About a year ago I
decided that I needed to get new security cameras. Based on how they
were performing I decided that I needed something better. My old
cameras were starting to get a lot of interference and had bad
picture quality. Both were 2.4GHz security cameras with antennas.
For the new cameras, I
decided to choose Arlo. They are a brand of fairly new security
cameras. Instead of being 2.4 GHZ cameras they are IP cameras.
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| My old 2.4 GHz security cameras minus one receiver |
What are IP cameras?
IP cameras are cameras
that require an internet connection to view various areas of your
property. Like Arlo, some can be used inside and out.
Inside the box
If you decide to get Arlo
security cameras you will first need the starter kit. With the starter kit you
will get one base station and power adapter, one ethernet cable, one
magnetic camera mount, one set of mounting screws, four batteries, a
quick start guide, and a window decal.
Features
Arlo security cameras are
completely wireless. They are powered by four CR123A batteries. They
offer HD quality video and or weatherproof. They are also equipped
with night vision.
They can be activated by
motion and can send push notifications and emails when motion is
detected. It's capable of sending these notifications any time of the
day or night.
When motion is detected
everything that is seen is recorded for a certain length of time.
These recordings can be viewed later using the Arlo app or by PC
using your Arlo account.
Extra Features
Along with being able to
view recordings, live video can be viewed when logged into your Arlo
app or Arlo account on your PC. Once logged in you can also make
adjustments to various settings.
Motion sensitivity and
length of recording time can be adjusted when logged in. Recording
length can be set anywhere from 10 to 120 seconds. Motion sensitivity
can be set anywhere from 0 to 100.
If you decide, you can
choose not to have Arlo record anything at all. Motion detection can
also be turned off.
This is also the area
where you can choose whether or not you want push-notifications and
email alerts. For email alerts I have it set up to only send alerts
to only one of my email accounts. But, if I chose I can have it sent
to more email accounts.
Video quality can also be
adjusted. Video quality can be reduced or enhanced. I have mine set
on the middle setting. I feel that this setting helps my batteries
last longer. So far I am satisfied with the middle setting and I
don't feel like the video quality has been diminished in any way.
After adjusting the video
quality there is an option to turn night vision on or off. There is
also an invert image option.
Before viewing the live video
there are a few helpful indicators available. The first indicator is
the motion icon. It indicates if anything is being detected and
recorded. The second indicator is the WiFi icon. This shows the
strength of your WiFi signal. The third indicator is the battery
indicator icon. The fourth indicator is an icon that shows the number
of recordings collected. The fifth indicator is the settings icon.
When you are ready to
view live video, Arlo has options available that give you a certain
amount of control.
When viewing the live video
there are six buttons available. Pan and zoom, play/pause, record,
snapshot, brightness, and resize or the options that are available.
So far I have only used play/pause, record, pan and zoom, and resize. But, I
feel that the others will probably be beneficial in the future.
My experience
So far I really like my
security cameras. I also like that I can monitor areas of my property
and view recordings in HD. My plan was to have at least two security
cameras but I am now considering more.
The picture quality is
very good and there is no interference. I also like the night vision
feature. My old cameras had night vision but the quality was very
poor. With these cameras, night vision is much better. I can see a
decent amount of detail. With little to no outdoor lighting, visibility is good. But it's much better when lights are near the
viewing area.
With these security
cameras installation is easy. This is one of the biggest advantages
of this camera system. As long as it is within range (up to 300 feet
from the
hub/base station) it can be installed
just about anywhere. These cameras can also be installed fairly
quickly.
I have mounted my cameras
on the outside. My original plan was to mount them indoors in my
window frames, like my old cameras. But, I could never get a clear
picture. Mounting my old security cameras inside worked fairly well
but it didn't work well for these. Overall, I have found that for
outdoor viewing mounting them outside is the best option for a
clearer picture.
As I mentioned earlier,
Arlo security cameras are weatherproof. So far I haven't had anything
too severe. But, it's done well in various temperatures, heavy rains,
and fairly strong winds.
I have also made an
important discovery. I discovered that I can view a live video of my
property when I am away from home. From time to time I will do this
using my Arlo app on my smartphone. At first, I was not a 100% sure
that I could do this with Arlo cameras. But, this discovery has given
me more peace of mind.
These cameras have also
helped me discover a few other things. The first discovery was simple
and somewhat expected. From time to time(while watching live video
and recordings) I have seen various animals such as dogs, cats,
birds, etc searching around various areas of my property.
The second discovery was
not expected. One of my cameras recorded one of my neighbor's friends
in my back yard. Based on the recordings he was using my back yard as
a short cut multiple times throughout the day. I have seen this
person before but I didn't know them personally. I also didn't give
this person permission to walk on my property. After this experience, I was glad that I purchased these cameras. I also installed a fence
to stop the problem.
Battery Life
As I mentioned earlier,
Arlo requires four CR123A batteries. My cameras came with Energizer
CR123A batteries. But, I am currently using the SureFire brand.
I can get about six
months (depending on settings and viewing time) out of these
batteries. It's a decent amount of time and I am enjoying the fact
that I don't have to frequently change the batteries.
Will rechargeable
batteries work on Arlo security cameras?
Rechargeable batteries
will work with Arlo security cameras. But, they will not last as long
as non-rechargeable batteries.
I have tried this (before finally selecting the SureFire batteries) hoping
to have an advantage but I have found them to be somewhat of a
disadvantage. It caused me to change/charge the batteries every month
(or less) instead of every six months. I was saving money but it
caused me to change/charge the batteries sooner than I would have
liked. But, I may have been able to tolerate this if my cameras were
easier to access and indoors.
What about sound?
The security cameras that
I purchased don't have sound. But, weeks before I wrote this post I
got an email mentioning that there is an advanced model available.
The newer model is called the Arlo pro. It has two-way audio to
listen in and talk back.
How fast does my internet
connection have to be to use Arlo security cameras?
You have to at least have
1Mbps to use Arlo security cameras. A computer or smartphone can be
used. I sometimes use a combination of the two.
Plans available
With Arlo, there are three
plans available. These plans are basic, premier, and elite. With the basic plan you
get 7 days (up to 1GB) of cloud storage, limited support up to 3
months and the ability to use up to 5 cameras. The basic plan is
free.
With the premier plan, you
will get up to 30 days (up to 10GB) of cloud storage, unlimited
support, and the ability to add up to 10 cameras. It cost $9.99 a
month or $99 a year.
With the elite plan, you
will get 60 days (up to 100GB) of cloud storage, unlimited support,
and the ability to use up to 15 cameras. It cost $14.99 a month or
$149 a year.
Overall
Overall I am glad I got
these cameras. They have been very helpful and have given me more
peace of mind. They are higher priced than others but I feel that
they are worth it. I have no regrets about purchasing these cameras.
If you are looking for HD security cameras with advanced features,
and easy/quick installation Arlo security cameras would be a wise
choice.
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| Base station |
Photos are taken from my PC
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| Night vision with all outdoor lights on |
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| Night Vision with corner light out |
Recording from live video
