BlueIris is amazing! Why bother with NVR today?
- Thread starter ZeeCam
- Start date
I think if you count number of clicks required to set everything up for NVR vs PC with Blue Iris then NVR will win this one challenge.
I found Hikvision NVR software is terrible if you want to use it for motion alerts, for 24x7 recording it's fine, but then reviewing all that recorded footage is also terrible and slow process, all in all it's been terrible and I don't know how I've been using it for 7 years
saltwater
Getting comfortable
I really can't comment on the pros and cons of Blue Iris versus and NVR. I've been a Blue Iris user for 3 years now, and no complaints.
I have never personally owned an NVR but in my occupation, I do have reason to check CCTV footage and my biggest peeve with NVR's is not the NVR itself but the users; they have no idea. When I ask for footage, I'm usually there with the homeowner or whoever, they struggle with the system, can't work out the basics and invariably they turn to me for my advice. I usually take control, follow the bouncing ball and get the footage. Even in businesses, the times a staff member will say something along the lines, "oh, Harry's not here at the moment, he's the guy that does that stuff".
Did I mention that it's the NVR users that are the problem.
EDIT: Obviously, not all NVR users are the problem, as most in this forum would know the basics. I've assumed the Blue Iris people are just that way inclined to get things right and know the basics.
I have never personally owned an NVR but in my occupation, I do have reason to check CCTV footage and my biggest peeve with NVR's is not the NVR itself but the users; they have no idea. When I ask for footage, I'm usually there with the homeowner or whoever, they struggle with the system, can't work out the basics and invariably they turn to me for my advice. I usually take control, follow the bouncing ball and get the footage. Even in businesses, the times a staff member will say something along the lines, "oh, Harry's not here at the moment, he's the guy that does that stuff".
Did I mention that it's the NVR users that are the problem.
EDIT: Obviously, not all NVR users are the problem, as most in this forum would know the basics. I've assumed the Blue Iris people are just that way inclined to get things right and know the basics.
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Mark_M
Known around here
I'll rephrase what I mean:
An embedded NVR is great as an 'all-in-one' solution.
One of the reasons is because of its size and a built in POE switch, rather than separate components which needs more than one power plug total.
That was my rookie thought when I got so called "all-in-one solution" but as my experience grew I realized that it's a terrible solution. I ditched built-in Poes the first year.
Mark_M
Known around here
That's the thing which scares a lot of people off Blue Iris and other VMS solutions... Experience and it's separate parts.
A rookie and always a rookie likely won't ever get the confidence to level from an NVR.
Although a question your claims about why having a POE switch built into something is bad.
bigredfish
Known around here
Most here know I use NVRs. Im a hobbyist not a Pro installer, but I'm also involved in lots of other stuff not the least of which is a real dayjob. Between setting up a dedicated PC and learning the MANY setting and config intricacies of BI I see posted here daily, to gain a smidge of added features, and maintain said PC, just isnt worth the time needed for me right now.
I get the whole BI thing I do. Many here, me included are what we us old farts call "techies". We love to tinker with technology stuff, some go off the deep end making their video surviellance system talk to their home security system which in turn talks to their toaster etc... BI is more flexible in that regard. I get it!
But for most (Im talking 90%+) a GOOD NVR is quite capable and very reliable. And too many BI enthusiasts lump ALL NVRs into one typically disparaging comment. They ain't all the same
Most complaints I see here on this forum about problems with NVRs are USER problems, same as BI. I've had too many that are still running after 5,6,7 years to think they arent reliable. Both types of systems DO have limits. BI and the PC running it can have hardware/throughput/encoding/decoding/bandwidth limitations just like NVRs.
Yes full featured software based VMS systems will most ALWAYS have advanced features that only show up in NVRs in later FW updates if at all, thats simply the nature of software based vs appliance based solutions. But I'm ok with he trade off and dont have a use case that demands the handful of added features I see BI provide that would be "nice" to have.
Maybe after I retire next year I'll setup a BI system and go down the rabbit hole.
I get the whole BI thing I do. Many here, me included are what we us old farts call "techies". We love to tinker with technology stuff, some go off the deep end making their video surviellance system talk to their home security system which in turn talks to their toaster etc... BI is more flexible in that regard. I get it!
But for most (Im talking 90%+) a GOOD NVR is quite capable and very reliable. And too many BI enthusiasts lump ALL NVRs into one typically disparaging comment. They ain't all the same
Most complaints I see here on this forum about problems with NVRs are USER problems, same as BI. I've had too many that are still running after 5,6,7 years to think they arent reliable. Both types of systems DO have limits. BI and the PC running it can have hardware/throughput/encoding/decoding/bandwidth limitations just like NVRs.
