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Arlo Ultra Questions. Delay between recording detection? How long can it record? Stored in cloud?

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josnailai94
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I've used a few different security cameras in the past (Wyze, etc) and before I pull the trigger on trying out Arlo a few questions I had a hard time finding answers to that hopefully this community can answer.

  1. Is there a delay/cool down between recording detections? Example: someone walks into the cameras view and then walks out and then walks back into the cameras view again. Will the camera record every single detection or like other cameras has a delay between recording detections?

  2. How long will the system record detections for? The entire length of the detection or is it set to a set amount of time per detection? Example: each detection it records 10 seconds only?

  3. Is there a delay between detection and recording at all? Example the camera notices movement and a few seconds later begins recording or is it immediate?

  4. Do all recordings get stored out to the cloud? I'm assuming based on the monthly plan you can store videos longer.

  5. Can you receive notifications on your phone if you are away from the house?

  6. Does the Arlo Ultra system go through a lot of data each month? I'm just wondering if it will impact performance of other computers on the same network that are gaming or streaming movies etc?

Thanks!

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jguerdat
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@josnailai94 wrote:

I've used a few different security cameras in the past (Wyze, etc) and before I pull the trigger on trying out Arlo a few questions I had a hard time finding answers to that hopefully this community can answer.

  1. Is there a delay/cool down between recording detections? Example: someone walks into the cameras view and then walks out and then walks back into the cameras view again. Will the camera record every single detection or like other cameras has a delay between recording detections?


I had Wyze cameras as a test and sold them off quick due to the 5 minute "cool down". Never understood why anyone would think that a 15 second recording every 5 minutes was adequate. For Arlo, there's a short reset period between recordings of 5-10 seconds after the recording has been completely uploaded. 

 


How long will the system record detections for? The entire length of the detection or is it set to a set amount of time per detection? Example: each detection it records 10 seconds only?

There are two settings - record until motion stops for up to 5 minutes as well as timed recordings up to 2 minutes. The former requires that the camera be able to detect motion, not your eye. Depending on the situation, I generally recommend timed recordings.

 


Is there a delay between detection and recording at all? Example the camera notices movement and a few seconds later begins recording or is it immediate?

There's typically a 2-3 second delay in recording once motion is detected since the camera has to wake up, create the connection with the server and start recording. If using AC power, you get a 3 second look-back so you can see what happened just before the recording. Proper camera placement is needed so motion is across the FOV, just as with any other PIR sensor device. You can adjust motion sensitivity in your modes and rules, too.

 


Do all recordings get stored out to the cloud? I'm assuming based on the monthly plan you can store videos longer.

Arlo is cloud-based but any camera newer than the Pro 2 requires a subscription for them. You get a trial plan when first installed but you'll need to subscribe after that runs out if you still want them. The Ultra hub supports a microSD card for local recording so you don't absolutely need the sub but you need to be on the same network as the hub to view them. You can use a VPN or port forwarding to see them remotely.

 


Can you receive notifications on your phone if you are away from the house?

Yes, no problem. You can get push notifications immediately or email ones after the video has finished uploading.

 

Does the Arlo Ultra system go through a lot of data each month? I'm just wondering if it will impact performance of other computers on the same network that are gaming or streaming movies etc?

That really depends on your upload speed as well as the number/duration of recordings and use of live view. I have 11 cameras in use and have no problem with any access with my 100Mbps down, 10Mbps up speeds. YMMV but you can also use the router's QoS (quality of service) settings if needed. Generally, the  system uses very little data except when recording or live viewing. You can check the FAQ here in the support section for bandwidth requirements for each type of camera.

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