Cannot watch live video in Security Desk - Security Center 5.7 - 5.11

Troubleshooting the Archiver

Applies to
Security Center 5.7 - 5.11
Last updated
2023-08-16
Content type
Troubleshooting
Language
English
Product
Security Center
Version
5.12
5.11
5.10
5.9
5.8

If you cannot view live video in Security Desk, you can troubleshoot the issue.

What you should know

There are several possible causes for a missing video error:
  • The network is slow.
  • Port connection has issues.
  • The video stream was dropped while being redirected to Security Desk.

Procedure

  1. Wait to see if the camera connects.
  2. If the problem persists for more than 10 seconds, click Show diagnosis in the tile, or press Ctrl+Shift+D.
    Information about the video stream is displayed. The current step is highlighted:

    Initializing
    The media player is preparing the required resources to display the video stream.
    Connecting to Media Router
    The media player is establishing connection with the Media Router to obtain the network location of the stream.
    Connecting to Archiver and redirector
    The media player is establishing connection with the Archiver and the redirector to request video.
    Requesting live stream
    The connection is established between the Archiver and the Media Player. The Media Player is now requesting the live stream.
    Analyzing the stream
    The client workstation requested and received the stream. The media player analyzes the stream to detect the video format and the presence of key frames. After the stream is validated, the video is decoded.
    Tip: Click the Help link for a list of things that you can do to troubleshoot the issue.
  3. Confirm that the unit is online.
    If the unit is red in the Video task in Config Tool, then troubleshoot why the video unit is offline.
  4. Verify that you can ping the unit:
    1. In the Config Tool Video task, select the red video unit.
    2. At the bottom of the Video task, click Unit > Ping ().
    If there is no reply, the unit is offline (broken, unplugged, and so on), or there is a problem with your network.
  5. Make sure you can connect to the unit, and then click Unit > Unit’s web page.
    Tip: You can also determine if you have the correct credentials for the unit.
  6. Verify that Security Center supports the unit, and that the unit is running the certified firmware.
    For a list of video units supported by Security Center, see our Supported Device List.
  7. Change the video unit’s connection type to the Archiver:
    1. In the Config Tool Video task, select the red camera.
    2. Click the Video tab.
    3. From the Connection type list in the Network settings section, select a different connection type.
    4. Click Apply.
  8. Try viewing playback video from the camera:
    1. In the Security Desk Archives task, select the camera.
    2. Select the most recent video archive available and click Generate report.
    3. After the report is generated, try to view the video from the archive.
      • If you can view the video, continue with the next troubleshooting step.
      • If you cannot view any video, contact Genetec™ Technical Assistance Center.
  9. If you have an expansion server on your system running the Archiver role, try to view video from the expansion server:
    1. Open Security Desk on the expansion server.
    2. In the Monitoring task, drag the camera from the area view to a tile in the canvas.
      • If you can view video, it might be a problem with the redirection from the Media Router to your Security Desk. Continue with the next troubleshooting step.
      • If you cannot view any video, contact Genetec Technical Assistance Center.
  10. Make sure the correct ports are open on your network so that there is no firewall blocking the video stream.
  11. Verify that each network on your system is configured properly:
    1. From the Config Tool homepage, open the Network view task.
    2. Select a network, click the Properties tab, and make sure all the settings are correct (IP prefix, subnet mask, routes, network capabilities, and so on).
    3. If required, change the network settings and click Apply.
    For more information, see About networks.
  12. Force Security Desk to use a different connection type:
    1. From the Security Desk home page, click Options > General.
    2. In the Network options section, next to the Network option, select Specific.
    3. From the drop-down list, select a different network and click Save.
    4. Restart Security Desk.
    5. If changing the network connection does not work, repeat the steps to test using other networks.
  13. If you still cannot view video, click Show video stream status in the tile, and then troubleshoot the video stream.
  14. If the issue persists, contact Genetec Technical Assistance Center.