Hard drives got expensive this year, and security cameras are hungry. UniFi Protect 7.3, which Ubiquiti listed as introduced on October 5 [2] after a release candidate on October 2 [1], goes straight at that problem.
What's new
- Super Encoding, which Ubiquiti says reduces storage use by "up to 50%" for all UniFi cameras [1]. Ubiquiti hasn't disclosed how it works [1].
- Storage budgeting, letting you split space between high-quality and low-quality continuous recording per camera or for all of them [1].
- Video Wall Time Machine, for managing recordings from one or several cameras over a time block you define [1].
- Remote adoption over Teleport VPN. One NVR can adopt cameras at other locations, with each remote camera acting as a VPN client back home [1].
The remote camera feature is the sleeper hit
Vacation house, a second small office, a detached workshop: until now you needed another NVR at each site. With 7.3, Dong Ngo explains, a single NVR can manage them all [1]. The requirements are specific, so check before you plan:
- The NVR's network must use a UniFi Cloud Gateway as the primary router, running UniFi OS 6.0.9 or later with Teleport enabled and signed into a UI account [1].
- The NVR needs Protect 7.3.68 or later [1].
- Remote cameras must be G6 Series (not Edge), AI series, or Doorbell Lite on firmware 5.5.27 or later, and you'll generally update then factory reset them before deploying remotely [1].
- Adoption happens from the Protect mobile app on the remote network [1].
The gotchas
- Upload bandwidth. Ngo notes each camera may need up to 50 Mbps of upload for 4K [1]. A typical home connection at a vacation house will not run four 4K cameras. Drop the resolution or the camera count.
- VPN client limits. Every gateway handles a limited number of VPN clients, depending on the model [1]. Check yours.
- "Up to 50%" is a ceiling, not a promise. Busy scenes compress less than an empty hallway at night. Measure your own savings for a week before you change retention plans.
- Static IP helps. A static WAN IP at the NVR site is recommended for stability, though not required [1].
How I'd roll it out
- Update Protect, then the cameras, and confirm recordings continue.
- Turn on Super Encoding for a few cameras first and compare quality on footage you care about (faces, plates) before going fleet-wide.
- Set a storage budget: high quality for doors and registers, low quality for the parking lot that never changes.
- Pilot one remote camera before shipping a box of them to the lake house.
Should you upgrade?
If storage is tight, yes, and quickly. If you have a second location, the Teleport feature alone may save you an NVR. If your system is stable and roomy, wait a week or two after release and read the thread first.
Bottom line
Protect 7.3 is a money-saving update: less storage per camera, fewer NVRs per business. Test the encoding on footage that matters, mind your upload speeds, and let the cheaper hard-drive budget be your reward.