Blue Iris vs iSpy vs Hardware solution

jrich523

jrich523

Young grasshopper
Apr 21, 2016
69
3
So im generally more of a fan of software solutions, especially open source stuff, but after look at this, im a little confused as to which way to go.

If i look at BI vs iSpy it seems like if i use all the features its cheaper to go with BI since its just that one time payment. Also the iSpy forum here is dead, i'll take that as a sign :)
After looking at building a PC to act as the NVR it looks like it requires a decent amount of hardware (mostly a fast cpu) which means building a PC for this is going to be fairly costly (probably roughly $800)

In poking around NVR's it seems like I could probably get one for 800 (no idea what is good or not)

Also most of the NVRs are POE switches, now, i have one, but, its a pretty advanced switch that im not sure i'd want to dedicate to cams, so its possible i'd need to get another POE switch as well.

for those of you running BI, what made you lean that way vs a hardware solution?


Also, Im currently running 3 cameras, dont expect that to be more than 6
2x Huisun and one Samsung
The only real need I have is to do motion detection and recording and to maybe send events (something more than email might be handy to tie in to home automation stuff)
Also remote access, but I dont need some cloud feature, I can set that up myself, but an app (android) that is basic and not relent on whatever cloud feature would be nice.


I guess the core questions are
why BI over hardware?
Are the hardware requirements really as crazy as they sound cpu wise?

one last question, does anyone make a BI hardware package? I did some looking but didnt find anything

Thanks
 
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You can build a decent BI server from what Ive seen at arround $400-500 for that number of cameras.. but you can import a hardware nvr for that number of cameras for $250

If motion detection is important use BI, you'll get better detection.. Personally I record 24/7 and use my cameras as motion detectors in home automation, not for recording tho and that works fine with a hardware NVR.. I dont get notified, it just turns on lights and logs activity so I can check logs through Domoticz.
 
@jrich523 You dont need to build a pc for BI. Search the forum for optiplex and elitedesk. You can buy an i5-4590 machine for 300 dollars with a 3 year next business day warranty running windows pro. If your cams will be 2-4mp you can easy run them on the i5 haswell.
Blue iris is much more customizable than a standalone NVR. Particularly when it comes to recording options and alerts.
 
well in that case, i have an old dell T5400 which has dual xeon E5405 (quad 2.2ghz) with 8Gb in it. Guess I could just get a couple of hdd's and call it a day.
@nayr - i'd like to hear more about what you're doing with the home automation. Im currently just ramping up. im using Domoticz as well but im not really all that pleased with it. Right now i just have one zwave switch and I just ordered a couple more that i'll have tomorrow. I started off with Domoticz because it seemed like it covered the most bases but im just not finding it that functional. Not sure what im going to switch to yet, but Im looking for something with MySensor support, but to that end, i'd just like the zwave based arduino boards to hit the market :)
 
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no that wont work, you need a modern CPU with proper hardware support (IntelliSync).. plus that xeon will eat your lunch in electrical bills where an optiplex or elitedesk will run like 60w.. after a year or two that xeon will have cost your $300 more in electricity ez.

do your research you need specific cpu/chipset for BI to run low powah.. its worth the effort, you get a pretty badass NVR that just sips on electricity.. if you try to do the same w/out proper hardware it'll be a 300W behemoth.

you'll find a thread full of details about my system in the Home Automation Subforum, and I am happy to answer any questions about it there.
 
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jrich523 said:
well in that case, i have an old dell T5400 which has dual xeon E5405 (quad 2.2ghz) with 8Gb in it. Guess I could just get a couple of hdd's and call it a day.
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Dont use the old server. The old xeons do not perform well with blue iris and they dont support quicksync (intel hd) for hardware acceleration. Most importantly they are extreme power hogs, it will be cheaper to buy a 300 dollar pc then pay the electric bill for running that behemoth 24/7.
 
I've done a bit of digging and the link in the forums i found, plus anything else i've dug up, would put that PC around $550, where on earth did you find it for $300?

Also power is the cheapest utility here in Washington, not that im looking to waste it, but its pretty cheap compared to many other places.
 
jrich523 said:
I've done a bit of digging and the link in the forums i found, plus anything else i've dug up, would put that PC around $550, where on earth did you find it for $300?

Also power is the cheapest utility here in Washington, not that im looking to waste it, but its pretty cheap compared to many other places.
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Search THIS forum. Dell from the business outlet on twitter. They have a sale twice a month. Hp elitedesks, ebay. A few months back I purchased five each with a next business day warranty through December 2018. Even at very cheap rates you will make your money back in 3 years or so (remember you need to calculate the "true" rate including delivery and taxes) you also need to factor the added performance benefit of a modern machine and any money you can make selling the old powerhog...
 
yeah sorry when i said forums i meant these forums. I found two posts regarding dell stuff and they both linked to $500 deals, nothing below that. I work for a Dell and HP reseller, maybe i'll poke around and see if i can get a deal on one.

They have some deals going on, but nothing to pick from that would make it worth it (have to spend so much to activate the deal, and they are all just below or way over)

i'll just keep an eye out i guess
 
jrich523 said:
yeah sorry when i said forums i meant these forums. I found two posts regarding dell stuff and they both linked to $500 deals, nothing below that. I work for a Dell and HP reseller, maybe i'll poke around and see if i can get a deal on one.

