2021 Review: Should You Get The UniFi Protect System?

[@LAWRENCESYSTEMS]

UniFi Protect G4 Doorbell Review kzbin.info/www/bejne/p17MgnR7hbh-j8U Ubiquiti UNVR: UniFi Protect 4 Drive Network Video Recorder kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2OsgYiYhc9pq7M ⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️ 0:00 UniFi Protect 0:32 UniFi Video History 1:30 Where And What to buy 7:33 UniFi Protect Dashboard & Smart Detection 8:53 Smart detect and motion notifications 9:46 User Permissions 10:05 Firewall Setup 10:46 Phone App 11:03 Adding Cameras 12:22 UniFi Viewport for viewing 13:16 Tim lapse Feature 14:17 UniFi Protect Downsides

[@andypandy19]

The same thing

[@droknron]

I've been using UniFi Protect for 6 months now (2 x G4 Pro, 1 x G3 Instant + CloudKey Gen2+ running the Protect software). And I also have it connected to a screen that shows the feeds from the cameras 24.7. In that time I've had no failures of any kind, no instances of the cameras dropping out, rebooting or weirdness. Super solid performers. I have the G4 Pro's outside so they are subject to the weather. Admittedly 6 months isn't a very long time, some will have had the G4 Pro's outside for a year or more by now. But I've been very happy with the whole system, as I said nothing janky, no issues. Perfect 4K streaming, fast mobile access, I've even integrated them with Homekit using the Homebridge software in combination with the Protect plugin (very easy to setup by the way) and it has worked flawlessly there too. I'm not really a Ubiquiti fanboy and in-fact I have quite a laundry list of critical thoughts mainly surrounding their software but the protect system and the hardware (CK Gen2+, Cameras etc) has been just really incredible in my deployment. I'd not hesitate to recommend them.

[@kokoskakan95]

No lagg with the 4k cameras on the cloud key?

[@droknron]

@@kokoskakan95 There's no lag when viewing the cameras live or playing back past recordings. However there is noticeable lag when trying to access a very fresh recording, one that completed only a few seconds ago. There's also some lag in loading screenshots of past recordings when you're going back in the history. So it's not completely flawless by any measure but it does work fine, especially for live viewing n Blue Iris.

[@Xyler94]

I've had mine for just about a year or two now, cameras outside in -20c, -30c weather, they work flawlessly. Installed the doorbell not too long ago, and it's been good too

[@HisLoveArmy]

They are doing great at making everything better. I have a Dell server running unifi video with 60 cameras and have had zero issues for a couple years now. Pretty pleased with the old stuff still..

[@MatthewMorseCA]

With the new UI Insider announcements (May 3, 2022) a year after this video, having the ability to stack NVRs is going to be a fantastic improvement for scaling out UniFi Protect... glad Ubiquiti is listening to our needs!!

[@gregp7980]

I’ve searched for and watched many videos on this product, and all I can say is… THANK YOU

[@milkfridge]

My home network is running on Unifi, but I am not sure, if I would do the same again. Especially for video - that is not because of their hardware, it's because of the lack of communication and interest in the pretty lively community. So many things they do are like "Ah, network tech could be so cool, if it was without dealing with customers" This applies to their product roadmap, like marketing products as the holy grail, next day cancelling them (USG-XG?), over to replacing Video with Protect without offering proper hardware (Single HDD Cloud Key?) and last but not least how they dealt with the security breach. So as of today, especially for Surveillance, I can't see myself investing due to the lack of communication and transparency. (Apart from that I need the camera feed in my smarthome tablets, which would require grabbing the feed somewhere, which is locked away) Cheers

[@FastRedPonyCar]

The CK Gen2 has proven to be a great little option for a few small businesses I used to support in my MSP days. We typically sold them the cloud key with a doorbell cam and 2 or 3 instants or bullets and the key also running 1 or 2 WAP's and they were rock solid!

[@stephenreaves3205]

If unifi protect allowed external backup of videos to my NAS I'd install it yesterday

[@djdtrs]

That’s what I have on my UniFi system

[@Klausmd5]

There is some project up on github to actually do that

[@stephenreaves3205]

@@Klausmd5 do you have a link?

