The DVR needs an internal hard disk drive for recording. Without hard drive, the system can show live viewing, but can’t record, playback neither.

please go to Main Menu--Advanced--Storage to check if hard is working.

Motion detection recording means DVR will record automatically when it is triggered by movement.
1.Go to Record--Record Conf. ,select channel, tick schedule and detect.

This step is necessary and you can't skip. Please don't tick Manual or stop, or regular. You also can set up the Period which you want to detect.

2.Motion detect setting
Tick “Enable”    
select “Sensitivity”, “Region”, “Record Channel”, “Buzzer”, “Send Email” according to your needs and click “OK” to save. 

Notice: Even if you are setting up channel1, you can still select other channels to record when only camera in channel 1 is recording.

Click set to set region, default is all choosed. You can change the region by right click your mouse, drag the mouse and draw the area. Red area means detected area

 After you setting up right click to save, it will record if system detects the motion signal.

(In the example, 1 camera is connected to Channel 1 and CH1 is right now motion recording).

3. Go to play back to check if it take motion detection recording.