Smart PSS Quick Guide (PC & MAC) PDF

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Setup Guide for Remote Internet and Smartphone

Monitoring, Techproddns, and Email Notification

PC with Windows
Operating System
Apple Macintosh
Computer

iOS
Android

SERIES DVR & NVR MODELS

SMART PSS
QUICK GUIDE

SMART PRO SURVEILLANCE SOFTWARE (PSS)

INSTALLING SMART PSS ON A MACINTOSH

In addition to using the web-based Web Service method to monitor and control your
system, Techpro Security also offers, the Smart PSS (Pro Surveillance Software). This free
software file is available for free download on http://www.securitycameraking.com/
securityinfo/downloads/?category=remote-viewing-software

Smart PSS can be downloaded from our support site. The download will be in the form of
a .zip file which your computer should automatically decompress. Simply drag and drop the
application into your Applications folder - or any other desired location - on your hard drive.
You may wish to create an Alias or shortcut on your desktop from the computers File menu
or drag and drop the programs icon to your Toolbar for easy access to the program.

Smart PSS differs from the browser-based Web Service in that you can monitor up to 36
cameras at one time. These cameras can be connected to a QC-Series DVR or NVR, or they
can be IP cameras operating in stand-alone mode. Smart PSS is compatible with Windows
XP, Vista, 7 and 8 or Mac OSX 10.7 and later. PC users also have the option of installing
PC-NVR which enables the computer to be used as a security recorder and server.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Windows

Macintosh

OS

Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8

OSX 10.7, 10.8

CPU

2.4GHz or Higher

2.7GHz or Higher

Display Card

Supports DirectX 8.0c or later

Memory

Minimum 1GB (WinXP)

Video Display

Minimum 1024x768

Minimum 1024x768

INSTALLING SMART PSS ON A PC

To install Smart PSS Click on http://


www.securitycameraking.com/securityinfo/downloads/?
category=remote-viewing-software. Next, click on the PSS button.
The installer will start and ask you to select a
language - currently English or Chinese. By
default, the installer will place the application
within the Programs folder on your computers
hard drive. You can change the install location
if desired. Once installed, Smart PSS can be
launched like any other program.

The installer will start and ask you to select a


language - currently English or Chinese. By
default, the installer will place the application
within the Programs folder on your computers
hard drive. You can change the install location
if desired. Once installed, Smart PSS can be
launched like any other program.

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LOG IN
Upon launch, you will be asked to log in. Enter admin for both the user name and password.
You can (and should) change this to ensure your security. Instructions for changing your
password are included later in this section. The Admin account cannot be deleted.
IMPORTANT! Please keep in mind that this manual and other documentation
are freely available for download online. Therefore it is absolutely essential that
you should change the passwords on your system and any application used to
access it in order to maintain the integrity of your system.
Once you have logged in, you will see the
Device Management page. In the future,
once you have added systems to Smart
PSS, youll be able to use the Home page to
manage them.
The Device Management page consists of
two tabs: Add Device and Group Manager.
The first is used to add DVRs, NVRs and IP
cameras to the Smart PSS program, while
the second tab allows you to organize them
into groups for your convenience.

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You can switch between the two pages as


desired. The Device Management page
can be closed, and its icon removed from the
top of the Smart PSS program window by
clicking the X in the upper right of the icon.
It can be re-opened by clicing on the Device
Management icon in the Home page.

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ADDING A SYSTEM TO PSS


As was written earlier, when opening Smart PSS for the first time, the Device Management
page will be opened to the Add Device tab as well.

For systems that are not connected to the same network as the computer you are running
Smart PSS on, you must use the Manual Add button.
Youll need to manually add the information
needed for the program to connect to the
item.
Title - Name the device to make it easy to
identify from the other systems you
may be controlling.
Group Name - Enter the name of an
established group. Or, if youve not
created one yet, enter the group
name and make sure that the Create
Group box at the bottom of the
window has been checked.
Type - Select whether the device is a DVR,
NVR or IP Camera (IPC).

