Yes, it was a misunderstanding on my part. Ken wrote back and explained how it works. Turns out, the app will directly record (locally) recorded clips - but not live stream. So, if you're watching a recorded clip, and press the filmstrip icon, it will create a 'movies' directory and save the .mp4 file immediately on the phone. But, pressing the filmstrip icon when you're watching live video, only causes the BI server to record the live video
on the server. You then have to go back and watch it as a recorded clip, and then press the filmstrip icon to save it locally.
You initially said you could record live video directly to the phone. If that really is the case, then there is something odd about your application - at least according to Ken.
I have confirmed that this does work. As soon as I tried to save a
recorded clip, I discovered the /movies/
blueiris/XYZ.mp4 folder.
I'm still on 5.11, and running a Note 4. I don't know if/when Sammy will release Marshmallow. I tend to run customized roms anyway (usually de-bloated and improved versions of stock roms) - so I'm not a good candidate on whether the OS is the culprit.
On thing I will say is that the final quality and frame rate of the phone-recorded clips is sub-par with those that are exported from the BI server console, or even the browser-based active-x saved clip process.
Whatever frame rate you see on your phone when your playing video from the BI app is the frame rate with which it will record. Since I never see completely fluid (15fps) frame rates on my phone, the resulting recordings tend to be noticeably more choppy. With the browser/active-x process, the final video is full resolution, 15fps (the camera frame rate).
So in summary, saving a clip via the app works in a pinch, but it's not something I will do as my primary means to archive/share clips.