My 5th camera showed up with V5.2.5 CCWR in serial number

[Bradmph]

I did some checking on the serial number on my new 5th camera that I just received and apparently from what I have read, this is a true international version V5.2.5 build 141201 / DS-2CD2032-I20150110CCWR49867324. This is the info I located on this CCWR and CCCH serial code stuff.

There are three versions of this camera. It is important to know what you are getting. It can be confusing. Let me try to explain. Here are the versions:

1. A true international version with language options. This will have "CCWR" instead of "CCCH" in the serial number. It will work with English and most importantly, you can upgrade the firmware and it will still work in English.

2. A Chinese version that has been adapted (hacked) one-time to have English menus. This will have "CCCH" in the serial number. It will work now in English but if you try to update the firmware, you will need to do so with a Chinese language version which means it will revert to Chinese. (There are ways to hack around this but they are complex.) There are a lot of these variants floating around. The warranties are void in the US.

3. A Chinese camera with original firmware, in Chinese only. Will have CCCH in the serial number. Can be hacked to present English menus but it is complex to do so. And, if you update firmware you will probably have to hack it again to get it back to English.

So when you read that a camera is an "English" camera it could be version #1 above (all is good) or version #2 above (it will work until you try to update firmware.) If you read that the camera has "English firmware" then it could be version #1 or a hacked version of #2.

So what I would do is buy a camera that you believe is a true International version and if upon receipt you see it has CCCH in the serial number you should send it back immediately for a refund.


Can I trust that this camera is able to be upgraded with an English firmware? Can this firmware from this CCWR camera be extracted and manipulated to flash my other CCCH cameras so they contain the CCWR in their serial numbers? I imagine they cannot because of their specific serial numbers, but maybe the CCWR can be extracted to help enable an upgrade for other owners of this particular camera. I know there are mods for the cameras to bring them back to English on CCCH versions after a flashing, but if this international version can reduce the steps by any chance, I would be happy to do what is needed if an international version firmware has not been donated.

 

[Q™]

...1. A true international version with language options. This will have "CCWR" instead of "CCCH" in the serial number. It will work with English and most importantly, you can upgrade the firmware and it will still work in English....

I believe that the "WR" text string in the serial number denotes "Western Region," not "International version."

Can it be updated with Western Region firmware? IMO, yes it SHOULD be updatable...however...there is a whole lotta firmware hacking going on...so always do thorough research and proceed with caution.

 

[ElGato]

I believe that the "WR" text string in the serial number denotes "Western Region," not "International version."

Or maybe "World Region"

 

[Q™]

"Whack-A-Mole Region"!

 

[alastairstevenson]

but maybe the CCWR can be extracted to help enable an upgrade for other owners of this particular camera.

This is not in the firmware. Nor is it changed by the firmware.
This individual-camera-specific set of values is in the 'hardware descriptor block' that is written in to the device (camera, NVR etc) at the end of the manufacturing process.
It has been fairly easily possible for end-users to tweak certain values held there, such as the region setting, to make the device they purchased work better in their environment, but Hikvision continue their pointless efforts to try to inhibit these attempts to make the products work better for their customers. (pointless because there are very smart people who are well able to figure out workarounds).
In reality it's so stupid - they don't know it but they are actually trying to reduce their sales volume by trying to squeeze down on what's known as the 'grey market', ie devices sourced cheaply in one region and sold at good prices in another, undercutting the high-margin 'authorised distributors' who should really be smartening up their act rather than bleating about 'unfair competition'.

That's my view, courtesy of some nice vino rosso.

 

[Q™]

...That's my view, courtesy of some nice vino rosso.

I think you've been drinking vino veritas Alistair.

In my opinion, Hikvision could OWN the worldwide IP camera market if they'd simply (1) stop this region nonsense, (2) sell one single "world-wide region" cameras and (3) open up their firmware to be user/hobbyist/power-user friendly. O W N T H E M A R K E T. IMO.

 

[whoslooking]

What's so comical is it's not Hikvision making the extra money out of the so called "World Region" locking but the greedy re-sellers.

Hikvision's CEO is clearly not lead by profits and doesn't want to the world number 1. as the logic for the grey market is just plain stupid, unless the camera's are sold at a loss in China but i doubt that.

 

[Bradmph]

When I first received the camera, it was in an early Chinese version firmware. I contacted the company and they sent me the 5.2.5 firmware, but they made a mistake and sent me the Chinese version. I decided to send the camera back and they updated it themselves (or replaced camera) and sent it back, as it is now.


When the camera arrived the first time, Hikvision SADP program showed the camera version as
V5.1.2 build 140116
Serial number: DS-2CD2032-I20140304CCCH453884078


After it was returned and resent back to me, the serial number is changed.
V5.2.5 build 141201
Serial number: DS-2CD2032-I20150110CCWR49867324

They had me update it to 5.2.5, yet it remained Chinese with their updated firmware they sent me.
I returned camera and it was resent back to me after they updated firmware. As I stated above the serial number is DS-2CD2032-I20150110CCWR49867324. Now if they sent me another camera, they must of replaced the mount on the new camera with mine because I had mounted the camera and it had screw marks still on the mount when it arrived.


Sold by: SafeGuard Designs
FRESH MEADOWS, NY 11365

 

[nugget]

mine also has "CCWR" and "V5.2.5 build 141201" .
it comes from china and holds chinese tags so i doubt i can just use the official upgrade

 

[whoslooking]

The region is hard coded to the camera, it is not part of firmware. but mtd0.
If your camera has CCCH it's original Chinese model. if it's CCWR it's original world region.
A camera that has WR can happily be upgraded with firmware from the UK or US Hik site.