Hikvision 128 Channel NVR, 4U, 24 SATA Bays, 8K DP Output, RAID DS-96128NI-H24R

Overview

This Hikvision recorder is built for the largest IP camera jobs, where one box has to take a whole site. It records up to 128 cameras and holds 24 drives.

It suits installers and integrators on warehouses, campuses and other big commercial sites. The wider range of Hikvision NVRs covers smaller systems.

New to recorders? The NVR vs DVR guide explains how a network recorder differs from an analogue one.

How it works

• RAID: a way of spreading footage across several drives, so a single failed drive need not lose recordings.
• Hot spare: a standby drive that steps in when another fails, so the array can rebuild without waiting for a visit.
• H.265+: a compression method that reduces the storage space by up to 75%, so the same drives hold more days of footage.
• Dual-stream recording: keeps a lighter stream alongside the main one, which saves bandwidth for remote viewing.
• Stream over TLS: encrypts the video as it travels, and double verification protects playback and downloading.

Where to use it

Reading number plates at a gate needs ANPR cameras, and counting visitors needs people counting cameras. This recorder takes both, and fisheye cameras too.

Smart functions such as line crossing, intrusion, heat map, ANPR and people counting come from the cameras and are configured on the recorder.

What the figures mean in practice

• 1024 Mbps incoming: the total camera traffic it can take in. Add up your cameras' bit rates and keep the sum below this figure.
• 48-ch@2 MP decoding: how many 1080p streams it can show at once on its own outputs. Higher resolutions reduce that number.
• Up to 20 TB per drive: with 24 bays, the drive size you choose sets how many days you keep. The guide to how much storage CCTV needs helps you size it.

Installing it

• Rack space: a 4U chassis, 489 mm deep and ≤25 kg without drives, so it needs a full-depth rack and proper rails or a shelf.
• Cabinet: allow room behind for power and network leads. The comms cabinet guide explains how to check depth, and the server racks and cabinets range has options.
• Drives: choose surveillance-grade CCTV hard drives and fit them before setting up RAID.
• Mains cuts: as a rule, a UPS keeps a recorder running through short mains cuts and protects the drives.

Planning your system

Cameras connect through your network, and PoE switches can power them down the same cable. Size the switches and uplinks for the full camera load.

For a control room, the DP outputs drive up to dual 8K screens and the HDMI outputs up to 4K. Pair it with CCTV monitors that match the output you plan to use.