Apple HomeKit Secure Video

[Edron]

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.

[DaveM8686]

Netatmo also seem to be a decent competitor, other than needing to hardwire the cameras (unless you already have outdoor lights). 

The biggest one for me is that the Baby needs HSV at a minimum. Now that there’s an easy option to keep all the recordings and streaming locally for a baby monitor, it 100% should be done. 

Of course, it also bothers me that all of the Baby features are supported by HomeKit except the built in music player. I can run one scene to get my son ready for bed that turns on the Baby nightlight, dims the lights in his room, and closes his blinds, but then I still need to go into a separate app to turn on the white noise, or at least push the physical button on the device to start what was last playing. It’s stupid. At this stage I’d even settle for Shortcuts support to be able to include the white noise and the rest of the scene as one shortcut. 

[Monch]

Yes absolutely ridiculous not to support Homekit Secure Video!!  I cannot recommend this Arlo to anyone until they allow this feature.

[illuminous]

@DaveM8686 Shortcuts support would be such an easy thing for Arlo to implement and would greatly expand the integration with HomeKit that is currently so lacking. It could allow for arm/disarming of the system as well as others things like you’ve mentioned. 

After doing some research I’m still surprised that Arlo cannot expose the base station as a security device in HomeKit to allow for arm/disarm. Other systems are able to do this.

Anker’s Eufycam’s just seem to be getting better and better. They just announced two new indoor camera models which will retail for $40 and $50 (includes pan+tilt). Combining these with a Eufycam 2 or 2C for outdoor seems like the perfect setup, as they will all support HomeKit Secure Video.

[DaveM8686]

@illuminous totally agree.  The HomeKit "functionality" that Arlo have added for their security cameras is literally just to view the camera and speak through the microphone.  No access to the security light, no way to arm/disarm, no way to edit the activity zones.  Even the Baby is limited.  You can use most of the Baby's features through HomeKit EXCEPT the inbuilt music player.  Which is crazy, because I would literally settle just for play/pause on it, and I would settle even further to just have that in Shortcuts.  I've deleted all the nursery rhymes that came inbuilt and only use the white noise.  I'm so sick of having to log into the Arlo app, wait a minute for it to log in, wait another minute for the camera to load up, then turn on/off the white noise, when everything else in my kid's bedtime routine, like turning off the downlights, turning on the nightlight, turning on the air purifier etc, can be done through one Scene.

Even their IFTTT features are severely lacking, but at least that has the option to arm/disarm.

[illuminous]

@DaveM8686 

Yes it is just terrible. Even if they can’t expose the Base Station directly in HomeKit, I have tried to push Arlo in multiple channels to adopt Siri Shortcuts. It would be so quick and easy for them to do this and it could allow the for the changing of modes (arm, disarm etc) to be integrated with HomeKit. I just cannot understand why Arlo are so slow to implement software features. 

As I said before, EufyCam is looking like a real contender. iOS 14 leaks have indicated some major enhancements to HomeKit Secure Video, which will be announced at WWDC next month. I’ll make my decision on whether to switch then. 

[DaveM8686]

@illuminous 

I've actually already contacted the retailer where I bought my Arlo setup and have asked if they'll do a return 6 months in due to dissatisfaction with the product.  If they say yes, I'll be returning my Ultra 3 pack the pack and looking to get EufyCam2 4 pack for the same price instead.

At this point the only thing that could convince me to stay with Arlo is HomeKit Secure Video.  I'm so sick of having to pay for a service that so many other companies are giving away for free now.

[jwm911]

I honestly feel really stupid because I bought more cameras to add to my setup before realising this would never be supported. I should have checked.

I now have 5 cameras and 2 base stations, so it’s quite a waste, but I’ve decided security and privacy is more important so I guess I’ll try sell these second hand for whatever I can get and move to Eufy as well. 

[dpl]

I know how you feel when you say I feel stupid because I feel just the same.

i bought them in November from Best Buy, no way in hell are they going to accept a return.

Maybe, just maybe Apple will announce something at WWDC on June 22, because what we know is Apple will have a slide or two regarding the evolution of HomeKit Secure Video. I bet if Arlo joins the ecosystem, Apple asked Arlo to keep it a secret until the end, and it will generate a much bigger buzz for both parties to reveal it during the keynote. That's what they did last year.

Regarding eufy, it sounds like a chinese product (yuffie?). The origin is not clear on their website. Surely HomeKit Secure video changes the game regarding privacy, but the hardware and app themselves - I don't know if I can trust it.

If nothing happens on June 22... It's very simple. Arlo hardware is on the most expensive side on the market, and the same is true for their Smart Plans. So they will have to start digging their graveyard, because people will either switch or just don't go with Arlo altogether.

[runthis]

I have the Arlo pro, and was looking at upgrading to Pro 3 with homekit support, but after finding out homekit support, doesn't include being able to arm / disarm - I'm going to wait, for one of the other camera's to add UHD support.

Sucks, because I actually liked the arlo system I have. but want at least 2k video, and real homekit support.

jarelle

[DaveM8686]

@dpl Eufy are made by Anker, who are a very famous battery company. And yes, they are based out of China, but I really don’t understand why so many people find that to be so off putting. Almost all tech is made in China these days. Besides, like you said, HKV means the stream never leaves your network anyway, so it doesn’t matter where they are based.