[@charlescc1000]

I agree. I wish this system provided the ability to do either: 1- not use the included NVR and simply point it to a NFS/SMB share 2- periodically backup all new footage to a NFS/SMB share. #1 seems unlikely but #2 would be a huge improvement. I don’t think this would be a deal breaker for me, but it definitely causes me to investigate other options before settling on Unifi cameras

[@icsx]

Current biggest problems top of my head with protect: 1. Cannot arrange camera view in iOS app 2. Not all settings are available in Web ui that are in the app 3. Apps activity alerts have setting "when to send" which has optioon "when i am away" and "when all users are away" - neither of these doesnt work. 4. Software updates can break random things anytime. Never run newest stable version unless you know it works. 5. If someone steals or breaks or unplugs one of your cameras, you cannot retrieve the video from that camera anymore, even if its on the nvr itself. Its unplayable. Features: - Would be great if the cameras had option of counting people entering and leaving.

[@icebergmays]

Honestly you guys are the reason why I got the dream machine pro. Just got it a week ago and I love it for the all in one integration. Next up is the poe switch then the cameras.

[@Crazy--Clown]

Fanboy, no one cares

[@icebergmays]

@@Crazy--Clown but you went out your way to post this. Do trolls still live under bridges?

[@martinpalenik]

Protect v1.18.0 was just released, it may have improved some of the video response speed based on reviews.

[@Mcklain5]

I just installed 1.18.0 on my UNVR with my G4 Pro using timelapse at 8x and it did improve!! It doesnt stutter anymore!!

[@wildmanjeff42]

I would have embraced unifi protect if it was not so proprietary. Thanks for the video

[@brenoqueen873]

only if it accepted ip cams (like esp32)

[@Dirkadin]

I have just a door bell hooked up to my cloud key plus right now and it works very well.

[@Dirkadin]

@surfer300ZX This was before that. Get off your high horse and go touch some grass.

[@dariantel]

unifi have made yet again a good solution with this, though cant get out of my head the history of just dropping support for things so feals a bit scary, though, as you i do sell this systems and they do work.

[@jeb3078]

for home network is there a reason that the UDM wouldn't be recommended over an NVR. I know the NVR is dedicated for Protect, but, it seems the UDM works as both protect and gateway. The know one trade off is storage and redundancy but i think that is ok for my case.

[@carlliebich1013]

I'm patiently waiting for the Protect NVR Pro to be released. 7x Disk Slots with 10GbE SFP+

[@FirstLastOne]

I noticed two days ago that the NVR-Pro, 7 drive, 2U unit is now in stock at the US online store at $499 as a regular stock item. Early access in the EU is over.

[@NotChar]

Thanks this answered a lot of the questions I had about this system, great work

[@zactodd3144]

Just as a side note to the Firewall mention. The UNVR has an issue at setup where it cannot connect to Unifi initially if you has a nice secure firewall, therefor cannot be set up. For the installs I have done, I had to allow input, output and forwarding on the firewall to the internal IP of the UNVR to get it to communicate. Once completed with install, these can be removed. Does not happen with the UCKG2+.

[@itsasoybean9216]

Great video, I am running multiple UDMPs. At one location running 24 g3 and g4 cameras and 5AP's. its hold its own.

[@MactelecomNetworks]

Great overview Tom. I also hope they expand to more drive bays and give us a way to backup. Overall I've been very happy with the cameras, easy to use , setup and it isn't overly complicated for customers to use

[@LAWRENCESYSTEMS]

Totally agree

[@t11chb]

I've been running a CK2+ for about 2.5yrs with 6 cams and doorbell and doesn't struggle at all.

[@misterpippstv5828]

Anyone else get distracted by the customer entering the shop in the background? Lol

[@rrodriguez8675]

Just saw that, and you beat me to it... 4 months ago

[@TheVerysexytim]

No! There still needs to be huge improvements to it! The amount of times it stops recording is an issue. Recovering video takes ages. It’s only good for home and small Business use. If you have more than 25 cameras look else where.