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If you are adding systems that are located on the same network as the computer, click on
Auto Add. Smart PSS will then search the network for any DVRs, NVRs or IP cameras that
are connected. Those that are found will be added to the list of systems that are available to
be added to Smart PSS. Select which systems to add using the check box to the left of that
devices name.

IP/Domain Name - This should be the


public (Internet) address that you
obtained when setting up your DVR
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(see Confirming That Ports are
Opened in Section 1.2 of this manual). It may also be the Dynamic Domain Name
Service (DDNS) address you created in Section 1.6.
Regardless of which you choose, you will not be able to connect to the DVR using
its local network address because your computer and system are not on the same
network.
Port - The default for your device will be 3777, but if youve changed it during setup, then you
will need to enter the correct number in this field.
User Name & Password - Enter the User Name and Password that you use to log into your
system.
Get Info - Click on this to have Smart PSS query the device. Device Model and Serial
Number are read-only, but they and the other fields will be auto-filled.

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Once youve selected the desired systems, click on Add to allow Smart PSS to manage it. If
you do not see a specific system, click Refresh to search the network again.

Once you have finished adding systems to your Smart PSS program, youll return to the Add
Device tab and will see your devices listed.

HOME PAGE
All of Smart PSS functions are accessed through its main window which is referred to as the
Home Page. The functions are divided into three areas; Basic, Extension and Setting.

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Clicking on one will reveal three tools under the Operations heading at the far right.
Modify
Opens Manual Device
Addition window

Device Configuration
Opens Device
Configuration window

Delete
Remove device

You can also remove a device from Smart PSS by checking the box to the left of the devices
name and clicking on Delete at the bottom of the window.
Clicking on the Next button on the bottom right of the window will take you to the Group
Manager tab. You can also switch between the two tabs simply by clicking on them.

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The first area, Basic, is where youll find the live viewing, search and playback, and alarm
events functions which are the most commonly used. Extensions contains features and
operations not found on your system and Setting allows you to make changes to your DVR or
NVR as if you were at the machine. Clicking any one of the icons will open up a new window
within Smart PSS. You will be able to move between windows by clicking on its icon at the
top of the window. Hovering the mouse over the icon will reveal an X which can be clicked
upon to close that window. Only the Home Page window cannot be exited in that manner.

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Creating a Group
When you add an NVR or DVR, it will most likely be its own group. However, you can create a
new group using selected cameras from multiple systems up to 36 cameras.
1. Click on the New Group button on the left of the window and name your new group.
2. Choose a DVR, NVR or IP Camera from the Device List on the right. When selected,
all of that devices channels will display in the middle.
3. Select the cameras that you wish to add to your new group and then click on the <<
button. They will appear in the groups list of cameras.
4. To add cameras from another device to this group, repeat steps 1-3.

PREVIEW
Viewing live video from your connected devices takes place in the Preview window.

Cameras can be dragged from the Device List on the right of the window into a channel
space where the cameras video will appear. If a camera is dragged onto a space where
another camera already is, the new video feed will replace the old one. You can close the
camera view by clicking on the X in the information bar that appears at the top of the video
image when you place the mouse cursor in that area.
Shortcut Menu

Close Video/Close All Video - Ends the


display of the live feed from the camera(s).
Does not close Smart PSS.

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1

Icon Tab

Switch between windows by clicking on icons in this area.

Viewing Area

Shows video feed from camera

Active Screen

Green outline indicates which channel is active for control

Device List/
PTZ Tabs

Shows available groups and cameras


PTZ Camera Controls

Information Bar

Appears when mouse hovers over camera view. Contains


information about bit stream, and includes shortcut controls:
Turn audio on or off
Turn microphone on or off
Begin/end local record (saves to computers hard drive)
Take snapshot (saved to computers hard drive)
Closes channel

Tasks

Allows quick access to saved tasks, such as tours, channel


combinations, etc.

