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HD Security Camera / CCTV Surveillance DVR Support

Technical Support Articles and How-to Guides for iDVR-PRO DVRs

This page contains technical support and setup information for iDVR-PRO CCTV surveillance DVRs from CCTV Camera Pros. You can also find user manuals here. The iDVR-PRO product line contains 4 "series" of DVRs which have two different user interfaces. The original iDVR-PRO series includes the iDVR-PRO8 and iDVR-PRO16 which are analog CCTV DVRs (no HD security camera support). The latest iDVR-PRO hybrid HD security camera DVRs and come in an "A", "M", and "H" series and support AHD and TVI type cameras (up to 1080p resolution). Before the hybrid versions were released, the "A" and "H" series was also available in a 960H analog format version. The 960H models and the new hybrid HD iDVR-PROs use a new and improved user interface, however, all 4 series (the original iDVR-PRO, A, and H series) use the same client applications (DVR viewer software apps) for iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows.

Because the user interface on the 960H DVRs and hybrid HD DVRs is different than the original D1 DVRs, the setup articles are organized into 3 sections.

Setup for the latest iDVR-PRO Hybrid CCTV / HD security camera DVRs (A, M, and H series)
Client applications / DVR viewer / mobile apps setup (this is the same for all iDVR-PROs)
Setup for the legacy / original iDVR-PRO D1 DVRs

If you are unsure which model iDVR-PRO that you have, please refer to the images below. Please note that the client application setup instructions are below because they apply to all iDVR-PRO models / generations.

iDVR-PRO Surveillance DVRs - HD TVI AHD CCTV Hybrid Models

Mobile App Downloads

iDVR-PRO A, M, H Series

These instructions apply to all A, M, and H series iDVR-PROs. This includes the latest hybrid HD models and the original 960H models. If you reference the above images, these instructions apply to all models except the "Original iDVR-PRO" pictures on the far left.

User Manuals

iDVR-PRO A Series User Manual - manual for iDVR-PRO4A, iDVR-PRO8A, and iDVR-PRO16A models
iDVR-PRO H Series User Manual - manual for iDVR-PRO8H and iDVR-PRO16H models

System Planning

These articles are to help customers in planning a surveillance system installation with iDVR-PRO.

How to Install a Security Camera System - DIY installation guide for iDVR-PRO systems.
Is My DVR Compatible with CCTV, AHD, and TVI Cameras? - Use this guide to determine which model iDVR-PRO you have. This will tell you if your model is compatible with AHD or TVI cameras in addition to analog CCTV.
Hard Drive Calculator - Use this application to plan what size hard drive(s) you will need installed in your DVR.

Initial Setup / Getting Started

This is where we recommend started if you are setting up a new DVR.

Initial Setup / Getting Started Guide
CCTV, AHD, TVI Camera Setup - These instructions apply only to HD hybrid model iDVR-PROs. It instructs users on how to select the camera type for each channel.
Dual Monitor Display / Spot Monitor Display Setup - The VGA and HDMI video output on iDVR-PRO can be configured to mirror each other or one of the outputs can act as a spot monitor.
Video Recording Setup - How-to setup continuous, motion detection, alarm, and intensive motion / alarm recording modes.
Motion Detection Recording Sensitivity and Masks - How-to setup motion sensitivity and motion detection masks zones to avoid false alarms from video motion detection.
Archiving Recorded Video - It is important to preserve any significant recorded events so they are not overwritten. Follow these instructions to preserve segments of video so they can be played back and exported later.
Audio Surveillance Recording - You can also use surveillance microphones to synchronize audio and video recording.
Recorded Video Export from DVR and File Playback on Windows PC (Windows)
Recorded Video Export and Playback Instructions using Mac Client Software
Recorded Video Export and Playback Instruction using Windows CMS Software
iDVR-PROA Password Reset - Because the A series does not have a remote control (mouse control only), you need these instructions to reset the password on A models.
Password Reset - These instructions are for H and M models that have a wireless remote control.
Factory Default Reset - These instructions are for the iDVR-PRO series DVRs that use a wireless remote control.

Remote Internet Access

The how-to articles in this section will help iDVR-PRO users setup remote access to their DVR so that they can view their security cameras live, playback recorded surveillance footage, and perform other functions using remote access apps.

Network Port Forwarding Setup - This is required if you want to view your cameras remotely from the mobile apps and desktop software. This needs to be done no matter which remote app you want to use.
DDNS Setup (Dynamic Domain Name Service) - If the Internet connection where your DVR is located has a dynamic IP address, you need to set this up. Not sure if you need this? Ask your Internet provider if your connection has a static or dynamic IP address. If it is dynamic, you need to setup DDNS.
Mobile App Setup - Setup instructions for the iPhone and Android mobile apps.
Mac DVR Software - This article provides an overview of the Mac software that is included with iDVR-PRO that allows users to remotely view their security cameras live from Macintosh PCs. The Mac software also supports remote search and playback of video surveillance recorded on any iDVR-PRO hard drive.
Remote Video Backup & Playback on Mac - Learn how-to export and playback recorded video surveillance with Mac Software for iDVR-PRO and the VLC media player.
iPhone Mobile App - This article provides an overview of the iOS app that is included with iDVR-PRO that allows users to remotely view their security cameras live from iPhone and iPad devices. The iOS app also supports remote search and playback of video surveillance recorded on iDVR-PRO surveillance DVRs.
Android Mobile App - This article provides an overview of the Android mobile app that is included with iDVR-PRO that allows users to remotely view their security cameras live from Android mobile phone and tablet devices. The Android app also supports remote search and playback of video surveillance recorded on iDVR-PRO surveillance DVRs.
Windows CMS Software - This article provides step-by-step instructions on how to set up the iDVR-PRO CMS software for Windows. The iDVR-PRO CMS software for Windows supports both remote live view and playback.