Yes full featured software based VMS systems will most ALWAYS have advanced features that only show up in NVRs in later FW updates if at all, thats simply the nature of software based vs appliance based solutions. But I'm ok with he trade off and dont have a use case that demands the handful of added features I see BI provide that would be "nice" to have.
Maybe after I retire next year I'll setup a BI system and go down the rabbit hole.
bigredfish
Known around here
Im a rookie, but you do realize that
1) built in PoE DOES provide an inherent level of security for the avg Joe who isn’t familiar with networking
2) that with a built in PoE NVR there’s no requirement to use it. You can still add an external switch if you’d rather and never touch the internal PoE
I have a client that had 4 Amcrest POE (Dahua) bullet cams on an Amcrest POE NVR for about a year before he called me. During that time he said he tried his best to get it set up and it was working but he said it missed motion events, found it cumbersome and clunky, hard to locate events, make snapshots, export video, etc. so he called me, discouraged.
I gave him a HP dc7800 SFF that I had increased RAM to 8GB, put Win 10 and Blue Iris v5 on a Samsung 240GB SSD and a 2TB WD Purple HDD for the video clips. Set it up to stream the 4 cams to BI via channels of the NVR, dialed in the motion detection, alerts, etc. , showed him how to work it, review events, etc....that was 3 years ago. I called him after a few months because I had not heard from him and was curious; he said it all worked great and he found it easy to review clips, etc.
Now he's a VERY non-tech 56 year old that paints semi-truck trailers and installs boat docks. His Android cell phone is his only tech item and even that challenges him BUT he admits it and he is OK with that as he very well should be..... not all of us are techies....and not all of us can weld, paint and create masterpieces of mechanical function and practicality.
Bottom line: Blue Iris or NVR ?.....what works for you is what you should use, IMO.
I gave him a HP dc7800 SFF that I had increased RAM to 8GB, put Win 10 and Blue Iris v5 on a Samsung 240GB SSD and a 2TB WD Purple HDD for the video clips. Set it up to stream the 4 cams to BI via channels of the NVR, dialed in the motion detection, alerts, etc. , showed him how to work it, review events, etc....that was 3 years ago. I called him after a few months because I had not heard from him and was curious; he said it all worked great and he found it easy to review clips, etc.
Now he's a VERY non-tech 56 year old that paints semi-truck trailers and installs boat docks. His Android cell phone is his only tech item and even that challenges him BUT he admits it and he is OK with that as he very well should be..... not all of us are techies....and not all of us can weld, paint and create masterpieces of mechanical function and practicality.
Bottom line: Blue Iris or NVR ?.....what works for you is what you should use, IMO.
bigredfish
Known around here
I have a client that had 4 Amcrest POE (Dahua) bullet cams on an Amcrest POE NVR for about a year before he called me. During that time he said he tried his best to get it set up and it was working but he said it missed motion events, found it cumbersome and clunky, hard to locate events, make snapshots, export video, etc. so he called me, discouraged.
I gave him a HP dc7800 SFF that I had increased RAM to 8GB, put Win 10 and Blue Iris v5 on a Samsung 240GB SSD and a 2TB WD Purple HDD for the video clips. Set it up to stream the 4 cams to BI via channels of the NVR, dialed in the motion detection, alerts, etc. , showed him how to work it, review events, etc....that was 3 years ago. I called him after a few months because I had not heard from him and was curious; he said it all worked great and he found it easy to review clips, etc.
Now he's a VERY non-tech 56 year old that paints semi-truck trailers and installs boat docks. His Android cell phone is his only tech item and even that challenges him BUT he admits it and he is OK with that as he very well should be..... not all of us are techies....and not all of us can weld, paint and create masterpieces of mechanical function and practicality.
Bottom line: Blue Iris or NVR ?.....what works for you is what you should use, IMO.
Yeahbut YOU set it up for him. Same would have been the case if someone had showed him how to use his NVR
fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
- 36,892
- 21,408
The idea that it takes days to learn BI is insane. You can set BI up in a few hours of basic reading of the help file and playing with the software, just as one would have to do with an NVR. Lots of non-techie users have setup BI. Certainly if you want to use advanced features its a different ballgame and you need to spend more time depending on what you want to do.I have a client that had 4 Amcrest POE (Dahua) bullet cams on an Amcrest POE NVR for about a year before he called me. During that time he said he tried his best to get it set up and it was working but he said it missed motion events, found it cumbersome and clunky, hard to locate events, make snapshots, export video, etc. so he called me, discouraged.
