Quick and easy question about BI (Blue Iris)

A

alwayson

Getting the hang of it
Apr 27, 2016
111
16
Hello,

I have a quick and easy question about Blue Iris (BI).

As you may have read from my other threads, I am thinking of mixing and matching LTS and Dahua cameras, and as of now I only have a LTS NVR.

I understand that if I do mix and match then I will lose some functionality for the cameras which are not the same brand as the NVR, e.g. if I use a LTS NVR and install Dahua cameras, the Dahua cameras will not work as per their full suite of features.

So, is using Blue Iris (BI) a solution? Can I use Blue Iris (BI) to manage all the cameras, e.g 12 LTS and 2 Dahua and get full functionality or near full functionality for both brands of cameras?

Or I am missing something...

Thank you very much

@tigerwillow1 @fenderman @Arjun @nayr @hmjgriffon
 
theoxonian said:
Hello,

I have a quick and easy question about Blue Iris (BI).

As you may have read from my other threads, I am thinking of mixing and matching LTS and Dahua cameras, and as of now I only have a LTS NVR.

I understand that if I do mix and match then I will lose some functionality for the cameras which are not the same brand as the NVR, e.g. if I use a LTS NVR and install Dahua cameras, the Dahua cameras will not work as per their full suite of features.

So, is using Blue Iris (BI) a solution? Can I use Blue Iris (BI) to manage all the cameras, e.g 12 LTS and 2 Dahua and get full functionality or near full functionality for both brands of cameras?

Or I am missing something...

Thank you very much

@tigerwillow1 @fenderman @Arjun @nayr @hmjgriffon
Click to expand...

By using BI you will not be able to use the smart features of the cameras within BI i.e. you will not be able to use Dahua IVS features but BI has it's own smart features (zone crossing for example) that can you used on all you brands of cameras.
 
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@cyberwolf_uk @fenderman thank you

So if I want to mix and match cameras, e.g. LTS and Dahua, maybe others, one very effective way to use smart features across them would be to use BI?

I am mostly interested in features such as activating recording upon motion detection, so that I do not have to have the cameras recording 24/7.

What is the true cost of Blue Iris - the one time subscription fee, possibly a hardware upgrade on the computer or a dedicated computer, and the time to learn how to use it? Anything else?

Does Blue Iris (BI) offer reasonable or better remote viewing, e.g. if I am not home, if I am travelling outside my home city, or even travelling internationally?

Thank you so much
 
theoxonian said:
@cyberwolf_uk @fenderman thank you

So if I want to mix and match cameras, e.g. LTS and Dahua, maybe others, one very effective way to use smart features across them would be to use BI?

I am mostly interested in features such as activating recording upon motion detection, so that I do not have to have the cameras recording 24/7.

What is the true cost of Blue Iris - the one time subscription fee, possibly a hardware upgrade on the computer or a dedicated computer, and the time to learn how to use it? Anything else?

Does Blue Iris (BI) offer reasonable or better remote viewing, e.g. if I am not home, if I am travelling outside my home city, or even travelling internationally?

Thank you so much
Click to expand...
yes.
60 plus 10 dollars for the mobile app...
the mobile app is your remote viewer...there is a web based viewer as well.
 
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@fenderman @cyberwolf_uk

can someone please briefly explain how does Blue Iris (BI) overcome the issue of multi brand camera incompatibility?

I don't know much about hardware, what is the roadblock/copyright whatever you want to call it, that prevents Dahua cameras from working to their full capacity on LTS or other NVRs?

Is it some programming in the NVR? Some programming in the camera? Both?

Returning to Blue Iris (BI) is it likely to continue to exist and have support for the next 3-5 years? I am sure technology will change by then?

Do any of you use multi brand cameras with Blue Iris (BI)
 
theoxonian said:
@fenderman @cyberwolf_uk

can someone please briefly explain how does Blue Iris (BI) overcome the issue of multi brand camera incompatibility?

I don't know much about hardware, what is the roadblock/copyright whatever you want to call it, that prevents Dahua cameras from working to their full capacity on LTS or other NVRs?

Is it some programming in the NVR? Some programming in the camera? Both?

Returning to Blue Iris (BI) is it likely to continue to exist and have support for the next 3-5 years? I am sure technology will change by then?

