Newbie with lots of questions....

Vtor

n3wb
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My questions seem to fall in different categories, so I apologize if it is not in the right place.

First a little background.... I have been browsing the site for a few days and got registered today. I purchased a Lorex system about a month ago from Costco (item # 1167857) just haven't had the time to do the install. The system was one of the newest at the time and didn't have a lot of reviews. I checked the site again in the last couple days and see that the product has been hit hard with negative comments about remote or app related complaints. I feel that this is one of the most important aspects of the system that i bought. I travel a lot for work and I would love to check on the outside of the house while I'm gone and the kids and wife are home. So I am having thoughts of sending the product back to Costco. Thoughts?

My next option, i'm up for suggestions, was to look into blueiris software and just purchase a few Dahua cameras from Andy. My fear is that I have to have a computer running the software 24hrs a day. Is this the case? or can I log on, make the changes, log off, and the system work seamlessly until something else needs to be changed. All the while being able to view from the BI iphone app......

Also of note is the fact that I live out in the sticks. Our internet is sketchy at best. Sometimes we enjoy 5 mbps down and sometimes we struggle to get 1/10th of that.

Thank you a lot in advance and I look forward to spending some long hours here.
 

fenderman

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My next option, i'm up for suggestions, was to look into blueiris software and just purchase a few Dahua cameras from Andy. My fear is that I have to have a computer running the software 24hrs a day. Is this the case? or can I log on, make the changes, log off, and the system work seamlessly until something else needs to be changed. All the while being able to view from the BI iphone app......
Why are you afraid to leave the pc on? you should be using a dedicated pc...you would leave it on just as you would the NVR...how do you expect blue iris to work if the computer is off?
 

Vtor

n3wb
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Well sir.... seems you have ignored a couple of things.... One is that I am completely new to this. The second is that I asked a question about the software. These forums get me sometimes. Everyone with the knowledge seems to be "snappy" with newbies and their questions. I try to mitigate by exaggerating my ignorance to the topic and being apologetic before I do anything wrong. "How do you expect blue iris to work if the computer is off?" My answer to your question.... I have no clue! Thats why I came here to ask... haha
 

mat200

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My questions seem to fall in different categories, so I apologize if it is not in the right place.

First a little background.... I have been browsing the site for a few days and got registered today. I purchased a Lorex system about a month ago from Costco (item # 1167857) just haven't had the time to do the install. The system was one of the newest at the time and didn't have a lot of reviews. I checked the site again in the last couple days and see that the product has been hit hard with negative comments about remote or app related complaints. I feel that this is one of the most important aspects of the system that i bought. I travel a lot for work and I would love to check on the outside of the house while I'm gone and the kids and wife are home. So I am having thoughts of sending the product back to Costco. Thoughts?

My next option, i'm up for suggestions, was to look into blueiris software and just purchase a few Dahua cameras from Andy. My fear is that I have to have a computer running the software 24hrs a day. Is this the case? or can I log on, make the changes, log off, and the system work seamlessly until something else needs to be changed. All the while being able to view from the BI iphone app......

Also of note is the fact that I live out in the sticks. Our internet is sketchy at best. Sometimes we enjoy 5 mbps down and sometimes we struggle to get 1/10th of that.

Thank you a lot in advance and I look forward to spending some long hours here.
Welcome Vtor,

You can expect to experience similar negative issues with all NVRs, even PCs, camera only systems, and your router(s), wifi access points and the like.

None of the current choices for security camera systems are going to meet all of the following: [ Affordable, Good quality images, Easy to install and feature rich ].

If you want to have a lower price and better quality system with numerous options you will need to invest some time to learn what the security camera professionals have spent their entire career picking up. Security camera systems are more complex than we imagine from what Hollywood has been portraying to us.

If you are willing to take sometime you can get a very nice system setup.

Thankfully there are many options and ways to do that. Of course, many options means more figuring out what works best for your setup.

