blue iris main benefits over current model NVR?

fenderman

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thanks for all the reply's.

one thing im wondering - and might be in favor of the NVR..... being that NVR's are mostly Linux based I would think that they would run a little more stable then say a 24/7 running windows box? do you guys ever have any crashes? that could be very annoying. Granted I couldn't see that happening often , just that windows isn't as stable as these one program Linux box's?
That is not true. If you think nvr's dont reboot or crash you have another thing coming. Windows is very stable. I have machines running 100 days plus until I decide to update or reboot. Get the NVR. Please.
 

clean

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That is not true. If you think nvr's dont reboot or crash you have another thing coming. Windows is very stable. I have machines running 100 days plus until I decide to update or reboot. Get the NVR. Please.
C'mon man, enough of that. jokes over. Im trying to discuss all the pros and cons of each, which if i'm not mistaken is what this forum is for. I'm sorry if it annoys you, but if it does maybe best you just dont comment. thanks.
 

fenderman

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C'mon man, enough of that. jokes over. Im trying to discuss all the pros and cons of each, which if i'm not mistaken is what this forum is for. I'm sorry if it annoys you, but if it does maybe best you just dont comment. thanks.
it may be best if you stop wasting out time. Dont tell me what to do on my own forum. Buy an NVR please.
 

clean

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not trying to piss you off fenderman, but there has been some helpful reply's to my questions earlier in the thread - maybe you have been dealing with noobs for too long- I dont know, but the " your stupid just buy a NVR message " you keep sending is counter-intuitive to what we are discussing -that's why I suggested that if it annoys you to just let us noobs ramble on amongst ourselves. :smash:
 

fenderman

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not trying to piss you off fenderman, but there has been some helpful reply's to my questions earlier in the thread - maybe you have been dealing with noobs for too long- I dont know, but the " your stupid just buy a NVR message " you keep sending is counter-intuitive to what we are discussing -that's why I suggested that if it annoys you to just let us noobs ramble on amongst ourselves. :smash:
why is it counter intuitive to point out that you are not interested in a pc based vms. You are looking for reasons to get an nvr. FYI there are vms packages that run on linux if your fall for that BS that windows is not stable.
 

Mike

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@clean if you want an NVR then definitely get one, it's your choice. However, Blue Iris is superior and just as stable. I know municipalities (including police stations) that use BI and don't have issues. As long as the PC is set up properly (turn off auto updates, etc.) then the PC can buzz along for as long as an NVR can.

I have both BI and an IPCT NVR. I sell IPCT NVR's and will tell you that they don't compare to BI. No NVR does. The features that BI has is years ahead of any NVR, and with the regular updates that we are all used to, NVR's won't be catching up for a long time.

Some people prefer NVR's, most prefer BI. If you're set on an NVR then grab one!
 

clean

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well i am interested in the VMS route - so much so that its the way i'm going. Another big plus for me is I will have an always accessible 24/7 on windows box for doing other simple tasks while I check the cams etc. Thanks for not giving up on me, I hope this can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship :love:.

all jokes aside - thanks ...really.
 

Mike

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well i am interested in the VMS route - so much so that its the way i'm going. Another big plus for me is I will have an always accessible 24/7 on windows box for doing other simple tasks while I check the cams etc. Thanks for not giving up on me, I hope this can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship :love:.

all jokes aside - thanks ...really.
No worries. I'll tell you what, this group is the smartest group of people I know. I learn something new every day reading this forum, so make sure to take all advice, especially from the people who have been down that road already.

Blue iris > *.*
 

HelloAgain

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not trying to piss you off fenderman, but there has been some helpful reply's to my questions earlier in the thread - maybe you have been dealing with noobs for too long- I dont know, but the " your stupid just buy a NVR message " you keep sending is counter-intuitive to what we are discussing -that's why I suggested that if it annoys you to just let us noobs ramble on amongst ourselves. :smash:
Fenderman's comments may seem a bit 'harsh', but they are valid. If you get BI now, you will always have doubt in your mind. So, 'try out' and NVR and get a bit of experience. Grab one at Costco or purchase online. If you don't like it after 30 days, you can always return it for a refund. You can trial BI for 2 weeks for free as well. See which works best for your situation. That's basically what I did. Sometimes it's better to experience the pain for yourself rather than taking someone else's word for it.

