Update to Latest FW or Don't?

[crosis]

I own the following EmpireTech gear:

B54IR-Z4E-S3
IPC-T54IR-AS-S3
IPC-T54IR-ZE-S3
NVR8CH-8P-2AI

The ones in bold contain older firmware. The EmpireTech website contains updates for each. It appears the recommended action is to NOT update the firmware unless it addresses an issue I'm experiencing directly. If that's true then I will refrain from updating as I'm not experiencing any issues within the areas I've explored. However, for future reference when flashing the new FW for the IPC and NVR what is the best practice? Is one supposed to first Factory Reset the hardware before flashing OR do the flashing right-away but then on completion to then do a factory reset?

Thanks.

 

[wittaj]

Best practice is not to update unless it is known that it is fixing something broke with yours and you know it won't break something that is working for you now. Even though Andy's firmware tends to be stable, there is always a risk. And sometimes the firmware removes a function (like autotracking on the 4XXX series PTZs).

Best practice when applying a firmware update is:

Factory reset 3 times
Apply firmware
Factory reset 3 times
set camera up from scratch - do not import settings.

 

[crosis]

Best practice is not to update unless ...

Makes sense. Curious though for those who do experience a problem after updating. Couldn't rolling back to the older, original FW restore things, assuming EmpireTech has that older FW available? Or are we talking a house of cards for the underlying IPC / NVR services whenever firmware flashing occurs regardless of FW version?

I'm interested in FW update for "Adds illumination overexposure remover" but certainly not at the expense of disabling / breaking what i already have.

 

[wittaj]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Many cameras are starting to not allow flashing to an older firmware.

A couple months ago I was bored (even though I have more than enough to do LOL) and even though I say don't fix what ain't broke often, I thought "hey let me update a perfectly working 5442-ZE camera to add 2D and 3D noise reduction that one of my newer 5442 cams has" and totally effed up the camera. Lost the ability to set FPS and encode and bitrate and couldn't factory reset from the GUI.

Fortunately I was able to figure out the API to factory reset (instead of having to get out a ladder) and had the previous firmware already (one of the reasons why I figured it was ok to try because I could revert back since I had the previous firmware), but it took awhile to get the camera operational. But even now with a factory reset several times and going back firmware, the image is much darker than it was before for the same settings.

And about a year before that I screwed up another camera (it was older and I was replacing it so thought why not play LOL) in a firmware update and I said screw it and held the factory reset button in for 2 minutes and heard the IR filter click like 10 times and the camera kinda came back LOL. Not all the functions are there though.

 

[crosis]

Wow. Ok you've got me scared. No updating for me, ever.

I appreciate your insight, wittaj. I think i just avoided a disaster.

 

[wittaj]

Don't get me wrong, plenty of people update just fine, but when it goes south, it sucks.

The majority of mine have never been updated. A few that I bought new and had an update available I have sometimes installed it as part of the bench testing, and a few I have updated long after when it was clear the firmware was fixing a known issue.

But if it is working fine and meets your needs, just be aware that you may be looking at a new camera if the firmware update goes wrong LOL.

 

[tigerwillow1]

Wow. Ok you've got me scared. No updating for me, ever.

The message is don't update for the sake of updating. If there's a known-to-you bug fix or feature update you want, go ahead and update. I'm over 100 camera firmware updates by now via the web interface, because of experimenting with different versions. Only one went south, and I was lucky that a camera reset recovered it. Others have occasionally ended up with a brick shaped like a camera.

 

[H. Swanson]

This is insane. I'm glad I read this thread. I just bought seven T54IR-ZE-S3s and I was planning on upgrading them to the latest firmware. Not sure I want to do that now. I'll rely on this forum to determine if any future firmware upgrades are worth the risk.

 

[looney2ns]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[Flintstone61]

 

[tigerwillow1]

I've been through every box on that flowchart many times

 

[Flintstone61]

Me too....

 

[H. Swanson]

I own the following EmpireTech gear:

B54IR-Z4E-S3
IPC-T54IR-AS-S3
IPC-T54IR-ZE-S3
NVR8CH-8P-2AI

The ones in bold contain older firmware. The EmpireTech website contains updates for each. It appears the recommended action is to NOT update the firmware unless it addresses an issue I'm experiencing directly. If that's true then I will refrain from updating as I'm not experiencing any issues within the areas I've explored. However, for future reference when flashing the new FW for the IPC and NVR what is the best practice? Is one supposed to first Factory Reset the hardware before flashing OR do the flashing right-away but then on completion to then do a factory reset?

Thanks.

I have the same NVR as you do. I took a risk and updated to the latest firmware. Went fine and I have new stuffs. Take that for what it's worth.

 

[H. Swanson]

As a follow-up to this thread, Andy explained to me offline that you have to apply both bin files but in the correct order for the camera. For my IPC-T54IR-ZE-S3 cameras, I first applied the EmpireTech IPC bin file and then the camera restarted. Second, I applied the Empire 5 Series bin file and it restarted.

I just tested this on one of my cameras it everything is fine. I did this using the camera UI and not the NVR UI. I will do the same one-by-one with all seven.