[@Platoface]

I have 13 cameras including the PTZ and the 4 drive NVR. It’s had a couple of hiccups but all in all it’s an upgrade vs my BlueIris system I had previously.

[@HisLoveArmy]

Love that mounting sticker that comes with the dome 4, great idea. Also the mount sits off the wall more and it is way better than the G3 mounting plate.

[@handle_user_unknown]

Latest v1.18.0 has improved one of our clients NVR4 with 45 Gen3 dome and bullet and 1 of the 4K G4 Pro cameras. We migrated from a UniFi Video box with ease and though the system is still in development we haven't had too many detrimental issues.

[@drfirebug]

Thanks Tom! I was looking forward to this, you always seem to do videos on things I want to install in my Homelab..

[@chuck2501]

I have the UNVR and with the G4 Pro cameras I've reduced the bitrate and fps of the recording to improve performance. 6fps for me is fine with a 4k recording faces and intention are all I need. The smart detect is an amazing feature esp, at ingress, egress positions.

[@devonusmcable]

Lol just realized the pro was back in stock because of this video, thanks, also good video overall

[@fabiankeppler315]

When has ubiquiti been upfront with communication towards the enduser? As long as they sell the product they don't need to inform anyone about what's happening. They have no incentive to start anytime soon.

[@AcuraAddicted]

Ah, just when I wanted an update on it, considering installing!

[@rrrussell1009]

I’d like to see a review and hear your opinion of the UNVR pro.

[@jlemay537]

Ubiquiti needs to get their act together. They have 6 UniFi protect cameras on their website and 5 have been out of stock for months. Are they going out of business?

[@turbo2ltr]

I just bought some G4 bullets and a dome to add to my two older G3 bullets and doorbell. I have a third G3 bullet I bought at the same time as the other two I have but for the life of me I can't get it adopted. really frustrating, but for the most part, protect on the UDMP has worked well.

[@jezior_lca]

We have UNVR system with 27 g4 bullet and 1 g4 4k camera. Works great but the initial version that it came with when we bought the system was really bad. Now after few months and couple of very good releases it works great.

[@tablatronix]

I love it, but it has come shortcomings, I wish it could incorporate my rtsp stream devices, show trigger zones names in alerts as well as thumbs on mobile devices notifications. Better 2 way audio handling, mic toggling, and scheduling for viewing/recording times, I have a cloudkey with 3 cameras, works fine, but dont expect to record more than a couple weeks.

[@MatthewHill]

Can you run the NVR in software instead of on a separate piece of hardware? Like you can with the network controller & APs? If not, that's kind of a dealbreaker. I don't really want to put another mini-server in my rack *just* to attend to cameras.

[@HighlandSteam]

Using your reviews and Crosstalk’s. On my home network I now have unifi UDM-pro, number of switches and now 4 cameras. Only been in 3 months then I find out my old broadband providers router was a simple high jack pile of bovine byproduct. So not in soon enough. Even use the site to site VPN to do distant teaching with my 12 year old nephew.

[@ItzD3fW1sH]

Hey guys. Is the usg gateway router still a good choice for those of us who don't really fit the Udm/Udm pro use case as I already have the cloud key doing the nvr part. I know it's a fairly old product now but reviews are good. Home user, nothing crazy.

[@fredtheilig9636]

Might be a little overkill for my home, but I'm not hating the price. How are the cameras powered? PoE, PoE+, or dedicated power? Any issues putting the cameras on their own VLAN? The hardest part will be getting ethernet to where I want the cameras.

[@beerdiaryshootinmcdaniel8063]

Just waiting to upgrade to something else (personally) after they quit supporting unifi-video. Will never recommend or buy another unifi product over this. My customers up to them.

[@marklyon]

We managed to support 20 cameras on the Cloud Key, but the Network side of things stopped working remotely after a while. Not sure what’s up with that, but we’re shifting the controller over to a different device now.

[@JimtheITguy]

We support lots of Protect systems and mirror what you say almost entirely, we do like the CKG2+/UDMP for small installs

[@radical4316]

Yui uhh n unknown I

[@TheHobbsTV]

Food for thought...input hard 2 uas-xgs along with 36K worth of other unifi gear and they never ever realized Protect for the appliances as promised. That's a totally crap as move IMO. Be careful

[@victorrael8714]

good info as always. by chance is there a way to have a monitor for just the doorbell without a dedicated pc or phone app?