They have some deals going on, but nothing to pick from that would make it worth it (have to spend so much to activate the deal, and they are all just below or way over)

i'll just keep an eye out i guess
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You are looking at the i74790...those are as low as 429..there are many threads discussing the i5-4590 ..you must follow the outlet or it will be sold out by the time you check.. That have sales at least twice a month.. Also see eBay
 
I saw two that had the i5-4590, an optiplex 9020 and 7020, 550 and 599 respectively, but the sale doesnt apply to those two. the couple of times i've checked it in the last 20 min or so, has returned different results, so i'll just keep an eye on that, thanks!
 
jrich523 said:
I saw two that had the i5-4590, an optiplex 9020 and 7020, 550 and 599 respectively, but the sale doesnt apply to those two. the couple of times i've checked it in the last 20 min or so, has returned different results, so i'll just keep an eye on that, thanks!
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It will be impossible to find a deal this way.. You need a get an alert as soon as the sale hits the outlet
 
I have much the same question as the OP, though in my case I'm researching for my condo association, so it's for a semi-commercial installation. We've had bid for a NVR-based system in the multi 10's of thousands of dollars, although we only need maybe 10 cameras, with most of them clustered within 75 yards of the central office, plus a couple some distance away. I'd rather tackle this myself, which leads to my questions:

1. Would BI still be suitable for such an environment instead (I'm thinking probably yes)?

I'm still a little confused about the advantage of building a PC-based system, vs. just buying an NVR that already is h/w configured for the purpose. A few hundred dollars in price difference isn't significant for us, just whichever is easier/more powerful.
2.Might I be able to compromise and, say, run BI ON an NVR? I'm assuming that they are basically just Windows-capable computers as well (though possibly running some 'NIX variant).

3. Can most of the cameras be direct-wired, alongside the other distant ones being wireless? (I'm assuming that all-wireless would likely be problematic.)

Thanks much for your perspective, and I apologize if this has already been covered elsewhere in detail...(links to such threads will be appreciated too!)

- thisGuy :saturn:
 
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You can run 3 to 4 hd cams off a core2 duo pc. They are way under $100 on ebay. Im sure being able to use the hardware acceleration would be nice but i have a few installs out there performing just fine with cheap computers.
 
albone3000 said:
You can run 3 to 4 hd cams off a core2 duo pc. They are way under $100 on ebay. Im sure being able to use the hardware acceleration would be nice but i have a few installs out there performing just fine with cheap computers.
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You cannot run 4 high res cameras at 15fps on core 2 duo...maybe 720p cameras, otherwise they will choke. With an i5-4590 costing 300 or less, its silly not to go that route. Consider that any core2duo system is roughly 8 years old, its a poor choice for a security VMS. Also consider the power consumption savings (the duo requires a graphics card) would likely pay for the cost difference in two/three years.
 
thisGuy said:
I have much the same question as the OP, though in my case I'm researching for my condo association, so it's for a semi-commercial installation. We've had bid in the multi 10's of thousands of dollars, although we only need maybe 10 cameras, with most of them clustered within 75 yards of the central office, plus a couple some distance away.

1. Would BI still be suitable for such an environment as well (I'm thinking probably yes)?

I'm still a little confused about the advantage of building a PC-based system, vs. just buying an NVR that already is h/w configured for the purpose. A few hundred dollars in price difference isn't significant for us, just whichever is easier/more powerful.
2.Might I be able to compromise and, say, run BI ON an NVI? I'm assuming that they are basically just Windows-capable computers as well (though possibly running some 'NIX variant).

3. Can most of the cameras be direct-wired, alongside the other distant ones being wireless? (I'm assuming that all-wireless would likely be problematic.)

Thanks much for your perspective, and I apologize if this has already been covered elsewhere in detail...(links to such threads will be appreciated too!)

- thisGuy :saturn:
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You cannot run BI on a standalone NVR. You should wire as many cameras as possible. Search the forum for ubiquiti for wireless solutions for distant cameras. You will need line of sight.
BI is much more customizable than an NVR. There are many threads that discuss the differences.
 
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Here's how I found a deal (thanks to Fenderman for the inspiration): I searched eBay for "i5 4590" in the category "Desktops & All-in-Ones," then changed the sort option to "Price + Shipping: lowest first". You will see a ton of options for under $300. Then buy yourself a 4-6TB Western Digital Purple hard drive for $144 and you're all set.

I actually spent a little more time digging and searched for other CPUs in the same class as the 4590, (4570, 4670, 4670k, 4690, 4690k) and ended up finding killer deal on a SFF Lenovo with a i5-4670 and 8GB ram for just $204 shipped and won an auction for a 4TB WD Purple for $104 so my total expense for this machine is $308 (will also add a 64Gb SSD I already had sitting around to run the OS). You could never build a machine like this for anywhere near that cost, nor could you get a hardware NVR as capable for that price.
 
I was actually able to find a Dell Optiplex with 12gb for 300. I have a 128GB ssd i've put in it for the os and am going to use the 500gb drive that game with it for video storage. I'll likely expand that in the future once I find out how much that will retain for me, but with only a couple of cameras the 500gb might cut it for me. Now I just need to drill some holes and mount those cameras, which im going to try and do this weekend if it doesnt rain.

Thanks!
 
jrich523 said:
I was actually able to find a Dell Optiplex with 12gb for 300. I have a 128GB ssd i've put in it for the os and am going to use the 500gb drive that game with it for video storage. I'll likely expand that in the future once I find out how much that will retain for me, but with only a couple of cameras the 500gb might cut it for me. Now I just need to drill some holes and mount those cameras, which im going to try and do this weekend if it doesnt rain.

Thanks!
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What model optiplex? What processor?
 
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