Disclaimer: I'm a lone IT guy who has had the camera system put in my lap so I'm by no means an expert.
I've only tested first hand a few pieces of software (Blue Iris, Geovision, Huperlabs and some non-PC based option) and they all seem to have some quirks that make it non-user friendly for the end user. In the case of Huperlabs it would show live video yet wouldn't be saving at times. Ahh!
Is there a resource that I can test out various software platforms without needing to install them all on my own equipment? I'm afraid there isn't so perhaps I can get some recommendations.
Software wishlist
Low cost (sub $500 per location)
Support for analog cards (up to 16)
User friendly
Easy recovery of old footage. Often we have cases where we need to scan through 8+ hours of footage quickly to find something afterwards. It's been a PITA so far.
Bonus feature wishlist
Doesn't require software installation on the client. Java/HTML5/Flash based perhaps. Alternatively msi files for easy deployment.
Support for multiple locations (this typically costs a lot)
Multiple users...Active Directory support?!?
Universal hardware support to avoid being locked in to certain hardware.
I haven't been able to kick the tires on Blue Iris too much as I need a compatible analog capture card (recommendations welcome). It seems like a software option that gives you a good bang for your buck.
Thanks in advance.