[@scotaye]

Great video! Thinking of jumping on the unifi protect system for home. Will I be set with a G4 pro camera + switch flex + 60w poe injector + UNVR? Thinking of skiping the CKG2 plus due to battery issue. Thanks

[@fademan77]

I have used the Unifi Cloud Key Gen2+ with 9 cameras, with no problem. I've replaced the hdd with a 4TB toshiba - with 9 cameras it gives me about 3 weeks of footage. my G3 bullet cameras outdoors haven't done so well - after 2.5 years all but one has the UV filter stuck.

[@kumiho1729]

I'm looking to add 2-3 outdoor cameras to my house, and was looking at the UDMP to control it. I don't need RAID, as it's just a house, and in the event that a HDD fails on the same day/week that I had a package stolen or something, is very unlikely. Also, I plan to keep this solution for the next 5-10years with potential to gradually upgrade and add additional cameras, without overhauling the entire setup. I will also be installing one or two AP's while I'm at it since I need to fish the cables. Do you see UniFi as a premium + budget option? Or is it far more expensive? I don't need the best, but I absolutely don't want the worst. And, I want to avoid subscription costs, as this is a permanent installation. The alternatives that you have talked about are Synology NAS for recording, Reolink cameras, and TP-Link Omada. I worry that the management and future upgrades of the alternatives won't be as straight-forward as with UniFi.

[@Klausmd5]

As i'm in the same situation as you, I'm just gonna tell you what I do. I also plan to install two APs so I'm gonna go with the UDM Pro because I don't need much diskspace and don't want to buy something extra to get the same result. I'm planning to install two cameras and a doorbell which I think will perform as good as I need. I mean there are far more advanced options as unifi but I came to the point that UniFi solutions are a nobrainer if you don't want to put much effort in setup.

[@mysmtpservices4818]

Interesting video. But it would have been more I threshing if you cover the low end. With the gen 3 Protect. For the one or 2 cam user with a door Bell and going on about th nvr device. Yes it is good for small business but I bet there are a lot more users with 5 or less cams.

[@GrassDaddy]

I agree on all points. I found grabbing clips to be super easy. I setup a ton of cams around the house to get more angles for my YT videos. Way easier than tripods and gopro's 🤣

[@sanderdelft]

Thanks for the detailed video Lawrence. I feel one topic is missing though. What are viable alternatives without subscriptions? I started looking at blueiris but discarded it as most camera manufacturers seem to be Chinese and/or blacklisted companies by the government. Can you recommend any alternatives in this space?

[@LAWRENCESYSTEMS]

Synology Surveillance Station kzbin.info/www/bejne/rl6tpmeLgpV6nMk

[@DrNiazo]

Great, very informative video. Thanks for all you do.

[@sithcdw]

Smart detection is great but how is the speed of the notification? From detection to you actually knowing? I've tried many different AI detection tools with/ without deep stack, all fairly accurate. But nothing compared to Ring for the actual speed of smart detection notifications. I now have a blue iris system for constant recording and Ring cameras just for notifications.

[@GMKiko]

my cloud key + handles 7 cams - no problem.

[@wiebowesterhof]

Other items to bear in mind: * having cameras and the CK2+ on different VLANs is not reliable. It kinda works. But really, it breaks the G3 Dome. I got stuck with CK2+ and cannot get the NVR here at all, and it was out of stock for ages. It does look like the thing that will re-stabilize my network though so this is very, very frustrating. Other than the capacity of the CK2+ being too low to handle the cameras, the system itself is nice and I've used it for a long time :)

[@mtiphotography]

I've managed to snag 5 of those $29 cameras, they are great. I'd love to see a review on the new Doorbell that they came out with....I'm trying to snag that.

[@henryesparza1710]

have you set one up using the dream machine pro? I needed dual wan when we started working from home and it was a quick upgrade over the dream machine for me.

