# Quick start

After you've unpacked your Pearl Nano, you're ready to get started. This quick start uses the default settings where possible so you can quickly start using your Pearl Nano.

**Before you begin, make sure you have:**

- A video source such as a camera or computer and cables to connect them to Pearl Nano. For HDMI, the video source must not be HDCP protected.

-  An audio source coming from either your SDI or HDMI video source (must not be encrypted). Optionally, audio from a different source such as an audio mixer that you connect to the audio input ports can be used.

- The Pearl Nano can use the USB input for audio input.

- Local area network that uses Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is preferable.

- Computer with a web browser connected to the same network. We'll call it the “admin” computer.

- Ethernet cables to connect Pearl Nano and the admin computer to the network.

- To record video using Pearl Nano, you need to install a storage medium. Pearl Nano has a standard SD card slot on the front panel that you can use and supports SATA M.2 2280 SSD storage.

- We recommend an SD card that is at least a class 10 with up to 512 GB of capacity.

- Pearl Nano has a storage expansion slot that's accessible from the underside.

Your Pearl Nano comes shipped with an AC/DC power adapter and a registration card that contains brief instructions to connect the Pearl Nano to the network, log in to the Admin panel, and format an SD card. The instructions in this quick start provide more details.

**Start up the Pearl Nano for the first time**

- Turn on your camera or video source and connect the output to the back panel of Pearl Nano.

- Connect the Ethernet cable to the Pearl Nano and to your network. Pearl Nano can power up using the power from the Ethernet cable if your network supports PoE+ power. If you are using PoE+ power with a Pearl Nano, you can skip the next step.

- Attach the power cable and plug it into a power source.

- Turn on the system:

- **Pearl Nano** - will automatically turn on when connected to power. Wait for the power-up cycle to complete and the Auto channel to appear on the front screen. If your video source has a signal, the video displays on the front screen.

- For Pearl Nano to record, install and format a storage solution.

-  (Optional) Plug headphones into the 3.5 mm headphone jack at the front of the Pearl Nano to monitor the video signal's embedded audio.

- (Optional) Start recording:

- **Pearl Nano** - press the **Record** key on the front panel to start and stop recording the channel.

Recordings are saved to the SD card or SSD on Pearl Nano by default. When the SD card is full, new recordings overwrite the oldest recordings. Do not eject the SD card while recording is in progress as that may corrupt the SD card.

### Next Steps

Now that you have a video source connected you can fine-tune Pearl Nano to your exact requirements. Take a look at topics such as:

When you're done setting up your Pearl Nano, make sure to back up the system configuration using the procedure described in Create a configuration preset in the Pearl Family shared guide.

### Pearl Nano sample recording

When you power up Pearl Nano, you can start recording as soon as you connect a video source to one of the video input ports and have a formatted SD card installed.

**Record the default Auto channel using the Record control key**

To record the default Auto channel using the control key on the front panel of Pearl Nano, simply press the **Record** key. When you're done, press the **Record** key again to stop. The Record key is lit red while recording is in progress.

**Record the default Auto channel and download the file using the Admin panel**

The SD card uses the EXT4 format and you cannot manually transfer recordings off the SD card directly to iOS or Windows systems. Instead, download your recording using the Admin panel.

- Open a web browser on the admin computer and go to the IP address of your Pearl Nano and log in,

- From the **Channel** menu in the Admin panel, select your channel (i.e. Auto) and select **Recording**. The Recording page for the channel opens.

- Select **Start** to start recording the channel and click **Stop** when you're done.

- Refresh the page to see the updated list of recordings.

- Select the file in the list and download that recording to your admin computer.

**Register Pearl Nano to get firmware updates**

Keep Pearl Nano up-to-date and get all the latest features and firmware updates. Registering your Pearl Nano is free and only needs to be done once. You can register anytime from the Firmware update page using the Admin panel.

> product: pearl-nano · topic: overview · source: pearl-nano-userguide.md · updated: Oct 7, 2026