Tutorials Archives | CCTV Manuals

I Tried Installing VibeNVR, a 100% Free, Open-Source & Self-Hosted NVR for Recording Any IP Security Camera

I became interested in trying VibeNVR after coming across an article on XDA Developers. VibeNVR is a free, open-source NVR that you can host on your own server. This means your security camera footage is stored directly on your own server, so you don’t have to pay for a monthly cloud subscription. In the article I read, VibeNVR was used with UniFi IP cameras, and it seemed to work quite well. That made me curious to try it out for myself.

In this article, I will attempt to install VibeNVR on my 2012 MacBook, taking the process from start to finish until it is ready for use—will it work?

Tapo App for PC – How I Download an Alternative App for My Tapo Camera on My PC & Laptop (Windows 10/11 & Mac)

Looking for a TP-Link Tapo camera app for your PC? After going through a lot of documentation, I finally found a way to use the TP-Link Tapo CCTV camera on a PC. You can download and install the app directly on your computer. With TP-Link Tapo for PC, you can monitor your Tapo CCTV cameras remotely, just like you would on your smartphone. The main difference is that you get a much bigger screen, making it easier to keep an eye on your cameras.

In this guide we will explain how to download and install an alternative application for TP-Link Tapo CCTV cameras on PC.

How I Download Videos From My EZVIZ Camera and Save Them to My Phone? Here’s How I Do It

If you use an EZVIZ camera, you can download recorded videos from the memory card and save them directly to your phone. This is also a good way to keep a copy of your recordings before they’re automatically deleted from the memory card. In my experience, there are two ways to download recorded videos from an EZVIZ camera.

In this article, I’ll show you both methods, and you can pick whichever one you prefer.

How I Set Up Gmail SMTP Email on Hikvision NVRs, DVRs, and IP Cameras — Motion Detection Alerts Sent to Email

Configure Email SMTP Server on Hikvision NVR DVR IP Cameras

Currently, the email or SMTP server feature is not widely used because notifications from the Hikvision DVR can be received directly in the Hik-Connect app. The Hikvision DVR email feature is used to send information from the camera to a designated email address. If the camera detects motion, the DVR will send a notification to the designated email address with details such as Event Type, Event Time, DVR Name, DVR SN, Camera Name, or Channels, along with several images from the camera.

For those of you who still want to try out the email feature on the Hikvision DVR, you can read this guide I’ve written all the way through.

How I Connect or Pairing the ORION Security Camera to WiFi and My Phone—A Complete Guide from Start to Finish

ORION is a security camera brand that’s better known in Australia, so it’s more popular there than in other countries. Personally, I see ORION as a local Australian security camera brand. It’s kind of like Bardi in Indonesia. Bardi is quite popular as a security camera brand in Indonesia, but it’s not as well known in other countries. You can monitor the cameras live and watch playback through the app. ORION also offers cameras for both indoor and outdoor use.

In this article, I’ll walk you through how to connect your ORION camera to Wi-Fi and your phone, step by step.

My V380 Pro CCTV Camera Not Recording—When I Playback the Footage, It Says “No Recorded Files Found”—Here’s How I Fixed It Quickly

I wrote this article based on my experience when I received a call from a V380 Pro camera user. The customer explained that they were unable to play back recordings on their camera. They said that the V380 Pro camera had been installed a month ago, so it should have saved some recordings by now. However, when the customer tried to play back the recordings, the screen only displayed the message “No Recorded Files Found.” Why can’t the V380 Pro camera find the recordings?

In this article, you’ll find the reasons why recordings aren’t found on the V380 Pro camera and how to fix the problem.

My EZVIZ Camera’s Color Night Vision is Not Working—Understand EZVIZ Camera Night Vision Modes to Fix It

Why is the image from my EZVIZ camera black and white at night? When I first installed an EZVIZ camera, I would always get questions from customers that same night asking, “Why is the night vision on my EZVIZ camera black and white? Shouldn’t it be in color?” So, not many customers yet understand the menus on EZVIZ cameras and the night vision modes available. EZVIZ cameras offer night vision modes that can be customized to meet customers’ needs.

To understand the EZVIZ camera’s night vision mode, I’ve written a comprehensive article on the topic. Please read it all the way through.

My V380 Pro CCTV Camera Won’t Connect to My Phone—It’s Stuck on “Connecting”—How Do I Fix V380 Pro CCTV Connection Problem?

V380 Pro CCTV Camera Stuck on Connecting Screen

On August 19, 2026, I received a call from one of my customers who uses a V380 Pro WiFi camera. The customer reported that the camera installed on the side of their house was malfunctioning—it wouldn’t open on their phone and was stuck on “connecting.” My customer suspected that the power cable was damaged, so they unplugged the camera from the power source before I arrived at their home to inspect it.

This article describes my experience fixing a V380 Pro camera that wouldn’t open on my phone and kept showing the “connecting” status.

Why Hikvision NVR and DVR Firmware Upgrading Failed? But I Downloaded It From the Official Website—How Do I Fix This?

I tried to upgrade the firmware on my Hikvision NVR and DVR, but it failed. An error message appears: “Upgrade failed. Firmware mismatches.” What should I do? Actually, you don’t need to update the firmware if all the DVR’s functions are still working normally. It’s very rare for a Hikvision DVR to malfunction. Generally, the most common issue with DVRs is that they fail to record. As a technician, I rarely perform firmware updates myself, unless a specific function on the DVR isn’t working or the DVR prompts me to update the firmware.

I’ve also had a firmware update fail before; in this post, I’ll explain what you can do if you encounter a failure during a Hikvision DVR firmware update.

Why Are My Dahua NVR and DVR Status “Offline” Even Though My Internet Connection Is Working Fine—Here’s How I Fixed It

Why is Dahua NVR Offline But Internet Works

Dahua NVR status is offline but internet is working – I recently received a call from a fellow technician regarding a Dahua NVR that was showing an offline status despite the internet being working fine. He asked me to help resolve the issue by visiting the location in person. Upon arrival, I discovered an unexpected problem: the NVR was offline, but the internet was working fine.

This is my experience story to overcome the problem of Dahua NVR online status even though the internet at the location is working well.

Can My Neighbor Point a CCTV Security Camera at My House?—I’m Very Upset. What Should I Do?

My Neighbor Is Pointing Their Security Camera at My House

Security camera lenses have a straight field of view and record everything in front of them. Disputes with neighbors over cameras pointed toward my property are extremely rare; in fact, some of my customers have installed cameras that are slightly angled toward their neighbors’ homes, and rather than getting angry or filing complaints, those neighbors have actually expressed their gratitude because the cameras have helped keep their front yards a little safer.

When is it illegal for a security camera installed by a neighbor to be pointed at my house? And as a neighbor, what should I do?