Multi-Screen
Mode

Slider adjusts between single-screen view and 36-screen view with


10 configurations possible.

Screen Aspect
Ratio/Full Screen

Change the aspect ratio (height vs. width) of the on-screen view.

Shortcut Menu

Gives access to additional controls and functions.

Right-clicking on any cameras screen view


will open up the Shortcut Menu. This is
a different menu than that which appears
on screen in the DVR. This menu includes
the same controls that are available in the
Information Bar that appears above the
screen view along with addition of expanded
options and functions.

Click to bring window to full screen. Pressing ESC will return to


normal window view.

Start Record/Snapshot/Triple Snapshot


- Records video or still images directly to
the computers hard drive. The save paths
for these files can be set in Files are of the
General setting window which is located in
the bottom portion of the Home Page. Triple
Snapshot will, as the name suggests, save a
sequence of three images to your hard drive.
When Snapshot is selected - either through
the Shortcut Menu or the Information Bar
- a new window will open to allow you add
notes and classify the image before saving it.

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StreamType, Quality/Fluency - These


settings allow you to adjust the video stream
to compensate for network and/or bandwidth
issues. Your system records both a Main
Stream - which is saved to the devices
internal drive and an Extra Stream which
is lower quality, and therefore smaller to
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better be sent out over a network. If you
are connecting through the same network as your security system, you should be able to use
the Main stream for the best quality. Likewise, if both your device and the computer are both
connected to networks with good Internet connections, the Main stream should also provide
best quality. However, if you regularly see breaks in on-screen movement, then switching
streams may improve the quality of the on-screen video. Also be aware that viewing multiple
screens at the same time can also affect the smoothness of the video they overflow the
available bandwidth of your connection. With Quality/Fluency, you can choose whether you
prefer higher quality images or whether smooth-flowing video is more important. None of the
changes made here will affect the quality of the video recorded onto your devices hard drive.

Adjust - This will open a new window with four sliders which allow you to adjust the
Brightness, Contrast, Color Saturation and Hue of that channels video. These settings will not
affect the recorded video.
Audio/Talk - If you have audio-equipped cameras, or a microphone co-located with a
camera, you can listen to the audio from that equipment. Similarly, if you have a microphone
connected to your computer and a speaker located near to the cameras location, you can
use that to communicate. The system is not duplex like a telephone where you can talk and
hear at the same time, but rather it is like a CB radio or walky-talky where you will need to turn
off your microphone to hear any response. Depending upon network speeds, there may be a
lag, or delay between the time you say something and the person on the other end will here it.

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2

Save as Video Task - You can save a camera as a Video Task that will create a shortcut
to that camera which can be accessed through the Tasks pulldown at the lower left of the
Preview window (Item 6 in Picture 3-70).

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4

Full Screen - This will bring the camera viewing windows to full screen by hiding the control
areas on the top, right and bottom. If you are viewing in a four-camera split screen, for
example, the four screens will occupy the available space on the computer monitor. Press
Esc on the keyboard to return to normal viewing mode.

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VIDEO SEARCH AND PLAYBACK


Using Smart PSS to search for video recorded on your DVR functions in the same manner as
the search and playback function on the DVR itself.
STEP 1. Select the camera(s) you want
to search. The Calendar below the
camera list will highlight those dates
with recorded video in green. The
current date will be highlighted in
blue. Depending on network speeds,
it may take a few moments for the
Calendar to update.

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1

Device List

Snapshot/
Record Bar

Choose which camera(s) you wish to search


Lists recorded files. Files can be downloaded to your computer
Take snapshot (saved to computers hard drive)
Closes channel

Calendar

Shows which days have video records

Download
Manager

Opens list of videos saved to computers hard drive

STEP 2. Select the date to review and


press Search. The timeline at the
bottom of the window will show
colored blocks representing video
that has been recorded.

