Arlo Pro 4 often won't record vehicles or people

[operasingerbb]

My three Arlo Pro 4 cams are just one year old. The two on the front of the house have started sporatically not recording vehicles--cars and trucks--that drive by and/or pull into my driveway and/or people walking to my front door! But they record small animals, such as squirrels scampering around. These two cams are the closest to my modem/router and the heat objects/people are just feet away from both cameras.

I have a 3rd camera on a tree facing my back yard and screened patio. This camera even records activity inside of the screened patio, which is very far from the camera. Plus this cam is farthest from the modem/router!

What is going on that two cameras on the front often neglect to record very large heat objects but will record very small animals?

[jguerdat]

The object of these cameras is not to record large heat objects but people. Yes, you can capture vehicles but that's out of spec relative to the design parameters.

This may be the root of the problem - the camera isn't optimally positioned/aimed to detect people. Motion across the FOV is needed for the PIR sensor to more easily detect that motion, not directly at the camera. Screenshots of the cameras' views as well as descriptions of expected people activity would be useful.

[operasingerbb]

"Guru," I don't know what to say to your reply because, respectfully, it makes no sense.

1. Over the decade that I've had 3 iterations of Arlo cams and had issues with them, I've been told multiple times that these cameras do not start recording because of motion. Rather, they record based on heat that it senses. That was weird to me because my cams would record leaves moving on windy days, which was/is irritating because of getting so many useless videos.

2. That "... you can capture vehicles but that's out of spec relative to the design parameters" is utterly shocking! In the 1st place, capturing vehicles is extremely important for many reasons, especially for police reports of hit-and-runs of someone's parked car on their own property. Second, all of my cams over the past decade have captured moving vehicles, both going by my house and/ or coming/going in my driveway.

3. "... isn't optimally positioned/aimed to detect people. Motion across the FOV is needed..." I have not changed any settings for the 3 cams. Since setting up the three Pro 4 cams about 11 months ago, I've had relatively few problem with them capturing humans, vehicles, and animals--even wasps flying by. Not recording people nor vehicles has just begun happening within the past few weeks by Cams 1 and 2 either passing by my house or in my driveway. BUT, they record tiny animals such as birds and squirrels.

4. Both cams 1 & 2 have been recording absolutely nothing for the past week or so. They just seem to go off for no reason--no motion, nothing in the video--and could do this multiple times within a short time (every minute for about 5-10 minutes).

I have many screenshots that I've spent a lot of time taking from videos to prove all of the above and to show the POV of each cam. However, I can't find any way to attach them to my post nor this reply. If you know how, please let me know.

[StephenB]

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@operasingerbb wrote:

1. Over the decade that I've had 3 iterations of Arlo cams and had issues with them, I've been told multiple times that these cameras do not start recording because of motion. Rather, they record based on heat that it senses.

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Not really heat.  Infrared (IR) Light.  This is light just below the deepest red color we can see.  It is detected by a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, and not by the camera itself.  This can be reflected (just like visible light), but is also emitted from warm objects (including people, car engines, etc).

There will be a change in the IR from the leaves blowing in the wind (in fact the wind can sometimes trigger the sensor even if with leaves).  The leaves and air in the wind is often a different temperature from the still air and whatever is in the background.  

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@operasingerbb wrote:

4. Both cams 1 & 2 have been recording absolutely nothing for the past week or so. They just seem to go off for no reason--no motion, nothing in the video--and could do this multiple times within a short time (every minute for about 5-10 minutes).

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Have you tried removing/reinserting the camera batteries?  That will restart the camera(s) - which might help.

[operasingerbb]

Removing and reinserting the battery still doesn't respond to why BOTH cameras simultaneously failed to record a large truck pull into my driveway, then a man getting out and walking across my yard. Then a little while later, neither camera recorded the man walking across my yet again and getting into his truck and leaving. These incidents happened within the FOV of both cameras. Yet, squirrels scampering across the driveway and yard do trigger the cams to record. These cameras function independently. Thus, from a troubleshooting perspective, this failure would point to something else.

Altho this wasn't the first time this happened, if it happens again, I will post here.

QUESTION:

Does the number of cameras affect how efficiently any of the others functions? IOW, if one camera is recording, can that affect the ability of the others to perceive and/or to record? Can there be too many cameras?

[StephenB]

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@operasingerbb wrote:

Removing and reinserting the battery still doesn't respond to why BOTH cameras simultaneously failed to record a large truck pull into my driveway, then a man getting out and walking across my yard.

How far away are the cameras from the truck (and the person)?  Spec'd motion range is about 25 feet.

Were they moving across the field of view?  Or were they moving directly towards the camera?  The cameras are more sensitive to motion across the field of view, and are more sensitive at the bottom than the top.

Motion detection (when on battery power) uses a passive infrared (PIR) sensor on the camera face - the system is not actually "looking" at the video until after motion is detected.

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@operasingerbb wrote:

Does the number of cameras affect how efficiently any of the others functions? IOW, if one camera is recording, can that affect the ability of the others to perceive and/or to record? Can there be too many cameras?

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Bases/smarthubs can handle up to 5 simultaneous streams.  That said, WiFi signal quality and internet upload speeds can sometimes get in the way.

Try livestreaming both cameras at the same time, and see if you have any issues.

[operasingerbb]

For both cameras, the person and truck were within 10-15 ft and well within the FOV. Both cameras have recorded similar events, but on more than one occasion, they both failed to record events that are nearly identical to those they do record.

The person walked across the FOV of both cams. Both the truck and person were in the approx center of FOV.

The Arlo Pro4 cameras did not come with Bases/smarthubs. They function directly to Wi-Fi "No hub required for an even easier install." states the Arlo order and on the box.

[StephenB]

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@operasingerbb wrote:

The Arlo Pro4 cameras did not come with Bases/smarthubs. They function directly to Wi-Fi "No hub required for an even easier install." states the Arlo order and on the box.

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They can be connected either way, and of course I had no way of knowing how yours were connected.

Did you try livestreaming both cameras at the same time?  

Also - are you using activity zones?  If you are, then perhaps try deleting them, and see if the detection is more consistent.