn't mounted then it needs to be initialized.

Free Space The amount of available space on the hard drive.

Init Initialize the hard drive. You'll only need to do this for drives once, assuming that it's not already initialized. If the Mount column reads "No" then choose Init to initialize the drive.

Device Menu

S.M.A.R.T Display

S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) is your hard drive's way of telling the DVR how it's going.

The Status indicates the current condition of the hard drive. It should say "Good". If it says anything else, this indicates there's a problem with your hard drive.

If there's no problem, there's little else to do here, unless reading the output of the dozens of self-tests the hard drive performs on itself is of interest to you.

If you have been confronted with a HDD Error, or the Status entry doesn't read "Good" then you can use the S.M.A.R.T. information to attempt to diagnose the problem. The information presented in the S.M.A.R.T. report is practically identical to what you'd see on a desktop PC while using Administrator Tools, or a similar service.

PTZ Options

You can configure the DVR to be able to operate PTZ devices. PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt & Zoom.

The DVR is compatible with many - but not all - PTZ devices available. For the best results, we suggest using a Swann PTZ camera, as we know what they're compatible with and we'll be able to offer support for both devices at once (should you need it).

Option Description

Camera No The channel you want to associate a PTZ device with.
Baudrate Check the PTZ device's documentation to learn this value. Most Swann PTZ units operate at 2400 or 9600bps.
Data Bit, Stop Bit & Parity	Options that change the way the DVR talks to the device. Check the PTZ device's documentation to learn the correct settings.
PTZ Protocol A	protocol is like a language that the DVR uses to talk to the PTZ device. Ensure that this setting matches the device's requirement.
Address [0 - 255]	The command address of the PTZ device you want to associate with this channel.

Device Menu

How to control a PTZ camera?

The PTZ control panel can be accessed from the Live Viewing screen by left-clicking once on the channel screen of the corresponding PTZ camera, and then clicking the

icon on the channel toolbar.

Note for Remote Access and Mobile Device users:

The PTZ functions of the DVR and compatible cameras can be controlled remotely via the SwannView Link software and mobile app.

Please note: due to the latency caused by streaming so much data over an Internet connection, there will be a momentary pause between selecting a direction for the camera to move and it actually moving.

Typically the delay will be less than one second; however periods of up to thirty seconds are not uncommon on mobile, wireless or slow Internet connections.

PTZ Control Panel

Option Description

Arrows Move the camera in the direction selected.

Speed How fast the camera will move. The higher the number, the faster the movement. Note that the actual speed of movement will depend upon the capabilities of your particular PTZ device.

Zoom Increase or decrease the magnification of a varifocal lens. Not all PTZ devices have varifocal lenses.

Option Description

Focus Change the focal point of a PTZ device with a varifocal lens. Try adjusting this control if your images seem "soft" or blurry. Not all cameras support this function.

Iris Adjust how much light gets into the camera by opening and closing the iris of the camera. Not all PTZ cameras have an adjustable iris. Also called an "aperture". Not all cameras support this function.

Preset A Preset is a position that the camera is in which is saved to memory to be retrieved later.

Patrol Initiate patrol mode (also sometimes called "cruise" mode). You'll need to define a series of Preset points for the camera to patrol between.

Exit Close the PTZ control panel.

PTZ Context Menu

After displaying the PTZ control panel, you can also right-click to access the PTZ context menu.

Option Description

Camera No Switch quickly between cameras.
Call Preset	Return the camera to a preset point.
Call Patrol	Initiate a patrol of your choice.
Preset Define a preset point.
Patrol Initiate or stop a patrol.
PTZ Menu	Toggle the appearance of the PTZ control panel on the screen.While the PTZ control panel is hidden, the DVR will still be in PTZ mode, and the context menu can still be opened via right-clicking the interface.
PTZ Settings	Display the “PTZ Options” screen in the Device menu, where you can configure settings for the PTZ camera.

System Menu

General System Options

These options allow you to configure general DVR settings.

Option Description

Language Select the language that the DVR's menus, alerts and other communications will use.
Video Standard	Select between PAL and NTSC. PAL is used in Western Europe and Australia, NTSC is used in the US, Canada and Japan.
Time Zone Set this to the time zone where you happen to be. For example, people in eastern Australia (Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne) choose GMT+10:00, whilst the Eastern Time zone in the USA and Canada is GMT-05:00. (GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time - it's the baseline that keeps all the different time zones in sync.)
Menu Date Format	Select the format of the date.
System Time Enter the current date and time manually, or it can set to update automatically by using NTP (see “NTP” on page 18).