Alarms and Alerts

The articles in this section include how-to setup the alarm inputs/outputs and how-to setup alarm alerts.

Email Alert Setup - You can receive an email alert when motion is detected or another type of alarm is triggered.
Alarm Input Setup - Learn how to integrate burglar alarm sensors with your surveillance DVR.
Alarm Relay Output Setup - Learn how to trigger external alarm devices like sirens and speakers.
CCTV DVR Alarm Status - Learn how to check the alarm status of the iDVR-PRO CCTV DVR.
Mobile App Push Notification for iPhone and Android - You can receive push notifications on the iPhone and Android apps when alarms are triggered on the DVR. For example, when motion is detected by your security cameras.

Advanced Setup

Here are some advanced setup topics along with functions that are performed less often.

PTZ Camera Controls - Setup Pan Tilt Zoom controls for PTZ cameras.
Firmware Upgrade - How to update the DVR firmware.
User and Group Permissions - Most customers only use the default ADMIN master login because there is only one person managing their DVR. However, iDVR-PRO does support multiple users with different levels of access permissions.
Email to Push Notification Setup - This is an email to push notification workaround until the native push notifications are built into the iDVR-PRO viewer mobile app.
Mobile App Push Notification - This is another workaround that uses a third party app to receive push notifications when motion and other alarm types are triggered.
Recorded Video Search and Playback
IR Remote Control ID Setup - If you plan on controlling multiple DVRs with one remote control, you can setup the ID that is used to make this possible.
Spot Monitor Output Setup - these instructions are for non HD hybrid models only. The spot monitor function is different on these models from the latest hybrid HD models.
DVR Setup Videos - we also have an extensive library of videos for the iDVR-PRO.
Custom Camera Sequence Setup
How-to Monitor Multiple DVRs / Locations with CMS Software
CCTV DVR NTSC PAL Video Setup - If you live in the USA, you do not need to complete this setup. By default, iDVR-PROs are set to NTSC video standard, which is the USA video standard. For our international customers who will be using PAL cameras, use these instructions to setup iDVR-PRO in PAL video mode.
Setup Multiple Monitors & Remote Control - Using an HDMI over Cat 6 system, you can send the HDMI video output of iDVR-PRO to multiple monitors. The system also supports controlling the DVR using the wireless remote in those other rooms.
Coaxitron UTC OSD Control Setup - The iDVR-PRO series DVRs from CCTV Camera Pros have the ability to control the OSD menu of a camera remotely using Coaxitron / Up the Coax. We show you how to set it up in this article.

Troubleshooting

Hard Drive Failure Troubleshooting

Client Applications Setup / DVR Viewer Software & Mobile Apps

The below articles contain instructions on how to set up the client applications for iDVR including iPhone, Android, iPad mobile apps, Windows and Mac DVR viewer software. These instructions are applicable to all 3 series of iDVR-PROs (all models pictured above).

Original iDVR-PRO

These instructions apply to the original iDVR-PRO8 and iDVR-PRO16 model DVRs supplied by CCTV Camera Pros. You can see what these models look like in the above image labeled "Original iDVR-PRO" on the far left.

Learn more about the latest iDVR-PRO

iPhone / iPad Compatible

Android Compatible

Mac Compatible

Click here to learn more about the latest iDVR-PRO CCTV DVRs.

Works with Analog CCTV and HD Security Cameras

CCTV / AHD / HD-TVI Hybrid Security Camera DVR

Hybrid iDVR-PROs work with the following security camera types and resolutions.

AHD Cameras (720p and 1080p resolution models supported)
TVI Cameras (720p and 1080p resolution models supported)
Analog CCTV Cameras (all analog resolution supported including CIF, D1, 960H)

Request a Demo

If you do not currently have an iDVR-PRO and would like to log in to the demo unit at our office, please request a demo login below. You will be able to log in from iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices. You can also log in from Macintosh and Windows computers. Please click here to request a demo login.

Complete CCTV Systems

Did you know? CCTV Camera Pros can provide a complete surveillance system quote that includes any iDVR-PRO model with cameras, cables, connectors, power supplies, and monitors? We can even mix and match SD and HD security cameras because the latest iDVR-PROs are hybrid. They work with CCTV, AHD, and HD-TVI type cameras. As you have probably already seen on our website, we have 2, 4, 8, and 16 camera surveillance systems in pre-made packages. However, it is not possible for us to package up every combination and quantity of all the different camera models that we carry. So, we can also provide you with a custom quote with as many cameras as you need and a mix of any combination of camera model(s) based on your project requirements.

Many frequently asked questions and solutions can also be found in our iDVR-PRO support forum.

iDVR PRO Technical Support Forum