CCTV Spot Monitor Setup for Viewtron IP Camera & BNC Camera DVRs
Watch this video to learn how to setup the CCTV spot monitor function of Viewtron hybrid BNC DVRs and IP camera NVRs. In case you are not familiar with the term “CCTV spot monitor”, it’s an old-school CCTV system term that refers to a dedicated live display monitor for a camera that is independent of the DVR’s main display that is used to manage the system.
Some Viewtron DVRs and NVRs have more than one HDMI monitor output, and the secondary HDMI output(s) can be configured as a single camera spot monitor, a “multiplexed” multi-camera live display, and a dwell time sequence consisting of multiple single camera and multi-camera layouts that rotates from one screen to the next with a delay timer.
Because this feature is available on some Viewtron hybrid CCTV DVRs and also IP camera NVRs, this spot monitor feature can be setup for IP cameras and CCTV cameras. You an even combine both security cameras types on the same display layout if you are using a hybrid DVR.
Live Security Camera View / Spot Monitor Setup
Follow these instructions on your Viewtron recorder to setup the live security camera TV display (spot monitor).
Click on the Settings link in the lower left hard corner of the screen on your DVR / NVR.
On the main system menu, click on the System link.
On the general settings screen, you can setup the video resolutions for the Main Output monitor and Secondary Output monitor. The Secondary HDMI Output is the one that can be setup as a spot monitor for Viewtron recorder models that have 2 HDMI putputs.
Click on the Output Setting link.
Single Camera Spot Monitor & Multi-Camera Display Configurations
Click on the Secondary Output tab, then click on the + button to add a spot monitor screen.
- When you click on the add button, a spot monitor or multiplexer camera layout will be added to the right panel.
- You can select if you want a single camera spot montior display or a “multiplexed” multiple camera layout.
- Drag the Camera(s) that you want on the display from the Camera panel on the right.
Click on the + plus button if you want to add additional displays that will be part of a rotation sequence “Dwell” time.
You can see here, that I added 3 additional spot monitor displays. When you enable a sequence of displays instead if a single live view, check the Dwell check box (1) and select the dwell time in seconds from the dropdown. Dwell time is the number of seconds to pause on each display before proceeding to the next one in the sequence.
When you are done, click on the Apply button in the lower right and close the settings screen by clicking on the X in the upper right.
Multiplexer / Multiple Camera Live View
Here is what the 6 camera “multiplexer” display looks like.
Single Camera Spot Monitor Live View
Here is what the live view of the single camera spot monitor display looks like.
DVRs & NVRs with Dual HDMI Spot Monitor Support
The following Viewtron DVRs and NVRs have more than one HDMI video output that supports the CCTV spot monitor function documented in this article.
- 16 Channel NVR – 2 HDMI outputs, second HDMI supports up to a 9 camera live video display at 1080p resolution on the second HDMI
- 32 Channel NVR – 2 HDMI outputs, second HDMI supports up to a 9 camera live video display at 1080p resolution on the second HDMI
- 32 Channel DVR (4K model) – 2 HDMI outputs, second HDMI supports up to a 9 camera live video display at 1080p resolution on the second HDMI
- 64 Channel NVR – 4 HDMI outputs, HDMI 2 supports up to 36 camera live video display at 4K resolution, HDMI 3 and 4 supports up to 16 camera displays at 1080p resolution
Have Questions / Need Help?
If you have any questions about settings up a security camera system for home, business, or government, please email me anytime at mike@viewtron.com.
