Newbie needs help with current setup

[Blueruby]

I have Swann cameras and was able to use their software to access the cameras remotely using my computer. Swann no longer supports access and using old browsers has not worked for me. Can I buy new software like Blue Iris or any other software to use with my dvr\swann camera set up? If this will not work what might work or do I need a new system? Any better recommendations for a camera system that I can view 24/7 with my computer and cell?

 

[mat200]

I have Swann cameras and was able to use their software to access the cameras remotely using my computer. Swann no longer supports access and using old browsers has not worked for me. Can I buy new software like Blue Iris or any other software to use with my dvr\swann camera set up? If this will not work what might work or do I need a new system? Any better recommendations for a camera system that I can view 24/7 with my computer and cell?

Welcome @Blueruby

A lot of Swann products were Hikvision products and followed IP standards for their IP PoE cameras, so if you have those cameras - yes they should work with Blue Iris.

Share the models you have so we have a better idea of which particular cameras you're talking about.

 

[Blueruby]

Thanks for responding. My Swann system is model 42550 H. I am looking for a simple way to connect to the cameras remotely. Is Blue Iris pay once and done or should I look at other software? Also, how easy is it to get it working with my cameras; I need something very simple.

 

[samplenhold]

BI runs on a Windows PC. You could download the evaluation copy to test it out. It will have a watermark across the video and some of the more advanced setting do not work in eval mode. You could do that to see if your cams will work.

 

[Blueruby]

Thanks for your help. Will the copy tell me how to attach my cameras to its software? Do you know how easy this will be? I need something with a few clicks, not something that I will need to spend hours on to troubleshoot.

 

[samplenhold]

BI is a very versatile surveillance cam software. While it is not hard to configure, it is not just a few clicks either.

Look at the Cliff Notes and the WIKI above has video tutorials on BI.

 

[shalem2014]

Thanks for responding. My Swann system is model 42550 H. I am looking for a simple way to connect to the cameras remotely. Is Blue Iris pay once and done or should I look at other software? Also, how easy is it to get it working with my cameras; I need something very simple.

Unfortunately, that is a junk analog system. I believe Blue Iris is totally capable of interfacing with this system through your DVR, but it's going to take a different kind of guidance because the DVR is still needed to convert the analog signal to digital instead of being able to connect to the cameras directly. I'd suggest starting by downloading Blue Iris, running it in demo mode as the other user said, and going through the Swann presets to see if any of them work. If not, it would be a matter of figuring out the live stream URL that DVR uses to stream the camera feed to your app.

 

[Blueruby]

Thanks so much for everyones replies. I will watch the tutorials and read the wiki. By the way, is their a better surveillance system that I should look at? I need to be able to remote view from my pc and cell.
I do have the url from my set up before it stopped connecting. Could I use this with Blue Iris or another software ?

 

[shalem2014]

That URL may or may not work. It needs to be the URL to the raw, live video stream. If it's just the DDNS name+port to access the system remotely, that might only be good enough for the Swann app or a web browser. However, one might be able to reverse engineer the video stream URL with software like SmartSniff, or Swann Support may have a useful answer, or you may just get lucky and Blue Iris already have a preset that works with that DVR.

Right now, the best "bang for the buck" cameras for a new system would be the Amcrest IP5M-T1179EW IP cameras (wide lens, normal lens). They are a steal at $59.99, and Amcrest is running a $10 off promotion right now (code WUXJKDET) that drops them to $49.99. They are the "little brother" sibling to the famed Dahua HDW5442TM-AS cameras that are the current favorite here. Both have excellent image quality (2K), although the 5442 has extraordinary low light performance and better audio. Those Amcrest cameras are actually a rebranded Dahua HDW2531T-AS-S2.

 

[Blueruby]

Many thanks to all. I decided to try the Amcrest camera (special thanks to shalem2014). With that price point I can try one camera, decide how I like it, then buy more. Do I need anything else to get it up and running?

 

[shalem2014]

The camera will need to be powered by a PoE switch (8 cameras, 16 cameras, budget 4 cameras). You will also need an Ethernet cable to connect the camera to the PoE switch, and another one to connect the PoE switch to your PC or Internet router. There are plenty of ready-made Ethernet cables that will work great for testing; however, when installing cameras, you'll want to get bulk cable, ends and a crimper tool and make your own cables.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Make sure of two things when buying pre-made cables. They need to be pure copper and not CCA (copper clad aluminum) and should also follow the 568B wiring standard just to keep things simple and consistent.

Whenbuying bulk cable, again pure copper and not CCA. When terminating them also use the 568B wiring standard.