Local storage not working for Arlo doorbell

[makeitwork05]

Hi, 

My Arlo Essential doorbell doesn’t save recordings to local storage. The local storage I set up for my other 3 cameras are working just fine but not this doorbell. I have purchased this doorbell about 1 year ago and have always on subscriptions until 2 months ago I changed to local storage to avoid the recurring subscription cost. 

Please help!

[StephenB]

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@makeitwork05 wrote:

My Arlo Essential doorbell doesn’t save recordings to local storage. The local storage I set up for my other 3 cameras are working just fine but not this doorbell. I have purchased this doorbell about 1 year ago and have always on subscriptions until 2 months ago I changed to local storage to avoid the recurring subscription cost. 

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What base/hub are you using?

Is the doorbell paired to that hub, or is it connected to your home wifi?

[makeitwork05]

Hub is VMB4000r3, my doorbell is paired to the hub. 

[jguerdat]

This base doesn't support direct viewing of local recordings so you have to eject the drive to view on a computer. Is that what you've been doing? Is anything being recorded from any camera? Have you tried a different drive?

[makeitwork05]

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@jguerdat wrote:

This base doesn't support direct viewing of local recordings so you have to eject the drive to view on a computer. Is that what you've been doing? Is anything being recorded from any camera? Have you tried a different drive?

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That's not true! I have been using this same base to direct viewing of local recordings from my other Arlo cameras just fine. The only exception is my video doorbell. If people tell me the only way to make it work is "ejecting the drive and view on the computer", then this feature is NOT usable!! Make it work the same way as my other Arlo cameras. 

[makeitwork05]

I came across this post in Arlo community for the same issue: https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Video-Doorbell/Is-it-possible-to-record-the-live-view-of-Arlo-Vid.... Is it true that to make my video doorbell works the same way as my other cameras (i.e. directly view local recordings), I have to have Arlo subscription? If so, I don't want to waste more time here, and I want my money back due to its false advertisement and not usable!

[jguerdat]

You specified a VMB4000 base station above so there's no way to view local recordings directly from the app. Only the VMB4540 and 5000 SmartHubs support this.

It sounds like you've been viewing cloud recordings. Since you're using an older base station, it's likely your other cameras are no newer than the Pro 2 which continue to have the free 7 day plan. Any newer cameras, starting with the Ultras in 2018, require a subscription for cloud recordings after the initial trial sub expires. Use of local recordings allows you to still record without a sub but you need to eject the drive to view them. You could purchase one of the above hubs and replace your base with that (meaning removing all devices, adding the hub and setting the cameras back up) so the app can directly display the local recordings. Your other choice is a subscription for any new cameras.

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@makeitwork05 wrote:

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@jguerdat wrote:

This base doesn't support direct viewing of local recordings so you have to eject the drive to view on a computer. Is that what you've been doing? Is anything being recorded from any camera? Have you tried a different drive?

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That's not true! I have been using this same base to direct viewing of local recordings from my other Arlo cameras just fine.

No, you are NOT viewing local recordings.  Your base supports local recording, but it does NOT support playback.   Your older Arlo cameras were sold with 7-day free cloud recording, and the recordings you are seeing are all saved in the Arlo  Cloud. They are NOT the local recordings stored on your base. This is easy to test - just remove the storage in your base.  You'll still see the recordings in the app, and new recordings will be added to the library.

Currently sold cameras (including all the video doorbells) are not sold with any free cloud recording, so you need a subscription. 

Or purchase a VMB4540 or VMB5000 smarthub, which do support playback of local recordings.  IMO, the experience with local storage isn't great, but some folks do use it instead of a paid subscription.

[makeitwork05]

You're right, after I ejected local usb drive, I was still able to view local recordings but only up to 1 week ago. This validates that local viewing recordings is from the arlo cloud.