Record immediately on motion

[arlo_be]

When my cameras detect motion, they don't start recording until after they establish the connection back to Netgear's servers and get permission to record. That's not fast enough most cases whatever triggered the motion is long gone. This is an issue on all my cameras and makes the motion detection completely useless!

My thought is this... Motion sensor detects an object. Camera starts recording and verifies that there is motion. I don't know how much storage is on these cameras, but there should at least be enough to hold a few seconds worth of video while the connection is established.

Capturing the recording is far more important than notifying me immediately. If it's a false positive (car driving by, cat on my front porch, kids riding their bikes on the sidewalk), I'd like to have some chance to identify so I can adjust my cameras.

PLEASE FIX THIS!! I can't recommend Arlo cameras to anyone unless they have useful footage. At this point, I've found very little use in the 2 months I've owned them.

[steve_t]

This has always been a problem for the Arlo HD cameras. Since it's hardware related, they can't fix it. The Arlo Pro and Arlo Pro 2 cameras have significantly better motion detection and very little lag between motion and recording. They are superior in every way and are worth the additional costs IMO

[JamesC]

arlo_be,

You could be experiencing more delay than expected due to poor positioning. Take a look at the following articles for positioning tips for best performance: 

How do I position my Arlo Wire-Free or Arlo Pro Wire-Free camera?

How do I optimize motion detection for my Arlo Wire-Free, Arlo Pro Wire-Free, Arlo Pro 2 Wire-Free, ...

JamesC

[arlo_be]

JamesC - thank you for the recommendations. That brings me to another MAJOR complaint about Arlo devices - and I presume this extends to the Pro version as well. Only the Wi-Fi built into the base unit will work. I've invested $$$ in good Wi-Fi that blankets my house with a strong signal, but these devices can't take advantage of my investment. In addition, I now have another wireless router in my house eating up 2.4 GHz space and introducing security concerns that I have little to no control over (WPS hacks, unchangable WPA2 passphrase, etc). I understand this is all in the name of Plug-n-play simplicity, but there should definitely be some "power user" options to make the system better on the owner's dime.

Honestly, the motion detection is fine. The lack of video is not. I will be moving the base unit a little closer to the cameras later, but that will require running ethernet wires through my house - something I shouldn't have to do when I have good Wi-Fi and I buy Wi-Fi cameras.

Just my 2c. Arlo team, please make this system usable!

[arlo_be]

Thank you, steve_t. Honestly, I don't buy that it's a hardware limitation. So maybe it can't buffer 5 seconds of 720p 30fps video (1 MB would give plenty of storage) while it connects. How about 720p 10fps? or 5fps? or even 480p 10fps... My point is, the hardware inside the camera should be able to handle enough footage to catch what caused the motion. If it can't, the device shouldn't be called a "Security Camera", but a "Security Sensor with a Camera".

I'm not a developer (though I do program some) and I'm not a electrical engineer (though I do tinker), but I don't think what I'm suggesting is unreasonable or impossible.

Thanks again for your reply and help.

[steve_t]

Maybe you're right about the hardware, but after 3-4 years of the cameras being on the market, if they haven't done it yet, I wouldn't hold my breath. I've got Arlo HD that are laggy, Arlo Pro that are not laggy, and powered Arlo Pro 2 cameras that have the 3 seconds of lookback so you get 3 seconds of footage before the motion/audio activation. It's good to see major improvements as they move ahead with new models. I'd be surprised if they had significant changes from here though. I'm just glad they continue to do bug fixes for the older models. Unfortunately, that's just my view and I do feel for people still buying Arlo HD cameras in 2018 even though they're crazy cheap

[astroskg]

My unit Claims to be a VMB3010r2, Firmware 1.9.8.0_16666, Which isn't even listed in the above Model drop down box. Why am I Surprised? I guess I shouldn't be Nothing about this unit has been what it was claimed to be when sold.

Told by the salesman I could add an external Storage device to archive video’s beyond the 7 day Free Storage offered on the Cloud, Cant,

Told it would detect and record night or day, Doesn't

(Well it does but only after what ever triggered the motion has long since left the field of view.

And now to add icing on the cake I find out that its not a placement/location issue or adjustment I need to make to my camera's (so I actually get video of people coming and going from my property) That it's a Hardware issue and no amount of fiddling on my part will actually allow these units to do what its Advertised to do.

  So what I’m hearing is Everyone who bought the Standard Arlo System (depending on how many cameras) for $400 - $600 Dollars were only Bata testers for the company and that what we all currently have are Junk and we all need to spend another $600 to get Gear that actually works correctly.

Sorry but I will find it very difficult to Praise the Arlo Product to anyone.

New and improved or not if the product I was Sold had issues, than NetGear/Arlo needs to make good on the product they already sold and not expect customers to “Suck it up” and just throw away another $500 for another “New and Improved” product.   Should have just purchased a few Trail Cams from the outdoor store, less money, less headache’s, and I wouldn’t feel like I was suckered into purchasing a product that was Sub par at best.

Sorry I’m very disappointed with this product and would have returned it if not for purchasing it 10 months ago and not hooking it up until we moved into the new house a month or two ago and now I’ve exceeded the return policy. We live rural, purchased this product to keep an eye on the family/property while I am away at work several towns away, Great Idea Guys, even a super product if it actually worked the way its advertised to work. Maybe the new stuff does all I know is the original Arlo VMB3010 Doesn’t. You might also Warn customers that if they down load the App for their Cell phones to make sure to either have an unlimited Data Plan or stop alerts because you will rip thru GB’s of Data in Days.

[steve_t]

astroskg,

Since you have had a salesman misrepresent the product, I'd try and return it despite being outside the return time. Yes it is unfortunate that you bought the system and didn't use it for nearly a year. In that time, multiple new, improved products have been released. I guess it's also unfortunate that you took the salesman's word for it and didn't do your own due diligence into product research before you bought, but I guess that happens all the time.

The Arlo Pro cameras are great. You can have USB backup on the Arlo Pro base station.

My Arlo HD cameras do detect day or night. Not sure why you'd be having issues with that. Certainly the lag between motion and recording is too much.

Data use on your phone is only proportionate to how much video watching and live viewing you do. If you watched the same length of time on youtube etc, I'm sure you'd eat through the same amount of data. I'm sure if you'd gone with any other similar camera system, you'd use the same amount of data if not more.
Anyway, sorry to hear your expectations weren't met. Hopefully you can manage to convince the retailer to return it or manage to set it up in a way that it does work (as we all did years ago) or manage to sell it for some decent money