Quick answer: An AI NVR runs the analytics on the recorder for the cameras connected to it, so Value- or Sharp-series cameras can still deliver tripwire, perimeter, face detection and VCA Search through the NVR. CASE prints the function list per model: a basic AI by NVR set on the CS-N105 P4H-AI, CS-N110 P8H-AI and CS-N220 P16H-AI, a full set on the CS-N440 M-AI, CS-N440 P16H-AI and CS-N880 H-AI. Deterrence light and audio (EW) stay on the camera, so the design question is which functions the site needs and where each one must run.
Where does the AI actually run: on the camera or on the NVR?
Every analytics function needs a processor to look at the video, and on CASE systems that processor sits in one of two places.
AI on the camera. The camera analyzes its own stream and sends the NVR an event plus metadata. Because the decision is made at the lens, the camera can react locally: an EW turret such as the CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm switches on its white light, its red and blue light and its speaker when a rule fires. Its printed AI row runs from Perimeter and Tripwire through People Counting and Helmet Detection to Visible Light Smoke & Fire Detection and Face Capture; face capture and smoke and fire detection are confirmed for the use case, firmware, region and legal requirements before they go into a quote.
AI by NVR. The recorder decodes the incoming streams and runs the analytics itself, so a Value-series dome with a short AI row can still generate face detection or double-tripwire events. The trade-off is processing budget: several models print a lower incoming bandwidth with AI on, and the number of channels that can run AI by NVR at once, plus the camera models each function supports, is confirmed per NVR model, firmware and project configuration rather than printed.
AI by NVR: which functions does each CASE AI NVR print?
Six current CASE NVRs carry AI by NVR and VCA Search. Every row below is as printed for that exact SKU, and a function is never carried from one row to another.
| SKU | Channels / PoE ports | Bandwidth in (AI on) | AI by NVR | VCA Search |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS-N105 P4H-AI | 5CH / 4 | 100Mbps | Basic set | Basic search list |
| CS-N110 P8H-AI | 10CH / 8 | 100Mbps | Basic set | Basic search list |
| CS-N220 P16H-AI | 20CH / 16 | 160Mbps (AI on: 120Mbps) | Basic set | Basic search list |
| CS-N440 M-AI | 40CH / N/A | 400Mbps (AI on: 200Mbps) | Full set | Full list + Heatmap |
| CS-N440 P16H-AI | 40CH / 16 | 400Mbps (AI on: 200Mbps) | Full set | Full list + Heatmap + License Plate Search Support |
| CS-N880 H-AI | 80CH / N/A | 400Mbps (AI on: 320Mbps) | Full set | Full list + Heatmap + License Plate Search |
Basic set (CS-N105 P4H-AI, CS-N110 P8H-AI, CS-N220 P16H-AI): Face Detection, Face Recognition, Tripwire, Double Tripwire, Perimeter, Smart Motion Detection. Full set (CS-N440 M-AI, CS-N440 P16H-AI, CS-N880 H-AI): Face Detection, Face Recognition, Video Structuralization (excludes vehicle detection), Tripwire, Double Tripwire, Perimeter, Object Abandon, Object Missing, Running, Parking, Heatmap, Sleeping on Duty Detection, On Duty Detection, Smart Motion Detection and Loitering. License Plate Search on the CS-N440 P16H-AI and CS-N880 H-AI is an NVR search function, not an LPR camera claim; plate capture is confirmed per project. The Advanced AI headline in the CASE catalog, 16 VCA functions, is a brand-level statement; the list that applies to a quote is the one printed on the SKU’s own page. The search side is covered in VCA Search: turning “sometime last week” into a clip.
Can I pair Value- or Sharp-series cameras with an AI NVR?
Yes, and it is the most common reason to specify one. Take eight fixed cameras on a small commercial site: six CS-I4KS L-2.8mm domes (4MP, IR 98 ft (30 m), printed AI: Tripwire, Perimeter, Motion Detection) and two CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm domes at the entrances (5MP, IR 98 ft (30 m), white light 33 ft (10 m), printed AI: Tripwire, Perimeter, Human & Vehicle Classification). Recorded on a CS-N110 P8H-AI (10CH, 8 PoE ports, 100Mbps / 80Mbps), the same cameras gain the recorder’s printed basic set and VCA Search list without changing a single housing.
What the AI NVR does not add is anything that must happen at the camera: light and audio deterrence at the yard gate needs an EW camera such as the CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm (8MP, IR 164 ft (50 m), white light 98 ft (30 m), built-in mic and speaker, as printed), and People Counting is in that camera’s AI row but in neither AI by NVR set. Design in two layers: AI NVR for every channel, camera-side AI where a position needs a local reaction or a function the NVR set lacks.
Before you quote the pairing, check:
- Incoming bandwidth with AI on: the CS-N220 P16H-AI prints 160Mbps, 120Mbps with AI on. Sixteen cameras at 6 Mbps is 96 Mbps and fits; at 8 Mbps it is 128 Mbps and does not. Those bitrates are your camera settings, not CASE figures.
- How many channels will run AI by NVR at once and which camera models each function supports: confirmed per NVR model, firmware and project configuration, in writing.
- The recorder tier of the finished site, from Choosing the right CASE NVR.
