How to choose a CCTV system
Every CCTV system has four parts: cameras, a recorder, cable and power. This guide walks you through each choice: IP or Turbo HD, which camera line, night vision, smart features, NVR or DVR, and how many days of recording you need. Our engineers then plan it for your site in a free consultation.
IP or Turbo HD?
You are not buying the picture you see on the shop screen. You are buying the video that gets saved on the hard disk, the video you will open on your phone when something happens. This is where IP and Turbo HD (analog) are different.
IP cameras + NVR
- The camera makes the video. A 4MP camera saves 4MP video. The NVR only stores it.
- Smooth video at every size. 25 to 30 pictures per second, like TV, on 2MP, 4MP and 8MP cameras.
- The smart features are inside the camera. Person and vehicle alerts, line crossing, ColorVu and face capture work in every camera, with any NVR.
- One cable per camera, to the nearest switch. One Cat6 cable carries video, power (PoE) and sound. It goes to the nearest network switch, not all the way to the recorder.
- A memory card inside. Most Pro Series cameras take a microSD card. If the cable is cut or the NVR is off, the camera keeps recording on the card and the NVR copies it back later.
- Not locked to one recorder. The same camera can send video to your NVR, to a second NVR in another office, to a HikCentral server and to your phone, all at the same time.
- Easy to grow, easy to shift. Add a switch, add cameras. Move office, plug the cameras into the new network. An NVR goes up to 256 cameras.
Turbo HD cameras + DVR
- The DVR decides the video quality, not the camera. The camera sends a raw signal on the coax cable. The DVR converts it to video at the quality the DVR can handle. Put a 5MP camera on a 1080p Lite DVR and you get 1080p Lite video. The 5MP is wasted.
- Smooth video only at 1080p, and only on the most expensive DVR. The HUHI DVR is the only one that saves 1080p at full 30 pictures per second, and 9 out of 10 people do not buy it. The common DVRs save 15 pictures per second. Put a 4MP or 5MP camera on any DVR and it saves even fewer pictures per second. Playback is jerky, like a video call on slow internet.
- What you see live is not what gets saved. The live screen in the shop shows the raw signal and looks very good. The saved video and the phone app show only what the DVR could save. That is what you are paying for.
- Smart features are in the DVR, not the camera. Turbo HD cameras have no AI. Every current Hikvision DVR, even the DS-7104HGHI-M1/T, does Motion Detection 2.0 (person and vehicle alerts) on all channels. Line crossing and intrusion need an AcuSense DVR, and run on a few channels only.
- Every camera needs its own cable, end to end. One coax cable plus one power wire from each camera, all the way to the DVR. 8 cameras means 8 separate cable runs. Move one camera, or shift the office, and you need new cable, new joints and new wiring.
- No memory card. One recorder only. There is no card in the camera. If the cable is cut or the DVR dies, that video is gone. A coax camera connects to one DVR only, never to a second one.
- Limited by the DVR ports. 4, 8, 16 or at most 32 cameras. When the ports are full you need another DVR, or you add IP cameras to it.
Turbo HD looks cheaper. But you are not only paying less, you are getting less: half-size video, fewer pictures per second, no smart features in the camera, more cable, no memory card. The price difference between a Turbo HD set and an IP set is small. The difference in what you get is big.
What a DVR really saves
Video quality is two things: how big each picture is (megapixels) and how many pictures per second. TV is 25 to 30 pictures per second. 15 per second means every second picture is missing. That is okay for a gate or a boundary wall. It is not okay for a cash counter, where hands move fast. Most DVRs sold in Pakistan are in the first row of this table.
| DVR type | What it saves | Pictures per second | In simple words |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p LiteValue DVRs (HGHI), the most common | 960 x 1080: half of real 1080p | 15 | The DVR saves only half the width and stretches it back when you play it. Faces, cars and number plates look wide and blurry, and worse when you zoom in. Every camera on this DVR saves like this, 2MP or 5MP. |
| 1080p at 15 fpsAcuSense DVRs (HQHI) | Real 1080p. A 4MP or 5MP camera saves as "4MP Lite" or "5MP Lite", which is again 2MP | 15 | Real 1080p, but half the pictures per second. "5MP Lite" is not 5MP. It is a half litre bottle with a label that says "1 litre Lite". |
| 1080p at 30 fpsHUHI, the most expensive | 2MP at full speed. 3K / 5MP at 12 per second, 8MP at 8 per second | 30 at 2MP, then it drops | Smooth 1080p. Go above 2MP and the DVR saves fewer pictures per second, so playback is jerky. Few people buy this DVR, and even this one cannot go past 1080p smoothly. |
The rule: on a DVR, do not go below the 1080p at 15 fps model, and do not expect 5MP video from a 5MP camera. On an NVR, the megapixels you buy are the megapixels you save.
Two questions, one answer
A mix also works: one or two IP cameras at the gate on a coax site. New DVRs take up to 24 IP cameras. Our orders in the last 24 months: 57% of ESCO camera systems are IP, 35% Turbo HD, 9% both.
Which camera line?
