AHD7 Series: DVR Video Loss Issues

Similar Issues

• Video lost on one or multiple cameras
• Bad Channel Port
• Purple/Pink Tint
• Night Vision Not working
• Blurry/foggy Image
• Stripes/Lines
• Fuzzy Image
• Cameras compatibility

Note: These troubleshooting steps are directed to solve Video Loss Issue and not Output Video Issue. Video Loss or Signal loss issue is when you are not getting video signal from the camera and you cannot see the live video on the monitor or mobile device.

Output video issue is when you cannot see any image on your monitor (No DVR menus, no layouts) but you maybe are able to see it on the mobile device app or CMS.

There are two scenarios to narrow down the troubleshooting, please select from video Loss in one Camera or Video Loss on all the Cameras or one that best applies to your issue.

VIDEO LOSS DURING NIGHT VISION
If you are experiencing Video Loss, flickering lines or Fuzzy images on one or more cameras during night time, this is the result of a faulty Camera power supply.

PURPLE/PINK TINT
If you are experiencing Purple/Pink tint on one or more cameras, it is possible that your camera/s have become defective but you also need to check the settings of the channel/s that is/are presenting the issue.

1. First, check if the problem is the channel or the camera itself. Connect the bad camera to a working channel and a working camera to the channel where the malfunctioning camera was.

2. If the camera in question still has the issue in the new channel, then the problem is the Camera, please Contact our Technical Support Team.

3. If the camera in question works fine on the new channel and the working camera starts experiencing issues with the channel where the malfunctioning camera was, then the problem is the channel. Please, reset the color settings of the channel or factory reset the DVR [Click here for help on Reset Default Settings] the to learn how to do it, so it can take the default settings. This should solve the issue. If not, please Contact our Technical Support Team.

 

VIDEO LOSS ON ONE CAMERA
(For video loss issue on four or all cameras, please, scroll down to the end of the document)
NOTE: These steps also apply to Blurry/foggy Image issues

Troubleshooting Steps:
1. Check camera compatibility
If you want to connect a camera that was not included in the original kit, you need to check if this camera is compatible with your system.
Click on the link to check your Night Owl Camera Compatibility

2. Check the camera connection
Please, make sure the camera is properly connected and you are using the right Camera Power Supply.

• One extreme of the Video/Power Cable connected to the camera

 

• The other extreme connected to the 4-way splitter and the splitter to Power Supply, and the VIDEO IN ports on the back of the DVR.

 

Note: Connect maximum 4 cameras for each camera’s power supply

  

DVR Series	Camera’s Power Supply Specs
AHD7 Series	12V1.5A DC

 

3. Check the camera settings on the DVR Menu

Our AHD7 Series DVRs have a feature that allows covering the live view video by channel, so even when the channel is recording the signal video cannot be seen. If you don’t have live view video in one channel but don’t see Signal Loss or Video Loss icon and you also can see the motion or recording icons, the problem is that this channel has video covert settings activated. Setting the DVR by default will solve this issue.  [Click here for help on Reset Default Settings]

4. Check if the camera is getting power

Once you have checked the connection and camera settings, please, check if the camera is getting power. Go to the non-working camera and cover the front with your hands, check if you see the red LEDs that get activated in Night Vision.
• If so, the camera is getting power and you can go to Step 4
• If not, the problem could be the power source (Power Supply or Power Splitter), the Video/Power Cable or the camera itself. Let’s figure it out.

o Bypass the Power Splitter for the camera and plug the Non-working camera directly to the Power Supply without the splitter - check if the camera gets signal. If so, you have isolated the issue to the Power Splitter. Please, Contact our Technical Support Team

o If bypassing the Power Splitter does not help, power the camera using the DVR's Power Supply and the DVR using the Camera’s Power Supply.
Possible results:
- The DVR does not power on, it means you have isolated the issue to the Camera Power Supply. Please, Contact our Technical Support Team.
- All channels get signal using the DVR’s Power Supply it means you have isolated the issue to the Camera Power Supply because the Camera’s Power Supply is not enough to feed the four cameras at the same time.
Note: If a camera is using an Extension cable (more than 60ft) ensure that the camera has an Individual Power adapter (12v1A) and it’s not getting the power through the splitter. Also, check if your extension cable run maybe is too long. It can be a cause of signal degradation.