Facial recognition: confirm the use case, region and law before you quote it
All six CASE AI NVRs print Face Detection and Face Recognition, and the CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm prints Face Capture with “Up to 32 Faces / 16 Faces”. The two words are not interchangeable: detection finds a face in the frame and stores a snapshot for Face Search; recognition compares it against a database of enrolled people and raises a match event. The first is an analytics feature; the second is biometric processing, which is regulated across Canada and in several US states.
In the US, several states have biometric privacy statutes, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act being the one most cited in litigation. In Canada, PIPEDA applies federally and the private-sector laws of Quebec (Law 25), Alberta and British Columbia apply in those provinces; Quebec is the most restrictive jurisdiction in North America for biometrics, and any recognition request there is a project-review trigger, not a line item. None of this is legal advice. Before a quote includes recognition, have the customer confirm the purpose with counsel, and document who is enrolled, where the database lives, who can export it, the signage and retention under the applicable state law or provincial law and PIPEDA, and the model, firmware and configuration on which it was tested.
In Canada, lead with non-biometric analytics and treat recognition as an option the customer must justify; see Video surveillance privacy in Canada.
How do human/vehicle classification and Smart Motion Detection cut false alarms?
The customer’s real complaint with analytics is the fortieth notification caused by a tree or a headlight sweep. Classification lets the rule fire only for the target type you choose. On the camera side, the Sharp-series CS-I5KS SD-2.8mm and CS-I8XS SD-2.8mm print Human & Vehicle Classification, the Value-series CS-I4XS L-2.8mm prints Smart Alarm (Human & Vehicle Detection), and the CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm extends the list to Human / Vehicle / Non-motor Vehicle / Pet Classification (Dog, Cat). On the recorder side, Smart Motion Detection is printed in the AI by NVR row of all six AI NVRs and in the VCA Search row of the 5-, 10- and 20-channel units, so motion events can also be filtered after the fact.
Classification is a filter, not a promise of zero nuisance alarms, so commissioning still matters:
- Draw tripwires and perimeters on the ground plane where feet will cross, and exclude foliage, flags and public roads.
- Set the target type per rule, and a minimum target size where the menu offers it.
- Test at night with IR or white light on, when insects and reflections generate motion.
- Use arming schedules, and route alarms through CASE Connect alarm information or the NVR alarm outputs, confirming the path per model and app version.
Quoting an AI NVR: what goes in writing
A smart NVR sells on what it will do on this site, so the proposal should read like the catalog page:
- The NVR SKU with its printed channels, PoE ports and incoming bandwidth with AI on, and the AI by NVR and VCA Search lists exactly as printed.
- “AI functions are confirmed per model, firmware and project configuration”, followed by Anabon’s written confirmation for the camera models in the schedule.
- Warranty, exactly: CASE cameras and CASE NVRs carry a 6-year warranty. CASE PTZ cameras carry a 3-year warranty. CASE accessories carry unlimited warranty. Hard drives are supported through back-to-back manufacturer warranty.
- For compliance-sensitive sites: CASE offers NDAA-compliant options for compliance-sensitive projects. Anabon confirms the exact products and provides the official compliance documentation for each project.
To show the search and the alarms before the order: for approved demo products we provide a 90-day test period under the approved demo return process. This is not a general return policy. The 40- and 80-channel units are profiled in CS-N880 H-AI and CS-N440 P16H-AI: AI NVRs with VCA Search.
What to tell your customer
“The recorder we propose runs the analytics for every camera, so your existing positions get tripwire, perimeter and face detection alerts and a search that filters by event instead of scrolling through hours of video. At the gate we add a camera that reacts on the spot with light and audio, because a recorder cannot do that. Face recognition is a separate decision we configure only after you confirm the purpose and the legal requirements for your location.” For warranty and service, please contact the installer or company that supplied your system.
FAQ
Does an AI NVR turn my existing cameras into AI cameras?
Not in hardware. The recorder runs the analytics printed in its AI by NVR row on the connected channels, so a Value-series dome can generate tripwire, perimeter or face detection events through the NVR. How many channels run AI at once and which camera models are supported is confirmed per NVR model, firmware and project configuration.
Is the AI-on bandwidth figure a hard limit?
Treat it as one. The CS-N220 P16H-AI prints 160Mbps incoming and 120Mbps with AI on; the CS-N440 M-AI and CS-N440 P16H-AI print 400Mbps falling to 200Mbps; the CS-N880 H-AI prints 400Mbps falling to 320Mbps. Add up the main-stream bitrates set on the cameras and keep the total under the AI-on figure if any AI by NVR function will be used.
Can I quote facial recognition on a CASE AI NVR for a site in Quebec?
Only after a project review. Quebec is the most restrictive North American jurisdiction for biometrics, and recognition there must be justified by the customer with counsel under Law 25 before it is configured. For Canadian sites, lead with tripwire, perimeter, human and vehicle classification and Smart Motion Detection, and treat recognition as a documented exception.
Does AI by NVR replace an Early Warning deterrence camera?
No. AI by NVR records, searches and raises alarms; it cannot switch on a light or play a warning at the fence. Deterrence is a camera-side feature: the CS-I8XQ II-2.8mm prints a built-in mic and speaker and white light to 98 ft (30 m), and EW availability is confirmed per SKU. Use an EW camera where the site needs a local reaction.
