Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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underdog2003
Star
Star
Just wow.
20 REPLIES 20
Scott2ya
Luminary
Luminary

Ouch! I figured they would be expensive, but didn't think they would be that expensive. I want some of these lights, but really can't see my self replacing my current set up, especially at those prices. I have plain flood lights already installed at 5 locations around my house. They are all tied into some sort of relay switches in my garage, so I am just going to hire an electrician to come out and help me figure a solution to make them smart...I still might get one these in the future though.

TomMac
Guru Guru
Guru

Scott2ya wrote:

, so I am just going to hire an electrician to come out and help me figure a solution to make them smart..


Not exactly smart, but not plain dumb.... easy to add a good PIR sensor to each set of floods

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Morse is faster than texting!
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RobertRosal
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Scott2ya wrote:

Ouch! I figured they would be expensive, but didn't think they would be that expensive. I want some of these lights, but really can't see my self replacing my current set up, especially at those prices. I have plain flood lights already installed at 5 locations around my house. They are all tied into some sort of relay switches in my garage, so I am just going to hire an electrician to come out and help me figure a solution to make them smart...I still might get one these in the future though.


Agreed, way too expensive.

 

Alternative, purchase smart switch $35 - $40 each, installation free (look on youtube), smart hub $49 (SmartThings).  Now you can control any flood light and any of your arlo cameras and pretty much make them do anything for you.

 

-Robert
rknield
Aspirant
Aspirant

I have Phillips HUE BR30 White Ambience (no color changing) floods in various places around my house, Arlo (regular) and I use IFTTT (app on phone that monitors devices on the cloud).  When Arlo detects something it begins recording, but IFTTT also detects the recording happening and sends a command to the HUE base to turn on the lights I have asked it to turn on, providing light for the camera thats recording.   Yes, I have to "build" a few recipes (if arlo front door then turn on light front door, if arlo back door then light back door, etc) -- but this keeps me from having to pay any electrician.  

 

The HUE base station is 250 (i think) and comes with 2-3 color changing bulbs (the normal E27 - like a 60w light) and the BR30 floods that are white only are on Amazon for around 29.99 each.  Once you have the HUE hub, adding lights is easy, and the more you have the further the reach is. 

Scott2ya
Luminary
Luminary

rknield wrote:

I have Phillips HUE BR30 White Ambience (no color changing) floods in various places around my house, Arlo (regular) and I use IFTTT (app on phone that monitors devices on the cloud).  When Arlo detects something it begins recording, but IFTTT also detects the recording happening and sends a command to the HUE base to turn on the lights I have asked it to turn on, providing light for the camera thats recording.   Yes, I have to "build" a few recipes (if arlo front door then turn on light front door, if arlo back door then light back door, etc) -- but this keeps me from having to pay any electrician.  

 

The HUE base station is 250 (i think) and comes with 2-3 color changing bulbs (the normal E27 - like a 60w light) and the BR30 floods that are white only are on Amazon for around 29.99 each.  Once you have the HUE hub, adding lights is easy, and the more you have the further the reach is.


That could be really expensive for me. I've got 6 fixtures and each fixture has 3 bulbs pointing different directions. Those 6 fixures are controlled by two switched front and back. So buying two smart switches vs 18 bulbs plus hue bridge. 

RobertRosal
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Scott2ya wrote:

rknield wrote:

I have Phillips HUE BR30 White Ambience (no color changing) floods in various places around my house, Arlo (regular) and I use IFTTT (app on phone that monitors devices on the cloud).  When Arlo detects something it begins recording, but IFTTT also detects the recording happening and sends a command to the HUE base to turn on the lights I have asked it to turn on, providing light for the camera thats recording.   Yes, I have to "build" a few recipes (if arlo front door then turn on light front door, if arlo back door then light back door, etc) -- but this keeps me from having to pay any electrician.  

 

The HUE base station is 250 (i think) and comes with 2-3 color changing bulbs (the normal E27 - like a 60w light) and the BR30 floods that are white only are on Amazon for around 29.99 each.  Once you have the HUE hub, adding lights is easy, and the more you have the further the reach is.


That could be really expensive for me. I've got 6 fixtures and each fixture has 3 bulbs pointing different directions. Those 6 fixures are controlled by two switched front and back. So buying two smart switches vs 18 bulbs plus hue bridge. 


