What Am I Giving Up?

Viking967

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I'm setting up a home security system and have found this board REALLY helpful. One thing I have decided after countless hours spent here is that the prospect of using Blue Iris with my system is just going to a bit too technical and out of my skill range. So thank you for saving someone (who thought they could self teach themselves) some headaches in advance.

My question is this: If I set up my home security system with 8-9 POE cameras (either Hikvision or Dahua) and an NVR by the same manufacturer, what will I be giving up by not going with Blue Iris and a dedicated PCU to run it?

What are the main things that I won't be able to do with just an NVR?

I really just want to be able to see the cameras on my iphone or ipad when away from the house, and of course review recordings if needed / something happens.

Recognizing that there is a huge community that believes in BI, there is probably a whole bunch of technical stuff I can't do, but trying to see if there are other things that a simple homeowner like me would lso be giving up.

Thanks!
 

nayr

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if you want alerts/notifications based upon video motion detection; you wont get that with a hardware NVR (its worthless without levels of tuning that BlueIris has).. also mixing and matching brands wont be that easy, not if you want full featuresets.

and some other bells and whistles; that im sure are very nice and hard to live without once you got em.. but if you just want a simple video recorder then the KISS strategy is always good IMHO.
 

Viking967

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Thanks, Nayr! Just co clarify, yes I will get the same brand of camera and NVR. I'm waiting to see the results of one camera that some folks on this board purchased and are testing this week before I decide.

So If I do just get (let's say) a Hik NVR and cameras, they will still come with some sort of software where I can pull up all 8 cameras on an ipad or iphone for viewing, correct? If not then that would be a deal-breaker and I would be back in the I-need-to-figure-out-BI-camp.

BI definitely looks cool, just the prospect of researching a CPU with the right hardware, networking gear, switches, and all of the technical talk made it seem a bit too much for me.
 

nayr

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yes, Hikvision and Dahua both have mobile applications for iOS and Android that are capable of playing back recordings and live video streams.. they even have desktop apps for doing the same thing which BlueIris does not, however most people remote desktop into BI for those needs.

You cant configure the cameras/video recorder with the mobile apps tho; just playback and live view pretty much.
 

fenderman

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Blue iris can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. It is no more complicated to setup than an NVR and in some respects easier. The mobile app is significantly better than the hikvision app which is essentially unusable to quick clip review...alert and motion detection options are much better in blue iris. There is a thread somewhere where I go through the differences...I personally have stopped using standalone NVRs.
 

molimelight

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I know this is an older thread and you may have already made your choice, but felt that others trying to make the same decision may read it. I have to agree with Fenderman and others here who would encourage you to go with Blue Iris. If you can install and configure POE cameras and a NVR you can use BI pretty much worry free. I was planning on installing a security system in my home and still may (Talk about something that will confuse you, start looking into zones and wiring for security systems!) I have found with a few cameras and the text and email alerts I have pretty much been able to obviate the need for a dedicated security system. Lack of fire alarms is the only drawback. It covers my house and a shop that is about 100 feet away from the house using two TP-Link CPE-210 outdoor Wireless Access Points in Bridged configuration. That with the fact that I'm at best a novice at figuring out all of the features of BI.
 

nayr

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molimelight

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@molimelight check out Ubiquiti 5GHz NanoStations for point to point wifi bridges; really cant go wrong em and they are quite affordable.

Amazon.com: Ubiquiti NanoStation loco M5: Computers & Accessories
or
Amazon.com: Ubiquiti NBE-M5-16 High-Performance airMAX Bridge NanoBeam M5 16dBi: Computers & Accessories
These are what I got, they make a 5GHZ model also. Although that's a good price for the Ubiquiti ones, I didn't see the need for 5GHZ as I'm in a rural area and the 2.4 is more forgiving of placement, obstacles. I'm getting virtually the same internet speed in the shop over these that I am on my home wired network. The Pharos utility is nice to have running on my BI machine so I can monitor them any time I want from a client application. Also, I've had good luck with my TP-Link router and switches. Thanks for the suggestion nayr.

TP-Link CPE210 2.4GHz 300Mbps 9dBi High Power Outdoor CPE/Access Point, 2.4GHz 300Mbps, 802.11b/g/n, dual-polarized 9dBi directional antenna, Passive POE
 
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nayr

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5GHz is faster and far less prone to interference, if you have direct line of sight its no problem.. obstacles are always iffy and should be avoided if at all possible.

even in rural environments dont count on little 2.4GHz interference, lots of industrial equipment runs off em.. Weather/Commercial/Military Radar being something Ive personally had problems with on 2.4Ghz out in the middle of nowhere.. also welders and alot of shop equipment, microwaves, etc.

TP Link gear is decent given price, but Ive had Ubiquiti equipment installed for eons out in the middle of nowhere w/out any issues so I tend to prefer them after having experienced what far more expensive gear failed to accomplish
 
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