[@rjdp3]

1 year later after Unifi RPS, Unifi launched Unifi: Network redundancy. They will sell you many UPS (Redundant Power System Pro), basic switch with ups (mission critical) , power cycle device (smart power control)… Would be nice if they announced a solar panel controlled by their software to charge the batteries 🔋 😅 That will be a nice energy protection

[@ChuckingRocks]

What are the competitive small 3 camera systems? Is Unifi the way or are there other options? Open source systems that use a NAS instead of an NVR? Asking as a person who has just starting looking into these. Thanks

[@aperson1181]

What are the new/alternative "models" that you would recommend?

[@kenneth_jensen]

Nice review...although I like their products, I'm going with the Synology system...Unifi Protect is just too preprietary...

[@ttww1590]

Ubiquiti not having in camera storage is a deal breaker for many of the business I work with. NVR gets taken and with it all your data.

[@cpufrost]

They really need iSCSI LUN support for UDM Pro and Protect NVR to allow essentially unlimited storage!

[@jlficken]

Really though with only a 1 year "warranty" there isn't much difference between that and having no warranty at all. If it arrives DOA from Amazon you just send it back. You also have a 3 month return period with them.

[@shammyh]

Nothing like buying hardware that no longer has a chain of trust for their OTAs/updates/platform. Unless of course, Ubnt has updated the firmware for every single device they're currently selling... 😬🧐🧐

[@kelimcaron9430]

Overall I've been happy with my UNVR + 5 G3 bullets. I did have to RMA it because it randomly bricked itself while I was on vacation (of course when I wanted to watch the cameras). Since I got the new one it's been good. I've had one camera that randomly disconnects then reconnects instantly and sends the alert, but that could be down to a wiring issue. It would be nice to have better motion detection with the G3s, but I guess I have to upgrade to the G4 series if I want that. Seems a bit pricey for what it is. Would also be nice to be able to do more with the storage settings, and not needing an internet connection.

[@cparker4486]

Do you prefer this system over Synology's? I have a Synology system at my office with Axis cameras and it works well. At least, much better than the dinosaur we had previously.

[@thestig007]

Gonna stick with Blue Iris so I can use any camera / nvr. Also worried about future support for the unifi system, also most of their cameras are sold out right now.

[@ITB_News]

Hey Lawrence.....question is though can you use the G3 without a Cloud Key, as the site says "Note: UniFi Protect is required to run this product with full functionality, we recommend using it with UniFi Dream Machine Pro or UniFi Protect Network Video Recorder" but can you actually use it without a Cloud Key, just using the Protect App ?

[@drewmedic23]

Is there a way to add several protect nvrs on a rack and have fewer cameras assigned to each nvr to increase video retention? Just a thought

[@TheCodesterr]

Not sure if I should wait for the UDM-P SE to set up cams or just go with a PoE switch. Everything’s still out of stock anyways

[@BarbaricPuma]

Hey, I just saw that Unifi is working to make protect stackable to support more than 50 cameras! The below note is now showing on the store regarding Protect ---Note: stackable support for multiplying capacity is coming soon

[@maelstromeous]

Not really had any issues with the cloudkey with 7 cameras (3 domes, 2 G3s and 1 G4 and G3 flex) plus it's SDN stuff as well. Surprised you mentioned this to be too much for the cloudkey. Might be a different experience remotely but accessing it locally, totally fine.

[@kencee9213]

Great video and how is the lag on the live stream from camera to the tv/monitor. And how fast is it when you open the unifi app and click on view the live feed is there a delay to view the live display from your phone

[@leephcom]

2 to 3 seconds behind, sometimes. Because of all the stupid splash screens and cloud Auth, the mobile app startup time is far too long to be usable especially for responding to doorbell rings. This needs serious improvement.

[@Jeroen_a]

Does the NVR publish it's information to other systems, like a home automation (MQTT and the likes)

[@mreid0890]

I'm looking to use this system to protect my home since I have poor internet speeds in my area. DSL 5Mbps down and less than 1 up. I know you say this requires internet to work but will it still work with my speeds?

