Super Circuits MDVR-14 User manual

Mini Security Recorder
User Manual
Product: MDVR14
Please read this manual before using your recorder, and always follow the
instructions for safety and proper use. Save this manual for future reference.
LE_MDVR14_RM

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CAUTION
Operate this recorder only in environments where the temperature is within the recommended
range, 41°F ~ 113°F. Operation in extreme temperatures or humidity may cause electric shock
and shorten the life of the product.
CAUTION
Do not drop the product or subject it to strong shocks. And never expose the product to long
periods of strong light. Otherwise, malfunctions may occur.
CAUTION
Do not spill liquid of any kind on the product. If it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Alcohol
and other beverages can contain minerals that corrode the electronic components.
LEGAL NOTICE
Supercircuits products are designed to meet safety and performance standards with the use of specic
Supercircuits authorized accessories. Supercircuits disclaims liability associated with the use of non-
Supercircuits authorized accessories.
The recording, transmission, or broadcast of any person’s voice without their consent or a court order is
strictly prohibited by law.
Supercircuits makes no representations concerning the legality of certain product applications such as
the making, transmission, or recording of video and/or audio signals of others without their knowledge
and/or consent. We encourage you to check and comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws
and regulations before engaging in any form of surveillance or any transmission of radio frequencies.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming
the marks and names or their products. Supercircuits, Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in
trademarks and trade names other than its own.
No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the
express written permission of Supercircuits, Inc.
© 2010 Supercircuits, Inc. All rights reserved.
11000 N. Mopac Expressway, Building 300, Austin, TX 78759
Sales/Support: 1.800.335.9777 | Fax: [phone]

iiiMini Security Recorder User Manual
Table of Contents
SECTION 1 Features .......................................................1
1.1 System Configuration ........................................1
1.2 Front panel buttons and indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Side panel components .......................................3
1.4 SD card slot ................................................3
SECTION 2 Installation and Setup ............................................4
2.1 What’s in the box ............................................4
2.2 What you need ..............................................4
2.3 Installation and power on ......................................4
2.4 Configuration menus .........................................5
SECTION 3 Operation .....................................................16
3.1 Live mode ................................................16
3.2 Record mode ..............................................17
3.3 Playback mode .............................................18
3.4 Playback using a PC .........................................20
3.5 SC card maintenance ........................................21
3.6 Firmware updates ..........................................22
SECTION 4 Specifications ..................................................23

1Mini Security Recorder User Manual
SECTION 1
Features
The MDVR14 is a solid-state audio and video digital video recorder in a cigarette-size package. It is an
ideal recording device for covert concealment in objects. Features include:
• Support for 1 video channel and 1 audio channel for recording and playback
• Audio and video data recorded directly to an SD card
• Audio and video data are recorded in ASF le format, playable with popular media players
• Record time is about 5 hours for 352 x 240 @ 30 fps with a 1 GB SD card.
• Supports manual, motion detection, and schedule recording modes with independent video size,
quality, and frame rate. Motion detection recording supports multiple detection blocks and motion
trigger levels.
• Supports key-lock functions
• Video loss detection
• Contains MPEG4-SP video and G.726 audio codecs
• Use with a DC power adaptor, or nickel metal hydride (NiMH) or alkaline batteries
1.1 System Conguration
The MDVR14 connects video from a CCTV camera to a monitor, and can be triggered in several different
ways to record video and audio to an SD card. A basic system consists of the MDVR14 with a camera,
monitor, power adapter (or batteries), and interconnecting cables.
SECTION 1: FEATURES

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1.2 Front panel buttons and indicators
Table 1. Front panel keys and indicators
Power LED The unit is powered on.
Play LED The unit is in Play mode.
Menu/Lock LED LED is lit when the key lock function is ON. Press Menu and Enter together to switch the key lock
function ON and OFF.
Rec LED
When the SD card is writing data during recording, the Rec indicator ashes slowly. When the SD card
is switched to “read only”, the recording function is disabled and the Rec indicator ashes quickly.
If attempting to record when an SD card is not inserted, is full, damaged, or locked (in read-only mode)
the Play LED, Menu/Lock LED, and Rec LED ash quickly. Press Enter to clear the indication.
Stop/Exit button Stop recording or playback and exit menu.
Rec button Press to start manual recording.
p and q buttons Move cursor up and down in menus or increment/decrement the value of conguration options.
t / – and u / +
buttons
During Playback – press to fast rewind and fast forward. Press repeatedly to speed back or forward
During pause – press to step back or step forward one frame at a time.
Menu mode – press to change selected option
8 Enter button
Menu – press to enter a submenu
Press to release a warning indication.
During monitoring or playback, pressed with the Menu button to switch key lock function ON or OFF.
V Display button Display Status line ON/OFF
}; Play/Pause
button
During Monitoring – press for playback
During Playback – press for pause
During Pause – press for playback
2 Menu button Press to enter menu setup mode.
SECTION 1: FEATURES