So yes.. get an NVR if for no other reason to experience the pain first hand. It will be very educational.
 

tmushy

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I run both. I use blue iris as a backup system. Very happy with hikvision nvr. I always used to run software based nvr units (back from the geovision days) but I just like standalone hardware nvrs more. They never crash and you can set it and forget it. They also have a lower power draw than a computer may

Blue iris is also pretty rock solid. Never had it crash and its been running fine for over a year. The interface is a bit clunky to me but I do appreciate their quick load web interface. I can quickly watch clips. Love that it supports html5.

You really cant go wrong with either but an a simply hardware based nvr is just easier to use.

Blue iris is also very inexpensive if you ever decide you want to install it later on.

I recommend using a separate POE switch to power cameras instead of the built in POE on NVR. Just not a fan of that type of setup. This way you can put your nvr anywhere and it lets you use your cameras with other software with ease.
 

fenderman

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I run both. I use blue iris as a backup system. Very happy with hikvision nvr. I always used to run software based nvr units (back from the geovision days) but I just like standalone hardware nvrs more. They never crash and you can set it and forget it. They also have a lower power draw than a computer may

Blue iris is also pretty rock solid. Never had it crash and its been running fine for over a year. The interface is a bit clunky to me but I do appreciate their quick load web interface. I can quickly watch clips. Love that it supports html5.

You really cant go wrong with either but an a simply hardware based nvr is just easier to use.

Blue iris is also very inexpensive if you ever decide you want to install it later on.

I recommend using a separate POE switch to power cameras instead of the built in POE on NVR. Just not a fan of that type of setup. This way you can put your nvr anywhere and it lets you use your cameras with other software with ease.
You cannot compare the feature set. And you bet nvr's crash, see the threads on them. For anything other than 24/7 recording they are useless. You can set blue iris and forget it as well. No difference.
 

James32

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I’m somewhat cheep, so I installed BI on an old computer I had laying around. It has worked flawlessly except for that time one of my kids flipped the power strip off because why wouldn’t you flip a switch that’s just sitting there.

I agree that cameras are like crack. My wife has had to step in with an intervention. Luckily for me I discovered that BI will even support my old USB webcams!

I also recommend segregating your cam network from your regular home network. I would even have a separate network for your home automation stuff. You can do this easily if your router supports vlans. Your cam network doesn’t need access to the internet; just your BI pc if you want to access it remotely.
 
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I personally have used i5-3470 in about 10 installs now and it works perfectly fine.

Most builds are 4mp 1440p cams @ 15fps.

4 of those cameras @ 240MP/sec total run that processor at like 20%
I’ve got a HP Elite 8300 i5 3470 4gb ram. I’ve planning on running the Dahua 4mp starlight x 4 and a starlight plz with BI 5. Is the processor going to be running too high?
 

Mr.X

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Blue Iris is actively developed by a **native** English speaking programmer.

Your NVR of choice is neither of these things. The comparison is laughable.

You can fault the BI development for choosing tools that only work with newer versions of windows, but that's about it. It is superior to every other NVR from a camera manufacturer I've ever seen and it's not even counter-intuitive to understand why.

There is no debate.
 

p3ter

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There's a lot of BlueIris hard sell going on here, so let me throw in my 2 cents as a recent (<2 months) adopter. I have tried cheap China NVR's, ISpyConnect, standalone cameras with built-in motion detection functionality, Synology NVR Surveillance Station, and even some commercial grade software (cant remember the name).

The SINGLE compelling reason for my decision to buy BlueIris was the motion detection. Everything else I have ever tried is basically unusable when it comes to motion detection, I was always getting false positive alerts e.g.
  • The sun came out
  • The wind blew
  • It rained
  • The camera IR lights turned on/off
  • The camera mount shook
  • A cloud cast a shadow
  • a mosquito farted (ok that one was an exaggeration)
And once you have tweaked the settings with low enough sensitivity to try to eliminate the false positives, you start missing real events. The bane of any NVR software for me is needing to review hundreds of clips of total junk, and finally realizing that even if the second coming of christ happened in your driveway and was captured on camera, you probably would miss it in the thousands of "a leaf moved" alerts.

In contrast, of 3 cameras currently active, my most recent alert was of a Wild Boar walking across the driveway, My last false positives were from a torrential downpour 2 days ago.

