Blue Iris Onboarding Checklist
Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 5:16 pm
Introduction
BI provides documentation in multiple places. The Help file that ships with the software is very good for feature by feature details, e.g. what does this checkbox do? The Help button is context specific in each dialog, i.e. the Help button will jump to the content associated to that dialog. The Help file also has some high level guidance like the QuickStart section. Many of the webinars referenced below is a walk through of chapters in the Help file with demonstrations in the software to provide deeper context and meaning.
In addition, based on tickets, we started generating online self-help articles. These articles are mostly ticket driven. For example, how do I connect my camera is outlined in the Connect cameras correctly section. How do I get my triggers working on my camera is a high level question/solution that is addressed in the articles/webinars referenced in the Triggers and Alerts section of the Checklist. The forum articles either provide more context to what features exist in a dialog or tab OR connects the dots with How to solutions to deliver a solution with BI software. An example would be the Fine Tuning DeepStack and Motion settings articles to help you create smarter alerts.
Our recommendation is to use the forum self-help articles to understand the big picture of a topic. Once you go into the software to configure your system, hit the Help button in the dialogs to get further understanding on each feature / functionality.
Checklist
This section provides a map for users on how best to go through the self-help content in order to setup and run Blue Iris (BI) to meet your requirements. Of course, if you are familiar with Blue Iris, you should go directly to the topic that is raising questions.
This video is a great starter video to get setup if you are new to BI. It's always good to visualize the end goal. The Onboarding Checklist & Demo webinar walks through the BI user interface and demonstrates the power of the software once your cameras are configured correctly.
Good to bookmark this page. Review content in Checklist prior to submitting a ticket.
Hardware recommendations
Install and Run BI
You can download/install BI by going to blueirissoftware.com.
Connecting devices requires and IP address / username / password and of course support for standards such as RTSP/ONVIF. Whether the camera/NVR sits on the same subnet or across the globe is immaterial to BI, so long as the IP address resolves to the correct destination. Many users have hosted BI on AWS. Many users have remote connected via the Internet to their cameras/NVR.
Cameras
This article explains how to connect NVRs or DVRs to BI.
Storage & Recordings
The remainder of the list can be digested in any order based on your requirements.
Triggers and Alerts
Web Server
A web server can do a lot more than just serve up web pages for a web interface. The BI web server also hosts the API interface and is the RTSP server for any endpoint beyond UI3. An RTSP server allows the ability to pull streams (cameras) connected to BI to other endpoints. The Web server and Webcasting article explains how BI leverages the RTSP server to connect to its supported endpoints (UI3, mobile apps) and also explains how to pull streams for your own use, e.g. adding video to your website.
If live view and playback work fine on the Console, but does not work well in the mobile app, the Mobile apps section of this article explains how to adjust the encoding to get live view/playback to work on the phone.
Submitting tickets
See Troubleshooting guide.
BI provides documentation in multiple places. The Help file that ships with the software is very good for feature by feature details, e.g. what does this checkbox do? The Help button is context specific in each dialog, i.e. the Help button will jump to the content associated to that dialog. The Help file also has some high level guidance like the QuickStart section. Many of the webinars referenced below is a walk through of chapters in the Help file with demonstrations in the software to provide deeper context and meaning.
In addition, based on tickets, we started generating online self-help articles. These articles are mostly ticket driven. For example, how do I connect my camera is outlined in the Connect cameras correctly section. How do I get my triggers working on my camera is a high level question/solution that is addressed in the articles/webinars referenced in the Triggers and Alerts section of the Checklist. The forum articles either provide more context to what features exist in a dialog or tab OR connects the dots with How to solutions to deliver a solution with BI software. An example would be the Fine Tuning DeepStack and Motion settings articles to help you create smarter alerts.
Our recommendation is to use the forum self-help articles to understand the big picture of a topic. Once you go into the software to configure your system, hit the Help button in the dialogs to get further understanding on each feature / functionality.
Checklist
This section provides a map for users on how best to go through the self-help content in order to setup and run Blue Iris (BI) to meet your requirements. Of course, if you are familiar with Blue Iris, you should go directly to the topic that is raising questions.
This video is a great starter video to get setup if you are new to BI. It's always good to visualize the end goal. The Onboarding Checklist & Demo webinar walks through the BI user interface and demonstrates the power of the software once your cameras are configured correctly.
Good to bookmark this page. Review content in Checklist prior to submitting a ticket.
Hardware recommendations
The hardware recommendations article provides details on camera compatibility and hardware recommendations for your server.
