Hi all… im trying to wrap my head around this unifi video/protect stuff. I just bought my first AP recently and set up the controller in a docker container running in the cloud. Thanks to Tom for his excellent videos I’ve paired this with pfsense and very happpy with the setup.
I’m looking at getting my first video camera for a new puppy that’s coming next week. im a bit confused about how the whole thing works. do i need a cloud key? is the video stored in the cloud? can i use the docker controller i already have to manage the device?
im looking at the uvc-g3-flex camera as i think its fine for my purpose and the price is good.
in the short run im trying to keep the setup and cost straight forward. if i have the option of accessing video in the cloud and later migrating locally that would be ideal.
Lastly - does anyone have maybe a different recommendation for this video that i can start with one and grow down the road.
thanks.
Have to admit I was looking for another internal ip poe camera, there wasn’t a good selection on Amazon for Trendnet (which I already have). Those Unif cameras did catch my eye, they look quite aesthetically pleasing, admittedly I too couldn’t quite work out my total liabilities. The appeal of unif is pretty clear but I think you need to be all in.
On the other hand I have a combination of Trendnet IP cams coupled with a QNAP NAS, it suits me, can record to the NAS 24x7, view the footage from my phone remotely without any issues.
I think you need to decide whether you go the Unifi route or not. QNAP and Synology have good offerings for managing IP cameras, after that the options don’t seem to be too wide.
If you do go down the NAS route, they both offer an OpenVPN solution which will allow you to dial home to view the footage without changing your current setup.
I bought my cams 10 years ago to prevent elder abuse, glad I bought them without cloud hosting, those costs quickly add up.
thanks for the info. i decided to go with a pair of wyze video cameras for my puppy cam need. its working out great to check in on the little guy in his crate. they have some great features - night infrared, motion detection, local video recording on to sd card. for only $20 - it’s working out great. Not an outdoor solution thought - so long term for my security cam setup i will condier trendnet or unifi or other solution and local recording.