arlo pro 4xl. Couldn't view library videos using Chrome, Edge or Firefox browsers.

[Frank99]

Had not been able to view cloud library videos using popular browsers. Support said try another one or download and view with VLC. Lousy solution. In trying to troubleshoot motion triggering and brightness issues I manually recorded a couple of events instead of the usual motion triggering. For some reason I can view manually recorded videos but not motion triggered videos in the cloud library using Chrome. Have 2 files, recorded within a minute of each other, one triggered each way. I can repeatedly play one and not the other. Support staff was uninterested and dismissive when I asked about it.   

[StephenB]

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@Frank99 wrote:

Had not been able to view cloud library videos using popular browsers.

Chrome, Firefox, and most other browsers do not support HEVC 4K playback.

Edge will work if you have a PC with a newer processor and also purchase and HEVC extension from Microsoft (in the Microsoft store).

If you give us more details on the PC, we can give some guidance on whether the HEVC extension will work on your system.

[Frank99]

Hi StephenB,

Thanks for getting back. I hadn't been able to view cloud library videos using popular browsers, only with the Arlo app on my Galaxy S21. Up until now I’ve been getting suggestions like ‘try Safari’ (not supported on Windows for some time) and download and view with VLC (or some other app which supports h.265). This is the first time I’ve heard of an HEVC extension for Edge from the Microsoft store. I'm using Windows 10 and didn’t know it was extensible.

Anyway, I had a revelation yesterday when I was playing with a night vision/motion detection problem with an external 850nm IR source. I powered down the external IR and manually recorded 15 seconds on the Arlo 4pXL testbed camera. A minute later I powered up the external IR and recorded another 15 seconds. I was about to download the videos from the library for viewing on a desktop with VLC and accidentally hit ‘play’. Surprisingly it played, from the library, using Chrome v105, which is exactly what I’ve been using. I tried playing another video, recorded by a motion event, and got the ‘can not play’ message. I went back and forth a few times between the ‘manual’ and ‘triggered’ videos with consistent results.

I had been unhappy not being able to play HEVC with popular browsers but, after reading about h.264 adoption due to Cisco’s license coverage and h.265’s non-adoption due to licensing fees and disputes, I was resigned to it. That there is a difference in ‘playability(?)’ due to video triggering method doesn't seem to make sense. Metadata still caries the trigger method but I wouldn't suspect it would affect codec choice. 

I mentioned it to an Arlo support tech in a chat yesterday. He was underwhelmed and not really interested. When I asked to talk to an engineer the chat ended. He suggested I return the units for a refund or exchange. I would have sent the two videos (triggered/manual) for analysis but he didn’t ask. Videos are still in the library and downloaded to my PC if anyone is interested.

As he suggested it, I’m unpacking and charging a new 3 camera Arlo 4pXL & hub kit today.

Frank

P.S. My computer is a 9 year old Dell Optiplex 9010 w/ Intel Core i7-3770 3.40Ghz, 24GB mem, 1TB hd, running Win 10 Pro.            

[StephenB]

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@Frank99 wrote:

P.S. My computer is a 9 year old Dell Optiplex 9010 w/ Intel Core i7-3770 3.40Ghz, 24GB mem, 1TB hd, running Win 10 Pro.            

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Too old unfortunately.  7th generation Intel and AMD processors were the first ones to have H.265 acceleration (which is needed for the microsoft extension to work).  Yours is third generation (Ivy Bridge).

[Frank99]

Thanks StephenB.

Looked at Intel's 'Encode & Decode Capabilities for 7th Gen CPUs. I have a Radeon HD 7470 graphics card in the box to support dual monitors but it's just as old. Looks like that overdue upgrade may happen (or maybe a newer graphics card, if one will work, as the computer still does most everything I need).

Still don't know why can I view videos captured manually during a stream using record start/stop, and not videos captured by motion trigger, both in the library, using Chrome?  

[StephenB]

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@Frank99 wrote:

Still don't know why can I view videos captured manually during a stream using record start/stop, and not videos captured by motion trigger, both in the library, using Chrome?  

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If you look at the file details, you'll find that the manual recordings were made at 1080p (using H.264/AVC), not 4K (H.265/HEVC).

[Frank99]

Interesting - All the documentation I've seen says 4 Pro live streams in 2k. I have no way of telling whether the live stream is 1080P or 2K but why would it be streamed at 2k and downgraded to 1080 before saving?

The manual (live stream) recording (h.264 - 1080P) I've been looking at is 14 seconds of 15 fps video for a file size of 1.48 MB. The triggered recording (h.265 - 2k) is 13 seconds of 24 fps video for a file size of 1.70 MB.

All this is academic as my Dell ST2410b monitors only support 8 bit 1080p and the screen on my phone is probably too small to see the difference. Is there a user selection for h.264 /h.265 storage, now that I know both are used? 

[StephenB]

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@Frank99 wrote:

Interesting - All the documentation I've seen says 4 Pro live streams in 2k.

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No.  All the cameras stream in 1080p to the browser.

There is an option to enable 2K/4K livestreaming for the app - but that only works if your phone is on the same wifi network as the camera.  Plus if you enable it, you lose manual recording (no idea why).

[Frank99]

After all the problems (and multiple open cases):

1) Couldn't view events by browser in cloud unless they were captured during live stream and saved in 1080 instead of 2k & would need to upgrade computer to view.

2) Touted huge viewing area contains only small event capture area - up to 25 feet and less if approaching camera (some spots down to 7 or 8 feet where I needed it at the front door) instead of moving across field of view.

3) Good night vision with ambient light down to almost nothing if depending on IR.

4) Vertical mount - almost dropped a camera when adjusting with the screw a little too loose.

5) False alarm events categorized as 'other motion' when I had vehicle, person & animal enabled and other motion disabled.

I ended up returning the 3 camera/hub system.

Thanks for your help. It was appreciated.

Frank