Dahua software solutions

Cameras and recorders capture the footage. Software is what turns separate devices into a system — one login, one event stream, one site plan, whether you run a single location or fifty. Dahua offers three tiers, and the choice between them comes down mostly to scale and to how many people use the system.

Smart PSS Lite — free client software

Smart PSS Lite is a free application installed on a single computer (Windows or macOS) that connects directly to cameras and recorders. There is no separate server: the application itself is the whole software.

Besides video, Smart PSS Lite also handles access control and time attendance — live view, playback, event centre, P2P connectivity and a web client.

When it fits: one site, one or two computers used for viewing. Home, small office, shop, warehouse. Once you add users or sites, Smart PSS Lite becomes limiting — that is where DSS Express takes over.

DSS Express — client-server platform, 64 channels free

DSS Express is a proper video management platform: server software with operator workstations connecting to it. That means central user management, a shared event stream, and several people working with the same system at once.

Express is free up to 64 video channels — no licence purchase needed, you simply download and deploy. Licences extend capacity up to 256 video channels.

Express also supports AI features (face recognition, licence plate recognition, video metadata) as well as access control and intercom. It runs on a single server — there is no distributed architecture, hot standby or multi-server federation at this tier.

When it fits: one site or a couple, several operators, up to a few hundred cameras. Most Estonian commercial sites fit here comfortably. If the system grows later, there is an upgrade path to DSS Professional.

DSS Professional — enterprise-grade platform

DSS Professional is built for where Express runs out: hundreds or thousands of cameras, multiple locations, a 24/7 control room, and the requirement that a single server failure must not stop the system.

Capacity reaches up to 20,000 channels with central storage up to 4 PB. The system can be built as a single server or as a distributed system, where information from several locations — live view, recordings and events — comes together in one client window.

Professional unifies video, access control, video intercom, alarm systems and IP speakers on one platform. Enterprise features follow: role-based rights, Active Directory, system monitoring, plus API and SDK for integrating third-party systems.

When it fits: several sites under one organisation, your own control room, integration requirements, or simply a camera count beyond the Express limit.

How to choose

Licensing

Dahua DSS licences are perpetual — bought once, they do not expire. There is no subscription fee. The only recurring cost is the optional DSS Care support agreement.

DSS Express

Up to 64 channels are free. A licence is only needed from the 65th camera onwards, purchased per channel (DSS8EXV) up to 256 channels.

DSS Professional

Professional consists of a base licence plus per-unit expansions bought on top of it. The base provides the platform and the first 16 units; every further camera, door or device is a separate licence. You pay for exactly what the site actually has.

What each licence covers

Recorder or server?

This is the most commonly misunderstood point, so let it be said plainly: DSS does not replace recorders. It is a management layer above them.

A · Standalone recorder (NVR / XVR)

The recorder takes the camera streams, writes them to disk and displays them on a monitor or in an app. No computer or server is needed, the system runs autonomously and keeps working even when the network misbehaves. The limits are one device’s channel count, and the fact that each recorder is its own island — with several sites you log into each separately.

B · DSS server above the recorders

DSS unifies existing recorders, doors, intercom and alarm systems into one system. Recording can stay on the recorders (cheaper, risk spread out) or move to central storage at the server — often both are done at once: the recorder keeps a local copy, the server a central one.

There are two routes to the server:

• Your own server — an ordinary PC or server machine with DSS installed. Flexible, but it needs hardware selection and maintenance.
• DSS OneBox — a ready-made workstation with DSS pre-installed and licences included. Power it on and the system is ready: no server to buy, no operating system to install, no licences to activate one by one.

DSS OneBox H1/128 — 128 channels, 4 monitor outputs, 200 Mbps. A good choice when you want DSS capability without a server project.

Technical requirements

Sources: official Dahua Technology product pages (DSS Express, DSS Professional), Dahua Wiki (Smart PSS Lite) and Dahua “System Requirements & Performance” documentation. Capacity figures apply to DSS V8.8 and may change between versions. Videovalve OÜ is the official Dahua Technology importer in Estonia.