I'm helping a friend with cameras for his new house. I've always recommended Dahua, but was wondering if there's a reason to look at Unifi cameras? I feel that Dahua's are cheaper and have better if not comparable image quality (depending on the model), but wanted to see if there's something I'm overlooking.
Why Ubiquiti/Unifi over Dahua?
- Thread starter dummptyhummpty
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Most here, including the Unifi universe fans, say their cameras have much to be desired and they are tickled pink that Unifi is starting to allow 3rd party cameras into their platform.
Yeah, I mean that's a game changer. Aside from cameras, the Unifi NVR/Protect stuff is probably what I'm going to recommend for him.
Thanks for confirming what I thought.
I would still recommend Dahua cameras over Ubiquiti Cameras due to overall image quality and nighttime performance. Ubiquiti got so desperate that they made their UniFi Protect platform ONVIF compatible.
UniFi cameras are expensive; incorporating old sensors vs Dahua
UniFi cameras are expensive; incorporating old sensors vs Dahua
Your right about the sensors but there is a certain aspect of using unifi cameras with the protect system. Everything just works and you actually get updates to the cameras.
Protect system is actually pretty nice. They are constantly updating it and adding features. Its also ndaa compliant. At this time, if Im installing cameras in a small business (or home) I would probably go the unifi protect route. Its kind of set it and forget it.
I have one of the protect systems at my house (got a few different systems). The wife loves it and took her a second to learn how to use it. Their doorbell is also great and saves me the yearly increasing ring fee I used to pay.
Its nice they added third party support. I see their end game here. Trying to gain market share. Too bad no object detection unless you spend more money with third party cameras.
I know a guy who started putting it in for the AI stuff. Facial recognition is pretty cool and getting alerts when people banned from the establishment is pretty damn cool. Again its easy to use and just works.
biggen
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Protect has become a lot more attractive with the ability to add AI processors to any camera. The reason to use unifi is the whole ecosystem of networking and cameras is very nice. It's more expensive than a blue Iris system and a variety of cameras, but it has to be to pay for the software development. I've gone Blue Iris to frigate to Protect and I feel lucky how much development work has gone into Protect in the last few years. I would not go protect unless the plan is to do the networking too.
From a quality point of view I have no problem with the AI detections, including known faces. I integrate camera sensing heavily into Home Assistant. I'm a big believe that, beyond a basic system, nightime light control is where some money should be spent. I have seperate IR in my main yard, and manipulate dimmers for visible light through Home Assistant depending on what the camera system is sensing. This approach to lighting not only improves IQ at night, but also eliminates spiders on the camera.
One camera I do use on-camera IR, but it sees pretty well with it off, and I turn it on if any part of the camera system detects an object.
Lots of options when camera and lights can be scripted through Home Assistant or similar. Of course all of this ties to the security system that mimics presence while telling me that someone is on the property.
From a quality point of view I have no problem with the AI detections, including known faces. I integrate camera sensing heavily into Home Assistant. I'm a big believe that, beyond a basic system, nightime light control is where some money should be spent. I have seperate IR in my main yard, and manipulate dimmers for visible light through Home Assistant depending on what the camera system is sensing. This approach to lighting not only improves IQ at night, but also eliminates spiders on the camera.
One camera I do use on-camera IR, but it sees pretty well with it off, and I turn it on if any part of the camera system detects an object.
Lots of options when camera and lights can be scripted through Home Assistant or similar. Of course all of this ties to the security system that mimics presence while telling me that someone is on the property.
biggen
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My issue is with the Unifi controller. I hated it when I use to run it years ago. I use to have everything Unifi. Routers, swtiches, APs, controllers, etc.. But what a buggy mess that controller was. Their forums are still littered with issues. I removed my last Unifi AP last week at my fathers house. All I use are Aruba Instant On now. Their cameras can't hold a candle to the Dahua stuff we have access to either.