GeoVision GV-VMS User manual

Quick Start Guide
GV-VMS
Thank you for purchasing GV-VMS. This guide is designed to assist the new user
in getting immediate results from the GV-VMS. For advanced information on how
to use the GV-VMS, please refer to GV-VMS User's Manual online. VMS1718-QG-A
© 2022GeoVision Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2022GeoVision, Inc. All rights reserved.
Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part,
without the written consent of GeoVision.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is
accurate. GeoVision, Inc. makes no expressed or implied warranty of any kind
and assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. No liability is assumed
for incidental or consequential damages arising from the use of the information
or products contained herein. Features and specifications are subject to
change without notice.
GeoVision, Inc.
9F, No. 246, Sec. 1, Neihu Rd.,
Neihu District, Taipei, Taiwan
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.geovision.com.tw
Trademarks used in this manual: GeoVision, the GeoVision logo and GV
series products are trademarks of GeoVision, Inc. Windows is the registered
trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
March 2022
Scan the following QR codes for product warranty and technical support
policy:
[Warranty] [Technical Support Policy]

i
GV-VMS Licensing
GV-VMS is a comprehensive video management system, and requires a purchased license
starting from V18.1, that records up to 64 channels of GeoVision and/or third-party IP
devices. Make sure your purchased GV-Dongle or software license has been inserted into or
activated on the PC prior to running GV-VMS.
IMPORTANT:
1. For users who have purchased a software license, it must be registered through the
License Activation Tool using the corresponding serial key. For details on software
licensing, click here.
2. For users with GV-US dongle of earlier versions of GV-VMS, it must be upgraded to run
V18.1 or later.

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Contents
GV-VMS Licensing .................................................................................i
Contents ................................................................................................ii
Chapter 1 Introduction.........................................................................1
1.1 License.................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Minimum System Requirements.............................................................................. 3
1.3 Minimum Network Requirements............................................................................. 4
1.4 Installing GV-VMS ................................................................................................... 5
1.5 Running GV-VMS.................................................................................................... 6
1.6 Main Screen of GV-VMS ......................................................................................... 7
Chapter 2 Getting Started....................................................................8
2.1 Adding IP Cameras to GV-VMS .............................................................................. 8
2.2 Accessing Camera Live View .................................................................................. 9
2.3 Start Monitoring ......................................................................................................10
Chapter 3 Camera Setup....................................................................11
3.1 Configuring Recording Settings ..............................................................................11
3.2 Configuring Camera Settings..................................................................................12
Chapter 4 Live View ...........................................................................16
4.1 Arranging Live View Layouts ..................................................................................16
4.2 Functions on the Live View.....................................................................................17
4.2.1 Zoom Window ..............................................................................................18
4.2.2 Scan Window ...............................................................................................18
4.2.3 Popup Window .............................................................................................19
4.2.4 Focus View and PIP .....................................................................................20
4.3 Setting up Fisheye Cameras ..................................................................................21
4.4 Setting up PTZ Cameras ........................................................................................21

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Chapter 5 Video Processing.............................................................23
Chapter 6 Video Playback and Backup ...........................................24
6.1 Playing Back Recorded Videos ..............................................................................24
6.2 Backing Up Recorded Videos.................................................................................26
Chapter 7 Other Important Features................................................27
7.1 Setting up I/O Functions .........................................................................................27
7.2 Setting up Schedules..............................................................................................29
Chapter 8 Dongle Upgrade ................................................................31

