Apple announces new Mac mini’s
Apple has announced new Mac mini’s. Really happy to see this as I’m running into performance limitations of my current Mac mini.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/10/apple-finally-announces-an-overhauled-mac-mini/
Now we just need Ben to soften the jump in licensing costs for going beyond 8 cameras! The jump to 16 is when I only need 2 more is a tough spend after having to pay the apple tax.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/10/apple-finally-announces-an-overhauled-mac-mini/
Now we just need Ben to soften the jump in licensing costs for going beyond 8 cameras! The jump to 16 is when I only need 2 more is a tough spend after having to pay the apple tax.
Comments
Yes, the 8 to 16 cam jump licensing was big enough to delay my moving up for a long time. Even considered jumping to a PC and Blue Iris. A 12 cam license would have made it an easy decision for continuing with SS.
I understand your comments about the licensing model, however it's been working reasonably well for such a long time, and changing it would have unknown consequences for our revenue. So it would be a risky change to make from a business point of view, and therefore not something we are currently exploring.
Thanks for responding. I apologize, I just don't understand the logic. Instead of me paying $26 USD or so per camera, I've spent $0 USD. That seems like a more tangible risk. I think you're leaving money on the table.
You don't owe me any explanation of course, it is your business.
@rdforbes - we'll add the new mini to our system requirements calculator when benchmarks are available, but for now you can use the calculator to give you a good idea by looking at similar iMac models (roughly equivalent in terms of core count and CPU speed). For 8 cameras I would expect that the basic model of the new Mac mini would be more than powerful enough (though you may want more storage, provided via an external drive).
@mgisd - I agree, the new Mac mini would give better performance than your 2010 Mac Pro, though I would suggest you go for the 6-core version. You might want to consider a higher-end iMac too, to compare price/performance. Our calculator will help.
@jms703 - I understand that the licensing structure puts people off upgrading in certain circumstances, and this is the main problem with it. But if we changed over to a flat rate of $26 per camera we would almost certainly lose significant revenue. This is because those users with, say, 12 cameras are currently buying the 16-camera version of SecuritySpy, whereas under the flat-rate system they would only be buying a 12-camera license. So with a flat rate system we would certainly have to charge more than $26 per camera, but the difficult question is how much more? There are too many unknowns and by changing the system we would be taking a big risk. It's certainly tempting to change it, and perhaps we should have started off with a flat-rate system from the beginning, but without knowing the effects of the change we are very reluctant to do it!
I did look up an example of an external GPU with the Graphics Card just out of curiosity...
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicegpu/
So I have high hopes for the new 2018 Mac mini.
I’ve been running a straightforward 24-port GbE switch....til now. Can anyone recommend a decent 25 to 28-port ethernet switch with 1 to 4, 10-GbE uplinks (for the new mac mini?). I want to spend under $500. So far I’ve seen d-link, trendnet, and netgear models. Looking for reliability but feel that the 10-GbE port will be important to framerate.
Also, I’m confused on what cable will be required for 10-GbE. Ethernet cat 6s? SFP+?
With 12 cameras at 8fps, Gigabit Ethernet (1 GbE) should be more than fast enough. However if you do want to go for 10 GbE, then I would recommend Netgear switches, as I use them personally and have always found them to be reliable. I have also heard good things from customers about TRENDnet switches, so they would also be a good choice I think.
For 10 GbE, it seems you need at least Cat 6a cable, which is good for up to 100m lengths. Cat 6a should always be STP (Shielded Twisted Pair), but it might be wise to double-check that any cable you buy is indeed shielded, as this is very important for 10 GbE.
with 10 cameras, utilizing only 16% of the cpu with the “All cameras” window open. It only utilizes 7% with the window closed.
I am curious as to how some of your cpu loads are so high?
I am ingesting with all the cameras at h.254 rstp, maybe that it the result?
1080p @ 20fps trendnet cameras. Motion detection enabled with triggers.
As much as I would love a new Mac mini, I don’t see the need for it right now.
Dont think ill be putting SS on it anytime soon. No dropped frames or bugs.The older mini is running so good don't see a reason until i upgrade to 4K cams.
Got a new MM i7,32,500 like it some much i retired my daily use imac and got a 34 inch ultra wide, egpu. and a crazy fast External SSD. The only downside is the internal GPU is really underpowered. The egpu has fixed that.
Just before the mini got announced I finished a Hackintosh with a i7,32,1tb and RX580/8 running High Sierra. It's running good. It may take the place of my 2014 MM to run SS. Will see how it does for a few more months before it get banished to the place where headless macs live.
I got the 8GB i5 for $920 refurbished. The lack of discrete graphics has no effect, since the decoding is done entirely on the CPU.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/596msohmpmefknk/Screen Shot 2019-05-24 at 3.55.29 PM.png?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4252cn9iyghnlj1/Screen Shot 2019-05-24 at 3.57.38 PM.png?dl=0
I'd appreciate any help.
The best way to reduce your CPU usage is going to be to reduce the frame rate of your cameras. I would suggest you reduce the frame rates until you have at least 10% Idle showing in Activity Monitor.
If you need to add 10 more cameras, then you'll have to reduce the frame rates dramatically but really the best way forward for this would be to get a new Mac mini or iMac. Our System Requirements Calculator will help you choose a suitable Mac.