So in my scenario, leave what you have for lights in those 6 fixtures.  Sounds like you are running a 3 way switch, so those 2 switches can be purchased from amazon between $40 - $60 for the 2.  Using a SmartThings hub $49, you can control those lights. 

 

Getting a true Smart Hub, regardless if it is SmartThings, InControl. . .etc will always be a better purchase.  As a true Smart Home Hub will allow you to control pretty much any smart device, even the Hue bulbs, if that is what you prefer, or you can purchase a $9.99 Sengled Smart Bulb and that will not be a problem as you are not limited to just one brand, one type device.

-Robert
Scott2ya
Luminary
Luminary

RobertRosal wrote:


So in my scenario, leave what you have for lights in those 6 fixtures.  Sounds like you are running a 3 way switch, so those 2 switches can be purchased from amazon between $40 - $60 for the 2.  Using a SmartThings hub $49, you can control those lights. 

 

Getting a true Smart Hub, regardless if it is SmartThings, InControl. . .etc will always be a better purchase.  As a true Smart Home Hub will allow you to control pretty much any smart device, even the Hue bulbs, if that is what you prefer, or you can purchase a $9.99 Sengled Smart Bulb and that will not be a problem as you are not limited to just one brand, one type device.


I've got a SmartThings hub already. So more than likely I'll just make those two switches smart and buy regular LED bulbs. But it's still tempting, I do kinda want the philips hue bulbs just for the cool factor. I'd love to have some of them color too, I'd make a rule if arlo detects motion then flash the bulb red, then blue then turn daylight for 3 minutes. 

I've already got something similar where one of my sylvania color bulbs will blink a few times different colors if someone pulls into the driveway or comes to the front door, the delivery guys never knock, just drop off the packages, this way my family will know to check out front.

RobertRosal
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Scott2ya wrote:

RobertRosal wrote:


So in my scenario, leave what you have for lights in those 6 fixtures.  Sounds like you are running a 3 way switch, so those 2 switches can be purchased from amazon between $40 - $60 for the 2.  Using a SmartThings hub $49, you can control those lights. 

 

Getting a true Smart Hub, regardless if it is SmartThings, InControl. . .etc will always be a better purchase.  As a true Smart Home Hub will allow you to control pretty much any smart device, even the Hue bulbs, if that is what you prefer, or you can purchase a $9.99 Sengled Smart Bulb and that will not be a problem as you are not limited to just one brand, one type device.


I've got a SmartThings hub already. So more than likely I'll just make those two switches smart and buy regular LED bulbs. But it's still tempting, I do kinda want the philips hue bulbs just for the cool factor. I'd love to have some of them color too, I'd make a rule if arlo detects motion then flash the bulb red, then blue then turn daylight for 3 minutes. 

I've already got something similar where one of my sylvania color bulbs will blink a few times different colors if someone pulls into the driveway or comes to the front door, the delivery guys never knock, just drop off the packages, this way my family will know to check out front.


That would be pretty cool, though more expensive.  I could see myself getting one and programming it like this.  If I hit the smart switch to turn on the lights between these hours, my doggy is let out to do her business. So first turn on to bright white, wait a few and then change to more subtle color, while she does her #1 or #2.  🙂

 

Actually have a few things that I can think of that I can do, if I had one.  I just may need to piss off the wifey and get a Hue color changing flood light. 🙂

-Robert
castro1688
Star
Star

I fear these lights will be buried with the Atari copies of E.T. What a terrible price... It'd be a cold day in hell they'll see my money for these lights. 

kmiller8821
Luminary
Luminary

wrote:

I fear these lights will be buried with the Atari copies of E.T. What a terrible price... It'd be a cold day in hell they'll see my money for these lights. 


I tend to agree. That price point is just way too high.  Plus, it requires a bridge to talk to your network. Why not allow these lights to connect to my arlo base like everything else instead of making me plug yet another thing into my network. I'll be passing on this, good luck netgear, I feel you are driving the boat off the cliff on these. Get the price out of the rafters and we'll talk. I know it can't be that expensive to make these, you've already done all the engineering for the sensors and housing with the arlo cameras so you need to get the cost into a more reasonable level if you expect anyone to adopt these. At the moment, hard pass. 

V8
Apprentice
Apprentice

wrote:

wrote:

I fear these lights will be buried with the Atari copies of E.T. What a terrible price... It'd be a cold day in hell they'll see my money for these lights. 


