Ascendent X5S Specification sheet

X5S/X4S
DVR & NVR
quick setup manual v1.0

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Table!of!Contents!
1 Setup! 3!
1.1!Important Installation Instructions! 3!
1.2!Device Setup! 4!
1.3!Connecting Cameras! 4!
1.4!Startup Wizard! 5!
1.4.1 DVR Startup Wizard! 5!
1.4.2 NVR Startup Wizard!11!
1.5 Camera Configuration Settings!17!
1.5.1 DVR - Encode Settings!17!
1.5.2 DVR - Motion Detection Setup!18!
1.5.3 DVR - Camera/Channel Names!19!
1.5.4!DVR - Camera Image Settings!19!
1.5.5!NVR - Encode, Motion Detection, Camera Names, Date & Time!20!
1.6 Recording Schedule!24!
2!Live View Features!26!
2.1!Basic Navigation!26!
2.1.1!Changing Views!26!
2.1.2!Navigation Bar!27!
2.1.3!Quick Menu!27!
2.2!PTZ Controls!29!
3!Playback Features!30!
3.1!Playback!30!
3.2 Digital Zoom!31!
3.3!Saving Video Clips!31!
3.4!Marking Video Clips!32!
4!Backup!32!
4.1!Backup to USB Drive or DVD Drive!32!
4.2!Playback Video Recordings on a PC!32!
5!Advanced Network Features!33!
5.1!Internet Browser Interface!33!
5.1.1!Internet Browser Setup!33!
5.1.2!Browser Interface!34!
5.2!ARMS Pro/HD Apps!35!
5.2.1!P2P Easy Config!35!
5.2.2!Custom Connections!36!
5.3!Connecting to the X5 Synergy VMS Software!37!
5.4!UPnP Settings!39!
5.5!DDNS Settings!40!

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Welcome
Thank you for purchasing our video surveillance recording device. This quick setup
manual is designed to help you set up and configure your Ascendent X5S/X4S DVR
or NVR. This manual covers both Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and Network
Video Recorders (NVRs), and some parts may not apply to both.
1 Setup
1.1 Important Installation Instructions
•All installations and operations should conform to your local electrical
safety codes.
•The product must be grounded to reduce the risk of electric shock.
•Ascendent assumes no liability or responsibility for fire or electrical shock
caused by improper use or installation.
•The recording device must be connected to an Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) with Auto Voltage Regulation (AVR) in order to protect from
fluctuations in power that can harm the device. Failure to use an AVR UPS
with the recording device will void its warranty.
•These devices should not be subjected heavy stress, vibration, liquids, or
very high humidity during transportation, storage, or operation.
•The device should be installed in a cool place that is away from direct
sunlight, flammable materials, explosive substances, etc. This device shall
be transported, stored and used only in these environments.
•Avoid extremely hot environments and any heat sources.
•Avoid high humidity environments.
•Install in an area with adequate ventilation; do not block any cooling vents
on the device. Do not install upside down or sideways. Handle with care.
•Do not apply power to the device before completing installation.
•Do not place objects on top of the device.
•Only use accessories recommended by the manufacturer. Before
installation, please open the package and ensure all the components are
not damaged.Contact your dealer immediately if something is damaged.
•All examination and repairs of the device should be performed by qualified
service technicians only. We are not liable for any problems caused by
unauthorized modifications or attempted repairs on devices.
•Improper use of battery may result in fire, explosion, or personal injury.
When replacing the internal battery, please be sure to replace with the
same type and model of battery.

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•Ascendent recommends changing the passwords of the user accounts
before setting up external network access (allowing remote access to the
internet).
1.2 Device Setup
Remove the DVR/NVR from the box and setup on a flat surface. Use the supplied
power adapter to plug into the back of the device and plug the adapter into a UPS.
Connect to a monitor using a VGA cable or HDMI cable. Connect the supplied
mouse into an empty USB port on the device. Press the power button/switch to
turn on the DVR/NVR. If you have an NVR, you will need to connect an ethernet
cable to the ethernet port on the back of the NVR to allow for connections to IP
cameras.
1.3 Connecting Cameras
DVR
If you have an analog,SDI or HDX DVR connect a BNC cable from the back of the
DVR to the camera’s BNC connector. Then connect the camera’s power adapter.
NVR
If you have an NVR and IP cameras you can power the cameras with regular power
supplies, or a PoE switch (with compatible PoE IP cameras). PoE IP cameras allow
for easy installations, as you can connect a single ethernet cable from the PoE
switch to the IP camera without requiring any other cabling. Connect an ethernet
cable from your switch to the same network that the NVR is connected to. See
example below.
Note: IP networks vary in size and complexity and may appear different than this
example.
**Note: Some NVRs may come with 4 or 8 PoE ports built into the back of the NVR.
If you are not familiar with advanced networking techniques, do not plug IP
cameras into these PoE ports as it will automatically change the cameras IP
addresses and put those cameras on an isolated network. When on that isolated
network, you will not be able to easily access those cameras on your main network
to setup camera settings like: scheduling, date & time, and motion detection
sensitivity.