Do note, I believe that particular kit is a Dahua OEM kit - and you can add more cameras to it - and if you plan to keep it I would recommend adding a few starlight cameras to it as I believe that would give a nice balance of cameras better for the day time and a couple of great night time / low light cameras.
( Costco Wholesale )

Remember to take some time and determine what your needs are.

It's easy to get swamped with information here, so I wanted to share some notes with you

Please check out @giomania 's notes:
Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z)

I have also made notes which are a summary of a lot of the reading I've been doing here,:
Looking for some advice and direction!

Have fun joining us here.
 

fenderman

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Well sir.... seems you have ignored a couple of things.... One is that I am completely new to this. The second is that I asked a question about the software. These forums get me sometimes. Everyone with the knowledge seems to be "snappy" with newbies and their questions. I try to mitigate by exaggerating my ignorance to the topic and being apologetic before I do anything wrong. "How do you expect blue iris to work if the computer is off?" My answer to your question.... I have no clue! Thats why I came here to ask... haha
Dont get your panties in a bunch...you are getting free advice..if you dont like the way its offered to you, i suggest you hire someone to do this for you..clearly research is not a strong point...these forums get me sometimes, newbies dont do a shred of work and want everything planed out for them for free...why dont you try and use the search box..its not there just to look pretty..
Note, that if you thought blue iris would work magically while your computer was turned off and that keeping a computer on scares you, then you should farm this out to someone more capable..
 
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Vtor

n3wb
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Welcome Vtor,

You can expect to experience similar negative issues with all NVRs, even PCs, camera only systems, and your router(s), wifi access points and the like.

None of the current choices for security camera systems are going to meet all of the following: [ Affordable, Good quality images, Easy to install and feature rich ].

If you want to have a lower price and better quality system with numerous options you will need to invest some time to learn what the security camera professionals have spent their entire career picking up. Security camera systems are more complex than we imagine from what Hollywood has been portraying to us.

If you are willing to take sometime you can get a very nice system setup.

Thankfully there are many options and ways to do that. Of course, many options means more figuring out what works best for your setup.

Do note, I believe that particular kit is a Dahua OEM kit - and you can add more cameras to it - and if you plan to keep it I would recommend adding a few starlight cameras to it as I believe that would give a nice balance of cameras better for the day time and a couple of great night time / low light cameras.
( Costco Wholesale )

Remember to take some time and determine what your needs are.

It's easy to get swamped with information here, so I wanted to share some notes with you

Please check out @giomania 's notes:
Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z)

I have also made notes which are a summary of a lot of the reading I've been doing here,:
Looking for some advice and direction!

Have fun joining us here.

Thanks Mat200!

I appreciate the information sir! I will spend some time looking through what you sent!

Your post was very informative and lacked the other negative tones that seems to make its way into a lot of other responses....thanks for that.

again..... I'll apologize for my ignorance.

And fender - I choose to go commando...no panty bunching! Peace be with you sir.

-V
 

fenderman

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Thanks Mat200!

I appreciate the information sir! I will spend some time looking through what you sent!

Your post was very informative and lacked the other negative tones that seems to make its way into a lot of other responses....thanks for that.

again..... I'll apologize for my ignorance.

And fender - I choose to go commando...no panty bunching! Peace be with you sir.

-V
This is not a college campus "safe space" dont like the "negative tones" you can leave or I can show you out.
 

Vtor

n3wb
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Hahahahaha. Now who is getting their panties in a bunch? Like I said earlier sir, I’ve been browsing the site for some time. I know you are the “big boy on campus”. Why do you think I went directly to you in a private message?
 

fenderman

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Why do you think I went directly to you in a private message?
That is another example of not wanting to do any leg work but have your own private consultant work for free...why do you feel that you are special? Dont be lazy and work a bit.
 

Vtor

n3wb
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I thought my questions were fair. Guess I was wrong.
 

looney2ns

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There is a learning curve to all of this. This place is the encyclopedia for that learning.
You most likely won't grasp it all in a few days, it will take time.
 

Vtor

n3wb
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Still doing some research.... Thanks for the tips. I am not as dumb as I made my question sound. It could have been phrased differently but that's neither here nor there.

Thanks again!
 
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