putyouallin wrote:I had the same problem... Bad batch? I'll have to wait til Monday to try to get someone from Zmodo to help. I hope they have good customer service. Did you get any resolution yet?

good luck, I called them today because my machine keeps crapping out. I've tried 3 hard drives and they insist it's a bad hard drive. they guy argued with me and never did send out the ra for a return that he said he was. terrible customer service. wish I had never bought this system. good luck to you. maybe you'll have better luck than me.

CasaDelGato wrote:Anyone else been having the problem where the video only works sometimes?
2 out of 3 times I've powered this up, I get no video. The camera panels have the green R showing they have signal, but nothing is displayed.

yeah, happend to me too. then it will not boot past the load screen, then it stops recognizing the hdd. they won't help you and will insist it's a bad hard drive and your fault. I am a network tech and am tech savvy. I've installed at least 50 dvr cam systems in places w/out any issue. this is a low priced low quality system. I guess we get what we pay for. never again.

These are actually fairly insecure too.

If you try and connect to the DVR with a client that supports RTSP, it will do one of two things:

1: Show you the camera feed without a password (actually useful so you can monitor the feeds using VLC).
2: Lockup the DVR so it needs to be rebooted.

Try it. Check the DVR is working using your iPhone or a computer. Go to a separate computer, open VLC and open a network stream "rtsp://ipaddress:554/"

I haven't figured it out yet, but I can tell you I viewed a live stream from my DVR by simply typing " "vlc rtsp://ipaddress:554/" in a terminal without entering any user-names or passwords.

This leads to another point. They advertise these units as using embedded Linux, yet they do not release the source code. If an exploit is found in these systems, it will likely remain unpatched.

*edit* It appears you need to be connected to the DVR using either the iPhone app or windows app to access it from a separate computer without a password, otherwise trying to connect will cause the DVR to lockup. It appears when the DVR is accessed using the iPhone or windows apps, it puts it in a state where you can connect using RTSP without authentication. Either way, anyone with access to port 554 can render the DVR inoperable. Interesting, as if I could figure this out, I could at least view the streams using Linux.

I'm currently repacking my 2 units in their original boxes.
They really aren't worth the effort to get them working - if it's even possible.

Now to get Woot to send an RMA for them.

CasaDelGato wrote:I'm currently repacking my 2 units in their original boxes.
They really aren't worth the effort to get them working - if it's even possible.

Now to get Woot to send an RMA for them.

Let us know if they abide.

cyberey66 wrote:Let us know if they abide.

Just got the Email with the RMA. Shipping em back to woot.

TellarHK wrote:Does anyone know how the iOS application to view the cameras remotely works? Is it a good app at all?

Finally found the IPhone app that will work with it. Go to the app store and search for "Naway". Keep in mind the default 'mobile' port is 8888 which is different than the IE port as well as the fat client port.

Best of luck!!!

...now I just need to find an app that is designed for the IPad?

Did any one get any word from woot about the wrong video resolution? Should I just contact for RMA at this point?

Just in case anyone decides to keep theirs, there is a guy working on making them work with zoneminder software.
See http://www.zoneminder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18137&p=73065#p73065

cyberey66 wrote:These are actually fairly insecure too.

If you try and connect to the DVR with a client that supports RTSP, it will do one of two things:

1: Show you the camera feed without a password (actually useful so you can monitor the feeds using VLC).
2: Lockup the DVR so it needs to be rebooted.

Try it. Check the DVR is working using your iPhone or a computer. Go to a separate computer, open VLC and open a network stream "rtsp://ipaddress:554/"

I haven't figured it out yet, but I can tell you I viewed a live stream from my DVR by simply typing " "vlc rtsp://ipaddress:554/" in a terminal without entering any user-names or passwords.

This leads to another point. They advertise these units as using embedded Linux, yet they do not release the source code. If an exploit is found in these systems, it will likely remain unpatched.

*edit* It appears you need to be connected to the DVR using either the iPhone app or windows app to access it from a separate computer without a password, otherwise trying to connect will cause the DVR to lockup. It appears when the DVR is accessed using the iPhone or windows apps, it puts it in a state where you can connect using RTSP without authentication. Either way, anyone with access to port 554 can render the DVR inoperable. Interesting, as if I could figure this out, I could at least view the streams using Linux.

