topic Re: Help Understanding Video Storage and Viewing in Arlo Pro 3

Help Understanding Video Storage and Viewing

billrigsby — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 14:39:46 GMT

Please correct me if I am wrong.

I currently have a 90 day trial, I can view videos after the notification on the phone app, these are in the cloud storage as well as on my inserted USB Drive. But I am viewing them strictly from the cloud. Correct?

I cannot view the videos from the library in the PC App by clicking on them, they must be downloaded first, these are only stored on the USB Drive. Correct?

Once my trial is over and if I do not sign up for whatever program Arlo has, I will not be able to view videos after the notification from the phone app. Correct?

I will only be able to download them and/or go through the several steps to remove the USB Drive and then view them from there. Correct?

If all of the above is correct, and I think I have it figured out correctly. Then this system is basically useless without a subscription, as the downloaded or ‘clicked’ videos will not play on my Windows 10 PC due to some encoding issue. Only live viewing would be available without a subscription.

Is all of the above also good for the Doorbell Camera?

Let me know if any of this is incorrect.

ALSO, is the lag time between movement in front of a camera and it showing on the app normal or is it my WiFi?

Thanks, Bill

Re: Help Understanding Video Storage and Viewing

jsaus63304 — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 15:26:37 GMT

You can view local recording on the app now and after the trial ends. There is a drop down at the top that defaults to cloud. just drop down to choose local storage. Or, click on the circle next to the settings below the camera image. Or click the square box next to setting of your hub. All take you to local storage. You do lose the thumbnail with local storage. IMO, a PC is not a viable option for viewing.

Re: Help Understanding Video Storage and Viewing

StephenB — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 16:00:16 GMT

@billrigsby wrote:

I currently have a 90 day trial, I can view videos after the notification on the phone app, these are in the cloud storage as well as on my inserted USB Drive. But I am viewing them strictly from the cloud. Correct?

Probably, that depends on whether direct access to local storage has been set up on the base, and whether you are choosing to use it in the app. @jsaus63304 gave you the steps needed to use it in the phone app.

@billrigsby wrote:

I cannot view the videos from the library in the PC App by clicking on them, they must be downloaded first, these are only stored on the USB Drive. Correct?

Viewing 2K or 4K videos on the PC can be tricky, depending on how old the PC is. I can view 2K and 4K directly from the app using Microsoft Edge and after installing the HEVC app from the microsoft store. But this also requires a PC that is new enough to have 4K HEVC hardware acceleration. So there are set ups where you need to download videos when you are using cloud storage.

You should be able to view 1080p cloud videos, or the cloud videos from the doorbell from any PC.

But direct access to local storage is only available on the phone/mobile apps. It is not available on the PC. Windows 11 might change that, as it is supposed to let you run Android apps. If someone here has installed Windows 11 beta, it would be interesting to hear if you've tried that.

@billrigsby wrote:

videos will not play on my Windows 10 PC due to some encoding issue. Only live viewing would be available without a subscription.

You won't be able to download local videos from the Web interface at all. You can only access cloud recordings.

So it's not an encoding issue, you just can't get to the local recordings unless you move the USB stick to the PC. After you do that, you can view them in VLC or other popular media players.

@billrigsby wrote:

Is all of the above also good for the Doorbell Camera?

It depends on the doorbell. Direct Access to Local Storage requires that the cameras (and doorbells) be connected through a smarthub (VMB4540 or VMB5000). The AVD1001 can be connected that way. Right now, the AVD2001 can't be - though Arlo says they are planning to add that capability, they haven't said when.