If you are looking for a Free VMS to manage and record your IP cameras, chances are you are going to like the one I'm going to talk about in this article.
I know some people that visit this blog are familiar with professional CCTV terms, but other visitors may not. So Let me quickly explain what a VMS is used for.
What is a VMS ?
A VMS (Video Management System) is a software designed to manage video for surveillance applications, it's also known as Video Management Software.
It's important to understand the difference between basic security camera software that is designed to handle inexpensive cameras for home and small office applications and the VMS which is a professional solution.
Luxriot Evo Is Your Security Solution. The Video Management System, which is designed to put your mind at rest.Powerful and smart, it accepts nearly any camera, has a wide range of advanced features and a long list of add-ons, thus enabling more efficient video surveillance than you.
Watch the video below to see what VMSes usually are capable of...
When installing a software for professional applications, you definitely need to use a VMS instead of using a Free software you use with your home Wi-Fi camera.
If you just happen to have some mix of different IP cameras and you want to manage and record them, it's necessary to buy a VMS from a company such as Milestone, OnSSI, ISS, Digifort, Myrasys or any other developer.
The Free VMS
It's hard to find a professional VMS that is free unless you buy some IP cameras from a manufacturer and get a basic free version. So basically the company can make a profit on the equipment and give you the VMS for free.
But the good news is that I found a VMS that you can use for Free.
It's the Luxriot EVO which allows you to manage and record up to 9 cameras.
If you have a small installation that requires a robust VMS, this can be a good solution since the software is stable and has some interesting features.
While testing the software, I found an interesting feature called Podcast which allows you to stream an IP camera directly to YouTube, Wonza or other services that use the RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol). It's really cool 😉
> To learn more about this feature, please read the article: Free software to stream IP camera to YouTube Live.
Luxriot EVO Features
The Luxriot EVO (free version) has the following features:
Supports over 4000 camera models;
Single remote connection;
Setup Wizard for easy installation;
Software Overview
The software has a clean and intuitive interface which is very easy to use.
On the left side, there's the traditional tree with all the cameras that can be dragged to the right side. The layout can be changed and saved according to your needs.
You can easily alternate between 'Live' and 'Playback' screen buy just clicking the buttons on the top of the software. There's also a button for 'Sequence', 'Smart Search', the information about pending ' Alerts' and a 'Library' button.
A timeline shows the information with colors for continuous or event recording.
Luxriot EVO Download
You can download the Luxriot EVO for Free, just click the link below:
The installation is very simple, just execute the .exe file and follow the instructions
See the following pictures for the step-by-step process and just click to enlarge the images if you want to check the details...
Usually, you don't need to change the default installation directory, so just click 'Next' to proceed with the installation and choose the language.
The installation process is very fast. The Wizard shows everything in green color indicating that the installation was successful. Click 'Next' to continue.
Step 2 - Server setup
In the next step, you can check the server name and port number. I recommend keeping the server port number the way it is. (Change the server name only).
Step 3 - License
Check the option to request a Free license and click 'OK'. Next, you just need to fill the information and click 'Activate' to get your license.
The computer must be connected to the Internet....
Just check your data to make sure everything is correct.
You can see the number of cameras available (9) and the 'never expire' info.
Step 4 - Create a password
After the installation, you need to create a password for the server.
Just click 'OK' (there's no initial password) and create a new password.
The software forces you to create a strong password which must contain:
- A minimum of 8 characters.
- Must contain at least 2 Uppercase letters.
- Must contain at least 2 Lowercase letters
In this step the software looks for IP cameras in your network, just Launch the Wizard and choose the Ethernet interface the computer is connected to, so the software can scan the network and bring the results. (see following pictures).
Click Launch Step 1 - to search for the IP cameras
Select the Ethernet interface the computer is connected to
The next screen shows the cameras the Device auto discovery found.
For some unknown reason, the software could not find my Samsung SNB-6004 and Intelbras VIP 1120B (OEM Dahua) camera. They were connected to the same local switch, even with the Windows firewall and anti-virus were disabled.
Step 6 - Find the IP cameras (Manually)
If the IP cameras don't show up in the software (like mine), just try to add them manually. Open the Luxriot console (click the icon on desktop)
Click the button 'New Device' to add an IP camera.
Give your camera a title and click the button 'Select Model'
Choose your camera model from the list and click 'OK'.
Click on the Network Menu on the left side and fill the information on the right side.
Fill the camera IP, port, username, and password and click 'Apply' --> 'OK'
Part 7 - Open the Luxriot EVO Monitor
And now your camera is live in this awesome Free VMS...
Just repeat the last step to add new cameras and if you don't find the brand you are looking for (just like I didn't find the Intelbras model), use the ONVIF protocol.
Professional version
The free version is very good for small projects, but if you want to add more channels and enable other features you can try the Luxriot Evo S.
Intelligent applications such as LPR (License Plate Recognition) and FR (Face Recognition) are available as modules you can purchase from Luxriot.
Conclusion
As you can see, is very simple to install and setup the Free VMS Luxriot EVO.
The next steps it to explore the software and read the manual to understand how to setup the recording and other features such as the live streaming (Podcast).
I just got a temporary license for professional version, LPR and FR. Later new articles will be available here in the blog.
Luxriot Vms Manual
If you want to become a professional CCTV installer or designer, take a look at the material available in the blog. Just click the links below:
Please share this information with your friends...
Luxriot Evo Download Pc
Claudemir Martins is a former Samsung Engineer with 15+ experience in the surveillance industry. He has been traveling around 17 different countries to teach people how to design, and install CCTV systems.