Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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External Sensors w/o Cameras (External Motion Detection/"Tripwire")

Because of Arlo's excellent video quality and excellent field of view I am able to see most of a large room/outdoor area with one camera. Unfortunately this tends to minimize the effectiveness of the motion detection as the camera tends to be more centrally located and so it does not detect something/someone until it is halfway or more across the room/area if it detects it at all.  This leaves users with the undesirable options of either compromising their camera placement to accomodate motion detection or using an entire camera exclusively as a motion detector with little to no useful function as a camera. This latter scenario is a situation for which the camera is over-qualified and overpriced.  A separate motion sensor that would trigger the camera to start recording when someone enters the room/access point would alleviate this issue. It could also help with the issue that myself and others  are having with lag in recording start time. The sensor could be placed further out from the camera when necessary so that it could trigger the camera to start recording earlier, accounting for the lag time and recording what users actually wanted recorded.

 

An additional sensor would not be something that would be required of all cameras and placements, but it would be useful for specific scenarios and even having two sensors at opposite inds of a room/area triggering one camera could be a useful setup. As it is though, it is relatively cost prohibitive to expand your system to do this as the cameras are the only sensor option and cost too much to be wasted on being merely a sensor. Additinally these "wasted" cameras eat into your allotment under the current subscription you have and could create additional cost to the user for an upgraded subscription. As it is, I am hesitant to expand my system (currently at 4 cameras), even though I would like to have greater coverage, because of the up front cost of the cameras not being used to their full potential combined with the monthly cost of the upgraded subscription. I would be far more willing to expand my system and upgrade my subscription if there were external sensors that would allow me to use my system effeciently and effectively like I want to without the inflated up front cost.  

 

I could see how this could be achieved either through hardware development of sensors exclusively for Arlo or through software development of integration with already established systems which perform comlementary functions. With either one, if the price is right I'm in, if it stays as it is my expansion is stuck.

Comments
GreysonD
Fledgling

The motion detection issue on the camera is my biggeset concern. It doesn't activate the camera to record unless I stand in front of the camera and wave my hands for 5 secs...Maybe it's too much for a camera to do video recording and motion detection at the same time?Wondering if you can come out a "good" motion detector that could connect to the base station and work with the camera to solve the recording lag issue.

rutt3r
Novice

Hello,

 

First post. I searched for this to vote on it but was surprised it isn't there already.

 

New Arlo cam(s) owner and really pleased. I'm also interested in expanding my 'smart home' - but don't necessarily want to buy another hub to support other 'Things'.

 

So, how about Netgear extend the Arlo product range/ecosystem with:

- Arlo connected smoke alarm

- Arlo connected door alarm/monitors

- Arlo connected power socket adapters

- Arlo connected moisture monitors/leak alarms

- Arlo connected alarm/siren

- etc, etc

 

I'm *sure* you must have this on your roadmap. An indictation that this is coming would be great.

Or opening up the Arlo system to SmartThings, things?

 

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Ponch1965
Initiate

Outstanding suggestions and I second/kudos to all of them.  I like the way you think!

relevance
Tutor

I know I'm digging up the old suggestions, but do not wish to repost the same ideas.

I am also in need of dedicated standalone motion sensor for my arlos. heck, have smartthings motion sensors as "add-ons" without having purchase of samsungs hub. wireless motion sensor (preferably magneted back) with battery operated would be great.

 

my cameras detect so slow  target is already gone passed by or halfway in the frame. that's too slow. I'll need dedicated standalone motion sensor to set it trapped further out so that camera can have enough time for preparing to record.

 

but at this rate, Arlo would make it so that it's only compatible with newer hub and make us purchase the whole thing again like they did to offline/local storage recordings.

 

 

Destry
Initiate
+1 this. Seems like an obvious add-on.
Ducktaper
Star

I don't know where to register a few ideas I have for future Netgear consideration.

I would like to be able to purchase the option to have a small stand-alone wireless PIR unit that can give an assigned camera an advance trigger signal to start recording. An example would be a target triggers my remote PIR at a gated entrance or driveway, and when the target then enters my camera's viewing zone said target is instantly captured on video by a already recording camera.

 

The other idea I would be interested in is having a "network" recording option, implemented either via the app or through buying a specific camera system set up for this option. By this I mean I would like to have several, or all, my cameras go into record mode when any one of them is triggered by motion or whatever other trigger means available. I would think this could be accomplished within the base unit; a camera getting activated could trigger a "wake-up" signal to the others. These small features could really put the "surveillance recording" into an already budding home safety system. Keep up the good work in advances.

Schorschi
Prodigy
An external sensor has already been suggested before. In the Arlo Idea Exchange you should find multiple instances of this suggestion.

A “one-detect-record-to-all“ mechanism can already be accomplished with the existing system. Simply define rules where a trigger event on one camera records on all your other other cameras. You'll need to create one rule per camera-to-camera relationship, so it can be a bit tedious to create all rules, but it's doable. One constraint of this, however, is that one can only record five concurrent video streams per base station.
DaveWoj
Virtuoso

Unfortunately for me, this rule is not working as expected.

I believe many on here are having an issue with the rules being very glitchy.

 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo-Pro/Experts-Is-this-possible/m-p/1164108#M1162

 

Dwahl
Aspirant
I'm sure this has been brought up in the past but didn't see anything here. Is there currently or will there be any support for window, door, motion, or glass break sensors? Wether this be support for a product outside of netgear or netgear developes it's own this would make the arlo system a FULL security system.
Rmolzan
Follower

IR Wireless Wi-Fi motion detection accessory would be nice to have.