Access video from old FLIR/Lorex NVR

[couponhead]

I have an older FLIR NVR purchased from Lorex. The model number is DNR216P1.

An event occurred that I need to access the video footage for. I unplugged the NVR from everything and carried it to the TV after the event. When I try to access the video, it shows nothing for today's date.

How do I get this NVR to show me the last 6 hours of footage? It might have saved them under the wrong date.

If I can't get the interface to show me the video, can I pull the hard drive out and put it in a computer? What format are the files in?

 

[wittaj]

The NVR runs on a different operating system, so you cannot simply pull the hard drive out and put in a computer.

Your best bet is to see what date/time it is showing RIGHT NOW and then do the math to figure out where it is.

Or you may have what many experience in that the NVR just sits there and is never looked at, and then when video needs to be reviewed, you find it wasn't recording or the drive went bad or something like that.

 

[couponhead]

The NVR runs on a different operating system, so you cannot simply pull the hard drive out and put in a computer.i

A different operating system? Different from what?

It is now showing the current date, but there are no recent files. The interface says that the hard drive is full. The systen was set to record continuously and overwrite old files with new

 

[couponhead]

A different operating system? Different from what?

It is now showing the current date, but there are no recent files. The interface says that the hard drive is full. The systen was set to record continuously and overwrite old files with new

I'm nore concerned with the file format than the disk format.

 

[wittaj]

If the computer cannot read the disk format, then it can't read the file format either.

A computer is running either Windows or a MAC and the NVR is running Linux and many of the NVR files are proprietary that will only run on the NVR platform. You could stick it into another NVR of the same manufacturer and it could read it, but that isn't your issue.

If you connect and NVR hard drive to a computer, the first thing that the computer will tell you is that the drive is unformatted and asks if you want to format it.

So if the date is current and you go to today or yesterdays date and there are no files, then it probably wasn't recording.

Start looking at the dates and see when was the last time it shows a recording.

As I said, we see this here quite a bit. Someone installs a system and then never looks at it and it quits working at some point only to be found out months later when something happens and they try to look at the video.

 

[couponhead]

If the computer cannot read the disk format, then it can't read the file format either.

A computer is running either Windows or a MAC and the NVR is running Linux and many of the NVR files are proprietary that will only run on the NVR platform. You could stick it into another NVR of the same manufacturer and it could read it, but that isn't your issue.

If you connect and NVR hard drive to a computer, the first thing that the computer will tell you is that the drive is unformatted and asks if you want to format it.

So if the date is current and you go to today or yesterdays date and there are no files, then it probably wasn't recording.

Start looking at the dates and see when was the last time it shows a recording.

As I said, we see this here quite a bit. Someone installs a system and then never looks at it and it quits working at some point only to be found out months later when something happens and they try to look at the video.

How can I search for the most recent record. It would be prohibitive to have to go through each date manually

 

[wittaj]

Every NVR is a little different, but it should have a calendar view and would either have a dot on days it has recordings or the date would be a different color. Just start scrolling thru.

 

[Oldtechguy66]

Lorex NVRs are Linux based, but store video in .DAV file format. I believe yours is an older DVR type, and I have zero experience with those Lorex machines, so I could be wrong about the file formats therein.
Assuming it is .DAV file video, yes you could pull the HD, copy or read the DAV files... but you are in for a TON of work. Video is not continuous, but in file segments. Depends on the machine, version, and age on the particulars. So, a 2 hour long video clip is not just one file, but many sequential segments. When you request video from a specified time span, the NVR stitches together multiple video segment files.. but if you download (FTP etc) the video, instead of one large file, you will see a slew of files.
The NVR may be set up to record continuous loop as a global function, but EACH camera/channel also has its own record schedule.. can be set to motion, alarm, continuous etc. Check the wrong box of fail to check the right box, and one or more cameras are not recording as expected. Also, beware of firmware updates changing parameters, or resetting to OEM defaults. Older Lorex products were manual update, so probably didn't happen unless someone manually downloaded and installed new firmware...
I don't recall offhand what nomenclature Lorex uses for their video file IDs... might luck out and have a time stamp (date, time) as part of the file name; but it won't be as intuitive as it sounds. Sorting will be a pain. Guess if that's all you can do, then go for it.. but I'd try everything to get the DVR/NVR to find the MIA files if possible. From your description, it sounds to me like the recording schedule was changed, video deselected, or set to motion or alarm only recording. It's VERY easy to make that mistake using the mobile app (FLIR Cloud) back when. I don't usually try to configure the NVR via any mobile app.. just too inconsistent, too easy to make a mistake. I prefer the PC version, or better yet use the console GUI to make initial configurations. Some functions are not even available in the mobile app versions, so no choice but to log in to the NVR via console or via browser over its assigned IP address. If logging in on the console shows no files recorded, then something is amiss... How did the HD become full? Something has changed or is misconfigured. If the NVR was not time synch enabled, the internal clock will be way off after a while.. Nonetheless, you should still be able to access ANY video files on the NVR HD from the NVR web interface or console, so long as the files are not corrupted (which is always possible)... Good luck...

