Amcrest NV2-HS Series User manual

NVR Quick Start Guide
Version 1.0.4
Revised November 24th, 2020

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Contents
Welcome................................................................................................................................3
Important Safeguards and Warnings ....................................................................................3
Hardware Setup.....................................................................................................................8
NVR Initialization.................................................................................................................10
Main Menu Overview...........................................................................................................19
Adjusting Camera Settings for Maximum Resolution, FPS, and Bitrate.............................20
Motion Detection, and Recording Setup .............................................................................22
Setting Up Email Alerts .......................................................................................................26
Setting Up Motion Alerts......................................................................................................27
Accessing Playback.............................................................................................................31
How To Upgrade System Firmware....................................................................................33
Computer Access Setup......................................................................................................33
Amcrest IP Config................................................................................................................34
Local interface method........................................................................................................34
Accessing the Web User Interface......................................................................................35
Accessing the Web User Interface Remotely .....................................................................36
Web Interface Walkthrough.................................................................................................38
Amcrest View Pro App Setup..............................................................................................39
Enabling P2P on the NVR...................................................................................................39
Amcrest View Pro Setup .....................................................................................................40
FCC Statement....................................................................................................................41
IC Warning Statement.........................................................................................................42
References & Contact Information......................................................................................42

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Welcome
Thank you for purchasing an Amcrest NVR!
Before installation and operation, please read the below safeguards and warnings carefully.
Many of the setup sections below have corresponding videos on YouTube To access the setup
videos, please go to http://amcrest.com/videos
NOTE: This document is applicable to all Amcrest 2XXXX-HS, 4XXXX-HS, and 5XXXX-HS
series NVRs.
This document provides a quick setup and overview of your Amcrest NVR and its features. For
access to a full user manual or further information regarding your device please visit:
http://amcrest.com/support
Important Safeguards and Warnings
●All installations and operations of the device should conform to your local electrical safety
codes.
●We assume no liability or responsibility for any of the fires or electrical shocks caused by
improper handling or installation.
●We are not liable for any problems caused by unauthorized modifications or attempted
repair.
●Do not submerge the device in water or install in areas with high levels of moisture or
humidity.
●Handle with care, avoid from dropping or placing the device in unsecure areas.
●The NVR does not have rack mount compatibility and should be used on flat surfaces.
Check Packaging
When you receive the NVR system in the packaging, unpack it, and check all sides of the NVR to
see if there is any physical damage. The protective materials used for the packaging of the NVR
will protect most accidental damage during transportation, but to ensure that your equipment is
operating as expected, it is recommended to inspect the product before proceeding.
On the NVR, check that the label on the bottom is not damaged. The serial number and model
number of the unit is needed to add the device to other Amcrest applications.
Please note that most Amcrest cameras come defaulted to H.264 encoding for maximum
compatibility when accessing your device in a web browser, or other third-party applications.
However, for optimal performance, the device’s compression and bitrate can be updated to
H.265 compression after the device has been initialized.
H.265 provides a more advanced technology than H.264 and allows the device to reduce file
sizes which in turn helps to reduce required bandwidth without sacrificing frames per second
(FPS) or resolution.
For more information on adjusting compression and bitrates, please refer to page 20, “Adjusting
Camera Settings for Maximum Resolution, FPS, and Bitrate”.
Front Panel
The front panel of the NVR may differ model to model. Below is a representation of the front
panel for the NV2XXX, NV2XXX-HS, NV4XXX, and NV4XXX-HS series NVR.

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NV2XXX, NV2XXX-HS Series NVR Front Panel
NV4XXX, NV4XXX-HS Series NVR
Icon
Name
Function
NET
Network Abnormality
When a network error occurs or there is no network
connection, this light turns red.
PWR
Power indicator
When the NVR is on, this light remains on.
HDD
HDD abnormal
indicator light
When an HDD error occurs, or the HDD capacity is below the
specified threshold value, this light turns red.
Rear Panel
The rear panel of the NVR may differ model to model. Below is a representation of the rear panel
for the NV2XXX, NV2XXX-HS, NV4XXX, and NV4XXX-HS Series.
PoE Ports
Non-PoE Ports
Applicable for Amcrest NV4232 and NV4232E-HS Series NVRs

