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About 1/3 of recordings, play about 10 seconds and video freezes but audio keeps playing

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Regarlo
Initiate
Initiate

About 1/3 of the recordings Play for about 10 seconds and then the video freezes but the audio keeps playing. I have tried downloading the recording but the saved file is no different. I have two arlo pro 2 cameras both having the same problem. They are both hard wired. I use the arlo app on an iPhone8. The audio does not seem to be in sink with the picture either.
Not what you would expect for the price you pay for them.

338 REPLIES 338
jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

The CAMERA has to be able to detect the motion, not your eye. Test by starting walking back and forth across the FOV close to the camera and slowly increase the distance to see where the recording stops.  I did that early on and found that it was close to the 25 feet maximum distance. Of course, if motion stops (the subject pauses or makes small movements), the recording will stop after ~5 seconds. If motion then resumes, the camera will start recording again (after the camera's reset period of 5-10 seconds) IF it can detect that motion.

 

Increasing motion sensitivity in your modes and rules may be needed to get what you want.

Eric182
Apprentice
Apprentice
alchemist50
Apprentice
Apprentice

Does anyone else notice that quite often the cloud recording pixelates or stumbles around that critical 10-18 second elapsed time, even when the video does not freeze?  Seems to happen frequently on my recordings.  It's as if there's consistently an error in the transmitted video stream around that time.

 

Perhaps another data point for the Arlo team....

martincc
Luminary
Luminary

My frustration with Arlo software engineering is turning to downright anger.

 

Some months ago I recommended Arlo cameras to a neighbor. They bought three Arlo Pro 2's, but only recently completed  remodeling their home and installing them. To help them on the learning, they let me set up and share monitoring the cameras.

 

This evening I observed one of them arrive home to the front door vestibule, an area maybe five feet wide x 10 feet long. There is an Arlo Pro 2 monitoring this space from over their front door - the vestibule is well lit.

 

I observed the video run for about 14 seconds when THE VIDEO FROZE, audio kept playing, the recording continued for a total of 1 minute 17 seconds.

 

I CAN NO LONGER RECOMMEND ARLO PRODUCTS TO ANYONE LOOKING TO START WITH A NEW SYSTEM. They have had months to sort this kind of problem out, and the lame suggestions (25 foot range, etc.) is again like someone is pissing down our backs while trying to convince us it is only rain.

 

Martin

alchemist50
Apprentice
Apprentice

I don't know what's happened, but for the last couple of days the video is freezing in nearly every one of my recordings.

StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@alchemist50 wrote:

I don't know what's happened, but for the last couple of days the video is freezing in nearly every one of my recordings.


  • Is live streaming behaving correctly?
  • It'd be useful to connect a storage device to your base (if you have a USB port or a slot for a microSD card).  Then you could see if the video on the storage device also has the problem.
alchemist50
Apprentice
Apprentice

Live streaming works fine (a bit jerky on the motion, but it's always been that way).  Local files on the USB flash drive are perfect - smooth, no pauses/freezing/pixelation.  It's the same symptoms described throughout this thread, but suddenly more frequent.

 

I've power cycled the base, helps temporarily, but not for long.  Camera signal strength is 3 out of 3 bars.  The three Pro cameras on the system work fine, one AC powered and two on battery.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@alchemist50 wrote:

Live streaming works fine (a bit jerky on the motion, but it's always been that way).  Local files on the USB flash drive are perfect - smooth, no pauses/freezing/pixelation. 


That rules out the cameras and the camera-> base station connections.  That leaves the base station -> cloud link (or perhaps in the cloud itself).

 

What is your internet upload speed?

alchemist50
Apprentice
Apprentice

370 Mbps both up and down (AT&T fiber).

alchemist50
Apprentice
Apprentice

Oh, and 18 ms latency.

 

I've had an open support ticket since late August.  "Known problem, team is working on it."

Zzzzzzzzzz
Luminary
Luminary
Yes, I also noticed that sometimes the video "stumbles" or hiccups between 10- 18 seconds. The videos becoming fast motion is very annoying. As are the missing videos, and the videos stopping mid-motion (e.g., as I walk across the camera frame). In addition, sometimes the videos record much less than 2 minutes, as selected in the app. Just hoping that we don't become the victims of a crime that doesn't get recorded by the cameras....
improve58
Luminary
Luminary

A new wrinkle: the camera is not sticking to the schedule. Comes on half an hour later than I programmed in the morning and ends an hour earlier. Not every day, but yet another reason why anyone should think carefully about purchasing any of this equipment.

Beef
Apprentice
Apprentice

Anyone have any updates as when we can expect a working security system. It seems to be taking a hideous amount of time.

Oh by the way my geofencing has stopped working hey ho.

