UniFi Lab 13
Recordings don't last long enough
The client wants 30 days of recordings. The UNVR fills up first. Make each day smaller.
Your job: reach the 30 day goal with the same drives, and keep the four key cameras at full resolution.
This run: 12 cameras record all day at full quality. Storage is full.
Lab complete. 30 days or more, key cameras at full resolution.
30 days, same drivesStorage
UNVR · 4 x 8 TB · Basic Protection (RAID 5)Storage full. Oldest recordings are deleted after about 18 days.
lab label18 of 30 days
Short by 12 days.
Cameras
4 key · 8 secondary- Front DoorKey
Full · Always
- DrivewayKey
Full · Always
- Side GateKey
Full · Always
- GarageKey
Full · Always
- Front Yard
Full · Always
- Back Yard
Full · Always
- East Side Yard
Full · Always
- West Side Yard
Full · Always
- Patio
Full · Always
- Back Patio
Full · Always
- Pool
Full · Always
- Pool Gate
Full · Always
Settings
Good to know · info only
Out of scope for this lab
Why this fails
Recording Retention is a limit
Recording Retention is a limit, not a promise. When the drives fill, the oldest recordings go first.
Fix: make each day smaller. Start with Super Encoding and the secondary cameras.
Each day smaller
Super Encoding and the high-quality period make each day smaller, so more days fit.
Secondary cameras
Secondary cameras rarely need 24 hour full quality recording. Motion recording or shorter retention there saves the space for the cameras that matter.
Drives
New drives work too, but try settings first.
Glossary
- Recording Retention
- A limit on how long recordings are kept. Not a promise.
- Super Encoding
- Makes each day of recording smaller.
- High-quality period
- Recent footage stays full quality. Older footage is kept at low quality.
Before and after
lab model| Item | Broken | Fixed (example) | This run |
|---|
Gear in this lab
- 1 UNVR (4 bays)
- 4 8 TB drives
- 12 Cameras
Counts only, no prices.
Takeaway
30 days, same drivesMake each day smaller. Then more days fit.
Recording Retention is a limit, not a promise. When the drives fill, the oldest recordings go first. Settings make room before new drives do.
- A bigger number changes nothing. The drives are already full.
- Turn on Super Encoding. Test it on one camera first.
- Put secondary cameras on Motion, or give them shorter retention.
- Use a high-quality period shorter than the goal. Key cameras stay at full resolution.
Need more days than settings can give? Bigger drives or a second NVR.
Related labs
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A teaching lab, not a quote and not a design for your site. Every day count and the storage bar are a lab model, not real bitrates. The status line is lab only. Control names follow Ubiquiti wording where confirmed.