If you are tech savvy, have a low budget, and you have indoor only cameras with perfectly controlled lighting, then you might not even need any addition software. Most cameras today have built in motion detection, and can send clips by FTP/Email. Most cameras today have inbuilt web servers and follow Onvif standards, so you can use a myriad of free or nearly free PC & Mobile Apps (Onvif device manager for PC, Onvifer for Android, etc.) to view your camera.

But I have an outdoor location, variable lighting, and I want to see a good level of genuine alerts with few false positives. My conclusion was that BlueIris gave me that. Good Luck!
 

Owkaye

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I agree that 8 is the right number of POE ports even if you're planning on 4 cameras.
I thought this way too at first but now I disagree when the current need is only for 4 cameras or fewer, here's why:

1- If you know you won't need more than 4 cameras any time soon, you can save money upfront with the 4-port POE switch.

2 The BV-Tech 4-Port POE switch I bought for only $35 has two extra non-powered ports, so I can plug one of them into my BI5 server and the other into an additional POE switch some day -- if I ever actually get to the point that I need or want more cameras and POE ports.

3- Having two separate switches means you can position them far apart. This shortens the length of the cables from the second switch to each of the additional 4 cameras. This will give you much more flexibility when your need for additional cameras will not be concentrated in a single location (for example, 4 cameras at the house and 4 more at the barn or workshop in the back yard).

BTW, I just checked Amazon and the TrendNet 4-Port POE switch (with two extra non-POE ports) is on sale right now for only $31.98. It does not have the spectacular 5-start rating of the BV-Tech switch, and it does not have the extra high power option that the BV-Tech switch offers for extra-long cable runs, but it has relatively good ratings, it's $3 cheaper than the BVTech because of the current sale, and it comes with a lifetime warranty (although I would seriously consider reading the warranty terms so you will know what to expect in advance before you spend your money):

https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Ethernet-Switching-Protection-TPE-S50/dp/B0152WZRBM
 
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WLS

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I have been member of this forum for a while and been tinkering with ip cams for awhile so not a newbie but really just a novice. I have tried many different ip cam,s over the ryar. Foscam, Smartcam, D Link, Arlo, Yi cams. All wifi cams. I use 6 indoor Yi Cams now and just got a Wyze cam to play with but I gave up on Arlo last year and bought a wired poe nvr system from Costco. It is a Qsee 4k NVR 8 cam using their new Knox NVR with Presidio app for phone. It included 4 5mp bullet cameras which I think are Hiks. I added two Laview 2mp domes that were on sale last week and they are plug and play with system. The problem is as someone stated above, the motion detection is useless. I either get way too many motion notifications or I turn it down so low I get none. I am looking into Blue Iris and Synology but prefer BI option since licenses are expensive for the nas. I dont plan to ever run more than 8 cameras but want ability to run 4k cams in the future.

Some info on my home network. When I ran the four 100ft CAt5e cables that came Qsee, I went ahead and ran Cat 6 with it for my home network, I already had Cat5e run but wanted to move location of my equipment. My home has 3 floors including the basement. Up until last summer I had a modded Asus wireless router and it was in central loft of third floor, after the Asus died I decided to go enterprise level and replaced Asus with A Ubiquiti Edgerouter X and three Tp Link EAP 225v3. I Bought a 9u enclosed rack case and ran everything to a central basement room that stays very cool and is being converted to a safe room. I was having dop out issues with edge router so I bought a Qotom mini PC and run PFsense. I have 3 LANs, a wired network, a IOT network that has APs and way too many devices such as Smartthings, light bulbs, contacts, motion sensors, garage door openers, Ecobees, Google Homes, Echos etc and a third LAN that is currently connected to the Qsee NVR that is installed in a computer armoire and all the cams cables are run there. The AP's are connected to a TP Link 8/4 poe gigabyte switch in the basement. I now wish I had run ip cam wiring to basement. It is no easy task and I dont want to run anymore cable. No space to add more runs without major work. I dont have alot of room in my 9u rack, it holds a keystone patch panel, a TP Link 16 port switch, a Cyberpower surge protector, 1u brush panel and a 2u slotted shelf for Arris modem, TP-Link 8/4 poe switch and PFsense mini pc. I have been building my own computers since the mid 90's but with networking and ip cams I have much to learn. Maybe I offered too much info, better than not enough. Thanks for those that take time to read this.

