Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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LandJS
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JamesC an explanation please on why 4K live is now only 2K live ?

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JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

Due to hardware limitations, Arlo Ultra cameras cannot stream to the cloud in 2K and simultaneously record locally in quality higher than 2K. When subscribing to an Arlo Smart plan, the maximum supported resolution for live streaming, cloud recordings and local recordings will be consistent with the maximum supported resolution for the selected Arlo Smart plan.

 

For more information on this, take a look here: What are the available Arlo subscription plans and how much cloud recording is available?

 

JamesC

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LandJS
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Mentor

WTF they even changed the app to 2K live.  First they took away 4K on my SD card and now they took away 4K live.  Arlo is a friggin rip off, they just keep taking away more and more unless you pay more and more.  This company's crooked BS will be spread not just in person but on every social media thing available.  Avoid this company at all costs.

JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

LandJS,

 

4K local live streaming has not been removed. Can you provide more details about what exactly you're seeing? What client (iOS, Android) are you using that is experiencing this behavior?

 

JamesC

LandJS
Mentor
Mentor

JamesC  mine is showing 2K since the last updates.  Support had me check all the settings including that 4K was toggled on and everything reset.   Then my android app updateded last night when I noticed there was one (I turned off auto update to see if there were issues first)  As soon as the update installed the 4K toggle disappeared and was replaced with one that says 2K.  Support says 2K, live says 2K and now the 4K toggle is gone and says 2K. What more can I say.

JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

 

LandJS,

 

I've not been able to replicate this on Android using the latest version of the Arlo mobile app. Are you able to provide a screenshot of your settings that shows the toggle for your Ultra camera showing 2K?

 

JamesC

 

LandJS
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Mentor

Screenshot_20200430-132107_Arlo[1].jpg

LandJS
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Mentor

As you can see the app now only gives the 2K option but live had gone to 2K even before I updated the app even though the app still had 4K as an option.  So something was changed in the last firmware update.

JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

LandJS,

 

Thank you for the screenshot. I'll escalate this to the development team and request more information.

 

JamesC

LandJS
Mentor
Mentor

Thank you JamesC.  After talking with support though I have the impression that this is just like when they took away 4K to my SD card.

trinatron
Apprentice
Apprentice

@LandJS 

 

This has to be a bug. Not only have you paid a premium for Arlo's 4K model but you're also paying for subscription and just because it's not the Elite subscription, you're being penalised.

 

It would actually take Arlo more effort to make the Local Live View 2K rather than 4K as the cameras have 4K sensors.

 

If this was true, no one would buy the Ultra model anymore and instead stick with the Pro 3. It will be dangerous for Arlo as that will open up the competition as competitors are starting to release 2K versions.

 

Again I think this is just a bug as all existing Ultra camera owners will be able to return them due to it not performing as advertised which is local live view and recording at 4K. If the premier subscription changes this behaviour then no one will get a subscription unless they're willing to pay another premium for the Elite subscription.

LandJS
Mentor
Mentor

trinatron can't be a bug as the screenshot I sent to JamesC shows, the app itself has changed the toggle itself from 4K to 2K.  The support guy said remember you must have 4 mbs upload and I pointed out it worked fine for 15 months until a couple days ago and my speeds haven't changed.  He ended it there and said they would look at it.  Then sent me links on how to set it up.  I've been using it for 15 months, I don't need set up links.  And none of that re programs the app.  I should have got the Lorex I was going to, 4K, no charges, free notifications for just people and vehicles so not every bush that moves.   Can be viewed anywhere on phone and computer, even some TV's, up to 12 viewers .  Cloud if you want it for half as much.  But I went with a good company in Netgear and the Pro2 reputation, and the 180 view.  Big mistake, I see people people just put them up in a group of 3 with one fwd and 2 angled for more than 180.  12 cameras are cheaper than my 7 Ultras.  Live and learn.

trinatron
Apprentice
Apprentice

@LandJS 

 

Appreciate the info on Lorex. I will have to check it out.

Not_Impressed_1
Aspirant
Aspirant
Mine does not even show 4K nor 2K mark on my video anymore. I checked to see if I can access my local storage, and I can. So, I should be able to see HD streaming, but no.
LandJS
Mentor
Mentor

as of today  mine no longer is showing 2K or 4K either.  Until noon I couldn't get any portal to work and my android was on and off every min or so but the wife's i-phone worked fine.  I think JamesC said somewhere there was some power issue for awhile.  I did see that the i-phone 4K toggle has gone away also and been replaced by 2K.  Back to android, as much as I hate to do it because then I have to redo all the settings on my phone I went ahead and un installed the app and did a re install.  Since that means redoing all the settings usually as I went through them, 2 of my seven cameras now show the 4K toggle again but the other 5 say 2K.  On the i-phone all seven still say 2K.  But since neither 2 or 4 is showing for now I can't say if the 2 with the 4K toggle are working or not.

