How to convert alerts to mp4 automatically

[drhans]

Hi, just bought Blue Iris and run into a small issue when trying to configure. I run continuous recording in BVR format (because I like to play while recording) but whenever there's an alert because of motion detection, I would like to upload the 20-second or so alert video to a backup off-site FTP server. Or at least store it locally on another hard drive but already converted to mp4 from BVR. Manually converting an alert video from the alert list works great - but how to do this automatically?
Any ideas appreciated. Thanks

 

[ruppmeister]

I have not done it, but you might be able to clone the camera you are wanting the automatic conversion to happen on and set it up to record the same events as the parent camera just in MP4 format instead of BVI. This will cost you in CPU in the end, but if thats what you are wanting and you have extra overhead then why not.

 

[Wen]

drhans: The ability to convert and upload to FTP, or other off site locations has been requested in the past. It's a feature that I've asked for but it's not considered necessary. I would like to be able to send the alert video to FTP in MP4, AND keep the BVR format for use in the BI app.

Maybe if enough users request this change, it will gain some traction.

Fenderman is not in favor of this mod.

Thanks.

 

[fenderman]

drhans: The ability to convert and upload to FTP, or other off site locations has been requested in the past. It's a feature that I've asked for but it's not considered necessary. I would like to be able to send the alert video to FTP in MP4, AND keep the BVR format for use in the BI app.

Maybe if enough users request this change, it will gain some traction.

Fenderman is not in favor of this mod.

Thanks.

I dont care if he makes it an option..Just think its silly and wastes cpu. But if you have the headroom....
You might as well create cloned cameras and have one record to mp4 and the other to bvr..same result.

 

[drhans]

Thanks for the comments. Adding a cloned camera is a solution which I would like to avoid. For now I will use another software for continuous recording. But I don't think this is silly. Perhaps someone who thinks it's silly is using the software in a different way. I don't know what's silly about using already implemented features in Blue Iris - motion detection already there, split recording on motion already there, conversion to another format from BVR already there, upload to FTP or moving to another folder already there.

I just want to stick to BVR on the server where Blue Iris runs but I want to upload a backup in H264 or another playable format to a backup server running Plex. The reason why I want to do this is because if a burglar comes, first thing he will do is disconnect power and cut cameras. Uploading last moments of motion to another location while on the UPS will allow me to 1) get an alert that power went down 2) that there was a motion detected just before the power went down and most importantly - 3) I will be able to access the recording and see what's was going on. With BVR recordings, I have two issues - one, they don't play in Plex and two, they're too large to be QUICKLY uploaded to a backup location - the upload must happen quickly so that there's time to upload the clip to offsite location before the UPS goes out and/or the burglar switches off the internet and/or Blue Iris server. If you think I'm asking a silly thing, then I'm probably using Blue Iris for a wrong purpose. This is not "waste" of CPU in my opinion but rather very meaningful use of CPU when it comes to running a surveillance software.

 

[fenderman]

Thanks for the comments. Adding a cloned camera is a solution which I would like to avoid. For now I will use another software for continuous recording. But I don't think this is silly. Perhaps someone who thinks it's silly is using the software in a different way. I don't know what's silly about using already implemented features in Blue Iris - motion detection already there, split recording on motion already there, conversion to another format from BVR already there, upload to FTP or moving to another folder already there.

I just want to stick to BVR on the server where Blue Iris runs but I want to upload a backup in H264 or another playable format to a backup server running Plex. The reason why I want to do this is because if a burglar comes, first thing he will do is disconnect power and cut cameras. Uploading last moments of motion to another location while on the UPS will allow me to 1) get an alert that power went down 2) that there was a motion detected just before the power went down and most importantly - 3) I will be able to access the recording and see what's was going on. With BVR recordings, I have two issues - one, they don't play in Plex and two, they're too large to be QUICKLY uploaded to a backup location - the upload must happen quickly so that there's time to upload the clip to offsite location before the UPS goes out and/or the burglar switches off the internet and/or Blue Iris server. If you think I'm asking a silly thing, then I'm probably using Blue Iris for a wrong purpose. This is not "waste" of CPU in my opinion but rather very meaningful use of CPU when it comes to running a surveillance software.

