Arlo Pro 5S - unreliable junk (missing events, taking snapshots). Pro 4 in same location works fine.

[chicane]

I've had ongoing headaches with my Pro 5S cameras not detecting events or taking snapshots instead.

Today I did a side by side test with a Pro 4 camera in the same location. Both devices are on 2.4GHz and connected to an outdoor Ubiquiti AP (great signal strength for both). I did try the device on 5GHz and found it to be similarly flaky so reverted to a hopefully more stable 2.4GHz connection. Unfortunately not.

Since I have done this side by side test, the Pro 4 is detecting every event (and recording a video). 

The pro 5 recorded video once, completely missed one event and recorded a snapshot instead for the third event. With the video was choppy and audio partially missing at the start, while the Pro4 was smooth and had audio for the full clip.

Both devices are active under my subscription, set identical under the routine (to record video), and smart notifications set the same.

I've had this replaced with a new sealed unit by support for the second time with the same outcome.

Are these devices inherently faulty? anyone else experiencing similar?

[BrookeN]

The firmware has started rolling out. It should be completed within the next week. As soon as that is fully rolled out the behavior you are seeing will be resolved. 

[BrookeN]

I have this escalated to the engineering team. I will update the community as soon as possible. 

[WLynne]

I am on the computer...Not using an app

[WLynne]

I was told that my old cameras had reached the end of their life.

The old cameras were 150% better than the newer models of Arlo Pro 5S 2k. Upgrading cost me a small fortune.

I was subjected to two police incidents that were not caught on video. Explain that!

[WLynne]

August 12, 2024 7:52 pm

Explain why a camera that one day works fine and the next doesn't.  Why is there no recording?  Why am I left vulnerable?  Why are police officers coming to me for assistance as I have security cameras?  Why can't I help them?  

In addition to my comment, the camera covering my driveway, front lawn, and street has not been recorded since Saturday, August 10, 2024, at 5:09 p.m. Calculate that and tell me that it is what I bought into. Is that the kind of security Arlo is offering?  And to think I pay a subscription fee for this. I am a long-time Arlo customer, and I am not a fool.  I am familiar with Arlo, and I am not stupid.  Either resolve this matter, explain yourself, or return the hard-earned money that I spent to protect my family, home, and valuables.  I demand my money back!!!!!  Enough is Enough.

It seems that my security camera, which has been working fine, suddenly stopped recording. This has left me feeling vulnerable, especially when police officers come to me for assistance, assuming I have security cameras that can help. The camera covering my driveway, front lawn, and street has not recorded anything since Saturday, August 10, 2024, at 5:09 p.m. I find it unacceptable that I pay a subscription fee for a security system that fails to deliver. As a long-time customer, I expect better from Arlo. I demand a resolution to this matter, an explanation, or a refund of the hard-earned money that I spent to protect my family and valuables. In addition, I am unable to connect two additional Arlo Pro 5S cameras, supposedly to protect family and home.  Enough is enough.  

[chicane]

@WLynne what firmware do you have on your cameras? 

I feel your pain. We've been hoodwinked by Arlo into a false sense of security. 

The official line from support is to gaslight customers and blame everything else (customer ISP, router, wifi) instead of acknowledging the issue. 

@BrookeN is a Lone Ranger when it comes to honesty and acknowledging the problems affecting Pro 5S cameras.

Whereas the Arlo CEO (Matthew McRae) is a stooge and ignored my LinkedIn message.

This is a 101 of how to NOT treat customers Arlo! 

I am not sure where you reside @WLynne but you should explore your local consumer protection and be able to exercise your rights due to the devices failing the fit for purpose test. 

[WLynne]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. It feels as though this community exists merely to placate us.

[roundball]

@WLynne 

I can appreciate your frustration...have a ton of it myself.

We're hooked by a company who announces / advertises fantastic products, then stays hidden from customers when it becomes obvious to buyers that the products have serious faults that don't come close to the advertised functionality.  And worse, has virtually no worthwhile product / customers support.

As an aside, (IMO), it turns out that the "community" is actually much more helpful to us working with one another...and also has a Community Moderator who has been / is very helpful with anything she is able / allowed to do for us.

It's just incredible that this arlo company does not / will not apply the proper amount & quality of support to get these camera problems fixed ASAP...instead, arlo's poor to non-existent product support has dragged these problems on for months & months with no end in site.

We need to ensure members of our families, relatives, friends, neighbors are aware so they do not unknowingly buy these faulty arlo products until they have been fixed and stable for a year.

[roundball]

Anyone else noticing any improvement time in posting of detected motions to their feed ?

[chicane]

@roundball still slow.

[roundball]

@chicane  Same here...

The actual  "motion detection" notification  has improved to basically immediate.

But oddly, I then get 2, 3, sometimes 4 of the text notification pop-ups on the screen, repeatedly announcing a motion detection on cam so & so....until the recording finally posts into the feed.....later / very slow.

And as you know, it's not good if a camera overlooking cars in the driveway triggers you awake and you grab the phone to see what recorded and there's nothing recorded yet...