Works great, just put a forward slash camera number after it and your golden.

mstory wrote:Works great, just put a forward slash camera number after it and your golden.

You are correct. If you just open "rtsp://IP/camera_number" ie "rtsp://192.168.1.2/2" for camera 2 on DVR with ip 192.168.1.2, you can view the live stream. It appears they have an rtsp server running with no authentication.

do you need any other cables to connect 2TB HDD? or all the cables are available internally?

CasaDelGato wrote:Just got the Email with the RMA. Shipping em back to woot.

How do I go about returning this? I haven't had time to take it out of the box and after watching this discussion I don't want to.
Thanks

jamesbottomtooth wrote:do you need any other cables to connect 2TB HDD? or all the cables are available internally?

Cables are already inside. Mine were anyways.

cyberey66 wrote:You are correct. If you just open "rtsp://IP/camera_number" ie "rtsp://192.168.1.2/2" for camera 2 on DVR with ip 192.168.1.2, you can view the live stream. It appears they have an rtsp server running with no authentication.

I set this thing up recently after it had been sitting around for a couple of months. Got a 2tb drive ("documentation" says no larger than 1tb). First impression was "what a pile of crap". Crappy documentation. Very poor functioning on the remote. Very un-intuitive control via remote. Only a blank page on it's http server.

But the above tip makes it useful to me! Thanks!
With both vlc and movieplayer I can display the camera of my choice on Linux computers.

Did anyone figure out the root password?
Or any user/passwd that can telnet in?

Thanks.

Anyone figure out whats running off port 19818, I noticed it's open and listening.

Got bored and ran a full port scan on the DVR.

I am having trouble with the usb ports, no power, they worked on setup. Now they are dead. Also the remote is not working any more. Any one else who have kept it having these problems? Still have video and can record with the DVR Client software.

I also ran port scan on my one. Found 80, 554 (RTSP), 7777, and 8888 all open. Can't Telnet to any of 'em.

I've had a poke around on the 'Net. These seem to be based on a reference design by Grain-Media of Taiwan, which was developed in conjunction with Conexant. I reckon they contain the Grain Media 8182T SoC (which is really a Faraday Tech FA626TE ARM CPU). They run Linux 2.6.14 it seems.
More at http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/DVR-reference-design-from-Conexant-and-Grain-Media/

They can do D1 provided the NextChip NVP1104 is getting the 108MHz clock - I notice this is marked on the board near that chip. But is it enabled? More investigation required.

Now I've just gotta figure out how to get into this Linux.

I think there's a serial connector on the board - I'm gonna poke around and try to connect to it.

Let's see what happens.

OK, just to clarify, my DVR board has "2304B_V1.3" on it.
There's a serial port just above the CPU next to the Audio In connector. I hooked a 'scope up to it and figured out it is running at 38400bps at 3.3volts. I knocked up a level converter circuit and connected up a terminal. When it starts up, it prints out lots of messages.

I can confirm it is running Linux 2.6.14 and the CPU is the Faraday FA626TE aka GM8183T (Grain Media). It reports 540MHz and 64M memory. You can interrupt the startup and get it to run UBOOT. UBOOT reports 128M memory. I'm not familiar with this Linux stuff, so I'll have to look around the 'Net for more info. I still can't get a useable command prompt - except for UBOOT.

More to come as I find out...

Anybody ever figure out how to get a shell on this box? I just ordered the 8ch unit last week and am dying to get it setup and get into the OS and see what is under the hood.

baldrick9 wrote:OK, just to clarify, my DVR board has "2304B_V1.3" on it.
There's a serial port just above the CPU next to the Audio In connector. I hooked a 'scope up to it and figured out it is running at 38400bps at 3.3volts. I knocked up a level converter circuit and connected up a terminal. When it starts up, it prints out lots of messages.

I can confirm it is running Linux 2.6.14 and the CPU is the Faraday FA626TE aka GM8183T (Grain Media). It reports 540MHz and 64M memory. You can interrupt the startup and get it to run UBOOT. UBOOT reports 128M memory. I'm not familiar with this Linux stuff, so I'll have to look around the 'Net for more info. I still can't get a useable command prompt - except for UBOOT.

More to come as I find out...

Dead and of course out of warranty by a few days...Crap