Quick Takeaways

• Corridor/vertical mode (9:16) fits tall, narrow scenes like doorways and hallways.
• Standard 16:9 is best for wide scenes like yards and driveways.
• Digital crops/ROI can boost detail on areas that matter most.
• Rotation settings align the sensor to reduce wasted pixels.

What Aspect Ratio and Cropping Do

Aspect ratio sets the frame shape; cropping/ROI selects a sub‑area for encoding. Corridor mode rotates or encodes for vertical field of view—ideal for entries and stairwells. Digital zoom crops reduce bandwidth spent on irrelevant areas but reduce context.

Corridor / Vertical mode (a.k.a. “Rotate Image”)

Some UniFi cameras (like the G4 Doorbell Pro, G4 Instant, AI Pro, etc.) let you rotate the sensor to a 9:16 “portrait” style view.

In the UniFi Protect web UI or mobile app, open the camera → Settings → Video → “Rotate Image 90°” (sometimes called Rotate / Flip).

Crop / Region of Interest (ROI)

On certain models (mainly the AI series and higher-end G4/G5 models), you’ll see an option inCamera → Settings → Video → Crop / Adjust View or “Digital Zoom.”

This isn’t true optical zoom — it just tells Protect to encode and stream a cropped portion of the sensor instead of the full frame, which saves bandwidth and storage.

Fixed aspect ratios

Many cameras are locked to 16:9 (widescreen) or 1:1 (square) based on their hardware. In those cases you can’t change the aspect ratio, only rotate or crop.

On iOS/Android, these options show up under Camera Settings → Video → “Rotate Image” and “Digital Zoom.” On the web Protect app (Protect 6.x+), they’re in Camera Settings → Video → Advanced.

Recommended Uses

• Doorways, stairs, hallways: Corridor/vertical mode for head‑to‑toe coverage.
• Wide yards, parking lots: 16:9 to capture breadth; use zones to focus attention.
• Narrow driveways: Consider a mild vertical crop if vehicles align lengthwise.

Interactions With Other Settings

• Cropping increases apparent detail at the same bitrate but reduces surrounding context.
• Corridor mode pairs well with slightly lower FPS and higher quality for identification.
• Re‑check zones and privacy masks after changing aspect ratio or rotation.

Cheat Sheet

• Front door: 9:16 corridor, 15–20 FPS, mid‑to‑high quality.
• Hallway: 9:16 corridor, 12–15 FPS, mid quality.
• Backyard: 16:9, 15–20 FPS, mid compression.

Final Tips

Physically aim first; use aspect ratio/cropping to finalize composition. Avoid extreme digital zoom; you may lose crucial context. Update thumbnails and documentation so teammates know the framing choice.

More Settings: Visit the Ultimate Guide to UniFi Protect Video Settings

Related Posts: Try Resolution & Profiles, Privacy & Detection Zones, and HDR/WDR