C50XFR 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 directed to solve output video issues and not video loss or signal loss issues. Video Loss or Signal loss issues are 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 are able to see it on the mobile device. Also included is the issue when the DVR gets stuck on the Night Owl Logo (also called Frozen Screen). 

Troubleshooting Steps

Before starting these troubleshooting steps, please make sure that everything is properly connected: The DVR is connected to the power and video output cable and VGA or HDMI cable is connected from the DVR to the TV/Monitor.

1.     Is the DVR getting power?

If the DVR is properly connected to the power source, please verify if the LED’s on the front of the DVR is turned on? Do you hear the humming of the HDD?

The existence, position, and form of the LED’s may vary depending on the DVR/NVR Series. 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 powered on by hearing the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) humming sound coming from inside the DVR.

This is a basic way to check if the DVR is powering on. If it is, please continue to the second step. If you determine that your DVR is not getting power, please visit C20X / C50X Series: DVR 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.

2.2 Monitor settings

Please check if the monitor has selected the correct input source where the DVR is connected(VGA OR HDMI). Keep in mind that most of the new TV/Monitors have more than one HDMI port. Please take note which HDMI Port your DVR is connected to and select this port as the input source on the TV/Monitor Menu.

3. Check HDMI/VGA Cables and Ports

If after completing the two previous steps, you still don’t see any image on your monitor, you will need to check the HDMI/VGA Cables. Try using a different HDMI/VGA Cable from the one you are currently using to see if the cable is bad. If you see the image after changing the cable, please call 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, it is probably because the HDMI/VGA ports or the chipset video in the DVR are broken. At this point, you must call our Technical Support Team. Our technician 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 the Night Owl Logo or the DVR keeps restarting, please verify that 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 determined that the DVR Power Supply is the issue and you must call our Technical Support Team and start a warranty claim for a DVR Power Supply.

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