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*You can change those camera settings by changing a computer’s (on the same
physical network) settings to:
IP address 10.1.1.x
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 10.1.1.1
Primary DNS: 8.8.8.8
Secondary DNS: 8.8.4.4
Then login to the IP camera using the web interface.
1.4 Startup Wizard
1.4.1 DVR Startup Wizard
The Startup Wizard will help you quickly setup your DVR. When you first start up
your device, the Startup Wizard window should appear. If it does not appear
automatically, right click and go to “Main Menu”, then under the Setup area click
“System”. In the “General” settings area, check the checkbox to the left of “Startup
Wizard”, then click the “Apply” button then the “OK” button. Now restart the device
by clicking the “Shut Down” button and choose “Restart”.
After the device restarts, the Startup Wizard will appear.
Click “Next Step”.

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Login using User Name: 888888 and Password: 888888
You will now see these settings:
You may change the “Device Name” and “Auto Logout” settings.

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Click “Date&Time”.
Set the correct date & time and select your time zone then click “Save”.
Set the DST (Daylight Savings Time) settings then click “Apply”. Click “Next Step”.

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This is where you set each camera resolution and quality settings for each of the
recording modes (Regular/MD/Alarm). Main stream settings are one the left, the
sub stream settings are on the right. Main stream the recorded resolution, sub
stream is used when viewing multiple cameras on one screen and for mobile
viewing to reduce bandwidth and processor usage.
Select the camera channel number or select “All”. We recommend setting the
resolutions to the highest size available on each camera. Select the compression
type (H.264H is better than H.264, which is better than H.264B).
Select “VBR” bit rate type and quality “6”. Use the following bit rate (Kb/S) setting
depending on camera resolution: CIF=512/768, D1=1024/2048, 720P=2048,
1080P=4096, 3MP 2052 x 1536=6144, 5MP 2592 x 1920=8192. These are
recommended bit rate settings, you may want to select a higher or lower bit rate
depending on your requirements. Higher bit rate settings will increase storage
usage, but may improve image quality.
Click “Apply” then click “Next Step”.

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Select the camera channel you want to set
recording schedules for, or select “All”, then
click the gear icon on the right. A new window
will open as shown in the picture below.
Here you may specify
up to 6 recording
periods and recording
types for each day. We
recommend using MD
(Motion Detection) as it
will only record when
there is motion
detected on a camera,
saving hard drive space,
and makes searching
for a incident much
easier.
In the example picture
above, the schedule is
set to record when
motion is detected
24hrs/day. Under Copy you may select other days to copy this schedule to when
the “Save” button is clicked.
“Regular” will record continuously (this will fill up your disk storage the fastest).
“Alarm” will record only when an external alarm device is triggered. “MD&Alarm”
requires motion detection and an external alarm device to be triggered before
recording.
When you have set your recording schedule, click “Save”, and “Next Step” in the
previous window.

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This page should be set as shown above. Click “Next Step”.
Under NETWORK you can configure your device’s IP address settings, you may
select “Static” and manually enter your network settings. If your your network
supports DHCP, you may click the DHCP box. This allows your router to assign an IP
address to your DVR automatically. Once you have entered your network
settings click “Finished”. The Startup Wizard is complete.

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1.4.2 NVR Startup Wizard
The Startup Wizard will help you quickly setup your NVR. When you first start up
your device, the Startup Wizard window should appear. If it does not appear
automatically, right click and go to “Main Menu”, then under the Setup area click
“System”. In the “General” settings area, check the checkbox to the left of “Startup
Wizard”, then click the “Apply” button then the “OK” button. Now restart the device
by clicking the “Shut Down” button and choose “Restart”.
After the device restarts, the Startup Wizard will appear.
Click “Next”.
Login using User Name: 888888 and Password: 888888

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You will now see these settings:
You may change the “Device Name” and “Auto Logout” settings. Click “Date&Time”
Set the correct date & time and select your time zone then click “Save”.
Set your DST (Daylight Savings Time) settings then click “Apply”. Click “Next”.