Install and Run BI
You can download/install BI by going to blueirissoftware.com.
Windows Tuning article
Once installed, run through the Windows tuning article to make sure BI is not in conflict with Windows.
Start/run BI.
If you are moving BI to a new server OR you want to upgrade BI from V4 to V5, see Server Management article.
DevicesOnce installed, run through the Windows tuning article to make sure BI is not in conflict with Windows.
Start/run BI.
Routine maintenance
The routine maintenance section explains how to stay on top of issues BEFORE they turn into server instability.
Server managementThe routine maintenance section explains how to stay on top of issues BEFORE they turn into server instability.
If you are moving BI to a new server OR you want to upgrade BI from V4 to V5, see Server Management article.
Connecting devices requires and IP address / username / password and of course support for standards such as RTSP/ONVIF. Whether the camera/NVR sits on the same subnet or across the globe is immaterial to BI, so long as the IP address resolves to the correct destination. Many users have hosted BI on AWS. Many users have remote connected via the Internet to their cameras/NVR.
Cameras
Connect cameras correctly.
Connecting cameras to BI is a simple 3-step process. The Connecting cameras - best practices article is the place to start.
Advanced functionality
NVR / DVRConnecting cameras to BI is a simple 3-step process. The Connecting cameras - best practices article is the place to start.
Advanced functionality
PTZ
PTZ functionality is usually pulled over via ONVIF. The PTZ/Control article details the Camera settings -> PTZ/Control tab. Advanced features like PTZ Auto-cycle are discussed as well as troubleshooting PTZ issues.
Audio
This article explains how to setup Audio or 2-way audio, i.e. hear from cameras and speak to cameras.
Camera vendors
PTZ functionality is usually pulled over via ONVIF. The PTZ/Control article details the Camera settings -> PTZ/Control tab. Advanced features like PTZ Auto-cycle are discussed as well as troubleshooting PTZ issues.
Audio
This article explains how to setup Audio or 2-way audio, i.e. hear from cameras and speak to cameras.
Camera vendor gotchas
The Camera vendor gotchas article shares lessons learned from trying to connect to different cameras. Work in progress.
Reolink gotchas
The Reolink gotchas article shares user feedback regarding connecting Reolink cameras.
The Camera vendor gotchas article shares lessons learned from trying to connect to different cameras. Work in progress.
Reolink gotchas
The Reolink gotchas article shares user feedback regarding connecting Reolink cameras.
This article explains how to connect NVRs or DVRs to BI.
After the cameras are setup, it makes sense to setup your Storage and Recordings. The Recording and Clips section in the Help file is a good start. Watch the Storage and Recordings webinar in our blue iris support YouTube channel in parallel. The webinar complements the Recording and Clips chapter in Help.
The Record Tab article/webinar then dives deep into all the settings in the Record tab. More importantly it goes under the covers to provide a deeper understanding of how the software works. With this foundational understanding, it becomes easier to relate to the many features and functionality available in the dialogs. The Record Tab article/webinar is the first of a 3-part series on the Trigger/Record/Alert tabs, a core function of any video management system (VMS).
Remote Access
The Record Tab article/webinar then dives deep into all the settings in the Record tab. More importantly it goes under the covers to provide a deeper understanding of how the software works. With this foundational understanding, it becomes easier to relate to the many features and functionality available in the dialogs. The Record Tab article/webinar is the first of a 3-part series on the Trigger/Record/Alert tabs, a core function of any video management system (VMS).
Remote access is frequently the next step in setting up Bl. Remote access allows customers to access their cameras remotely through the web interface or the mobile apps. Besides below, also review Remote access section in the Help files.
Networking - Remote Access
This article is the place to start to setup your network and BI web server correctly for remote access.
Mobile Devices - Setup
This article goes into detail on setting up your mobile apps.
This article provides an overview of the UI3 user interface in the context of past tickets. Link to demo webinar as well.
Networking - Remote Access
This article is the place to start to setup your network and BI web server correctly for remote access.
Mobile Devices - Setup
This article goes into detail on setting up your mobile apps.
Mobile Devices - User interface
This article explains the user interface and how it maps into functionality existing on the console.
Web Interface (UI3) article/webinar This article explains the user interface and how it maps into functionality existing on the console.
This article provides an overview of the UI3 user interface in the context of past tickets. Link to demo webinar as well.
The remainder of the list can be digested in any order based on your requirements.Triggers and Alerts
Triggers and alerts is functionality universal to any VMS system. The Alerts and Actions section in the Help file is a good place to start. Watch the Triggers and Alerts 101 webinar.
