Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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Apple HomeKit Secure Video

Apple announced a new service called Homekit Secure Video...they announced three companies that will start implementing it but unfortunately arlo was not amongst them...I hope arlo announces and enables this service in addition to the promised by not yet seen Homekit integration.
Comments
damdude03
Observer

What are some of the good cameras out there which works with Apple HomeKit  ?. I know about eufy cams are great and I am consider them over my current Arlo pro cams. I think I might just sell my current arlo cameras and switch to eufy. 

illuminous
Apprentice

@damdude03 

 

Eufy is definitely the way to go. They work so well, and they are rolling out new hardware and software features constantly. Their HomeKit secure video implementation is excellent and will be even better when iOS 14 releases shortly.

 

The best part for me aside from HomeKit secure video is the response time of the cameras. All the video processing is done locally rather than in the cloud like Arlo does. This means smart notifications are delivered within 2-5 seconds versus 10-15 or even longer for Arlo.

DaveM8686
Star

Can confirm what @illuminous said.  I've started running a Eufy 2C alongside my Arlo Ultras, and the difference is outstanding.  Eufy has activity zones and person detection for free, and everything is stored locally (no cloud needed) but accessible from anywhere without needing to set up port forwarding and risk opening your network up to anyone.  Plus the Eufy notifications are instant and it gets all of them, where my Arlos miss 20-30% of alerts.  And the 2C battery is draining at a rate of 1% every 3 days, compared to the Ultras which need to be on the solar panels because they drain in a week, including the one that's pointed at the same area as the Eufy.

damdude03
Observer

Agreed @illuminous , @DaveM8686  that eufy cams are better , faster and has more features but one thing I haven't been able to confirm yet and since I dont own them so I dont know about it is that, I get the local storage part on eufy but it is advisable to have some sort of cloud storage on surveillance cameras, in case thief tries to steel your cam and footage. Now for eufy , I think there is a paid cloud service available ( not sure) but ARLO has a 7 day free cloud service which is pretty good too. Does Eufy has something like this ?

DaveM8686
Star

@damdude03 there's no free cloud storage, but the footage is stored on the HomeBase, not on the camera itself.  So the thief would need to get into your house, find the HomeBase, and steal that, which is unlikely.  Speaking as someone who has been robbed (before I had cameras, but I did have an alarm), they just smash and grab.  They don't spend time searching the house for specific security things.  Besides, by the time they got in to your house you'd already know about them and can set off the siren or call the police.

 

Also, Arlo do not have free cloud storage for the Ultra and the Pro 3.  It's only the older models.

https://kb.arlo.com/88/What-are-the-available-Arlo-subscription-plans-and-how-much-cloud-recording-i...

Sevakesmailian
Apprentice

Hi y’all, 

 

I had actually got in contact with Arlos CEO. I had asked him about homekit secure video and he advised me that its not Arlo thats not allowing homekit secure video its Appls because they don’t allow a certain type of programming on homekit plus they only allow max 1080p. They are also going to be coming out with new cameras with no more of those nasty hubs just connect straight to your router... hope this helps and if true apple changes some stuff on secure homekit restrictions!  

Jamesk811
Tutor

@Sevakesmailian 
makes no sense, how come so many other companies seem to have worked out how to get around these restrictions? Sounds like excuses to me, and that it doesn’t fit with their business model.

 

Also, getting rid of the hubs is an even worse idea. I love the idea of not only having cloud storage but also backup storage on SD card. How can this happen with no hubs? 

disaster waiting to happen. 

illuminous
Apprentice

@Jamesk811 


completely agree. Other companies have implemented it perfectly. You have 1080p in the cloud and the 2k stored locally with EufyCam on Homekit secure video. I suspect this comes down to an Arlo issue rather than Apple. Of course Arlo are going to blame their unwillingness on Apple.

With respect to hubs, Arlo have got it completely wrong. Arlo need to improve their hubs not remove them. Processing for people detection etc. needs to be done locally on a hubs like how HSV uses HomePods and AppleTVs.

 

could you imagine Arlo cameras with no hub trying to upload a 4K steam for cloud processing. We will end up getting the motion notification hours after the real detection.

 

 

 

 

DaveM8686
Star

@Sevakesmailian I think you were lied to, and even if it's true, what kind of programming do Arlo have that HomeKit wouldn't allow, given the most important function of HomeKit is that Apple require all data transmitted to be private and protected?  That's more concerning for Arlo than Apple.  Besides, other cameras have easily been able to implement HKSV after launch, and as @illuminous said, it's not that difficult to stream in 1080p on HomeKit and record in 4K to the hub.  The Ultras already do that, I believe.  In all seriousness, Arlo don't want to implement HKSV because it would mean they could no longer charge for the activity zones and smart person detection, because HKSV (and Eufy, and Netatmo, and other brands) give that away for free.

 

The hubless camera they're talking about is the Arlo Essential, which is already available.  You can connect directly to wifi OR to a hub, but it's only 1080p and doesn't support HomeKit at all; not even just streaming.  Again, @illuminous is correct.  The hubs need so much work.  I have an Ultra that is literally 3 metres from the hub through a glass window and it gets bad signal, but I have a Eufy that is about 25 metres away from its hub, through a series of internal and external walls, and has good signal.  I had to buy a second hub for the second camera just because the range doesn't go past about 10 metres tops.  The activity zones and smart notifications also desperately need to be done on the hub, not in the cloud as they currently are.

 

At this stage my subscription is up at the end of the year, and literally the ONLY way I'll keep the 3 Ultras, 2 hubs, and 3 solar chargers I have is if Arlo implement HKSV before then, or at the very least start giving away smart detection and activity zones for free.  Even then I'd probably only keep them another year or so while I work on a replacement.

Sevakesmailian
Apprentice

@Jamesk811  @illuminous 

 

I definitely agree with you both! Hopefully the CEO does something and gets homekit secure video on arlo. If you all could send him a dm on twitter and let him know how you all feel about this no secure homekit.  @illuminous If someone has a orbi unit specifically the rbk853 with wifi 6 why should we put that crappy hub the one they gave 1st gen with not even a dual signal??? The hubs have to go! They just need to have people get the option to buy their own mesh systems and use your cameras with them. If its bad use a hub then!