Introduction
1
1
Chapter 1 Introduction
Welcome to the GV-VMS Quick Start Guide. Through this guide, you will learn the basic
settings of GV-VMS. For the complete instructions, refer to GV-VMS User’s Manual.
1.1 License
GV-VMS V17 (Free 32 GV Channels)
GV-VMS V17 series supports connection of up to 64 IP devices, and up to 32 channels of
GeoVision IP Devices are for free. If you need to connect more than 32 channels of
GeoVision IP Devices or connect with third-party IP devices, additional licenses are required.
Supported Devices Channels License
32 ch No license required
GV-IP Devices Only 64 ch GV-VMS Pro license required, 32 ch per license
16 ch Trial Version: 16 channels of 3rd-Party IP devices
32 ch 3rd-Party or HD DVR license required, in increments of 1
ch
GV + 3rd-Party IP
Devices
64 ch
2 licenses required:
• GV-VMS Pro license, 32 ch per license.
• 3rd-Party or HD DVR license, in increments of 1 ch.
Note:
1. The licensing comes in two forms: GV-USB dongle and software license. The two are
incompatible. If a GV-USB dongle has been inserted on the computer with the system,
please remove it before using software licensing.
2. GV-USB dongle comes in internal and external dongles. Internal dongle is recommended
for the Hardware Watchdog function, which restarts the PC when Windows crashes or
freezes.
3. GeoVision offers a 60-day trial period that allows you to connect to 16 channels of third-
party IP devices without license. Currently, you cannot remotely access the trial channels
using remote applications.
Note for GV-VMS V17.4.5:
1. The HD DVR license is only supported by GV-VMS V17.4.5 now.
2. The HD DVR license is required for connecting UA-XVR and UA-XVL series (only
analog channels supported)
3. The 3rd-Party license is required for connecting UA-IP cameras.

2
GV-VMS V18 (for AI Integration)
GV-VMS V18.1 or later is a paid software for AI integration that supports connection of up to
64 IP devices, and can connect up to 32 GeoVision IP devices upon initial purchase. If you
need to connect more than 32 channels of GeoVision IP devices or connect with third-party
IP devices, additional licenses are required.
Supported Devices Channels License
32 ch Initial license
GV-IP Devices Only 64 ch
2 licenses required:
• GV-VMS V18.1 or later initial license
• GV-VMS Pro license, 32 ch per license
32 ch
2 licenses required:
• GV-VMS V18.1 or later initial license
• 3rd-Party license required, in increments of 1 ch
GV + 3rd-Party IP
Devices
64 ch
3 licenses required:
• GV-VMS V18.1 or later initial license
• GV-VMS Pro license, 32 ch per license
• 3rd-Party license, in increments of 1 ch
Note:
1. The licensing comes in two forms: GV-USB dongle and software license. The two are
incompatible. If a GV-USB dongle has been inserted on the computer with the system,
please remove it before using software licensing.
2. GV-USB dongle comes in internal and external dongles. Internal dongle is recommended
for the Hardware Watchdog function, which restarts the PC when Windows crashes or
freezes.

Introduction
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1
1.2 Minimum System Requirements
Below are the minimum PC requirements for connecting GV-VMS with 32 and 64 channels of
GeoVision and 3rd party IP cameras (dual streams).
GV-VMS V17
CPU GV-VMS
(Up to 32 Channels)
GV-VMS Pro
(Up to 64 Channels)
OS 64-bit Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 / 11 / Server 2008 R2 / Server 2012 R2
/ Server 2016 / Server 2019
CPU 4th Generation i5-4670, 3.4 GHz 4th Generation i7-4770, 3.4 GHz
Memory 8 GB RAM 16 GB RAM
Processor Graphics To obtain the maximum frame rate possible, see GPU Decoding
specifications here.
Note:
1. To use the fisheye dewarping function, the graphic card must support DirectX 10.1 or
above.
2. The system requirements are determined in round-the-clock recording mode with live view
only, while remote connections and video analysis features being disabled.
3. H.265 decoding requires 6th Generation Intel Desktop Processor (Skylake) or above,
which comes with onboard GPU.
GV-VMS V18
CPU GV-VMS
(Up to 32 Channels)
GV-VMS Pro
(Up to 64 Channels)
OS 64-bit Windows 10 / 11 / Server 2016 / Server 2019
CPU 4th Generation i5-4670, 3.4 GHz 4th Generation i7-4770, 3.4 GHz
Memory 8 GB RAM 16 GB RAM
Processor Graphics To obtain the maximum frame rate possible, see GPU Decoding
specifications here.
Note:
1. To use the fisheye dewarping function, the graphic card must support DirectX 10.1 or
above.
2. The system requirements are determined in round-the-clock recording settings with live
view only, while remote connections and video analysis being disabled.
3. H.265 decoding and searching of face recognition events by face images requires 6th
Generation Intel Desktop Processor (Skylake) or above, which comes with onboard GPU.