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If you have an NVR, you must set the IP address of the NVR in the same range as
your IP cameras.
Example: If your IP camera’s IP address is 192.168.0.120 the rest of you network
device IP addresses (including the NVR) will need to be 192.168.1.x to function
properly. Therefore if your router’s IP address is 192.168.0.1 and other network
devices are set in a range of 192.168.0.x but your NVR’s network settings are set to
IP address 192.168.1.223 with a default gateway of 192.168.1.1 (as shown in picture
above), then the IP camera will not be able to connect to the NVR. In that case you
would need to set your NVR’s network settings to 192.168.0.223 and the default
gateway to 192.168.0.1. Similarly if your IP camera was set to a 192.168.1.x IP
address and the network devices and NVR were set IP addresses in the range of
192.168.0.x then you would need to change the IP camera to be in the 192.168.0.x
IP range.
If your your network supports DHCP, you can click the DHCP box. This allows your
router to assign an IP address to your DVR automatically.
Note: When setting a device’s IP address, it is important to choose an address that
is not currently in use by another device. If two devices are assigned the same IP
address, this will cause a conflict and both devices may not function properly on
the network.
Click “Next”.

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Click “Device Search”.
A list of network devices should load in the top area of the window (as shown in
picture above). Using the check boxes on the left, select the IP cameras you would
like to record on the NVR, and click “Add”.

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The cameras will then be added below in the “Added Device” area. If the
connection to the IP camera is sucessful the round “Status” icon will change from
red (not connected) to green (connected). If the status icon stays red, click the
pencil “Modify” icon and ensure that the “User Name” and “Password” credentials
match the user name and password that are set on the IP camera. (usually set to
Username: admin Password: admin by default). Click “Next”.

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Select the camera channel you want to set
recording schedules for, or select “All”, then
click the gear icon on the right. A new
window will open as shown in the picture
below.
Here you may specify up to 6 recording periods and recording types for each day.
We recommend using MD (Motion Detection) as it will only record when there is
motion detected on a camera, saving hard drive space, and makes searching for a
incident much easier.
In the example picture above, the schedule is set to record when motion is
detected 24hrs/day. Under Copy you may select other days to copy this schedule
to when the “Save” button is clicked.
“Regular” will record continuously (this will fill up your disk storage the fastest).
“Alarm” will record only when an external alarm device is triggered. “MD&Alarm”
requires motion detection and an external alarm device to be triggered before
recording.
When you have set your schedule for recording, click “Save”, then click “Finish” in
the previous window. The Startup Wizard is complete.

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1.5 Camera Configuration Settings
1.5.1 DVR - Encode Settings
Right click -> “Main Menu” -> “Camera” -> “Encode”
This is where you set each camera resolution and quality settings for each of the
recording modes (Regular/MD/Alarm). Main stream settings are one the left, the
sub stream settings are on the right. Main stream the recorded resolution, sub
stream is used when viewing multiple cameras on one screen and for mobile
viewing to reduce bandwidth and processor usage.
Select the camera channel number or select “All”. We recommend setting the
resolutions to the highest size available on each camera. Select the compression
type (H.264H is better than H.264, which is better than H.264B).
Select “VBR” bit rate type and quality “6”. Use the following bit rate (Kb/S) setting
depending on camera resolution: CIF=512/768, D1=1024/2048, 720P=2048,
1080P=4096, 3MP 2052 x 1536=6144, 5MP 2592 x 1920=8192. These are
recommended bit rate settings, you may want to select a higher or lower bit rate
depending on your requirements. Higher bit rate settings will increase storage
usage, but may improve image quality. Click “Apply” then click “Save”.

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1.5.2 DVR - Motion Detection Setup
Right click -> “Main Menu” -> “Event” -> “Detect” -> “Motion Detect”
Use the following settings for each camera channel you require to have motion
detection. Make sure the “Enable” box is checked then click the “Region Setup”
button.
Using the mouse, add or remove areas that you want motion detection. A
tranparent red mask is added to motion detection enabled areas. If no red mask is
shown that area will not detect motion.
When you move your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, motion detection
sensitivity and threshold settings appear. We recommend these settings:
Sensitivity=50 Threshold=10. You may set multiple zones with different thresholds
by clicking “1,2,3,or 4” at the top of the page.

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1.5.3 DVR - Camera/Channel Names
Right click -> “Main Menu” -> “Camera” -> “Cam Name”
You may change camera names here.
1.5.4 DVR - Camera Image Settings
Use this area to adjust each camera’s saturation, brightness, contrast, and
sharpness settings.

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1.5.5 NVR - Encode, Motion Detection, Camera Names, Date & Time
Some IP cameras support remove configuration of encode, motion detection, and
camera name settings from the NVR. However for the best results and accuracy of
settings, they should be set on the IP camera directly via the web client interface
as shown below.
*Note: IP camera interfaces, menus, and settings will vary based on model.
Using Internet Explorer enter the IP address of the IP camera. Login with Username:
admin Password: admin (if the Username or Password have been changed this
does not apply).
Note: You will need to install an Active X control which may require allowing
unsigned Active X controls under Trusted Sites. See section 5.1.1 Internet Browser
Setup for more information on Active X installation.
Click the “Setup” tab near the top of web page. Click on “Event” on the left side,
then click “Video Detect”. Under the “Video Detect” tab, use the settings shown in
the following picture.