How am I supposed to setup my cameras?

[YodaVader]

Sure, Seeing you like ASP .....

Actually, all the Amcrest software is, um, inadequate. I don't 'like' any of it and no single progam is capable of accessing everything I need to get to.

The Webui seems to work best for setup and ASP seems to work best for working with the actual recordings.

I did set it up as you suggested. I have the 2 IVS rules per ch, the large 24/7 intrusion zone and the smaller night time one that turns on the lights and I also turned on the full time sub channel recording.

The smaller D1 recordings don't seem to be using too much space. The system is setup to keep 15 minute files and to overwrite when full. It looks like the 2TB HDD in the NVR will be able to hold more then a weeks worth which will be fine. I still don't have the 5th camera hooked up, waiting on the cable, but it points at the front door and deosn't get triggered very often as we usually enter/exit through the garage.

Or leave a computer running and setup ASP to record your Motion events on that. Sure you will need to get the data from 2 different sources but will have the full Main Channel event size in IVS on your Recorder and Motion on the ASP.

I do have a spare (i7-4790K) PC that could run a PC-NVR 24/7.

Are you saying that I can setup motion detection on a seperate PC-NVR connected via the LAN that will record from the main ch and that the IVS triggers on the Amcrest NVR will still function normally even while the PC-NVR is actively recording motion triggered (not SMD) events?

Would 5GHz WiFi be enough for the PC-NVR?

[Revo2Maxx]

Pogo, Would love to see a picture of this.. IF you are recording full time, and motion please do a search of this and take a snapshot of the search for your channel with all event types in the search. This will show the yellow and green. Then click and remove motion and take a picture of that as well..

I have many Recorders from Dahua and Amcrest both While I don't normally record full time anymore in Main Channel I just checked my 1 DVR from Dahua that has 2023 firmware on it and 6tb HDD I did leave full time recording and I just checked on that and I just checked on my 5108-E1 that I setup tonight to record full time on main and turned on motion and normally only recording IVS.. I let it run for a short time then I went and looked at the search in IE on Edge and both the Dahua and Amcrest DVRs will only have full time in the time line of the Search if there was no motion or IVS.. It has been this way forever that I know of I am not sure how you have something different on your NVR and DVR?

Screenshot (2147).png (84.12 KiB) Viewed 5051 times

Screenshot (2148).png (83.92 KiB) Viewed 5051 times

Screenshot (2149).png (83.83 KiB) Viewed 5051 times

[Revo2Maxx]

If you have Motion setup to record on your Pc-NVR then it will record motion if it is enabled in the cameras yes.

[Pogo]

So I will concede to how the timeline displays what's selected to be viewed. I've simply never zoomed in far enough to notice what you described.

And I get why it works that way up to a point, but it's still a klunky and misleading representation of "what's really there"..., which is (or still should be) everything designated to be recorded regardless of the category. That's obviously what 'All' is designed to represent.

The point is that everything should still play back in linear fashion with or without the breaks in the timeline which omit certain categories. And that's generally how it seems to work.

If an IVS trigger setup from a camera that the NVR doesn't properly recognize (or process) ultimately results in a black hole dead zone on the timeline, that's an unacceptable problem.

And the main point is, if the above is indeed the case, why bother with all the workaround nonsense when better AI methods already exist? Dump the crap and move on to something that works as it should, not just how it 'can be sorta made to' if you have time to piss up a rope all day trying to polish a turd.

Or just use zones and motion detection without all the fancy boxes and tripwire stuff and probably get better and more reliable results anyway.

As requested, two timeline examples depicting my contention. The one minor blank line is hardly noticeable, certainly not to the extent of indicating there are blank areas at each motion location. But I stand corrected nonetheless.

