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Ubiquiti UNVR-Pro
2U UniFi Protect NVR with 7 HDD bays, up to 24× 4K cameras
SPECIFICATIONS · UNVR-PRO
Full specifications
Specifications sourced from official manufacturer datasheet (link in hero).
About the Ubiquiti UNVR-Pro
The Ubiquiti UNVR-Pro is a high-density recorder built for city-scale, campus, and critical-infrastructure deployments where a single unit replaces a stack of smaller NVRs and consolidates licensing into one chassis. 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 2U chassis gives space for additional HDD bays, a fuller fan complement, and a sturdier power supply than a 1U slim case — the cost is one extra rack unit and more weight. 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 70 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
- •70-channel headroom absorbs phased expansion without forcing a second chassis
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 70 channels at the industry-typical 4 Mbps/channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene complexity), the UNVR-Pro produces roughly 2953 GB of footage per day — about 20672 GB/week, 88594 GB/month, and 265781 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 UNVR-Pro
Install in a standard 19-inch rack cabinet on supported rack rails; allow at least 1U of clearance above and below the 2U for airflow and HDD-bay servicing.
Plan storage at roughly 2953 GB/day (≈88594 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 1× 10G SFP+, 1× 1G RJ45) — running a 10 Gb chassis through a 1 Gb uplink throttles playback and multi-stream review.
Power & rack
Power draw sits at roughly 65 W idle and around 65 W under full load (7-bay HDD activity). That dissipates approximately 222 BTU/hour of heat into the rack — size the comms-cabinet ventilation accordingly. Allow 2U 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 14-16 h of labour to commission the Ubiquiti UNVR-Pro (approximately €630-€720 excluding hardware), broken down as physical install, HDD population, 70-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 UNVR-Pro record?
Up to 70 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 UNVR-Pro 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 UNVR-Pro need for 30-day recording?
At the industry-typical 4 Mbps per channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene), all 70 channels recording continuously for 30 days produces approximately 88594 GB (86.5 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 UNVR-Pro?
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 UNVR-Pro 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 UNVR-Pro need?
Plan for 65 W idle and ~65 W under full load, dissipating roughly 222 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 UNVR-Pro suitable for evidentiary recording?
Depends on the retention and chain-of-custody policy. The 7-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 UNVR-Pro
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