Does Arlo Smart work with existing Pro camera?

[monchateau]

Have Arlo Pro system and am interested in the Arlo Smart features. Questions:

1) Do the Arlo Smart features work on my existing Pro cameras? Or do I have to purchase newer cameras?

Note: I'm intrested in controlling the sensitivity area...avoid triggering alerts for street traffic, things like that.

2) If I need new cameras to use Arlo Smart, do I have to upgrade all my cameras or can I add just one newer model and mix it with the older Pro models?

3) Will the newer cameras and Arlo Smart work with my Arlo Pro base station, or do I need to upgrade that as well?

4) I'm not sure which newer camera model to get (if I need to). Need recommendation. What are the benefits of Arlo Pro 2 and Arlo Ultra over my existing Arlo Pros? I'm trying to improve security of my driveway (car has been vandalized twice in 1 year). Camera needs to cover a distance of about 20-30 feet and not capture street/sidewalk traffic.

Last question, I promise!

5) One of the videos on this page shows a burglar outside a home with the inside camera looking through the window. https://www.arlo.com/en-us/products/arlo-ultra/default.aspx   My Arlo Pros can't "see" through glass. Is this a new feature with the Ultra cameras?

[TomMac · Accepted solution]

1)Smart works with the older cameras too... the video is processed at the far end by AI to decide what the trigger was.

2)see above

3)yes, except the Ultra... the Ultra requires the Ultra base at this time

4) the Pro2 is almost the same as the Pro in features... ( always found the Pro to be better at night )... Ultra is a newer camera with 180 degree view.. More features but also more money.

5) poetic license ...does not see thru glass... Only the Q camera does

But the tracking feature on the Ultra is nice ( follows subject electronically )

[monchateau]

Thanks for such a detailed, helpful response. Will help me decide.

Sad that Arlo's website leads customers to the wrong impression that the cameras can look through glass at its webpage about the Ultra https://www.arlo.com/en-us/products/arlo-ultra/default.aspx The caption on the video says:

Auto-zoom and tracking
Arlo Ultra intelligently adjusts to movement, focusing its frame on what matters.⁴

The footnote at the bottom of the webpage states: "All image quality comparisons and video feature demonstrations are simulated."

I'm led to conclude that Arlo's marketing is not accurate and the legal team is covering Arlo's ass with the footnote.

I hope someone from Arlo can definitively chime in on this. Does the Ultra see through glass, as they demonstrate on their website? https://www.arlo.com/en-us/products/arlo-ultra/default.aspx

[StephenB]

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@monchateau wrote:

Does the Ultra see through glass, as they demonstrate on their website? https://www.arlo.com/en-us/products/arlo-ultra/default.aspx

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I don't work for Arlo, and can only answer based on my own experience with the Ultra.  FWIW, my own cameras are placed outdoors (unless they are charging).

The cameras use PIR (infrared) only when they are battery-powered, and a combination of PIR and pixel processing when they are AC powered.  PIR won't work through glass.  Pixel processing can, but the camera isn't really designed to use pixel processing alone for motion detection. 

Auto tracking and zooming is another matter.  That does only use pixel processing - and if a camera were recording the scene in the demo it would track and zoom on the person even though he is outside.  But usually that isn't as smooth as the zooming and tracking in the link.

In your link, the camera is indoors - so it could be AC powered.  But PIR detection aside, there are obvious issues if you deployed the cameras that way and tried to monitor the yard.  Rain or frost on the window panes would certainly be a problem.  If the room is lit at nighttime, then the cameras (like your eyes) won't capture much through the windows.  If the room was dark at nighttime, but you had the spotlight enabled on the camera, then reflection off the glass would create glare that would show up in the recording.

Of course if the intruder were to actually come inside, then the camera would trigger and capture the the image.  So the deployment in the link would still be useful for detecting intruders.  But if the goal is to monitor the yard,  the cameras should really be outside.

BTW,  AC powered cameras can also be set up to record continuously (with on optional subscription).  The auto-tracking and zooming can be used in CVR mode too.  In that scenario, the motion detection isn't as relevant.  You still get motion detection alerts, but the camera is always recording.