Arlo Pro Motion Sensing Through Glass

[L2016]

How different is Arlo Pro's Infrared Sensor compared to the original Arlo wireless? Does it now have the capability to detect motion from behind a window? Thanks.

[TomMac · Accepted solution]

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L2016 wrote:

How different is Arlo Pro's Infrared Sensor compared to the original Arlo wireless? Does it now have the capability to detect motion from behind a window? Thanks.

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The PRO while a much improved PIR sensor still does not see thru glass as most glass reflects IR ( which is how it works )

Only the Q cameras whaich have pixel change detection work thru glass.

[L2016]

Thanks TomMac for your quick response. I can now decide to either buy an Arlo Q and mount inside or mount an Arlo Pro outside. 

[TomMac]

As a PS, remember that the Q looking thru glass , you can't use the IR illuminators for the same reason .... It reflects back and washes out the picture ( but it has pretty good low light viewing even without )

[L2016]

Thanks for the additional tip TomMac. I am familiar with the IR illuminator causing problems behind glass.....I had an old camera with its IR illuminator on all the time and was useless in the evenings. With the Arlo Q, I will switch off the IR but leave the porch light on when dark to help illuminate the area. If I go with the Arlo Pro, I will mount it outside and call it a day. I just don't like having to grab a ladder every few months to have to change out the battery. There will also be additional expense having to buy a spare battery to help with a quick battery change.

Is the low battery email notification reliable? I have read that the battery reads full one day and is empty the next. Surprising users with a dead wireless camera.

[jguerdat]

It's a little hard to say with the Pro cameras since they're so new.  I received my recent battery warning at about 13% and the next day was down to 3% but I'm not trusting the level indicators just yet since I seem to have had some hardware issues that may now be resolved since I got some RMA cameras.  Time will tell.

Don't forget that the posting about low battery warning and then dead cameras are for the previous generation of camera so may not indicate what the Pros will do.  They're definitely different.

[goggyg123]

We live at the beach and the outside mounting thing that we bought specially for the Arlo has rusted rather quickly, like two months. I have a window that is positioned perfectly but discovered that the cameras don't work through the glass. Is there a camera that Arlo makes that would work for us? Otherwise, we love the three Pros we have if we could just solve this issue it would be perfect. The ocean air is so hard on everything. Thanks so much!

[jguerdat]

The Q cameras work through glass since they don't use IR for motion detection.  Be sure to turn Night Vision off so the IR illuminators don't produce glare in the glass.

I suspect there are beach-resistant camera mounts out there that could be used.  A local camera shop or photographer may be a good source for suggestions..

[goggyg123]

Thank you so much! This is great.