No HD, Arlo Pro Smart Security System (VMS4330)

[MadAstronaut117]

Why is my Arlo Pro not playing/recording in HD? I bought this system because I need a real HD security camera, but on the "Best Video" setting I cant even read a license plate from 10 feet away.

[TomMac]

The Pro is 720 ( and yes the low end of HD ) but also wide angle of 130d...

It was not design to pick up plates which does require some special requirements ..esp if moving

[MadAstronaut117]

great so I have 130 degrees of not HD. this is a license plate....at 9.1 feet. your telling me that this is marketed as an "HD" cam that cant read a licensce plate at 9 feet while not moving. but its suposed to be a security cam. a security cam that cant read plates, really dude?

[jguerdat]

Apparently you don't understand the technology and the implementation.  

720p is <1 megapixel.  My first digital camera had similar resolution back in 1996.  My 5 year old digital camera has 21 megapixels.  Which one is going to show more detail?  1080p is still only 2Mp.

130 degree angle of view is roughly equivalent to a 10m fisheye lens in 35mm camera-speak. Download an image from the Internet from a fisheye lens and try zooming in on it.

And then there's the compression which lowers the apparent resolution.  I do have an issue with how much compression is used in these cameras but until something is changed it is what it is.

[silverado44]

Even if it was 1080p your still not going to read license plates as they are very reflective at night with the IR . 720 and 1080p are not that much difference. So unless you want to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a system to read license plates it's not going to happen, I have seen very expensive systems and even those have trouble seeing plates unless the area is really lit up with lighting. As I said license plates are very hard to pick up due to the reflection of the plates with the IR.