Continuously recording and video clips with different retention time

[TobiasF]

Hello,

What is the best way to achieve the following use case?

• Continuously recording with short retention time (about 3 weeks)
• Video clips of (confirmed) alerts with long retention time (about 3 month)

I thought this could be a common use case. But it looks like this only is possible to realize in a “tricky way”.

I am doing continuously recording in BVR format to be able check if something happened that was not triggered. A short retention time is sufficient just to cover maximum absence time. Videos clips of events/alerts I want to keep for a longer time.

I figured out that this could be a solution. But what is the best way to go?

• all: Alert --> Add to the alert list --> Export to MP4/BVR files --> Replace
• manual selected: Alert --> Add to the alert list --> Export when flagged --> Replace
• Using a camera clone. One for continuously recording and one for recording alerts

 

[jaydeel]

In the Clips List, right-click on the Alerts of interest > set the Protect flag.

This should set the read-only attribute on the associated Clip, JPG image (if any), and DAT file (if any). This action should prevent Blue Iris from deleting the files when it performs it storage maintenance operations.

You can verify this by inspecting the BVR file (New folder), JPG & DAT files (Alerts folder) in Windows File Explorer.

Be aware that protecting too many files may eventually result in insufficient space to store new files.

EDIT: see post #6 for explanation of the redactions.

 

[TobiasF]

In the Clips List, right-click on the Alerts of interest > set the Protect flag.

Thank you for answer. I did not listed this option as it does not provide an automatic retention I was looking for.
Additionally, in combination with continuously recording, it keeps the complete recorded "block" and not just the sequence that has been triggered.

This action should prevent Blue Iris from deleting the files when it performs it storage maintenance operations.

This function of retention is what I actually want, but with different retention time for continuously recording and triggert events./alerts.

 

[jaydeel]

Alert list entries are only database pointers (offset and duration) to the associated Clip (BVR) file.
To retain an Alert, the Clip file must be retained.

 

[jaydeel]

Additionally, database flags are 'lost' when the database is regenerated. This can be avoided only if the the alert list entry has an associated hi-res JPG (or AI mark-up image) with the necessary Exif metadata. More info here.

 

[jaydeel]

Correction. An alert's BVR file does not get its read-only attribute set when the Alert is protected.

Apparently Blue Iris retains BVR files based solely on protected alert database entries.

It makes sense that an actively recording BVR would never be set as read-only.

EDIT: other files that get the read-only attribute set when the clip list item is protected include exported video files (MP4, etc.) in the Clipboard folder,

 

[TobiasF]

Alert list entries are only database pointers (offset and duration) to the associated Clip (BVR) file.
To retain an Alert, you must retain the Clip file.

Yes, I believe this is clear to me.

There are three options in Blue Iris: Database only, JPEG or MP4/BVR file.
These pictures or clips will be stored in the Alert folder and their retention will follow the setting of this folder.

I believe this setting "Export to MP4/BVR" + "replace" will lead to exacty what I want to achieve. It is one of the listed posibilities in my first post.
But I do not know if it is the best way to go.

Additionally, database flags are 'lost' when the database is regenerated. This can be avoided only if the the alert list entry has an associated hi-res JPG (or AI mark-up image) with the necessary Exif metadata. More info here.

This is fine. No need to keep the database entry longer than the wanted retention time of the clips.

 

[jaydeel]

I believe this setting "Export to MP4/BVR" + "replace" will lead to exacty what I want to achieve. It is one of the listed posibilities in my first post.
But I do not know if it is the best way to go.

I overlooked this. I've never used this feature. I'll experiment with it to learn more.

Maybe other users with experience using the feature can weigh in your appropriateness question.