First Time Cameras Setup and BlueIris

fairelaissezf

fairelaissezf

n3wb
Aug 8, 2018
10
0
Brazil
Hello

I bought 5 POE Cameras (2231) by Andy from the block and I plan to install them tomorrow. I'm not using a Dahua NVR but a server that I was using as a HTPC and now plan to use it as a Blueiris Server.

Is there any existing quickstart or basic guide that I can follow to setup my cameras? I'm not sure what software should I use other than BI. I think Dahua itself comes with their own software? Any help is appreciated
 
Plug the cameras in to your network one at a time. Make sure you're on the same subnet, 192.168.1.x, as the cameras all default to 192.168.1.108. If you prefer you can use the "config tool" from Dahua, say you're LAN is not 192.168.1.x, but be sure to change the search range to 192.168.1.0 so you can change the camera IP to what you need it to be. From there, I use Pale Moon, 32 bit, to log directly in to the camera and set the config for the camera before I add it to BI.
 
Last edited:
Excellent Video tutorials here: Blue Iris Video Tutorials

Read the wiki and Cliff Notes here: IPCamTalk WiKi | IP Cam Talk

Basic process
  1. Install Blue Iris
  2. Connect Cameras to POE switch or power them up with adapter
  3. Configure the IP address of each camera, note down the IP assigned to each camera, the user and password you setup. I usually do this direct-connected using manually assigned IP, but there might be better ways.
  4. plug all the cameras into a switch, plug your HTPC into the switch, have Blue Iris
  5. In Blue Iris >> Add IP Camera using Find/Inspect, if it doesn't find automatically, maybe provide IP address and try again.
I really think you will find it to be easier than you expect. This software is the best $30 I have probably ever spent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jrf
awsum140 said:
Plug the cameras in to your network one at a time. Make sure you're on the same subnet, 192.168.1.x, as the cameras all default to 192.168.1.108. If you prefer you can use the "config tool" from Dahua, say you're LAN is not 192.168.1.x, but be sure to change the search range to 192.168.1.0 so you can change the camera IP to what you need it to be. From there, I use Blue Iris, 32 bit, to log directly in to the camera and set the config for the camera before I add it to BI.
Click to expand...

I think setting my BI server up will take longer, as I plan to format that computer and maybe install the latest windows version. In the meanwhile, can I have the cameras working, recording to SD and accessing them via my mobile phone from outside without using BI?
 
crw030 said:
Excellent Video tutorials here: Blue Iris Video Tutorials

Read the wiki and Cliff Notes here: IPCamTalk WiKi | IP Cam Talk

Basic process
  1. Install Blue Iris
  2. Connect Cameras to POE switch or power them up with adapter
  3. Configure the IP address of each camera, note down the IP assigned to each camera, the user and password you setup. I usually do this direct-connected using manually assigned IP, but there might be better ways.
  4. plug all the cameras into a switch, plug your HTPC into the switch, have Blue Iris
  5. In Blue Iris >> Add IP Camera using Find/Inspect, if it doesn't find automatically, maybe provide IP address and try again.
I really think you will find it to be easier than you expect. This software is the best $30 I have probably ever spent.
Click to expand...

Great to hear that! I think setting my BI server up will take longer, as I plan to format that computer and maybe install the latest windows version. In the meanwhile, can I have the cameras working, recording to SD and accessing them via my mobile phone from outside without using BI?
 
awsum140 said:
Plug the cameras in to your network one at a time. Make sure you're on the same subnet, 192.168.1.x, as the cameras all default to 192.168.1.108. If you prefer you can use the "config tool" from Dahua, say you're LAN is not 192.168.1.x, but be sure to change the search range to 192.168.1.0 so you can change the camera IP to what you need it to be. From there, I use Blue Iris, 32 bit, to log directly in to the camera and set the config for the camera before I add it to BI.
Click to expand...

Yes this, but pretty sure he meant he uses a web browser to log into the cameras to set the config. On that note, not sure if someone has done a basic "Dahua" camera setup for BI.

After you have set the IP you want to log in to the camera via the web,
(if you are having problems seeing the video image in the web browser, go here)

Here are some basics to get you started in setting up your cameras for BLUEIRIS
(these are just suggested starting point)

*You must hit save at the bottom of the pages or your settings won't stick. Be sure to do that before you leave the page.