I tend to agree. That price point is just way too high.  Plus, it requires a bridge to talk to your network. Why not allow these lights to connect to my arlo base like everything else instead of making me plug yet another thing into my network. I'll be passing on this, good luck netgear, I feel you are driving the boat off the cliff on these. Get the price out of the rafters and we'll talk. I know it can't be that expensive to make these, you've already done all the engineering for the sensors and housing with the arlo cameras so you need to get the cost into a more reasonable level if you expect anyone to adopt these. At the moment, hard pass. 


To be honest, I can see people wasitng their money and then returning them. Not only is the cost ridiculous but the lights themselves are only 400 Lumens, which is less than a standard 60W incandescent bulb, so you can pretty much bet they are not going to light up a driveway or that type of distance with any great luminosity. I had a 485 Lumen's bulb in my floodlight and it didn't light up diddly, in fact it it was like standing in a huge garden with a candle, so replaced the entire light with a 30W LED Light which is 2100 Lumens.

 

Personally, they are a waste of money unless it's just as a 'coming home' light or lighting up a small area, as you couldn't categorise these as security anything.

 

Jonjonajamieson
Apprentice
Apprentice
Hahaha.

You cannot be serious. Worst still as others have already stated why do you need a separate bridge?!? An all that price for just 400lumens?!? Think it’s time we look elsewhere
jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

You'll have to live with the bridge. Try one out before discounting these - I was pleasently surprised with the output for my purposes.

JTelleria
Guide
Guide

I agree the cost is too high for security lights that only output 400 lumens.  For my front door Arlo Pro 2, I ended up going instead with a Sunforce Solar Triple Head Security Light that outputs 1500 lumens.  $40 at Costco.  Amazon also sells them.  Really happy with it so far.  The Sunforce has an IR detector and rechargeable AA batteries that are charged via a solar panel.  So no need for AC power and having to connect the batteries to USB power to recharge like the Arlo light.  And no separate hub.  I like that it has two adjustable side LED panels allowing you to aim them for wide coverage.  When the Sunforce near my front door is activated, it BRIGHTLY lights up my front porch area and a good portion of the front of my house.   With 1500 lumens of output, it allows my Arlo Pro 2 to record at night in better quality full color mode.  I did need to disable the Night Vision option on that camera as it would still record in B&W night vision mode if the IR detector on the Arlo was activated and started recording before the IR detector on the Sunforce turned the light on.  I saw a review of the Arlo security light on YouTube that showed the 400 lumen output is not bright enough for recording video in color at night.  The only downsides of the Sunforce are that it’s standalone and can’t be remotely controlled with the Arlo app, and no color changing options which I don’t really care about anyways.  I just wanted a bright security light that doesn’t require AC power.  The Sunforce Solar security light meets my needs for almost 1/4 of the cost of the Arlo light with much better light output.

hansenm
Aspirant
Aspirant

I'd like to get the new Arlo Security light to pair with my cameras but Netgear has priced this product about $100 too high. You folks are out of control. Way, way over-priced. It's a light. A nice light. But it's a light.

 

Jonjonajamieson
Apprentice
Apprentice
Don’t forget it’s only 300 lumens. Baffling why thought it was ok to charge such a high price
jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

Well, it's 400 lumens, not 300. However, it does a decent job of lighting an area - I use them to light the walk along the side of the house and onto the back deck. It also is very nice to be integrated with the cameras so you can use them to trigger cameras or have the cameras trigger the lights. The extra visible light helps recording at night, too, instead of relying on the IR illuminators in the cameras or external home lighting. While they are "just lights", the integration helps with the price sting, at least to a point.

RobertRosal
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

I guess they are finally out.  Still a rediculous price, not even worth it.  Spend your money on something more useful in your Smart Home.

-Robert
Xichlo
Luminary
Luminary

There are still some bugs to be worked out, I have 3 and will be adding 2 more soon. Its not the Flood light feature alone, but being able to turn on all lights or some, all cameras or some if one light is triggered is great. The guys that try to Rob you usualy live with in blocks of your house, if you call 911 the responce time, if any is often more then 15 minutes and there is seldom more then a report made if at all. Video is priceless. 

silverado44
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Yes way to much money for what you get now if they had a camera in them and it didnt count towards your max of 5 cameras I would buy them. They need to raise the max camera without a payed plan to maybe 8 or 10.

 

I dont need the 7 day cloud storage as I save to a memory stick any way.