HUGE RUMOR: Unifi Protect will support ONVIF cameras (like from HIK/Dahua)

[steve1225]

For people, who don't known Unifi Protect is CCTV solution by Ubiquiti - big networking brand (routers, WIFI APs, switches etc) targeted into pro-users and small/medium businesses. It have very nice looking, easy to use and working mobile app and NVR web service.

UI / UX is years ahead what we have in Dahua or HIK.

Especially at features like event notification, event browsing and replay, realtime timeline scrubbing - which are very easy to use and works 10x better comparing to DMSS.
Unifi have best in class mobile apps & web interfaces - unifi network (for network administration), unifi protect (cctv), unifi access (for access solutions) etc..
NVR web service is totally html5 ready - no plugins, works in all modern browsers with all features..

It is closed system - so for now only their NVR works with theirs cameras and theirs apps.
Due open NVR API there are many external integrations with Home-Assistant or Apple Home-kit.

Unifi NVR is great solution, but Unifi cams are very basic / weak - mostly 1/2.8" with underpowered IR... something like Dahua 1xxx or 2xxx. Comparing to modern pro models from Dahua or HIK totally not impressing.

This news is not confirmed. We don't known details - what ONVIF level will be supported, does motion/IVS/other AI events will be supported by ONVIF and what will be licensing for non-unifi cams???

There are also many questions due big technology differences.
Unifi protect is using 3-stream (low/medium/high res) adaptive FPS streaming technology, which is years ahead of ONVIF / RTSP.

It loads at zero time in mobile app, You can scrub in almost 1-second resolution in past footage with almost real time replay video (zero wait). Even over slow connections (LTE etc)... it switch streams with different resolutions on the fly depending of network connection. Works like magic...

 

[wittaj]

I wonder if it will be like Ring that accepts ONVIF cameras, but only 2MP and lower?

 

[steve1225]

i dont get why people say "unifi protect is such a great product, their UI / UX is superior to hikvision/dahua".

Because it was created 4-5 years ago as totally new product using totally newest technologies (html5, modern mobile app frameworks, indexed video files working like database, adaptive realtime streaming) without all historical baggage & bullshit we have with Dahua/HIK/ONVIF/RTSP and 20 years of history..

UI / UX is superior - typical end-user which run this app first time can do most popular functions much easer and faster..

yes Unifi Protect don't have all features which we have at Dahua Pro / Ultra lines...
there is SMD... IVS.. and on same higher cam models there is car plate reader (mini ANPR)... that's all..

but UI / UX is much better / easer / faster to use...
it's from 2024... not from 2010..

its the same discussion when windows 11 was released. people who used mac for years now can use windows without getting a heart attack.
others who used windows for decades hate the new UI.

OMG..
You don't even known what You try compare
Windows 11 with 5 different UI / UX in different apps / system elements - from Windows 3.1/95 era, Windows 2000, Windows Vista up to .net UI and Windows 10 UI..

As a person with OCD - it's hard for me to use Windows 10 or 11 (even though I often have to) because of the mess that is in the UI/UX..

hikvision/dahua is designed for installers.
so if they release something real new, they might get in trouble with their customer base.

This is not an explanation for why they keep us with applications which interface / UX / UI or easy to use stopped 10 years ago...
They simply don't invest into new apps..

Why we need plugins in web services? Browsers don't supports plugins from many years - html5 replaced it..
Why DMSS / SmartPSS is that big mess with event notification / browsing / replying?
Why DMSS / SmartPSS don't supports any new AI features (IVS, Face Det/Reg, AcuPick etc)?
They supports very old event / timeline playback, which was created 10+ years ago for basic Motion Events.. Nothing more...
99% people don't have even workable thumbnails in DMSS..

ps. bullshit that 'Dahua is for installers' I receive every time when I ask any Dahua representative why DMSS / SmartPSS / web interface is so bad?? Second bullshit I hear non stop is 'Use DSS Pro, it has better UI / UX'..

just take a look at avigilon software. they were over everyone for years.
now 10 years later after avigilon introduce appearance search dahua came up with acupick.
sadly we dont have any real demos of acupick here, but from the marketing material it looks like a avigilon knock-off.
but still unable to create a timeline over several cams to follow a person.

yes, avigilon is different class here.. they have different AI solutions years before everyone else..
But avigilon costs big money - not comparable to HIK/Dahua NVR or Unifi NVR prices..
You can't even touch Avigilon without minimum 5 digit budget..