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1.3 Minimum Network Requirements
The data transmitting capacity of GV-VMS depends on the number of Gigabit connections
available. The numbers of Gigabit network cards required to connect 64 channels are listed
below according to the resolution and codec of the source video.
Codec Resolution
Bitrate
Used
(Mbps)
Total FPS
for 64 ch
Gigabit Network
Cards Required
Max. Channels
Supported per
Network Card
1.3 MP 5.05 1920 1 Max. 64 ch / card
2 MP 7.01 1920 1 Max. 64 ch / card
3 MP 10.48 1280 1 Max. 64 ch / card
4 MP 11.65 960 2 Max. 50 ch / card
5 MP 16.48 640 2 Max. 38 ch / card
8 MP 17.14 1600 2 Max. 38 ch / card.
H.264
12 MP 16.67 960 2 Max. 38 ch / card
3 MP
7.06 1920 1 Max. 64 ch / card
H.265 4 MP 9.44 1600 1 Max. 64 ch / card
5 MP
7.52 1920 1 Max. 64 ch / card
1.3 MP 32.36 1920 3 Max. 22 ch / card
2 MP 44.96 1920 4 Max. 16 ch / card
3 MP 38.73 1280 4 Max. 18 ch / card
4 MP 40.35 960 4 Max. 17 ch / card
5 MP 30.48 640 3 Max. 22 ch / card
8 MP 58.52 1600 6 Max. 12 ch / card
MJPEG
12 MP 65.98 960 6 Max. 11 ch / card
Note: The network requirements may vary depending on the bitrate of the streams.

Introduction
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1
1.4 Installing GV-VMS
Before You Start
For optimal performance of your system, it is important to follow these recommendations
before installing the GV-VMS:
It is highly recommended to use separate hard disks; one for installing Windows OS and
GV-VMS, while the other for storing recorded files and system logs.
When formatting the hard disks, select NTFS as the file system.
When GV-VMS is running, it is not recommended to perform disk defragmentation at the
same time.
Since the size of transmitted data from IP cameras may be quite large and reach
beyond the transfer rate of a hard disk, you should note the total of recording frame
rates that you can assign to a single hard disk when single-stream (Main or Sub stream)
recording is applied, as listed below:
Frame rate limit in a single hard disk with single-stream recording applied
H.264 H.265
Video Resolution Frame Rate
(fps)
Bitrate
(Mbps)
Frame Rate
(fps)
Bitrate
(Mbps)
1.3 MP (1280 x 1024) 660 5.05 N/A N/A
2 MP (1920 x 1080) 660 7.01 N/A N/A
3 MP (2048 x 1536) 440 10.48 660 5.35
4 MP (2048 x 1944) 330 11.65 550 7.74
5 MP (2560 x 1920) 220 16.48 660 6.73
8 MP (3840 x 2120) 550 14.13 N/A N/A
12 MP (4000 x 3000) 330 14.47 N/A N/A
Note: The data above was determined using the bitrate listed above, hard disks with
average R/W speed above 110 MB/s, and with single-stream recording (Main or Sub
stream) recording is applied.
Recording Main and Sub streams together will require significantly more hard drive space
than single-stream recording. When single- stream (either Main or Sub stream) recording is
applied, up to 22 channels can be assigned to one hard disk. But when dual-stream (Main
and Sub streams) recording is enabled, only up to 11 channels can be recorded to one hard
disk.
The frame rate limit is based on the resolution of video sources. The higher the resolutions,
the lower frame rates you can assign to a single hard disk. In other words, the higher the
frame rates you wish to record, the more hard disks you’ll need to. For detailed information of
recording frame rates, refer to the user’s manual of the IP camera that you wish to connect to.

