Tutorials

How I Download (Export/Backup) & Save Hikvision Footage to a Flash Drive—For New and Old Versions of the DVR

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Download Hikvision Camera Footage to a Flash Drive

Can i download Hikvision recordings to a flash drive? Yes, you can!

Hikvision camera recordings stored on an NVR or DVR can be easily downloaded and saved to a flash drive. If you want to back up or retrieve recorded footage from your Hikvision NVR or DVR, the process is quite simple. You just need a flash drive with at least 8GB of storage. Keep in mind that the amount of storage you need depends on how much footage you want to save. The longer the recording, the more space you’ll need on your flash drive.

In this article, I’ve outlined the step-by-step guide I used to download Hikvision camera recordings

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How I Install & Use Agent DVR on a Raspberry Pi 5 + Docker —Turning a Raspberry Pi Into a Smart Security Camera Hub

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Install and Use Agent DVR on a Raspberry Pi

Have an unused Raspberry Pi at home? You can turn it into a smart security hub.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to install iSpy Agent DVR on a Raspberry Pi. Tired of managing multiple budget security cameras, each with its own app and cloud storage subscription? With iSpy Agent DVR and a Raspberry Pi, you can build your own self-hosted surveillance system that supports hundreds of IP camera models without relying on paid cloud storage.

I’ve rewritten this guide to use Docker instead of the native installer.

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My Experience Installing an EZVIZ Camera and Connecting It to a Hikvision DVR — Here’s the Complete Guide

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Install an EZVIZ Camera and Connect It to a Hikvision DVR

On August 14, 2026, my customer contacted me and asked me to replace one of their broken Hikvision analog CCTV cameras with an EZVIZ camera. The customer currently has four Hikvision analog CCTV cameras installed at their home. Since one of the cameras is broken, the customer wants to replace it with an EZVIZ camera to enable two-way communication. Although the Hikvision analog CCTV cameras support two-way audio, the customer’s current DVR does not.

This is the story of my experience installing an EZVIZ camera and connecting it to a Hikvision DVR.

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How I Install, Set Up and Use Shinobi CCTV on Linux Ubuntu in 2026—Over 10 Million Installations Around the World!

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How to Install and Use Shinobi NVR

I’ve come across another piece of security camera software called Shinobi.

Shinobi is an open-source, free-to-use NVR and VMS that you can host on your own server. It allows you to connect security cameras from different brands, provided they support RTSP. Cameras that don’t support at least RTSP cannot be connected to Shinobi. All right, I’ve put together a complete guide below showing you how to install and configure Shinobi on Ubuntu. The instructions are based on my own hands-on installation and testing experience.

If you run into any problems or have questions while following this guide, feel free to drop a comment below. I’ll do my best to help!

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Why Can’t I Access iSpy Agent DVR in Chrome? Fix “This Site Can’t Be Reached” Error on Localhost

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iSpy DVR Agent won’t open on my Windows computer – I’m a new user of the iSpy Agent DVR software. My goal is to use this software to view my TP-Link Tapo cameras from my PC. However, when I try to open the software, I get a message saying “This site can’t be reached.” It then says “localhost refused to connect.” In the end I found a way to solve this problem.

I wrote this guide based on my experience and you can read this guide directly if you have problems like me.

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HomeBoard—A Security Camera Viewer App for Android TV & Google TV—Try It Now for Free!

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Install and Use HomeBoard on Android TV

HomeBoard might be one of the apps you can use to view live security camera feeds on an Android TV or Google TV.

Before recommending it, I wanted to try it out for myself.

The app is called HomeBoard, and it’s distributed as an APK file. Many people are understandably cautious about installing APK files from outside official app stores. In this case, I believe HomeBoard is worth trying, but you should still take precautions. To be on the safe side, I recommend using a secondary account rather than your primary account when setting it up. Here’s a look at my experience testing HomeBoard on my Android TV.

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Cam720/JOOAN App for PC—Download, Install, and Use the Cam720 App on a Windows 10/11 Without BlueStacks

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Download and Use Cam720 App on a PC

Besides Android, Cam720 is also available for Windows PCs, so you can view your camera feed on a bigger screen. It works with Jooan cameras and other similar generic models. However, not all cameras use the same app. Some models may require a different app, such as V380 Pro or iCSee. So, be sure to check your camera’s user manual to find out which app is compatible with your device.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to download, install, and use the Cam720 app on a Windows PC.

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I Tried Install and Use Topo—a Tapo Camera Software for Linux Ubuntu—How Does It Work?

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How to Install and Use Topo on Linux Ubuntu

Right now, I’m looking to explore and test out various camera software applications.

I came across Topo.

According to its developer, Topo is a software application designed to display feeds from Tapo security cameras on Linux. I think it’s a great piece of software. TP-Link, the manufacturer of Tapo cameras, does not provide any dedicated software for use on Linux; with Topo, users can now view live feeds from their Tapo cameras on laptops and PCs running Linux.

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CamWatch, Self-Hosted RTSP Security Camera Recorder Software—How I Installed on Linux Ubuntu and Used It

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I first came across CamWatch in a Reddit post, which made me curious enough to give it a try.

Yes, there are developers who have created virtual video recorders, commonly known as self-hosted NVR or VMS software. Since I had some free time on the evening of October 30, 2026, I decided to try installing and using CamWatch on my Ubuntu Desktop PC. It took me around 40 minutes to get everything installed and running. I spent most of that time going through the documentation provided by the developer to understand the installation process and how the software works.

Fortunately, I managed to install it successfully. You can use my experience as a guide to help you install CamWatch on your Ubuntu PC.

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Foscam Camera Login: Default IP Address, Username, and Password—How Can You Find Them All?

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Foscam is a security camera brand that is popular in several countries, including the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Singapore, India, and Canada.

For new users, a frequently asked question is: what is the default IP address for a Foscam camera? What are the username and password required to log in to these IP or wireless cameras? In this article, I will explain how to find the basic information regarding the login credentials for your Foscam camera. Knowing these credentials will allow you to easily set up your security camera, whether for a new installation or for troubleshooting purposes.

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How to Use Frigate NVR After Installation: Adding Cameras, Playback, and Other Basic Settings

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How to Use Frigate NVR

This is a basic guide on how to use Frigate NVR.

I’ve already managed to install Frigate NVR on my Ubuntu desktop, and it turned out to be pretty straightforward. If you follow my guide on how to install Frigate on Ubuntu Linux, I’m confident you can get it up and running on your own system, too. Frigate is a virtual NVR that runs on your own server. Think of it as turning your PC into an NVR.

In this article, you’ll learn how to use Frigate NVR, including how to add your first camera, playback recordings, and configure other basic settings.

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