 

[kolt_]

I am likely to immediately purchase their NVR once support for this comes out, if it doesn't go out of stock right after which I suspect it will. I have been asking for this for a year now.

 

[bp2008]

That is good news for consumers, and might have pushed me pretty hard toward using their platform if it had happened like 12 years ago before I got into Blue Iris.

Is unifi protect still something you can download and run for free on your own linux box?

I wonder how much of the experience will be degraded using ONVIF though instead of Ubiquiti's first-party cameras.

 

[steve1225]

And now it's not a rumor any more...

Latest upgrade of Unifi Protect to 5.0.20 contain 'Discover Third Party Cameras' option, market as Labs feature...
After enabling this options, all my Dahua cams (and NVR!) from local network showed on camera list with link 'Click to adopt'..
After entering ONVIF user/pass, they simply showed as another cams/streams..

After 5 minutes of playing with this:

• it detect/shows manufacturer / model names from ONVIF,
• it supports h264 and h265.. I use mostly AI Codec everywhere..
• it doesn't support any events / motions detections... I enabled on 3 cams SMD feature before adding the to Unifi and I don't see any events on timeline...

I don't known - are Dahua cams reporting SMD events as normal ONVIF Motion Events?
Or even SMD require private integration (over Dahua HTTP API or some extended part of ONVIF)?

Blue Iris guys - please tell me how SMD events work over ONVIF?
Are they part of basic ONVIF standard? how Dahua cams are reporting them?

Big question: How Ubiquiti will develop this feature?
The buzz will be huge.. I thing that lack of any motion / smart / AI events will be most popular request...

 

[kolt_]

And now it's not a rumor any more...

Latest upgrade of Unifi Protect to 5.0.20 contain 'Discover Third Party Cameras' option, market as Labs feature...
After enabling this options, all my Dahua cams (and NVR!) from local network showed on camera list with link 'Click to adopt'..
After entering ONVIF user/pass, they simply showed as another cams/streams..

After 5 minutes of playing with this:

• it detect/shows manufacturer / model names from ONVIF,
• it supports h264 and h265.. I use mostly AI Codec everywhere..
• it doesn't support any events / motions detections... I enabled on 3 cams SMD feature before adding the to Unifi and I don't see any events on timeline...

I don't known - are Dahua cams reporting SMD events as normal ONVIF Motion Events?
Or even SMD require private integration (over Dahua HTTP API or some extended part of ONVIF)?

Blue Iris guys - please tell me how SMD events work over ONVIF?
Are they part of basic ONVIF standard? how Dahua cams are reporting them?

Wow already? Thought it was at least take awhile to be confirmed at least. Do PTZ controls work?

 

[wittaj]

WOW that it incredible!

Does it accept all resolutions?

Yes, BI will accept SMD over the basic ONVIF standard. I forget which one is which, but it is one of the red circle with X that I have turned off in BI.

 

[tigerwillow1]

What does Unifi Protect cost? What platforms does it run on?

 

[steve1225]

Does it accept all resolutions?

Accepted very non standard from Color4K-T180 (marked it as 4K)..
Plus many 4Mpx...

 

[steve1225]

What does Unifi Protect cost? What platforms does it run on?

Unifi Protect is CCTV solution by Ubiquiti - big networking brand (routers, WIFI APs, switches etc) targeted into pro-users and small/medium businesses. It have very nice looking, easy to use and working mobile app and NVR web service.

