Can You Add AI to Cameras Connected to an NVR?
- Written by
- Agentinosaurus Team
- Published
- Reading time
- 3 min read
Keep your recorder exactly as it is. Station can read a camera directly or the channel your NVR re-shares over RTSP, and add plain-language AI alerts to the views that matter.
Can an existing NVR camera system use AI?
Yes. Agentinosaurus doesn’t replace your recorder: it reads the same live video your NVR already receives and looks for the situations you describe. Recording, playback and the manufacturer’s app keep working as before.
You don’t have to connect every camera. Start with the one view where an alert would save someone a manual check, such as the shop entrance after closing or the loading bay during the night.
What is an NVR?
An NVR (network video recorder) is the box that receives and records video from IP cameras, usually over PoE cables. Systems from Reolink, Lorex, Amcrest, Hikvision, Dahua, ANNKE, Uniview and many others are built around one. Older analog systems use a DVR instead; many DVRs can share their channels over RTSP too.
Do you connect the cameras or the recorder?
Either works. Connecting to each camera directly is usually the most reliable. Connecting to the recorder is handy when the cameras sit on the NVR’s own isolated network (common with plug-and-play PoE kits) and Station can’t reach them.
| Directly to the camera | Through the NVR channel | |
|---|---|---|
| When to use it | Cameras are on your main network | Cameras are only reachable via the NVR |
| Address | The camera’s own IP and stream path | The NVR’s IP plus a channel number |
| Load on the NVR | None | One extra stream per channel |
| If the NVR restarts | AI keeps working | AI pauses until the NVR is back |
Will you need to replace your recording system?
No. Station only reads a live stream: it never changes recordings, retention or motion settings on the NVR. Most recorders allow several simultaneous streams per channel, so the AI check runs alongside the recording.
Recorders number channels differently, which is the one detail worth getting right.
| Recorder brand | Channel 2, main stream |
|---|---|
| Hikvision, ANNKE | rtsp://NVR_IP:554/Streaming/channels/201 |
| Dahua, Amcrest and many Lorex models | rtsp://NVR_IP:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=2&subtype=0 |
| Reolink | rtsp://NVR_IP:554/Preview_02_main |
| Uniview | See Uniview’s NVR address guide (paths differ from cameras) |
- Reolink: RTSP through recorders and hubs
- Lorex: using RTSP with your DVR / NVR
- Camera works in VLC but not in Station?
What should your first AI camera watch?
Pick a view with an obvious purpose and a situation you can test.
| View | Event | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Shop entrance | A person is inside the shop | After closing |
| Loading bay | Boxes are blocking the doorway | Always |
| Parking lot | A vehicle is parked in front of the gate | Always |
| Back door | A person is standing at the back door | Night |
| Warehouse aisle | A person is on a ladder without anyone nearby | Working hours |
How do you add more cameras?
Once the first camera behaves well, add the next channel and give it its own Events. Name cameras after places (“Front entrance”, “Loading bay”) so alerts are clear at a glance.
One Station on a modern computer handles several cameras. Each camera uses one camera slot in your plan, and the AI cost grows with how often each camera is checked.
Can an installer set this up for you?
Yes. A CCTV installer can check which streams your recorder shares, connect the right channels, write the Events with you and test the alerts on site. Ask for a small pilot around one situation, then expand from there.