Arlo ultra motion detection

[Jankovichs]

Arlo ultra cameras suddenly started recording on every movement like 100 meters Away from cameras, any movement even if its not heat related... couple days it was working fine now it records every single movement no matter how far object from camera is ! In day time it works as normal in night time it records everything no matter the distance

[collazoscesar]

Same here..plugged in cameras having the issues.

[Jankovichs]

@dt1785 ahh right! Misunderstand u mate ! Never used constant recording so no any advice on that one .

[Whops]

Yes,  really gives you a great sense of security doesn't it.     I am not waiting for a month.   I am only waiting until Monday.   Then I will be posting my complaints outside of this community page.  I purchased my system at Best Buy,  So I will start there,   warning prospective buyers of the dangers of doing business with Arlo.   They seem to be employing incompetent programmers if they can't restore firmware back to a working firmware while they try to figure out what they did wrong now.   I have invested over $1000 dollars,  for what I thought would be a reliable good system based on reviews on You Tube  and Cnet.   But WOW  was I wrong.   I wonder how many lawsuits will be filed when someone's has issues on their property and no video due to outage of camera systems caused by Arlo updating cameras with faulty firmware.

When you   spend money a lot of money for security camera you do expect them to work.

[Bigcitynl]

Same problems as everyone else. I'm on the phone with Arlo support right now and they told me a few interesting items (1) my cameras are all plugged in and when plugged in the activity zones are disabled and the camera detect motion by looking at the change in pixels.

[Jankovichs]

Whaat 😄 that how they want to hide they error! Used to be that to have activity zones working u must have cameras plugged in and now if they have made motion on pixels than they should have make an option to switch in between pixels and PIR motion detection? What the point to have Night vision then 😄 ? Because pixels doesn't work properly in night vision, only PIR does !

[Bigcitynl]

Arlo has "escalated" my case and had me unplug my cameras. I'll see how long it takes them to get this fixed. I really don't have a lot of confidence in their engineers since they're the ones that broke it with the latest update

[Nathan-aus]

@Bigcitynl So what is their solution? We've all wasted so much time trying to troubleshoot this mess. We're all still waiting for some sort of update and real fix. 

[Bigcitynl]

They're solution was to unplug the cameras and run them on battery. This will turn the pixel based motion detection off.

[Whops]

I would never have purchased the Arlo camera if my only choice was to run them on Battery.

Batteries run down,  and there are limitations.  Besides they made a selling point as to how great their magnetic charging cable was.   And now I have purchased two of the 25' charging cables to have power at all times at my camera,  Now they change the firmware,  Do not tell us,  and the solution  is to unplug the camera.   

I guess I will be looking at a refund for the entire system,   I didn't invest $1,000 dollars for something that now does not work.

[Whops]

So did they give you a reason as to why they would make such a change?   If I have to unplug my Cameras  to make them work,  Then I will also be taking them down,  and sending them back to Arlo for a Full Refund.    Since they do not work,   and are still under warranty.  

WOW!    I am going to have fun writing a review on Best Buy  Before more people get took on buying these cameras.

[Whops]

So did they give you a reason they changed to pixel based motion? 

Why do they have to be run only on Battery to work?   It would seem that if you are charging the battery (that is the way Ultra works right,  that is a charging cable,  not a power cable)  it should work the same.   If they are changing the way the system works then it is not what I purchased therefore they should be more then willing to refund my money. 

Netgear should be ashamed for putting their name on such inferior products.

I am now afraid to purchase any of Netgear products for fear that the same engineers will be working on those products.   I now fear my router is suspect. 

[Nathan-aus]

I hope that solution is more like a temporary fix. They can't just change how a product works. If not, I hope we are entitled to a refund. 

[Whops]

Does anyone know why they made the change to Pixel Based Motion,    Especially like

Jankovichs said in order to have activity zones working u must have cameras plugged in, as well as many other options.   

I still say,  simple soloution,   install the firmware that was working.   Then debug this firmware and install it only after it works. 

No one has told me as yet,  why they can not update the cameras with the old firmware.

[Bigcitynl]

I purchased 4 outdoor cables because I'm in northern Wisconsin and the performance of lithium batteries is severely affected by cold and just don't work below 0 F.

[Whops]

So far my experance with Arlo Support has not been good!     Now we are in a real crisis and they are in delay mode again.    We all should be demanding full refunds. 

Looks like first they want you to be charging cables,  Now extra Batteries and a Charger then they will make another change and you will need more hardware to try to make the system work. 