Hikvision sells IP cameras in lines. The line sets the body, the sensor, the frame rate and how much intelligence the camera carries. The model code tells you the line: DS-2CD1xxx is 1 Line, DS-2CD2xxx is 2 Line.
| Line | Body and sensor | Night vision | Smart features | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value Series1 Line, DS-2CD1xxx | Plastic or part-plastic body, 1/3" sensor, 20 fps | IR, Smart Hybrid Light or ColorVu (G2H / G3), 65 to 165 ft (20 to 50 m) | Motion Detection 2.0 or 3.0: alerts only for people and vehicles. No perimeter rules. | Homes, shops, offices. The line our engineers sell most. |
| Pro Series2 Line, DS-2CD2xxx | Metal body, 30 fps, 120 dB WDR. Bigger sensors than 1 Line, up to 1/1.8" on some models (DS-2CD2047G2 ColorVu, for example) | IR, Smart Hybrid Light, ColorVu 3.0 or DarkFighter, 100 to 260 ft (30 to 80 m) | AcuSense perimeter: line crossing and intrusion for people and vehicles. G3 adds AcuSense 3.0 and AcuSearch. Face capture on many models. | Commercial sites, perimeters, anywhere alerts and colour at night matter. |
| Ultra Series3 Line, DS-2CD3xxx | 2 Line features with bigger sensors, more terminals and wider temperature ranges | Longer range than 2 Line, with low-light options | AcuSense plus project analytics: object removal, unattended baggage, people counting, queue management, face capture models | Projects and tenders that name 3 Line. Quoted through our projects team. |
| DeepinView7 Line, iDS-2CD7xxx | Deep learning in the camera | DarkFighter, ColorVu options | ANPR (number plates), face recognition with an on-camera list, people counting | Gates, car parks, reception, retail analytics. Site survey first. |
| PTZ camerasDS-2DE / DS-2SE | Pan, tilt and 4x to 53x zoom | IR up to 1,300 ft (400 m) on Ultra models | Auto tracking, patrol patterns, TandemVu (two cameras in one) | Yards, roads, large open areas watched by a guard. |
| PanoramicG2P, multi-sensor | Two lenses joined into one 180° picture | ColorVu or IR | AcuSense on 2 Line models | Car parks, halls, wide frontages with one camera. |
A 2 Line camera is the step up from a 1 Line one with the same code, for example DS-2CD1047G3-LIU to DS-2CD2047G3-LIS2UY/SL: bigger sensor, 30 fps, metal body, perimeter rules and a speaker.
Reading a Hikvision camera code
Shop by what the camera does: Features · microSD card slot · microphone · motorized zoom · anti-corrosion · 4G SIM
IR, Smart Hybrid Light, ColorVu or DarkFighter
Every Hikvision camera sees at night. The question is whether you see colour, how far, and whether the light draws attention. The letters after the code tell you: I is infrared, L is white light, LI is both.
Infrared
Invisible IR light, black and white picture at night. Cheapest, draws no attention. A red car and a blue car look the same.
Infrared camerasSmart Hybrid Light
IR by default. When a person or vehicle appears the white light switches on and the picture turns to colour, then back to IR. The best value for most sites.
Smart Hybrid Light camerasColorVu
F1.0 lens and a bigger sensor: colour in near darkness without the light, and a soft white light for pitch black. ColorVu 3.0 adds HikAI-ISP for cleaner night video.
ColorVu camerasDarkFighter
Very low-light sensor, black and white, with long IR. For perimeters and roads where a light would be a target.
DarkFighter camerasTypical night range by body
Ranges are Hikvision datasheet figures for the models we stock; each product page shows its own. Night picture = sensor size + lens aperture + light: a lux figure means nothing without the F-number next to it.
Five levels, not fifty features
Hikvision's smart features stack up in five levels. Each level includes the ones below it. The code of the camera, or the NVR, tells you which level you get.
A motion alarm that only fires for a person or a vehicle. Rain, leaves, cats and headlights are ignored, so recordings and phone alerts stop filling up with nothing. 1 Line G2 and up.
Draw a line on a wall or fence, or an area in a yard: alarm when a person or vehicle crosses it or stays inside. 2 Line G2 and up. Playback can be filtered to people and vehicles only: a 12-hour night becomes a few minutes of clips.
Adds region entry and exit, scene change, and AcuSearch: click a person or car in old footage and get every clip of that target, or draw a line on old video and find every crossing, even with no rule at the time. 2 Line G3.
The camera waits for the sharpest frame and saves a face photo with the time and camera name. A gallery of faces per day, no names. Many 2 Line models.
Face capture plus a list: the camera or the NVR matches the face to enrolled people. VIP arrived, blocked person at gate 2, staff attendance. ANPR reads number plates and can open a barrier. DeepinView cameras, or an AI NVR with any face-capture camera.
Who does the thinking: camera or NVR?
The camera has AcuSensein this camera
The camera runs the rules; the NVR records, keeps the person / vehicle data and lets you filter playback. Works with any NVR, and the NVR's own engine stays free.
The camera has nonewith an AI NVR
Old cameras, 1 Line G0, other brands: an AcuSense NVR (NXI) can run Motion Detection 2.0 for every camera and perimeter rules or face recognition for a few of them, as many as its datasheet says (2, 4 or 8). Check before you promise.