SETTINGS
Head to the settings TAB at the top
After clicking that you will see a menu to the left and some tabs in the current view.
You should be defaulted to the CAMERA/CONDITIONS menu item on the left

CAMERA
Conditions
Then you will see a "Conditions" tab. Being brand new I honestly wouldn't change anything here YET. But make note this is where you change exposure settings.
I don't know which 2231 you got but if it's a zoom then there is a tab under Conditions called "Zoom and Focus" this is where you will adjust your zoom and focus(duh)
Video
Now click on the "VIDEO" menu item under conditions on the left
Some down and dirty settings here to get you started with a 2MP dahua
Encode Mode: H.264H
Smart Codec: OFF
Resolution: 1920*1080
Frame Rate: 15
BIT Rate type: CBR
Bit Rate: 4096
I Frame Interval: 15
(THESE CAN BE CHANGED LATER BUT THIS IS A GOOD STARTING POINT)

NETWORK
Under there you have a LOT of options. Those are all your call. In my setup, I turn everything off as the camera only talks to Blue Iris.

EVENT
This is where you set IN CAMERA event detection from motion to alarms. If you use BlueIris you probably won't need this unless you also trigger to SD or network storage

SYSTEM
General/Date&Time
Highly suggest under this item going to "date/time" and setting a NTP server to sync the time on the camera.
Better to display the time right from the camera with an overlay than in BlueIris. (BlueIris doesn't store the overlay when using direct to disc, which you should)
To put this on your video feed, head back to CAMERA/VIDEO and then the "Overlay" tab. Choose time title and enable. Don't forget to save.
The DST setting are now really nice and you can set the 2nd sun in march and 1st sunday in november to match correctly.
Auto Maintain
some including myself set the camera to "auto reboot" once a week. I generally pick times I know I'm at the house.
Upgrade
this is where you will upgrade firmware in the future
INFORMATION
VERSION
find out your current firmware version here






crw030 said:
Excellent Video tutorials here: Blue Iris Video Tutorials

Read the wiki and Cliff Notes here: IPCamTalk WiKi | IP Cam Talk
Click to expand...

Ditto both of these. My suggestion. Play with BlueIris first to feel your way around. THEN watch the videos. The videos are awesome and worth the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EvanVanVan and Walker Clark
fairelaissezf said:
I think setting my BI server up will take longer, as I plan to format that computer and maybe install the latest windows version. In the meanwhile, can I have the cameras working, recording to SD and accessing them via my mobile phone from outside without using BI?
Click to expand...

As jrf said, I mean to configure the cameras, themselves, and not BI. BI will take another learning curve and the videos here will help you quite a bit. I'm guessing you're planning on placing cameras during the day and setting up BI at night. Done that kind of thing myself and always ended up going 24 hours, or longer, non=stop because I get so immersed and involved.

Yes, you can record to an SD card in each camera and you will need to log into them to configure that as well as motion detection. Viewing them from outside your LAN is problematic unless you're running a VPN. Port forwarding to provide camera access is very dangerous, they are targets, very ripe, plump, juicy, targets for every hacker out there. Even once you have BI up and running to your satisfaction do not port forward to gain outside access. Enable a VPN instead and give yourself some peace of mind.
 
awsum140 said:
Plug the cameras in to your network one at a time. Make sure you're on the same subnet, 192.168.1.x, as the cameras all default to 192.168.1.108. If you prefer you can use the "config tool" from Dahua, say you're LAN is not 192.168.1.x, but be sure to change the search range to 192.168.1.0 so you can change the camera IP to what you need it to be. From there, I use Blue Iris, 32 bit, to log directly in to the camera and set the config for the camera before I add it to BI.
Click to expand...

I think @awsum140 meant to say "From there, I use Pale Moon, 32 bit browser, to log into camera......"
 
Last edited:
Yup, too many distractions and interruptions between the keyboard and fingers. Thanks, Looney, and it's Pale Moon. Old, dumb, blond (OK actually white now) moment.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: looney2ns
Thank you guys. Today I installed two cameras. It was a hard job as I ran Ethernet cable from my closet on one corner of the house, to a closet in the second floor, then outside to the garden and a sideway entry. My biggest concern right now is what you see in the picture above. It seems like one of the cameras is putting more light over the wall and not where I want to see: in the floor and fence. How can I fix this?

upload_2018-9-22_23-4-6.png
 
The problem with any auto exposure system, and with auto adjustment of IR illuminators, is that the exposure (and intensity of the IR, in cameras that do adjust that - which these cameras do), is set to achieve an average brightness in the scene, that is, well, average.

