Read any Hikvision model number and know what you're buying.
A Hikvision model number describes the product. Once you can read it, you can tell what a camera is, its shape, how it sees in the dark and whether it can hear. Installers call it the Hikvision alphabet.
This page follows Hikvision's own naming rules (Product Naming Rules, July 2026). One thing to know first: the same letter means different things in different positions and product families. H alone has four meanings. We've flagged each one.
1. What does the prefix mean?
Prefix
Meaning
DS-
Standard Hikvision product
iDS-
Intelligent product: AcuSense or DeepinMind, which use AI to pick out people and vehicles
2CD
Network (IP) camera
2CE
Turbo HD camera: analogue over coax
Why the lower-case i matters: on a recorder, the detection runs in the box. So ordinary analogue cameras get people-and-vehicle filtering without being replaced. On a camera, the camera does it itself.
2. Which letter gives the body shape?
Code
Body
B
Bullet
D
Dome
T
Big fixed bullet
H
Varifocal turret. This is a form code, not the suffix H
Default (vacant) = standard · E = Economic · H = Enhanced.
5. What do the suffix letters mean?
Most of the useful information is here. This is taken straight from Hikvision's suffix table for network cameras:
Code
Means
I
Infrared. 2I = two IR LEDs, 4I = four IR LEDs. More LEDs, longer reach
L
White light: records in colour after dark
LI
Dual light: infrared and white light together. This is the code behind Smart Hybrid Light
N
Invisible IR: 940nm, no visible red glow
Z
Motorised zoom lens: set the view remotely instead of up a ladder
S
Interface: audio and alarm connections
U
Built-in microphone. 2U indicates two
F
SD card (on 3xx1 fixed models). Not "fixed lens"
M
HDMI, on 3-Line HDMI models
D
Non-PoE, AC/DC powered
H
Heater, in the suffix position
Y
Anti-corrosion. This is why Y models carry a NEMA 4X rating. It is not a version number
W
Wi-Fi
/SL
Strobe light and audio alarm
/4G, /5G
Mobile connectivity
6. Which code shows the night-vision type?
Code
Means
C
ColorVu
H / XX
DarkFighter
W
Powered-by-DarkFighter
I
850nm IR light
N
940nm IR, no visible glow
S
White light
L
Laser light
M
IR and white light
(NA)
Without IR
This is the table that catches people out. Here, H means DarkFighter. In the suffix position it means heater. In the feature position it means Enhanced. In the form position it means varifocal turret. Position decides meaning.
7. Is a higher generation number always newer?
Only within its own family. Hikvision's own document uses two different generation schemes in different product families:
Some ranges: G0 first generation · G2 second · G3 third
Other ranges: G0 first generation · G1 second · G2 third
So G2 doesn't mean the same thing in every range. Treat G as a sequence, not a fixed label.
Bracketed revisions such as (C), (D), (E) and (eF) are separate again, and they matter. On NVRs, a (C) and an (E) differ in top resolution, storage and how many faces they can store. Always check the exact version.
8. How do I read a recorder model number?
Code
Meaning
NI
Network video recorder
NXI
NVR with smart detection: AcuSense, or DeepinMind on iDS models
HQHI
DVR recording up to 3K / 5MP Lite
HUHI
DVR recording full 5MP, accepts 8MP cameras
HTHI
DVR recording true 8MP on every channel
Drive slots are given plainly: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 24 HDD slots: the M1 / M2 / M4 / M8 part of a DVR model. Bays decide how long you keep footage, not how many cameras you can run.
The expensive trap: HUHI and HTHI are both sold as handling 8MP cameras. An HUHI records full 8MP on channel one only. Every other channel drops to 8MP Lite. HTHI records 8MP on all of them. Our DVR buying guide explains more.
/P or /PXT: PoC on a DVR (power over coax), PoE ports on an NVR
/S: Ultra Series. On these, advanced perimeter detection runs only on certain physical channels
R: backup (redundant) power supply
K-series: the older generation, without AcuSense
8b. What about PTZ and specialist ranges?
