Considering Purchase, but I have a Few Questions

[Hiheten]

Hi all,

I've been testing out a variety of NVR software (BlueIris, Shinobi, Sighthound, etc.), and I've narrowed it down to a choice between the $120 Sighthound Video or the free Shinobi. If you've tried other software, you'll know that each can have hundreds of settings. I'm still on the trial of Sighthound (using the version 7 beta), and I wonder if you all can help me with a few questions I have about Sighthound. I've tried searching around and already answered a lot, but I often find broken links or outdated info. Here are my questions:

1) I am running three 5 MP cameras at 2592*1944 resolution. My server for Sighthound is running Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, processor is i5-2500, 3.3 ghz (4CPUs), 8 GB ram, 2TB surveillance drive (boot drive is an SSD), with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 GPU. I access the server via remote desktop from a different computer. I built this machine in maybe 2011 or 2012. Any glaring problems? Everything seems to work OK, but I'm not sure if future Version 7 Beta changes might cause the system to be out-dated.

2) I am confused a bit on the 'buffer newly received video: system drive or in memory' option. I found a help article that mentioned "This is beneficial for users who are running an SSD since the SSD will not be bogged down by extra read/writes." If I select on 'system drive', this will buffer video on what drive, exactly? My boot drive is an SSD, and Sighthound is installed there, but I am using a separate 2TB HDD (surveillance) for storing videos. I'm not sure what I should select.

3a) Is it possible to configure the amount of time before and after a motion event that will be included in a clip that is saved due to a rule?

3b) Assuming no to 3a, let's say I have a rule to record if something enters or exits my region. If a person enters the region and stays in there for longer than the default 10-second record time, I'd probably miss something. Using rules, how could I configure it to start saving the clip when something enters the region and keeps recording as long as motion is detected?

4) I do not have an external Internet connection on my camera server (LAN only). Sighthound seems to be working OK now, but does it ever need an Internet connection?

5) Can I change anything about the motion detection system, in terms of sensitivity, etc? (Not simply rules)

6) For saved clips, is there any way to 'lock' or prevent a clip saved due to a rule from being deleted once disk space is full (in favor of deleting non-locked clips)?

7) I think I finally understand how Sighthound's video and storage management system works: temporary video up to a user-set number of hours (default to 48) is always recorded and the system will identify motion events and create clips within that temporary video even if a rule is not met. On the other hand, motion events that trigger a 'save' rule are saved forever UNTIL disk space is full, and then the oldest will be deleted first. Is this right?

8) Relating to the Version 7 Beta timeline, let's say I purchase a license now but version 7 or 7.5 isn't fully complete until September 2021. This means that I will be stuck using the Version 7 Beta or Version 6 because I get updates for only one year?

Thanks for all the help!