Delay in Recording

[KamiKaze29]

My cameras have a slight delay (approx 3 seconds) from the time it detects motion till the time it actually starts recording.  Is this normal?  I have cameras set up to record all entryways to my home and seems if a burgular were to walk in from a few of locations, this delay will prevent me from recording their face as they walk in.

[jguerdat · Accepted solution]

That's roughly normal.  The cameras have to wake up on motion detection and/or start streaming to the servers.  I don't know for sure what causes the delay but making sure the motion is across the field of view rather than straight on as well as using the edges of field of view helps.  However, you'll never get instantaneous response so position and aiming take trial and error to get the best possible recording.  Maybe a somewhat different location would help or using one camera to trigger another one to do the recording would help if there's more than one in the same general area.

[HKNinja]

I think my delay is way longer than 3 seconds... The footage below indicate that the camera don't start recording until this unknown guy turned around and run back to his car.  I would think the camera had detected the car pulled up in front of my driveway and should start recording.  Am I missing any setting?

https://arlo.netgear.com/hmsweb/users/library/share/link/15D7B1AC35AD2A40

[jguerdat]

Not a setting but probably positioning so the detection is across the field of view.  The edges seem more sensitive but motion directly towards the camera is the least sensitive.

[Skippy2708]

Have you had any luck in resolving this as I have the same problem and only catch the top of their head. 

[jguerdat]

As stated just above your reply, it's all about positioning as well as trial and error. A different position and/or angle may help a lot.  You also have the option, if you have multiple cameras, to use on camera to detect motion and trigger another camera to record.

[sammie2girl]

I have 21 sec delay in live watching. Y?

[jguerdat]

That IS a lot.  I just tested and got a 10 second delay - this is the first time I've timed it so I don't know if that's normal, short or long. Since the system has to connect to the servers for this process, it's delay in sending/receiving whatever data between the base and servers as well as any delay the various devices introduce and then there's the World Wide Wait. There's nothing we can do about it that I know of.

[badsound8]

I too am missing almost the first 15-20 seconds of motion and am missing the actual event i want to record. I've tried multiple angels and positions to no avail. help?

[jguerdat]

Use live view to get a snapshot and then share the link to that by sharing the link here from your library.

[Fort_Knox]

I also had quite long delays in my system before I repositioned the base station to a bookshelf 6 feet high. Now recording starts within 2 sec when on motion detection. Live feed has about 7 sec delay (web browser IE11).

Cameras are postioned 15-60 feet from base station.

[juanmorelli]

I find that on motion along the edges of the view, the camera records sometimes, but if the target moves to the center of the view, and then toward the camera, the recording resets and all that gets uploaded is the last few secongs of the motion when the target is already under the camera.

[luv2mx]

Is that really the best option?  A sacrificial camera?   I have a camera pointing straight down my walkway( 30 feet+) and it does not start recording until I am already at the door.  This makes this Arlo system totally useless.  Are they working on some kind of fix?

[jguerdat]

A sacrificial camera is not the best answer in many cases but it may be the only option in some.  As for your scenario, the problem is that you have action coming directly towards the camera (at least, that's what your description seems to say). Any reading in these forums or from the FAQs (here's a pertinent one - https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo-Knowledge-Base/Optimizing-motion-detection-performance-on-Arlo... ) will tell you that motion needs to be across the FOV.  The PIR detection system detects motion across the scene much better.

[AleniaTJackson]

My cameras won't pick up anyone or anything on the property until they passed! Frustrating my car got broken into and the cameras picked up zero!!

[jguerdat]

Did you read my reply just before yours and checked it out? 

[pizzamike]

My porch camera is mounted in a spot where the detector only has an opportunity to detect motion coming directly at it. These cameras are weak at detection when something is coming straight at them. My porch camera picks up where the garage camera ends. I set up a rule where the garage camera triggers both to record and I'm good to go.

[GreggT]

So.....unless there is some upcoming firmware improvement I would definitely chalk this up to an Achilles heel of the arlo.

We have motion detect security elsewhere in our bldg that respond quicker.  The two arlo cams that we now have on our showroom floor both are positioned fairly well for movement across their FOV.  We have lost three different laptops on our floor.....and the arlos were to be part of our go-forward solution.  I see now that all I could be assured of catching is the back side of the next perp.

We will consider an additional 'sacrificial' cam right at the door.........but I am not aware of a way for one activated cam being able to trip the system to fire-up all three......maybe someone can enlighten me.  

[jguerdat]

The Arlo Q cameras might be a better choice, especially indoors. The motion detection is pixel-based and does not use a PIR detector.

If you want to set up rules so one camera triggers others, simply edit your modes and add new rules. Select one camera to detect and another to record as you build the rules.

[GreggT]

Much appreciate that suggestion......however this is a new 2 cam wireless system....all installed after much thought....wiring a 'Q' would present problems.

Back to the 'sacrificial' 3rd cam idea....it's interesting that you can change rules so one camera triggers others by editing modes and adding new rules.....so one camera detects all to record, if I understand that correctly?

Can the others still trigger themselves on their own?.......or better yet,  could any one (not just the sacrificial) trigger all three?

[jguerdat]

Not quite the way you describe but close.  You just have to add rules so the various cameras work appropriately.  

Cam 1 detects, triggers Cam 1

Cam 1 detects, triggers Cam 2

Cam 1 detects, triggers Cam 3

Cam 2 detects, triggers Cam 1

Cam 2 detects, triggers Cam 2

etc.

[GreggT]

Understood......thank you.

[sd2017]

I am having the same issue and my final take is that these cameras SUCK. It is NOT a 3 second delay, literally I have had a thief walk directly past the camera, steal my packages, and the camera recording doesn't start until he's halfway back down the driveway. Clearly this is not a terrific security camera and the position or field of view has nothing to do with it. It's positioned in a way that motion that happens anywhere in its line of sight should trigger a recording. 3 seconds I can live with. 15-20 is completely useless. Curious to know if Arlo/Netgear has weighed in on this at all. Either way, I'm going to post a review making sure people understand the uselessness before they buy these.

[sd2017]

Ah so what we all are concluding is that we need to train our thieves to walk across and not toward us. Hopefully everyone understands that thieves are incredibly easy to identify straight on. A sideways profile photo, not so much. So yeah, I guess what we're saying is these cameras suck.

[nngnng]

I totally agree with you. These cameras SUCKS- Useless security cameras.... Junk it and get a Lortex or Foscam system.