NVR Not Recording: Live View Is Not Enough

Confirm the missing recording

Choose a known camera and a time when someone passed through its view. Check the date, channel and playback filters. Event-only recording may not appear under the same search filter as continuous recording. A recorder with the wrong clock can save footage under an unexpected time: see time and date checks.

Look at the recording schedule

Check that recording is enabled for the affected channel and day. Motion or smart-event recording also depends on enabled detection and the relevant region or rule. If authorised, make a short controlled movement test and then confirm it is available in playback. Do not assume an on-screen recording symbol proves the file is retrievable.

Inspect storage status without formatting

Open the recorder's storage or HDD status screen and note warnings, missing drives, capacity and health information. A full drive with overwrite disabled may have stopped recording; enabling overwrite will replace older footage. Preserve needed recordings first. Never select initialise or format as a routine first step. See hard-drive failure symptoms.

Check the stream and recording limits

If only one channel fails, verify that its camera is connected and its stream is supported by the recorder. A recent resolution or bitrate change may exceed a recorder limit. If all channels fail together, investigate shared storage, power and schedule settings before replacing cameras.

Confirm the repair with playback

After a permitted settings change, record a timed test, play it back and export a short sample. Check again later; intermittent disk or power faults may recur. Use the storage calculator when reviewing capacity, then verify actual retention on the recorder.

Still having problems?

Sentinel5 can inspect the system. Book CCTV Fault Support or read about our CCTV repair service. Include the model and symptoms, but never passwords or private footage.