Resources
Guides and tips for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras on a Mac.
How to view several Hikvision NVRs or sites on one Mac
Home, office and a remote site: four ways to watch several Hikvision or HiLook recorders on one Mac, how each handles playback and layouts, and how to plan...
Read more →
macOS Local Network permission: why camera apps can't find your NVR, and how to fix it
Since macOS 15 Sequoia, every app that talks to devices on your home network needs Local Network permission. Here is how it breaks camera apps, where the setting...
Read more →
HiLookVision vs HikGrid: the HiLook app or a native Mac viewer?
HiLookVision is now called HiLook, and on a Mac it runs only as an iPad app that Hikvision hasn't verified for macOS. We compare it with HikGrid, our...
Read more →
SecuritySpy vs HikGrid: a second recorder or a viewer for your Hikvision NVR?
SecuritySpy records its own copy to your Mac, and its developer says it cannot access your Hikvision NVR's own storage. HikGrid is a native Mac app for viewing...
Read more →
HiLook cameras on a Mac: which app to use
There is no native HiLook app for Mac. Five ways to view a HiLook NVR or DVR on Intel and Apple silicon Macs, which one fits your Mac,...
Read more →
SecuritySpy with Hikvision: setup, costs and what you give up
SecuritySpy can pull channels from a Hikvision NVR, but it turns the Mac into the recorder. Here is the setup, the licence costs, and what you give up.
Read more →
Hikvision RTSP URL format, with a VLC test on macOS
The Hikvision RTSP URL format explained with a channel code table, camera vs NVR differences, a copy-paste VLC test for macOS, the snapshot URL and five common failure...
Read more →
Plugin-free live view: does your Hikvision firmware support it?
Hikvision live view without a plugin depends on firmware. Here is the full threshold table by series, how to find your version, what plugin-free cannot do, and Mac...
Read more →