Arlo Video Library shows videos but they won't play

[Fotog]

Just recently the saved videos will not play.  When clicking on one the screen goes dark and says "Loading" but nothing further happens.

This happens in Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge on a windows 10 machine, but works fine if I use Chrome.

I have gone through all the fixes (I think) such as managing add-ons to make sure Flash is turned on, etc.

Any suggestion for further troubleshooting?

P.S. - Saved videos also play fine on iPhoneX and LG Tablet

[NigelRH]

Strangely, I am now able to view recordings using Opera (v.55 Chrome) once more. No idea how that happened, but can only assume some kind of browser update sorted it. However, still having problems with the Microsoft browsers (Edge and IE11), so no change there.

[angienscott]

Have there been any fixes yet?

[angienscott]

Have they said when/if there will be a fix?

[NigelRH]

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@angienscott wrote:

Have they said when/if there will be a fix?

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Not to my knowledge, no.

[Prolixium]

@JamesC when will the Arlo web interface use HTML 5 video instead of Adobe Flash?

Flash is essentially obsolete now and Adobe is going to kill the product completely in 2020[0].  Chrome 69 now requires users to give permission to use Flash whenever the browser restarts[1] and I can see other browser vendors adding similar hoops for users to jump through.  The problems that folks on this thread are experiencing are likely to get worse.

Although it was a different story earlier this year, the Arlo web interface is now the only website I visit that requires flash.

- Mark

[0] https://theblog.adobe.com/adobe-flash-update/

[1] https://www.zdnet.com/article/chrome-69-is-coming-not-just-a-new-look-but-flashs-life-is-about-to-ge...

[NigelRH]

*8<

Although it was a different story earlier this year, the Arlo web interface is now the only website I visit that requires flash.

- Mark

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But what I don't understand is, if FLASH is required to run both the LIVE VIEW as well as for the RECORDED clips, then why doesn't it work for the latter when it does for the former (permissions granted or not)?

-Nigel

[Prolixium]

But what I don't understand is, if FLASH is required to run both the LIVE VIEW as well as for the RECORDED clips, then why doesn't it work for the latter when it does for the former (permissions granted or not)?

From what I can tell, streaming video (live view) vs. playing videos from the library use different Flash features.  It's possible that one feature is working fine when the other one is encountering some problem.

I actually have the opposite problem on my home workstation (Linux x86_64 + Chromium), which I've mostly given up on.  The live view always gives me the orange banner saying "you need to upgrade to the latest version of Flash" (I have, believe me) but the library videos still play without any banners or errors.

- Mark

[secaz]

I have intermittent issues with playing Arlo Library videos – most DO playback from Library, but throughout the day will get ones here and there that won’t play back. There’s no logic to it, either. I thought maybe it was an issue with a cam or base station (have 3 base stations and 10 cams) but I get them on various cams for all three base stations.

I regularly use for Arlo:

Android Samsung Galaxy S9+

Google Chrome 69.0.3497.81 (Official Build) (64-bit) for Debian 9

If I download the video and try to play with VLC 3.0.13 for Android, it won’t open. Also will not open if I use VLC 3.0.3 for Debian 9.

If I copy the share link and paste the link into Firefox Quantum 60.2.0esr (64-bit) for Debian 9, it WILL play – also will play if I paste the link into Firefox 61.0.2 for Android.

Now, if I paste that same link into Google Chrome 69.0.3497.81 (Official Build) (64-bit) for Debian 9, it won’t play. If I paste it into Google Chrome 69.0.3497.86 for Android, it won’t play either.

And if the video won’t play from Arlo Library on one device, it won’t play on any other device via the Arlo Library. I also have a Samsung Galaxy Tab E, and the same videos won’t play via Arlo Library, either. So – doesn’t matter which device, its always the same videos which won’t play. And as I said, its not ALL, just a smattering of them throughout the day.

What I HAVE noticed it this, though – it seems to happens on cams where there are several motion triggers close together, within the same minute or two. I record only 10 second clips at optimized resolution. The first trigger will record and upload and play fine, then next trigger on the same cam moment after the last event typically will NOT play, nor will the third if there is another trigger event very close to the second event.

However, I have had it happen on the first trigger where there were no subsequent triggers, so go figure. That’s less common, though, than the previous scenario. Doubt that has anything to do with it, but thought I should mention it.

And with Android, I went back to an old Android version from May, and its the same story, the same videos that won’t play from Arlo Library in current Arlo android app version 2.5.3_22376 won’t play in the old May version 2.5.1_21471 either.

[jguerdat]

One thing you said about multiple streams at once leads to a question - what's your measured upload speed? Slow speeds and multiple streams (or other network usage) may be swamping the connection, leading to issues.

[Badgeman]

So many questions about this problem. No answers. Works on my smartphone, however, the picture is small. Works on my IPAD. But not on my computer. The funny thing, is that it did work in the library for awhile.

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@Fotog wrote:

Just recently the saved videos will not play.  When clicking on one the screen goes dark and says "Loading" but nothing further happens.

This happens in Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge on a windows 10 machine, but works fine if I use Chrome.

I have gone through all the fixes (I think) such as managing add-ons to make sure Flash is turned on, etc.

Any suggestion for further troubleshooting?

