Added Features Powered vs. Battery

[marcschambers]

Greetings.  I'm looking to find what extra features are available with the PRO 2 when powered vs. battery.  I came across the information before purchasing this system; but I'm unable to relocate it.  Thanks in advance.

[jguerdat]

AC power gives you access to both activity zones as well as the ability to subscribe to CVR.

[AncientGeek]

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@jguerdat wrote:

AC power gives you access to both activity zones as well as the ability to subscribe to CVR.

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Doesn’t it also enable the “look back” recording after motion detection to improve the video capture of the motion event?

[marcschambers]

Thank you.  It's really the 3 second look-back feature I'm looking for.  If having the pro 2 powered and I get that for sure; that will be the path I'll take.  Can you confirm?

[AncientGeek]

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@marcschambers wrote:

Thank you.  It's really the 3 second look-back feature I'm looking for.  If having the pro 2 powered and I get that for sure; that will be the path I'll take.  Can you confirm?

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This appears to confirm it and it matches my recollection.  It is unfortunate that Arlo's web site offers such limited high level information in glossy form.  Many of us would like to dig a little deeper into the system and see some diagrams, PDFs explanations of operation.

https://kb.arlo.com/000062053/How-does-the-Look-Back-feature-work-on-my-Arlo-Pro-2-camera

When a camera is cord powered, it can keep a small buffer of video recording and when a motion or audio event occurs, the camera can effectively start the event recording from an earlier time point than when the motion or audio event was actually detected.

[jguerdat]

The camera doesn't buffer anything - it just constantly streams when powered. That's why CVR and the 3 second look-back work. Since the stream is already at the server, it's easy enough to just tack the previous 3 seconds onto the recording when triggered.

[AncientGeek]

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@jguerdat wrote:

The camera doesn't buffer anything - it just constantly streams when powered. That's why CVR and the 3 second look-back work. Since the stream is already at the server, it's easy enough to just tack the previous 3 seconds onto the recording when triggered.

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Thank you for the explanation of the actual operation.  Very helpful.  Does it also record locally to the USB stick when one is installed?

[jguerdat]

I don't have a powered Pro camera to test on but I suspect so since what's recorded on the cloud is supposed to be the same as what's stored on the USB drive. The stream is still going on so I can't see why not.

[youngbru]

The USB drive records the same video that is sent to the cloud. True for both ac powered and battery powered cameras.

[AncientGeek]

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@youngbru wrote:
The USB drive records the same video that is sent to the cloud. True for both ac powered and battery powered cameras.

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So, in the situation we were discussing, this would mean the system is actively recording video to the USB drive at all times for an Arlo Pro 2 that is powered from a wall outlet and presumably there is some buffer management logic that discards unneeded video to prevent that camera from filling the USB drive with video that was recorded "just in case" a motion or audio event was to get triggered, in order to enable the 3 second lookback feature.

I'd like to think that, but given the software quality issues we have endured, I am at least a little skeptcal that it is architected that way.  I hope so, but wouldn't place a bet on it.

[marcschambers]

Thank you.  That was what I'm looking for!!!