Option Description

Enable Password	When enabled, the DVR will require a password to access, even for local users. It's advisable to enable password protection
Auto Lock Time	When the password protection is enabled, the DVR will automatically time-out, where after it will ask for a password before returning to normal functioning. The Auto Lock Time determines how long a period of inactivity will cause the DVR to lock itself again.
Device ID Differentiate your DVR from other devices. If you don't have any other DVRs or similar devices, then you can leave this as-is. If you have multiple DVRs running on the same network, then it's a great idea to give each a unique ID.

System Menu

User Options

You can define and configure the different levels of access various users have to the DVR.

We suggest that at minimum the admin account be password protected, as it has access to all aspects of the DVR's operation.

• To add additional users, choose Add.
• To remove a user, choose Delete.
• To customize a user's level of access, choose Modify.

You cannot modify the access level of the default admin account - they can do everything. This is to prevent an unfortunate incident where, for example, no user has the permissions required to change another user's permissions - which could lead to the DVR being, in at least some senses, inoperable.

How to add users?

To add an additional user, select Add, enter login details for the user, and then select Apply.

Option Description

User Name Enter a name for the user. The best usernames are short, to the point, are relevant to the specific user they're intended for, are easily memorable and hard to guess.

Password Enter a password. It can be any combination of numbers (0 - 9) between one and eight characters long.

Confirm Enter the password again to ensure it matches the password Password entered above.

Level Select the user's access level. There are two levels available:

• Guest: By default, a Guest user has access to the live images on the DVR and can search through recorded events. They cannot change any settings or configure the DVR in any way.
• Operator: The default permissions of an Operator allow them to access and configure all aspects of the DVR.

System Menu

How to configure permissions for users?

You can easily customize the level of access each individual user has. Simply select the Permission button after in either the Add or Modify User screen to set specific access for the user you want. The Permission screen has two tabs - Configuration and Operation.

Configuration Options

You can specify which menu(s) the user can access. There is no hierarchy and any combination of menus can be selected.

Operation Options

You can select which channels the user has access to, and what they can do with them. For example, you could set a user to have permission to view all channels in live viewing mode, but only playback channels 2 and 4.
Select the Set button next to each type of access to configure specific channels that the user can access.
You can also configure permissions for HDD Management and Shutdown. These are surprisingly powerful levels of access: between them, a user can remove all footage from a DVR's hard drive and turn the DVR off. Be careful assigning these permissions!

System Menu

System Information

The System Information screen provides general information about the DVR. You'll need some of the information shown here if you contact Swann Technical Support for assistance.

The device name is the name that the DVR considers to be its own and what it will use to register an IP address with your DHCP host. The various model and build numbers help us track down any known issues, or catalogue new issues as they come to light. It also helps us figure out if you're running the most recent firmware on the DVR, and whether you could benefit from an upgrade..

Maintenance Options

You can perform general maintenance on the DVR such as:

• schedule the DVR to reboot automatically
• update to a newer firmware (if available)
• restore original factory settings
• copy and import the DVR settings using a USB storage device

Option Description
Enable auto reboot	Enable the DVR to automatically shut down and restart at a certain time of the day or week.
Auto reboot at	Choose when you want the DVR to restart. Typically, this will be a time when there is unlikely to be any activity for the DVR to record.
Firmware Upgrade	Update the DVR's firmware. You'll only need to use this option if instructed to do so by Swann Technical Support. (Remember to export your configuration first so you don't have to re-set everything!)
Default Settings	Load the factory default settings.
Configuration Export or import a file containing all the DVR settings you have customized, including your recording preferences, schedule, and so on, using a USB storage device.

3 Troubleshooting

Q: The images from my cameras are black & white, flickering and/or totally blank. What's up?

A: Most likely, your Video Standard isn't set correctly for your region. Check out the section on PAL/NTSC ("General System Options" on page 31) for more information. As a rule of thumb, set your video standard to NTSC if you're in the USA or Canada, or PAL if you're in Europe, the UK or Australia.

If this is happening to only some of your cameras, then there may be a problem with the compatibility of those cameras. If you have them from a kit, then this shouldn't be the case at all and it indicates that something quite strange is happening. If you have cameras purchased separately - particularly if you've found them online or from overseas - then they might not match the standards of the cameras you have already. The DVR can only support one video standard at a time: mixing PAL and NTSC cameras does not work.

Q: I can't log into or unlock the DVR - it says my password is wrong.

A: The default username/password combination for the DVR is "admin" with the password "12345".

If that doesn't work (and you haven't set a password of your own that you've forgotten) then something strange has happened - contact Swann technical support (contact details are on the rear cover).