 

[couponhead]

Lorex NVRs are Linux based, but store video in .DAV file format. I believe yours is an older DVR type, and I have zero experience with those Lorex machines, so I could be wrong about the file formats therein.
Assuming it is .DAV file video, yes you could pull the HD, copy or read the DAV files... but you are in for a TON of work.

Thanks for this. Ended up finding out that the NVR stopped working some time ago....

 

[wittaj]

Thanks for this. Ended up finding out that the NVR stopped working some time ago....

That is a bummer, but as I mentioned, we unfortunately see that here all too often, especially with the older non-AI systems were people simply turned off the notifications because they were getting so many false triggers and then they have no idea that it quit working. Then something happens that they need to review video and find that it quit working a long time ago.

That is why it is good to either do a quick review daily or weekly or set up at least one camera to still send alerts so one knows if there is a problem.

 

[Oldtechguy66]

Sorry about your bad luck. Good Ol' Murphy again.... Murphy's Law dictates that the machine which has worked flawlessly for years will immediately fail upon dire need. I've had NVRs drop a single camera, while all the rest were working fine.. and of course, the camera that went down was the most important. I have to check systems constantly, because it's guaranteed something will fail at the worst possible moment. True of all mechanical and electrical gadgets.

 

[Oldtechguy66]

Well, speaking of Good Ol' Murphy, he struck again. One of my Lorex NVRs went "pop" today. Lost all but 4 ch of the POE+ supply. NVR still works, but will not feed POE/POE+ except on ch 13-16. I could still use it & hang the cameras all off POE switches, but my experience is once electronics start to misbehave, it's all downhill from there. Would love to set up a BI box, but we're selling our place and moving out of NC. I don't want to be the default T/S guy for the home we moved away from. BI box will be in works for the next property. Need a 'toaster' NVR so new owners have a plug-n-play NVR. Soooo, over to Andy's store to pick out a new NVR.

 

[TonyR]

.....we're selling our place and moving out of NC.

I have an aunt and a cousin up there in Vilas, western NC outside of Boone. I was up there in 2022 when my uncle passed away at 98 years of age.
Where are you headed?

 

[Oldtechguy66]

Not decided for certain yet but OUT of sheeplez socialist demokrazy of NC. Looking around from upstate SC all the way to AR, and a few other places. W NC is the dumping ground for corrupt big city marxists fleeing their own creation. Asheville is a cesspool of filth & insanity; and has ruined the whole west end of the state.
Familiar with Boone, in the NC high country, known for the university & ski resorts, primarily tourist industry. I used to travel all throughout W NC, E TN, upstate SC & beyond in my construction biz; & all over east part of USA when I was in computer/electronics biz. Don't travel much anymore except for vacation, getting ready to retire from construction biz.

My 2 yr old top of line lorex nvr is discontinued by lorex, no surprise...but was shocked how little they now have. Dahua seems to have plenty of models. Lorex used to seemingly have a different model for every day of the year. Must be hard times for them now, down to just a few. Never seen one do what mine did, lose POE power to ¾ of the cam ports. Oh well, that's the way it goes.

 

[TonyR]

Not decided for certain yet but OUT of sheeplez socislist demokrazy of NC.

I won't say much to that since this isn't the appropriate thread but I noticed that slant when I was there several times between '04 and '22.

Familiar with Boone, in the NC high country, known for the university & ski resorts, primarily tourist industry.

My cousin was a campus cop there at Appalachian State U. for over 25 years. He had some stories to tell!