Can I access SD for 4k recordings using my APP? A good upgrade from Arlo Pro 2?

[shaolin95]

Hello,

I am considering the Ultra (v1) to replace my current Pro 2 after seeing how much better the IQ is.
My only concern is having to pay extra for 4k cloud as during the first reviews, you were not able to access the SD card from the app to see your  videos in 4k. Is that possible now?
Thanks

[LandJS]

Yes the app has allowed SD access for quite awhile now.  Only the primary account holder can view them and when the app and hub are on the same network.  Keep in mind the files are only numbered, no thumbnails. 

[StephenB]

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@shaolin95 wrote:

My only concern is having to pay extra for 4k cloud as during the first reviews, you were not able to access the SD card from the app to see your  videos in 4k. Is that possible now?

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Note direct access to local storage does depend on the base - but the only base that uses an SD card is the VMB5000, and that does support the feature.  

Also, you'll need to forward ports in your router to the base station if you want to use direct access when you are away from home.

As @LandJS says,  Direct Access is only possible from the primary account - "friend" accounts won't be able to access the videos.   Also it is limited to the app - the web browser can't access the videos either.  Thumbnails aren't available.

https://kb.arlo.com/000062337/What-is-Direct-Storage-Access-and-how-do-I-use-it

[shaolin95]

Thanks for the info, guys!
Any of you went from the Pro 2 to the Ultra?
Just wondering about your experience. IQ wise, it seems the Ultra is FAR superior...in fact it seems better than anything else out there to get clear footage that you can actually use to identify things better.

[StephenB]

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@shaolin95 wrote:

Just wondering about your experience. IQ wise, it seems the Ultra is FAR superior...

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It's definitely a step up from the Pro 2 in terms of image quality, and it offers a much bigger field of view.

But if you are expecting to see details like license plate numbers, it generally won't give you that.

[LandJS]

The wider view is why I went with the Ultra.  To get the coverage I wanted in some areas would have required 2 cams instead of one with other brands.  There is some warping at the outer edges with 180 but I haven't found it an issue.  The nice thing is you have 3 choices for the width so where I don't need 180 I drop the width which does give a bit clearer pic.  As for license plates I have been able to use zoom to read them but usually only if the car is within 10 feet of the cam, no luck beyond that.  As for if you will find the higher quality what your looking for is dependent on each persons desires.  Just looking on the portal I find my brothers Pro 2's  as good as mine on the average computer but now that I have a 4K computer the pics are clearly better.  Also on either the 4k from the SD is clearly better than the 2K when viewed on either computer.  My phone is set for 4K so that is covered.  So it's what covers your desires and needs if it's worth it or not.

[StephenB]

Also, one benefit of the Pro2 is that it comes with free 7-day cloud recording - the Pro3 and Ultra both require paid subscriptions for cloud recording.  That might also factor into your upgrade decision.

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@LandJS wrote:

As for license plates I have been able to use zoom to read them but usually only if the car is within 10 feet of the cam, no luck beyond that.  

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I agree that you can sometimes read them, but a prospective purchaser shouldn't count on that.

Also, at night the glare from the car lights can obscure the plates even if the car is close.

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@LandJS wrote:

 Also on either the 4k from the SD is clearly better than the 2K ... 

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Just to avoid confusion:  The Pro2 is 1080p, the Pro3/Pro4 are 2K (1440p), and the Ultra is 4K (2160p).  The Pro3/Pro4 have a wider field of view than the Pro2, but not as wide as the Ultra.

[shaolin95]

I actually pay $10 currently so I will be dropping to the single Elite account to get the extra features on the front camera mainly.
I mostly like how clear faces look etc with the Ultra vs any other camera I have seen so far.
I will still keep my Pro 2s probably for other areas and I also got 3 Wyze cameras so I should be covered, I like to have a different system for redundancy in case one fails and I am away at least I can still monitor things. My doorbell is Eufy for example.