SOLUTION for Allowing activity zones without power

[getalex]

I am practically giving you the solution to your customer's heavily requested and valuable feature.

Due to intense processing required to monitor so called "activity zones" you currently do not allow this feature in battery operated mode. I propose you allow activity zone configuration, and trigger the camera on motion detection, the same way you currently operate. The video feed goes out to the base station as usual. However, the main difference is that you do not push a notification or save the recording to the server *yet* -- your software processes the first few frames of the video to see if the activity zone was triggered, continues processing as you see fit to determine if any of the motion captured falls within the trigger zone.

If you don't find anything, you discard the video (or let the user review it later, without notifiactions). If you have a good indicators that you caught something within the activity zone, great. You push the notification and keep recording/processing. If this is too complex, at least provide your customers with the option, and expose the limitation that setting up a "battery-powered" activity zone is not as robust or instant as the standard always-powered option.

This is a happy compromise. I absolutely welcome your communication if you need any proof of concept help or implementation approach.

[USA1000]

An excellent idea! By doing that, your would be saving a lot of battery power by not following thru if the acitivity was outside of the 3 zones

[Billy930]

Things to fix product:
Allow zones to be active without place camera on a/c.
Allow smaller boxes when creating zones.
When creating a schedule please allow for time to be correct with saying can have start time later... example I want it to record from 11pm to 12am then on next day from 12am to 6am...
Allow for all select all delete button instead of having to press each video...
This is the problem so far I've encounter,other then that the system is great!

[Rekka]

Arlo pro 2
I ask you the possibility with the next firmware to be able to use the active zones even when the cameras are not powered by the network. This is essential.

[UlrichKr]

I am dissapointed by the fact that activity zones only work on A/C.

I have not seen this restriction in the specs of the Pro 2 camera and I expect to have this feature added SOON!

[DinkerPatel]

I just got Arlo Pro installed on the outside of our house. I selected this device since it was wireless and did not require external wiring AND that I could use it on the outside of our house AND be able to select activity zones BUT I realized after the installation that ac power is required which is expensive to install - I wish this was made more clear on the camera boxes. Are there plans for any kind of software update to fix this? If not, is there another model that won't require external power. Thanks

[getalex]

UPDATE:

I have now evaluated the Arlo system for about 6 months and have had to recharge batteries way more times than expected even with video quality set to Best Battery life - meaning all my video is grainy and still charged the batteries more than 3 times already in the 6 month period of ownership. While battery life is related to use, my garage camera for example is NOT set to turn on and record with motion. I only use it to check if I left the garage door open or not, which is not often.. so I expected the battery there to last a lot longer than it does.

Lastly, but certainly not least.. my front door camera is zoomed in to just my doorstep and the motion detection set to 1% which is as low as it can go for sensitivity. The intent here is that I only want a notification when someone is AT MY DOOR and not when my neigbors arrive. I'm beyond frustrated with countless videos and notifications where nobody is at my front door, and all I can hear is footsteps of my neighbor's stairs a few feet away from any possible sensor interaction. The whole system is frustrating, as much as I wanted to love it and hoped would be helpful and get better over time.

I'm at a point where I'm exploring other options and would absolutely jump onboard any imminent class action against Netgear for misleading product marketing and performance claims. Netgear did well in marketing this product and making it work well the first few months to get user adoption but I cannot see them sustain growth and customer loyalty with the way it performs. I'm an absolutely unhappy customer 6 months after purchase.

[JamesC]

getalex,

Zooming the camera does not change the area for motion detection, this is why you still get alerts outside the cameras field of view when zoomed in. There is now a way to create activity zones without requiring ac power through Arlo Smart. Take a look here for more information: Arlo Smart

JamesC

[getalex]

So basically Arlo took community feedback and ideas and monetized it..

The cheapest Arlo Smart plan is $3/month + tax. Roughly $40/year, which is slightly below what Ring or Nest Hello charge for a more complete set of features.

As far as zoom not affecting motion detection.. that's absurd. is it too much to ask for Arlo to only pick up noise if it's in the view frame? Look, I think we all understand that fancy AI cognitive services to detect people versus a dog walking by, or some other advanced filter detection cost your company a lot of research and development costs.. but I think what your customers really want is very simple: "did someone/something come up to my door or not" -- NOT the neighbors, not a car 20 feet away..

Arlo was telling customers this feature is "impossible" with a wireless device..

then a few months later it is saying "You know what, it's possible, it's called Smart and we charge for it"

Charging for such a highly demanded yet basic feature is a tall order given the high cost of the system.

For anyone else still reading, you can buy a cheap motion detector that can hook up to IFTTT, whether it's a doorbell camera, or some other IoT device that is more simple but compatible wtih IFTTT rules. Then use this as your "activity zone" to trigger the Arlo cameras. Until Arlo free's up the $40/year 'Smart' feature, or a competing product with these bare essential features comes up.

[nerolave]

I bought Arlo Pro 2 wireless cameras and face this Activity zone restriction. This should be implemented and let customer to choose if Yes he agrees that Activity zone is Battery intensive. Even leavin choice to only one zone, but usefull if there is a tree or anything anoying camera.

I bought a Wireless camera to do wireless staff, not to plug it! this is a non sense, and this sould be leaved as default option, without paying anything.

Please do this improvement in next realase.

[imuscle]

What a great idea.  In fact, I was using the zones without electricity...I have had Arlo cams from day one and have updated each time a new product came out...I have 13 Arlo Pro 2 cams...none of which run on electricity....so why change the activity zone without notifying the customers...I have recorded video, while using the activity zones, from one year ago.  Since many customers carry the premium service plan...don't you think it would be appropriate to notify them?  Oh, by the way, my batteries did not drain like everyone says...