Amcrest IP2M-841 ProHD User Manual

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17. This guide will help you take the step necessary to port forward on the router. Follow these steps, and 
then return to the camera. 
18. Login to your camera, open the main menu then go to Setup -> Network. 
19. Click the DDNS menu item on the left hand menu, pick Amcrest DDNS from the drop down box, click the 
checkbox next to Server Type, and then click the Save button on the bottom right.  
20. To set a custom DDNS name, fill out the Domain Name field and click Save. 
21. Write down the entire Domain Name field, including the white text that says .amcrestddns.com 
22. Open a web browser and enter in the DDNS domain name address from step 21, enter in a colon, then 
type the HTTP port number from step 10 on to the end. 
a. For example, if the DDNS domain name is http://abc123456789.amcrestddns.com and your 
HTTP Port is 33333, the URL would be http://abc123456789.amcrestddns.com:33333 
23. Enter in login details into the username and password fields and click login. 
If the process above is not working, please contact Amcrest Support via one of the following options: 
● Visit http://amcrest.com/contacts and use the email form 
● Call Amcrest Support using one of the following numbers 
Toll Free: (888) 212-7538 
International Callers (Outside of US): +1-713-893-8956 
USA: (888) 212-7538 
Canada: 437-888-0177 
UK: 203-769-2757 
● Email Amcrest Customer Support [email protected] 
 
4.8 NVR Access 
The camera supports connecting to any NVR that uses the ONVIF standard. This allows the camera to view live 
playback and to save recorded data to a network storage device. To connect to an NVR, use an Ethernet cable to 
link the camera to the NVR. 
   
						

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5 Operation and Interface 
This section of the manual details the camera’s interface, as well as all of the operations the camera can perform. 
The main interface of the camera contains 6 major tabs on the top of the screen. By default, the interface opens on 
the Live tab. 
 
5.1 Live 
The Live tab allows the user to see a live video feed from the camera. The live tab has 4 main sections:  
						

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Section 1: This bar allows the user to select which stream type and which protocol they want to choose. For more 
information on stream types, see section 5.4.1.2.1. For more information on protocols, see section 5.4.2.2.1. 
Section 2: The functions bar allows the user to perform different camera functions while in live mode. See the 
table below for an explanation of the different functions available: 
Button Function Name Function Description 
 
Alarm Output Click this button to generate an alarm output signal. This button becomes 
red/grey depending on alarm output activation or cancellation. 
 
Digital Zoom Click this button to activate the zone selection function. This allows the 
user to use the mouse to select a zone to zoom in on. 
 
Snapshot Click this button to take a screenshot of the live feed. The picture is saved 
at the path specified in Setup -> Camera -> Video -> Path. 
 
Triple Snapshot Click this button to take 1 screenshot per second for 3 seconds. The 
pictures are saved at the path specified in Setup -> Camera -> Video -> 
Path. 
 
Manual Record Click this button to manually record video. The video is saved at the path 
specified in Setup -> Camera -> Video -> Path. 
 
Audio Click this button to enable or disable audio output from the camera. This 
feature allows the user to listen in on the audio the camera’s microphone 
is picking up. 
 
Bidirectional Talk Click and hold this button to enable bidirectional talk. This feature allows 
the user to broadcast audio from their computer to the camera. While this 
is active, the camera’s speaker is shut off in order to keep audio quality 
high.  
						

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Help Click this button to open a window that details the buttons and functions 
shown on this screen. 
Section 3: This bar allows the user to change video settings for the live playback screen. See the below table for an 
explanation of the video settings: 
Button Function Name Function Description 
 
Image Adjustment This button opens the image adjustment toolbar, which allows the user to 
adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and hue for the live feed’s picture. 
 
Adapt/Original Size This button allows the user to switch between displaying the original size 
of the stream in its set resolution, or to adapt to the size of the monitor 
display the feed is being viewed on. 
 
Full Screen This button allows the user to make the live feed go into full screen mode. 
Double click the mouse or click the ESC button to exit full screen mode. 
 