5. Check the DVR BNC channel port
If after these three-previous test, you are not able to solve or determine what is causing the issue, please, swap the BNC cable to a known working port on your DVR. This test will help you to determine if the issue is the DVR channel Port.
o If you can see the signal of the non-working camera connected to another channel, the problem is the DVR Channel port. Please, Contact our Technical Support Team

6. Check BNC Cable
If you are not able to see the camera signal in another channel of the DVR, please, un-mount the Non-working camera and connect it to a working camera's BNC cable to check if the BNC cable is defective.
o If you can see the signal of the non-working camera connected to another BNC cable, the problem is the Video/Power Cable if not, then the problem is the Camera.
For both cases, please, Contact our Technical Support Team

 

 

VIDEO LOSS ON 4 OR ALL CAMERAS

NOTE: These steps also apply to Blurry/foggy Image issues

Troubleshooting Steps:

Note: When video loss issue is presented on 4 or all the cameras connected to the DVR, is more likely the problem is caused by a wrong connection, wrong settings or non-working power source. It’s is less probable that the problem is caused because all cameras or all cables went bad.

1. Check camera compatibility
If you want to connect a camera that was not included in the original kit, you need to check if this camera is compatible with your system.
Click on the link to check your [Click here to check Night Owl Camera Compatibility]

2. Check the camera connection
Please, make sure the camera is properly connected and you are using the right Camera Power Supply.

• One extreme of the Video/Power Cable connected to the camera

 

• The other extreme connected to the 4-way splitter and the splitter to Power Supply, and the VIDEO IN ports on the back of the DVR.

 

Note: Connect maximum 4 cameras for each camera’s power supply

  

DVR Series	Camera’s Power Supply Specs
AHD7 Series	12V1.5A DC

 

3. Check the camera’s settings on the DVR Menu
Our DVRs have a feature that allows covering the live view video by channel, so even when the channel is recording the signal video cannot be seen. If you don’t have live view video in one channel but don’t see Signal Loss or Video Loss icon and you also can see the motion or recording icons, the problem is that this channel has video covert settings activated. Setting the DVR/NVR by default will solve this issue. [Click Reset Default Settings to learn how to do it]

Also, check the video format on the DVR Menu, it should be set on NTSC. If video format must be changed from PAL to NTSC, the DVR must be restarted to the change takes effect.

4. Check if the cameras are getting power
Once you have checked the connections and DVR and cameras settings, please, check if the cameras are getting power. Go to the any of the non-working cameras and cover the front with your hands, check if you see the red LEDs that get activated in Night Vision.
• If not, the problem could be the power source (Power Supply or Power Splitter)
Let’s figure it out.

o Bypass the Power Splitter for one of the non-working cameras and plug it directly into the Power Supply without the splitter - check if the camera gets signal. If so, you have isolated the issue to the Power Splitter. Please, Contact our Technical Support Team

o If bypassing the Power Splitter does not help, power the camera using the DVR's Power Supply and the DVR using the Camera’s Power Supply.

Possible results:

- The DVR does not power on and all cameras get power using the DVR’s Power Supply (check this by covering the camera’s front with your hands and see le red LED’s), it means you have isolated the issue to the Camera Power Supply. Please, Contact our Technical Support Team

Note: If you have more than four cameras connected, and only four of them are not getting power, do the test by swapping the camera’s power supplies.

- The known-working cameras do not work, and the non-working cameras work with the other camera power supply, it means you have isolated the issue to the Camera Power Supply. Please, Contact our Technical Support Team

Note: If the cameras are using an Extension cable (more than 60ft) ensure that the cameras have an Individual Power adapter (12v1A) and they are not getting the power through the splitter.

5. DVR BNC video-in ports
If after these three-previous test, you cannot solve or determine what is causing the issue, the problem is the DVR Channel ports. Please, Contact our Technical Support Team