After the alarm: finding the clip
Smart features are not only for alerts. They also save you hours at playback time. Each level below needs the NVR named with it.
Person and vehicle filterany AcuSense system
Every recording is marked "person" or "vehicle". At playback you tap "person" and see only those clips. Instead of watching 10 hours of night video, you see the 4 clips that matter. Works with AcuSense cameras on any NVR, and on AcuSense DVRs.
AcuSearchPro I NVR and up
Click a person or a car in old video and the NVR shows every clip where it appears, on all cameras. A parcel is missing from reception: click the delivery man once and see where he went and when he left.
AcuSeekVPro or DeepinMind NVR
Search video by typing words, like Google: "white car at the gate", "man in red shirt with a bag". G3 cameras describe what they see; the NVR runs the search. The guard says "a white Corolla came around 4 pm" and you have the clip in seconds.
How to choose an NVR
Channels are only the first check. The NVR must also carry the video (bandwidth), show it (decoding), store it (hard drive slots) and, if your cameras are not smart, think for them (AI engine).
Channels
How many cameras can connect: 4 to 256. Count your cameras and add 25% for next year.
16-channel NVRsHard drive slots
1 slot (mini), 2 (1U), 4 (77xx), 8 and more with RAID (86xx, 96xx). Slots set how many days you can keep.
2-slot NVRsBandwidth
The total video it can record at once. Rule of thumb on H.265: 4MP is about 4 Mbps, 8MP about 8 Mbps. Use only 75% of the datasheet figure.
AI engine
NXI models carry an engine. It gives simple cameras AcuSense and runs face recognition. NI models record only.
Face recognition NVRs| Range | Models | AI engine | Strength | Sell it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value SeriesNI-Q | 71xx Q1, 76xx Q2 | None | Price | Homes, small shops, up to 16 cameras |
| AcuSense Pro KNXI-K | 76xx / 77xx NXI-K | AcuSense for simple cameras, 1 to 2 channels of face | Balance | Most commercial sites. Our best seller: DS-7616NXI-K1 |
| AcuSense Pro INXI-I | 76xx / 77xx / 86xx NXI-I | One engine with a mode switch, AcuSearch | AI for old cameras, two screens | Many 4K cameras, small control rooms |
| M Series 8KNI-M | 76xx / 77xx / 96xx NI-M | None of its own (all cameras AcuSense) | Bandwidth, decoding, 8K output, RAID | Big sites, control rooms, 64 to 256 cameras |
| DeepinMindiDS, /X | iDS 76xx / 96xx | Several engines at once | Face recognition on many channels, AcuSeek | Campuses, retail, cities |
| Super NVR96xxx | 96128, 96256 | Model dependent | 16 to 24 slots, redundant power | Central recording for hundreds of cameras |
Reading an NVR code
Filters: built-in PoE ports (plug the camera straight in, good up to 16 cameras) · RAID · 8K output · redundant power supply · two AI engines at once
Order history, last 24 months: 16-channel and 8-channel NVRs make up three quarters of the NVRs we sell.
Turbo HD cameras and DVRs
Turbo HD is HD video on coax. The camera sends the raw picture, the DVR compresses and records it, and sends menu and zoom commands back up the same cable. New models carry sound and two-way talk on the coax as well. It is the right choice for an existing coax installation. For a new installation, read section 1 first.
Which Turbo HD camera
- ColorVu (DF0T, KF0T, -PFS): F1.0 lens, colour in very low light, microphone. The real ColorVu on coax.
- Smart Hybrid Light (D0T, K0T with LPFS / EXLPF): IR normally, white light and colour when something moves. LPFS adds a mic.
- Infrared (EXIPF): IR only, black and white at night. The cheapest, being phased out.
- Two-way talk (LPTS, LXTS): mic and speaker, siren on X models. Needs a /T or /XT DVR.
D = 1080p, K = 3K. The camera does not decide the saved quality, the DVR does. A 3K camera only makes sense on an HUHI DVR, and even there it saves 12 pictures per second.
Before you buy a DVR, ask the installer three things
- Does it save real 1080p or 1080p Lite? Lite is 960 x 1080, stretched. Value DVRs (HGHI) only do Lite.
- How many pictures per second at that size? 15 is normal. 30 is only on HUHI, and only at 2MP.
- Which channels get the smart features? Person and vehicle alerts (Motion Detection 2.0) work on all channels of every current DVR. Line crossing, intrusion and face recognition need an AcuSense DVR and work on a few channels.
