Time and Date Display on video (Timestamp)

[J_Benson]

Preface: The property management company I work for purchased 8 Arlo cameras to set up around the apartment complex I manage. 

The current system does not provide an easy way to tell the exact time a specific time that an image within a video clip was captured, nor does it provice an easy way to navigate to a specific time within a video. The only mention of an exact time is the time listed when the camera began recording each clip. To find out when a still image within the video was captured, you must mentally add up the amount of time you are into a video and the start time of the clip. Example: I want to find the time 6:32 within a video clip. The video clip states that it starts at 6:30, so I navigate two minutes into the video.

My suggestion is to either add a time and date stamp to the video recording, in an unobtrusive area of the video, perhaps customizeable to which corner it appears in. Alternatively, rather than the time slider at the bottom of the clip playback stating the time into the video clip, it displays the real time the video was taken. Current setup for video playback begins at 00:00:00 and advances to 00:02:00, if video length is set to 120 seconds. Instead, it could start at the real time the video capture was taken and continue along at real time. Example: Video starts at 06:30:27 and the slider at the bottom of the playback advances to 06:32:27.

This would aid in finding a specific time in which an event reportedly occurred, as well as serve for better evidence when assessing a charge against a tenant for littering, as you could print out a screenshot of the video with a timestamp and attach it to a document for issuing a charge. It would also aid in police investigations or as evidence when in litigation. Police often come to my office to request video footage of a certain time and date, and this would assist them. We also have a problem with illegal dumping of mattresses and furniture, in which case we would need a timestamped image to present to police.

Thank you for reading this suggestion, and I hope that a timestamp could be implemented as an optional feature for the Arlo camera system in the future. 

J. Benson,
Ullrich Real Estate

[securitycamuser]

Put the date and time stamp on the pictures/videos so that when you download them they appear on the pic/video or in the pic/video properties, otherwise they are worthless because they cannot be used in a court of law. It is ridiculous that this was requested almost a year and half ago and it still hasn't been implemented. If I had known that the Arlo Cameras didn't have this basic feature I would have never bought them.

[sfchew]

Add a time and date stamp to the video recording. This is a basic feature of most video survelliance systems. Thank-you

[ltorres321]

Team, the product you have created is a good product. But I could have never imagined a camera that records and does not display a time and date stamp on the video. This is a major problem. I have to make many records inside the house that I know will need to be used in court and I cant really prove time and date. Yes I understand that the unix timestamp is created when file is downloaded but the file name can be changed and in court with attorneys they can dispute time because it can be changed by simply changing the file name. Please find a way to display time in the video so there is no question or denying timestamp. Look if you can an option to turn feature on and off that would be a huge plus I can understand maybe some people dont want a timestamp. With an ON/OFF feature for time stamp you can please both audiences.

[ElsieR]

This has got to be the single biggest flaw with the Arlo system. I've just spent hundreds of £ on this kit, expecting it to have time & date stamps on the video. It didn't occur to me that at this price break the feature would be missing.  Even the cheap unbranded cameras for £30 have this feature, so why on earth do these £200+ cameras not have it?

I am starting to regret investing in this system which otherwise was meeting all my requirements.

[ltorres321]

ElsieR your preaching to the quire I said the same thing spent 1500 dollars and no time stamp our rages. If they don’t fix this issue we should expose this flaw everywhere on the internet so it can affect there bottom line. This is straight up stupid. Had I known this I would not have spent a dime but I didn’t know and legally I need something to show the court.

Netgear fix this **bleep**!!!!!!!

[alien_scones]

Its been almost three years and over 200 kudos since the date/time overlay on the image has been requested. 

Netgears moderator responses has been non-commital and non-informative. 

Its quite possible that the camera itself is unable to add the overlay in real time.  Hell we don't even know if the camera(s) know what time it is!  

Re-encoding the video on the cloud would require more cpu time ($$$) and possibly hit some legal issues when it comes to handling video for criminal evidence.   Netear's non-response non-commital, after three years speaks loud enough. 

It's time to enter your comments where Netgear is listening:  Update your Amazon, ATT.COM, BEST BUY and other ONLINE PRODUCT REVIEWS.   

Here's mine:   4/2018 Update:  This camera system does not support showing the date/time on the video and pictures, despite hundreds of public technical support requests from the Netgear User Community. 

[storage_man]

This product definitely needs the ability to embed a date & time of the recording.. You can't use a video to prove anything other than it happened.

[Gadger007]

For me this is massively important and a huge problem not having this on our videos in the UK. Simply put, if anyone was caught on camera and a prosecution was required, the footage would be inadmissible in court as no date or time is visible on the footage. I've only had my system a week and am now considering sending it back because of this one reason, apart from that I'm very impressed with it, shame really.

[Cwalls]

We had a recent attempted burglary of a vehicle in my driveway and my cameras caught the suspects. After calling Law Enforcement, they wanted to know why my video had no date/time info on it. I’ve suggeated this before because I am an ex officer and been in courts that scrutinized videos like this. It would be nice to have that info displayed instead of having to rely on a screenshot of the info on the app.

[Billy_38]

Without a Time/date stamp on the video Arlo video is next to useless as evidentiary value in a court matter. I suggest anyone who expects to rely on video evidence as proof of an occurrence should look for a better product. This matter has been brought to Arlo's attention but they have yet to respond.