 

[crosis]

As a follow-up to this thread, Andy explained to me offline that you have to apply both bin files but in the correct order for the camera. For my IPC-T54IR-ZE-S3 cameras, I first applied the EmpireTech IPC bin file and then the camera restarted. Second, I applied the Empire 5 Series bin file and it restarted.

I just tested this on one of my cameras it everything is fine. I did this using the camera UI and not the NVR UI. I will do the same one-by-one with all seven.

Very interesting and encouraging. So to be clear, you own the same gear as mine:
NVR8CH-8P-2AI
IPC-T54IR-ZE-S3
... and you were able to firmware update the NVR and the IPC without issue? Would appreciate your exact setup before flashing. Forum suggests: Factory reset 3 times, Apply firmware, Factory reset 3 times. Seems excessive but understandable.

 

[H. Swanson]

Very interesting and encouraging. So to be clear, you own the same gear as mine:
NVR8CH-8P-2AI
IPC-T54IR-ZE-S3
... and you were able to firmware update the NVR and the IPC without issue? Would appreciate your exact setup before flashing. Forum suggests: Factory reset 3 times, Apply firmware, Factory reset 3 times. Seems excessive but understandable.

Exact same hardware. I reset the NVR before flashing but not the FULL reset; I retained my login and network settings.

Regarding the camera, I just reset it once and then updated the firmware. No issues.

 

[wittaj]

Exact same hardware. I reset the NVR before flashing but not the FULL reset; I retained my login and network settings.

Regarding the camera, I just reset it once and then updated the firmware. No issues.

Says the NOOB

Maybe everything is ok or maybe you are missing an option you don't know about LOL.

I recently got a new cam and that is when I will update if there is one available and I tried it without the factory resets just for kicks and several options were missing until I did the process.

 

[wittaj]

Here are issues I have seen people report here where they were upgrading just for the sake of upgrading:

• Dahua 5241E-Z12E that someone updated and then constantly reboots.
• Dahua 49225 and 49425 PTZ that Dahua intentionally removed autotracking with an update to force people to buy the more expensive PTZ.
• Hikvision DS-2DEA425IW-DW PTZ that Hikvision intentionally removed autotracking with an update to force people to buy the more expensive PTZ (*V5.7.3 220315 -Remove auto-tracking functions on DE4A).
• Hikvision ANPR camera losing half the FPS and loses the ability to read US plates - those are big deals to have happen, especially if you live in the USA.
• Hikvision ANPR DS-2CD4A26FWD camera that lost all ability to read plates - kinda makes a plate reader camera useless.
• Hikvision camera that the user lost ability to control the LED light function at night.
• Hikvision DS-7616NI-Q2 NVR that has the APIs changed. This is a big deal if you run automation.
• Hikvision DS-7616NI-K2 NVR that loses basic functionality when updated.
• Hikvision wifi camera that loses the ability to use wifi after a firmware update and was intentionally removed due to too many complaints that the camera was dropping signal.
• Dahua DH-DB61 Doorbell that loses API functionality. A big deal for someone with automation.
• Hikvision DS-2CD2387G2-LU that loses API functionality. A big deal for someone with automation.
• Hikvision iVM4200 v3.8 - loses the free ability to use the computer as storage and now need to subscribe.
• Dahua IPC-HFW1320S that started phoning home using 60MB/hr and costing someone thousands of dollars in data overages when he got his next mobile bill.
• Dahua 5442 that will not allow playback of the SD card.
• Dahua NVR58XX-4KS2 that had custom protocol (ability to add a camera via RTSP) removed possibly to force people to purchase same brand cameras.
• SmartPSS that intentionally removed the ability to use the Intercom for those with VTO devices after firmware version 2.02.08
• Countless other instances where the camera or NVR simply bricked and became useless.
• Countless examples where the camera or NVR went into Chinese.
• Manufacturers are now preventing their equipment to be updated with an older working firmware after it was updated to a more recent firmware.

Don't do it unless it is fixing a problem you are experiencing or adds a feature you really need.

Another thing to consider is that the same model could have different firmware for different chipsets used during the life of that model. So you run the risk of bricking if you do not know what chipset you have.

Here is an example - the HFW3549T1-AS-PV is available in 2 versions of firmware across 3 different chipsets for the same model camera:

• HFW3549T1-AS-PV-S4 uses the HX3XXX-Taurus firmware.
• HFW3549T1-AS-PV and IPC-HFW3549T1-AS-PV-S3 use the HX5XXX-Volt firmware

In this instance, Dahua added an S# designation after the model number (while Hikvision adds a C), but many do not and then you try to update with a firmware not compatible with your chipset and potentially brick it.

 

[H. Swanson]

Says the NOOB

That's Young Grasshopper to you

 

[wittaj]

Here is a thread where someone had updated 6 of his 5442-ZE cams just fine and the 7th one proved to be the problem one....

Did I Just Brick My Camera?

I have numerous IPC-T5442T-ZE cameras that I started purchasing in 2020. I have updated the firmware on 6 of the newer cameras using the web interface and Internet Explorer. It has always worked fine. Today I tried the same process with my oldest camera. It had its original firmware. I...

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