Pick Your Brains - What would you do - Unifi Video Deprecated

NashBrydges

Looking to pick brains and see what you'd do. This is for my home.

Currently running Unifi network controller in the cloud that manages my home network as well as my clients' Unifi networks. (17 sites)
Also have 4 x UVC-G3 bullet cameras installed at each corner of the house. These are all pointing to my Unifi Video controller VM which is installed on a server in the datacenter.
Backups of all VMs done via Veeam B&R
The Unifi Video software will be EoL effective Jan 1 2021. UBNT will no longer release any software or security updates for this so I need to move off this platform before then (I know, I've been procrastinating).

Options:
1 - Buy a Cloud Key Gen 2 Plus (I have no need of the Unifi Controller function, single HDD, no built-in backups, while not announced, I'm not sensing this will be supported for long...no evidence of this, just a hunch)
2 - Buy a UNVR (1 to 4 HDDS however if you install 3 or 4 drives, the only array allowed is RAID 5 and I'm told no option to change that, also no built-in automated backup that I'm aware of)
3 - Buy a UDM (but I have no need for the Unifi Controller function)
4 - Replace my UBNT cameras for other cameras and find another NVR (maybe my Synology DS1819+ for example)

To backup video files I suppose I could use RSync to send files to my Synology for backup but haven't tested that.

I'm leaning towards the UNVR but curious if anyone else is in the same boat and what you've chosen to do.

Also, I'd be interested in knowing which cameras/NVR you use in outdoor settings (remember, this is home use, not business). Looking for...

some intelligent motion detection (prefer something better than simple motion detection like the UBNT devices do)
day/night (IR)
motion zones
motion alerts
audio (2 way comms not necessary but a nice-to-have feature)
must allow for local video storage to NVR (so SD card-only or cloud only devices need not apply so the likes of Ring or others like it are out)
RTSP a nice-to-have feature
POE capable
decent IP rating for outdoor use in southern Ontario, Canada (4 full seasons of weather and temps)
min 1080p (4k would be great depending on the price)
PTZ not required

hobbit666

@NashBrydges said in Pick Your Brains - What would you do - Unifi Video Deprecated:

The Unifi Video software will be EoL effective Jan 1 2021. UBNT will no longer release any software or security updates for this so I need to move off this platform before then (I know, I've been procrastinating).

Out of interest.
Are they replacing the Video software for something you can run "on-prem" or can you only use the new stuff with their NVR/hardware devices

black3dynamite

I never used UniFi Protect but there seems to be some nice reviews about it.

Check this out for some ideas outside of UniFi.

Budget Friendly Surveillance IP Camera Setup: Synology, Reolink Cameras, and Netgear POE switches.
Youtube Video

NashBrydges

@hobbit666 Sadly, they are not. There is no software to replace replace it. Nothing to run on your own hardware. You must now purchase and use their own hardware in order to obtain the latest updates for the NVR.

NashBrydges

@black3dynamite Thanks, I'll check that out.

stacksofplates

The UVC line allows for RTSP. Why not just use the same cams and send them to a different NVR?

dafyre

There's also ZoneMinder and other similar alternatives, if the Unifi cameras will work with them. I use ZM for an old camera here at the house for tinkering, mainly. It's gotten a lot better with the most recent version.

manxam

I've run BlueIris with several G3 cams in RTSP mode without issue. Way more powerful/complete software than what UniFi offers anyways.
Milestone XProtect is also a great package now that they've increased the camera count (I believe 8 now) of their "lite" offering.

NashBrydges

I wasn't aware I could use RTSP to feed to another NVR. Gonna have to give that a try.

manxam

@NashBrydges said in Pick Your Brains - What would you do - Unifi Video Deprecated:

I wasn't aware I could use RTSP to feed to another NVR. Gonna have to give that a try.

If you go into the main page of each camera you can change the "Mode" dropdown to "Standalone" and then an "Enable RTSP Authentication" field shows up so you can create credentials for it..

biggen

Another vote for Blue Iris. I run it in Proxmox VM. Have about half a dozen Dahua cameras feeding it.

brandon220

Blue Iris is great. It is too bad it only runs on Windows. We have deployed in on mini PCs with great success.