In short: ColorVu is Hikvision's full-colour night vision technology - built-in white light keeps the picture in colour after dark, instead of switching to a monochrome infrared image. It works as a strong visible deterrent as well as an image-quality feature. We stock ColorVu on both Turbo HD (analogue) and IP cameras.
An infrared camera at night gives you a grey figure in a grey jacket. A ColorVu camera keeps recording in full colour - a red jacket, a blue holdall, a vehicle's actual colour - which is what turns footage into a usable description rather than proof that something merely happened. Hikvision achieves this with a wide aperture (commonly F1.0) that gathers far more light than a standard lens, backed by built-in white light illumination (typically up to 20m on the models we stock) that takes over once the lens alone isn't enough.
The trade-off to weigh
Unlike infrared, white light is visible - which cuts both ways. As a deterrent it works well: an intruder knows immediately they are lit and being recorded. Pointed carefully - down at your own yard, forecourt or entrance - that's exactly what you want. Aimed at a neighbour's window, it will cause a complaint, so think about aim before you fix the bracket. Smart Light ramps brightness with proximity rather than running at full output constantly, which softens the effect considerably.
ColorVu vs DarkFighter vs AcuSense
ColorVu and DarkFighter both target low-light performance, by different means: ColorVu uses white light to stay in full colour; DarkFighter uses an extremely sensitive sensor and switches to infrared once light drops far enough, for a more discreet monochrome image. AcuSense is a different feature altogether - on-camera AI detection that tells a person from a vehicle and cuts down false alerts - and is commonly combined with either ColorVu or DarkFighter on the same camera, so image technology and AI detection are not a trade-off against each other.
Full-colour night vision using a wide-aperture lens and built-in white light, instead of switching to infrared.
Is the white light always on?
It activates as light drops, and Smart Light dims/brightens with proximity rather than running at full output.
Does ColorVu work on analogue systems, or only IP?
Both - we stock it on Turbo HD (4-in-1) cameras for coax DVR systems and on IP cameras for NVR systems.
What's the difference between ColorVu, DarkFighter and AcuSense?
ColorVu and DarkFighter both target low light in different ways (colour vs discreet infrared). AcuSense is separate - on-camera AI detection - and is often combined with either.