The webinar complements the Alerts and Actions chapter in Help. It goes through all the settings in the Motion sensor dialog so you can understand how the Motion sensor works.
The Trigger Tab article/webinar then dives deep into the Trigger tab. More importantly it goes under the covers to provide a deeper understanding of how the software works. With this foundational understanding, it becomes easier to relate to the many features and functionality available in the dialogs. As mentioned earlier The Trigger Tab article/webinar is the second of a 3-part series on the Trigger/Record/Alert tabs.
Customers often ask what are standard settings that will work for a camera. There is no such thing. The real power of BI is the viewer/playback window and being able to easily adjust motion settings and visually see how those changes affect the video. Understanding how to fine tune your motion settings is the key to success.
Action map
The webinar complements the Alerts and Actions chapter in Help. It goes through all the settings in the Motion sensor dialog so you can understand how the Motion sensor works.
The Trigger Tab article/webinar then dives deep into the Trigger tab. More importantly it goes under the covers to provide a deeper understanding of how the software works. With this foundational understanding, it becomes easier to relate to the many features and functionality available in the dialogs. As mentioned earlier The Trigger Tab article/webinar is the second of a 3-part series on the Trigger/Record/Alert tabs.
Customers often ask what are standard settings that will work for a camera. There is no such thing. The real power of BI is the viewer/playback window and being able to easily adjust motion settings and visually see how those changes affect the video. Understanding how to fine tune your motion settings is the key to success.
- Start with the Playback window - Fine Tuning Motion settings
- If you are using DeepStack AI, continue with the DeepStack - Fine Tuning settings
Troubleshooting Alert actions (SMS, Email and Push notifications) has required so much detail that we decided to pull these articles into a separate sub-forum. If facing issues with Alert actions (i.e. notifications), review the Alerts & Action map sub-forum.
DeepStack: The Blue Iris AI solution.
SMS alerts
Guidelines on troubleshooting SMS alerts.
Email alerts
Guidelines on troubleshooting Email alerts.
Push notifications
Guidelines on troubleshooting Push notifications.
Push notifications - Alert images
You get the Push notification, but no alert image. This article troubleshoots the Alert image.
Permissions
Permissions are critical for mobile apps to get access to cameras. It's equally important to receive alert actions like Push notifications, email/sms alerts.
Guidelines on troubleshooting SMS alerts.
Email alerts
Guidelines on troubleshooting Email alerts.
Push notifications
Guidelines on troubleshooting Push notifications.
Push notifications - Alert images
You get the Push notification, but no alert image. This article troubleshoots the Alert image.
Permissions
Permissions are critical for mobile apps to get access to cameras. It's equally important to receive alert actions like Push notifications, email/sms alerts.
More and more users are using DeepStack in order to deliver more meaningful Alerts.
The DeepStack sub-forurm has all the self-help content.
Installation
If you are just getting started, the Installation article explains the integration and steps to get DeepStack installed.
DeepStack user experience
The DeepStack user experience article explains the user experience and goes under the covers of the implementation so you can understand the power of the integration.
Fine tuning article
The Fine tuning article shows how easy it is to troubleshoot your alerts to make them more and more smart. Go to this article when you want to troubleshoot missed or false alerts.
DeepStack gotchas
As always, the gotchas article documents learnings from past tickets.
Profiles and Schedules.
Advanced topicsThe DeepStack sub-forurm has all the self-help content.
Installation
If you are just getting started, the Installation article explains the integration and steps to get DeepStack installed.
DeepStack user experience
The DeepStack user experience article explains the user experience and goes under the covers of the implementation so you can understand the power of the integration.
Fine tuning article
The Fine tuning article shows how easy it is to troubleshoot your alerts to make them more and more smart. Go to this article when you want to troubleshoot missed or false alerts.
DeepStack gotchas
As always, the gotchas article documents learnings from past tickets.
Web Server
A web server can do a lot more than just serve up web pages for a web interface. The BI web server also hosts the API interface and is the RTSP server for any endpoint beyond UI3. An RTSP server allows the ability to pull streams (cameras) connected to BI to other endpoints. The Web server and Webcasting article explains how BI leverages the RTSP server to connect to its supported endpoints (UI3, mobile apps) and also explains how to pull streams for your own use, e.g. adding video to your website.
If live view and playback work fine on the Console, but does not work well in the mobile app, the Mobile apps section of this article explains how to adjust the encoding to get live view/playback to work on the phone.
See Troubleshooting guide.