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Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max
1U Dream Machine Pro Max gateway with 2 HDD bays, up to 15× 4K cameras
SPECIFICATIONS · UDM-PRO-MAX
Full specifications
Specifications sourced from official manufacturer datasheet (link in hero).
About the Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max
The Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max is an enterprise NVR designed for full-building deployments — campuses, factories, logistics centres and multi-tenant facilities where the camera plan exceeds 32 channels. Storage capacity sits in the comfort zone for month-long retention at typical channel resolutions, with room to drop archived footage onto cold storage as it ages out. The 1U rack chassis slots into any standard 19-inch cabinet and pairs cleanly with a PoE switch and a UPS in a single half-height comms cabinet. No PoE ports are built into the recorder, so cameras connect through a separate PoE switch. That is the preferred architecture on professional installs because a dedicated managed switch gives finer VLAN control, larger PoE budgets, and easier replacement than an integrated switch tied to the NVR chassis.
Best use cases for this recorder
Campus, factory, logistics & critical infrastructure
At 50 channels per chassis, the unit consolidates what would otherwise be 2-4 mid-range NVRs into a single rack appliance. Useful where licensing per-chassis matters and where consolidating storage onto one RAID set simplifies forensic retrieval.
4K/8MP camera deployments
Native support for 4K per-channel recording matches it to current-generation 4K cameras — useful when the install plan calls for fewer-but-higher-resolution cameras (typical of perimeter, parking, and identification-focused layouts).
Strengths
- •50-channel headroom absorbs phased expansion without forcing a second chassis
- •Compact chassis fits in a half-height comms cabinet or office bench
Considerations
- •No built-in PoE — budget for a separate managed PoE switch with appropriate per-port wattage for the planned cameras
- •Codec support not declared in the datasheet — verify against the camera plan before commissioning to avoid CPU-bound transcoding
- •ONVIF support not declared — third-party cameras may need same-brand replacement or a brand-agnostic VMS instead of this recorder
- •No RAID support — single-disk failure means losing all footage on that disk; plan retention policy accordingly
Storage planning
Running all 50 channels at the industry-typical 4 Mbps/channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene complexity), the UDM-Pro-Max produces roughly 2109 GB of footage per day — about 14766 GB/week, 63281 GB/month, and 189844 GB across a 90-day retention window. These figures are deterministic — derived from your bitrate assumption, the channel count, and the calendar — not estimated from a marketing data sheet.
Estimates assume 4 Mbps per channel H.265 CBR continuous recording. Motion-only recording typically reduces storage by 40-70%.
Installation tips for the UDM-Pro-Max
Install in a standard 19-inch rack cabinet on supported rack rails; allow at least 1U of clearance above and below the 1U for airflow and HDD-bay servicing.
Plan storage at roughly 2109 GB/day (≈63281 GB/month) for continuous H.265 recording at 4 Mbps/channel — match HDD capacity to the longest retention window the privacy policy or insurance contract demands.
Pair with a managed PoE switch sized for the camera plan — choose 802.3at (≤30 W/port) for typical IR-equipped bullets, 802.3bt (≤60-90 W/port) when PTZ or heated housings are in scope.
Patch the recorder uplink into a switch port matching its native speed (the network panel exposes 8× 1G RJ45, 1× 2.5G RJ45, 2× 10G SFP+) — running a 10 Gb chassis through a 1 Gb uplink throttles playback and multi-stream review.
Power & rack
Power draw sits at roughly 40 W idle and around 40 W under full load (2-bay HDD activity). That dissipates approximately 136 BTU/hour of heat into the rack — size the comms-cabinet ventilation accordingly. Allow 1U of cabinet space for the chassis plus 1U of unobstructed airflow above and below; pair with a UPS sized for at least 15-minute hold-up so the recorder shuts down cleanly on mains failure.
Installer time & cost (rough estimate)
A typical EU integrator quotes 11-13 h of labour to commission the Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max (approximately €495-€585 excluding hardware), broken down as physical install, HDD population, 50-channel discovery and IP/credential configuration, schedule + retention setup, motion / event rules per camera, mobile-app pairing, and a brief operator handover. Allow extra time for sites with non-standard network topology (multi-VLAN, multi-site bridges) or for migrations from a legacy DVR where camera streams must be re-addressed.
Indicative EU 2024-2025 pricing — actual quotes vary by region, network topology and migration scope. Excludes hardware, HDDs, transport, permits, and VAT.
Frequently asked questions
How many cameras can the Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max record?
Up to 50 IP camera channels per chassis. The ingest bandwidth ceiling is not declared in the datasheet — confirm with the vendor before specifying high-bitrate (4K, 12 MP) cameras across all channels.
Does the Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max support third-party (ONVIF) cameras?
ONVIF compliance is not declared in the official datasheet for this model — assume same-brand cameras only, or verify with the vendor before pairing it with non-Ubiquiti hardware.
How much storage does the Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max need for 30-day recording?
At the industry-typical 4 Mbps per channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene), all 50 channels recording continuously for 30 days produces approximately 63281 GB (61.8 TB) of footage. Motion-only or event-triggered recording typically cuts that by 40-70 % depending on scene activity. Plan HDD capacity for the longest retention window your privacy policy or insurance contract demands.
What HDDs are recommended for the Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max?
Use surveillance-rated HDDs — WD Purple, Seagate SkyHawk, Toshiba S300, or equivalent. Desktop / consumer drives (WD Blue, Seagate Barracuda) are not validated for 24/7 write workloads and typically fail within 12-18 months in CCTV use. Match drive capacity across bays if planning RAID — mixed capacities default to the smallest disk size per stripe.
Does the Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max need its own PoE switch?
Yes — the recorder has no built-in PoE, so cameras connect through a separate managed PoE switch. Size the switch's PoE budget for the planned cameras: 802.3at (≤30 W/port) handles typical IR-equipped bullets and domes; 802.3bt (≤60-90 W/port) is needed for PTZ and heated housings.
What power and cooling does the Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max need?
Plan for 40 W idle and ~40 W under full load, dissipating roughly 136 BTU/hour into the rack or cupboard. Size the UPS for at least 15-minute hold-up so the unit can flush write buffers and shut down cleanly on mains failure — abrupt power loss is the leading cause of NVR file-system corruption in commercial installs.
Is the Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max suitable for evidentiary recording?
Depends on the retention and chain-of-custody policy. The 2-bay chassis supports basic mirroring on the install side, but lacks declared RAID 5/6 parity — verify with the vendor whether RAID is supported in newer firmware On the export side, ensure footage is hashed and timestamped before transfer to investigators.
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Helpful Tools & Resources
Storage Calculator
Match HDD capacity to your retention policy
Bandwidth Calculator
Verify your network can carry the ingest load
Camera Quantity Calculator
Match channel count to your site
UPS Sizing Calculator
Hold-up time for clean NVR shutdown on mains failure
System Budget Estimator
Hardware + install + commissioning cost
CCTV Storage Planning Guide
Bitrate, retention, RAID — the full math
Plan your CCTV layout with Ubiquiti UDM-Pro-Max
Use our free CCTV planner to lay out cameras feeding this recorder, match HDD capacity to retention windows, and generate a professional PDF report — no signup required.
Free until you outgrow it · No card · No install