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Front Panel
Name
Icon
Function
CD Drive
Use this button to open/close the built-in CD drive (if
applicable)
Power button
Power button press this button for three seconds to boot up
or shut down NVR.
Shift
Shift
In the textbox, click this button to switch between numeral,
English (Small/Capitalized), donation etc.
Up/1
Down/4

、
Activate current control, modify setup, and then move up and
down.
Increase/decrease numeral.
Assistant function such as PTZ menu.
Left/2 Right/3

Shift current activated control
ESC
ESC
Go to previous menu or cancel current operation.
When playback, click it to restore real-time monitor mode.
Rear Panel
PoE Ports
Non-PoE Ports
Port Name
Connection
Function
USB 2.0 port
USB2.0 port. Connect a mouse, USB storage device,
USB burner, etc.
Network port
10M/100Mbps self-adaptive Ethernet port. Connects to
the network.

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HDMI
High Definition
Media Interface
High definition audio and video signal output port.
It transmits uncompressed high definition video and
multiple-channel data to the HDMI port of the display
device. HDMI version is 1.4.
VGA
VGA video output
VGA video output port. Outputs analog video signal.
This connects to the monitor to view analog video.
GND
Ground end
Power input
Power socket.
For NVXXX series, inputs DC 12V/2A.
For NV4432 series, inputs DC 48V/1.25A.
For NVR41H-8P series, inputs DC 48V/2A.
MIC IN
Audio input
Bidirectional talk input port. This is used to receive the
analog audio signal from the devices such as a
microphone.
MIC OUT
Audio output
Audio output port. This is used to output the analog
audio signal to devices such as an amplifier.
Bidirectional talk output.
Audio output on 1-window video monitoring.
Audio output on 1-window video playback.
PoE PORT
PoE port
Built-in switch. Supports PoE.
For PoE series products, you can use this port to
provide power to the network cameras.
Applicable for Amcrest NV52XXX and NV52XXX-HS Series NVRs
Button
Icon
Description
Power Button
Press and hold this button for five seconds to shut off or power
on the NVR. Use the switch on the back of the NVR to initially
power the device.
USB
Front panel USB 2.0 Port.
Up/1,
Down/4
Activate current control, modify setup, move up and down in a
menu
Increase/decrease numeric functions.
Tilt camera up and down using PTZ menu (if applicable).
Left/2,
Right/3
Move left or right in a menu.
When viewing playback, use these buttons to scan forwards or
backwards.
Enter
OK
Confirm a current operation
Go to default button
Go to menu
Escape
ESC
Go to previous menu or cancel a current operation.
When using playback, used to restore real-time monitor mode.

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Record
REC
Manually stop/start a recording. Use the directional keys or
numeric keys to select the recording channel.
Shift
SHIFT
I In a textbox, click this button to switch between numeric
characters or provide capitalization to a word, etc.
Play/Pause/5
Click this button to pause or resume playback. In text mode,
input number 5.
Reverse
Playback/
Pause/6
During playback or pause mode, click this button to reverse
playback.
In reverse playback, click this button to pause. In text mode,
input number 6.
Fast Forward/7
Various fast speeds and normal playback. In text mode, input
number 7
Slow Motion/8
Multiple slow play speeds or normal playback. In text mode,
input
number 8.
Next/9
In playback mode, press to playback the next video. In menu
setup, go downward in a dropdown list. In text mode, input
number 9.
Previous/0
In playback mode, press this button to playback the previous
video. In text mode, input number 0.
Function
FN
One-window monitor mode, click this button to display assistant
function: PTZ control and image color.
Backspace function: in numeric control or text control, press
and hold for 2 seconds to delete the previous character before
the cursor.
In motion detection setup, working with FN and direction keys
to realize setup.
In text mode, press this button to switch between numeric,
capitalization, etc.
Rear Panel
The rear panel of the NVR may differ model to model. Below is a representation of the rear panel
for the NV52XX and NV52XX-HS series.
PoE Ports
NV52XX without PoE ports is shown below.
Non-PoE ports