| DVR | Records | AI | Audio | Sell it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS-71xxHGHI-M1/TValue DVRs | 1080p Lite at 15 fps | Motion Detection 2.0: person and vehicle alerts on all channels | Two-way over coax (/T) | Lowest budget. Homes and small shops. Our best seller with the HQHI below. |
| iDS-71xx / 72xxHQHI-M1/TAcuSense DVRs | 1080p at 15 fps; 3K / 5MP Lite at 12 fps | AcuSense: person and vehicle alerts on all channels, line crossing and intrusion on a few | Two-way over coax | The standard 1080p DVR. The default choice. |
| iDS-72xxHUHI-M1/TAcuSense DVRs | 1080p at 30 fps; 3K / 5MP at 12 fps; 8MP at 8 fps | AcuSense | Two-way over coax | 3K cameras (K0T, KF0T). |
| iDS-72xxHUHI-M2/XTFace Recognition DVRs | 1080p at 30 fps; 3K / 5MP at 12 fps; 8MP at 8 fps | AcuSense + face recognition against a list on the DVR | Two-way over coax | Reception and gates on a coax site. |
Every Turbo DVR also takes a few Hikvision IP cameras over the network (2 by default, more when analog channels are turned off): the one IP camera a coax site needs at the gate. A site that is mostly IP gets an NVR. DVRs with two-way audio over coax
Order history, last 24 months: 4- and 8-channel DVRs are 90% of the DVRs we sell; DS-2CE10DF0T-PFS (ColorVu 1080p) is our most ordered camera of any kind.
How many days of recording?
Storage is bitrate over time. One camera at 1 Mbps fills 10.8 GB a day. Add up your cameras, pick the days you must keep, and the hard drives follow.
Rule-of-thumb bitrates from Hikvision for a normal scene. A busy road or a windy tree line records more; H.264 doubles it. For a quotation our engineers run the Hikvision Design Tool.
Use surveillance-grade drives (Seagate SkyHawk, WD Purple): they are built to write 24 hours a day. Our most ordered sizes are 8 TB, 4 TB and 2 TB. An AI NVR with RAID (86xx, 96xx) keeps recording when a drive fails.
What an ESCO CCTV quote includes
Most CCTV systems are small. In 24 months of ESCO orders, a typical order is 4 to 12 cameras with an 8-channel DVR or a 16-channel NVR. These are the camera lines that go with them.
IP system
Turbo HD system
Hikvision IP cameras and recorders are installed products: we quote after a free consultation, then supply from stock in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi with a 1-year carry-in warranty. Only EZVIZ and dashcams are sold online.
Questions we get every week
My 5MP Turbo HD cameras look fine live but blurry on playback. Why?
The live screen shows the raw signal from the camera. The saved video is only what the DVR could save, and most DVRs save 1080p Lite: half the width of 1080p, stretched back when you play it. The fix is the DVR, not the camera. An HQHI saves real 1080p, an HUHI saves it at full speed. No DVR saves 5MP smoothly.
Can I put a memory card in a Turbo HD camera?
No. Turbo HD cameras have no card slot. If the cable is cut or the DVR dies, that video is gone. Most Hikvision Pro Series IP cameras take a microSD card and keep recording on their own. The NVR copies the missing minutes back when the cable is fixed.
Can I add IP cameras to my DVR?
Yes. Every current Hikvision Turbo DVR takes a few IP cameras over the network: 2 by default on most models, up to 8 and more when you turn analog channels off. Good for one IP camera at the gate. A site that is mostly IP needs an NVR.
How do I find a clip without watching hours of video?
Three ways, from any AcuSense system up. Filter: an AcuSense camera or DVR marks every recording "person" or "vehicle", so at playback you tap "person" and see only those clips. AcuSearch (Pro I NVR and up): click a person or car in old video and the NVR shows every clip of that person on every camera. AcuSeek (VPro or DeepinMind NVR with G3 cameras): type words like "white car at the gate" and the NVR finds the clip.
Do old cameras get smart alerts with a new NVR?
An AcuSense NVR (NXI) runs Motion Detection 2.0, so alerts only for people and vehicles, for every camera on it, including old G0 cameras and other brands over ONVIF. Perimeter rules and face recognition run for the number of channels on its datasheet, usually 2 to 8.
Will I see colour at night?
IR cameras: no, black and white. Smart Hybrid Light: colour when the white light is on, which is when a person or vehicle appears. ColorVu: colour almost all night, with a light for pitch black. DarkFighter: black and white, built for very low light at distance.
Which hard drive and how many days?
Use the calculator above. On H.265, 8 cameras at 4MP recording all day for 30 days need about 10 TB. Surveillance drives only; desktop drives fail early under 24-hour writing.
How far can the cable run, and what happens when I shift?
IP: 330 ft (100 m) per Cat6 cable to the nearest switch, fibre between buildings. When you shift, you plug the cameras into the new network. Turbo HD: Hikvision rates 1080p at up to 3,300 ft (1,000 m) on RG59 cable, but every camera needs its own coax and power wire all the way to the DVR. When you shift, or move one camera, you need new cable, new joints and new wiring. Most picture problems are cable problems.
Can I watch from my phone?
Yes, with Hik-Connect: the recorder connects to Hikvision's cloud and the app finds it by QR code. No router changes. Works on any internet, including 4G.
What is included in the price?
Hikvision IP and Turbo HD products are quoted after a free consultation. The quote lists cameras, recorder, hard drives, switch or power supply, cable, boxes and installation line by line, so you see what each part costs. 1-year carry-in warranty on every unit.
Plan it with an engineer
Send us a sketch or a few photos of the site and the number of cameras you have in mind. We reply with a system, line by line, usually the same day.
Figures from Hikvision datasheets, ESCO's engineer training and ESCO sales orders (24 months to October 2026). Product pages carry each model's own specification.