I think you are watching too much tv...
BVR recordings are not any larger than the mp4 recordings. You simply need to disable combine and cut. Or use it to make the clips small. in that case why not simply record to mp4?
regardless, why are you trying to avoid running cloned cameras? Cloning itself does NOT add any cpu load.
It makes no sense to record to bvr then convert to mp4 and upload. That will just increase the time it takes to get your file backed up.
Finally, why do you need another piece of software to record continuously? You know that blue iris can do that right?
The BEST way to handle this is to record LOCALLY to a hidden network drive. You will get the fasted backup.
None of this makes any sense to me. Help me understand.

 

[drhans]

I think you are watching too much tv...

No crime dramas, though. Still, I was robbed a month ago and they messed with the electrical box outside before breaking in.

BVR recordings are not any larger than the mp4 recordings. You simply need to disable combine and cut. Or use it to make the clips small. in that case why not simply record to mp4?

I want to keep BVR recordings in the original HD quality but the motion triggers backups can be low bitrate versions just for quick referrence. I don't want to record mp4 because it won't let me play-while-record

regardless, why are you trying to avoid running cloned cameras? Cloning itself does NOT add any cpu load.

Well that would make me reconsider completely... but I thought cloning a camera really just meant adding the same camera stream again like it was a new camera, which would of course increase the CPU load.

It makes no sense to record to bvr then convert to mp4 and upload. That will just increase the time it takes to get your file backed up.

I think this is the main misunderstanding here. I don't want to do that. In no way I want to convert ALL recording to lowres and upload it. I only want to convert and upload the video which was captured around the motion trigger. Basically the same thing like the email alert that comes with a small mpeg4 video in it! I want to get the same function but send the small video to FTP instead of email.

Finally, why do you need another piece of software to record continuously? You know that blue iris can do that right?

I know but I thought it was not possible to record continuously and record triggers to separate clips in order to upload just the separate trigger clips. The continuous recording can be split at a trigger but that's not good enough since it just gets split and then records into one file until another trigger, right?

The BEST way to handle this is to record LOCALLY to a hidden network drive. You will get the fasted backup. None of this makes any sense to me. Help me understand.

Local or remote doesn't really matter. I can handle the clip transfer to a remote location outside of Blue Iris if that's necessary but I just want Blue Iris to generate a short, 20 second clip whenever there is a motion trigger, storing this to a separate folder (a network drive or FTP), while keeping the continuous BVR recording run separately. This way, I will get an alert from Blue Iris and at the same time I will have the choice of 3 locations where to view the video - BI server, email (short low res clip) and the backup FTP in remote location.

Yes, I could be fine with only the e-mail alert's attached clips but the problem here is that one video means one separate email and the clips must be in low quality because there are mobile data limits, making it impossible to stream high quality video. On the other hand, my remote location has fast internet connection and runs a NAS with Plex media server. Therefore I can upload a 10 or 20 MB video clip in a matter of seconds and then stream it anywhere in the world either in low quality when connected from a mobile network or in high quality when on wifi - while with the email version of the clip, I'm stuck with a low quality version only, impossible to be used as an evidence for example during a police investigation.

 

[fenderman]

1) You can do this with a cloned camera. Blue iris would have to rencode the video at a lower bitrate, may as well setup a substream and backup a cloned camera. But thats is silly. Why have a low res backup. Hide a network drive in your house.
2) Cloning the camera does not increase cpu load because blue iris only pulls a single stream. IF you look at the camera status you will see that its only pulling a feed for one and the clone shows 0kbps. Then hide the clone so it does not appear on the screen.
3) Motion detection and continuous recording are not mutually exclusive you can setup both. Lots of folks do that so they have markings for motion detection but not miss any recordings.
4) Setup a local backup, you will have the longest retention and not have to worry. In fact, if they cut the internet lines, your remote backup is worthless, but your local backup will work as long as there is power.

