1. What you can do with HiKamPC.

The HiKamPC is a free software for Microsoft Windows. It lets you

  • Access the camera via LAN or WAN.
  • Watch live video streams from more than one camera in the same time.
  • Record and save live videos on your PC.
  • Transfer video files from the built-in MicroSD card to your PC, watch them, and convert the original av format into mp4 format.

Notes: 

  • For configuration updates, e.g., turn on/turn off the alarm or update the camera's password, go for the HiKam app.
  • The Wins PC must have a DPI less than 100%; otherwise, some buttons of the HiKamPC may be missed.

This article includes the following sections.

The interafce may looks slight different than snapshots in this article. Simply disregard the difference if exists.


2. Requirements for using HiKamPC

Make sure the following:

  • The PC has the Internet access.
  • Note: When the PC and cameras are on the same LAN, this requirement is not mandatory. 
  • Window XP/7/8/10 is running on this PC.
  • Your camera has successfully set up and is connecting to the Internet.
  • You have your camera ID and camera password.
  • Note: When the PC and the camera are on the same LAN, the camera ID isn't needed because the camera will be automatically detected. But you must know the camera password in order to watch the live stream.
  • The firmware on your camera must be 13.0.0.77 or later.
  • Note 1: To check the firmware launch the HiKam app on your mobile device. Go to Settings > Device Info.
  • Note 2: To upgrade the firmware launch the HiKam app on your mobile device. Go to Settings > Device Update.

3. Where to download the HiKamPC and how to launch it.

For info regarding the HiKamPC downloading, refer to the article HiKam PC Client Download.


Move your downloaded zip file to any preferred folder. Unzip the file and then you will find the HiKamPC.exe. Double click it to launch the application.

Note: If you are using the version older than V1.0.0.31_0, an upgrade is suggested. Go to Software version query to find out which version you are running.

4. How to watch live videos from HiKamPC.

Step 1: Log in HiKamPC. Refer to hikam PC Client Download for more info.

 

Step 2: If your PC and your camera are in the same LAN, the camera can be detected automatically. Make sure to input the correct password, which was configured in the camera during setup. Click Add All to add them.


 The detected camera will be listed on the left bar.


Double click the camera. With the correct password, you can now follow the live video streams on HiKamPC.

If the password is incorrect, you will see a lock on the window. Go to Change settings such as the password, the camera name to correct the camera's password.


Step 3: In case your PC and your camera are not in the same LAN, the camera needs to be manually added by clicking the + button. In the popup Device manager window click Manual add device. 


In the popup Add Device window, type in your camera ID in 3C ID textbox and its password. You are also asked to name this camera.

To follow the live video, drag the new added camera to one of the display windows.

5. Change settings such as the password, the camera name

5.1 Set the camera password or rename the camera

Right click on the device to open the drop down menu for more settings. In order to make your changes valid, you must first stop playing video by clicking X button at the upper-right corner of the corresponding display window. Then click Device property to change password.

If the color can not be displayed correctly as below, try to update the driver of the graphics card of the PC.

5.2 Change the image/video saving folder on your PC.

Click the gear icon on the top window. A popup CMS config window will pop up. Click Browser button to choose your preferred folder.

Click Save and then Ok to confirm.

The CMS config window also allow you to do other changes such as turn on/off auto recording when start to watch live video.

The recording time is 60 minutes by default. The value is non-editable in this window. To change the default value refer to How to change the recording duration.

6. How to take snapshot and save to local PC

Move the mouse to the display window. Right click and the drop down menu will pop up. Click Capture.

You will see a window with the snapshot file and saving location rising at the lower right corner.

7. How to record videos to local PC

To start recording:

  • Move the mouse to the corresponding display window. Right click and the drop down menu will pop up. Click Start Record to start.

Given recording started, to stop recording:

  • Right click on the display window and then click Stop Record.
  • Note : A window will come up and then be gone from the lower-right corner to show you where the recording file saved.

8. Play the recorded videos stored in microSD

Click the Playback icon.


Choose Remote record files in the drop down menu for Record file type. Give the Begin time and End time, then click Search.

If you haven't type in the right password for the camera, then you will see the warning window. Refer to Change settings such as setting the password, rename the camera to fix it.

With a correct device password, the recording files will be displayed in the first column. Double click the file. The HiKamPC will start the playback.

9. Play the recorded files stored in local PC

Click the Playback icon.

Choose Local record files in Record file type. Click Search. The highlight blue identifies the existence of local recording files. The highlight yellow identifies the date which you want to do playback. For instance from the following picture you can tell you have recorded files on the 9th and 10th of July, and you want to watch files on the 9th.

Move the mouse and check the camera name, or check All open. The record file will be played back.

 

10. Download the recorded files from microSD to local PC

Follow Play the recorded videos stored in microSD to select the recorded files in microSD. You will see the following window.

Move your mouse to the file you want to download. Left click the file and then right click. You will see a popup menu Start download.


The processing percentage is display. 100% identifies a full downloading.


To check the downloaded file, choose Download files in the Record file type menu.

Click Search. Blue highlight identifies the date which has the downloaded files. Yellow highlight identifies the date you want to check. For instance, the following image displays there exists downloaded file on the 10th of July. To open the downloaded file, you need to do a click on the 10th of July.


Now check All open and the video will be played automatically.

11. Convert the video format from av to mp4

Convert the local shooting files

Follow Play the recorded files stored in local PCto choose a local recording. You can see the Convert icon. See the yellow box in the following picture. Click it.


Check the file(s) you want to convert and then click Start. Optionally you can choose the save path you preferred.


10.2 Convert the remote shooting files

Step 1: you need to download the recording file from MicroSD to local machine. Follow Download the recorded files from microSD to local PC to search the remote recording file.

Right click on the file and then click Start download. A progressing percentage will be displayed in the column following the file name. You can download multiple files simultaneously.

Second, clicking on Download files in Record file type. Choose the corresponding camera in Device. Give the expected Begin time and End time.

Click Search. The downloaded files will be displayed in the list.

Right click on the file and choose Convert to MP4. Then choose the folder to save the converted file. You can convert multiple files simultaneously.

You can use other media player such as Windows Media Player to play MP4 files.

11. Change the recording duration

To extend the recording duration (60 min by default), you need to open the CMSClient.xml file, which is in the same folder with HiKamPC.exe.

Use your preferred editor to open CMSClient.xml. Search "ReserveSize" and "RecFileSize". You need to change these two values correspondingly. Approximately 5Mbytes is needed per minute.

12. Software version query

Press the question mark at the upper right corner.

The software version will be displayed in the popup window.

11. Uninstall the HiKamPC

Simply remove the whole folder saving HiKamPC.