Width/Height Ratio This button allows the user to change the width/height ratio for the live 
feed. The options are Original and Adaptive. Original uses the aspect ratio 
of the stream’s set resolution, and adaptive fits the feed to the aspect 
ratio of the monitor display the feed is being viewed on. 
 
Stream Fluency This button allows the user to change the stream fluency. There are 3 
options. Realtime reduces delay and decreases fluency, and Fluency has a 
larger delay but the video stream becomes more fluid. 
Section 4: This section of the Live tab shows the picture that the camera is broadcasting. The bitrate is shown in 
the top left corner, the native resolution is shown in the top right corner, the time stamp is shown below the 
native resolution, and the camera type is shown in the bottom left corner. 
5.2 PTZ 
The PTZ tab allows the user to change the position of the camera. Below is a screenshot of the PTZ tab:  
						

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The PTZ control panel allows the user to position the camera in different ways.  Below is a screenshot of the PTZ 
control panel:  
The arrows on the PTZ control panel allow the user to move the camera’s position in a specific direction. The 
button in the middle of the direction arrow allows the user to select an area in the live view to zoom in on. 
The speed dropdown box allows the user to control the speed at which the camera moves. The values range from 
1 to 8, 8 being the fastest. 
The zoom buttons allow the user to digitally zoom in and out on the live preview picture.  
The dropdown box under PTZ settings allows the user to configure Presets and Tours. Preset allows the user to 
designate specific PTZ positions for the camera. To create and manage presets, follow the steps below:  
● Configure the camera positioning as needed. 
● Input the preset number, and then click the + Add button 
● Click - Del to delete the current preset. 
● Click Go To to access a preset. 
Tour allows the user to string multiple presets together.  To create and manage tours, follow the steps below: 
● Ensure you have more than 1 preset configured already. 
● Input the tour value and click Start. 
● Input the preset value and then click the Add Preset button to add a preset. 
● Continue adding presets as needed.  
						

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● Click Del Preset to remove a preset from the tour. 
● Click - Del to delete the entire tour. 
5.3 Playback 
The Playback tab allows the user to playback the camera’s recorded video. Below is a screenshot of the Playback 
tab: 
 
This is the interface for the playback menu. There are 7 main sections: 
1. Quick Actions: This panel allows the user to zoom in on playback footage, take a snapshot of the playback 
footage, or open the help menu. 
2. File Menu: This panel allows the user to select a file type and data source. 
3. Calendar: This panel allows the user to pick a date that they would like to playback video from. When a date 
has recorded footage available, it’s green. The current date is blue, unless it has recorded footage, then it’s a 
lighter green. 
4. File List: This button opens a file list of all recorded video for a specific date range. From here, the user can 
download these videos to their PC. 
5. Trim Panel: This panel allows the user to trim playback video for download. By specifying time stamps, the 
user can trim down.  
6. Recorded Video Panel: This panel allows the user to specify what type of video they would like to playback 
and it also allows the user to select where to start playback from. The buttons on the bottom right allow the 
user to select a zoom level. 
7. Playback Bar: This panel allows the user to control playback. It also allows the user to control playback speed, 
and playback volume.  
						

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Clicking the File List opens the following screen on the sidebar: 
This allows the user to select files for download. Select the files by clicking the checkbox next to each file, and then 
click  to download the files to the PC.  
 
   
						

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5.4 Setup 
The Setup tab allows the user to change different camera settings. Below is a screenshot of the setup tab:  
 
There are 3 main sections to note in the Setup tab: 
1. Menu Bar: The menu bar is composed of menu sections, which when clicked display any menu items that fall 
under their category. 
2. Menu Items: These menu items each open up a different menu that allows the user to change specific settings 
for the camera. 
3. Menu Tab: These tabs open up menu options for certain menu items.  
Note: To view additional information about any of the information in the menu, click the  button near 
the top right corner. 
In the rest of section 5.4, we will be exploring all of the different menus that are available through web access. 
   