Tony21
Aspirant
Aspirant
I took my Arlo Pro2 camera back to Best Buy and got 4 nest cam outdoors camera. 2 of them are the nest IQ outdoors camera so happy with my purchase Arlo can’t come close to the level of security and quality of video picture you get with these cameras the audio is amazing as well. Dumb the Arlo junk and go with Nest you’ll be glad you did.
arizreynolds
Aspirant
Aspirant
I bought an eufy cam and love it
Tony21
Aspirant
Aspirant
Mjbeuke
Apprentice
Apprentice

@Beef  yep - my geofencing just started acting up also - my wife's phone will just randomly "fall off" and show as "unavailable" so the system will arm and record a bunch of pointless videos on our indoor cameras when she is home..... This is after 10 long months of the same issue that just very recently got resolved.... ITS BACK AGAIN - HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!

 

And the fact that the whole Arlo team is aware that their Pro 2 cameras are not recording videos to the cloud properly when plugged into AC power - and saving weird messed up 11 second clips - and that this has been known for the better part of 4 months now with seemingly no progress updates.....

 

I feel like this issue is one that will be swept under the rug. I'm either forced to buy 2x pro 3's to replace my outdoor cams that are useless (which also means new outdoor 25' power cables - retail total around $500) - or stick with Pro 2's that Arlo somehow thinks its OK to have them not function when on AC power......

 

Talk about eating a crap sandwhich!

mophead
Tutor
Tutor

I never put a battery in mine, all ac power from the beginning, and am having same problem as everyone else since last spring.  Horribly pixelated, or frozen videos with continuing sound, ghosting and disappearing subjects, lower quality video etc.

alchemist50
Apprentice
Apprentice

@JamesC , you've been very helpful on this issue and it is much appreciated.  Could you provide another, semi-detailed update on the status?  For example, has a solution been found?  Is it being tested?  Is it a firmware modification?  Does it address all of the problems described in this conversation (and specifically which ones)?  Is there an ETA for rolling it out?

 

I think periodic updates (maybe every couple of weeks?) until these issues are resolved would go a long way toward easing our minds.  With no information, it's easy to think that no effort is being made toward finding a resolution.  I see these same issues are being brought up in other conversations as well.

improve58
Luminary
Luminary

We should note that, at least for Iphone IOS, there have been two app updates in the last month that as I can see have effected no change at all. Seems more geared to promoting the Arlo doorbell security system.

mophead
Tutor
Tutor

After 7 months of what I consider extraordinary patience with no solution (really should not have lasted 7 days!) I've given up and bought a Nestcam IQ outdoor at Best Buy, at the same time writing a detailed negative review for the Arlo system I bought on Amazon.   Interestingly, the Arlo display in the Best Buy store demonstrated full-force marketing as though there were no problems.  It's an end display unto itself, so gorgeous that for a nanosecond it made me want to reconsider!  I spent quite a while with a knowledgeable sales person who had no suggestions, and was surprised that such a widespread issue had dragged on so long.  He said though that he was not seeing wholesale returns, which begs the question: how and under what circumstances is the system working for so many???  Anyway, it will be interesting to compare results with the Nestcam.

billkex
Luminary
Luminary

That is the question that has me perplexed, ....

Why is this only happening to some of us? ....not all Pro2 owners?

 

This system worked perfectly fine for me until May-June 2019.

 

NOTES:

* I have changed nothing. I'm using the same equipment, same wireless router, etc.

* Cameras are in same positions, Base stations in same locations, same internet service, etc.

* I have tried a different base station and received the same results.

* It only happens on the recorded versions (not the live feed)

* It happens on both battery & A/C powered cameras.

 

I am still waiting for Arlo to update me on our next move.

MyArloCam
Guide
Guide

Hi, I have an Arlo Pro 2, outside, plugged in, battery in. For a while, I was having these problems too: bad video quality/pixelized, no 3 sec look back, ghosting, audio stays on. Since reading this thread, I surmise that these problems probably started with the firmware update back in the spring like everyone else. More recently, though, within the past month or two, due to circumstances beyond my control, there were multiple power outages, and for unrelated reasons, we installed a new router/modem, and my Arlo base station had to be rebooted a number of times. I'm not sure if it was the rebooting, or upgraded router/modem, or both, or neither, but my issues with the Arlo Pro 2 have improved. I don't want to jinx it because it seems to be working fine, but just wanted to share this info. I hope this is helpful to you and hope the Arlo folks will fix whatever it is, or be transparent with the parameters under which the camera will work as promised.

billkex
Luminary
Luminary

How was your Live video? (mine is ok)

 

My recorded versions are crap, I'm not sure why my modem or WIFI router would have anything to do with why the recorded versions are bad?  (especially when it all worked fine prior to 06/2019.

 

For the heck of it, I'm tempted to try a different modem & router to see if it fixes it.

But I'll wait to see if yours goes again & wait to see your posts.

Good luck!

MyArloCam
Guide
Guide

@billkex The live videos have always seemed to be okay. It was the recordings that were no good. Yeah, I'm wondering too if it will go bad again, too. Can't say for sure it was the new router/modem that helped. Could be, but not sure - we upgraded to one we bought from a rented one, and we were going to do it anyway. Will post if it like you say goes again. LOL