A simple way to download a video clip in a standard format?

[pdampier]

Am I missing something here? It seems incredibly complex to get a simple clip off my K Series NVR (running v4).

I log in using IE (running IE in admin privs) and choose Playback. I select the camera i want then "download" icon towards bottom right of screen. A dialog pops up and I select the camera I want, put the date in, adjust the time to get say 4 mins.... hit search. It finds 2 files each 1gb or so large. I can download them to my PC.

These files are obviously way larger than the clip I want and they're totally non-standard. Even VSPlayer (latest rev) seems to stumble on playing them. VLC latest version kind of plays them but if you try to skip around in the video to find what you want in the 2 hours of video (I only want 4 mins of video!) there are huge pauses. I'm on a i7 8700K CPU and 64GB of RAM.

I don't get why this is so complex. I just want 4 mins of video in a standard format I can give to a neighbor to play back (their car was broken into).

 

[Dan]

Hi @pdampier

By default, the Hikvision NVRs usually packet their continuous recordings in 1hr+ packets of recording, which is what you are finding when using the download function in the playback menu.

You can adjust the packet duration so the files you download are shorter and smaller, to do this go to Configuration > Storage > Advanced Settings > Other > and you will see a box where you can enter the packet duration, we would recommend around 10 minutes.

Unfortunately, adjusting the packet time will likely only affect future footage as the existing recorded footage has already been packaged into those larger files. The only way from a browser to download shorter files if you have large packets set is to use the clipping tool in the playback menu, start clipping pre the event you want to download, watch through the events, and then stop clipping at the end of the events. The file should then automatically be download to your chosen "Downloaded Clip" location. (you can change this file location in the local menu under configuration)

These clips will still likely have to be played in VSPlayer or VLC because Hikvision uses specialist encryption and compression that means the video files are not standard .mp4 & .mov files, this is intentional because it makes the files more secure and makes it much harder for people edit or manipulate the footage.

 

[pdampier]

Thanks Dan - good tip on the 10 min segments I've mad that change now for the future! On the IE playback screen the clip tool now works I thought I could click, scrub video to new time, clip again but I realize now I have to click "clip" then just let it play to the point I want then click "clip" again...

Is there anyway to have the Camera/NVR record a more standard non-encrypted stream? I don't really need high security on this.

While VLC seems to play it if I jump around in the video with the scrubber it seems to break or pause for 20+ seconds before resuming etc.

 

[Dan]

There is no way to remove all forms of encryption/compression from CCTV footage because with the continuous streaming of data there always has to be some level of compression on the recordings to reduce the file sizes to manageable sizes.

The best way to improve playback of downloaded clips is to view in Hikvision's own VSPlayer or use a convertor tool like the ones built-in to VSPlayer and VLC to convert the videos to a more standard video file format.

The one thing you can do to help improve the compatibility of future downloaded files with a wider variety of playback software is to use the more universal compression CODEC like H.264 or H.265, the H.264+ & H.265+ CODECs are developed in-house by Hikvision and are unique to their cameras so this can cause problems when playing back the footage in non-Hik software as they won't recognise these unique CODECs.

 

[pdampier]

Thanks good point. I do have H.265+ enabled perhaps I'll drop back to regular H.265 and see if VLC deals with that better....

 

[wacko911]

If you use hikconnect, you can click the scissors at the start of of the video clip (Durning playback) and again to stop and save the file. It's pretty instant and the file is in a standard format.

 

[macman]

All the clips I download via iVMS-4200 are annoyingly non-standard (annoying because anyone with half a clue can convert them to a standard format and then, if so inclined, doctor them) and so I convert them all manually using the indispensable free video utility, Handbrake. (It should be possible to set up a script to do it automatically but I haven't done so yet.)

Handbrake has some very useful conversion presets making it a breeze to produce any size/format you want. More crucially for me, it also offers a lossless conversion option which preserves the clarity of the Hik footage.

PS. VSPlayer drives me nuts (at least on MacOs.)

 

[busterboy]

All the clips I download via iVMS-4200 are annoyingly non-standard (annoying because anyone with half a clue can convert them to a standard format and then, if so inclined, doctor them) and so I convert them all manually using the indispensable free video utility, Handbrake. (It should be possible to set up a script to do it automatically but I haven't done so yet.)

Handbrake has some very useful conversion presets making it a breeze to produce any size/format you want. More crucially for me, it also offers a lossless conversion option which preserves the clarity of the Hik footage.

PS. VSPlayer drives me nuts (at least on MacOs.)

I like the interface of Handbrake but cannot get over this message due to encryption.

 

[macman]

@busterboy, that's ugly but it's not a message I have ever encountered. How are you loading the Hik file? I simply drag and drop mine onto Handbrake's open window and they have never once failed to load - albeit mine are short event videos downloaded from iVMS' Playback window.

Might be some help here - or maybe your Handbrake activity log contains the answer…

 

[busterboy]

Just a 3.6Mb file not 10 seconds long.
Tried the drag n drop method and also tried "Add File" from the Handbrake menu with the same result.

Not a big issue but like you I like quick and easy rather than several commands from different sources before I can view them.

I might add a normal video (not Hikvision) file I can put through Handbrake with no issues, it's just the Hikvision encryption stopping this.

