What is ONVIF?
Onvif is an open platform developed by leading digital security surveillance product manufacturers to support their protocols. It was created in 2008 by SONY, Axis and Bosch.
ONVIF ?
When connecting an analogue camera to a digital video recorder, there were no issues with the protocol as most analogue signals either use PAL or NTSC. But, in digital security surveillance products, it’s not that simple.
In the digital security world, the connection between the cameras and recorders are via data. In simple terms, when a camera sends video signals to a network video recorder, it goes as encoded data. The network video recorder needs to decode the data to understand it.
Axis was the first company to develop IP CCTV systems in 1998. They were using a private protocol, and the problem with this protocol is that it will only work with Axis products.
But as far as CCTV installation companies were concerned, they preferred to have the flexibility of providing a tailor-made solution to their customers.
So, leading security surveillance manufacturing companies like SONY, Axis and Bosch saw the need to establish a common platform. As a result of this, ONVIF, or open network video interface forum, was started in 2008.
What do I need to know about ONVIF and why?
When you buy IP cameras and NVRs from different manufacturers, you should make sure that they are compatible. In other word, they work together. For example, let’s say you do business with a foreign national. You may be speaking different languages, but by using an international language or sign language you can communicate with that person.
Therefore, when you buy IP cameras or NVRs check with the distributor to find out whether they are ONVIF compatible.
How do I know whether they are ONVIF compatible?
In most cases, the user manual will tell you whether they are ONVIF compatible. You can also check this with the distributor.
Does it mean as long as I buy an ONVIF compatible camera, it will work with an ONVIF NVR? Yes and no. I found many manufacturers prefer to put their private protocol as first preference. In that case, you may have to login and change the preference.
Is ONVIF the only open protocol?
No, PSIA, or Physical Security Interoperability Alliance, is another open platform developed in 2008. There are 65 leading security surveillance companies contributing to this platform. It promotes open source platform, better integration with IP based products, and IP automation.
How can I change my camera setting to support an ONVIF platform?
Many leading manufacturers have user manuals written to explain how you can change the setting to ONVIF.
In Hikvision systems if you upgrade the firmware to the latest version, as default it disables ONVIF. By logging into the camera as an administrator, and following the below links, you can enable ONVIF.
Go to Configuration->Network->Advanced Settings->Integration Protocol
Can I add a Samsung camera to a Hikvision NVR using ONVIF?
Yes, you can add any brands as long as they are compatible with ONVIF. The camera needs to set to default. By using the Wisenet Device Manager, you can search for the device. And, you can change the password. The default user name is admin and the password is 4321. Then click on assign IP to change the IP address to support the NVR. The above instruction is written very briefly, however, if you require detailed information, please email our technical support.
What is ONVIF device manager?
The ONVIF device manager is free software written using C# and it is a useful tool in troubleshooting with IP security surveillance products. It can handle the following tasks.
Device discovery
- Live monitoring
- Service configuration
- Event handling
- Video analytics calibration
- Firmware update
- Configuration backup and recovery
I trust this article has given you the insights to ONVIF. If you like this article please share it on your social media and subscribe to learn more.
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