[chicane]

@roundball to clarify and minimise confusion, the slowness was the posting of the video to the feed now and previously. the notification of motion comes first (and promptly, then what the detection is, then 10+ seconds later, it appears in feed. 

[roundball]

@chicane 

Understood…And mine has the 2 problems I mentioned.

Hoping to hear from @BrookeN soon

[roundball]

@BrookeN @chicane @StephenB 

08/15/24

When attaching a 5s to my WIFI system, it says firmware upgrade available, and the firmware upgrades to:  1.040.28.17_195_ac8359b

Anybody know what that Firmware version is about?

Thanks

[roundball]

@BrookeN @chicane @StephenB 

FWIW

Against my better judgement, I went through the time consuming effort of contacting / dealing with support to get the Release Notes for Pro5s Firmware 1.040.28.17_195_ac8359b.

Very long story short, after a lot of time...many back & forth chat exchanges...explaining to him what Release Notes were, etc...he said there weren't any.

[Edinburgh_lad1]

You're wasting your energy. 

There aren't and have never been any release notes for any firmware updates ever, other than laconic 'bug fixes etc'. I have no idea why, but there are lots of things I don't understand about this company. 

[roundball]

@Edinburgh_lad1 

Figured as much from the way 'release notes' are typically worded by most companies...but assuming the actual release note info has to exist within a company, that maybe support could look and discuss.

But the "support" guy who answered the chat didn't even know what release notes were. 🙄

[chicane]

@roundball / @Edinburgh_lad1 

You can be certain the development team would have release notes for internal use however they are not making them publicly available - via @BrookeN or the support team (who follow scripts only). 

[Edinburgh_lad1]

@BrookeN 

Out of curiosity: How many people does the development team consist of, i.e. working on the software side of things (not testers, if there are any at all)?

[chicane]

I swapped one of my main cameras today (Pro 4 out, Pro 5S in) and while I have noticed the snapshot issue seems resolved, While the image quality is better with Pro 5S, I do notice the frame rate of video captures to be very stuttery/jerky compared to the Pro 4.

Is this issue being worked on by the dev team @BrookeN? Also Jeffrey Navarrosa (in the L3 dev team) is hard to get in contact with, I have requested an available time to discuss again (3 times now). 

[BrookeN]

@chicane let me reach out to him today. 

[gdz]

No, still incredibly slow updating feed worthless. When I get a notification I want it to go to my feed with the video there. But, no, the video isn't there, sometimes for minutes. It used to work great under the old app, but this totally sucks.

[roundball]

@gdz 

Same here...used to be I'd get an alert, and by the time I grabbed the iPhone, and opened the Feed the video was already there.

PAST OPERATION:

Motion notification would go off the moment a UPS truck turned into the driveway.

The alert and Feed video were so fast it would be showing the driver getting out of the truck.

I'd be able to get up, step to the refrigerator, get a bottle of cold water for the driver, go open the front door and step out on the porch as he was coming up the porch steps with a package.

Prevented any porch-pirate theft, etc.

BUT NOW:

Motion notification seems to be as it normally was...but the appearance of the associated video in the Feed is usually a half minute...a minute...and sometimes even a minute & a half.

Absolutely a very, very poor operation for a supposed "security system".

[roundball]

@chicane 

".....Jeffrey Navarrosa (in the L3 dev team) is hard to get in contact with, I have requested an available time to discuss again (3 times now)....."

That's exactly why I don't bother trying to do anything like that via phone:
too much wasted time doing phone tag...chances of misunderstanding something said via phone...chances of forgetting something said via phone, etc.

It's so simple and clear and efficient to simply send email, text, posts, etc.

When I was asked if 'Jeffery' could reach out and call me, I explained my approach is always the written word like Email or postings on a Community Support site.

"Crickets" ever since...apparently they don't want to put anything in writing.

[chicane]

@roundball and all,

I am still seeing missing events with the latest build of the field trial firmware. 

I also have noticed the camera is laggy to detect events (Pro 4 would capture at first 1/4 into frame, where the Pro 5S will capture it 1/2 way through (or miss it entirely). The IR LEDs also are slow to activate from movement when dark. I do not see this behaviour with a Pro 4 camera.

@BrookeN I know you are limited with what info you can divulge publicly via this forum, however while I do see the snapshot (instead of video) issue being fixed, the below issues appear to be unresolved.

-missed events

-slow detection

-jerky/low frame rate for recorded videos (initially, then smooths out).

Are these even acknowledged by the dev team as known issues?

I know it took months to get support to formally acknowledge the snapshot issue, if you can investigate and clarify the status of the above I (and the many others looking at this thread) would appreciate it. 

[BrookeN]

I have made the dev team aware of those behaviors as well as I am also seeing them on my cameras. I watch this post daily and give updates as soon as I get them. If I do not respond daily it is only because I have no information to give you at that time. But as soon as I do, I reach out to the post or to the dm's to let you know. I will be in touch soon. 

[roundball]

@BrookeN 

And the offers to get our Field Trial Firmware replaced with the 5s replacement production Firmware version?

Thanks…