I gave him a HP dc7800 SFF that I had increased RAM to 8GB, put Win 10 and Blue Iris v5 on a Samsung 240GB SSD and a 2TB WD Purple HDD for the video clips. Set it up to stream the 4 cams to BI via channels of the NVR, dialed in the motion detection, alerts, etc. , showed him how to work it, review events, etc....that was 3 years ago. I called him after a few months because I had not heard from him and was curious; he said it all worked great and he found it easy to review clips, etc.
Now he's a VERY non-tech 56 year old that paints semi-truck trailers and installs boat docks. His Android cell phone is his only tech item and even that challenges him BUT he admits it and he is OK with that as he very well should be..... not all of us are techies....and not all of us can weld, paint and create masterpieces of mechanical function and practicality.
Bottom line: Blue Iris or NVR ?.....what works for you is what you should use, IMO.
bigredfish
Known around here
I think the one recurring negative I hear about NVRs is how it’s difficult to get snapshots, review footage, export clips.
Honestly guys that’s simply not true. It’s user knowledge.
1 click on live or playback view gets you a high res photo snapshot.
Reviewing footage
has many/most of the same features/processes as BI. I can review by time, by event, by type of target, by thumbnail, and on higher end NVRs by color of vehicle, male/female, sunglasses, umbrella, etc etc. All with no more clicks than BI
(@wittaj did show me that BI let’s you search for UPS trucks specifically with a 3rd party plug-in yes that’s cool)
Exporting clips
Frankly I use SmartPSS for exporting clips which is faster, but really I could teach someone to do it using the NVR interface in 10 minutes. And you have at least 4 file types to choose from in exporting. Again by time, type, thumbnail, and higher AI attributes.
Honestly guys that’s simply not true. It’s user knowledge.
1 click on live or playback view gets you a high res photo snapshot.
Reviewing footage
has many/most of the same features/processes as BI. I can review by time, by event, by type of target, by thumbnail, and on higher end NVRs by color of vehicle, male/female, sunglasses, umbrella, etc etc. All with no more clicks than BI
(@wittaj did show me that BI let’s you search for UPS trucks specifically with a 3rd party plug-in yes that’s cool)
Exporting clips
Frankly I use SmartPSS for exporting clips which is faster, but really I could teach someone to do it using the NVR interface in 10 minutes. And you have at least 4 file types to choose from in exporting. Again by time, type, thumbnail, and higher AI attributes.
But for most (Im talking 90%+) a GOOD NVR is quite capable and very reliable. And too many BI enthusiasts lump ALL NVRs into one typically disparaging comment. They ain't all the same
I thought Hikvision/Dahua was as good as it gets. What's good NVR?
Hikvision didn't work nicely with non Hikvision cams and even one Hikvision one I had didn't work good but with BI you can throw any cam.
They are - he means when folks come with low end Amcrest or Zosi or some other cheap end less than $100 NVR.
It's not difficult... But It's not great experience with Hik NVR web interface, especially if I compare to how I can do this with BI now. Loving it!
I know there are lots of NVRs but when most my cams are Hik why would I buy mismatched NVR? It was already difficult to configure motion with Dahua or non branded cams.
Anyway, I got quickly spoiled with BI experience so NVRs are dead to me...
bigredfish
Known around here
NVRs have come a very long way in just the last 5 years. I do hear more negative about the HiK interface but have no experience with it.
And when I say Good NVR, even within Dahuas selection they range from bare bones at around $100 to very sophisticated units well over $1000.
I find the mid range units in the $300-$500 range have most of the features and horsepower I’ll ever use in a home or small business environment.
With most higher end functions such as AI and image control being done on the camera, using compatible cameras from other manufacturers is much less of an issue now. The NVR for me is primarily an encoder/decoder and recorder.
I’m not anti-BI. By all accounts it’s a great VMS at a great price with great features and support and a knowledgeable user base that are tremendously helpful to other users. Hard to find that in any product nowadays.
And when I say Good NVR, even within Dahuas selection they range from bare bones at around $100 to very sophisticated units well over $1000.
I find the mid range units in the $300-$500 range have most of the features and horsepower I’ll ever use in a home or small business environment.
With most higher end functions such as AI and image control being done on the camera, using compatible cameras from other manufacturers is much less of an issue now. The NVR for me is primarily an encoder/decoder and recorder.
I’m not anti-BI. By all accounts it’s a great VMS at a great price with great features and support and a knowledgeable user base that are tremendously helpful to other users. Hard to find that in any product nowadays.
