How devices, channels, and streams differ

Think of an NVR as a building: the device is the whole building, channels are the rooms, and a stream is the picture leaving one room right now. Once these three objects are clear, most status messages become much easier to understand.

Compare the three objects

How they connect

flowchart LR
    D["Device: one NVR"] --> C1["Channel 1: front gate"]
    D --> C2["Channel 2: warehouse"]
    C1 --> S1["Online stream"]
    C2 -. "No stream while device is offline" .-> S2["No stream"]
    S1 --> P["Live preview"]
    S1 --> R["Recording file"]

MediaServer is the media service that receives, converts, forwards, and records video. AKStream.Next manages devices and channels and tells MediaServer when to pull, play, or record a stream.

Why a channel may exist without video

This is common and does not necessarily mean corrupted data:

1. The platform has saved the device and channel, so they appear in Asset details.
2. The camera is offline, the password is wrong, or preview has not been opened, so MediaServer has not received a stream.
3. Without a stream, the browser cannot show video.

Check in this order: channel enabled → stream exists on MediaServer → playback address is reachable. See No video or playback failed for detailed steps.

Recording is not one status either

flowchart LR
    A["Schedule matches"] --> B["Recording session runs"]
    B --> C["File is written to disk"]
    C --> D["Database index is created"]
    D --> E["Recording Center can find and play it"]

“Recording started” only means the first steps may have happened. Completion requires a disk file that Recording Center can find and play.

Quick diagnosis table

Next step

After understanding these objects, follow Connect the first video. Seeing the device, channel, stream, and player states in the real UI is more useful than memorizing field names.