How to choose a CCTV system
Every CCTV system has four parts: cameras, a recorder, cable and power. This guide walks you through each choice: IP or Turbo HD, which camera line, night vision, smart features, NVR or DVR, and how many days of recording you need. Our engineers then plan it for your site in a free consultation.
IP or Turbo HD?
You are not buying the picture you see on the shop screen. You are buying the video that gets saved on the hard disk, the video you will open on your phone when something happens. This is where IP and Turbo HD (analog) are different.
IP cameras + NVR
- The camera makes the video. A 4MP camera saves 4MP video. The NVR only stores it.
- Smooth video at every size. 25 to 30 pictures per second, like TV, on 2MP, 4MP and 8MP cameras.
- The smart features are inside the camera. Person and vehicle alerts, line crossing, ColorVu and face capture work in every camera, with any NVR.
- One cable per camera, to the nearest switch. One Cat6 cable carries video, power (PoE) and sound. It goes to the nearest network switch, not all the way to the recorder.
- A memory card inside. Most Pro Series cameras take a microSD card. If the cable is cut or the NVR is off, the camera keeps recording on the card and the NVR copies it back later.
- Not locked to one recorder. The same camera can send video to your NVR, to a second NVR in another office, to a HikCentral server and to your phone, all at the same time.
- Easy to grow, easy to shift. Add a switch, add cameras. Move office, plug the cameras into the new network. An NVR goes up to 256 cameras.
Turbo HD cameras + DVR
- The DVR decides the video quality, not the camera. The camera sends a raw signal on the coax cable. The DVR converts it to video at the quality the DVR can handle. Put a 5MP camera on a 1080p Lite DVR and you get 1080p Lite video. The 5MP is wasted.
- Smooth video only at 1080p, and only on the most expensive DVR. The HUHI DVR is the only one that saves 1080p at full 30 pictures per second, and 9 out of 10 people do not buy it. The common DVRs save 15 pictures per second. Put a 4MP or 5MP camera on any DVR and it saves even fewer pictures per second. Playback is jerky, like a video call on slow internet.
- What you see live is not what gets saved. The live screen in the shop shows the raw signal and looks very good. The saved video and the phone app show only what the DVR could save. That is what you are paying for.
- Smart features are in the DVR, not the camera. Turbo HD cameras have no AI. Every current Hikvision DVR, even the DS-7104HGHI-M1/T, does Motion Detection 2.0 (person and vehicle alerts) on all channels. Line crossing and intrusion need an AcuSense DVR, and run on a few channels only.
- Every camera needs its own cable, end to end. One coax cable plus one power wire from each camera, all the way to the DVR. 8 cameras means 8 separate cable runs. Move one camera, or shift the office, and you need new cable, new joints and new wiring.
- No memory card. One recorder only. There is no card in the camera. If the cable is cut or the DVR dies, that video is gone. A coax camera connects to one DVR only, never to a second one.
- Limited by the DVR ports. 4, 8, 16 or at most 32 cameras. When the ports are full you need another DVR, or you add IP cameras to it.
Turbo HD looks cheaper. But you are not only paying less, you are getting less: half-size video, fewer pictures per second, no smart features in the camera, more cable, no memory card. The price difference between a Turbo HD set and an IP set is small. The difference in what you get is big.
What a DVR really saves
Video quality is two things: how big each picture is (megapixels) and how many pictures per second. TV is 25 to 30 pictures per second. 15 per second means every second picture is missing. That is okay for a gate or a boundary wall. It is not okay for a cash counter, where hands move fast. Most DVRs sold in Pakistan are in the first row of this table.
| DVR type | What it saves | Pictures per second | In simple words |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p LiteValue DVRs (HGHI), the most common | 960 x 1080: half of real 1080p | 15 | The DVR saves only half the width and stretches it back when you play it. Faces, cars and number plates look wide and blurry, and worse when you zoom in. Every camera on this DVR saves like this, 2MP or 5MP. |
| 1080p at 15 fpsAcuSense DVRs (HQHI) | Real 1080p. A 4MP or 5MP camera saves as "4MP Lite" or "5MP Lite", which is again 2MP | 15 | Real 1080p, but half the pictures per second. "5MP Lite" is not 5MP. It is a half litre bottle with a label that says "1 litre Lite". |
| 1080p at 30 fpsHUHI, the most expensive | 2MP at full speed. 3K / 5MP at 12 per second, 8MP at 8 per second | 30 at 2MP, then it drops | Smooth 1080p. Go above 2MP and the DVR saves fewer pictures per second, so playback is jerky. Few people buy this DVR, and even this one cannot go past 1080p smoothly. |
The rule: on a DVR, do not go below the 1080p at 15 fps model, and do not expect 5MP video from a 5MP camera. On an NVR, the megapixels you buy are the megapixels you save.
Two questions, one answer
A mix also works: one or two IP cameras at the gate on a coax site. New DVRs take up to 24 IP cameras. Our orders in the last 24 months: 57% of ESCO camera systems are IP, 35% Turbo HD, 9% both.
Which camera line?