6
Installing GV-VMS
1. Download GV-VMS by selecting Primary Applications from the drop-down list and
clicking Download of GV-VMS on GeoVision’s website.
2. If you are using a USB dongle, insert the dongle to your computer. See 1.1 License for
connections requiring dongle license(s).
3. To install USB driver, select Driver, F/W, Patch from the drop-down list and click
Download of GV-Series Card Driver / GV-USB Device Driver.
To verify the driver is installed correctly, go to Windows Device Manager and
expand DVR-Devices. You should see the GV-Series USB Protector.
1.5 Running GV-VMS
1. When you run GV-VMS for the first time, the system will prompt you for a Supervisor ID
and Password.
2. Type the desired ID, Password and a Hint to remind you of the password.
3. Optionally click E-Mail List to enter e-mail addresses used to receive the password
when forgotten.
4. Click OK. The main screen of GV-VMS and a dialog box appears.
5. To choose how to save your system database, select Microsoft Office Access
Database or Microsoft SQL Server and fill out the required fields.
6. Upon first-time starting of the GV-VMS, you are prompted with the Automatic Setup
dialog box to assist you in quickly adding IP devices to the GV-VMS

Introduction
7
1
1.6 Main Screen of GV-VMS
In the main screen of GV-VMS, the main setting buttons are located in the top-right corner.
Home
ViewLog
ToolbarLogin ID
Exit
Storage Space
Version Information
Audio
Name Description
Login ID Click to manage accounts and passwords for accessing GV-VMS.
Audio Click to control the volume of your PC.
Home Shows the live view of connected cameras.
ViewLog Shows a timeline of recorded events for playback.
Toolbar
Brings up these options when Home is selected:
Monitor: Start / Stop monitoring, I/O monitoring and schedule monitoring
Network: Enable Webcam Server and connection to other GeoVision software.
Tools: Show / hide volume indicator and set up Object Index.
Configure: Set up camera, recording, system, schedule, video processing and I/O
devices.
Content List: Configure live view layout, of cameras, I/O devices and E-Maps.
Brings up these options when ViewLog is selected:
Display Play Panel: Display / Hide the ViewLog timeline.
Tools: Manage event search, system log, event backup and event export.
Configure: Apply video effects and text overlay during playback.
Content List: Manage playback layout and access camera list.
Exit Click to Minimize or Exit GV-VMS.

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Chapter 2 Getting Started
2.1 Adding IP Cameras to GV-VMS
When logging in for the first time after installing GV-VMS, the Automatic Setup dialog box
appears. Follow the steps below to add IP cameras.
1. Click Automatic Setup to search for IP cameras on the LAN. Then select / deselect the
desired cameras and click Apply.
2. The default login information for cameras is admin / admin. Double-click the camera to
modify the login info of cameras if needed.
3. Cameras added are now listed in the IP Device List.
Status icons illustrated:
Connected The camera is connected.
Connecting GV-VMS is trying to connect to the camera.

Getting Started
9
2
Connection Failed Unable to connect to the camera. Move the cursor onto the red
icon to see the error message.
Inactive Camera The camera is inactive. Click the checkbox to connect.
Started Monitoring The camera is under monitoring.
Pre-Rec Enabled Pre-recording is enabled.
4. To adjust camera settings, click Setup next to the camera. Refer to 3.2 Configuring
Camera Settings for details.
5. Close the dialog box by clicking X in the top-right corner. When adding camera for the
first time, the cameras will be automatically assigned to the live view grid.
Note:
1. You can also access the IP Device Setup dialog box by clicking Home > Toolbar
> Configure > Camera Install.
2. If your camera was not detected during the scan in Automatic Setup, you can click the
Manual Setup button to type the camera connection information manually.
2.2 Accessing Camera Live View
After adding cameras, you can access camera live view by dragging the camera in the
Content List to the live view grid.
Click Home > Toolbar > Content List . Then click Camera to see the list of
cameras added, and drag the desired cameras to the live view grid.
For details, see Chapter 4 Live View in this Quick Start Guide.

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2.3 Start Monitoring
After setting up cameras and the live view, be sure to start monitoring the cameras to
activate the following functions.
Recording (See Section 3.1)
Video Analysis (See Chapter 5)
I/O Applications (See Section 7.1)
To start monitoring of connected cameras, click Toolbar > Monitor > Start All
Monitoring or select individual cameras.
To see how to access recorded videos, refer to Chapter 6 Video Playback and Backup.
Note: If you have set a schedule, you can select Start Schedule Monitoring. The
schedule takes precedence and the functions listed above will enable and disable
accordingly. See 7.2 Setting up Schedules.

