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.