Timeline 1.jpg (45.33 KiB) Viewed 5002 times

Timeline 2.jpg (42.89 KiB) Viewed 5002 times

[Revo2Maxx]

Easy to understand how it might go un noticed with an area that don't have many or very long different events, for me I noticed long time ago while trying to search an event that had started before motion seeing where zone was. So I thought I would remove motion and dl from outside zone from full time recording. When I removed motion as part of search that was when I noticed. Since then or shortly after I found full time to Sub was only way to record all day full time and get full events as well on the entry line series. Only machines that can record all without breaks are very costly ultra recorders if they use multi hdd setup and setup events and full time to the correct hdd. If not it will chop. I still record sub stream full time to save space anyway on my 4216E-AI and my 5216E-16P Ultra NVRs.
About why? Ease of use.
Other brand makes it hard to record different type events on same channel, not even half day motion and half full time, it all day one or other. Think the newer 24 firmware will let you mix but still not overlap. Don't record full time in BI so can't say how it works but as much as I like it for plate reading ability, it still can't out preform ultra Ai NVR and ANPR camera and cameras with Meta Data Ai ability.

With the cost of Quality PC and BI and having to pay as you go in the long run the NVR and camera is clear winner in 89%. Someone tried to tell me they can setup a Bi system faster then i could setup a NVR camera system and that is just Bananas. From start to finish from fresh new PC, Fresh new NVR and 16 cameras for both systems, cameras installed but not ever turned on before, I could have the NVR setup in less then an hour. They wouldn't even have the PC setup in an hour with all the Updates it would have to do, Setting up Drivers, and all the other things that would need to be done. I not only could setup 16 cameras but 16 different types same brand but different types Bi same type camera as long as it was well set before, Something NEW good luck.. Something new on NVR no issue plug in and go..

[Revo2Maxx]

@YodaVader understand how you feel about the Software. While it really is just a VMS and kind of designed to be able to access loads of devices from a remote viewing location. It can do many things as long as they are local or setup to look local.. being able to setup multi monitor and 64 cameras at 1 location is kind of nice. For me to be able to play back different things in different places it has its place. Just for me with the Time issues it give me I don't use it much anymore. Only time I have time issues is when I use ASP. Some reason it keeps changing things to -4 from my area of -5 and at times it takes days before I notice the change.. For someone that don't have that issue then the software can work well in many ways..

[Pogo]

Don't record full time in BI so can't say how it works but as much as I like it for plate reading ability, it still can't out preform ultra Ai NVR and ANPR camera and cameras with Meta Data Ai ability.

With all due respect..., again with your favorite apples and oranges argument.

There is simply no comparison between Blue Iris and the feature set (or lack thereof) of any prosumer NVR or vendor specific VMS solution. None. They are completely different platforms.

For the record, Blue Iris will record continuous plus motion plus alerts plus triggered alerts PLUS integrate the AI capabilities of most any ONVIF compliant camera on the market..., including Amcrest..., all without CPAI and on a modest PC build...., all at the same time -- per channel.

A single camera can have multiple profiles and schedules. It can be cloned to provide a duplicate independent stream to a secondary configuration for endless possibilities in performance and creative flexibility. If one clone isn't enough, create another one.

The storage options, flexibility and scalability are unparalleled for any server based system that isn't an enterprise level operation, which many enterprise level IT and security folks STILL prefer over a locked in proprietary or cloud-based platform.

As you are well aware, I integrate two DV8M8s (along with the 4108-HS you so generously sent me) with a Blue Iris server as the central management piece. The Amcrest boxes all work well for their intended purposes and are rock solid, especially the DVRs keeping my legacy analog aspect of the network humming right along.., which by virtue of Blue Iris have essentially become IP devices with their respective cameras able to enjoy the same Blue Iris features as most any IP camera.

I would find it very difficult to consider anything else as the core of my system..., especially a proprietary box stuck in its own ecosystem, and especially Amcrest for all the usual reasons folks post here..., mostly crappy firmware and no support.

Bottom line to my input here was to point out an alternative approach to the OP's frustration in not finding satisfaction with the solution at his disposal. No more, no less. Blue Iris would easily accomplish what he was attempting to do and then some. Simple as that.

I couldn't just let this slide without comment. Take it as you will.

[YodaVader]

Thanks for all the help guys!

Got the fifth camera done now too. It watches the front door. I setup the same 2 intrusion zones with the one that turns on the light only active at night.

I added a tripwire there too and set it so the NVR beeps when someone crosses it. That way we know when a package is delivered.

That acutally leads to another question but that's a different subject.