An apparatus and method is presented for network video management and recording of video signals and video analytics generated by a network of IP-enabled cameras. A set of IP cameras are connected in a LAN to a network video recorder further connected by LAN or WAN to a set of client stations. The client station operates a hybrid program including a web-browser and a native application operating on a computer. The network video recorder operates a media recorder to store video streams from the IP cameras into a media database and further operates a relational database for storing camera configuration data, device drivers, event information and alarms. The network video recorder includes a zero configuration networking discovery service for automatically detecting and downloading default configurations to the cameras. Client stations can stream video directly from IP cameras, receive recorded video streams and query the relational database for cameras and events.