Playing Backed Up Footage on a PC

The video files which the DVR backs up are not playable by standard multimedia software. This means that your usual media player is not going to be able to open or display footage from the DVR. The main reason for this is that footage from the DVR is always made of multiple channels of video which are synchronised into one data stream.

Fortunately, the DVR automatically copies the program you need to play back the footage to the same USB flash drive you back up footage to. All you need to do is install this program, and use it to access the other data on the thumb drive.

Installing the Playback Software

To install the playback software, locate the file on the included CD named “Playback-vX”. We are constantly making updates and improvements to our software, so “X” will be the version number. Run this setup file.

Follow the installation prompts - you’ll be asked where you’d like to install the software and the shortcuts to access it. We suggest that the default options are usually the best choice - only change these if you have a very specific idea about where you want the software to be installed. Once you’ve made these choices, simply wait while the installation is processed.

NOTE: This software is compatible with Windows operating systems only (XP and more recent versions). Also, it will only operate on 32-bit versions of Windows (not 64-bit - the incompatibility is due mostly to incompatible drivers).

The Playback Interface

Assuming that you’ve used the default installation paths, you can access the playback software by selecting the desktop icon named Playback Software, or finding the program group of the same name in your Start Menu.

This will take you to the default interface of the playback software, as shown to the right.

Opening Files:

Open the File menu, and choose “Open Local Folder”. Navigate to the USB drive you have backed up footage to, and select the folder on that drive called “RecordFile”.

Playback Controls:

The playback controls are located in the menu named “Play”. The Play, Pause, and Stop options work as their counterparts would on a DVD player. Decrease Rate and Increase Rate work like fast-forward and slow motion functions.

Use the Backward Frame and Forward Frame for precise control - they will move back or forward the smallest amount possible (the frame rate is determined by the settings used to record the video).

Use the Capture Picture function to save a single picture as a bitmap (BMP) file. The Mute function will disable audio playback. OSD refers to the on-screen display.

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