LandJS
Mentor
Mentor

This thing is so F_____ up, now I can go live but nothing will record, not one single camera will trigger.  Every time they add something (this time the pro 3 floodlight ) everything else breaks.  Where do they find their engineers

HazzMatt
Apprentice
Apprentice
Would you all please do me a favor and try turning off your camera charged LED indicator and Spotlight and then reboot your base station and see if those two settings you just turned off get turned back in again? This plus the loss or motion detection just happened to me since the last base station firmware update. Thanks for any feedback.
LandJS
Mentor
Mentor

Since the last firmware every time I reboot my video settings are changed and I have to go through and set them again.  The worst thing since the update is my system struggles getting a good signal and drops my cameras and it is literally the only change to my system of 15 months.

HazzMatt
Apprentice
Apprentice
You're the first on here that confirms what I'm experiencing. Strange though, I have two Ultra base stations and only one of them is doing that. The firmware is the same on both. I've lost count how many firmware updates have broken some serious functionality. I'm to the point now that I just come here first and if I see others reporting the same thing, I don't even bother troubleshooting because it will save me hours of my life being frustrated, that I'll never get back.
LandJS
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Mentor

One interesting thing I've found through this issue.  With the firmware update toasting my hub to where I have lost all 7 cams two days in a row and had to remove everything and start from scratch even cancelling my subscription and purchasing it again.  Whatever the first 5 cameras you add the toggle is 2K but the 2 individual extras have a 4K toggle.  Hmmmm

trinatron
Apprentice
Apprentice

@LandJS 

 

I was afraid that was going to be the case. It's the only way Arlo could get away with reducing the Ultra to 2K but still satisfy what's advertised on the box. I'm of course assuming you have a 5 camera subscription and therefore camera 6 and 7 are not a part of any subscription.

 

It basically means that you do have a 4K system that will record to the local SD in 4K and allow local 4K live view but only if you get the standard 2K subscription does that all change only for those cameras that are participating in the subscription. Forcing customer to take up the Elite Subscription if they want 4K with smart notifications etc.

 

I'm wondering if camera 6 and 7 also record to the SD in 4K while the others record in 2K?

LandJS
Mentor
Mentor

No they don't.  6 and 7 still only record in 2K to the SD and are still showing only 2K live.  But the 4K toggle is still there, it just doesn't work in 4K lol.  Nothing more Arlo will be purchased, as things wear out or need replacing it will probably be Lorex NVR.  With Arlo you end up running a line to charge them anyway so I may as well run a ethernet which is actually cheaper anyway.  You can access them from anywhere and if you want cloud they have it cheaper and I can use my system instead of the Arlo's low power wi-fi.  If I did cloud it would probably be the 7 day for 3.99 or just cloud backup depending.  That will depend when the time comes.

Robi1970
Aspirant
Aspirant

I have several issue with my Arlo Ultra system.

 

My setup:

Arlu ULTRA Smarthub

4  Ultra Cameras

2 Pro2 Cameras

Premier Plan - 2K Cloud Recording (should still be 4K when streaming  @ local network!!!)

 

1. Black screen when 4K live @ local network - separate discussion.

2. After resetting basestation and updating app software, my ULTRA cameras are now shown as 2K cameras in app! 

In settings I have option to activate Local 2K-livestreaming not 4K.

Nevertheless - still black screen when activating 2K-livestreaming when @ local network.

 

Why is the app recognizing my 4K Ultra cameras as 2K-cameras???

Why do I get black screen when activating 2/4K-livestreaming when @ local network???

 

Since upgrading my system from Pro 2 to ULTRA, I have had nothing but problems!

I´m so disappointed at ARLO and how they handle us customers.

 

What is ARLO doing about all the problems?  I had a ticket with their support.  The support help suggestions was basically to reset and reconnect the complete system. When this did not fix the issue with black screen, the support died. Not a word from ARLO since resetting the system didn´t solve the issue.

 

I am so disappointed and frustrated about this ULTRA system and ARLO support!!!

 

LandJS
Mentor
Mentor

Why oh why does Arlo send messages saying did this solve your problem  Did what solve the problem ?  No the problem still exists.  No 4K live, it's still 2K and the toggles in the android app still say 2K

HazzMatt
Apprentice
Apprentice
Yes, that is very frustrating. I went through that with two help tickets which both lasted for about two months. Nothing was being done that I could tell, but Arlo would periodically ask me, like it was the first time, - are you still experiencing problems? I would respond right away that I was still having issues and asking for progress details but I wouldn't get another response back from Arlo until it was time to send me another email asking me the same thing. (Sigh...)
HazzMatt
Apprentice
Apprentice
Have you determined if its the Arlo App or base/camera firmware? With my library filtering issues, once I knew it was the app, I searched for and found older versions of the app and installed that, while turning off auto-app- updates. That restored my library filtering issues until the problem was finally fixed - months later.