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SECTION 1: FEATURES
1.3 Side panel components
AV IN
Battery
Compartment
DC/BATT
Switch
AV OUT
DC 5V IN
Adapter
Input
The AV IN and AV OUT jacks require cables with a stereo mini-plug.
The DC 5V IN jack is used with the DC power adapter. When using a power adapter set the DC/BATT
switch to DC.
1.4 SD card slot
The SD card slot is located at the top of the recorder. An SD card is required for recording.
SD Card Slot

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
SECTION 2
Installation and Setup
2.1 What’s in the box
Your recorder includes the following:
• Mini DVR recorder
• A/V cables (2)
• DC power adapter
• User manual (this document)
• Quick installation guide
2.2 What you need
To install the recorder, you will need:
• CCTV camera
• Video monitor with audio (if audio is used)
• SD memory card ≥ 256 MB for recording
• 2 AA batteries, nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH rechargeable) or alkaline, if powering the recorder with
batteries
2.3 Installation and power on
1. Insert a standard SD card with a capacity of 256 MB or larger into the card slot on the top of the
recorder. Push the card in until it locks into place.
2. Plug an A/V cable (provided) into the AV OUT jack on the DVR, then attach it to an A/V monitor.
When plugging the cable into the monitor, connect the yellow RCA connector into the video input,
and the white RCA connector to the audio input.
3. Plug an A/V cable (provided) into the AV IN connector on the recorder, then attach it to a CCTV
camera.
When plugging the cable into the camera, connect the yellow RCA connector to the video output,
and the white RCA connector to the audio output. An (RCA to BNC) adapter may be required to
attach the camera video output to the cable.

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
4. Attach the power source to the DVR:
If you are powering the recorder with the DC power adapter:
a. Plug the DC power adapter into the DC 5V IN connector on the side of the recorder, then plug
the adapter into a 120 V AC outlet.
b. Set the DC/BATT switch to DC.
If powering the recorder with batteries:
a. Open the battery compartment on the side of the DVR and install 2 AA batteries in the
orientation indicated. Close the battery cover.
b. Set the POWER switch to BATT.
5. Power on the camera and the A/V monitor.
5. After the recorder initializes, it enters live monitoring mode. If the recorder was congured to record
at that time, it enters recording mode.
NOTE
During power-on, the system auto-detects its peripherals and tests the SD card for le
errors. During SD card testing, the Rec LED ashes. When an image le error is detected,
the system automatically attempts to repair the problem.
NOTE
If the SD card is not inserted during power up, or the card has a serious problem, the Play,
Menu, and Rec indicators will ash. If a card was installed, try reformatting the card to
resolve the problem.
CAUTION
Do not remove the SD card while the recorder is booting. It may destroy the data stored
on the card.
2.4 Conguration menus
NOTE Depending on the rmware version loaded into your DVR, the screens may appear different from
those shown below.

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
2.4.1 MAIN MENU
When in Live (camera monitoring) mode, press the Menu button to open the MAIN MENU screen.
From the MAIN MENU screen, you can access submenus to congure the date and time settings, video
recording quality, setup automated, and other functions.
You can navigate through and setup the conguration of the DVR using the controls on the DVR front
panel as follows:
Press p and q to move the highlight (select) bar up or down, or increment or decrement the value
of a numeric conguration option.
Press t and u to select a non-numeric conguration option. For example, when selecting the
video quality with which to record, use these keys to choose between Low, Medium, or High.
Press Menu or Enter to open a submenu.
Press Stop/Exit to move to the previous menu from a submenu. Pressing Stop/Exit when in the
MAIN MENU goes to Live Mode.
Refer to Table 1 for the function and use of other front panel controls.
2.4.2 Search and Play
The SEARCH AND PLAY screen provides one way to view recordings saved on the SD card. The
background shown on this screen is an image from the recording selected. Use the q and p keys to
select the date a recording was saved; use the q and p keys to choose the le recorded on that day.

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
After selecting the le to watch, press Enter. To stop playing the recording and return to the SEARCH
AND PLAY screen, press Stop/Exit.
2.4.3 Set Date/Time
Setting the date and time in the DVR is essential for recording video with an meaningful timestamp.
Timestamp detail is used to identify saved video les.

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
In the DATE FORMAT eld, select either Y/M/D, M/D/Y, or D/M/Y.
The SET DATE format reects the DATE format option chosen.
The SET TIME eld is in the format hh : mm : ss, where hh is 00 ~ 23 hours.
2.4.4 Set Motion Detect
The MOTION DETECT screen includes links to two submenus, one to dene where motion will be
detected (SET MD AREA), and the other to set the motion detection sensitivity.

