Online v docking station

[freer]

What is the difference between having an online app account using the phone  and having an in home docking station over functionality and price ? 

[StephenB]

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@freer wrote:

What is the difference between having an online app account using the phone  and having an in home docking station over functionality and price ? 

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There is no in home docking station.  There are Arlo base stations, but they are not docks and you need a cloud account whether you use them or not.  Arlo is a cloud-hosted service and you cannot use the cameras without an Arlo account.

The main benefit of the two smarthubs (VMB4540 and VMB5000) are that they support local storage of motion-triggered or audio-triggered recordings.  These can be used as a backup for the cloud storage, or they can substitute for a paid Arlo subscription.  

But the experience with only local recordings is intentionally limited by Arlo, and it is not as good as the cloud storage.  Note you can only see those recordings on your phone or tablet (unless you remove the USB drive or microSD card, and connect it to a PC).  And there are other features that you lose w/o a subscription - activity zones and the AI classifications.

[BrookeN]

What are you referring to when you say home docking station? When using Arlo cameras you can use the app on the phone or a online using a web browser. Those are the options to view the cameras.