Hikvision DS-96256NI-H16R(STD) - 256 Channel 16 Bay Super NVR

The Hikvision DS-96256NI-H16R(STD) is a 256-channel Super NVR in a 3U chassis, with sixteen hot-swap SATA bays, RAID, a redundant power supply and 1280 Mbps of bandwidth in both directions.

The networking is what makes 256 channels realistic

Four Ethernet interfaces, and they are 2.5 Gigabit rather than the gigabit ports found on most recorders. That gives 10 Gbps of aggregate network capacity feeding a machine that records at 1280 Mbps — genuine headroom rather than a bottleneck at the network card.

Camera traffic can be spread across four separate segments, which on a site of this size is how you avoid one switch stack carrying everything.

Bandwidth that does not move in RAID mode

1280 Mbps incoming and outgoing, identical with RAID enabled. Across 256 channels that is roughly 5 Mbps per camera — better per-camera headroom than the 128-channel DS-96128NI-M16/R achieves across half as many cameras.

If you have been told a large scheme needs splitting across several recorders because of throughput, this is the machine that changes that calculation.

Four independent display groups

Unusual and genuinely useful in a control room. The outputs are arranged in four groups, each independent of the others:

• Group 1: HDMI 1, VGA and LCD together
• Group 2: HDMI 2
• Group 3: DisplayPort 1 — up to 8K
• Group 4: DisplayPort 2 — up to 8K

Four operators can look at four different things from one recorder. Note that enabling DP 1 and DP 2 disables the V-DP outputs.

Specification

• Channels: 256-ch IP video input, cameras up to 32 MP
• Bandwidth: 1280 Mbps incoming / 1280 Mbps outgoing — unchanged in RAID mode
• Network: 4 × RJ-45 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps, 256 remote connections
• 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, ≤75 W without drives
• PoE: none — cameras powered by switches
• Compression: H.265+/H.265/H.264+/H.264
• Video out: 4 independent groups — HDMI 1 with VGA and LCD; HDMI 2; DP 1 up to 8K; DP 2 up to 8K
• Decoding: 3-ch@32MP, 6-ch@16MP, 12-ch@8MP, 24-ch@4MP or 48-ch@2MP (30 fps)
• Playback: 16-ch synchronous
• Audio: 1-ch 3.5 mm out, 1-ch two-way audio
• Alarm I/O: 16 in / 8 out
• Serial: 1 × RS-485 full-duplex, 1 × RS-232
• USB: 2 × USB 2.0 front, 4 × USB 3.0 rear
• Environment: 0 °C to 50 °C, 10% to 90% humidity
• Chassis: 3U, 445 × 489 × 133 mm

How it compares to the DS-96256NI-H24R

Same 256 channels and the same 1280 Mbps. The H24R has twenty-four bays rather than sixteen — 480 TB against 320 TB — in a 4U chassis. This one is the choice unless the retention requirement genuinely needs the extra eight disks.

What you'll need with it

• Hard drives — none are supplied. Sixteen bays at up to 20 TB. RAID 6 is the sensible choice at this size — a rebuild across sixteen large disks takes days. A system this size deserves a conversation rather than a calculator.
• Substantial PoE switching for 256 cameras, and a network design that actually uses the four 2.5G ports.
• 3U of rack space, proper cooling and ideally a UPS.

Frequently asked questions

Can it really record 256 cameras?

Yes, and the bandwidth supports it — 1280 Mbps is about 5 Mbps per camera, workable for 4 MP at sensible frame rates. Send us the camera list and we will confirm.

Does RAID reduce the bandwidth?

No. Hikvision quotes 1280 Mbps in and out in both normal and RAID modes.

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, and ideally from the same batch for a consistent array.

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