I. your setup, the IR illuminators are lighting the light colored wall, and its image dominates the picture. So the camera is doing exactly what it is supposed to do, and turning down the LEDs and the exposure to get a nice "average" brightness over the whole scene.

So as fenderman says, you need to adjust the camera angle so that it cannot see the wall. Or at least not so much of it. When you switch off the illuminators, the brightness of the wall drops, and the auto exposure in the camera readjusts to give a better exposure over the scene.

This is no different than getting good exposure with a camera that has a built-in flash or a flash mounted on the hot shoe. The light source is part of the camera, so if the exposure system is set to automatic, and averaging, objects in the foreground. and particularly highly reflective objects will fool the auto exposure and auto flash systems as they try to achieve a good "average" exposure over the whole scene.

If you cannot adjust the camera angle to keep the wall out of the view, then you may need to use manual exposure settings or use an "off-camera" light source, such as a porch light or separate IR illuminator. Or paint that wall black! ;)
 
fairelaissezf said:
Yeah sorry for that. What would you do to Fix it ? I don’t have money to buy another camera with a narrow lens
Click to expand...
the first camera you can turn in corridor mode....the second you can try smart IR if the camera has that feature...otherwise you will have to add external IR or better yet external white light.
 
  • Like
Reactions: awsum140
Since it's a 2231, and if it's a varifocal model, just reorient the camera a little and zoom in a little until th field of view is correct. You can do that during the daytime by eliminating the wall on the left from the field of view.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fenderman
The disappointing thing is that the built-in IR illuminators in the camera produce such a narrow beam. But this is typical of built-in IR illuminators.

I know it has to be a compromise, and that manufacturers want to be able to boast about a longer range for their illuminator. But since the camera designers knew the range of focal length adjustment that the camera would have, it would have been nice if they had used a wider beam IR illuminator to better match the wide end of the lens' range.

Yes, you would lose some range at the long end, but a lot of us want to use the wider settings, and it's a shame to see the IR source be so narrow.

This is a reasonably priced camera, but a nice feature would be an adjustment for the beam widths of IR illuminators on varifocal cameras like this. That might add a lot to the prices, though.

Anyhow, I'm not as inclined to blame the user for the shortcomings of the camera. One should reasonably expect to be able to use the full range of adjustment of the camera's lens.

But since the camera is able to adjust to a view that is far wider than what the built-in illuminator can handle, it's important for him to at least understand why he is seeing what he's seeing.

I wonder if some adjustments of dynamic range settings or the like might help tame the "spotlight" effect to some degree. Or if a diffuser of some sort could be mounted over the IR illuminator(s) to spread the light somewhat.

But I also think that if it was me, I would look into an "on at dusk, off at dawn" white light or lights, or a separate, and wider-beam IR illuminator to better cover the desired area.

These cams do well with dim illumination. Some white light, and forcing the camera into color mode often gives very nice results.

The thing for the OP to realize is that if you want good exposure over a large area, you must provide even illumination of that entire area. Remember that using security cameras is just like any other photography. Lighting is critical because all cameras capture only a small "slice" of the dynamic range of brightness in a scene.

No camera can match the dynamic range of the illusions that our brains create using the information from our eyes as we look around over a scene.

Any camera/display system will capture and present us with just a small portion of the dynamic range in a typical scene. Anything too bright is "blown out", and all things brighter than the upper limit show up as the brightest white that the system can render.

And anything dimmer than the lower threshold renders as the blackest black that the system can render.

To deal with these limitations, photographers can either provide very even illumination of the entire scene, or simply elect to discard areas that are too bright or too dim. Sometimes that is actually desirable because we can concentrate the viewer's attention on the part of a photo we want to emphasize. Or purposely make the viewer struggle to see something, thus unconsciously making them concentrate on a subject, etc.

For security systems, we just want to be able to view a scene after the fact and make out the details necessary to see what happened and hopefully who done it!

So smooth, even illumination is our friend. But newer cameras like this also have WDR and other tricks to help even out the dynamic range of a scene. So make sure to use all of the adjustments available, and play with those settings.
 
The camera IR works fine for the full range of focal lengths IF you don't have a highly reflective surface in the immediate area, near, the camera. Don't blame the camera and IR combination.
 
  • Like
Reactions: looney2ns and J Sigmo
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom