Done with arlo - Pro 4 refuses to detect movement + other issues

[DesignoSLK]

I don't understand why Arlo continues to be rated as one of the best DIY home security systems; it's lacking in so many areas, especially with it's newer lines. Arlo was so much better when they first came out. Frankly, the only camera that seems to work without issue is the video doorbell; all the other ones are terrible, IMO.

We started out with the Pro 2 setup. It worked best out of the latest two systems we've tried (Ultra & Pro 4). We replaced it because it was old, and we were hoping to get better, more reliable systems...that's proved to be extremely disappointing and frustrating.

We had the Ultra system for a year, and things seemed to work until the annual subscription ended (though I got no notification it was ending); that's when things got stupid. We record locally to a huge SD card, but up until a few weeks ago, I could no longer see videos unless I was connected to my network via wifi, even though I had port forwarding enabled. And, my wife, who has full granted access, couldn't see the recordings at all. Still waiting to hear back on that issue, it's been a week now. Also, my garage camera stopped recording pedestrians on the sidewalk and vehicles on the road. I never got to discuss that issue with tech support. So, fed up with Ultra, because I'd read a lot of people were having issues with that system, I opted to try the Pro 4 so I didn't have to deal with the base station anymore.

Pro 4, well, Arlo has proven their latest kit is no better than the Ultra, really. At least not for what I need it to do; which is very basic...you know...detect movement? It still refuses to detect vehicles on the road even though I've setup two activity zones (Seriously, why bother if they aren't going to DETECT ACTIVITY??). For Pete's sake, I have the doorbell pick up road activity from the most obscure field of view, yet the camera POINTED at the road will not. It seems ALL the cameras in my Pro 4, 3-camera kit, suffer the same dilemma of not "seeing" movement unless it's right in the middle of view. And even then, it's not quick to respond. And before anyone asks, yes, I have the sensitivity set to 100% with all the different movements (people, animals, vehicles) set to record. What angers me is that I spent 2 hrs on the phone with tech support yesterday, going through all the gyrations, and still the issue couldn't be resolved. "Genesis" told me I would be referred to the tech team for help and someone would get back to me within a couple hours...that was almost 20 hrs ago. Nice.

So yeah, I'm done with Arlo. It was a fairly good system when it first came out; and actually had some success for me. But for close to $1000 (I bought two 3-camera kits), it stinks. I'm done with it. Thankfully Costco will take back the Ultra kit, and the Pro 4 kit is only a couple days old.

FYI, I'm looking at Lorex. They seem to be the highest rated home security system right now. And sadly...Arlo is still on the list.

[JamesC]

DesignoSLK,

How far away from your Pro 4 camera is the motion you're trying to detect? If it's beyond the cameras effective PIR range (~23 feet), motion may be detected, but it will be inconsistent.

Consider taking a look at the following article for tips on positioning your camera for best performance: How do I position my Arlo wire-free camera?

JamesC

[DesignoSLK]

~23' for the Pro 4? That's ridiculously pathetic given my Arlo video doorbell picks up every vehicle from the most obscure view. The attached photo is from my doorbell, almost 40' away, while my garage camera is about 25' to the street. The doorbell camera picked the vehicle up before it even entered the camera's view. While the Pro 4 camera started recording as the SUV was halfway through the field of view. No, as I said, the Pro 4 is garbage. We had better results with the Pro 2. 

[StephenB]

---

@DesignoSLK wrote:

~23' for the Pro 4? 

---

PIR sensors generally have an expected range of about 10 meters (30 feet).  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_infrared_sensor  The sensors in Arlo cameras are fairly small, so I think 20-25 feet is actually a reasonable expection for reliable detection.

But it depends a lot on what is being detected.  Vehicles for example generate a lot of heat, and often are detected from much further away.  My Pro3 and Ultra cameras will pick up fire trucks that are over 100 feet from the cameras.  My Pro4 would undoubtedly do the same, but it happens not to be aimed at the street.

FWIW, I'd prefer it if my video doorbells had a shorter motion detection range.  I don't need to get recordings of people on the public sidewalk or vehicles on my street.  

Lag between motion detection and the start of the recording is another matter.  The wired video doorbell has the foresight feature (~3 second lookback).  The Pro3 (and I think the Pro4) have foresight, but it is only available when the camera is AC powered - capturing video continuously isn't practical for a battery-powered camera.

[DesignoSLK]

Stephen,

First thanks for the reply. (You too JamesC., I failed to acknowledge that.)

Second, my point is, if Arlo can provide that level of sensitivity in it's video doorbell, why can't they provide it in the Pro 4 camera. And, btw, my Pro 4 camera is plugged into constant AC power.

Anyway, the Pro 4 camera doesn't have the level of consistency Arlo claims it does. Sometimes it records a vehicle on the road, and other times it doesn't. For a camera that costs upwards of $200 a pop, that's unacceptable. And folks need to be made aware of it in the hope Arlo sales go down, and they (Arlo) take the necessary steps to improve it.

I'm a Quality Assurance Specialist, and what Arlo is providing in their new cameras is anything but consistent quality. They shouldn't be rewarded with highlights of the best DIY camera security systems.