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Port Name
Connection
Function
USB 2.0 port
USB 2.0 port. Connect a mouse, USB storage device, etc.
Network port
10M/100Mbps self-adaptive Ethernet port.
HDMI
HDMI Output
High definition audio and video signal output port.
VGA
VGA video
output port
VGA video output port. Outputs analog video signal. This
connects to the monitor to view analog video.
GND
Ground end
Power Port
DC12V, DC48V Depending on model.
MIC IN
Audio input port
Bidirectional talk input port. This is used to receive the analog
audio signal from the device such as a microphone.
MIC Out
Audio output
port
Audio output port. This is used to output the analog audio
signal to devices such as an external RCA speaker.
Bidirectional talk output.
Audio output on 1-window video monitoring.
Audio output on 1-window video playback.
PoE Ports
PoE ports
Built-in switch on certain compatible devices.
For PoE series products, you can use this port to provide
power to a PoE camera.
Hardware Setup
Before setting up the NVR, you will need the following items. These items may not be included:
●A computer monitor or TV with either an HDMI or VGA input
●A power strip with room for 4 large power plugs
●A hard drive for storing video recordings.
●A USB flash drive formatted to FAT 32 for importing/exporting configure or image files.
It is recommended to connect all components before mounting any of the cameras. This is to
ensure all components are working properly before they are physically installed. If any
components are not functioning, please contact Amcrest Support: https://amcrest.com/contacts
There will be two parts to this section:
1. Hard drive installation
2. Setting up the cable connections
A hard drive must be installed to record or save any footage. If no hard drive is installed, you
can only view the cameras from the NVR. If a microSD card is installed in the camera you can
still view the recordings from the microSD card using the Amcrest View Pro application and

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accessing the camera directly, however, no recordings will be retained to the NVR if a hard drive
is not installed.
Hard drive installation
A hard drive can be installed if you want to record and save data to the NVR. Having a hard drive
allows you to configure and use the recording functionality of the NVR to store and view events.
Most NVRs have connections for only one hard drive however some models have the option for
multiple hard drives inside the case. A hard drive used in these NVRs must be no larger than
8TB (Terabytes). To install your hard drive, the following is needed:
●A medium sized (regular) Phillips-head screwdriver - not included
●A hard drive - not included
●Four hard drive fastening screws - included
Note: Before installing the hard drive, make sure the NVR is powered off with the power
cable disconnected.
1. Loosen the screws on the
upper cover and side panel.
2. Attach four screws on the
hard drive (HDD). Do not fully
tighten, only tighten about 3
times.
3. place the HDD in
accordance with the four
holes on the bottom of the
casing.
4. Turn the NVR upside down
and place the screws in
firmly.
5. Tighten the HDD screws
firmly to the bottom of the
NVR.
6. Connect the HDD cable
and power cables to the
motherboard.
For further assistance on how to install the hard drive, feel free to contact us at:
https://amcrest.com/contacts
Setting Up the Cables
7. Place the cover back onto
the NVR in accordance with the
clip and place the upper cover
back onto the device.
8. Secure the screws on
the rear and side panels.

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The following instructions will show you how to set up the cables for the NVR, cameras, as well
as a monitor or TV screen.
To set up the cable connections, there are 5 major steps:
1. Connect a monitor or TV screen to your NVR. The NVR is compatible with any monitor or screen
that uses a VGA or HDMI connection. For purposes of this guide, we will use a VGA connection.
Take a VGA cable, and connect one end to the VGA port on your monitor/screen and the other
end to the VGA port on the back panel of your NVR.
2. Connect an Ethernet cable to your router.
Then, connect the other end of the cable to the Ethernet port on the back of the NVR.
3. Connect the cameras.
For PoE NVRs/cameras: connect an Ethernet cable to the Ethernet port attached to the camera.
Then, connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to a PoE port on the NVR.
Note: PoE cameras can either be powered with a PoE connection or with a standard power
adapter (sold separately). If the NVR does not come with PoE ports, connect the PoE camera to
a PoE compatible router or switch that is on the same network as the NVR.
For non-PoE NVRs/cameras: Connect the power adapter to the power port attached to the
camera.
Then, plug the adapter into a wall outlet or power strip.
4. Connect the NVR’s power adapter into the power port on the back of the NVR.
Note: If your NVR has a 3-prong power cord, connect the input of the cord into the power input of
the NVR.
5. Finally, connect the other end of the power cable into a wall outlet or power strip to turn on the
NVR. Some models may feature a power switch on the back which may need to be turned on to
power the device.
NVR Initialization
After applying power to the NVR, the system will turn on. Allow the NVR to finish loading. The
Device Initialization screen will appear. Select your location, language, and video standard then
click Next to continue.
Select your time zone as well as current date and time. Click Next to continue.
Enter Password
Create a new admin password for your NVR. The password for your device should be between 8
and 32 characters. A combination of letters, numbers, and symbols are recommended when
setting up your password.
Note: Please do not use special symbols like ‘ ‘ ; : &