Playback
Controls

Controls playback function in selected screen.

Volume Control

Requires an microphone to be connected to that channel

STEP 3. Click on a colored block to


begin playback. The playback
controls operate in the normal
manner. The slider is used to speed
up or slow down the playback rate.

Multi-Screen
Mode

Slider adjusts between single-screen view and 36-screen view with


10 configurations possible.

Screen Aspect
Ratio/Full Screen

Change the aspect ratio (height vs. width) of the on-screen view.

Timeline

Shows videos recorded on that date.

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As with Preview mode, the screen with the
green frame is considered the active screen
for purposes of using the controls.

Starts playback of other channels with video recorded at the


same time.

Click to bring window to full screen. Pressing ESC will return to


normal window view.
Arrows to right of camera name filter results based on method of
recording.

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10

Magnifying slider adjusts scale of timeline for precise selection of


video

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ALARMS

Alarm Manager

This section will cover all of the areas of Smart PSS that deal with alarms as they are
interrelated. These alarms are in addition to those already set up in your system. You can
determine which of those pre-configured alerts will generate a notification in Smart PSS and
you can also create notifications and actions that will occur within the program itself. In this
manner, Smart PSS acts as a back up, or second layer of defense for your recorder and
property. If an intruder is able to get to your DVR, and the program is properly configured, you
will still retain evidence and be alerted - even if the phone cable at your systems location is cut.

This window contains the logs of alarm events that have occurred. They can be filtered by level
of severity if you included that when creating your alarm scheme. If events are happening at a
rapid pace, check the Stop Refresh box to freeze the list.

Alarm Setup
To begin, you will need to create the Alarm
Scheme using the Alarm Setting window.
Once the window has been opened, you will
need to create a name for this event, set the
time of day that it will be active and the nature
of the event. You can also have the computer
play an audible alert and, if the E-map
(described later) is configured, the cameras
location will appear on screen. Click Loop
play to have the alarm play until silenced.
Setting the level is optional. You may decide,
for instance, that a motion detection event
in a certain area is less important (Level 5)
than a similar event in another (Level 1). This
will make it easier to filter alarm events when
searching for a specific event.

Clicking Display Overlay Window will leave


a small panel open on screen that will show
the number of alarms, CPU usage and a
volume control. It will appear above any other
applications you have running.

PICTURE 3-78

Use the Search tab to locate alarm events in the same manner as searching for video.
Alarm Link

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This is a standalone window which, when activated by selecting it from the Home Page, will
pop up when an alarm is detected to show the linked video(s). It will run in the background
behind any other apps until an event occurs at which time itll pop up to appear on screen.
This allows you to have an instant video notification on your computer without having to run
the full Preview window at all times.
Alarm I/O
This allows you to group alarms together in the same manner as you can create groups of
cameras using Device Manager. When alarms in a group are activated, they can be used to
activate a siren, or other device connected to the systems Alarm Out port.

After you have created an event, move to


the next tab, Alarm Source, to select the
trigger for the event. Select the trigger(s) from
the list on the left of the window and click
on the >> button to add it to the right panel.
You can limit the type of alarm to just Motion
Detection, Camera Masking or Video Loss, or
you can have all three serve as triggers.
Lastly, in the LInk Video tab, select your
alarm from the Alarm Source list on the left
of the window and then choose which video
source(s) you will be using. Make sure that
your source is highlighted in blue or you will
get an alert asking you to select an alarm
source. Click OK to save your alarm. When
you return to the Alarm list, click on Close to
change it to Open in order to make it active.
If you have alarms attached to your system,
repeat these steps, using the Alarm Input
tab in the Alarm Source window for the
trigger.

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GENERAL
While most of the controls in Smart PSS are for operating your system remotely, the General
Setting window is for controlling the program itself. There are two tabs in the General
settings window - General and File. The first tab, General, lets you perform some basic
housekeeping.
Network - Adjust this slider to reflect your network speed. It ranges from WAN to 1000M
Log Save - This lets you set how long the activity logs are saved. Choose from 1 to 6 months.
Auto Login - When checked, Smart PSS will automatically log into your system when the
program is launched.

