Do you turn off camera time overlay?

Jim Pederson · Apr 16, 2018

I noticed BI has built in time overlay, and the cameras all have their own overlay.
Do people using BI sync cameras to an NTP server and use that, or just use the BI overlay. And does BI get time from a NTP or just use system time?
Thanks for any input.

Vettester · Apr 16, 2018

If you are recording direct to disk the BI overlays are not included in your video so I just use the camera's overlay. BI uses the system time which can be synced to a NTP time server.

Mike · Apr 16, 2018

Use camera overlay, disable overlays in BI and use Direct to Disk recording.

Jim Pederson · Apr 17, 2018

Thanks all. I found the part of WIKI posts on Optimizing BI. It has all the info I need, save for setting up NTP for each camera. I do not use remote access, but it should be easy.
I would think one just has to specify the time server (say pool.ntp.org), and allow cams to access port 125?

TheSwede · Apr 18, 2018

Good morning! Guess it should be port 123.
IF you have a Synology nas running it can be a ntp server.
Or blue Iris PC.
Better to have a local ntp and limit camera access outside the lan, to dissconnect all chinese p2p.
Brgds

looney2ns · Apr 18, 2018

Jim Pederson said:
Thanks all. I found the part of WIKI posts on Optimizing BI. It has all the info I need, save for setting up NTP for each camera. I do not use remote access, but it should be easy.
I would think one just has to specify the time server (say pool.ntp.org), and allow cams to access port 125?

Install Nettime NetTime - Network Time Synchronization Tool on your BI machine, then sync your cams to your BI machines IP.
Discussed here: NetTime server error

WannaTheater · Sep 26, 2018

Was looking at this today and realized how nice the Blue Iris camera names and time overlays look.
Yet the overlays generated from the cameras look like VCR quality from the 80s. Not what I expected from hardware of this resolution.

fenderman · Sep 26, 2018

WannaTheater said:
Was looking at this today and realized how nice the Blue Iris camera names and time overlays look.
Yet the overlays generated from the cameras look like VCR quality from the 80s. Not what I expected from hardware of this resolution.

You must have some weird cameras... as long as you can read the timestamp they are doing their job...

J Sigmo · Sep 26, 2018

My complaint is that the cameras' built in overlays are a bit chunky and cover some useful parts of the images.

While the direct to disk recording can't have the time stamp from BI included in the video, Blue Iris has no problem adding it back in when you play a clip back. So some sort of time code must get stored in BI's files.

I've been tempted to disable all of the camera-generated legends to keep the video clean and uncluttered.

fenderman · Sep 26, 2018

J Sigmo said:
My complaint is that the cameras' built in overlays are a bit chunky and cover some useful parts of the images.

While the direct to disk recording can't have the time stamp from BI included in the video, Blue Iris has no problem adding it back in when you play a clip back. So some sort of time code must get stored in BI's files.

I've been tempted to disable all of the camera-generated legends to keep the video clean and uncluttered.

The problem is that this information is stored in the database, if its corrupted or you delete it, you wont be able to add it back. Furthermore, you have now edited the video after the fact and it may pose some evidentiary issues if it ever came to that...

Mr_D · Sep 26, 2018

I use direct to disk. Even if I didn't, I'd still prefer to have the label and time embedded in the video so it's there even when I'm not viewing them through BI. I also record motion events to the cameras SD cards and want the time there. I also feel like embedding the time in the video stream would hold up better in court if needed.

J Sigmo · Sep 27, 2018

fenderman said:
The problem is that this information is stored in the database, if its corrupted or you delete it, you wont be able to add it back. Furthermore, you have now edited the video after the fact and it may pose some evidentiary issues if it ever came to that...

That's why I've left it turned on for most of my cameras. I just wish you could select a smaller font sometimes. But you do need it to be legible. Whine, moan, bitch! You just can't make us happy no matter how good things are!

looney2ns · Sep 27, 2018

J Sigmo said:
That's why I've left it turned on for most of my cameras. I just wish you could select a smaller font sometimes. But you do need it to be legible. Whine, moan, bitch! You just can't make us happy no matter how good things are!

In some of Dahua cams/firmwares you can change the font size and the color of the font.

J Sigmo · Sep 27, 2018

looney2ns said:
In some of Dahua cams/firmwares you can change the font size and the color of the font.

That would be nice. Or setting it to run vertically up or down one side or the other. I have a couple of cameras where the very top and bottom edges (long edges) happen to be right where I want to see. The time stamp often obscures the very place I want to look, and I don't want to zoom out because then the camera sees a nearby fixed object or edge that screws with the auto exposure.

First world problems, right?

looney2ns · Sep 27, 2018

J Sigmo said:
That would be nice. Or setting it to run vertically up or down one side or the other. I have a couple of cameras where the very top and bottom edges (long edges) happen to be right where I want to see. The time stamp often obscures the very place I want to look, and I don't want to zoom out because then the camera sees a nearby fixed object or edge that screws with the auto exposure.

First world problems, right?

They can be moved to a different spot.

WannaTheater · Sep 27, 2018

I didn't see that setting is on my Dahuas. While the overlay is functional and serves its purpose, it is clunky looking. At least to make make it look better than Atari 2600 font.

fenderman · Sep 27, 2018

WannaTheater said:
I didn't see that setting is on my Dahuas. While the overlay is functional and serves its purpose, it is clunky looking. At least to make make it look better than Atari 2600 font.

Sorry about your OCD....

J Sigmo · Sep 27, 2018

looney2ns said:
They can be moved to a different spot.

That is nice in the 2231 I'm playing with right now. Being able to move it to pretty much anywhere rather than being restricted to just four possible corner locations is handy!

I think I just broke the 2231, however. I was moving it around, and having to "save" every time to see the effect, and now it fails to save. I think I wore it out!

Edit to add: OK, it's working again. Probably a built-in protection to keep me from wearing out the NAND flash that holds the settings!

Playing with Blue Iris, I love all of the adjustments and settings it has for the overlays! But even BI doesn't give me the ability to rotate the legends by 90° so I can have it run vertically along one side or the other. But the settings it does have are extensive and really handy!

J Sigmo · Sep 27, 2018

WannaTheater said:
I didn't see that setting is on my Dahuas. While the overlay is functional and serves its purpose, it is clunky looking. At least to make make it look better than Atari 2600 font.

If it wasn't for losing the direct-to-disk mode, I'd love to just switch off my various cameras' overlays and use only what BI provides because it really does spoil us with all of the adjustments it has. But I can see how asking for that level of sophistication in the actual cameras would be asking a lot! Still, if the manufacturers wanted to add in more capabilities, I'd gladly take them.

WannaTheater · Sep 27, 2018

J Sigmo said:
But I can see how asking for that level of sophistication in the actual cameras would be asking a lot!

Its 2018. Font libraries are abundant, and memory is cheap (although more expensive in the last 24 months). I don't think asking for a 2018 font on a 1080p image is really a huge ask!

That said, I am EXTREMELY pleased with Blue Iris and the image quality on the DW2231R-ZS!!!

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Do you turn off camera time overlay?

Jim Pederson

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Vettester

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Mike

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TheSwede

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WannaTheater

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