Applies to: BLAZE v1.3 or later

Issue Summary

ONVIF cameras may encounter compatibility or configuration issues when added to BLAZE v1.3 or later, even if they are ONVIF Profile S compliant. Issues may involve device discovery, authentication, registration, licensing, live video, playback, or ONVIF events.

Prerequisites

Before troubleshooting:

1. Log in to the camera’s web UI.
    
2. Confirm the IP address, port, user name and password.
    
3. Use a tool like ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) to search for the device and examine its ONVIF details.

Resolution

Discovery Issues

BLAZE Auto scan normally discovers all devices, even if they are not authenticated. Sometimes a model or device can have discovery protocols disabled.

Try the following:

• Use the camera’s web UI to confirm that ONVIF is enabled. Some cameras have ONVIF enabled by default, while others require it to be enabled manually.
   
• Use Known device address instead of Auto scan.
   
• Use HTTPS instead of HTTP.

Authentication Issues

Every camera has an administrator-level username and password. However, some cameras require an additional ONVIF-specific user to be configured. 

• Check the camera’s date, time, and time zone settings. Consider synchronizing the camera with an NTP server.
   
• Use the camera’s web UI to determine whether a ONVIF user must be created. If required, create an account with Administrator-level privileges (ex: AXIS).
   
• Check whether the camera offers different authentication methods. For example, Digital Watchdog offers None, WS-Usertoken, and WS-Usertoken + Digest options, but only the final one works.

Device Registration Issues

BLAZE needs space on the camera to create two new video profiles:

• BLAZEPrimary – Higher-quality video profile
   
• BLAZESecondary – Lower-resolution video profile

BLAZE cannot reuse existing profiles; it must create new ones. Alternatively, manually create both profiles and then add the device to BLAZE. A third profile, BLAZEEdge, is created if Edge storage backup is enabled for redundancy when the camera is unable to record on the BLAZE recorder.

Consider the following when troubleshooting:

• Hanwha cameras transparently list all existing profiles, making it easy to identify profiles that can be deleted to create space for new ones. This might happen if the camera was previously attached to another VMS.
   
• Some models have default profiles that are distinct from ONVIF profiles. Other models, especially older models, have a limited number of profile slots. The terms profile and stream are sometimes used interchangeably, but other times they are distinct (ex: Bosch).
   
• If the camera’s web UI does not clearly identify the profiles, use ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) to identify existing profiles and determine which ones can be deleted to create space.
   
• The device must provide a video stream to be onboarded successfully into BLAZE. Audio devices and environmental sensors, for example, may not meet this requirement. MJPEG and MPEG4 are not supported.

Licensing Issues

Licensing issues are rare. If BLAZE consumes more licenses for a device than expected, contact Technical Support.

Licensing requirements:

• Single-sensor ONVIF camera - 1 license on a BLAZE server or 1 channel on a BLAZE appliance.
   
• Multi-sensor ONVIF camera - 0.25 licenses per sensor on a BLAZE server or 1 channel per sensor on a BLAZE appliance. For example, a quad-sensor consumes 1 license or 4 channels, assuming that all sensors are used (you can delete unused sensors).
   
• Multi-channel ONVIF encoder - 0.25 licenses per input on a BLAZE server or 1 channel per input on a BLAZE appliance. For example, a 4-channel encoder consumes 1 license or 4 channels assuming all inputs are used (you can delete unused inputs).

Live and Playback Issues

If the camera is licensed and recording but you are still having issues, consider the following:

• Sometimes there can be CODEC issues. If your device is struggling with H.265, try H.264.
   
• If a fisheye is not dewarping properly, consult the manufacturer for a RPL number and apply it.
   
• If BLAZE reports that server-side motion detection is deactivated due to an excessively high resolution on the second stream, try reducing it in the camera’s web GUI. Aim for a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768.
   
• If you are having issues with edge storage backup, use the camera’s web GUI to confirm the camera’s internal storage is properly formatted. BLAZE can only format edge storage on Hanwha cameras.
   
• Some cameras with more sophisticated features, such as wiper blades, may not behave as expected. Consider using Trigger buttons with HTTP actions to activate these features.
   
• If you are not receiving ONVIF events from the device, use ODM to confirm the events are coming in. The device must support ONVIF profile M to be able to send events to BLAZE. In Settings > General > ONVIF event settings, confirm the event mapping is accurate.