Camera Setup
11
3
Chapter 3 Camera Setup
3.1 Configuring Recording Settings
To configure the recording settings of connected cameras, click Home > Toolbar >
Configure > System Configure > Record Setting.
1. Select the camera(s) you want to configure.
2. Under Record Type, select Disable, Motion Detection or Round-the-Clock.
3. You can set different recording frame rates. Select Urgent Event to record in full frame
rate or General Event to record only the key frames.
The frame rate for General Event and Urgent Event can be defined in the camera’s
General Setting page. See General Setting in 3.2 Configuring Camera Settings. Normally,
you would set a higher frame rate for Urgent Events (e.g. full frame) and a lower frame
rate for General Events (e.g. key frame only).
Note: By default, the recording mode is set to Motion Detection and the Recycle function is
enabled with the Recycle Threshold set to 32 GB.
4. If there are more than one storage locations, click the next to Storage to specify
where to store the recorded videos. To configure storage settings, click Add Log
Location.

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5. Under Stream, select the stream(s) you want to record. By default, Main Stream is set to
record high-resolution video images, while Sub Stream records lower-resolution video
images. Select Main Stream and Sub Stream to record both streams simultaneously.
For details on Motion Detection settings, see Setting up Motion Detection, Chapter 1, GV-
VMS User’s Manual.
3.2 Configuring Camera Settings
To configure camera settings, click the Setup button of an active camera in the IP Device
List. The settings available vary depending on the camera’s firmware and whether the
camera is connected or not.
There are three setup dialog boxes in the left menu of the camera’s setting dialog box: Video
Setting, Audio Setting, and General Setting. Clicking the Finger button to apply the
same settings to all connected cameras.
[Video Setting]
In Video Setting, you can configure the camera name, codec, frame rate, GOP, bitrate,
resolution, trigger output, lens, video attributes and image orientation of the camera. Note
that changes made to the Video Setting dialog box will change the settings on the IP camera.

Camera Setup
13
3
[Audio Setting]
In Audio Setting, you can configure audio functions for live view and recording, which are
disabled by default.
1. To listen to the audio around the camera, enable Wave Out.
2. To record the audio around the camera, enable Rec Audio and select By Sensitivity or
Round-the-Clock.
Note: After Wave Out is enabled here, you can enable audio on the live view of the camera
by clicking the Tools icon and select Set to Wave Out.

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[General Setting]
In General Setting, you can configure network timeout, on-demand display, live view frame
rate, and recording frame rate settings.
Set live view frame rate
Set recording frame rate
1. Under Live view frame rate control (Main / Sub Stream), you can set the live view frame
rate.
When using MJPEG, every frame is a key frame, so you can specify the number of
key frames to decode for live view.
When using H.264 / H.265, only 1 key frame is transmitted per Group of Pictures
(GOP), so you can decode Key frames only to omit all intermediate frames or
Max. frame to include key frames and all intermediate frames.
Note:
1. The GOP setting can be configured in the Video Setting page (Video Setting, 3.2
Setting Camera Setting). A GOP of 30 means that there is 1 key frame for every 30
frames, so an IP device with a frame rate of 30 fps will have 1 key frame per second.
2. You can change the camera’s main stream and sub stream to H.264,H.265 or
MJPEG in the Video Setting page (Video Setting, 3.2 Setting Camera Setting). After
changing codec, you need to click OK to apply the change before switching to the
General Setting. Note that changing the camera’s main stream and sub stream to
H.264,H.265 or MJPEG will affect the frame rate setting options under General
Setting.

Camera Setup
15
3
2. Under Recording frame rate control, define the recording frame rates for Urgent event
and General event. Refer to the step above for details. Make sure the related settings
are configured accordingly in the Recording Settings dialog box as described in step 3
of 3.1 Configuring Recording Settings.
For details on Video Setting, Audio Setting, and General Setting, see Configuring Individual
IP Cameras, Chapter 2, GV-VMS User’s Manual.