It is time to Boy start a Boy Cot of Arlo!    They are just ripping us off.    I so wish I had bought Ring Cameras,   At least they provide good support.

[Whops]

So they just made a big change like that,  without any notice to the end user?    Now what we all have to only use Battery operated camera's now.    So when I go on vacation for a few weeks,  my batteries go dead,  and I get no recordings?   Arlo really needs to get some new engineers.  Did they tell you how this works with Night Vision?   Does 4k still work?  a lot features only work with charging cable so now what We just loose those features?   So now we have a completely different product then what it was when we bought it. 

Seems like that is reason enough to get a full refund.

[Whops]

Are you sure unplugging the camera is  a temporary fix?   I have not heard that from Arlo yet?

Plus the length of time that Batteries last is a whole lot less then what they claim,  so how long before dead batteries is the next issue.    Or damaged camera because you are trying to change a battery during a rain storm.    It does not seem to me that this camera system is ready for Prime time yet.   And everyone that has arlo Ultra is running a very big risk using as a security system.

I certainly do not trust this system any longer,  nor Arlo.   It took me 6 weeks to get the damn thing working right in the beginning  and now after only enjoying it for a couple weeks they have it all screwed up again.    Bring back the Old firmware Arlo,  Be smart before you loose your entire customer base.

[Whops]

Roll back the firmware to the one that works  Now!

I really do not think that Arlo pays any attention to this community forum.   Or they would be doing things differently.  

Support from Arlo is the worst!   

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[Whops]

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So what is the timetable for getting this fixed?   Oh let me guess,  they did not give you one,  The quickest fix is to roll back to the previous firmware that worked.   Why do they not just to that while they sort out these problems.   They are just using us to test and trouble shoot.  with out telling you it is a beta system.

@Jankovichs wrote:
Okay! Regarding motion detection and activity zones!
I did test my cameras and i can confirm that unplugged from constant power cameras works as they should! Activity zones works and cameras wont pick up light beams to trigger recording!
I didn't test them in rain so not sure if they will trigger recording from rain drops as they did plugged in power!
Anyways waiting from arlo to fix this so i can plug my cameras back to constant charge!

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[Jankovichs]

It looks like they do use us to test their product as to pay for good coders and engineers would be to expensive for them !
Looks like They havent come back to anyone with proper solution or fix date! All i can say they will lose a lot of customers by having so bad customer service!
Other day i was on live chat with one of their people and all she could tell me was the same thing that they tell to everyone!
Restart, unplug, disconnect, reconnect, run in front of your camera to test! Arlo! Are u serious ?

[Jankovichs]

Okay guys! I come up with better solution while they are fixing things (if they do)
As cameras do work okay in day time even when they are plugged in And wont work in night time, solution is to get a programmable control power timer (them things are cheap, cost only like £6 to £9 each ) and set it up to charge cameras in day time... lets say from 9am to 3pm ... rough time when camera goes in to day mode.
With this solution u can run cameras plugged in And you should be fine for until they fix the system !

[Chrisk2]

I noticed this the motion detection when plugged in works in daylight but at dusk to night it is not detecting motion.  I unplugged and am running on battery and I get motion detection at night.

how long before the cameras are fixed to detect motion at night and record video.

do I have to trigger the camera via a light to detect motion at night?

[Nathan-aus]

@Jankovichs kudos for your creative solution! It might work for some. Unfortunately my cameras don't work during the day when plugged in. Too many false notifications. I'm stuck with the battery only option until Arlo get around to fixing it! 

[Jankovichs]

In night time if plugged in camera detection is unstable and detect everything and nothing... what i mean by that it detects every change in what we humans see with our eyes, like lights on neighbor windows, Lights beams from cars, some mowing object if they are well enough lit! And by nothing i mean It doesn't detects Humans or animals because they might be in dark and pixel motion detection doesn't wok in dark only PIR motion does where it detects heat changes...
but in spite of motion detection laws i think arlo illuminates surrounding in front of cameras with infrared beam and then catching motion with Pixel Motion detection which is just dumb! Thats why even rain is a motion and being recorded as cars in my case

[Jankovichs]

@Nathan-aus
i tested my cameras and in day time they work decent, cant say perfect as they should but deffo better than in night time... thats why i had come up with that solution!
But even if they doesn't work for u ...u will need to charge them and i think day time is the best time to do that as in night time plugged in they are ruined.

U can even set charge time to charge for A hour or couple to get battery full and then let control timer automatically disconnect power And have cameras running as not plugged in for rest of the day !