Unifi Protect

🛎️ Get Help Apps
1

I'm just starting to get things set up on the Unifi side. I have a Dream Router 7 and a Network Video Recorder. I only have 1 HD in it currently. I also have an AI Turret camera and a UVC-G6-INS-W Plug-and-play 4K WiFi-connected camera on the way. I also have 6 old Amcrest cameras on the UNVR....that will eventually convert to other Unifi cameras.

Again...just getting started...so if I understand correctly there are both user and built in apps.

I really like built in apps...but sometimes user app have a couple more options.

Is there a good driver for using the community app vs the built in?

Thx

2

Just some of my opinions as one of the developers of a Unifi Protect community project...

  1. The built-in integration is just that, already built-in, so it is simpler to get running as you do not need additional drivers (mitigated somewhat if you use HPM, but you cannot really beat the simplicity of it being pre-loaded).
  2. The built-in integration uses the "new" API that Ubiquiti is providing with documentation, this makes it relatively stable.
  3. The community drivers use the published, but basically undocumented, API that the controller itself uses for it's webpages. This means that anything you can do on the controller COULD be done in the community drivers. There are additional capabilities and such possible within mine that are not possible with the other API.
  4. The community drivers (at least the main two I know of) pre-date the built-in integration (by quite a bit) and each has an established base of users, sometimes with some crossover.
  5. Not applicable in your case it appears, but the community drivers generally support newer Ubiquiti products sooner than the built-in integration (such as the new Sensors). Part of this is because of the different APIs used (if the controller supports the device, the community drivers can, while the documented API can lag a bit).
2 Likes
3

Fantastic answer and thanks.

As long as the AI features with the built in app allow for building triggers off motion, face, vehicle and license plates...I probably don't need much else.

I admire the community apps, but prefer built in long-term. It all depends though I know... I use a community driver for my Smartwings blinds simply because I think open should be "0" coverage not "100."

1 Like