Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Security Camera optimization

[Snowcatt]

I installed the Arlo Pan Tilt outdoor camera a few weeks ago and I'm interested in obtaining the clearest pictures possible of our construction site.  The camera says "2K" video on the screen, but when I zoom in the clarity deteriorates quickly.  Is there any way to improve the clarity, perhaps for specific areas within the field of view, or is this just a limitation of this 2K camera?   Overall I'm quite pleased with its operation but curious if it can be better.  Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[jguerdat]

The compression/bitrate of the recordings is the cause for "blurry" images as you zoom in. Since these are designed to view the whole scene, not to be able to ID small objects. To do that, a much longer focal length would be needed for the lens as well as (potentially) less compression/higher bitrate.

[StephenB]

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@Snowcatt wrote:

The camera says "2K" video on the screen, but when I zoom in the clarity deteriorates quickly.  

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While I agree with @jguerdat that the amount of compression limits the picture quality, the another factor here is that the camera is using digital zoom with mechanical pan/tilt.  So when you zoom in by 4x, you are dropping the sensor resolution from 2K down to 640x360.

[jguerdat]

@StephenB zooming in only affects a recording, not the image on the sensor. Of course, setting a different field of view in the camera video settings likely is just cropping the sensor.

[StephenB]

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@jguerdat wrote:

@StephenB zooming in only affects a recording, not the image on the sensor. Of course, setting a different field of view in the camera video settings likely is just cropping the sensor.

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Not sure that is always true while livestreaming.  Either way, it is done digitally, so fewer pixels as you zoom in.  So the resolution drops.

[Edinburgh_lad1]

Mine isn't showing 2k, but 'Live' only.

[StephenB]

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@Edinburgh_lad1 wrote:

Mine isn't showing 2k, but 'Live' only.

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So does mine.  2K livestreaming is enabled automatically with these cameras (and  it will stream 2K both locally and remotely).

• https://kb.arlo.com/000063217/How-do-newer-generation-Arlo-cameras-and-doorbells-use-2K

But like previous cameras, it streams at 1080p if the camera is zoomed out, or if auto-track is turned on.  In my case, the camera is zoomed to 1.6, and autotrack is on.  If I remove the zoom and turn off auto-track, it does live stream 2K.

[Edinburgh_lad1]

That's helpful to know @StephenB though not clear why other users report that they can see a badge - when you have no zoom on etc, can you see the 2k badge, or 'live' only?

Also, for consistency, Arlo should implement HD/2k/4k badges for all live streams for all cameras across the range, depending on the use. Not sure why only my Ultra have the 4k badge when streaming and on top of everything, not sure why my Pro 2's video when played shows the HD badge but not when live streaming.

Do the dev team not have meetings to discuss/implement the same approach across the board?

[Edinburgh_lad1]

Also, and sorry to hijack the topic, in low light conditions, is the still in Video Settings overexposed? 

[StephenB]

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@Edinburgh_lad1 wrote:

That's helpful to know @StephenB though not clear why other users report that they can see a badge - when you have no zoom on etc, can you see the 2k badge,

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Yes. 

[Edinburgh_lad1]

I can't! I've tried with two devices.

In the UK, they're selling the HD version of pan and tilt, but mine is 2k. Is it possible that some kind of geographical restrictions are applied? @JamesC