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Once you have entered a new password for your device, confirm the password in the next field.
Lastly, you will be asked to enter a prompt question for your account. This is useful if you have
forgotten your password and would like an easier way of recovering your password. Please use a
prompt question that will help you remember the password for your device.
After you have completed this section, click Next to continue.
Unlock Pattern
This is an optional security measure for your device. To set an unlock pattern, use your mouse to
draw a design that you will remember. Draw the pattern again to confirm. If you do not want to
assign an unlock pattern, you can click ‘Skip’to skip this process.

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If you have assigned an unlock pattern, you will need to draw the pattern again to confirm your
assigned unlock pattern.
Password Protection
Additional means of password protection and retrieval can be set up in this menu. If you would
like to reset your password using your email, make sure the email address checkbox is enabled
and enter a valid email address in the Email Address field. The email address will be retained in
the system.
If you do not want to use an email address you can disable the email address option. As a
secondary means of recovering your password, you can apply security questions to your NVR.
To add a question, select a question from the drop-down menus for Question 1, Question 2,
and Question 3 and enter the answers to those questions in the Answer fields.
Once this section is complete, click on the Save button to save your information to the device.
Startup Wizard Walkthrough
The first page of the Startup Wizard will appear which allows you to setup any General, Network,
Remote Devices, and Record Control Settings for the NVR.
Before proceeding please note, most Amcrest products are H.265 compatible. H.265 provides a
more advanced technology than H.264 and allows the device to reduce file sizes which in turn
helps to reduce required bandwidth without sacrificing frames per second (FPS) or
resolution. However, for maximum compatibility when accessing your device in a web browser,
or other third-party applications, our H.265 compatible products will come factory default to
H.264.
For optimal performance, the device's compression can be upgraded to H.265 during the camera
registration process.
To begin the startup wizard, click Next.

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General
The first screen that appears in the startup wizard is the GENERAL menu. The General menu
allows you to edit the name of the NVR, display number of devices, languages, etc.
Once you are satisfied with the settings on this screen click Next to continue.
Date & Time
The Date & Time settings screen is used to set the date and time for your NVR. If you want to
utilize daylight savings time, click on the DST enable toggle switch. This should be enabled by
default. Click Next to continue.

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Note: Make sure to toggle the NTP toggle switch to the off position if you do not want to sync
your device to an NTP server.
Holiday
This screen allows the user to set and modify holiday settings which allows the NVR to record or
send snapshots based on specific schedules set by the user. Please note, a holiday record /
snapshot setup has a higher priority than an ordinary date record/snapshot setup plan. Below is a
screenshot of the Holiday settings screen:
To add a holiday schedule to your NVR, click on the Add Holidays button. This will take you to
an “Add Holidays” screen. Name the holiday you would like to add and select a mode, range,
start time, and end time. If you would like to add more holidays, click on the Add More toggle
switch, and repeat the process. Click Add to add the holiday(s). Click Next to continue.
Network
The next screen that appears will be the Network, or TCP/IP screen. Unless you have a specific
reason to change these settings, it is best to leave them as they are. Please note, the IP
address for the NVR will be the address used to access your NVR’s web user interface on
a laptop or PC.
Click the Test to test the overall health and status of your network connection once complete,
click the Back button to return to the previous menu.
To continue with the startup wizard, click Next.

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P2P
The next screen that appears is the P2P screen. This screen allows you to connect your NVR to
your mobile device via the Amcrest View Pro app. The P2P status should read as “Online”. To
download the app, use your mobile device’s camera and scan the Cell Phone Client QR code.
When using the app, use the SN QR Code for quick access to the serial number for your NVR.
Click the Next to continue.

