How to best convert and upload to web space

[mrvelous01]

Hello all,
I'm running BI 4.2.8.5 x64 on a desktop with a 4TB secondary HD, monitoring 10 cameras (Panasonic Netcams, Foscams, and Hikvision indoor and outdoor cams). I leave the motion settings pretty much to default but have tinkered a bit with pre-trigger buffer and so I collect a fair amount of data in a day. I'd like to think that nobody is dumb enough to break into a house with two large dogs and a burglar alarm, but I am also a realist.

So here's what I was thinking ... I'd like to have my BI videos uploaded (and converted?) to my webspace as soon as possible. If my BI computer were stolen I would like to go to the cop shop, get on the website, click on a video and watch the idiot that did it in full color without having to get a new pc and install BI, then download my videos from the web, and import (if that is even possible).

I have seen the options in "Clips and archiving" but have not tinkered with them. I believe that I can take clips and convert them to AVI or MP4 then have BI move them to a NAS or web space via FTP. Here are my questions and thoughts ...

I just renewed my webspace and have "unlimited bandwidth and unlimited storage". We'll see how that goes.
I would prefer to keep the format BVR so I can watch the clips when I'm home.
I think there is a limit on overall size of a BVR file that is to be converted to web playable formats like AVI or MP4 so do I need to limit "combine or cut" to a certain size?
How often should (can?) I tell BI to upload files to my website?
Can I keep the a file on my computer in BVR format and upload it to my webspace, too?
Should I let the automated process deal with the clips and just ftp still images to the web space?
I have shared out the disks on the BI pc and have mounted them to my Linux server so I can do just about anything I want with the files.
I've also got a Raspberry Pi with a 2TB USB HD that I can probably hide in a closet and use as a target for archive files, too.
And I have a Synology disk station with about 5TB of storage (free).

Obviously I have more money than brains (no wife, no kids, and lots of toys) so yes, I want to have my cake and eat it too. Looking for any ideas, suggestions or experiences you folks have to share. Thanks!

 

[pozzello]

i believe the typical approach to this is to 'clone' your cameras (that you want to push to the cloud)
and have the second copy of each cam recording in a avi or mp4 and saved to a dropbox-type folder.
BI is apparently smart enuf to pull only one stream from each cam, but can save off two different versions,
one locally in bvr, the other in mp4/avi to someplace else.

 

[fenderman]

i believe the typical approach to this is to 'clone' your cameras (that you want to push to the cloud)
and have the second copy of each cam recording in a avi or mp4 and saved to a dropbox-type folder.
BI is apparently smart enuf to pull only one stream from each cam, but can save off two different versions,
one locally in bvr, the other in mp4/avi to someplace else.

If the cameras will be set the same there is no point in cloning to upload (unless you want the ability to play a clip before its closed). May as well simply record to mp4 then upload it. Honestly, its overkill. The simplest solution is to upload the bvr. If and when the server is stolen (highly improbable) there time it takes to install a demo of blue iris on another pc to export the video is not going to make any difference in whether the police will crack the case..

 

[ilikebike]

I had a similar concern to you, if my PC is stolen then what happens to the video. I ended up enabling the JPEG snapshot feature and having that upload to Microsoft OneDrive instead (you could use Dropbox, Google Drive or whatever free cloud storage you have). Whenever motion is detected it starts taking snaps once every second and then uploads them immediately. Not as good as full color but after going through about a week of snaps it looks like I pretty much also get a few clear shots or whatever is triggering my cameras. Snapshots would cut back on space needed and upload bandwidth greatly as well.

If you're uploading a ton of clips to a "unlimited webhost" site you WILL eventually get your account closed for it. At least with JPEG snapshots they expect the stuff to be used for picture hosting.

 

[mrvelous01]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will probably enable the JPG snapshot uploads and I'd still like to pursue the video recording uploads in a non BVR format, too. Can anyone tell me, if I want to use the AVI or MP4 format for the uploaded file, is it a requirement to limit the size of the recordings in the cloned camera when I enable the "queue for convert/export" option?

 

[fenderman]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will probably enable the JPG snapshot uploads and I'd still like to pursue the video recording uploads in a non BVR format, too. Can anyone tell me, if I want to use the AVI or MP4 format for the uploaded file, is it a requirement to limit the size of the recordings in the cloned camera when I enable the "queue for convert/export" option?

if you are not using distinct settings for alerts then dont clone them. Avi is limited to 1gb anyway...you will want to disable combine and cut because the file will likely not be uploaded until the its closed.
A better solution is hiding a network drives somewhere and cloning the camera to record there as well.

 

[mrvelous01]

Yes, I plan to set up the ftp service on the Raspberry Pi and hide the device in the house. I can't really think of a way to get the video clips, BVR or otherwise converted, up to the interwebs in a quick time frame such that they would be usable. I guess I'll just archive the videos to the "hidden" Raspberry Pi and send JPG image capture to my webspace.