Arlo Pro 4 doesn't provide 10 second video like my earlier system.

[GSD]

I have an earlier Arlo system at our house in California. It uses a base station and provides a 10 second video each time the camera is triggered. The Pro 4 I purchased recently for our house in Minnesota touted no need for a base station and, in fact, I can use the cameras without HOWEVER I don't get any video just a still frame.  It appears I can pay Arlo a monthly fee for this capability or purchase their base station. Is this right? seems like bait and switch somehow.  Thank you.

[StephenB]

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@GSD wrote:

HOWEVER I don't get any video just a still frame.  It appears I can pay Arlo a monthly fee for this capability or purchase their base station. 

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Cloud storage for all the newer cameras (starting with the Ultra in 2018) requires a subscription - and that includes the Pro 4.  The camera comes with a three month trial subscription - is that active?

However, you can livestream video from the Pro 4 without a subscription. I can't tell from your post whether you can do that or not.

[GSD]

Thank you for the prompt response. Yes, I can live stream video but, for me, the purpose of these cameras is to "record" recent events for a 10 second review as necessary: Someone triggers a camera at 3AM and I, of course, won't have a record of this without the subscription. Live stream doesn't help me. Again, my older cameras in CA use a hub and record a 10 second video with NO subscription. Would purchasing a hub for the 4 circumvent the subscription?

[StephenB]

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@GSD wrote:

 Again, my older cameras in CA use a hub and record a 10 second video with NO subscription.

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Again, every Arlo camera introduced in 2018 or later (starting with the Ultra) requires a subscription for cloud recording.

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@GSD wrote:

Would purchasing a hub for the 4 circumvent the subscription?

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Connecting the Pro 4 to a base station does not circumvent the need for a subscription for cloud storage.

If you were to purchase a smarthub (VMB4540 or VMB5000) then you could use direct access to local storage - instead of cloud storage.  That would let you see recordings in the apps. https://kb.arlo.com/000062337/What-is-Direct-Storage-Access-and-how-do-I-use-it

There are some important limitations you should know which are not discussed in the KB article:

1. recordings can only be accessed from the app - not from my.arlo.com
2. recordings can only be accessed from the primary account - not friend accounts
3. manual recordings cannot be saved.
4. thumbnails are not shown and videos need to be downloaded to the mobile device to view them.
5. it can be tricky to access videos when you are away from home.

[Jacobsonn]

I found the other one after posting this but thanks for the helpful instruction. Hopefully it didn't confuse you too much. They should write instructions on how to handle two questions on the same topic.