						

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5.4.1 Camera 
This menu section allows the user to change different camera settings for video, audio, and to manage image 
profiles. 
5.4.1.1 Configuration 
This menu allows the user to configure image profiles for normal, day, and night usage. 
5.4.1.1.1 Configuration 
Below is a screenshot that shows the Configuration tab in the Configuration menu item:  
 
Below is an explanation for each of the fields on the Configuration tab in the Configuration menu item: 
● Profile: This dropdown box allows the user to select which profile to modify. The 3 options are Day, Night, and 
Normal. 
● Brightness: This slider is used to adjust playback and recorded video window brightness. The value ranges 
from 0 to 100. The default value is 50. The larger the number, the brighter the video is. When you input the 
value here, the bright section and the dark section of the video will be adjusted accordingly. You can use this  
						

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function when the whole video is too dark or too bright. Please note the video may become hazy if the value is 
too high. The recommended value ranges from 40 to 60. 
● Contrast: This slider is used to adjust playback and recorded video window contrast. The value ranges from 0 
to 100. The default value is 50. The larger the number is, the higher the contrast is. You can use this function 
when the whole video brightness is OK but the contrast is not correct. Please note the video may become hazy 
if the value is too low. If this value is too high, the dark section may lack brightness while the bright section 
may over expose. The recommended value ranges from 40 to 60. 
● Saturation: This slider is used to adjust playback and recorded video window saturation. The value ranges 
from 0 to 100. The default value is 50. The larger the number, the stronger the color is. This value has no 
effect on the general brightness of the whole video. The video color may become too strong if the value is too 
high. For the grey part of the video, distortion may occur if the white balance is not accurate. Please note the 
video may not be clear if the value is too low. The recommended value ranges from 40 to 60. 
● Sharpness: This slider is used to adjust the sharpness of the video. The value ranges from 0 to 100. The larger 
the value is, the clearer the edges are and vice versa. Note: The higher the value, the higher likelihood of 
picture noise occurring. The default value is 50 and the recommended value ranges from 40 to 60. 
● Gamma: This slider is used to adjust the gamma of the video. The larger the number, the brighter the video is. 
The default value is 50 and the recommended value ranges from 40 to 60. 
● Anti-Flicker: These radio buttons allow the user to select what type of anti-flicker technology should be used 
for the video feed. The three options are 50 Hz, 60 Hz, and Outdoor. The desired option should offset any 
flickering effect caused by the electrical current used in the specific area. 
● Exposure: This dropdown box allows the user to select the exposure type for the video feed. The options are 
Auto, Low Noise, Low Motion Blur, and Manual. When low noise is selected, an additional option to specify a 
gain range appears below this box. When low motion blur is selected, an additional option to specify shutter 
speed appears below this box. When manual is selected, additional options to specify a shutter speed and a 
gain range appear below this box. 
● White Balance: This dropdown box allows the user to select the white balance for the video feed. The 
different options are Auto, Sunny, Night, Outdoor, and Customized. Selecting customized opens a menu that 
allows the user to set specific red or blue values. 
● Day & Night: This dropdown box allows the user to select which type of picture is displayed. The options are 
Color, Auto, and Black & White. 
● D&N Sensitivity: This option allows the user to change the Day/Night Sensitivity of the camera. The three 
options are Low, Middle, and High. The higher the sensitivity, the quicker the camera will change into another 
mode depending on the light levels. 
● D&N Delay: This dropdown box allows the user to set a delay in seconds for how long it takes to switch 
between Day and Night modes. The values range from 2 seconds to 10 seconds. 
● BLC Mode: This dropdown box allows the user to select Back Light Compensation. The values are Off, BLC 
(Auto), WDR, and HLC. This feature should only be used in black lit environments. 
● Indicator Light: This dropdown box allows the user to select whether the indicator light on the back of the 
camera is on or off for the selected profile. 
● Mirror: This radio button allows the user to turn the mirroring feature on or off. Turning mirroring on will 
mirror the picture. 
● Flip: This dropdown box allows the user to flip the video feed picture. Flipping the picture is recommended 
only if the camera is mounted upside down. 
● 3D NR: This radio button allows the user to turn the 3D Noise Reduction feature on or off. 
● 3D NR Level: This slider allows the user to specify the 3D Noise Reduction level. The value ranges from 1-100. 
● Night Vision: This dropdown box allows the user to select whether the camera turns on night vision 
automatically or if night vision remains off.