Footage is missing in Playback
Playback reads footage from the recorder’s own drive at the site. If footage was never recorded there, or has already been overwritten, Playback can’t show it. Only events kept by cloud recording are stored in the cloud.
Common messages
Section titled “Common messages”| Message | Usual cause |
|---|---|
| “No footage found for this date on this channel.” | Nothing was recorded that day: wrong date, recording off, or the footage was already overwritten. |
| “The recorder did not return video for this time.” | There is a gap at that moment. Pick a time inside a green bar. |
| “Recordings can’t be listed until the recorder reconnects.” | The recorder is offline. Its footage is still there and appears when it’s back. See a recorder shows Offline. |
| “The recorder did not list its recordings in time. Try again.” | The recorder was slow to answer, often on a slow connection. Try again. |
| “No recorder or SD card on this camera” | A camera added on its own has no SD card, or recording is off on it. Live view and events still work. |
Why there are gaps
Section titled “Why there are gaps”- The recorder was off or offline. A recorder without power records nothing. One that only lost internet keeps recording.
- Old footage was overwritten. Recorders keep recording by replacing their oldest footage when the drive is full. How far back you can go depends on the drive size and the number of cameras. Often it’s 2 to 4 weeks.
- The recorder only records on events. Many recorders are set to record on motion or on a schedule, so quiet periods have no footage.
- A camera was offline at that time.
The timeline skips gaps shorter than a minute on its own.
Keep important footage
Section titled “Keep important footage”- Save a clip as soon as you know you need it. Saved clips stay until you delete them.
- Turn on cloud recording for key cameras so event footage is safe even if the recorder is damaged or stolen.
- For a camera added on its own, put in an SD card so it can record.