P.S. - Saved videos also play fine on iPhoneX and LG Tablet

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However, My computer allows me to watch a live feed.
Any answers

[PeaSoup]

I've been waiting for this to get fixed too / all of my Microsoft browsers are affected.  Please keep us updated, thank you.

[secaz]

jguerdat - videos upload fine and the ones that won't play via Arlo Library in Android, or in Arlo Library via Google Chrome, CAN be viewed by clicking on Share > Copy Link and pasting the link into Firefox, no problems viewing the full video using this method.

It was just a theory – but now I am getting more videos on first trigger that won't play from Arlo Library, so the subsequent trigger theory was wrong... it was just a coincidence, apparently...

Since the videos DO play in Firefox, there's no issue with uploading them.  The full videos are present in the Arlo Library, the affected ones just don't want to play from WITHIN the Arlo Library in Android app, OR from within the Arlo Video Library using Google Chrome web browser, nor will they play in Google Chrome itself using a share video link.  Unaffected videos play fine either way, naturally.

And, of course, these affected videos, when downloaded, won't play in VLC... haven't tried other video players yet.. will have to explore...

This mess all started last Friday... and then Netgear had issues with different facets of the Arlo services over the weekend... so... thinking it's Netgear becasue any time I've had issues?  IT'S ALWAYS NETGEAR.

[secaz]

PeaSoup - I have read many posts out on the net about this being a real issue for Windows users and Edge browser.  However, that it is affecting Windows users, Linux users and Android users, I think its a safe to say it's Netgear, again, as always...

Do not hold your breath waiting for them to fix it any time soon.  See if you can use the share video link pasted into Firerfox to view your videos... it's not ideal, but is a work around, if but an annoying one...

[secaz]

Hey - here's something interesting I found with the videos that won't play in Arlo Library.  I found a video that won't play via Arlo Library and downloaded to my Samsung S9+.  I tried to open with VLC, which I already know wouldn't work.  Then I tried opening it with FX media player - opens and plays, but no audio.  Then I tried opening with the STOCK Samsung video player, and the video played, if not the audio – BUT with the stock Samsung video player, I at least received a warning that it could not play the audio because the audio codec was not supported.

Huh. 

So I downloaded a GOOD video to my S9+ and it played in ALL media players WITH audio, no warnings about unsupported codec.

Then I went back and pasted share link for BAD video into Firefox, and although the video DOES play in Firefox, there is NO audio - I did not notice this before because I was concentrating on video playback and not audio playback.

So - apparently, with some apps and browsers, if these deem the audio codec to not be supported (or maybe corrupt?) then the video won't play back AT ALL.  Some apps and browsers WILL play the video from shared link, even if the audio codec is not supported.  Apparently these apps just ignore the audio portion that it can't play, and it will play the video portion.

If someone would like to run that by Arlo support, be my guest - I refuse to deal with their support staff, they don't have a braincell between them...

One thing I can tell you, ever since the May firmware disaster, audio recording has been HORRIBLE.  It has been choppy on ALL of my cameras, streaming and recordings alike - every single cam.  Before the May firmware disaster, audio recording was JUST FINE... was clear as a bell and fluent... could hear a pin drop... it didn't cut in and out...

[secaz]

Hi - I saw this thread and thought I'd share something I found out.  I use Arlo Pro system, but I am having same issue with some Arlo Library videos not playing.  Without going into all the details, after troubleshooting, what I found out was that all the videos that will NOT play from Arlo Library in Android app, or from anywher else, all have one thing in common, they have issue with audio track.

I can play the affected videos in Firefox but I noticed there is no audio track. 

I have a Samsung S9+ Android phone and the affected videos won't play from the Arlo Android app (only some of my daily videos won't play, most are fine, though),   If I copy the share video link and paste into Firefox, it will play the video (again, without audio). 

If I download the videoitself to my phone, it will NOT play in VLC media player, it WILL play in FX media player without any audio, and it WILL play in the Samsung media player without any audio, BUT the Samsung media player at least warns me that it can't play the audio portion because of an UNSUPORTED AUDIO CODEC.

Seems to me this is a Netgear issue, either firmware or something server side - why some videos are fine and others aren't, that's a mystery.  I turned off the microphone for all my cameras hoping if I don't record audo then I won't have these issues, but it still happens anyway...

[secaz]

Just to clarify, in my situation, if there is an issue with the audio track, then in some web browsers and meida players, the video just flat out won't play at all... and doesn't give you any error message, either... only the Samsung media player on my phone warned me that there was a problem with the audio track, or rather unsupported audio codec... but it did play the video portion of the file...

[ShayneS]

The Arlo development team is currently investigating this issue. We will provide an update as soon as we have more information to share with the community.

[secaz]

ShayneS - would you like some sample videos?

[secaz]

I recently upped my record time from 10 seconds to 15 seconds, and I haven't had any issues since I've done this... which is interesting...

[secaz]

Spoke to soon about upping the record time from 10s to 15s to solve video playback issue - last night got another video that would not play in Arlo Library... so length isn't issue...

[jrenna2]

videos wont play black screen but ok on my phone

[ShayneS]

The Arlo development team is currently investigating this issue. We will provide an update as soon as we have more information to share with the community.

[secaz]

Still happens sporadically with my system... do not see any rational pattern... its really random...

[Johnny1005]

I am having the same problem with the Edge browser.  Microsoft Edge v42.17134.1.0