VMAX IP Plus NVR Generation Lookup
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Affected Roles: All Users
Last Edit: July 16, 2026
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Identify Your NVR Generation
Digital Watchdog VMAX IP Plus NVRs have been released across multiple hardware generations. Each generation requires its own firmware package, and installing firmware intended for a different hardware generation can result in update failures, compatibility issues, or unexpected recorder behavior.
Before performing a firmware upgrade or beginning troubleshooting, identify your recorder's hardware generation. This information is also useful when determining feature compatibility, supported camera types, and available services.
This article explains how to identify your recorder's hardware generation and provides a comparison of features available with each generation.
Supported/Affected Devices:
- VMAX IP Plus Series
How to Identify Your NVR Generation
Your recorder generation can be identified using one or more of the following:
- Model number
- Serial number (S/N)
- Current firmware version
Compare your recorder information against the reference charts below to determine the correct hardware generation.
Important: Always install firmware that matches your recorder’s hardware generation. Firmware packages are not compatible across different generations and should only be installed on supported models.
| Model | 1st Gen | 2nd Gen | 3rd Gen | 4th Gen | NEW 4th Gen | |
| DW-VP9-4P | S/N | VP***** | NPK09**** | FPK09~ | TPK09~ | TPN09~ |
| F/W | HN-6209_dw_v1.xxx | HN-6509_DW_v1.x.x.x | DW-VP09 vX.x.x.x | DW-VG49_v1..* | DW-VG49N_v1..* | |
| DW-VP12-8P | S/N | VP***** | NPK12**** | FPK12~ | TPK12~ | TPN12~ |
| F/W | HN-6212_dw_v1.xxx | HN-6512_DW_v1.x.x.x | DW-VP12 vX.x.x.x | DW-VG412_v1..* | DW-VG412N_v1..* | |
| DW-VP16-8P | S/N | VP***** | N/A | N/A | TPK16~ | TPN12~ |
| F/W | HN-6216_dw_v1.xxx | N/A | N/A | DW-VG416_v1..* | DW-VG416N_v1..* | |
| DW-VP16-16P | S/N | VP***** | NPE16**** | FPE16~ | TPK16~ | TPN12~ |
| F/W | HN-6316_dw_v1.xxx | HN-6616_DW_v1.x.x.x | DW-VP16 vX.x.x.x | DW-VG416_v1..* | DW-VG416N_v1..* |
| Feature/Specification | Vmax IP Standalone Unit 1st Gen | Vmax IP Standalone Unit 2nd Gen | Vmax IP Standalone Unit 3rd Gen | Vmax IP Standalone Unit 4th Gen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supported Megapixel Capacity | Up to 5MP | Up to 5MP | Up to 4K | Up to 4K |
| Video Compression | H.264 | H.264 | H.264, H.265 | H.264, H.265 |
| Frame Rate | 30 fps | 30 fps | 30 fps | 30 fps |
| Client monitoring | Mobile Application for iPhone, iPad, Android, Tablets, Web Client, C3 CMS | Mobile Application for iPhone, iPad, Android, Tablets, Web Client, C3 CMS | Mobile Application for iPhone, iPad, Android, Tablets, Web Client, C3 CMS | Mobile Application for iPhone, iPad, Android, Tablets, Web Client, C3 CMS |
| Mobile Applications | DW VMAX IP Plus App, DW Mobile Plus App, DW Witness App | DW VMAX IP Plus App, DW Mobile Plus App, DW Witness App | DW Mobile Plus App, DW Witness App | DW Mobile Plus App, DW Witness App |
| Supported Analytics | Basic (Line Crossing, Intrusion) | Basic (Line Crossing, Intrusion) | Basic and Deep Learning IVA capabilities | Basic and Deep Learning IVA capabilities |
| Network Connectivity | Gigabit Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet |
| Firmware version | HN62xx_DW_v1.xxx |
HN-65xx_DW_v1.x.x.x HN-6616_DW_v1.x.x.x |
DW-VPxx v.x.x.x | DW-VG4x v.x.x.x |
| If discontinued, the latest available firmware version |
HN-62xx v1.4.1.1 HN-63xx v1.4.1.1 |
HN-65xx v1.5.2.4 HN-66xx v1.5.2.4 |
DW-VPxx v1.5.6.1 | |
| Max throughput (Mbps) |
9CH = 80Mbps 12ch = 80Mbps 16ch = 80Mbps |
9CH = 80Mbps 12ch = 80Mbps 16ch = 80Mbps |
9CH = 80Mbps 12ch = 80Mbps 16ch = 160Mbps |
9CH = 80Mbps 12ch = 80Mbps 16ch = 160Mbps |
| Integration | ONVIF & RTSP | ONVIF & RTSP | ONVIF & RTSP | ONVIF & RTSP |
| Advanced Features | DDNS, Audio, Event notifications via email, and push notifications to mobile devices. | DDNS, Audio, Event notifications via email, and push notifications to mobile devices. | DDNS, PathFinder, myDW Health Monitor Service, Audio, Event notifications via email, and push notifications to mobile devices. | DDNS, PathFinder, myDW Health Monitor Service, Audio, Event notifications via email, and push notifications to mobile devices. |
Note: Pathfinder service is no longer supported for 1st and 2nd generation NVRs.
From the Web Interface Multi-Sensor Camera Support
Multi-sensor cameras use one recorder channel for each image sensor. Before adding a multi-sensor camera, verify that your recorder has enough available channels to accommodate all of its sensors.
For example:
- A dual-sensor camera must be assigned to two consecutive channels, such as Channels 2 and 3.
- A four-sensor camera must be assigned to four consecutive available channels, such as Channels 1-4 or 5 through 8.
If enough consecutive channels are not available, reassign existing cameras as needed before adding the multi-sensor camera.
Note: On 1st Generation and 2nd Generation VMAX IP Plus recorders, multi-sensor cameras must be added manually using the camera's RTSP stream URL. Because RTSP configuration requires direct network communication, the camera must be connected to the same local network (LAN) as the recorder during setup.
Referenced KB articles:
- PathFinder ( P2P) :https://support.digital-watchdog.com/hc/en-us/articles/43283956981396-Connecting-to-a-VMAX-IP-Plus-Using-PathFinder-P2P
- Push Notification: https://support.digital-watchdog.com/hc/en-us/articles/43286049069332-VMAX-G4-Mobile-Push-Notification-Setup
- MyDW Health Monitor Service: https://support.digital-watchdog.com/hc/en-us/articles/43285413233556-myDW-Quick-Start-Guide
For More Information or Technical Support
DW Technical Support: https://www.digital-watchdog.com/contact-tech-support/
DW Sales: sales@digital-watchdog.com | www.digital-watchdog.com