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Camera Registration
The next screen that appears is the Camera Registration screen. This is where you can begin
adding cameras to the NVR. If the cameras are not directly connected to the back of the NVR,
please make sure they are active and on the same network as the NVR before proceeding.
To begin adding a device, click on Device Search to allow the NVR to scan for connected
devices on your network.
A list of applicable connected devices will show on the screen. Select your devices by clicking on
the checkbox next to the device and click Add to add the device into the Added Devices menu.

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If the status of your camera is red, it indicates the camera is not properly connected to the NVR.
This could be because the password for the camera is not entered properly in the system.
To modify the password for your camera, click on the edit icon (pencil) located in the Edit column
in the Added Device menu.
Select the Password field and use the onscreen keyboard to enter the password for your
camera. Once the password has been entered, click Connect then click Save to continue.
Note: If this is a new device and a password has not been added the password will be admin.
Once the password has been properly set the Status indicator will turn green indicating the
camera has been properly added.

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As previously stated, our H.265 compatible products will come factory defaulted to H.264
compression, but for increased performance, the camera's settings can be automatically
switched to H.265 compression. Switching to H.265 compression reduces bandwidth without
sacrificing frames per second or resolution. To activate H.265 compression, click on the
H.265 Auto Switch.
For more information on H.265 compression, please visit: amcrest.com/support
Click on Next to proceed.
Schedule (Rec)
The next screen you will see is the Rec screen which allows you to set recording schedules for
regular (24/7 continuous recordings), motion detection, alarm, motion & alarm, and POS
recording types. For more information on setting a recording schedule, please see section,
“Setting Up Recording Schedules”.

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Click Next to continue.
This will take you to the snapshot settings for scheduled recordings. This screen is used similarly
to the Rec menu only it pertains only to snapshot events. Once you have scheduled your events,
click on the OK button to continue.
Once the setup process is finished you should see a dialog box indicating the startup wizard is
finished. Click Save to continue
The next screen you will see will be the video wall screen which will display all connected
devices. Right click on the video wall and click on the ‘Main Menu’from the selections to access
the main menu.
Main Menu Overview
The screenshot below is the main menu screen for the Amcrest NVR console interface:
Below are short descriptions for each of the menu items on the main menu:
PLAYBACK: View, search, and play recorded videos.
ALARM: View and search live alarm information. Configure alarm event actions.

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OPERATION: View system information, system updates. Import/export configuration files, etc.
BACKUP: Search and backup files using a USB flash drive.
DISPLAY: Configure resolution and display settings.
AUDIO: Configure audio announcements and import audio files.
Management
CAMERA: Add, search, review or edit settings for each camera, including video settings (e.g.
quality, bit rate, color, etc.).
NETWORK: Review and edit TCP/IP, connection, DDNS, Email settings, etc (e.g. P2P, UPnP,
Multicast, etc.)
STORAGE: Set motion detection schedules, as well as access the hard drive management
interface, FTP, etc.
SYSTEM: Review and edit general system settings such as, video standards, date & time, as
well as adjust firewall settings.
ACCOUNT: Add or remove shared user settings, groups, as well as ONVIF users. Reset security
questions and update reset password email.
Adjusting Camera Settings for Maximum Resolution, FPS, and Bitrate
Most Amcrest products are H.265 compatible. H.265 provides a more advanced technology than
H.264 and allows the camera to reduce file sizes which in turn helps to reduce required
bandwidth without sacrificing frames per second (FPS) or resolution. However, for maximum
compatibility when accessing your device in a web browser, or other third-party applications, our
H.265 compatible products will come factory default to H.264. For optimal performance, the
device's settings can be upgraded to H.265 compression if needed.
Please note, for higher performance as well when using H.265 compression it is recommended
to adjust bitrate. The bitrate is the number of bits that are processed per unit time by the system
and helps the system to create a tradeoff between bandwidth and image quality.
How to Adjust to H.265 Compression
If the auto switch for H.265 compression was not selected in the camera registration process, the
setting can be adjusted manually. On the Main Menu, under Management, click on Camera.