Arlo Pro 3 Wireless Security Cameras REVIEW | MacSources
Cameras provide a firm sense of safety and security around the home and office.
You can never be too careful when it comes to safety. This past weekend we celebrated my daughter’s birthday and several members of her mom’s side of the family came over to our house. We just recently got a trampoline and while we adults wanted to stay “out of the way” for the kids, we also wanted to keep a close eye on the action in the yard. This is where the Arlo Pro 3 Wireless Security Cameras come into play.
DETAILS
With the Arlo Pro 3 Wireless Security Cameras, you can ‘shine like a pro’ and keep an eye on your home or business. They are known for being easy to install and work seamlessly with mobile phone apps (iOS and Android). The cameras are designed with a built-in spotlight that can be activated manually or when motion is sensed. The cameras not only have night vision built-in, but they also enable the user to see colors at night. Video is streamed from the cameras in gorgeous 2K HDR (nearly 80 percent more pixels than its predecessor) so that you can see clearer details and colors and the cameras have an impressive 160º viewing angle. The Arlo Pro 3 system is compatible with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. The cameras are weather-resistant so they can be used indoors or outdoors. They recharge using a proprietary magnetic charger (cable is included with kit). In addition to providing a high-quality image and video, the Arlo Pro 3 cameras also feature 2-way audio and a built-in smart siren. The Arlo Pro 3 Wireless Camera System is available in a couple of different configurations. The Arlo Pro 3 comes with a 3-month trial of Arlo Smart, Arlo’s AI and computer vision-based service that delivers advanced detection of people, vehicles, animals and packages.
- 2-camera system (comes with a base station) $499.99
- Single Add-on Camera $199.99
- 3-camera system (comes with a base station) $649.99
- Arlo Pro 3 Cameras — 2
- Rechargeable Batteries — 2
- Magnetic Charging Cable — 1
- Wall Mount & Screw Kits — 2
- SmartHub — 1
- Ethernet Cable — 1
- Power Adapter — 1
- Quick Start Guide — 1
- Video Monitoring Decal — 1
- Max Video Resolution: 2560×1440 resolution
- Image Sensor: 4 megapixels
- Video Modes: 2k, 1080p, 720p
- Video Features: Auto Track and Zoom, HDR, H.264, and H.265 Encoding
- Lens Field of View: 160-degree diagonal
- Sensor Size: 1/3″
- Spotlight: 6500K, 42Lux @1M
- Motion Detection: Single Motion Detector, 130-degree horizontal
- Night Vision: high powered Infrared LEDs (850nm) with IR Cut Filter
- AC Adapter Output: 5V/2A
- AC Adapter Input: 100–240V AC, 50/60Hz
- Indoor/Outdoor: Both — outdoor UV and weather-resistant
- Digital Zoom: 12x
- Microphone: Single Microphone with noise and echo cancellation
- Audio: Full Duplex 2-way Audio
- Status Lights: 2x LEDs (blue and amber)
- Networking: 802.11 b/g/n
- Compliant Standards: 128-bit SSL, AES-128, TSL, 2-factor authentication
- Battery Life: 3–6 months
- Charge Time to Full (via camera): 3.5 hrs
- Charge Time to Full (via charger accessory): 2.9 hrs
- Operating Temperature: -20 to 45 degree Celsius
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi Connection. Working broadband connection with at least 2Mbps upload speed
- USB requirements: USB 2.0 compliant devices
- Min home upload speed: 2–4Mbps; optimized for 2 simultaneous 2k streams
WHAT’S INCLUDED (2-camera system)
SPECS
USER EXPERIENCE
I like things that are easy to set-up. And when it comes to easy set-up, Arlo has the market cornered. The first step is to connect the SmartHub to your internet network using the provided Ethernet cable. Then, you will want to install the app on your mobile device. Installing the app is actually the only step that is included on the Quick Start Guide. After this step, you will follow the instructions provided in the app. Once the SmartHub is connected to the app, it will probably need to complete a firmware update. This process can take 5–7 minutes. After the hub is ready, you can start adding cameras. If you happen to have older Arlo cameras in your household or office, you can add them to this newer SmartHub, but you can’t add the newer cameras to an older hub.
To set up the cameras, you first need to insert the batteries into the camera bodies and make sure they are charged. If the cameras have power going to them, the SmartHub should immediately recognize them. If not, you can always force the syncing process by pressing the ‘sync’ button on the hub and cameras. The cameras may also have a firmware update to go through once they are connected.
As I mentioned above, one of the reasons I wanted to have these cameras set-up was to monitor activity during a gathering at our house. I found that there are some limitations of the cameras in that they sometimes don’t have the strongest signal outdoors. I attempted to place some cameras in the backyard approximately 15 yards from the house. I found that the camera would send motion alerts to the system and any video would get a recording for review later, but when I tried to pull up a live feed, the camera would either not connect or connect with a lot of interference. That said, I was able to place two of the cameras on each side of our patio area and they got a great reception. Arlo does offer a Bridge device that is designed to boost the signal from your home WiFi
One thing I really like about these cameras is that you have the option of watching a live feed or just the recordings. I found that motion tracking alerts were usually spot-on. I receive push alerts within a few seconds of the motion being detected. We have a neighborhood cat that wanders through the front yard and it always trips the cameras we have out there. As far as smart detection goes, they did a pretty good job although the alerts frequently told us that our Yorkie was a package when we would carry him outside.
CONCLUSION
The Arlo Pro 3 Wireless Security Cameras are incredibly easy to set-up and in my opinion, that make them worth the investment. You have the ability to connect an external hard drive to the SmartHub to record locally, which makes this system very versatile. The quality of the video that is put out by these cameras makes them ideal for home security or business use. We use them for all our security needs and I recommend Arlo to anyone who asks my opinion of what type of cameras to use for security purposes. We truly LOVE our Arlo cameras. They are the perfect option to keep your property safe.
For more information, visit arlo.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
Originally published at https://macsources.com on June 19, 2020.