Hikvision sells IP cameras in lines. The line sets the body, the sensor, the frame rate and how much intelligence the camera carries. The model code tells you the line: DS-2CD1xxx is 1 Line, DS-2CD2xxx is 2 Line.
| Line | Body and sensor | Night vision | Smart features | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value Series1 Line, DS-2CD1xxx | Plastic or part-plastic body, 1/3" sensor, 20 fps | IR, Smart Hybrid Light or ColorVu (G2H / G3), 65 to 165 ft (20 to 50 m) | Motion Detection 2.0 or 3.0: alerts only for people and vehicles. No perimeter rules. | Homes, shops, offices. The line our engineers sell most. |
| Pro Series2 Line, DS-2CD2xxx | Metal body, 30 fps, 120 dB WDR. Bigger sensors than 1 Line, up to 1/1.8" on some models (DS-2CD2047G2 ColorVu, for example) | IR, Smart Hybrid Light, ColorVu 3.0 or DarkFighter, 100 to 260 ft (30 to 80 m) | AcuSense perimeter: line crossing and intrusion for people and vehicles. G3 adds AcuSense 3.0 and AcuSearch. Face capture on many models. | Commercial sites, perimeters, anywhere alerts and colour at night matter. |
| Ultra Series3 Line, DS-2CD3xxx | 2 Line features with bigger sensors, more terminals and wider temperature ranges | Longer range than 2 Line, with low-light options | AcuSense plus project analytics: object removal, unattended baggage, people counting, queue management, face capture models | Projects and tenders that name 3 Line. Quoted through our projects team. |
| DeepinView7 Line, iDS-2CD7xxx | Deep learning in the camera | DarkFighter, ColorVu options | ANPR (number plates), face recognition with an on-camera list, people counting | Gates, car parks, reception, retail analytics. Site survey first. |
| PTZ camerasDS-2DE / DS-2SE | Pan, tilt and 4x to 53x zoom | IR up to 1,300 ft (400 m) on Ultra models | Auto tracking, patrol patterns, TandemVu (two cameras in one) | Yards, roads, large open areas watched by a guard. |
| PanoramicG2P, multi-sensor | Two lenses joined into one 180° picture | ColorVu or IR | AcuSense on 2 Line models | Car parks, halls, wide frontages with one camera. |
A 2 Line camera is the step up from a 1 Line one with the same code, for example DS-2CD1047G3-LIU to DS-2CD2047G3-LIS2UY/SL: bigger sensor, 30 fps, metal body, perimeter rules and a speaker.
Reading a Hikvision camera code
Shop by what the camera does: Features · microSD card slot · microphone · motorized zoom · anti-corrosion · 4G SIM
IR, Smart Hybrid Light, ColorVu or DarkFighter
Every Hikvision camera sees at night. The question is whether you see colour, how far, and whether the light draws attention. The letters after the code tell you: I is infrared, L is white light, LI is both.
Infrared
Invisible IR light, black and white picture at night. Cheapest, draws no attention. A red car and a blue car look the same.
Infrared camerasSmart Hybrid Light
IR by default. When a person or vehicle appears the white light switches on and the picture turns to colour, then back to IR. The best value for most sites.
Smart Hybrid Light camerasColorVu
F1.0 lens and a bigger sensor: colour in near darkness without the light, and a soft white light for pitch black. ColorVu 3.0 adds HikAI-ISP for cleaner night video.
ColorVu camerasDarkFighter
Very low-light sensor, black and white, with long IR. For perimeters and roads where a light would be a target.
DarkFighter camerasTypical night range by body
Ranges are Hikvision datasheet figures for the models we stock; each product page shows its own. Night picture = sensor size + lens aperture + light: a lux figure means nothing without the F-number next to it.
Five levels, not fifty features
Hikvision's smart features stack up in five levels. Each level includes the ones below it. The code of the camera, or the NVR, tells you which level you get.
A motion alarm that only fires for a person or a vehicle. Rain, leaves, cats and headlights are ignored, so recordings and phone alerts stop filling up with nothing. 1 Line G2 and up.
Draw a line on a wall or fence, or an area in a yard: alarm when a person or vehicle crosses it or stays inside. 2 Line G2 and up. Playback can be filtered to people and vehicles only: a 12-hour night becomes a few minutes of clips.
Adds region entry and exit, scene change, and AcuSearch: click a person or car in old footage and get every clip of that target, or draw a line on old video and find every crossing, even with no rule at the time. 2 Line G3.
The camera waits for the sharpest frame and saves a face photo with the time and camera name. A gallery of faces per day, no names. Many 2 Line models.
Face capture plus a list: the camera or the NVR matches the face to enrolled people. VIP arrived, blocked person at gate 2, staff attendance. ANPR reads number plates and can open a barrier. DeepinView cameras, or an AI NVR with any face-capture camera.
Who does the thinking: camera or NVR?
The camera has AcuSensein this camera
The camera runs the rules; the NVR records, keeps the person / vehicle data and lets you filter playback. Works with any NVR, and the NVR's own engine stays free.
The camera has nonewith an AI NVR
Old cameras, 1 Line G0, other brands: an AcuSense NVR (NXI) can run Motion Detection 2.0 for every camera and perimeter rules or face recognition for a few of them, as many as its datasheet says (2, 4 or 8). Check before you promise.
