Can I use a external hard drive instead of a NVR?

Another new guy feeling my way before I spend more money. I'm upgrading my home camera and was looking at a 2015 Hikvision V5.2.5 DS-2CD2632F-IS 3MP Bullet Camera Full HD 1080P POE Power Network 2.8-12mm Vari-focal Lens IP CCTV Camera via Amazon and plug it into my existing router my PC is on. Use Blue Iris software and use an external seagate 3 terabyte to store the video. The hard drive is plugged into my PC via a usb 3 cable. I plan to add 2 more cameras once the bugs are worked out.

Is this viable or will I have problems? Am I going to have to buy a dedicated NVR and run a Ethernet to my netgear router I use for my PC?

I have an older analog camera and dvr that are overdue for an upgrade.

Another new guy feeling my way before I spend more money. I'm upgrading my home camera and was looking at a 2015 Hikvision V5.2.5 DS-2CD2632F-IS 3MP Bullet Camera Full HD 1080P POE Power Network 2.8-12mm Vari-focal Lens IP CCTV Camera via Amazon and plug it into my existing router my PC is on. Use Blue Iris software and use an external seagate 3 terabyte to store the video. The hard drive is plugged into my PC via a usb 3 cable. I plan to add 2 more cameras once the bugs are worked out.

Is this viable or will I have problems? Am I going to have to buy a dedicated NVR and run a Ethernet to my netgear router I use for my PC?

I have an older analog camera and dvr that are overdue for an upgrade.

If you are happy with blue iris and your pc has enough power for the extra cameras you will be fine. Blue iris is much more flexible than a standalone NVR.

Another new guy feeling my way before I spend more money. I'm upgrading my home camera and was looking at a 2015 Hikvision V5.2.5 DS-2CD2632F-IS 3MP Bullet Camera Full HD 1080P POE Power Network 2.8-12mm Vari-focal Lens IP CCTV Camera via Amazon and plug it into my existing router my PC is on. Use Blue Iris software and use an external seagate 3 terabyte to store the video. The hard drive is plugged into my PC via a usb 3 cable. I plan to add 2 more cameras once the bugs are worked out.

Is this viable or will I have problems? Am I going to have to buy a dedicated NVR and run a Ethernet to my netgear router I use for my PC?

I have an older analog camera and dvr that are overdue for an upgrade.

If you are happy with blue iris and your pc has enough power for the extra cameras you will be fine. Blue iris is much more flexible than a standalone NVR.

How much is enough power for my PC? We talking CPU speed or vid card or ? Seems to me a call to Dell for a new box is money better spent than a NVR. The Seagate HD will be remote in a 700 pound gun safe a few feet from the desk the PC is. The safe is currently where the DVR resides with a nice 4" box fan sitting on top of the case.

BTW thanks for the input. I was starting to get bummed that I was going to have to drop another few hundred for a NVR.

Another new guy feeling my way before I spend more money. I'm upgrading my home camera and was looking at a 2015 Hikvision V5.2.5 DS-2CD2632F-IS 3MP Bullet Camera Full HD 1080P POE Power Network 2.8-12mm Vari-focal Lens IP CCTV Camera via Amazon and plug it into my existing router my PC is on. Use Blue Iris software and use an external seagate 3 terabyte to store the video. The hard drive is plugged into my PC via a usb 3 cable. I plan to add 2 more cameras once the bugs are worked out.

Is this viable or will I have problems? Am I going to have to buy a dedicated NVR and run a Ethernet to my netgear router I use for my PC?

I have an older analog camera and dvr that are overdue for an upgrade.

If you are happy with blue iris and your pc has enough power for the extra cameras you will be fine. Blue iris is much more flexible than a standalone NVR.

 

How much is enough power for my PC? We talking CPU speed or vid card or ? Seems to me a call to Dell for a new box is money better spent than a NVR. The Seagate HD will be remote in a 700 pound gun safe a few feet from the desk the PC is. The safe is currently where the DVR resides with a nice 4" box fan sitting on top of the case.

BTW thanks for the input. I was starting to get bummed that I was going to have to drop another few hundred for a NVR.

Depends on the total number of cameras and resolution. Dell outlet optiplex 7020 haswells go for 300-350 for the i5-4590 or 430 for the i7-4790....

If all u need is basic recording than an nvr is fine...if you want custom options, lots of alerts and schedule options than blue iris is the way to go. Personally I could never use a standalone NVR...I like options.

Remember to set blue iris to record direct to disc for each camera.

I need to clarify my lack of understanding on this new for me area. I was referring to my overall desktop PC specs and what is needed. I must say Im sorry because networking/it is not my field. I am a manufacturing level guy. I deal with mostly PLCs, Robots, and until lately CNCs. Plus all of the ancillary electronics and industrial controls involved. Apples and oranges on many levels.

When I said new box I ment just upgrading my PC desktop to a new one that met the needs of controlling and monitoring several cams and feeding the data to a storage HD and live viewing on a monitor and forwarding to mobile devices and even a hard wired TV as well.

Id just rather see the money a NVR costs go to a upgrade and better merger of my home PC network after dealing with a analog cam set and dvr that was a PIA to use and access.