Audio/Video
This window contains three tabs which allow you to control the settings for the video streams,
snapshot quality and quantity along with privacy masks and on-screen display.
Audio Video Stream - This tab allows you to make settings to optimize the video stream from
each camera. This is the same as found in the Camera Settings window of your system. You
can adjust the quality, frame rate, coding and other aspects of both the Main Stream, which is
recorded onto the DVR and sent through the local network as well as the Substream, which is
used by mobile devices and Internet access.

Auto Login Windows - If this is enabled and the computer restarts while Smart PSS is
running, then the computer will automatically log you back into Windows.

Pic Stream - You can set the quality and number of images taken when a snapshot is taken.
You can apply different settings depending on whether the image is captured manually, as a
result of motion detection or when triggered by an alarm.

Auto Time Sync - If needed, you can instruct Smart PSS to sync to the computers internal
clock at a set time.

Video Cover - This tab lets you mask up to four areas of the video as well as toggling the
display of the camera name, the date and the time.

The File tab is where you set where recordings and snapshots will be saved on your
computers hard drive.

To mask an area, select a camera and its


video will appear in the center left. Select
whether you wan the privacy mask to apply
to apply to just remote viewing, or on the
DVR itself and then click on the Edit (pencil)
button to the right to draw the privacy mask.

DEVICE SETUP
This window handles the functions found in the Alarm and Recording menus on your
system. Clicking on any of the five icons under the Device List on the left of the window will
open up the appropriate settings options.

When managing multiple systems, it may


be easier to add an identifying name to a
particular channel to specify where a camera
is located. These overlays are separate from
those on the recorder itself. Click the Edit
button to position the overlay where desired.
The Date/Time overlay works in the same
manner.

PICTURE 3-80

Recording Settings
This window replicates the Schedule window on the DVR.
Recording Plan - This tab shows the current schedule for each camera. Click on Set and a
new window will open to allow you to set the recording mode and schedule.
Recording Control - Use this tab to adjust the pre-recording time (0 to 5 seconds) for this
camera when an event occurs.
Video Check
This window is identical to the Events menu on the recorder. You can set how the system
responds to Video Loss, Camera Masking and Motion Detection, including activating other
cameras, sending out alarm notices and etc.
Pic Property
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When you have made a changes, click the OK button at the bottom right of the window to
save your new settings. You can also apply these settings to another camera by clicking on
the Use To... button and selecting the other camera.

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These settings allow you to adjust the on-screen appearance of the video to compensate for
the lighting conditions where the camera is located. If the light changes during the day, you
can set two different lighting profiles.
PTZ Control
Make changes to the PTZ camera communication protocol, bit rate, and etc. if needed.

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Account
Just as you can authorize others to use your system, you can also create user accounts for
others to use Smart PSS to observe and control any connected recorders. The process is
the same as on your DVR or NVR. And, you can grant users specific permissions or limit their
ability to make changes as needed.
STEP 1. Open the Account window and
select Add from the upper left.
STEP 2. The Add User window will
open. Enter the new users name and
password. You will also need to set
whether this user is a Manager or
Operator. Additionally, you may add
notes regarding this user.

can also add and manage users with access to that recorder. If you are connected to an NVR,
you may also add remote IP cameras to your system using the Remote Setting sub-menu.
Note that QC systems do not make use of the Serial Interface. The Auto Maintenance option
is to allow the NVR or DVR to reset on a schedule for optimal performance.
System Info - Use the Log Information submenu to search and download activity logs from
your system.

TOUR
Just as with your recorder, you can have Smart PSS cycle through your cameras. In this case,
those cameras can be connected to many different systems.

