OSD Camera Control (VMAX A1 Plus)

OSD Camera Control (VMAX A1 Plus)

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Affected Roles:  All Users

Related Digital Watchdog VMS Apps:  Web Viewer

Complexity:  Low

Last Edit:  May 20, 2020

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OSD Camera Control

When using a connected AHD, HD-TVI, or HD-CVI camera, the VMAX A1 Plus allows users to communicate and manage cameras directly at the recording unit or through a web browser.  This simplifies the requirements needed to adjust camera settings and to control PTZ cameras directly from the DVR or from a computer.

This article will outline how to access and control a camera’s onscreen display (OSD) through the user interface of the VMAX A1 Plus or with the DVR’s Web Viewer.

Supported/Affected Devices

• VMAX A1 Plus (5 MP)
• Star-Light Plus Camera Series (5 MP)
• Star-Light Camera Series (2.1 MP)

Using UTC (Up-the-Coax)

Digital Watchdog’s Universal HD Over Coax cameras support communication through the coaxial connection with the VMAX A1 Plus, rather than having to connect an RS-485 cable connection to the camera.  For most cameras, the setup supports a plug-and-play feature, but some configuration may be required.

To control the camera’s OSD at the VMAX A1 Plus:

1. Log in as the Administrator or as a user with administrator level privileges.

• Default Login:  Admin
• Default Password:  <no password>

2. Right-click with the mouse to prompt the context menu, then select Menu.

3. From the Setup Menu, click on Device, then select PTZ.

4. The PTZ menu will display.

It is from this menu that permitted users are able to set up the UTC communication for their connected camera.

Make sure that the camera channel is assigned to the correct Protocol and Baudrate for the connected camera.  If you are unsure of what settings your camera is using, consult the user manual.

• HD-A (C) Type – AHD cameras that are not detected by the HD-A/HD-TVI protocol may use this setting.
• HD-A/HD-TVI Type – camera connection is automatically detected and utilized for either AHD or HD-TVI cameras.
• HD-TVI (C) Type – HD-TVI cameras that are not detected by the HD-A/HD-TVI protocol may use this setting.

If you are setting up a PTZ camera, make sure that the Address setting matches the ID number of the camera.  It is recommended for PTZ cameras to be assigned to different Addresses/IDs.

Click Save after making any adjustments to these settings.

5. To prompt the PTZ controller, click the Program button in the Control column of the menu.

6. The PTZ Controller will display, overlaying the camera’s video stream.

To prompt the camera’s OSD menu, click the Menu button in the PTZ Controller.  Alternatively, you can enter the connected camera’s Preset Number in the No. box, then click the Set button.

Note:  Digital Watchdog Universal HD Over Coax cameras use Preset 95 by default.  If you are using a third-party camera, consult with the camera manufacturer for their preset information.

7. Once the Device > PTZ settings have been configured and you can control the camera, users may also prompt the PTZ Controller from the DVR’s Live Mode by selecting the camera, right-clicking with the mouse, then selecting Control.

Using Web Viewer

Once the VMAX A1 Plus has been configured to communicate with its cameras using the systems UTC feature, the camera OSD can easily be accessed using the DVR’s Web Viewer.

Note:  The VMAX A1 Plus Web Viewer is compatible with most browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.), however, to view camera video streams and to use the camera OSD, users must use Internet Explorer and allow ActiveX plugins to run.

To utilize the Web Viewer for UTC communication:

1. On a computer that shares the same network as the DVR, launch Internet Explorer.

Enter the DVR’s IP address and Web Port to the address bar.  This information can be found in the Network menu of the DVR.

Note:  If you have not yet set up the VMAX A1 Plus for network access, please read Network Setup For A VMAX A1 Plus.

2. To log in to the Web Viewer, enter the same User ID and Password that is used when logging in at the DVR itself.

• Default ID:  Admin
• Default Password:  <no password>

3. If needed, you can adjust the Protocol, Baudrate, and Address settings of the DVR’s UTC/PTZ communication, similar to how you configure it at the VMAX A1 Plus itself.

To prompt this menu, click the Setup button, select Device, then select PTZ.  Otherwise, proceed to the next step.

4. Once you have confirmed that the camera is set up for UTC communication with the DVR, click on the Camera Channel of the camera you will be adjusting. 

Note:  To full-screen the camera, double-click the channel.

5. Using the PTZ Control tool, click the Menu button to prompt the camera OSD.

Alternatively, enter number 95 into the Preset box, then click the Move button.