PTZ cameras (they pan, tilt and zoom) have their own product codes:
Code
Range
2AE
Analogue PTZ
2DE / 2DF
DE-line and DF-line network PTZ
2DP
Panoramic PTZ
2DT
Anti-corrosion PTZ
2DY
Positioning systems
2SE / 2SF
TandemVu PTZ
2VS
Traffic violation detection PTZ
2XC
Anti-corrosion series cameras
HM-
HIKMICRO thermal
On thermal and positioning products a further suffix gives the platform: 1X turret, 2X bullet, 3X cube, 4X speed dome, 5X mini positioning system, 6X positioning system, 7X panoramic scanner, 8X stable PTZ, 9X sphere PTZ. Thermal models also carry a detector resolution such as 256 x 192, 384 x 288 or 640 x 512.
Other function codes you may meet: D water-level detection, P illegal parking detection, K solar power kit, 3 in-ceiling mounting, 4 base mounting, M vehicle installation.
8c. How do I read a Turbo HD camera (DS-2CE)?
Analogue Turbo HD cameras use different rules from IP cameras. Reading DS-2CE72UF3T-LSYE left to right:
Position
Meaning
C / E / S
C series for projects · E series for distribution · S series for special applications
1 / 3 / 5 / 7
Bullet · box · dome · turret
Second digit
Housing detail within that shape
C / D / H / U
720p · 1080p · 5MP · 8MP
0-3
Economy rank
5 or 8
Ultra low light
9
Ultra low light plus
F
Full-time colour
T
HD-TVI
Turbo HD suffixes
Code
Means
E
PoC - powered over the coax
S
Coaxial audio - audio over the same cable (AoC)
F
4-in-1 - switchable TVI / AHD / CVI / CVBS
Z
Motorised lens
VF / VP
Varifocal · vandal-proof
IR / IR3
Conventional IR 10-20m · 30-40m
IT / IT2 / IT3 / IT5
EXIR 2.0 - 20-30m · 20-40m · 30-60m · 60-80m
L
Lighting (white light)
X
Strobe light and audible alarm
PIR / PH
PIR detection · pinhole
O / B / H
Alarm out · built-in balun · heater
A / P / M
24V AC and 12V DC · plastic · metal
Watch the overlap: on Turbo HD, S means coaxial audio and E means PoC. On IP cameras S means an audio/alarm interface and E means Economy. Same letters, different ranges.
8d. How do I read a full DVR model number?
A DVR model such as iDS-7208HUHI-M1/P breaks down like this:
Position
Meaning
DS- / iDS-
General · intelligent (AcuSense)
71 / 72 / 73 / 76 / 81 / 90
DVR product series. Encoders use 60/61/65/66/67
01-32
Analogue channel count
HGH
720p / 1080p Lite
HQH
1080p / 4MP Lite
HUH
3MP / 5MP / 8MP
HTH
8MP
I
International. The I on the end of HQHI, HUHI and HTHI means international market - it is not part of the resolution code
-M
Second-generation AcuSense - the current range
-K
H.265 and H.265+ generation
-F, -S, -ST, -SH, -E
Older generations
1-16
Supported hard drives
/P
Built-in PoC
/N
Non-real-time
/xS
Number of smart analysis channels
That I is worth knowing. People read HUHI as one code. It's HUH plus I. Once you see that, the tiers line up: HGH, HQH, HUH, HTH, from lowest to highest resolution.
8e. How do I read an NVR model number?
Code
Meaning
71 / 76 / 77 / 96
Value · Pro · Pro · Pro or Ultra
N / NX
NVR · NVR with deep-learning technology
I
International market
I / K / E / Q
Platform - different processors
1-24
Hard drive slots
/16P
16 PoE ports
/4S / /4F / /4B
4 channels of human detection · facial recognition · behaviour analysis
(B)
Second hardware revision
8f. How do I read bracket and housing codes?
Useful if you've ever ordered the wrong mount. DS-1272ZJ-110-TRS decodes as:
12 camera bracket · 16 PTZ dome bracket
70 adaptor cap · 71 pendant · 72 short arm wall mount · 73 long arm wall mount · 75 pole mount · 76 corner mount · 80 junction box · 81 inclined base · 82 adaptor plate
110 to 160 - adaptor cap diameter in millimetres
TR turret · TRS turret 3 and 5 · TRL turret 6 and 8 · DM18-DM23 for dome cameras
DS-2CD2346G3-IZ2UY → network camera · 4MP · G3 · I infrared · Z motorised lens · 2U two microphones · Y anti-corrosion. See it.