HandBrake 1.3.3 (2020061300)
OS: Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19041.0
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700HQ CPU @ 2.80GHz
Ram: 32653 MB,
GPU Information:
Intel(R) HD Graphics 630 - 26.20.100.7263
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 - 27.21.14.5206
Screen: 1920x1080
Temp Dir: C:\Users\tproc\AppData\Local\Temp\
Install Dir: C:\Program Files\HandBrake
Data Dir: C:\Users\tproc\AppData\Roaming\HandBrake
-------------------------------------------
[18:05:38] Compile-time hardening features are enabled
[18:05:38] Nvenc version 10.0
[18:05:46] hb_init: starting libhb thread
# Starting Scan ...
[18:05:46] CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700HQ CPU @ 2.80GHz
[18:05:46] - Intel microarchitecture Kaby Lake
[18:05:46] - logical processor count: 8
[18:05:46] Intel Quick Sync Video support: yes
[18:05:46] - Intel Media SDK hardware: API 1.30 (minimum: 1.3)
[18:05:46] - H.264 encoder: yes
[18:05:46] - preferred implementation: hardware (any) via D3D11
[18:05:46] - capabilities (hardware): breftype icq+la+i+downs vsinfo opt1 opt2+mbbrc+extbrc+trellis+ib_adapt+nmpslice
[18:05:46] - H.265 encoder: yes (8bit: yes, 10bit: yes)
[18:05:46] - preferred implementation: hardware (any) via D3D11
[18:05:46] - capabilities (hardware): bpyramid icq vsinfo opt1
[18:05:46] hb_scan: path=C:\Users\tproc\Desktop\Hikvision test.mp4, title_index=0
udfread ERROR: ECMA 167 Volume Recognition failed
src/libbluray/disc/disc.c:323: failed opening UDF image C:\Users\tproc\Desktop\Hikvision test.mp4
src/libbluray/disc/disc.c:424: error opening file BDMV\index.bdmv
src/libbluray/disc/disc.c:424: error opening file BDMV\BACKUP\index.bdmv
src/libbluray/bluray.c:2585: nav_get_title_list(C:\Users\tproc\Desktop\Hikvision test.mp4\) failed
[18:05:46] bd: not a bd - trying as a stream/file instead
libdvdnav: Using dvdnav version 6.0.1
libdvdread: Encrypted DVD support unavailable.
libdvdreadVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO failed
libdvdreadVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP failed
libdvdread: Can't open file VIDEO_TS.IFO.
libdvdnav: vm: failed to read VIDEO_TS.IFO
[18:05:46] dvd: not a dvd - trying as a stream/file instead
[18:05:46] file is MPEG Program Stream
[18:05:46] Found program stream map
[18:05:46] Found program stream map
[18:05:46] Found program stream map
[18:05:46] Found program stream map
[18:05:46] Found program stream map
[18:05:46] Probing 3 unknown streams
[18:05:46] Probe: Found stream hevc. stream id 0xe0-0x0
[18:05:46] Found the following streams
[18:05:46] Video Streams :
[18:05:46] 0xe0-0x0 type hevc (0x24)
[18:05:46] Audio Streams :
[18:05:46] 0xc0-0x0 type MPEG2 (0x4)
[18:05:46] Subtitle Streams :
[18:05:46] Other Streams :
[18:05:46] 0xbd-0x0 type Unknown (0x0)
[18:05:46] 0xbf-0x0 type Unknown (0xbf)
[18:05:46] stream id 0xc0 (type 0x4 substream 0x0) audio 0xc0
[18:05:47] hb_sample_pts: couldn't find video packet near 3794944
[18:05:47] scan: decoding previews for title 1
[18:05:47] file is MPEG Program Stream
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Probing 3 unknown streams
[18:05:47] Probe: Found stream hevc. stream id 0xe0-0x0
[hevc @ 0000026999bbe180] vps_reserved_three_2bits is not three
[hevc @ 0000026999bbe180] VPS 4 does not exist
[hevc @ 0000026999bbe180] SPS 0 does not exist.
[hevc @ 0000026999bbe180] PPS id out of range: 0
[hevc @ 0000026999bbeac0] vps_reserved_three_2bits is not three
[18:05:47] Warning: Could not read data for preview 1, skipped
[18:05:47] stream: 899 good frames, 0 errors (0%)
[18:05:47] scan: Too few previews (0), trying harder
[18:05:47] scan: decoding previews for title 1
[18:05:47] file is MPEG Program Stream
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Found program stream map
[18:05:47] Probing 3 unknown streams
[18:05:47] Probe: Found stream hevc. stream id 0xe0-0x0
[18:05:47] Warning: Could not read data for preview 1, skipped
[18:05:47] stream: 899 good frames, 0 errors (0%)
[18:05:47] libhb: scan thread found 0 valid title(s)
# Processing Scan Information ...

# Scan Finished ...

 

[macman]

That's above my pay grade unfortunately: maybe someone else can help. FWIW, I'm not using the latest version of Handbrake so you might try downloading v1.2.2 from HandBrake: Nightly Builds which is the one working fine on my Hikvision MPEG-4 files, albeit in MacOs.