After the alarm: finding the clip
Smart features are not only for alerts. They also save you hours at playback time. Each level below needs the NVR named with it.
Person and vehicle filterany AcuSense system
Every recording is marked "person" or "vehicle". At playback you tap "person" and see only those clips. Instead of watching 10 hours of night video, you see the 4 clips that matter. Works with AcuSense cameras on any NVR, and on AcuSense DVRs.
AcuSearchPro I NVR and up
Click a person or a car in old video and the NVR shows every clip where it appears, on all cameras. A parcel is missing from reception: click the delivery man once and see where he went and when he left.
AcuSeekVPro or DeepinMind NVR
Search video by typing words, like Google: "white car at the gate", "man in red shirt with a bag". G3 cameras describe what they see; the NVR runs the search. The guard says "a white Corolla came around 4 pm" and you have the clip in seconds.
How to choose an NVR
Channels are only the first check. The NVR must also carry the video (bandwidth), show it (decoding), store it (hard drive slots) and, if your cameras are not smart, think for them (AI engine).
Channels
How many cameras can connect: 4 to 256. Count your cameras and add 25% for next year.
16-channel NVRsHard drive slots
1 slot (mini), 2 (1U), 4 (77xx), 8 and more with RAID (86xx, 96xx). Slots set how many days you can keep.
2-slot NVRsBandwidth
The total video it can record at once. Rule of thumb on H.265: 4MP is about 4 Mbps, 8MP about 8 Mbps. Use only 75% of the datasheet figure.
AI engine
NXI models carry an engine. It gives simple cameras AcuSense and runs face recognition. NI models record only.
Face recognition NVRs| Range | Models | AI engine | Strength | Sell it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value SeriesNI-Q | 71xx Q1, 76xx Q2 | None | Price | Homes, small shops, up to 16 cameras |
| AcuSense Pro KNXI-K | 76xx / 77xx NXI-K | AcuSense for simple cameras, 1 to 2 channels of face | Balance | Most commercial sites. Our best seller: DS-7616NXI-K1 |
| AcuSense Pro INXI-I | 76xx / 77xx / 86xx NXI-I | One engine with a mode switch, AcuSearch | AI for old cameras, two screens | Many 4K cameras, small control rooms |
| M Series 8KNI-M | 76xx / 77xx / 96xx NI-M | None of its own (all cameras AcuSense) | Bandwidth, decoding, 8K output, RAID | Big sites, control rooms, 64 to 256 cameras |
| DeepinMindiDS, /X | iDS 76xx / 96xx | Several engines at once | Face recognition on many channels, AcuSeek | Campuses, retail, cities |
| Super NVR96xxx | 96128, 96256 | Model dependent | 16 to 24 slots, redundant power | Central recording for hundreds of cameras |
Reading an NVR code
Filters: built-in PoE ports (plug the camera straight in, good up to 16 cameras) · RAID · 8K output · redundant power supply · two AI engines at once
Order history, last 24 months: 16-channel and 8-channel NVRs make up three quarters of the NVRs we sell.
Turbo HD cameras and DVRs
Turbo HD is HD video on coax. The camera sends the raw picture, the DVR compresses and records it, and sends menu and zoom commands back up the same cable. New models carry sound and two-way talk on the coax as well. It is the right choice for an existing coax installation. For a new installation, read section 1 first.
Which Turbo HD camera
- ColorVu (DF0T, KF0T, -PFS): F1.0 lens, colour in very low light, microphone. The real ColorVu on coax.
- Smart Hybrid Light (D0T, K0T with LPFS / EXLPF): IR normally, white light and colour when something moves. LPFS adds a mic.
- Infrared (EXIPF): IR only, black and white at night. The cheapest, being phased out.
- Two-way talk (LPTS, LXTS): mic and speaker, siren on X models. Needs a /T or /XT DVR.
D = 1080p, K = 3K. The camera does not decide the saved quality, the DVR does. A 3K camera only makes sense on an HUHI DVR, and even there it saves 12 pictures per second.
Before you buy a DVR, ask the installer three things
- Does it save real 1080p or 1080p Lite? Lite is 960 x 1080, stretched. Value DVRs (HGHI) only do Lite.
- How many pictures per second at that size? 15 is normal. 30 is only on HUHI, and only at 2MP.
- Which channels get the smart features? Person and vehicle alerts (Motion Detection 2.0) work on all channels of every current DVR. Line crossing, intrusion and face recognition need an AcuSense DVR and work on a few channels.
