I'm considering purchasing an Arlo Pro system but need additional information

[DG2016]

I'm considering purchasing an Arlo system but need additional information and the online support and documentation is very poor (do you hear that Product Management?)

1. I've seen different description regarding storage on the Arlo Pro. In one place there is a reference to SD cards and in another to USB devices being supported. Which is it?

2. Does anyone have a user manual for the Arlo Pro. There is only a user manual for the regular wireless Arlo. Online searches turn up nothing.

3. Can you mix regular wireless Arlo cameras with Pro cameras? If so, with which base station?

4. What is a "smart" base station vs. the non "Smart" base station. In the regular wireless Arlo area both are referenced without explanation. Searches turn up nothing.

Thank you for your replies in advance.

And Product Management - please get your act together: Make it easy to find information and be clear and consistent on the products.Also, it cwouldn't hurt to show images of the cameras from ALL angles. I'm sure I am not the only one who'd like to see external storage connections, mounting sockets, etc. Make it easy to buy. Don't make us work so hard.

[JamesC · Accepted solution]

DG2016,

I apologize for the difficulty in finding the needed information. Your feedback is noted and appreciated.

1. The Arlo Q Plus (different product than Arlo Pro) utlizes microSD as a backup storage option. The Arlo Pro base station supports USB devices for local storage backup.

2. The Arlo Pro was announced today (10/11/2016) and does not yet have a user manual available, below is a link to the new Arlo Pro features.

3. Yes, Arlo Pro and Arlo Wire-Free cameras will sync to either base station (Pro or Wire-Free).

4. Both the Arlo Pro base station and regular Wire-Free base station can be considered "Smart" devices. There isn't a specific feature that the verbiage is referencing. See the link below for more information on the new Arlo Pro features.

Arlo Pro The world’s first and only 100% wire-free, weatherproof, rechargeable HD smart security cam...

I hope this helps,

JamesC

[DG2016]

Thank you for the prompt reply.

Now - what happened to the description of the 4 camera Arlo Pro system? It just disappeared from the website. I was thinking of purchasing it but since it is not there I can't tell what and or is not included in the package. Specifically the mounts. The Best Buy site does not have this descriptive information.

Once again - you guys are making it too difficult to buy your products.

[DawnM]

Hello DG2016,

Sorry to hear that there was an issue with the page loading properly! It may have been a temporary glitch, as I am seeing the 4 camera system there now - Arlo Pro Smart Security System with 4 Cameras (VMS4430). Take a look again, and let us know if you can see it now. If it still isn't showing up, try clearing your cache and checking again. Definitely let us know if you still aren't having any luck seeing it so we can look into it!

Dawn Marshall
Community Manager, NETGEAR

[TheCodingArt]

Does the system still require an internet connection to work? Or will it still record to the USB drive (or HDD if formatted right?) without an internet connection? This isn't detailed out well in the information provided on the Arlo Pro page. If it operates without a valid internet connection and can work with a properly formatted HDD, this is a reason for me to purchase. 

[JamesC]

TheCodingArt,

When using the local storage feature on the Arlo Pro base station, if your internet connection is lost, recordings will be stored locally. For more information on this new feature, take a look here: How do I set up local storage backups on a USB device using my Arlo Pro base station?

JamesC

[jguerdat]

The docs I've read seem to imply that the Pro will record simultaneously to USB as well as the cloud, even if the Internet is up. Am I reading this wrong?

[JamesC]

jguerdat,

Correct. If local storage is enabled, recordings will be made to both the cloud and the local storage device.

In the event of an internet outage, it is important to note that the recordings that were saved locally during the outage will not be uploaded to the cloud.

JamesC

[Jimbo1234]

The ability for the cameras to keep recording if the internet goes down is an important feature. One that's a critical criteria for me. Ideally would like the option NOT to record to the cloud if this is possible. Can the Pro do this?

[Jimbo1234]

On another note do recordings have a date and time stamp?

[jguerdat]

That's a function of the mechanism used to download.  For instance, I just downloaded the same video from the Android app and two browsers (Chrome and FireFox).  The app named the file "Pro sidewalk_10_24_2016 7_38_36AM_1477309116056.mp4" while both browsers named it "1477309116056.mp4" - note the epoch timestamp on both but the lack of other identification from the browser.  The app apparently has intelligence built into it to add the details.

[Jimbo1234]

Can you confirm if the video can still be viewed on the local network if the internet goes down?

[jguerdat]

Only if you've downloaded it first or have a Q or Pro camera with local storage configured.  Otherwise, you're looking at video streamed from the servers which won't be accessible with no Internet (and new videos won't be able to be uploaded).

[Jimbo1234]

Can I opt out of cloud storage altogether? I accept the video needs to go through the servers but rather have no video stored in the cloud if possible.

[jguerdat]

See my reply just above yours. No way to opt out - you'd have to kill the Arlo Internet access. But then you'd have to unmount your recording devices and view them on a computer. Not handy.

[anetnau]

I would not recommend this product.  They do not stand behind it at all.  I received a three camera system for a Christmas gift.  After trying numerous things to get the third camera to work I contacted customer support.  They had me try different things and then determined that the camera is defective.  They refused to exchange it or do anything else because I did not have a proof of purchase.  I offered to send the defective camera back to them at my expense and they said no, they had to have a proof of purchase.  I returned the system today to the store where my son bought it.  I couldn't get a cash refund but they did give me a gift card to be used for something else.   I wouldn't purchase from a company that does not support their customers.

[jguerdat]

That's what gift receipts are for. I understand your frustration but another option would have been to simp!y swap the system at the store.

[CAArloTahoe]

> Correct. If local storage is enabled, recordings will be made to both the cloud and the local storage device.

I hooked up a drive. After two days, I safely ejected it and hooked it up to my computer. All of the .mp4 files have been recorded at 16 by 32 pixels!  It's happening for every camera.

A 16x32 sized video is not very useful.

Suggestions?  All cameras and the Arlo base had firmware upgrades as soon as I set them up.

[jguerdat]

That may be a function of the software you're using.  Multiple folks have reported here that using the latest version of the free VLC software works fine with full resolution.  What you can download from the cloud is the same thing as what's on your drive.