I am a noob

[mripman]

Hello everyone, I bought a Lorex ip security system in 2021 for $800.00 dollars. NVR model is N882A6 and the 4 cameras are LNE9242B. I thought I knew something about security cameras but upon discovering this website, I know nothing. There is so much information on this website. One of the main reasons for buying my security camera system was to get motion detection alerts to my phone but until after buying the system did I realize how bad the Lorex cloud app is. Bottom line is I want to get a completely whole new system. I don’t know where to start and I don’t know anything about security cameras or software or sensor size or any of that. Budget is $2,000 US dollars. If I don’t need to spend that much money then great. If I could get pointed in right direction or where to start or what to do, I would appreciate the help. I think I want 4-8 cameras but I’m not an expert. I would like to get whatever is best or great or good. I just want a solid system. Thank you for any help or direction!

 

[DanDenver]

I started with an NVR and then 4 years later went with BI. Never been happier after that move. I am now up to 18 cameras.

 

[wittaj]

Welcome!

Another person coming here after running Lorex for a year or so.

As stated in Post #2, many of us have gone to Blue Iris after going down the NVR route.

Lorex is made by Dahua, which makes many brands, so if you are disappointed with their app, you will likely be disappointed with the app of other NVRs.

When I was looking at replacing an existing NVR, once I realized that not all NVRs are created equal (the bandwidth it can process is a huge limiting factor), and once I priced out a good one, it was cheaper to buy a refurbished computer, POE switch and BI than an NVR.

Many of us buy refurbished computers that are business class computers that have come off lease. The one I bought I kid you not I could not tell that it was a refurbished unit - not a speck of dust or dents or scratches on it. It appeared to me like everything was replaced and I would assume just the motherboard with the intel processor is what was from the original unit. I went with the lowest end processor on the WIKI list as it was the cheapest and it runs my system fine. Could probably get going for $200 or so. A real NVR will cost more than that.

A member here a couple months ago found a refurbished 4th generation for less than $150USD that came with Win10 PRO, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB drive. You won't find a capable NVR cheaper than that...

Most of us that have had NVRs and BI will say that the time to setup properly is about the same.

Take a look at this thread that identifies the most commonly suggested cameras based on distance to IDENTIFY. That is where most box kits fail is that they put in wide-angle 2.8mm cameras that are realistically only good to IDENTIFY about 10 feet out. The cameras suggested in this thread represent the best value in terms of performance (night and day), proper MP/sensor ratio, and cost.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

At the urging of several folks here, I created a thread to show the importance of focal length and how focal length can be more important than megapixels (MP). I mentioned some of this in the post regarding The Hookup’s latest video demonstrating different cameras, including one sold from a...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[Rob2020]

I came here originally thinking of HIKVISION Cams and a NVR, then I decided on Blue Iris (purchased from the IPcamtalk store) and Dahua or EmpireTech Dahua rebrands after further research and feedback, 100% happy.

My recommendation is to start slow and build a system. I started with a Dahua Empire Tech 2231 varifocal and BI. I then started adding one by one, I have 6 cams mounted and a few more unmounted, waiting on a final home. The Dahua 5442 is a particular great camera in any variation.

Make sure you read the cliffnotes located at the top of the page in the wiki section. Start slow, research, ask questions.

 

[mripman]

So what I am understanding is that with BI you don’t need an NVR? You just need compatible computer and the poe switch basically replaces the NVR?

 

[DanDenver]

BI is a proprietary software solution wherein you provide the hardware and OS - no mac/unix, only windows.
An NVR is a hardware solution with proprietary software running on it.

The POE ports are built into most NVR's
If you go the BI route, you will need to purchase a POE switch that fits your needs.

These solutions are not mutually exclusive (BI/NVR), but most go with one or the other

 

[TonyR]

So what I am understanding is that with BI you don’t need an NVR? You just need compatible computer and the poe switch basically replaces the NVR?

Yes but so many more features than a NVR....

• Insure the PC meets these min requirements ==> Choosing Hardware for Blue Iris
• Optimize its performance as here ==>> Optimizing Blue Iris' CPU Usage
• and be sure to set up sub streams as here ==>> Sub stream guide

 

[wittaj]

And the advantage to BI is that you can run many more camera brands than with an NVR. It is best to match NVR brand with camera, where with BI, if the camera is ONVIF compliant, you can probably use more of the features than with a different brand NVR.

 

[samplenhold]

Blue Iris (BI) is a Video Managment Software (VMS) that runs on Windows. It has a smartphone app (iOS and Android) for connection to it via your phone. There is a separate charge for the phone app.

There are many other VMS out there, but really for the low price, this is by far the best. You can run a trial version to see if you like it. It does not take any more time to learn this than any NVR system.

The cams you bought (LN9242B) are not the best for low light viewing. They are 8MP 1/2.8" sensors with a 2.8mm lens. What that means is that they are a wide-angle lens (2.8mm) and really only good for an overview cam, not for a cam that will give you a good look at someone's face unless they are very close. Being 8mp on a 1/2.8" sensor (small for the number of pixels) it will struggle in low light to give you a clear capture of movement. Moving objects will be unclear, fuzzy, and lack definition. You could still use these for overview cams.

The best thing that most folks here will tell you is to buy one good varifocal cam, like the T5442T-ZE, and use it to test out your cam placement ideas. This is a 4MP cam on a 1/1.8" sensor and has a varifocal lens that is 2.7-12mm. That is half the pixels of your cams but on a much bigger sensor. It gives very good low light performance. Place it on a test rig and walk your view, both day and night, to see if it gives you the view you need for that position.



It is OK to start slow and build your expertise as you go. Most of us did it that way and have no regrets. Just about everyone of us came here AFTER buying some POS equipment and then found this site. I did.

Make sure you read the WIKI and the Cliff Notes.

 

[mat200]

So what I am understanding is that with BI you don’t need an NVR? You just need compatible computer and the poe switch basically replaces the NVR?

Yes. Basically that's the executive summary.

This way you can get IP PoE cameras which meet the specs / standards and have a better setup to get what you want.

 

[Rob2020]

One of the nice things about Blue Iris, when you run into a snag, this is a very active forum with lots of experts willing to solve your issue.