Local Storage the same as Cloud, functionally?

[Gizzygone]

The appeal to Arlo for me was the free 7 day storage. I’ve been happily using my original Arlo cameras for years with this perk (downloading videos to my phone if I need them longer).

I was tempted to add the video doorbell to my 3 cameras, but I found out the free 7 days is no longer offered.

$9.99 is just not appealing to me.... but I could get behind upgrading to an ultra in order to take advantage of the local storage.

But, in doing so, would I have the same functionality with the doorbell and ultra base station as I’d get by paying a monthly fee? (Minus the smart detection)

[JamesC]

Gizzygone,

Arlo Smart subscriptions start at 2.99 (US) per camera. Bundle plans (supporting up to 5 total Arlo devices) start at 9.99 (US).

For more information on Arlo Smart plans and what they offer, take a look here: What are the available Arlo subscription plans and how much cloud recording is available?

With an Arlo SmartHub, you could take advantage of local storage, this would allow recordings to be stored locally, but none of the additional features of an Arlo Smart subscription. For more information on local storage, take a look here: How do I set up local storage backups on a USB device using my Arlo base station? 

JamesC

[Gizzygone]

I understand the smart hub won’t allow me to have smart features: but will it mimic the functionality of the cameras I have now?

Meaning: will I still get alerts? Will I be able to view recordings from the app if I’m not on the same network as the camera?

[jguerdat]

Yes, you get notifications. However, you'll need to use a VPN or port forwarding to gain access to the recordings when not at home. This is because the hub is only visible on your network so you need to follow the procedures Arlo provides to be able to remotely gain access to your network and, hence, your videos.

[Gizzygone]

Ah: that makes it a dealbreaker. Might have to give Eufy a try going forward.

Too bad. I know 2.99 a month isn’t much, but I’m just not a fan of subscriptions for a product to work... and I’d hate to invest in hardware where it seems the new model is around a mandatory subscription base.

Arlo had me originally with the non-subscription model: but now it seems they’re no different than the other companies out there.