I was considering buying a TP link TL-SG1008PE rack mountable gigabyte poe+ switch that is on sale at Frys for $100. I upgraded my son's pc and used old parts to build a i2500k 8gb ram 500gb hd and a 1gb 7770 videocard. I would set up Blue Iris on it first to see if I liked it before committing to getting a dedicated used rackmount server or build a rack mount server or just buy a used Dell Optiplex or HP Elite Desk. I could save $40 by buying a poe switch with 4 ports and use two of the injectors that came with AP's but I though maybe one day I want to put it in rack or add another cam

My questions are as follows;

My runs are no longer than 120ft ma, no PTZ. Do I need poe+?

What is best inexpensive cpu setup for Blue Iris while also being reliable, ruining cool and being energy efficient?

If going with a used business computer, which form factor is best? I would prefer the mini HP without the DVD drive. I would add a WD purple 2tb drive to what ever

Does iT need to be a i7, will i5 do? Which generation?

So no one runs a NUC?

Thanks in advance for any advice. You may save me a lot of reading and research.
 

Jagradang

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A quick bit of advice required by me too..

I have a dahua nvr and looking at switching to BI... The one thing blocking me is the mobile push notifications.

My dahua app and nvr work fine but there's always room to make it better hence switching to bi but the mountain I have to climb is high. My nvr has built in poe so looking at having to switch everything out completely.

So 2 questions for me:
The bi app on ndrood has a lot of negative feedback saying it really doesn't work... Is that a load of trash? Or is there another way you guys get push notifications to android?

Alot of people are mentioning sff pcs, which is exactly what I'm finding here in the UK but most I have seen dont support 3.5in drives, are there any particular models that do work with a 2.5in ssd for os and 3.5in for BI? I have a dell optiplex 3040 sff but no room for 3.5in drive.

Sorry for the lame noobs questions.
 

TL1096r

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A quick bit of advice required by me too..

I have a dahua nvr and looking at switching to BI... The one thing blocking me is the mobile push notifications.

My dahua app and nvr work fine but there's always room to make it better hence switching to bi but the mountain I have to climb is high. My nvr has built in poe so looking at having to switch everything out completely.

So 2 questions for me:
The bi app on ndrood has a lot of negative feedback saying it really doesn't work... Is that a load of trash? Or is there another way you guys get push notifications to android?

Alot of people are mentioning sff pcs, which is exactly what I'm finding here in the UK but most I have seen dont support 3.5in drives, are there any particular models that do work with a 2.5in ssd for os and 3.5in for BI? I have a dell optiplex 3040 sff but no room for 3.5in drive.

Sorry for the lame noobs questions.
Mobile push like emails? I have it setup to send emails through Bi and works nicely. Or setup the BI app and a VPN and that will get you alerts on your phone.

Optiplex 7040 has 1 3.5 bay or EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF has 2 3.5 bays for HDD and if you wait they can be had on eBay for $390-450 - i5-8500 model:
HP EliteDesk 800 G4 (240GB SSD, Intel Core i5 8th Gen., 3.0GHz, 8GB Ram) SFF | eBay

You would need a POE switch - how many cams are you hooking up? You can make it more secure by having 2 NIC and placing cams on separate NIC to avoid cams connecting to the internet:
Dual NIC setup on your Blue Iris Machine
 
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Jagradang

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Mobile push like emails? I have it setup to send emails through Bi and works nicely. Or setup the BI app and a VPN and that will get you alerts on your phone.

Optiplex 7040 has 1 3.5 bay or EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF has 2 3.5 bays for HDD and if you wait they can be had on eBay for $390-450 - i5-8500 model:
HP EliteDesk 800 G4 (240GB SSD, Intel Core i5 8th Gen., 3.0GHz, 8GB Ram) SFF | eBay

You would need a POE switch - how many cams are you hooking up? You can make it more secure by having 2 NIC and placing cams on separate NIC to avoid cams connecting to the internet:
Dual NIC setup on your Blue Iris Machine
Thank you!! really appreciated. I'm currently connecting 3 cams but will be added 2 or so more at some point (Once i have enough money and fix my infrastructure with BI etc.)

by Push notifications i mean event alerts on mobile (emails are too slow for me and the event is gone by the time they are received - i like to know when someone has entered my property at that moment). I currently have the gDmss plus and vpn setup - even if i'm not connected to the vpn i will get push notifications for events popup, i can then connect to VPN and view the video or pictures of the event.

I will look out for this pcs, thank you so much for the help again!
 
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