It works on Unifi consoles (routers with extra 1HDD bay for small cctv installations) and dedicated Unifi NVR's...

 

[sdkid]

What would be the advantage of this compared to BI? It's hard for me to imagine anything being as good as BI ...

 

[steve1225]

What would be the advantage of this compared to BI? It's hard for me to imagine anything being as good as BI ...

Please read first post in this thread...
Long description what is Unifi Protect and in which it is better...

 

[sdkid]

Please read first post in this thread...
Long description what is Unifi Protect and in which it is better...

The initial post does not compare this to BI. This looks like an upgrade for people using an NVR...maybe. I don't know that it can match the features and capabilities of BI.

 

[steve1225]

The initial post does not compare this to BI. This looks like an upgrade for people using an NVR...maybe. I don't know that it can match the features and capabilities of BI.

No, it can't...
Bi is VMS system... it has a lots of options...
It's for people who like to tinker/configure/modify..
Very similar to home assistant for smart homes...

Here (Unifi Protect) you have a ready to use hardware/software platform with a very cool and easy to use mobile app and a mega nice web interface - two areas where neither HIK/Dahua nor BI are impressive...

 

[Iemand91]

Pretty big deal this, especially when you remember the Unifi Video saga...

A 16ch Dahua NVR is about the same price as the Ubiquiti NVR.
If they work well together, you could combine the best of both worlds; the superior Dahua camera's with the superior Ubiquiti NVR. (and Ubiquiti app/ecosystem).

 

[tigerwillow1]

Let me see if I'm getting this right...

Ubiquiti NVR gives easy setup as with Dahua NVR, plus user interface equal to or better than BI.

Other observations:
$300 purchase price
No arbitrary number of cameras limit. can handle thirty 4 megapixel or eighteen 8 megapixel cameras.

If it were to support IVS events, this would be a killer solution! There must be a catch somewhere?

 

[steve1225]

If it were to support IVS events, this would be a killer solution! There must be a catch somewhere?

there it is..
if You buy one thing from Ubiquiti, then you want to exchange all Your network for theirs solutions

They have big Unifi Network solutions (routers, switches, WIFI access points), everything managed from one unified web panel / mobile app.. Plus centralized Unifi Site manager, where You have access to all Unifi sites (networks) at different locations from one panel.

They have cctv solution Unifi Protect with NVR, cams and doorbells...
They have access solutions Unifi Access for centralised door access (and this works with cams from Unifi Protect)..
They have ISP providers solutions (fiber, coax, radio-links which is big part of Ubiquiti history)...
They adding a lots of new integrations (VOIP, car chargers, music streamers/amplifiers like Sonos AMP)..

They are very good in designing mobiles apps and web panels..
and creating 'Apple style' user experience with their products..
they develop fast (sometimes to fast) and regularly adding a new features..

ps. there is huge market of older cctv installations at companies/campuses/warehouses etc.. Where is a lot of older cams and NVRs which needs a replacement.. Opening Unifi Protect for ONVIF allows to put Unifi NVR at those companies without requirement to exchange all cams at start...

It's Unifi Protect Trojan horse for those existing installations to get those market and upsell Unifi cams later
it's very good business decision to get bigger part of CCTV for SMB / Business market..

 

[BenM]

I've been in the Unifi eco system for about 3 years but have never used the Protect app. I think within 6 months I wont be using Blue Iris at all.

Everyone I have shown Blue Iris too has run away - way too complicated, and I agree. They have all gone Dahua NVR's with the same junk UI and App as 1998.

Dahua, Hikvision and Blue Iris should all be very very worried.

 

[tigerwillow1]

Everyone I have shown Blue Iris too has run away - way too complicated, and I agree.

Now that I've spent maybe 100 hours setting up and tweaking BI, I'm starting to like the result. Lots of things become faster and easier than with the NVR. Horribly steep learning curve with BI. I would think that if Dahua and Hikvision start to see sales being siphoned off, they will respond quickly.