Camera keeps recording and sending alerts outside of recording area as defined in video settings

[Jshoe]

I have a brand new 3030 camera that I received from Arlo direct. Camera keeps recording and sending alerts outside of recording area as defined in video settings. This shouldn't happen but it keeps happening. I'm ready to scream. How do I fix this? No, I'm not talking about activity zones. I'm talking recording area in video settings for that camera. Thanks

[dcfox1]

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@Jshoe wrote:
I have a brand new 3030 camera that I received from Arlo direct. Camera keeps recording and sending alerts outside of recording area as defined in video settings. This shouldn't happen but it keeps happening. I'm ready to scream. How do I fix this? No, I'm not talking about activity zones. I'm talking recording area in video settings for that camera. Thanks

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Not sure what you mean by not Activity Zones but the only thing in the Video setting to determine are of coverage is Activity Zones. Also are you sure the brand-new camera is the 3030 original wire-free that is very old model and not been available from Arlo for a while unless it may be a refurbished.  

[Jshoe]

It's direct from Arlo. They still have them due to the pink tint issue. Activity zones are not the same as the square you draw in video settings. If you look at your camera settings you will see video settings where you pinch to select the recording area. This is what I am talking about. Not activity zones.

[StephenB]

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@Jshoe wrote:
I'm talking recording area in video settings for that camera. 

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It's been a long time since I had that camera, but I am thinking you zoomed/panned the camera field of view in tne video settings?  (per pages 20-21 here: https://www.arlo.com/en-us/images/documents/arlo_wirefree/arlo_wirefree_um.pdf ) 

That isn't just the recording area, all video (including livestreaming) should only capture that area.

Did you remember to tap (or click) zoom after the image box was configured?  If you didn't, it might not have been saved.

[Jshoe]

That's the thing... the camera shows the active area selected in the recording box in video settings and during live stream but it still picks up things that were previously anywhere in the field of view. It doesn't make sense. The recording area is saved. Only that area shows but still it records anything within the sensors range or field of view even though the object doesn't appear in the feed or recording.

I have it in my driveway. I selected the area that is my driveway. Even though that is the selected recording area it still records any car that was previously in the field of view instead of what's actually in the video box.

[StephenB]

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@Jshoe wrote:
I have it in my driveway. I selected the area that is my driveway. Even though that is the selected recording area it still records any car that was previously in the field of view instead of what's actually in the video box.

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So you are seeing the car in the recording, even though is is not in a region that shows up in the live stream?

Have you tried setting the area again?

[Jshoe]

No. It's being triggered by cars that are going by that aren't in the live feed or recording. But they are within the 130 degree angle of view if I left the pinch to zoom at default.

[Dannybear]

I believe that you need to create activity zones to eliminate unwanted detection.
Not sure they are available with that model unless they are externally powered or if a subscription has the option for the model.
Under video settings when you zoom the picture that is all it does.

[StephenB]

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@Jshoe wrote:
No. It's being triggered by cars that are going by that aren't in the live feed or recording. But they are within the 130 degree angle of view if I left the pinch to zoom at default.

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The motion is detected by passive infrared (PIR) detectors - not by processing the camera video.  So I agree with @Dannybear that you could set up an activity zone to cover the image box in order to prevent these recordings.  The camera will still be activated by the passing cars (even though recordings/notifications are supressed).  So battery life will be shorter, even if you set up an activity zone. 

Other options are

• to change the camera position so that the passing cars aren't in the [full] field of view.
• reduce the motion sensitivity

[Jshoe]

Again, it is not an activity zone. I have the activity zone setup but that just suppresses the alert outside the zone. It is the video settings. They are two distinct settings. It makes no sense that this one camera only records things out of frame where the others do not.

I shouldn't have to move the camera when I've had one in the same spot with the same view for years and never had the issue. That's the point of the video settings.

I stress that it is not an activity zone. It's pinch to zoom under video settings.

Things I can't see in the feed shouldn't be triggering the video. That's half the point of the video settings. I'm not new to this. I have a boat load of these cameras. I've had them since they first came out.

[StephenB]

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@Jshoe wrote:
Again, it is not an activity zone. 

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Agreed.  But once again, motion detection has nothing to do with the video settings, as it is done with a completely different sensor - not the camera itself.  I guess there could be something off with the PIR sensor (more trigger happy than usual).

Since you have more than one camera, one thing you would try doing is swapping this camera with one in a different spot.

