Upgrading NVR from Hikvision DS-7604NI-K1/4P(B)

[CheeseManChris]

Hi! I'm new here and hoping you can help.

I recently moved house and have inherited the previous owner's CCTV system. There are 3 external cameras being managed by a Hikvision DS-7604NI-K1/4P(B) NVR. I think the cameras are POE.

I'm looking to buy a more modern NVR that I can manage via a smartphone app but am not sure what to buy. I don't want to replace the cameras, just the NVR.

Any recommendations for a new NVR would be warmly received!

Thanks in advance.
Chris

 

[TonyR]

I'm not a Hikvision guru by any stretch but after close to 11 years on IPCT I've picked up some things. I'll let the Hikvision guys expound on this:

• If you want to use your Hik cams for now, it's best to stick with the same make NVR, a Hikvision.
• It is a POE NVR, albeit with only 4 channels. Now would be a good time to puchase a 8 channel unit or larger, even if you plan to add only 2 cams or none at all....you never know!
• Insure the new NVR will have the bandwidth to handle your existing cams plus any that you may add. Your existing cam are likely 2MP/1080P so 1 or 2 new 4MP cams (hopefully with 1/1.8" sensor) in the future can be added and recorded by the new NVR.
• Insure you know what the usernames and passwords for the existing cameras are.

 

[CheeseManChris]

I'm not a Hikvision guru by any stretch but after close to 11 years on IPCT I've picked up some things. I'll let the Hikvision guys expound on this:

• If you want to use your Hik cams for now, it's best to stick with the same make NVR, a Hikvision.
• It is a POE NVR, albeit with only 4 channels. Now would be a good time to puchase a 8 channel unit or larger, even if you plan to add only 2 cams or none at all....you never know!
• Insure the new NVR will have the bandwidth to handle your existing cams plus any that you may add. Your existing cam are likely 2MP/1080P so 1 or 2 new 4MP cams (hopefully with 1/1.8" sensor) in the future can be added and recorded by the new NVR.
• Insure you know what the usernames and passwords for the existing cameras are.

Thanks for the advice and speedy reply Tony, much appreciated

 

[wittaj]

Keep in mind - NO NVR should be MANAGED via a phone app.

The phone app is used for viewing live video and playback of events.

All management of the NVR is best done via the NVR GUI and a web browser, even brand new 2025 NVRs.

 

[lewic]

Determine what you want out of the system and what you want to improve on. Are you wanting more detections/AI that the current cameras/NVR aren't providing? Where are the cameras plugged into? Are they on the built in POE on the NVR or external POE switch? Do you know the password to the NVR/cameras? If the cameras are on the built in POE of the camera and added using "plug and play" then they would be using the same password of the NVR. If you don't have the password then you would probably need to reset the cameras either using software or press the hardware reset button on the cameras themselves.

You can either go with a new Hikvision or Hikvision OEM recorder which retains the detections/AI/metadata of the cameras. A newer recorder may have the ability to add some additional detections and AI to the existing camera by doing the processing on the NVR side. You can also go with a recorder of a different brand/ecosystem but you would most likely be adding those cameras in using ONVIF which means you won't have access to the camera's built in abilities from the recorder end.