NVR vs BlueIris vs BlueCherry

[JuliusTheodore]

I'm a newbie to the forum and originally searched for comparisons of BI vs BlueCherry.
Let me first say I am learning a TON from this forum and am so glad I didn't buy Foscam.

I'm looking for a good balance of features, flexibility, and cost. Probably in that order. I don't have cameras yet but will get something along the lines of LTS or Hik, start with 2 cams and probably 6 at the most.

Now the DVR part...I am very PC savvy on the hardware side, have built a dozen or more Win boxes, and am a Win software developer by day. My Unix skills are non-existent but I love a challenge.
I currently have an AMD box running Win Server 2011 (it was supposed to be light duty) and Plex media center.

I think my choices for the PC route are:
A. Keep this box, install Ubuntu / BlueCherry / Plex for Ubuntu (which means learning curve / configuration time for me)
or
B. Test BlueIris on this box but quickly upgrade the hardware to i7 w QuickSync

Between the two - I'd rather spend time learning Ubuntu/BC than building a new win / i7 box, if the capabilities of BC are similar to BI.

The standalone DVR route would have none of those issues but might(?) have less flexibility? Looking at something like an LTS 8 ch PoE DVR.

I want the ability to view what's occurring on the DVR or server remotely via iPad, laptop, etc. On the LAN or across the world. I would like email notifications, possibly, if certain cameras trigger.
Whether it's a standalone DVR or PC-based, it'll be in a closet. I won't be able to directly view a monitor on the device once it's setup. It'll have to be able to be viewed remotely. I would love to be able to bring it up on the main TV in the living room if possible.
<edit> Running HDMI to a TV elsewhere is a possibility </edit>

The cool thing is if I'm reading everything correctly, I could trial BC and BI w/o buying anything other than a PoE box, and then determine if a standalone DVR is better for my needs and ability.

Thanks!

 

[jasauders]

I haven't used Blue Iris much, but I currently use Bluecherry in my setup. It works quite well. The level of Linux experience required in order to install Bluecherry really isn't much. If you can copy and paste a command they provide for you on their web site, you'll be good to go. The command in question adds the Bluecherry repository to your server, which will remotely download it + install it for you, along with providing you with future updates.

In my case, (based on what I read), the hardware I had wasn't a good fit for Blue Iris. Around that time is when I stumbled across Bluecherry. I was pretty interested with it given the server is based on Linux (personal preference), and the lower system requirements certainly peaked my curiosity. It's a true server+client setup, meaning you install the server, and that's... kind of it. The client does the rest in terms of event playback, live view, camera setup, etc. The client is also cross platform (Mac Linux Windows). I understand Blue Iris requires you to remote in via other means, such as VNC, etc.

On the other hand, Blue Iris has a remote app. At this time, Bluecherry does not have a remote app (yet). You can plug in Bluecherry to work with IPCamViewer and TinyCam (I prefer TinyCam as it seems to run more efficiently). Instructions for both can be found on their site.

I've had a number of people private message me over the last few weeks asking questions about my Bluecherry setup. I had some time the other night and recorded a screencast running through my overall setup. It's not the shortest thing in the world, but as I was recording I just kind of... kept going.

Kind of ironic you asked about it here so soon after I uploaded it, but anyways, check it out if you have some time.

 

[JuliusTheodore]

Thanks so much! I'll check that out this weekend.

 

[JuliusTheodore]

Very cool! Thanks for doing the full on walkthrough of Blue Cherry.