arlo product VMB5000r5 support - PLEASE HELP

[vokerz]

Hello,

I have a arlo product VMB5000r5.

It came with two 4k cameras.

I originally had a free trial for recorded video clips that were triggered by movement to be saved to the cloud.

Recently Arlo has completely removed this feature for me.

Now when my camera detects movement in the wee hours of the night, I have no video recorded to the cloud to view.

Nothing records anymore.  

Then I got an email this morning stating that EOL products will still be allowed to save video to the cloud again, starting July 1 2023.

My questions are:

1) arlo product VMB5000r5 is EOL? I just bought this?

2) If EOL products are allowed to have video saved to the cloud for 7 days starting July 1st 2023, why can't my product (which is newer) not be eligible for this? 

3) Why should I have to pay money for a subscription plan to be able to see my video notifications when the EOL products will provide this for free for 7 days of storage starting July 1st 2023.

4) Am i completely misunderstanding this whole thing?

5) Can someone please add clarity to this issue for me?  I think I may be completely confused here?

All i am looking for is for the Arlo service to continue to allow 7 day cloud storage for my device for free.

I mean i paid $500.00 for this product basically, and to have to shovel out more money is kinda ludicrous.

Where it stands now, my product no longer records movement caught at night. It only notifies me that movement has happen. Does this mean in July of 2023, I will again have the ability of 7 day cloud storage without having to pay additional money for a plan..

Please help, I am severely frustrated and confused.

[StephenB]

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@vokerz wrote:

I have a arlo product VMB5000r5.

It came with two 4k cameras.

I originally had a free trial for recorded video clips that were triggered by movement to be saved to the cloud.

Recently Arlo has completely removed this feature for me.

 These 4K cameras would be Ultra (or Ultra 2) models.

All newer cameras (starting with the Ultra back in 2018) require a subscription to get any cloud storage.  7-Day free cloud storage was never offered.  So all that's happened here is that your trial subscription has expired.

The Ultra is not on the EOL list, so that is not a concern.  But you will either need to subscribe, or set up direct access to local storage (adding a microSD card to your VMB5000 base).

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

There are limitations to direct access - IMO it is not a great experience.  But many people here do use it instead of purchasing a subscription.

[DannyBearAgain]

The EOL policy was aimed at discontinuing the legacy arlo cameras and doorbells. They made no mention of Base stations so it doesn’t affect the 5000 base.

When you purchased the 4K cameras you never would have been able to receive the 7days cloud service since that offer ended back in 2018 for new camera model after the pro2 series.

For the 4K Cameras, arlo requires you to pay for an ongoing subscription plan to be able to record to the arlo cloud. There is a option to use the 5000 base to store recordings on the backup storage device if installed and be able to download to the mobile for viewing.

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

[vokerz · Accepted solution]

Thank you both for the replies.

I completely understand now.

I'll go ahead and take a look at the local storage feature.

I appreciate the links you both have supplied me.

I understand that 4k cameras take up more space due to video/sound quality, thus making the 7 day cloud storage not feasible....

It's unfortunate that Arlo sorta penalizes us for having better equipment in that way.

Meaning if i didnt upgrade from the older legacy arlo system, i'd still have cloud storage...

But since i did upgrade, and my trial ran out, I dont have the cloud storage option at all.

Basically if I was using the older system, come July 1st 2023, I'd still have a solid security system with alerts and data recordings on the cloud...with the new equip...not so much.

In any case, its merely a frustrated vent about the way the company handles their customers.

I will go ahead and do the local storage work around.

Thank you so very much, both of you 🙂

V

[DannyBearAgain]

It’s difficult to know if you’re over posting while you’re writing a post in answering.

To save you further frustration when deciding to use the local storage, you should carefully read more about the limitations using direct storage.

• Things such as no manual recording capability. Cloud subscription is required. 
• No viewing or download capability using the web login.
• No granted user sharing of recordings.
• No automated setup for access to recordings when remote from wifi.

It is unfortunate you upgraded the cameras and lost your previous 7days free cloud storage.

Maybe arlo will recognise their liability in causing a “fear and insecurity” that they generated for their customers so they can make a quick buck.

Offering you a free subscription plan would be a good start in MHO.