STEP 3. Select which rights this user


is allowed from the User Authority
menu. You can also limit which
cameras and devices this user has
access to using the Device List on the
right of the window.
STEP 4. Click Add to save the new
account.
Select Add More to add additional users
without closing the window.
You can edit or remove a user account by
clicking on that users name in the Account
window and clicking on the Edit or Delete
button respectively.

PICTURE 3-81

Device Parameter Configuration


This button is located in the lower left of the

PICTURE 3-82

Device Setup menu and opens up the Device Configuration window. This window contains
menus granting access to more of your systems functions . Detailed information on these
funtions is contained in respective parts of the User Manual. Included menus are: Network,
Event Manager, Storage Manager, System Configuration and System Info. Again, these
menus replicate those found on your recorder.
Network - The settings for your systems connection to the network are located here.
Care should be given when altering these settings as changing them could result in loss of
connection to your recorder.
Event Manager - This contains the remaining settings that were not included in Video
Check, above. You can set responses for both the recorder itself and any other networked
systems. You are also able to configure the alarm responses for network conflicts, hard drive
failure or full disk among others.

PICTURE 3-83
STEP 1. Determine how many screens will be displayed at once and set the Windows
Number to the desired amount (up to 36).
STEP 2. Name your task and add a description if needed.
STEP 3. Drag cameras from the Device List on the right to the desired tab. A camera
can be placed in more than one tab. You can double-click on the Stay Time and
Stream Type to set the amount of time this channel will stay on screen and which
data stream will be used, respectively. Us the Up and Down buttons to organize the
order in which each channel will appear in a window.
STEP 4. Click OK to save your settings.

Storage Manager - This shows the status of your recorders hard drive(s).
System Config - Many of these are found in your Settings menu on your system, including
the general settings, such as the system language, date format, daylight savings time, etc. You

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E-MAP

TV WALL

When systems and cameras are connected from multiple locations, it can sometimes be
difficult to keep track of where an event is occuring. Using the E-Map feature, you can import
a graphic map in .BMP, .JPG or .PNG format and place icons representing your cameras in
the appropriate location. Depending on where your cameras are located, the map can be the
floorplan of your building, or of a much larger area.

If you have a multi-screen video, or other large format display connected to your computer,
you can export your camera views instead of being contrained to a single computer monitor.
The operation of your video wall will follow
the same process used to set up your
Preview screen. You can splice the video
from two or more adjacent screens by
selecting them (hold Ctrl while clicking on the
screen(s)) You will need to bind your display
to a format by first using TV Wall setup. If
you do not see your video device shown
on the left part of the screen while in the
Screen Input Binding window, check your
connections and video drivers.

PICTURE 3-86

You can create multiple combinations of


screens. Each will be saved as a Task,
much as with the Preview window. You can
switch through Tasks from within the TV Wall
extension.
PICTURE 3-87

PC-NVR
This is an optional program that lets you use a computer as a Network Video Recorder and
server. This will allow you to take advantage of some broadband connections. You will need to
have installed the PC-NVR software on the computer that will be used for this purpose. Click
Add to get started. You will be entering the Name, IP address and network port information for
the computer that will be used, along with the user name and password needed to log into the
computer.

PICTURE 3-84
When you first select the E-Map icon, you will be asked to add a map. Once you have
imported the file, it will appear in the window. Select Edit and then drag a camera from the
device list on the right to its location on the map. While in Edit mode, you may modify or add
to the map using the options in the Tool pulldown to the right.
If you selected Flash in E-Map option when
creating your Alarm Scheme, the icon for a
camera that is triggered will flash red to alert
you. You can double click on either icon, or
the cameras name in the device list to see
its video.

Once you have added your computer, you


can add cameras by dragging and dropping
them into the available screens. Set up a
recording schedule for each channel using
the Record Plan button. Click the Copy
button to apply your schedule to another
channel.
You may adjust the file packet size, network
settings, user access and manage the hard
drives through the Setup tab.

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