So, it would seem software is the best way to go. How do free programs like SmartPSS compare to
Blue Iris? From what I've seen Blue Iris looks pretty powerful. Is SmartPSS fairly basic?
SmartPSS and DMSS are viewers that can connect directly to your cameras (or to a NVR) and give you most of the same view options you get when you use a web browser to connect and view the camera.
I think you can capture snapshots and short video clips from either of those apps (when you’re watching live) but they’re not meant for full-time recording like a NVR or a PC running Blue Iris (PC-based NVR).
There is an optional component of the Windows version of SmartPSS called “PC NVR” that will run in the background on a PC and act like a light version of a NVR. I don’t think it has as many features as a regular Dahua NVR or Blue Iris. When you start this app, theres no user interface for it; you configure and control it via the SmartPSS app. I’ve only played with this a bit, I normally only used SmartPSS to live view my cameras before I got Blue Iris (which BTW has a built-in web server that lets you view live as well as recorded stuff without needing a browser plugin). Although if you’re on a Mac, Safari can’t do audio, you’ll need to use Chrome or Firefox for that.
All of these
tools have a learning curve but are pretty easy to use after playing with them for a bit (IMO).
If anything I’d suggest you download the smartphone app and add your cameras to that. Makes live viewing when you’re at home easy. I think the app is called iDMSS for Apple and gDMSS for Android.