Blueiris NVR conundrum

I’m calling bullshit

1-2 minutes. And if it takes 3 and we’re down to 60-90 seconds making a difference, well it’s not a serious conversation
 
Please do a screen video to show me what I am doing wrong LOL.

It takes that long just to pull up the NVR and then select which camera and then scroll the timeline, but can't go too fast because if I try to shoot straight to the time but the green line hasn't populated yet, it sends back to midnight and start over, so I have to scroll the timeline kinda slow always staying behind the green timeline populating.
 
I have been using Blue Iris for about 4-5 years. I started with a PC-based automation system and added software and cameras. I bought a DVR that was to be used as a standalone. It's still running fine. I know use it as the front end to Blue Iris where it reduces the cabling required since it's implemented in an out-building and only requires a single cable to the BI router. I don't think the setup was tough at all. It has far fewer parameters to setup than BI does.

With BI, there's far more functionality - and far more configuration options. This results in constant tweaking and integration. That's part of the fun for me.

I don't touch the DVR anymore (in fact I have picked up a couple of used packages where they've been sold with cameras and HDD). They are all front ends to Blue Iris now. Almost everything I tweak is with Blue Iris. There is the odd time where it's nice to have a DVR, particularly when trouble-shooting. You can access the DVR through their software and see what's up prior to the data getting to BI.

I like the hybrid solution and would urge you not to exclude having both DVR and BI.
 
Since you won't screen record your steps, I am going to record how I do it and please show me how I can do it faster LOL.

And WTF is export from SmartPSS lite - I don't see it LOL.
 
Im working on it, dinner and my lack of knowing how to use the snip tool are slowing things down
 
Yeah I am going old school and will record using my phone LOL. Quality will be good enough to see how inefficient I am LOL
 
Well crap the file is too big.

Ok now that I have played with it, I can do it faster and probably close to where you were at, but I still can't get the mp4 file to play on any other device.

Where is the export in SmartPSS Lite?

But whenever these debates are had here on BI versus NVR, it comes down to which one someone uses the most and is comfortable with.

For some that will be the NVR, for others it will be BI.

I am still in the BI camp though LOL.
 
Had to put the screencap into a video editor to make is small enough to upload, geesh

SMartPSS and Lite are the same. The download dialog starts when you click the snip tool a 2nd /last time
1- Click snip tool at where you want to begin the clip on the timeline, You can drag it.
2- end of clip - snag slider at very end of timeline and move to where you want it
3- click on snip tool (scissors) a 2nd time opens download dialog

Also showed using the Event list on the right, downloaded it a 2nd time, knowing the time made it easy

View attachment Home_ch7_20241030144503_20241030144516.mp4

View attachment Project 1.mp4
 
^^^^
I edited some verbiage to make it easier to understand, I think
 
I may need to download SmartPSS Lite again or try to find an older SmartPSS.

Mine doesn't have the snip tool or scissors.
 
Well they have updated it since 1987 :lmao: :rofl:
 
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wittaj said:
Now this is what I tried to set up for my neighbor but it just shows generic pics for each trigger - are you using IVS?
Click to expand...

Thats Video Meta Data, but IVS works same, just you only get the one clip minus the photos
 
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We all have different expectations and results. For exporting video, I rarely do it and have to at least partially relearn every time. I find the difficulty between BI and smartPSS about the same. Except for the first time I tried to export from BI when it took me about 5 hours over several days, trying by myself with no luck, reading documentation with no luck, scanning through the forum with luck after a while finding a post with the same problem. Turned out I had a "stable" BI version where video export didn't work. Upgraded to the then-current stable version and it worked. Never had a problem like that with the NVR.

Today we had some suspicious activity. For viewing I always go first to UI3 because it's so much faster and easier. Click on the clip, and no video. WTF? Went to the native BI monitor. Clip is there, no video. In fact, all video from all cameras for the last 24 hours was gone. BI was complaining about storage drive overallocation. Never had a problem like that with the NVR, and finally got my info from smartPSS. I think I know what led to the video loss. I had accidentally left the storage tab up overnight on the BI machine, having changed no settings. I think I ran into this a couple of months ago, that BI messes up if the storage tab is displayed too long. I call it a bug, and expect others will call it stupid user error.

Conundrum! Spend more time every day viewing triggers with smartPSS, or spend hours and hours every month or so with something that isn't working right with BI? For the long run, keep fighting BI or get a new 32 channel NVR? Don't know which side of the fence I'll fall off of. Maybe I'll end up with both, one for easy viewing, and the other for rock-solid reliability.
 
Look at the 4 methods I just posted. All easily under 2 minutes.

NVR/SmsrtPSS are both faster and more intuitive
 
Moley8 said:
Think I'm swaying more to an NVR clunky not so many features but probably easier for me to use an NVR. Thanks
Click to expand...
Yes, please get a NVR....it'll be great for you and you're sure to love it. :cool:
 
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TonyR said:
Yes, please get a NVR....it'll be great for you and you're sure to love it. :cool:
Click to expand...

And then in a couple of months, they can try the demo of BI and start down the journey of running both!

Many do that as you can feed the NVR into BI so the NVR essentially becomes a POE switch with redundant recording.
 
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