Blue Iris 4+

I’ve been testing remotely for about a week and it has been rock solid for the basic function of viewing motion alerts—definitely worth the price! I have much to learn regarding the various features and configuration of Blue Iris NVR and the iPhone app but I’m already a believer because core functionality on both work so well. I’m getting ready to work with Support for using a Samsung/Hanwha PNV-9080R and it will be worth the effort. I’m moving to all 4K+ cams and I’m optimistic the foundation can handle it. So much better than my old dedicated NVR which was full of bugs!

My NVR has robust hardware (8th gen I7 / 32G RAM) and responds well—the responsiveness continues to be good using the remote app, so it seems well designed. I was under the impression the NVR supports H.265 so it would be nice if the remote does also as do my new 4K cams. I’m not sure about the description saying no router config needed...I set up port forwarding for remote access to NVR as documented, but it works just the same.

I’ve had a BI setup for over 5 years. While I’ve had minor qualms with it here and there, it’s got significant bang-for-the-buck.

Like several other comments, most recent software updates have introduced new features or settings which has somehow dropped the automatic counters on the phone app. However, the app is powerful, software is extremely powerful, and the software runs with professional runtime without crashing. It’s been quite reliable for us.

The downside of flexible software is that there is a higher learning curve. It’s really not for the faint of heart. Folks wanting something easier to set up might look elsewhere. The developer is advised to remember his target market as he makes changes, and watching for the competitors and see what they are doing. I’ve considered going to another system but to date, BI has still been the best fit for our use.

I was slightly hesitant to buy the app since a lot of recent reviews have low ratings, but I’m not disappointed at all. As long as you have the server (works with v5) and your cameras configured properly, all the functions of the app work perfectly. Even 3D push notifications (notifications with an alert image) work perfect, and if you have an Apple Watch, the alert image notification pops up on your wrist without ever having to pull out your phone or laptop to see what triggered the alarm. The UI is a little outdated but all the critical features like streaming options for LAN vs WAN/LTE, browse alerts and clips, do basic management of the server, and getting alerts all work perfect which makes this the perfect companion app for Blue Iris. A+