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[Jshoe]

As I said, I've had another camera in the exact location and almost exact orientation. The other one did not pick up video out of frame. There is no reason this one should pick what it is detecting if it it out of the video frame. I disagree that sensor is supposed to pick up anything it can sense. I have other cameras zoomed in and it detects what is in the zoomed in area. It would be foolish to pick up anything and everything. I'm not going to argue. This is like beating a dead horse. From my experience this is unexpected behavior and this is all I have to say. Typical Arlo.

[jguerdat]

The use of pinch zoom and pan has been an issue for years. It defines the area which is shown in the recordings but, as noted above, has nothing to do with the PIR sensor. These cameras have sensors that cover the whole scene defined by the lens but cannot be "trimmed" to match zoom and pan. What I have done in the past was to use a small piece of black electrical tape to partially cover the sensor to prevent unwanted motion from triggering a recording. While not optimal, it does work because you can actually see the sensor so you know where to cover it unlike the newer cameras where you would have to try by trial and error (the sensors are behind a cover).

WHether another camera (also a 3030?) supposedly worked is a moot point since we don't know the particulars of the camera and setup, etc. but the current camera is operating normally. Only zones (available with a subscription) would be useful although that wouldn't affect battery life since the camera would record anyways so the servers could decide whether to discard the video.

[StephenB]

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@Jshoe wrote:
 I disagree that sensor is supposed to pick up anything it can sense. 

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Actually all Arlo cameras will sometimes trigger when there is no motion in the field of view.  There's a good overview on how the motion sensors generally work here: https://learn.adafruit.com/pir-passive-infrared-proximity-motion-sensor/how-pirs-work  Though Arlo is using smaller sensors (with no raised domes).

As I said, it's possible that this particular camera has a more agressive PIR sensor than most (or is somehow defective).  So you could try exchanging it.  Or, if you have one in a spot where there isn't much motion, you could just swap it.  Or try reducing the motion sensitivity some. Those really are the only three options. Your experience with your other camera(s) indicates that it's not firmware.

[Dannybear]

The only camera model that has video motion detection I believe was the arloQ (vmc3040) which is an indoor version.

“You can configure Arlo Q cameras to monitor part of the field view and to detect motion only in the areas that you want monitor.”

If you have a subscription on your other vmc3030 cameras you should have activity zones enabled that should detect motion within the viewed video so you should have the new camera in the subscription settings for the same feature.

[Jshoe]

I do have other 3030 cameras. Many actually. I use activity zones on a few. Are you saying the opposite of what the others are saying? They say activity zones just suppress alerts. You are saying only action in the activity zone should be recorded?

[Dannybear]

I only have the pro2 cameras so no expert on the earlier models except what is written in the manuals and from what I recall from other’s postings.

The arloQ models only use video motion detection on board as they don’t have a PIR motion sensor.

The pro2 cameras do allow for video detection on board but only if they are externally powered. The activity zones can be used to pickup video motion within the boxes. They do require the PIR detection to turn on the camera so that the video activity zones can be used to determine if it will record and send an alert. Alternatively if you have the camera on a subscription you can use activity zones which uploads the video to the arlo server where it will record the video but will only alert if video motion is detected within the boxes.
I believe the vmc3030 will be similar except you are unable to externally power them so to enable activity Zones on the camera it will need a subscription. Be aware that with subscription, as the vmc3030 still uses a PIR it will always turn on with motion and record video. If used in a high traffic area it will drain the batteries rapidly so you can see the importance of positioning the camera to minimise infrared motion.

So to conclude what the others have indicated is the same as what I am trying to say.
I.e. the activity zone box sets the wanted video trigger once the PIR has been activated with infrared motion.

[StephenB]

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@Dannybear wrote:
The only camera model that has video motion detection I believe was the arloQ (vmc3040) which is an indoor version.

Also the Arlo Essential Indoor (which replaces the Q).

[StephenB]

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@Jshoe wrote:
I do have other 3030 cameras. Many actually. I use activity zones on a few. Are you saying the opposite of what the others are saying? They say activity zones just suppress alerts. You are saying only action in the activity zone should be recorded?

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Activity zones suppress both alerts and recordings.  So only action in the activity zone should be recorded.  

However, they won't improve battery life, as they are applied in the cloud after the video is streamed from the camera.  So one downside is that the battery life will drop (which can get expensive if you aren't using rechargable batteries).