AHD7 Series: DVR Output Video Issues

Similar Issues

• Resolution mismatch
• TV/Monitor Video source
• Bad HDMI or VGA port
• No output video from the DVR
• DVR/NVR stuck on Night Owl Logo
• DVR/NVR keep restarting 

Note: These troubleshooting steps are instructions to solve output video issues and not video or signal loss issues. Video or Signal Loss issues is when you are not getting video signal from the camera and you are not able to see the live video on the monitor or your mobile device. 

Output video issue is when you are not able to see an image on your monitor (No DVR menus, no layouts) but you might be able to see it on your mobile device. Also, we include here the issue when the DVR gets stuck on the Night Owl Logo (also called Frozen Screen). 

Troubleshooting Steps

Before starts these troubleshooting steps, please make sure that everything is properly connected: The DVR/NVR connected to the power and video output cable VGA or HDMI (what you are using) is connected from the DVR/NVR to the TV/Monitor.

1.     Is the DVR getting power?

If the DVR is properly connected to the power? Do you hear the humming of the HDD?

Some DVR’s (AHD7 and AHD10 series) don’t have Power ON Status LEDs at all. For this series, you can see the blinking LEDs on the LAN Port or the light of the optical mouse to verify the DVR is getting power. Also, you can verify if it's power on by hearing the HDD’s humming sound coming from inside the DVR.

This is a basic way to check if the DVR is powering on, if so, please continue to the second step. If you determinate that your DVR is not getting power, please visit this link AHD7 Series: NOT POWERING ON for a complete guide to troubleshoot this issue.

 2.     Monitor Capabilities and settings

2.1 Monitor Capabilities

Please check the maximum resolution that your Monitor supports. If the default output video resolution of your DVR is greater than the maximum resolution that your Monitor supports, you will not be able to see the video from the DVR on the monitor.

If you try to change the DVR video output resolution to a new one that your monitor not support, your DVR will return to the previous resolution.

2.2 Monitor settings

Please check if the monitor has selected the correct input source where the DVR is connected(VGA or HDMI) Please, keep in mind that most of the new TV/Monitors have more than one HDMI ports, so you must be clear in which HDMI Port is your DVR and select this port as input source on the TV/Monitor Menu.

3. Check HDMI/VGA Cables and Ports

If after the two previous steps, you still don’t see any image on your monitor, you need to check the HDMI and VGA Cables. Use a different HDMI/VGA Cable that the one you are currently using to see if the cable is bad. If you see the image after changing the cable, please Contact our Technical Support Team and start a warranty claim for a new HDMI cable (Night Owl only provides HDMI cable in their kits, no warranty claim will be approved for VGA Cables)

If after changing the cables, you still have video output issue, is probably that the HDMI or VGA ports or the chipset video in the DVR are broken. At this point, please Contact our Techincal Support Team. Our technicians must check if the troubleshooting steps were done and if your device is still under warranty.

4. DVR stuck on Night Owl Logo or DVR keep restarting

If your DVR gets stuck on Night Owl Logo or DVR keep restarting, please, check if you are using the DVR power supply and not the Camera Power Supply to feed the DVR. If you are using the correct one, try to change it and use the Camera Power Supply to feed the DVR (Only for test purposes).

If the DVR works fine with the camera power supply, you have determinate that the DVR Power Supply is not working properly, please Contact our Technical Support Team and start a warranty claim for a DVR power Supply.

If after the change to a working power supply, the issue persists, please Contact our Technical Support Team and start a warranty claim for a DVR. Technicians must ensure the troubleshooting steps were done before starting the warranty claim process.