Q: How do I eliminate false-triggers on my motion detection?

A: There's no guaranteed way to eliminate false triggers, but - in the majority of cases - you can fine-tune the DVR's motion detection settings to reduce the number of false triggers you're likely to get. (See "How to adjust motion sensitivity?" on page 22 for more detailed information.)

1. Mask any redundant movement. This includes obvious things like trees blowing in the wind, roads with cars passing and so forth. Some less obvious things which might cause false triggers include: the "flickering" of screens, monitors or fluorescent lights, reflections of movement in windows/mirrors and so on, lights which are often turned on or off, shadows passing and so on. We can't possibly imagine what you're going to find in your unique circumstances, so we encourage you to experiment.
2. Fine-tune your sensitivity. There's no substitute for getting a volunteer to play the part of intruder and experimenting. Some cameras are just more "touchy" than others, some lighting conditions are harder to get the settings "right" for.
3. Adjust your image settings (see "Camera Options" on page 6). Unlike many image adjustment options, the DVR pre-processes video, which means that, when the DVR looks for motion, it's looking at your already processed images. By reducing the amount of video noise in your image, you can increase the accuracy of the motion detection dramatically. Typically, the settings that most often require adjustment are Brightness and Contrast. Video noise is a problem with any video signal. It's the very slight change in brightness and/or color of pixels between frames, and it's commonly regarded as being "just one of those things" when dealing with digital imaging. By tweaking the brightness and contrast, you can usually remove a good deal of this noise, as it tends to be most pronounced near the blacks (the really dark bits) and the whites (the really bright bits) of your images.

Q: I'm getting too many email alerts from the DVR.

A: There are a few things that might help, depending what's generating the email alerts. Here are a few possibilities:

- The emails are for real events, however it is telling me about it multiple times.

This indicates that the DVR is functioning properly, but that the Interval setting for your email alerts is too low. Increasing the Interval time will decrease the number of email alerts the DVR sends.

- The DVR sends email alerts when nothing seems to be happening.

This suggests that there might be something amiss with your Motion Detection settings, or with the configuration of your sensors (if used).

The most likely explanation is that there is something in view of your cameras which is moving, or causes the illusion of movement. Have a look at "How to set up the motion detection area?" on page 22 for some more information.

- The DVR keeps reporting errors (such as Video Loss, HDD Error or similar).

There seems to be a hardware or configuration fault with the DVR. These are most often caused by a faulty (or simply poorly connected) connection or cable. Check the integrity of your cables and connections.

Q: The DVR does not detect my USB storage device when I try to copy video recordings.

A: Your USB storage device's file system may not be compatible. The DVR works with the FAT32 system. Try reformatting your USB storage device. See "How to back up recordings?" on page 13 for more detailed information.

4 Warranty Information

USA

Swann Communications USA Inc.

12636 Clark Street

Santa Fe Springs CA 90670

USA

Australia

Swann Communications

Unit 13, 331 Ingles Street

Port Melbourne Vic 3207

Australia

United Kingdom

Swann Communications LTD.

Stag Gates House 63/64 The Avenue

S0171XS

United Kingdom

Warranty Terms & Conditions

Swann Communications warrants this product against defects in workmanship and material for a period of one (1) year from its original purchase date. You must present your receipt as proof of date of purchase for warranty validation. Any unit which proves defective during the stated period will be repaired without charge for parts or labour or replaced at the sole discretion of Swann. The end user is responsible for all freight charges incurred to send the product to Swann's repair centres. The end user is responsible for all shipping costs incurred when shipping from and to any country other than the country of origin.

The warranty does not cover any incidental, accidental or consequential damages arising from the use of or the inability to use this product. Any costs associated with the fitting or removal of this product by a tradesman or other person or any other costs associated with its use are the responsibility of the end user. This warranty applies to the original purchaser of the product only and is not transferable to any third party. Unauthorized end user or third party modifications to any component or evidence of misuse or abuse of the device will render all warranties void.

By law some countries do not allow limitations on certain exclusions in this warranty. Where applicable by local laws, regulations and legal rights will take precedence.

For Australia: Our goods come with guarantees which cannot be excluded under Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and for compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to major failure.

Swann Technical Support

All Countries E-mail: [e-mail]

Telephone Helpdesk

USA Toll Free 1-800-627-2799

USA Parts & Warranty 1-800-627-2799

(M-F, 9am-5pm US PT)

AUSTRALIA 1300 138 324

NEW ZEALAND Toll Free 0800 479 266

UK 0203 027 0979

Swann

© Swann Communications 2014

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