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Viewing Station
Setting up the Viewing Station
Setting up the Viewing Station
The viewing station is the preferred platform for live viewing, with zero local configuration needed
Updated over a week ago

The viewing stations (Verkada VX51 & VX52) provide a plug-and-play solution to stream multiple camera feeds simultaneously on a display with zero local configuration needed. It is a dedicated, admin-managed device with customizable layouts. The Verkada VX52 supports 30 camera feeds per page and up to 10 pages. The Verkada VX51 supports 36 camera feeds per page and up to 5 pages.

Installing your Verkada VX52

Included in the box are an HDMI cable, a power cord, and a Verkada VX52 remote. The only thing that you need to provide is an Ethernet cable.

Once you take the viewing station out of the box, follow these setup steps:

  • Attach the power cord to the viewing station and connect it to a power source

  • Connect one end of the HDMI cord to the viewing station and the other end to your display

  • Attach an ethernet cable to the viewing station and connect it to your network

Command Setup

Claim

Once the VX52 is powered on, you will see a serial number displayed along with a QR code. When you are ready you can claim the viewing station just like a camera from command.verkada.com/add-device or by browsing to All Products > Devices > Add Device.

Once claimed you are now ready to configure your viewing station.

Note: Only an Organization Admin can claim the viewing station.

Configure

To find your newly added viewing station go to the Devices page and filter for viewing stations. Select the arrow on the right-hand side of the page to begin configuration.

To edit the name of the viewing station, select its name at the top left corner of the page.

To start adding cameras select Add Camera Tiles. You are also able to select Add Smart Tiles, which enables you to display the most active camera, most recent access control event, or air quality sensor information.

Once you have cameras or smart tiles added, you will be able to change the layout of the display by selecting the settings icon in the upper right-hand corner, then selecting Layout.

Up to 10 pages and up to 30 live feeds can be added per page. To add an additional page, select the + icon.

Each page has a timer to enable you to view different subsets of cameras on your viewing station.

Adding Verkada VX52 Admins

Any user that is a Site Admin for the site that the Verkada VX52 exists in will be able to manage the Verkada VX52.

Verkada VX52 Settings

Select the 3-dots in the upper right corner of the viewing station page and select Settings From here you will be able to access the settings menu for the viewing station or delete the viewing station if needed.

The settings menu consists of the following options:

Offline Alerts

Enables you to receive offline alerts for the Verkada VX52, you will be able to select a list of users.

Show Labels

This toggle allows you to view labels on the camera live feeds – toggling this off will show only the live feeds of the cameras and not the camera names.

Enable Cloud Streaming

If the cameras are remote from your location, then use this toggle to either prevent live streaming remotely or allow live streaming remotely. When this is toggled off, only cameras that are local to you will live stream.

Enable History Playback

Allows viewers to scrub through past footage with their Apple TV remote

Test Offline mode

The Verkada VX52 will still stream locally if the network connection is lost, this simulates a network outage on the Verkada VX52.

Enable Low-Latency Streaming

When cameras are fully updated and local to the viewing station then they will stream with low latency.

Global Banner

Allows you to create a test banner on every viewing station page.

Wi-Fi

Connect the Verkada VX52 to a wired network first and complete the setup process. Once it is online via a wired network navigate to the Verkada VX52 settings and scroll down to the Wi-Fi heading. Enter the Wi-Fi Network Name (SSID), select the appropriate Security type (WPA2, WPA, or WEP), enter the Wi-Fi network Password, and then click Save (Hidden SSIDs and networks without passwords are not currently supported). Wait 1-2 minutes and then power down the Verkada VX52, disconnect the network cable, and power it back on. The Verkada VX52 should then connect to Wi-Fi and continue operating as normal.

Note: Wi-Fi support on the Verkada VX52 requires Verkada software version 2.2.0 (137) or higher. The software version is listed just below the Wi-Fi section along with the Verkada VX52 serial number. If your VX52 has not yet automatically updated to this software version please reach out to Verkada Support.

Copy Existing Viewing Station

With the VX52 you can copy live feed configuration and viewing station settings from other viewing stations in your organization.

Installing your Verkada VX51

The viewing station comes with an HDMI cable, power cord, and setup guide. The only thing you will need to provide is an ethernet cable.

Once you take the viewing station out of the box, follow these setup steps:

  • Attach the power cord to the viewing station and connect it to a power source.

  • Connect one end of the HDMI cord to the viewing station and the other end to your display.

  • Attach an ethernet cable to the viewing station and connect it to your network.

Once everything is connected, power on the device.

NOTE: The Verkada VX51 viewing station is designed to drive a single display through HDMI. While other configurations may work, for the best quality and reliability you'll want to connect the Verkada VX51 to the display directly.

Command Setup

Claim

On the display, you will see the viewing station's serial number. Add the serial number of the viewing station to your Command account the same way you would add a camera.

Once the viewing station has been successfully added, the following screen will show on your display. You are now ready to add cameras to the viewing station from your computer through the Command website.

Configure

Select the Devices tab and filter for viewing stations from the menu in Command. Select the desired viewing station from the list. Click on the pencil icon next to Unnamed Viewing Station to edit the viewing station's name. Click Manage Tiles to start adding cameras to the display.

Camera thumbnails are shown. Click on one to add that camera's live feed to the viewing station. The camera thumbnail will display a blue checkmark icon to indicate that it has been included in the viewing station layout.

When more than one camera is added, the viewing station layout can be changed by selecting a different one from the list of options to the right of the viewing station preview. The layout affects the sizing of individual cameras displayed.

Up to 5 rotating pages can be created on a single viewing station, each displaying up to 36 cameras. This means that a viewing station can rotate through up to 180 distinct cameras. Click the '+' icon to add an additional page.

Click on the clock icon to configure the amount of time for which the page is displayed before the viewing station rotates to the next page. The options are 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes.

Cameras can be repositioned by clicking and dragging a camera preview on top of another. You can remove a camera from the viewing station by clicking the X at the top right of the camera preview.

When you have finished adding cameras, select Done. Hover your mouse over a camera preview and click on the menu icon at the top right to adjust how it is displayed on the viewing station. The fullscreen (left) option configures the viewing station to crop the camera's image to ensure the entire space is filled.

The right option allows you to zoom in on the camera's feed. Use the + to zoom in and the - to zoom back out. Click and drag on the image to pan around.

Add additional admins

The Users and Settings icons are displayed at the top right of the page.

Click on the Users icon to configure the administrators for the viewing station. Only those users who are designated as admins are able to configure the viewing station within Command. Click Add other users to invite additional viewing station admins. Only users with Organization Admin permissions can add and remove viewing station administrators.

Verkada VX51 Settings

Select the Settings icon to configure whether or not the grid will show labels (the camera names). If cloud streaming is de-selected, the viewing station will only stream live feeds directly from cameras on the local network. If cloud streaming is selected, the viewing station will attempt to reach cameras on the local network but will resort to cloud-proxied streams if needed. Please note that cloud streaming must be enabled to view remote cameras.

Select the Trash icon to the far right in order to remove the viewing station. This can be done to remove an unneeded device from your organization or to move it between organizations.

Once you have saved all desired changes to the viewing station, the configured grid will show on the display. Streams will continue playing on the display without additional maintenance or adjustments from admins, and streaming will restart automatically after a power outage. There is no need to reset the device or relaunch a browser or application.


Visit Training Center for bite-sized video tutorials on how to accomplish role-based tasks in Command.

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