Arlo Ultra Storage

[Norman619]

Hey guys!  I am looking at getting a couple of Arlo Ultra cameras and was hoping sooene could give me an idea of how much storage I should have if it is set to full 4K recording.  I have an external HD enclosure and wondering what size HD I should put in it for use with the camera.

[jguerdat]

These aren't IP cameras but are cloud-based, like all Arlo cameras. The Ultra base can be fitted with a microSD card for local recordings but right now the card has to be safely ejected before you can view them on a computer (local access to the card is supposed to happen later this year).

[brh]

@Norman619 

I read somewhere that the maximum microSD card is 256 GB. That is what I have in mine.

Brian

[alelas]

I am glad that @brh already verified that the 256GB MicroSD works.

Additionally I would recommend to buy a UHS Class 3 (U3) which fully supports 4k video thanks to the high speed read/write.

You can read more about this at: https://www.techspot.com/guides/1591-microsd-buying-guide/

At this point, 128GB cards are really cheap in comparisson to the 256GB cards, So I rather buy a 128GB U3 class instead of a higher capacity but lower class card type.

Disclosure: I did cancel my 3 cammera Arlo Ultra system pre-order on Amazon a few days ago after listening bad things about the definition and other issues, and I am closely watching the reviews. I hope future firmwares will fix those so I will order it again.

[brh]

@alelas 

Unfortunately, Best Buy released these cameras a little early and before all the bugs were worked out, these are terrific cameras. I had a drunk guy staggering around my property and on my neighbor's property around 4am this morning. The Ultra detected him, turned on the spotlight and caught him in color and in great 4k detail. I will be purchasing more of these. Progress is being made at a rapid rate to fix the bugs so I am quite pleased with mine. Just wish the Zoom and Track worked with 4k so that I could have gotten even better detail of him.

I see no reason to postpone purchasing this system, just be advised that there are still a few bugs to be worked out.

Brian

[Norman619]

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@jguerdat wrote:

These aren't IP cameras but are cloud-based, like all Arlo cameras. The Ultra base can be fitted with a microSD card for local recordings but right now the card has to be safely ejected before you can view them on a computer (local access to the card is supposed to happen later this year).

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Isn't that a step backwards from the Arlo Pro 2? 

[jguerdat]

Depends on what you are talking about - the need to eject media before viewing? The same thing is needed for the Pro bases with USB connectors. There's a firmware/app announcement that says the Ultra will be able to share local recordings from the base later this year. We don't know if that will also encompass the Pro bases.

[Norman619]

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@jguerdat wrote:

Depends on what you are talking about - the need to eject media before viewing? The same thing is needed for the Pro bases with USB connectors. There's a firmware/app announcement that says the Ultra will be able to share local recordings from the base later this year. We don't know if that will also encompass the Pro bases.

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Storing video at the camera makes no sense in a security system.  Recordings should be off camera.  My pro has USB connector at the base for external HD connection for local storage.  It makes no sense the Ultra isn't the same way.

[brh]

@Norman619 

The Micro SD card is located in the Base not in the camera. It works just like the Pro base, but is using a Micro SD card instead of a Flash Drive or external hard drive. There is no slot in the camera for a storage.

Brian

[jguerdat]

Reading the specs helps.

[st_shaw]

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@Norman619 wrote:

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Storing video at the camera makes no sense in a security system.  Recordings should be off camera. 

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According to you maybe, but not according to industry experts.  Numerous professional cameras support local recording directly onto SD cards inserted into the camera.  This feature has numerous advantages including simple operation without a network video recorder, or redundancy against temporary network outages when using with an NVR. The ONVIF standard has a specification to support this: Profile G.

[michaelkenward]

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@brh wrote:

@Norman619 

The Micro SD card is located in the Base not in the camera. It works just like the Pro base, but is using a Micro SD card instead of a Flash Drive or external hard drive. There is no slot in the camera for a storage.

Brian

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Indeed, completing the details, the Arlo Q Plus has an on-board card slot, if that is what anyone wants.