Hikvision DS-96128NI-M16/R - 128 Channel 16 Bay RAID NVR

The Hikvision DS-96128NI-M16/R is a 128-channel network video recorder in a 3U chassis, with sixteen hot-swap SATA bays, full RAID and a redundant power supply. It records more cameras than anything else in the range.

One hundred and twenty-eight cameras on one machine

This is estate-scale equipment: a hospital, a university campus, a large industrial site, a town-centre scheme. A hundred and twenty-eight cameras record to a single recorder with one interface, one set of accounts and one place to search — rather than four separate 32-channel systems and an argument about which one holds the footage.

Read the bandwidth carefully — it is the real limit here

Incoming bandwidth is 400 Mbps across 128 channels. That is roughly 3 Mbps per camera with everything recording — noticeably tighter than the 64-channel models, which get about 6 Mbps each.

Three megabits is workable for 2 MP cameras at moderate frame rates and H.265+ compression. It is not enough for 128 cameras at 4 MP and above running at full frame rate. On a system this size, that single number decides whether it performs, and it is the thing most likely to be overlooked because the channel count is so impressive.

Send us the camera list and we will do the arithmetic before you commit. If the sums do not work, two 64-channel recorders may serve you better than one 128-channel.

Built to keep running

• Redundant power supply — the /R in the model number. Two PSUs, so a single failure does not stop recording.
• Sixteen hot-swap bays at up to 20 TB — 320 TB raw — with RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10. Change a failed disk without powering down.
• Dual HDMI and dual VGA, main and auxiliary outputs, for a control-room desk.

Specification

• Channels: 128-ch IP video input, up to 32 MP (up to 8-ch at 32/24/16 MP; all channels below 16 MP)
• Bandwidth: 400 Mbps incoming / 400 Mbps outgoing
• Storage: 16 SATA bays with hot-plug, up to 20 TB per disk (320 TB), plus 1 eSATA. Drives are not included.
• RAID: RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10
• Power: 100 to 240 VAC 50–60 Hz, redundant power supply, ≤50 W without drives
• PoE: none — cameras powered by switches
• Compression: H.265+/H.265/H.264+/H.264
• Video out — main: HDMI 1 up to 8K (7680 × 4320)/30 Hz with VGA 1 simultaneous
• Video out — auxiliary: HDMI 2 up to 4K/60 Hz with VGA 2 simultaneous. Note: with HDMI 1 at 8K, HDMI 2 is limited to 1080p. Plus CVBS
• Decoding: 2-ch@32MP, 4-ch@16MP, 10-ch@8MP, 16-ch@5MP, 20-ch@4MP or 40-ch@1080p (30 fps)
• Playback: 16-ch synchronous
• Audio: 1-ch RCA in, 2-ch RCA out, 1-ch two-way audio
• Alarm I/O: 16 in / 9 out, plus controllable 12 VDC 1 A output
• Serial: 1 × RS-485 full-duplex, 1 × RS-232
• Network: 2 × RJ-45 gigabit, supports iSCSI and NFS
• USB: 2 × USB 2.0 front, 2 × USB 3.0 rear
• Security: EN 303645, secure boot, signed firmware, AES128 stream encryption, IEEE 802.1X, HTTPS, IP/MAC filtering
• Chassis: 3U, 445 × 496 × 150 mm
• Certification: CE, FCC

What you'll need with it

• Hard drives — none are supplied. Sixteen bays at up to 20 TB. RAID 6 is usually right at this size — a rebuild across sixteen large disks takes days, and RAID 6 survives a second failure during it. Size it with our CCTV storage calculator.
• PoE switches for 128 cameras — typically six 24-port units. Tell us the models and we will size and total them.
• 3U of rack space and proper airflow.

Frequently asked questions

Can it really record 128 cameras?

Within 400 Mbps incoming — about 3 Mbps per camera. Fine for 2 MP at moderate frame rates; not for 128 cameras at 4 MP and above. Ask us to check your camera list first.

What does the /R mean?

Redundant power supply. Two PSUs, so a single failure does not stop the recorder.

Can I change a failed disk without stopping recording?

Yes — the bays are hot-swap and the array rebuilds while the recorder runs.

Does it come with hard drives?

No. Sixteen SATA drives up to 20 TB each, supplied separately — surveillance-rated, not desktop.

Would two 64-channel recorders be better?

Sometimes, yes — you would get double the total bandwidth and a second machine's worth of redundancy. It depends on the cameras and how the site is managed. We are happy to talk it through honestly.

Browse the full NVR range, IP cameras, PoE switches or surveillance hard drives. Specifying an estate-scale system? Contact us, call 01902 902251, or visit the Wolverhampton trade counter.