[@rmckrick3261]

Great insights thanks

[@mdemark4289]

i have a 7 camera unifi/Ubiquity system that was installed by previous owner in 2016. it does not work and messages says NVR is down. the cameras all work and get power. is the new Unifi Protect NVR backwards compatible? can i just replace the previous NVR with new one? will wires and connections all work or is there additional upgrades needed? also, can i add additional new cameras to same system - will all cameras work together? thanks

[@Pabula]

Its very likely not the CPU but the mechancial hdd, im running a celeron J5005 + Micron 5300 Pro, it moves super fast with 16x.

[@chrisbrooke2934]

Hello tom. Thanks for the videos. Adding view only users i have found to complicated for most users. Is there any way of adding view only users without a ubiquiti account. ??

[@austinjohnston3403]

I’d like to know as well!!!

[@kencee9213]

Great video just a question with the unifi app when you look at a live view how fast does the app pull up live view on the phone

[@LAWRENCESYSTEMS]

Depends on how fast your connection is.

[@easy1965]

what kind of HD is recommended for this, and can you use an SSD type of HD?

[@jamesstephens195]

What issues do you run into with the gk2? I am using the gk2 with 10 cameras and 2 doorbell. What issue am I experiencing that I'm thinking this just normal?

[@kevinpunter7960]

NVR v's NVR-Pro ? Is it only bigger in terms of storage?

[@cessna917]

I have 10 cameras with a UCKG2+. Will I actually get more performance from the UNVR or just capacity/redundancy in disks?

[@kokoskakan95]

What cameras so you have? Do you expirience any lagg or problems with the cloud key? Im looking to buy à small 4 to 8 camera system and dont need the hardrive capacity of the nvr. Would love to hear about your expirience with the cloud key.

[@cessna917]

@@kokoskakan95 Mostly G3s and one G4. It's not...terribly laggy but it does sometimes lag when scrolling through footage

[@scottdaastol]

Any update vid ?

[@MixmasterMegz767]

Just a quick question, does ubiquiti have door and window sensors? Or is there a compatible system I can use to integrate that into my unifi security system?

[@4500ABC]

Thanks Tom, does the NVR allow cloud access using the protect app? Also do you know if older UniFi camera will work with it? (G3 dome for example)

[@ShaneAJM]

IIRC you can access it from the protect app. Not sure about G3 Dome support though but I would assume it would be considering Unifi Video was discontinued.

[@allgamestotal6773]

hi. does unify have a wireless based security cameras and not based on ethernet? thanks

[@demonmaestro]

When scrubbing. Is that coming down to a CPU issue and not a HDD issue?

[@ttww1590]

So we just neeed to trust they won't start charging a monthly fee, nerf the series, or have an unreliable SKU :-/

[@harveybolton]

We still have a Unifi Video system comprising of five G3 cameras and the OG Unifi Video NVR, but the live view latency over a LAN is awful, around 2-4 seconds behind real-time. Would the new Unifi NVR coupled with 5 G4 Bullet's be closer to real-time live viewing for a small office?

[@madisonwentz1961]

Can you use an existing NAS system for storage (i.e TrueNAS)?

[@Foxtrot1967]

It was a douche move on Ubiquiti's part to force people to have to pay an additional $200 (gen 2 cloud key) plus the re-programming time just to be able to continue to view your cameras online. Plus they've jacked up their pricing more than 50% without improving or adding tech support phone contact.

[@Phelper99]

I'm still on 1.17. It's a massive step backwards compared to Unifi Video if you're on G3 cameras. I don't recommend it at all. I understand Unifi wanting to standardize hardware for support reasons, but the nvr hardware is pretty weak on my 7 G3-Camera system, and there are features lost by going to protect. I wish I'd stuck with Unifi Video so far. I will check out 1.18 and hopefully my tune will change.

[@Phelper99]

Still garbage.

[@dougmoore5823]

When are they going to make Cloud based SSO OPTIONAL?? Apps dont work unless its connected to the internet, which is not an option for some people.

[@alfa8822]

Can you connect a Unifi Smart Flood Light to this PNVR?

[@mauricioruiz5010]

Is there any way to live view these cameras on a tv from a remote location?