Do any of you use multi brand cameras with Blue Iris (BI)
Click to expand...
its does everything itself, all it needs is the video feed from the camera...
They dont pass certain events via onvif which the NVR needs...also onvif itself is often poorly implemented.
You are paying 60 dollars for a program and are worried about support in 5 years? there are tons of VMS options if you dont like BI...if the developer dies, there will be no more support...
One thing i can tell you for certain, if you buy an NVR today, there will be no more support for it in 5 years..
 
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Another thing I can tell you about BI... If you find a better VMS in that price range or $$$ come to think about it. Send me the link ;) I use and support both NVR's and BI, BI is light years ahead of any NVR and is updated with new features seems like monthly. With any other VMS you are looking at a paid upgrade model for any updates and with a NVR you are lucky to get a 2 firmware update a year.

Once BI is setup it shouldn't miss a heart beat if it's configured correctly and you mess about updating it without testing your updates first! Just like any software update!! Hell I have some very old versions of BI that have never been updated and still never miss a beat :)
 
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@fenderman @cyberwolf_uk

Thank you so much. I am not worried about the cost of the software, I just want to be able to continue using it for the next 3-5 years, by when the hardware and software technology will reach a new milestone, maybe.

One quick question...so lets say I have 6 LTS cameras and 4 Dahua cameras, they would all feed into the LTS NVR which is then connected by CAT 6/CAT 6 to the ISP modem.

How would BI change this? Would I connect all the cameras to a switch and then to the ISP modem or would I still use the NVR and just use BI as the software to view and manage the cameras?

Or would it need to connect to the desktop which is running BI

@fenderman said it (Blue Iris) BI needs "video feed from the camera"....how would it get it? still through the LTS NVR?

Thank you so much
 
theoxonian said:
@fenderman @cyberwolf_uk

Thank you so much. I am not worried about the cost of the software, I just want to be able to continue using it for the next 3-5 years, by when the hardware and software technology will reach a new milestone, maybe.

One quick question...so lets say I have 6 LTS cameras and 4 Dahua cameras, they would all feed into the LTS NVR which is then connected by CAT 6/CAT 6 to the ISP modem.

How would BI change this? Would I connect all the cameras to a switch and then to the ISP modem or would I still use the NVR and just use BI as the software to view and manage the cameras?

Or would it need to connect to the desktop which is running BI

@fenderman said it (Blue Iris) BI needs "video feed from the camera"....how would it get it? still through the LTS NVR?

Thank you so much
Click to expand...
use a poe switch...dont connect direct to the nvr..
 
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Once you purchase BI software that's it unless you want support, but they do offer free email support, no SLA.
As for configuring your cameras with BI..

1) Purchase a POE Switch
2) Connect your cameras to the POE switch rather than the NVR
3) Install BI
4) Configure each camera in BI by using the IP address of each camera.
5) Fine Tune BI
6) Install BI Mobile app on your phone
7) Configure Mobile App
8) Look into setting up a VPN solution (if you want secure remote access)
9) Sit back and smile
 
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Thank you @cyberwolf_uk @fenderman

So would I need to connect the PoE switch to the ISP modem? Or else how does the camera get on a network, so to speak? I presume one port of the PoE switch connects to the ISP modem?

Also, what if I need to use two PoE switches, because some of the cameras are currently connected to a PoE switch in the shed, when then connects to the NVR

Would I just connect the PoE switch in the shed lets say with 4 cameras to the new master PoE switch (which replaces the NVR) and then connect the Master PoE Switch to the ISP modem?

cyberwolf_uk said:
Once you purchase BI software that's it unless you want support, but they do offer free email support, no SLA.
As for configuring your cameras with BI..

1) Purchase a POE Switch
2) Connect your cameras to the POE switch rather than the NVR
3) Install BI
4) Configure each camera in BI by using the IP address of each camera.
5) Fine Tune BI
6) Install BI Mobile app on your phone
7) Configure Mobile App
8) Look into setting up a VPN solution (if you want secure remote access)
9) Sit back and smile
Click to expand...
 
theoxonian said:
Returning to Blue Iris (BI) is it likely to continue to exist and have support for the next 3-5 years? I am sure technology will change by then?
Click to expand...

Certainly some parts of the technology will change by then, but like fenderman said unless the developer dies it is not likely to stop being supported.

Ken told me the other day that Blue Iris was now officially his full time job. As in, it recently was not. Which just floors me.
 
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