DS-2CD2T46G3-2IZY → the same camera as a T big fixed bullet, with 2I two IR LEDs, Z motorised lens, Y anti-corrosion. There's no U, so no microphone. See it.
iDS-7204HTHI-M1/PXT → intelligent · 4-channel · true 8MP · one drive bay · PoC. See it.
10. What about lenses and colours?
(2.8mm), (2.8-12mm): focal length. One figure means a fixed lens; a range means adjustable (varifocal). No Z means you set it by hand at the camera
/BLACK, /GREY, (B), (G): housing colour
Careful: a bracketed letter is usually colour or revision, but an unbracketed trailing letter is often a different model. DS-1272ZJ-110 and DS-1272ZJ-110B are not the same bracket
11. What do the technology names mean?
Name
What it actually does
AcuSense
Deep-learning classification of people and vehicles, cutting false alarms and letting you search recordings by object type
ColorVu
Full colour footage after dark, using a wide aperture and white light rather than infrared
Smart Hybrid Light
Infrared and white light in one camera: discreet black and white, colour, or automatic switching. Coded LI
DarkFighter
A very sensitive sensor for low light. Still uses infrared at night, so footage is monochrome
DeepinMind
Hikvision's highest analytics tier on recorders
ANR
The camera keeps recording to its memory card if the network drops, then back-fills the gap
AoC / PoC
Audio, or power, carried on the coax alongside the video
NEMA 4X
Corrosion resistance beyond IP67, shown by Y in the model number
12. How far away can a camera identify someone?
DORI is the European standard (EN 62676-4) for what a camera can do at a given distance:
Detect: something is there
Observe: what kind of thing it is
Recognise: someone you already know
Identify: a stranger, to evidence standard
The gap is bigger than most people expect. A 4MP camera with a 2.8mm lens detects at 66 metres but identifies at under 7. That's normal, not a fault. It's why the camera on your door needs to be near the door, and why megapixels alone never answer "will I see who it was?"
Common questions
What does the i in iDS mean on a Hikvision model number?
It marks an intelligent product, meaning AcuSense or DeepinMind on higher-tier recorders. The device classifies people and vehicles using deep learning rather than triggering on any movement.
What does Y mean at the end of a Hikvision model number?
Anti-corrosion. It is why models ending in Y typically carry a NEMA 4X rating, which is worth having near the coast, on farms, or anywhere with salt or chemicals in the air. It is not a version number.
Why does H mean different things in Hikvision model numbers?
Because position decides meaning. In the form position H means varifocal turret, in the feature position it means Enhanced, in the light-source position it means DarkFighter, and in the suffix position it means heater.
What is the difference between 2I and 4I on a Hikvision camera?
The number of infrared LEDs, two or four. More LEDs means longer infrared reach, so a 4I model sees further in the dark than the 2I version of the same camera.
What does LI mean on a Hikvision camera?
Dual light, meaning infrared and white light in the same camera. It is the code behind Smart Hybrid Light, letting you choose discreet monochrome or full colour after dark.
Is a higher G number always newer on a Hikvision product?
Within the same family, yes. But Hikvision uses two different generation mappings across ranges. In some, G0, G2 and G3 are the first, second and third generations; in others it runs G0, G1, G2. Treat G as a sequence within a range rather than an absolute.
What is the difference between HQHI, HUHI and HTHI?
They are resolution tiers on a Hikvision DVR. HQHI records up to 3K or 5MP Lite, HUHI handles full 5MP and accepts 8MP cameras, and HTHI records true 8MP on every channel.
How far can a Hikvision camera identify someone?
Far less than it can see. Check the DORI figures: a typical 4MP camera with a 2.8mm lens identifies a stranger at under 7 metres, even though it detects movement at around 66 metres.
Still not sure what you are looking at?
Send us the model number. We'll tell you what it is, what it will and won't do, and whether it's still current. We stock Hikvision and HiLook as an authorised partner, and we'd rather talk you out of the wrong camera than sell it to you.
