Are There Any Improvements/Features Even Worth Upgrading From v5.2.5? x265? Security?

ostrichsak

ostrichsak

n3wb
Apr 23, 2020
1
0
Colorado, USA
I've got what could be a rather large issue I recently discovered where not only do I not have Admin access to some of my Hikvision cams but I also have Chinese made cams. Huzzah! /sarcasm

I stream them to various devices via Blue Iris software so admin access wasn't necessary until I recently wanted to change some settings to streamline the amount of bandwidth used currently. I thought that I'd simply reset the cams, update to the latest version of the software and create new admin logins... no big deal, right? Wrong!

As many of you on this forum know (and I now do after contacting Hikvision for support) Chinese based cams were sold to US buyers who didn't even know there was a difference at the time of purchase. I was one of them. In response to my request for help from Hikvision I was quickly told to pound sand. Not sure why since THEY are still the manufacturer regardless of what region the cameras were produced for but I guess that's of no consequence.

I believe there's some work arounds to get some new firmware on these suckers but before I head down that rabbit hole I had one simple question: Is it even worth the effort? My system is working fine for accessing the images these cameras produce so at this point it may just be easier to continue as is currently provisioned. Is there new firmware versions that would give me any real noticeable improvements to QoL? I think I saw that I can select x265 for the format which could save me nearly 90% of my current bandwidth and storage solution if that's the case. Does this implementation of x265 have any hiccups as compared to the previous x264? Is there security patches that would be considered critical? Is there anything else in any newer versions of the firmware that should motivate me to upgrade my firmware? My model # is DS-2CD2032 if that helps or changes anything.

I'm a novice to most of this so I'd appreciate the input of both facts and opinions as I consider my possible choices at this juncture. One thing I know is I will be FAR less likely to buy anything Hikvision again based on this experience.

Thanks for the help!
 
I don't think you can get H.265 on a DS-2CD2032-I. Could be wrong, but I really doubt it because those are pretty old cameras and H.265 encoding support would require specific hardware they wouldn't likely have.

Even if you can get H.265 (which you probably can't), it would not save you anywhere near 90% of your current bandwidth. Maybe 25% being optimistic, and that assumes you use VBR encoding with a quality choice that isn't so high as to max out the bit rate limit anyway.

H.265 is also typically slower to decode so it can make seeking through clips a bit more sluggish depending on the system you are viewing clips with.

You don't need to worry about security issues in the firmware if you prevent the cameras from having access to the internet and vise versa. How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!)

It is much better to keep the cameras isolated than to worry about updating their firmware all the time.
 
ostrichsak said:
I've got what could be a rather large issue I recently discovered where not only do I not have Admin access to some of my Hikvision cams but I also have Chinese made cams. Huzzah! /sarcasm

I stream them to various devices via Blue Iris software so admin access wasn't necessary until I recently wanted to change some settings to streamline the amount of bandwidth used currently. I thought that I'd simply reset the cams, update to the latest version of the software and create new admin logins... no big deal, right? Wrong!

As many of you on this forum know (and I now do after contacting Hikvision for support) Chinese based cams were sold to US buyers who didn't even know there was a difference at the time of purchase. I was one of them. In response to my request for help from Hikvision I was quickly told to pound sand. Not sure why since THEY are still the manufacturer regardless of what region the cameras were produced for but I guess that's of no consequence.

I believe there's some work arounds to get some new firmware on these suckers but before I head down that rabbit hole I had one simple question: Is it even worth the effort? My system is working fine for accessing the images these cameras produce so at this point it may just be easier to continue as is currently provisioned. Is there new firmware versions that would give me any real noticeable improvements to QoL? I think I saw that I can select x265 for the format which could save me nearly 90% of my current bandwidth and storage solution if that's the case. Does this implementation of x265 have any hiccups as compared to the previous x264? Is there security patches that would be considered critical? Is there anything else in any newer versions of the firmware that should motivate me to upgrade my firmware? My model # is DS-2CD2032 if that helps or changes anything.

I'm a novice to most of this so I'd appreciate the input of both facts and opinions as I consider my possible choices at this juncture. One thing I know is I will be FAR less likely to buy anything Hikvision again based on this experience.

Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
all hikvision cameras are made in china, even those sold for the US market. There is a distinction between US market hik, international hik and hacked china region hik (firmware updates will brick these cams). Yours is an international hik.
You were told to pound sand because you didnt pay the premium and purchase from an authorized distributor which provides hik and their distributors with resources to provide support. They intentionally dont sell to inexperienced end users because the cost to support you exceeds the profit margins on the camera. Hikvision is happy that you wont purchase any more of their cameras.
You dont need to call support to reset a 2032, there is a reset button on it.
If you are using blue iris you should have upnp/portfowarding and internet access disabled on the camera so there is no security benefit.
h265 will not save you 90 percent. 50 at best. You cannot use a smart or + codec with blue iris.
 
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