Can You Upload Arlo Pro Video to the Cloud
Sep 2021
Outdoor security cameras are getting more affordable all the time, with options as cheap as $30. And yet cameras in the $200 range persist -- from leading brands similar Google Nest and Arlo, no less.
The Arlo Pro 4 shows why.
With a rich set of features, dependable design and a competitive subscription service, the Pro 4 is our favorite outdoor photographic camera on the market place at $200. No, information technology's not the most affordable device out in that location, simply no competitors can shell the Pro 4'due south versatility and all-around performance for the price.
Who should purchase the Pro 4? Almost anyone looking to buy an outdoor security camera.
Like
- Excellent performance
- Siren and spotlight
- Solid design
Don't Like
- Barriers to HomeKit compatibility
- Limited costless features
Easy to set up, easy to use
From unboxing to monitoring my backyard, the Arlo Pro 4 took less than x minutes to set up. The majority of that fourth dimension was taken upwards by a software update. Otherwise, I connected the camera to my Arlo app in less than a minute and mounted the magnetic base to a spot on my deck in nether two. (Granted, I proceed a power drill handy at all times, given how often I install gadgets similar this around the house.)
From at that place, I was able to starting time testing out the Pro 4's features right abroad, manually switching the spotlight on and off to see the difference (bright plenty during the night), triggering the siren to encounter how loud it is (loud, but non deafening) and zooming into various corners of the live-streaming video.
The Arlo app is simple and straightforward, with all the features I want to toggle easily accessible on the alive stream screen. In the settings, you tin likewise fiddle with a slew of other tools, similar machine zoom & tracking, power management settings and activity zones (with a subscription).
Different the Pro 3 -- and other cameras from generations by -- the Pro 4 connects directly to your Wi-Fi, which is convenient, since yous won't need a separate hub. But information technology fabricated me a little nervous well-nigh the impact on bombardment life: Wi-Fi is less energy efficient than other communication protocols, like Bluetooth or Zigbee. Arlo says the battery should last between three and six months per charge, which is fairly standard among wireless cameras. Over the form of a week and a one-half of testing, though, the Pro 4 but went downward about 5% -- which put the battery life on track for well-nigh seven months for me. That's really solid, and since it only takes about five hours to charge, your monitoring should remain about uninterrupted year-circular, even information technology's a little less efficient than it seems.
No keys: Push to start
The Arlo Pro four is like a fully upgraded electric car: Information technology makes yous feel fancy and it'due south practical. The camera itself has a nice heft to it and sticks solidly to the magnetic base. Information technology boasts 2k resolution, a 160-degree field of view, full-color night vision (though it shifts to black and white in truly low-light settings), 2-fashion talk, a born siren and motion-sensitive spotlight -- the works.
Nest's most contempo outdoor camera, by comparison, has 1080p resolution, a 130-degree field of view, standard night vision, two-manner talk and neither a siren nor a spotlight. Certain, information technology costs $20 less at $180, but ends up more expensive over time if y'all factor in subscription fees. In short, the Arlo Pro 4 really packs in the features.
Needless to say, the Pro 4 likewise easily beats out budget options -- like the excellent-for-the-price $thirty Wyze Cam v3 -- which oftentimes don't come up with lights, sirens, 2k resolution or wide-angle fields of view.
The i thing Wyze has that few other companies offer is fourteen days of free cloud storage. Which brings me to my 1 criticism of Arlo: the lack of subscription-complimentary features.
It's no secret that smart security camera developers want to claw yous with a monthly subscription. Free trials abound hither -- Wyze and Google Nest both offering a free month, while Arlo offers a generous three months. The intent is always to go you to end up paying over time.
If y'all're allergic to more subscription services like I am, then you lot might want to buy a photographic camera that will work well enough to avoid the monthly fees. The Arlo Pro 4 really isn't that: Without paying for Arlo Secure, you lose out on smart alerts, event history and a handful of other features.
Nest, by contrast, offers person, vehicle and creature alerts for gratis, forth with three hours of event history (that'due south paltry, but it's something). Wyze is much more useful without a subscription, with those 14 days of cloud storage for events.
In addition, the Pro 4 doesn't have an SD bill of fare slot, which means whatever local storage volition crave a dissever device... like the Arlo SmartHub (more on this later on).
The Arlo Pro iv is conditions resistant. Don't submerge information technology in water; otherwise, it should perform admirably.
David Priest/CNETSubscribers are the winners
If yous're buying a smart security camera, you lot may already know that subscriptions are usually an important part of the calculus. And with Arlo, you get a solid deal. Arlo Secure costs $3 per month for a single camera ($10 for unlimited cameras) and nets you lot object detection (person, vehicle, brute and package), single-button emergency response services, activity zones, video previews in your phone notifications (much similar Ring'southward much-promoted Rich Notifications feature) -- and perhaps most chiefly, 30 days of event history.
Iii bucks per calendar month is reasonable for this, and in line with competitors similar Ring -- which charges the same for comparable features. Google Nest charges $6 per calendar month (which is why the $180 Nest Cam will stop up costing about people more within 7 months of purchase than the Arlo Pro 4). Nest Aware also comes with other features, though, like facial recognition, and it costs $6 regardless of how many cameras y'all use.
For my office, I like the scalability of Arlo's subscription pricing, but for some people, Google's might make more sense.
Arlo in the smart dwelling
Arlo works well with Google Banana and Amazon Alexa. When I tested the camera with Alexa, for example, calling up the live stream on my Echo Show 8 and using 2-way talk, information technology worked apace and effectively. All I had to say was, "Alexa, show me my camera," and moments later I was watching a livestream of my lawn.
On the other hand, to have advantage of Apple tree HomeKit (which Arlo technically does work with), you'll demand a divide Arlo device called the SmartHub. Yes, the same one necessary for local storage. The problem is the SmartHub isn't available at retailers and hasn't been for months. I've had readers reach out to me about the hub and take asked Arlo in the past for comments on the device's availability: The visitor said it's not discontinued, but declined to tell me when information technology will exist available over again.
For HomeKit users, that barrier is a real bummer that stops Arlo from running away with all the awards for smart home compatibility. Yous know, all those awards that I definitely didn't simply make upwards.
That said, like shooting fish in a barrel usability with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa is a nice perk for many users.
Still cracking, simply facing tough contest
The Arlo Pro four has emerged as the outdoor security camera leader in a few important respects: first, its spotlight and siren add a level of security deterrence that other cameras in the aforementioned price range don't often lucifer; 2d, its integration with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa (and to a bottom degree Apple tree HomeKit) truly make information technology more than smart home-friendly beyond different ecosystems.
More importantly than either of these features, withal, is just the general quality with which the Pro iv was designed. It's a keen camera with almost no real weaknesses. In a indicate-by-point comparing -- resolution, performance, battery life and so on -- it just consistently outshines the competition. Where it falters, most people simply won't detect, or mind the slight drawbacks.
If you're a HomeKit loyalist or looking for a home security camera to use without a subscription, Arlo'due south Pro iv might not be the best option for y'all. Otherwise, it'southward our favorite outdoor smart cam on the market.
Source: https://www.cnet.com/home/security/arlo-pro-4-review/
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