NEW: Custom Channels support for UniFi Protect

[hjd]

Just a brief announcement for those interested in the community - if you use Ubiquiti's UniFi Protect NVR/cameras, you can get complete HomeKit support as well as M3U playlist support that is compatible with Channels DVR, using homebridge-unifi-protect.

I added the capability in a recent update - you can have HBUP dynamically generate an M3U playlist based on the cameras a given Protect controller knows about, with gratuitous guide information that integrates with the custom channel features that Channels DVR exposes.

As a bonus: you can also create a channel collection and use the automatic channels rules to dynamically create a collection of your cameras - create a new channel collection and use the "UniFi Protect" keyword and check the "New", "Live" and "HD" checkboxes in the automatic channels section, and you're all set.

For those that don't know: HBUP is a Homebridge plugin that provides full HomeKit compatibility for the UniFi Protect ecosystem.

Enjoy.

Edited with screenshots:

Custom Channel setup.

Channels Collection setup.

UniFi Protect program guide.

UniFi Protect individual camera "episode".

[maddox]

This is great! Could you show some screenshots of what it looks like in the Guide and On Now?

[cyoungers]

I use Homebridge to bring Ring cameras into Homekit. I wish there was a system comparable to this unifi camera project so I could add Ring cameras as a channel in the Channels app.

[hjd]

Done - updated the original post.

[jonmalm]

This is great, thanks for posting. I actually had all 3 of these services setup but was not aware of this integration. Took less than 5 mins to get it setup!

[hjd]

Enjoy. I just released the feature a couple of weeks ago, with some tweaks last weekend. Really wasn't sure anyone else would find it useful, but thought if anyone would, it would be folks here.

HBUP has quite a decent user base as well, figured there might be some overlap...you never know.

[Fofer]

@cyoungers

I use Homebridge to bring Ring cameras into Homekit. I wish there was a system comparable to this unifi camera project so I could add Ring cameras as a channel in the Channels app.

There is, it's called Scrypted:

Scrypted gets Ring doorbell and security camera feeds into Channels' guide too

Here's a tip that will be of interest to Ring camera users. I set up Scrypted on a Raspberry Pi to connect my Ring cameras to HomeKit Secure Video. It works very well: One feature I discovered afterwards, is that it also let me connect these video feeds to Channels DVR's guide. Once I set the "Rebroadcast Container" to RTSP, a Rebroadcast URL was presented. I copied that, substituting "localhost" with the IP address of the Pi. I then used that URL when setting each up as a Custom Channel in…

I recently went back to using ring-homebridge for HomeKit integration and tvOS notifications too, for that part it seems a bit more stable. But I still use Scrypted right alongside it, simply for the RTSP streams it provides, as they integrate into my Channels guide. Scrypted is also available as an add-on to Home Assistant.

[cyoungers]

@Fofer

There is, it's called Scrypted

Thanks for that reminder. I memory-holed this post after I did not have time to investigate. I'll take a look now and see about integrating Ring cameras.

[ElenaM]

Using the *Homebridge Unifi Protect* I connected the Unifi to the homekit, Ofcourse there are also other methods to do it - the Scrypted and the Home assistant integration. Thanks for the Custom channels,

[TexasYeti]

here are 13 channel Icons for yall to use.

Custom Channel Logos. Share or Request

Custom Virtual Channel Icons for the Custom Channels support for UniFi Protect thanks @hjd [channel_unifi_logo] [channel_unifi_homebridge] [channel_unifi_g5dome] [channel_unifi_g5_flex] [channel_unifi_g5_turrent] [channel_unifi_g5_dome] [channel_unifi_ai_360] [channel_unifi_ai_bullet] [channel_unifi_ai_pro_white] [channel_unifi_ai_pro_black] [channel_unifi_g5_bullet] [channel_unifi_ai_theta] [channel_unifi_g5_ptz]

[Matthew_Crommert]

has anyone tried to do this with scrypted - i really don't want to install homebridge just for this

[Fofer]

@Matthew_Crommert

has anyone tried to do this with scrypted

Yes:

Scrypted gets Ring doorbell and security camera feeds into Channels' guide too

Here's a tip that will be of interest to Ring camera users. I set up Scrypted on a Raspberry Pi to connect my Ring cameras to HomeKit Secure Video. It works very well: One feature I discovered afterwards, is that it also let me connect these video feeds to Channels DVR's guide. Once I set the "Rebroadcast Container" to RTSP, a Rebroadcast URL was presented. I copied that, substituting "localhost" with the IP address of the Pi. I then used that URL when setting each up as a Custom Channel in…