NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop)

[le0pard]

I'm wondering if someone can help me identify some of the pros and cons of using an NVR versus building a PC and using Blue Iris. I have a few things I would like to be able to do and am hoping you guys can help me decide which is my best option.

I currently have the following IP cameras:

• 11 Foscam (Wifi) cameras, running with iSpy (screenshot on motion only)
• 3 Hikvision (LTS) 2432 cube cameras, not yet being used fully

I would like to have all of my Hikvision cameras do the following:

• Image snapshot on motion (preferably saved to a known network location or ftp address on the local network)
• Recording video on motion (and have the ability to remove old recordings after some time or size restrictions as the drive/folder gets too big)
• Phone/Tablet accessible (NVMS7000 in the play store seems to do this right now)
• View the live stream of all cameras (think like a "video wall") from a PC

My questions:

• Currently I have a spare computer with an Intel Core2 duo and 8GB ram.
  • Would this spare PC be powerful enough to run Blue Iris smoothly for ALL of my cameras? What about just the Hikvisions?
• Do any NVRs work with multiple brands of IP Cameras?
• Which NVRs would someone recommend, if I want to eventually have 10-16 Hikvision cameras (replacing my foscams and only running with Hikvisions)
  • I don't think PoE is necessary on the NVR as I have a switch with PoE already being used
  • Do any NVRs have the ability to do everything that I listed above?

Sorry for all of the newbie questions, but I want to make sure I plan ahead for the future. I'm trying to get all of the details and information out there in one post, so it might seem a bit cluttered.

Thanks!

 

[klasipca]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

I just upgraded from using pc to hikvision nvr 7608ni and once I got it configured I really like it better then pc recorder. Less footprint, low energy usage, clean interface. Nvr supports other brands too, including foscam

 

[fenderman]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

There are several threads that discuss advantages/disadvantages of both. If you intend to run all those cameras with blue iris you will need to buy a new system. For 16 cams at 3mp you will need an i7-4790 easy....(about 500 at the dell outlet)
Blue iris is much more customizable than an NVR particularly when it comes to alerts and schedules...The mobile app is far superior to the hikvision app as well..the hikvision NVR will not support motion detection on all cams...it will vary...
You could not pay me enough to use an NVR.
PC's are very efficient these days - if you buy the right ones. http://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php/5696-PC-NVR-Power-Consumption-Sample
A 300 dollar i5 system like the one in my linked post will be way more than sufficient for your current setup...
If you simply want basic recording, then just get an NVR.

 

[klasipca]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

It's basically comes down to "do I want the best bang for your buck with some limitations or I need everything and a kitchen sink at all costs".

 

[gilkman]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

I took fenderman's advice and bought a Dell OptiPlex 9020 i7-4790 SFF (small form factor). They are ~$700 on dell outlet and ~$600 on eBay.

I installed it yesterday and it runs smooth, is compact, and purrs along at 35% CPU (with 4 3MP cams...on my way to 8). BLue Iris is great once you get over the learning curve.

 

[fenderman]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

If you wait for a sale at the outlet the i7-4790's are about 500..a few months back they were as low as 429..

 

[le0pard]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

Thanks everyone for the replies! I appreciate the honest opinions on both NVR and Blue Iris options so that I can pick what I "really" want to use. It sounds like I will definitely need to build a new computer to run the full set of IP cameras I have (or am planning to run) w/Blue Iris. I like the idea of "set it and forget it" with an NVR, but Blue Iris is probably not much more complicated than iSpy in terms of setting it up the way I want it.

I am worried that not all NVR's allow motion detection (with screenshot and recording) on ALL cameras, that has me leaning towards the side of a new PC with Blue Iris.

Until there is a Dell Outlet sale (or I can price out a cheap enough build myself), I think I might try to just use iSpy as a temporary solution (better than no recording or monitoring software).

If anyone has any strong opinions, I'd still love to hear them as I haven't made a purchase yet.

Thanks!

 

[klasipca]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

If you have only Hikvision cameras like I do, NVR is the way to go, but for mix and match perhaps PC is a better option. I actually went from using PC recording with IVMS4200 to NVR and I appreciate the simplicity and the cost savings over PC solution. I don't need all the bells and whistles of BI, so i am perfectly fine with functionality of NVR.

 

[le0pard]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

@klasipca do you know if your NVR has the feature set that I am looking for? Mainly being able to do motion detection of all cameras with a screenshot and video recording? I'll do some research myself, but wanted to check.

 

[klasipca]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

If you had all Hikvision cameras then yes, but you have Foscam as well and I cannot comment on compatibility related to motion detection, notifications etc.. I am having similar issue right now where motion detection does not work with NVR for a particular cam which runs almost like Hikvision firmware.

 

[Mike]

Re: NVR or PC w/Blue Iris? (Record, Snapshot, Mobile App, View Live Cams from Desktop

@le0pard I have both a dedicated Blue Iris computer and also a Hikvision NVR recording my cameras. Like you I have Hikvision cameras and a few Foscam cameras (indoor). Firstly, the Hikvision NVR will NOT record the Foscam cameras. Depending on which cameras you have, unless they are ONVIF compatible then a lot of NVR's will not record them. Which Foscam cameras do you have? Unless they are their expensive ones (not the cheap indoor PTZ and outdoor bullets that everyone has), then you can forget about recording them on an NVR.

Being that I have a Blue Iris PC and an NVR, I can offer my honest, unbiased opinion. Without a doubt I prefer Blue Iris over the NVR for many reasons. One of the reasons (which you pointed out was important to you) is the mobile application and ease of checking recordings when both away from the computer and also on the computer. The timeline scrolling of the Hik NVR's is clunky and it doesn't offer clear 'Alerts' like Blue Iris. What I really like about Blue Iris is that I can scroll through all my my recordings very quickly and see a still image from each motion detection. To the best of my knowledge, Hikvision NVR's do not do that.

However, you need to make sure your computer is completely stable. Most computers I see that are dedicated to only Blue Iris can stay on 24/7 without issues. Make sure you don't load the computer with any crap, any bloatware or anything like that to ensure that the computer is solid and steady.

You said you would like a "set it and forget it" system. With cameras, whether using an NVR or Blue Iris, that will work after a fashion. You will find yourself tweaking the settings on either for a bit before you find exactly what you're looking for, but that's easy enough once you get the hang of it...And this forum is a great resource and filled with extremely smart people, so you can get help here on just about anything camera / blue iris / nvr related.

While I prefer to have Blue Iris as my primary source of recording, I still really love the fact that I have an NVR recording as well. It is definitely overkill and not necessary, I've never had to pull a video from the NVR because of an issue with my Blue Iris machine or the software, but it's there.

Something else that I did which I always recommend is picking up a UPS system for backup power. I hooked up my cable modem, router, POE injector and Blue Iris computer to a UPS system so even if the power goes out, they still record for a good 45'ish minutes.