 

[drhans]

I do appreciate your comments and the effort to help solving my problem. However, nothing suggested is really a clean solution I'd like to achive. I would still like to see a new alert option implemented which will behave like e-mail alert with the difference it will upload the file to an FTP.

And there might be a small misunderstanding - I'm not interested in "local" backup but remote backup - and by remote I mean uploading the clips to off-site FTP server. Why? Let's say the burglar burns the house down, including some hidden network drive in the house you suggested. At this point everything is gone - EXCEPT my remote FTP backup, which is in good quality, unlike the e-mail version of the clip.

Besides, other programs can already do this! Like the Grandstream software built in my cameras - see the attached screenshot. So this makes sense to some people! Edimax software also does this. The problem with this is that Blue Iris has much better motion detection than the camera firmware does - and in the end that's why I'm here.

 

[fenderman]

I do appreciate your comments and the effort to help solving my problem. However, nothing suggested is really a clean solution I'd like to achive. I would still like to see a new alert option implemented which will behave like e-mail alert with the difference it will upload the file to an FTP.

And there might be a small misunderstanding - I'm not interested in "local" backup but remote backup - and by remote I mean uploading the clips to off-site FTP server. Why? Let's say the burglar burns the house down, including some hidden network drive in the house you suggested. At this point everything is gone - EXCEPT my remote FTP backup, which is in good quality, unlike the e-mail version of the clip.

Besides, other programs can already do this! Like the Grandstream software built in my cameras - see the attached screenshot. So this makes sense to some people! Edimax software also does this. The problem with this is that Blue Iris has much better motion detection than the camera firmware does - and in the end that's why I'm here.
View attachment 8375

The only way to get that option added is to ask the developer. I doubt it will be put on any priority list, but who knows.
Just so you know, blue iris can upload to ftp, just like you cameras do. You are seeking an additional step of converting from bvr to mp4 then uploading.
As far as burning the house, they are FAR more likely to cut your cable line first. Do you have a cellular fail over backup? No one burns down a house to cover a burglary, it just brings more attention and resources to the crime. If you are really paranoid you can place the network drive in a fire resistant safe.
Just export in BVR. If your house burns down, you can simply review the bvr files on any pc running a demo of blue iris.

 

[drhans]

I know BI can upload to FTP but I'm not aware of a functionality that would allow uploading only motion triggers, no matter which format. But sure, I realize I want two things actually - conversion and FTP upload. But again, this is already almost there - the email alerts. Almost the same thing.
Burning down the house was an extreme example but yes I do have 2 internet connections, both can work without power for hours and before someone could get to the place where they could actually cut the connection, camera, motion and door/window sensors would go off, starting the sirens and messaging me constantly. Then, even if I wake up 10 or 20 minutes later, when they already cut the internet connection, I will already have clips from the cameras on my FTP in another location, allowing me to call police before it's too late or not call them if the backup clips show a false alarm. That's a pretty good feature I'd say so I don't know why wouldn't it be considered for development. It must be very easy to implement (I dare to say this since the same functionality already exists for email alerts).

 

[fenderman]

I know BI can upload to FTP but I'm not aware of a functionality that would allow uploading only motion triggers, no matter which format. But sure, I realize I want two things actually - conversion and FTP upload. But again, this is already almost there - the email alerts. Almost the same thing.
Burning down the house was an extreme example but yes I do have 2 internet connections, both can work without power for hours and before someone could get to the place where they could actually cut the connection, camera, motion and door/window sensors would go off, starting the sirens and messaging me constantly. Then, even if I wake up 10 or 20 minutes later, when they already cut the internet connection, I will already have clips from the cameras on my FTP in another location, allowing me to call police before it's too late or not call them if the backup clips show a false alarm. That's a pretty good feature I'd say so I don't know why wouldn't it be considered for development. It must be very easy to implement (I dare to say this since the same functionality already exists for email alerts).

Have you taken the time to email support? What did he say? in the interim setup a cloned camera so you can sleep better.
Again you really need to stop watching tv..the scenarios presented are ridiculous.