PC based NVR build/buy Specifications needed for 56+ IP cameras?

P

Pulse

n3wb
Aug 12, 2015
3
0
Hi,
I work in a small business and I've recently been promoted to manager. I have about 56 cameras at my facility which includes 3 PDZ cameras and the rest 1.3 MP IP cameras. The camera's are generic no brand from China. The owner bought these with the NVR but the problem is
1. NVR is very slow ie can't handle even the 33 camera's hooked up to it.
2. NVR has about 12 TB but the NVR shows recording upto 10 days. The insurance company demands atleast 30 days with their standard being 45 days.
3. The NVR doesn't appear to support splitting the feed because what we need to do is output 16 of the cameras to a Smart HDTV that the public can view the facility. (we don't want the office feed/break room/outside feed going to the public)

I've convinced my boss to consider a new NVR approach but the business is strapped for cash and can't afford too much. I heard about PC based NVRs but I don't know what specifications I would need. I have a friend who says he can build me one if I can get him the specs. So what do you guys suggest I do? I'm ok buying a Dell server (read that people had luck with that) instead of building if that will be faster to do. I need to finish this project within about week.

My questions would be:
1. What computer/ what specs would be appropriate
2. What kind of software would I need? Are there any open source software that are easy to use?
3. What is the best way to split the feed? I was hoping the software could split the feed or I get a mini HDMI PC stick connect to the HDTV. Use the PC as remote access for select channels.

I am open to any and all suggestions. We are ready to even scrap the NVR's and just use the HDDs inside + add more to fulfill the 30 day min requirement.

If I have said anything so far that sounds outrageously stupid please let me know. My knowledge of computers is basic. I can tinker with software and troubleshoot but nothing to the level of people whose answers I have read on this forum.
Thank you for reading this far. I appreciate your time.

Sincerely,
Someone in need.
 
Hi Fenderman,
Thank you.
The budget is basically minimum we can possibly get away with without incurring problems down the line in the future. We had thought maybe $1000-1500? I can persuade my boss to go higher if I have a good enough reason ie the remote access will be faster or the better computer won't overheat in the long run etc.
 
Pulse said:
Hi Fenderman,
Thank you.
The budget is basically minimum we can possibly get away with without incurring problems down the line in the future. We had thought maybe $1000-1500? I can persuade my boss to go higher if I have a good enough reason ie the remote access will be faster or the better computer won't overheat in the long run etc.
Click to expand...
Do you ahave a model number for your generic cams...the cheapest way to do this is likely a standalone NVR..the issue is that you might have compatibility issues at least when it comes to motion detection.
The problem with pc based systems is the the very efficient software like exacq and milestone require a per camera licensing fee that starts at 50 and goes to about 150. Blue iris is a very powerful pc based application that does not charge a per camera licensing fee. The downside is that it does need a very powerful processor to handle over 60MP of display and recording of cameras.
You can split the camera load between two blue iris machines - this will also give you redundancy in case a machine fails. you can buy an i7-4790 haswell from the dell outlet for under 500 when on sale. Blue iris will be 60 per pc (you can actually get a discount on the second if you email the developer)...I suggest you download the demo http://blueirissoftware.com/ and see if your cams work well with the software.
Otherwise, you may consider buying a hikvision or dahua NVR from a reseller that accepts returns so you can test your cams and see if they work with the NVR.
 
Fenderman,

Thanks again for your reply.

The blueirissoftware is showing $60 version can handle upto 64 cameras. So I would need two? Also the i7-4790 haswell tells me the type of processor. Any info on specifications related to RAM/ type of HDD/ etc? I need to be able to remote access easily and store min 30 days. So far the only Haswell I found on dell outlet was in home xps 8700 for 979. Is there another section I should look in? (business/enterprise/home)

Best,
Pulse
 
Pulse said:
Fenderman,

Thanks again for your reply.

The blueirissoftware is showing $60 version can handle upto 64 cameras. So I would need two? Also the i7-4790 haswell tells me the type of processor. Any info on specifications related to RAM/ type of HDD/ etc? I need to be able to remote access easily and store min 30 days. So far the only Haswell I found on dell outlet was in home xps 8700 for 979. Is there another section I should look in? (business/enterprise/home)

Best,
Pulse
Click to expand...
64 is a software limit..you are likely to hit a hardware limit before themmm
Dont get the xps...you dont want a discrete video card. You want a 7020 or 9020 i7-haswell from the dell outlet for under 500 (you need to follow the outlet on twitter and wait for a monthly sale, otherwise, check ebay for those models usually 600 for an i7-4790..you dont need more that 8gb of ram...hard drive space depends on the bitrate and whether you are doing 24/7 or motion recording... when you run your tests make sure to set recording to direct to disk, and to use blue iris dvr format.
 
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