Run main Blue Iris application on TWO computers - same content?

JH2000

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Hello,


I have been using BI for some time now and one particualr feature seems missing to me. Is it possible for TWO computer's to have the main BI interface. In other words, I have 2 computers, one computer can use all of the features of the main application such as saving videos, adjusting camera settings etc, whereas the second computer can only use the web interface to review motion alerts etc.


I would like to instal BI on the second computer and be able to access all of BIs functionality and the shared content of captured video etc.


Is this possible and if so, do I need a second license?


Thanks all.
 

fenderman

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Hello,


I have been using BI for some time now and one particualr feature seems missing to me. Is it possible for TWO computer's to have the main BI interface. In other words, I have 2 computers, one computer can use all of the features of the main application such as saving videos, adjusting camera settings etc, whereas the second computer can only use the web interface to review motion alerts etc.


I would like to instal BI on the second computer and be able to access all of BIs functionality and the shared content of captured video etc.


Is this possible and if so, do I need a second license?


Thanks all.
You would need a second license (which can be purchased from the developer for 30) but that wont help much, they will not operate as a server client...it would cause all sorts of problems with stored video if you point the second machine to the same folder but dont match the settings properly...
A client interface is in the plans according to the v4 release notes.
 

JH2000

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Thanks Fenderman.

I though as much. A desktop client interface would be great but I think that was rumored back in Dec 2014. Not that I'm complaining on the wait, the BI dev is an extraordinarily hard-worker. I never had a software package that is so well maintained.
 

bp2008

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:)

If you haven't already, I encourage you to try my custom web interface for Blue Iris, linked in my signature below.

Another alternative is to use a good remote desktop solution to control the Blue Iris machine from your second computer. I'm fond of Multiplicity 3 myself.
 

JH2000

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Thanks all.

bp2008 - the main functionality I need is the ability to save video clips. Though impressive, it doesn't seem like your webpage can do that. Thanks anyway.
 

fenderman

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Thanks all.

bp2008 - the main functionality I need is the ability to save video clips. Though impressive, it doesn't seem like your webpage can do that. Thanks anyway.
What are you trying to accomplish by saving the clips on the second pc?
 

gwminor48

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I have BI 4 on the camera pc I use for nvr and I have BI 3 on my wife's pc so she can look at the clips on the camera pc if she wants to. She doesn't usually keep BI open unless she wants to look at the videos. On her pc I have BI set up where it doesn't trigger, record, or schedule.
 

wcrowder

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What are you trying to accomplish by saving the clips on the second pc?
I think he means he would like to have the 1st pc do the recording/display and use the second to view the video and save clips from the 1st when needed. Client/Server; am I right JH2000?
@gwminor48, can you do this on the second PC? How do you have it set up? I'd like to be able to do this also.
 
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JH2000

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I think he means he would like to have the 1st pc do the recording and use the second to view the video and save clips from the 1st when needed. Client/Server; am I right JH2000?
Yes sir. It would be nice if both PCs could edit/save clips.
 

fenderman

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Yes sir. It would be nice if both PCs could edit/save clips.
do you mean as a redundancy? if so simply setup blue iris on the second pc..that will give you full redundancy...
If you mean simply pulling a clip here and there, just login via teamviewer or similar and transfer the clip...
 

fenderman

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I have BI 4 on the camera pc I use for nvr and I have BI 3 on my wife's pc so she can look at the clips on the camera pc if she wants to. She doesn't usually keep BI open unless she wants to look at the videos. On her pc I have BI set up where it doesn't trigger, record, or schedule.
When do you that you need to remember to duplicate any changes to the save duration or the system with the earliest time will delete the file. Unless bi3 machine does not have write access...
 

JH2000

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Sorry guys. I think I'm confusing things.

What I need is two separate copies of BI on two separate PCs that connect to a shared drive that is storing all BI activity. Both PCs need to be able to review/edit/view camera footage. As if the second PC/BI install, did not exist. Totally independent of each other.

TeamViewer might be a good option - thanks for the suggestion. Though I'd rather have a full BI install.
 

fenderman

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Sorry guys. I think I'm confusing things.

What I need is two separate copies of BI on two separate PCs that connect to a shared drive that is storing all BI activity. Both PCs need to be able to review/edit/view camera footage. As if the second PC/BI install, did not exist. Totally independent of each other.

TeamViewer might be a good option - thanks for the suggestion. Though I'd rather have a full BI install.
You can do exactly that as gwminor does...
 

gwminor48

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You need 2 licenses. In my case I had BI3 and I moved it to my wife's pc when I upgraded to BI4. I have BI3 on her pc set to the paths for the database and folders on my camera/nvr pc. However it's mainly for her viewing. If I delete a clip from BI3 on her pc it still shows in the clips preview in BI4 on the camera pc, so when you click on it, it says it can't access the clip (since it is no longer there), so I would have to delete the clip in BI4 preview. So if you did much editing/deleting I can see how it could cause a mess in BI on your main camera pc. She used to keep BI3 open but it's a bit of a drag on a low power pc, even not recording and with live preview fps reduced.
 

JH2000

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You need 2 licenses. In my case I had BI3 and I moved it to my wife's pc when I upgraded to BI4. I have BI3 on her pc set to the paths for the database and folders on my camera/nvr pc. However it's mainly for her viewing. If I delete a clip from BI3 on her pc it still shows in the clips preview in BI4 on the camera pc, so when you click on it, it says it can't access the clip (since it is no longer there), so I would have to delete the clip in BI4 preview. So if you did much editing/deleting I can see how it could cause a mess in BI on your main camera pc. She used to keep BI3 open but it's a bit of a drag on a low power pc, even not recording and with live preview fps reduced.
Thanks so much - good to know. The second PC wont be deleting any files, just creating videos. So this might work. I also have a code for BI 3 so I may try this :)
 

wcrowder

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Thanks so much - good to know. The second PC wont be deleting any files, just creating videos. So this might work. I also have a code for BI 3 so I may try this :)
Not being a "Willy Nilly" but is that fair to an author that spends this much time developing Blue Iris? If you updated from that license, you really shouldn't continue to use it. It's just $60.00.
 

fenderman

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If this works, I'll buy another license as a client in my "man cave". What are the caveats of setting it up this way?
I think you will have some issues with the database file on the primary system until it rebuild because it thinks there is a file there....Also you would have to be careful to set the same data and time retention limits on both...you can get a second license for half price from the developer.
I would simply wait for the client software...
 

gwminor48

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Also, on the secondary machine we use just for viewing, if BI has been left open while the primary camera/nvr pc has recorded clips we have to click the little green triangle (All clips) in the upper left of the clips preview pane to refresh the thumbnail view to show the newer clips.
 

JH2000

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I think I'm going the 'teamviewer' route until the desktop client makes an appearance.

Thanks all for the suggestions.
 
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