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
MD AREA
The MD AREA screen is divided into a 22 x 15 array of cells, each of which can be enabled or disabled
to sense for motion. Two or more cells can form a block, which can be added or deleted and enabled or
disabled for motion detection.
Initially, the MD AREA screen is congured to enable motion detection in every cell. Cells enabled for
motion detection appear with a reddish tint. Cells where motion detection is disabled are tinted blue.
Deselected
Cells
Cursor
Position

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
On the MD AREA screen, press Play/Pause to select a mode for enabling or disabling cells to monitor
for motion. A pop-up menu will open:
CELL EDIT – for enabling/disabling motion detection in one cell at a time.
DEL BLOCK – disables a block that was previously congured for motion detection.
DEL ALL – disables all cells for motion detection.
ADD BLOCK – enables a block for motion detection
ADD ALL – enables motion detection in all cells
Use the p, q, u, and t buttons to select a cell, and press Enter to select or deselect the cell for
monitoring.
MD SENSITIVITY
The MD SENSITIVITY screen allows you to adjust the energy threshold at which recording is triggered
when motion is detected within the cells enabled for motion detection. Using this feature, you to setup
the DVR to ignore small objects moving through the cell eld (low MD ENERGY level), and detect and
record when large objects are moving there.
MD ENERGY
Level (Black)
MD
THRESHOLD
Marker (Red)
On the MD SENSITIVITY screen, the MD ENERGY value is a measure of how much motion is detected.
The MD THRESHOLD is adjusted using the u (+) and t (–) keys. Recording is triggered when the MD
ENERGY level exceeds the MD THRESHOLD.

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
2.4.5 Manual Record
The MANUAL RECORD menu is used to preset the record options implemented when recording is
initiated by pressing the Rec (record) button.
The VIDEO SIZE option determines the maximum FRAME RATE. For:
VIDEO SIZE = 352 x 240, FRAME RATE (max) = 30 FPS
VIDEO SIZE = 704 x 240, FRAME RATE (max) = 24 FPS
VIDEO SIZE = 704 x 480, FRAME RATE (max) = 12 FPS
Image QUALITY is selectable as LOW (LQ), MEDIUM (MQ) and HIGH (HQ).
AUDIO can be either ON or OFF.
2.4.6 Schedule Record
SCHEDULE RECORD offers the same recording settings as MANUAL RECORD, plus the option to
automatically record when motion is detected (MOTION RECORD), or during a specic time of day
(CONTINUE RECORD).

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
MOTION RECORD
On the MOTION RECORD screen you can specify the daily time span during which motion is monitored
(SCHEDULE), the duration of each recording and recording parameters. If motion is detected for more
than the DURATION setting, another video clip is recorded.
For MOTION RECORD to occur, the RECORD parameter must be ON and the MD ENERGY level must
exceed the MD THRESHOLD value congured on the MD SENSITIVITY screen.

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
CONTINUE RECORD
CONTINUE RECORD (continuous recording) occurs during the SCHEDULE time when the RECORD
parameter is ON.
2.4.7 SD Card Options
The SD CARD OPTIONS screen displays the capacity of the card, provides options to rewrite the card
when full, and format the card. When:
SD FULL : LOOP – When SD card storage capacity is full, the DVR will overwrite the oldest video
les (auto repeating continuous recordings) with the current recording.
SD FULL : STOP – When SD card is full, it will stop recording.
FORMAT – Formatting removes all data from the card and creates the director DVMPG4 under the
root directory.

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
14
The duration of video recorded on the SD card depends on the card capacity, video size, quality, frame
rate, and audio settings.
2.4.8 System Status
The SYSTEM STATUS screen displays the version of the rmware loaded in the DVR, the recorder
settings for MANUAL, SCHEDULED, and MOTION recordings, and the rewrite setting of the SD care. No
congurable options exist on this screen. Press Stop/Exit to return to the MAIN MENU.

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SECTION 2: INSTALLATION AND SETUP
15
2.4.9 Factory Default
The Factory Default option resets all conguration settings to the factory default values, except for the
DATE/TIME setting. At this screen, press Enter to reset the conguration values. Press Stop/Exit to
return to the MAIN MENU.

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SECTION 3: OPERATION
16
SECTION 3
Operation
NOTE Depending on the software version level of your DVR, the screens may appear different from those
shown below.
3.1 Live mode
During Live mode, video from the camera is displayed on the A/V monitor using the audio and video
settings congured in the MANUAL RECORD menu. These settings, and the SD card status, are
indicated at the bottom of the screen.
SD Card Status IconManual Record Settings
SD
Card
Free
Space
The SD card status icons are dened as:
– SD card is missing
– SD card is testing les
– SD card is functioning normally
– SD card is full and overwriting les.

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SECTION 3: OPERATION
17
3.2 Record mode
Recording can be initiated in three ways:
• Manual record – Pressing the Rec button initiates recording at any time. Video size, frame rate,
quality, and audio settings are congured on the MANUAL RECORD menu. Pressing Stop/Exit
stops manual recording.
• Motion detect record – Motion detect recording occurs when motion is detected during a preset
time frame. The time frame (schedule), duration of each recording, video size, frame rate, quality
and audio enable are congured on the SCHEDULE RECORD, MOTION DETECT submenu. The
RECORD option in the submenu must be ON to enable motion detect recording to occur.
• Continuous record – Continuous recording occurs through out a preset time frame. The time
frame (schedule), video size, frame rate, quality and audio enable are congured on the SCHEDULE
RECORD, CONTINUE RECORD submenu. The RECORD option in the submenu must be ON to
enable continuous recording to occur.
Motion Record SettingsRecord Mode Icon
SD Card
Free Space
Recording
In Progress
The record mode icons are dened as:
– Manual record mode in progress
– Scheduled record mode in progress
– Motion detection record mode is enabled.