| DVR | Records | AI | Audio | Sell it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS-71xxHGHI-M1/TValue DVRs | 1080p Lite at 15 fps | Motion Detection 2.0: person and vehicle alerts on all channels | Two-way over coax (/T) | Lowest budget. Homes and small shops. Our best seller with the HQHI below. |
| iDS-71xx / 72xxHQHI-M1/TAcuSense DVRs | 1080p at 15 fps; 3K / 5MP Lite at 12 fps | AcuSense: person and vehicle alerts on all channels, line crossing and intrusion on a few | Two-way over coax | The standard 1080p DVR. The default choice. |
| iDS-72xxHUHI-M1/TAcuSense DVRs | 1080p at 30 fps; 3K / 5MP at 12 fps; 8MP at 8 fps | AcuSense | Two-way over coax | 3K cameras (K0T, KF0T). |
| iDS-72xxHUHI-M2/XTFace Recognition DVRs | 1080p at 30 fps; 3K / 5MP at 12 fps; 8MP at 8 fps | AcuSense + face recognition against a list on the DVR | Two-way over coax | Reception and gates on a coax site. |
Every Turbo DVR also takes a few Hikvision IP cameras over the network (2 by default, more when analog channels are turned off): the one IP camera a coax site needs at the gate. A site that is mostly IP gets an NVR. DVRs with two-way audio over coax
Order history, last 24 months: 4- and 8-channel DVRs are 90% of the DVRs we sell; DS-2CE10DF0T-PFS (ColorVu 1080p) is our most ordered camera of any kind.
How many days of recording?
Storage is bitrate over time. One camera at 1 Mbps fills 10.8 GB a day. Add up your cameras, pick the days you must keep, and the hard drives follow.
Rule-of-thumb bitrates from Hikvision for a normal scene. A busy road or a windy tree line records more; H.264 doubles it. For a quotation our engineers run the Hikvision Design Tool.
Use surveillance-grade drives (Seagate SkyHawk, WD Purple): they are built to write 24 hours a day. Our most ordered sizes are 8 TB, 4 TB and 2 TB. An AI NVR with RAID (86xx, 96xx) keeps recording when a drive fails.
What an ESCO CCTV quote includes
Most CCTV systems are small. In 24 months of ESCO orders, a typical order is 4 to 12 cameras with an 8-channel DVR or a 16-channel NVR. These are the camera lines that go with them.
IP system
Turbo HD system
Hikvision IP cameras and recorders are installed products: we quote after a free consultation, then supply from stock in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi with a 1-year carry-in warranty. Only EZVIZ and dashcams are sold online.
Questions we get every week
My 5MP Turbo HD cameras look fine live but blurry on playback. Why?
The live screen shows the raw signal from the camera. The saved video is only what the DVR could save, and most DVRs save 1080p Lite: half the width of 1080p, stretched back when you play it. The fix is the DVR, not the camera. An HQHI saves real 1080p, an HUHI saves it at full speed. No DVR saves 5MP smoothly.
Can I put a memory card in a Turbo HD camera?
No. Turbo HD cameras have no card slot. If the cable is cut or the DVR dies, that video is gone. Most Hikvision Pro Series IP cameras take a microSD card and keep recording on their own. The NVR copies the missing minutes back when the cable is fixed.
Can I add IP cameras to my DVR?
Yes. Every current Hikvision Turbo DVR takes a few IP cameras over the network: 2 by default on most models, up to 8 and more when you turn analog channels off. Good for one IP camera at the gate. A site that is mostly IP needs an NVR.
How do I find a clip without watching hours of video?
Three ways, from any AcuSense system up. Filter: an AcuSense camera or DVR marks every recording "person" or "vehicle", so at playback you tap "person" and see only those clips. AcuSearch (Pro I NVR and up): click a person or car in old video and the NVR shows every clip of that person on every camera. AcuSeek (VPro or DeepinMind NVR with G3 cameras): type words like "white car at the gate" and the NVR finds the clip.
Do old cameras get smart alerts with a new NVR?
An AcuSense NVR (NXI) runs Motion Detection 2.0, so alerts only for people and vehicles, for every camera on it, including old G0 cameras and other brands over ONVIF. Perimeter rules and face recognition run for the number of channels on its datasheet, usually 2 to 8.
Will I see colour at night?
IR cameras: no, black and white. Smart Hybrid Light: colour when the white light is on, which is when a person or vehicle appears. ColorVu: colour almost all night, with a light for pitch black. DarkFighter: black and white, built for very low light at distance.
Which hard drive and how many days?
Use the calculator above. On H.265, 8 cameras at 4MP recording all day for 30 days need about 10 TB. Surveillance drives only; desktop drives fail early under 24-hour writing.
How far can the cable run, and what happens when I shift?
IP: 330 ft (100 m) per Cat6 cable to the nearest switch, fibre between buildings. When you shift, you plug the cameras into the new network. Turbo HD: Hikvision rates 1080p at up to 3,300 ft (1,000 m) on RG59 cable, but every camera needs its own coax and power wire all the way to the DVR. When you shift, or move one camera, you need new cable, new joints and new wiring. Most picture problems are cable problems.
Can I watch from my phone?
Yes, with Hik-Connect: the recorder connects to Hikvision's cloud and the app finds it by QR code. No router changes. Works on any internet, including 4G.
What is included in the price?
Hikvision IP and Turbo HD products are quoted after a free consultation. The quote lists cameras, recorder, hard drives, switch or power supply, cable, boxes and installation line by line, so you see what each part costs. 1-year carry-in warranty on every unit.
Plan it with an engineer
Send us a sketch or a few photos of the site and the number of cameras you have in mind. We reply with a system, line by line, usually the same day.
Figures from Hikvision datasheets, ESCO's engineer training and ESCO sales orders (24 months to October 2026). Product pages carry each model's own specification.