Arlo Ultra 4K Review - One Year Later - Is this home security camera worth $600? 

*My old camera started flippin out so i bought a **Newest.Technology** one. Was really excited about the talking feature but my friends said “we can hear your voice through the front door.”10/10*

This review made the difference. I've looked at many reviews, but this video was updated, addressed the issues from the past with the Ultra 2 and the few remaining software issues. Great video.

Nice review, well delivered. Good work and thanks.

I'm completely in love with the backdrop of this video. That might be hands down the best office/desk setup I've ever seen in my life. It's completely integrated. Holy shit.

This is the review I was hoping for! Great job and thanks! One question though, how long does it record for once it finds motion? I read a review and it only said for 10 seconds! That can't be right, right?

Really great video, thank you. Really enjoyed the presentation, manner, and detail you went into.

Really in-depth, thank you!

Thanks so much for this, absolutely wonderful review.

Thank you for being to-the-point. This was super helpful.😍 I want to see

Would really love to see how long the notifications take for motion activation. Another video for Arlo Ultra & Pro3?

Just got a couple of Armorax battery powered cameras, one for my front porch, the other for my daughter’s room. Couldn’t be happier. Great battery life and so easy to install

Excellent review! Thanks!

This was one of the best reviews so far .I just ordered the Arlo Ultra 4K -4pack system .The coloured night vision is amazing .I was so worried you were going to not recommend this camera after scrolling the comments .But you didn’t !

Thank you for being to-the-point. This was super helpful.

Thanks mate, great review.

this is a very helpful review. Thanks. Great overview. Any update of firmware, software, smarthub, local access? does it support multiple zones?

I had an four camera Arlo Pro 2 system (purchased in 2018) that worked well. Then I added a three camera Ultra system in September 2019 and everything went down hill from there. Now all the cameras still detect motion and send an alert to my mobile but they often fail to record video to the library - which kind of defeats their purpose. When my annual smart subscription renewed yesterday, it kicked six of my seven cameras off the subscription, giving me a message that I needed to subscribe to a smart plan to reactivate each camera! After hours online to Arlo support, I had to manually take down each camera, remove and re-sync to the app before they would function. The changes to the smart plan from 10 cameras to 5 is also a kick in the guts with additional charges per extra camera on the plan. As your review says, the major problems are all firmware related. If I wasn't so heavily invested in the system, there is no way I would have kept it. It's really hard to recommend a premium priced product that performs so poorly.

Awful insanely frustrating experience. Spent $1k and many, many hours on absolute garbage. Gear: Arlo Pro Smart Hub 3 Arlo Ultra cameras 1 Arlo Audio Doorbell 1 Arlo Chime 3 batteries Various mounts Setup: Smart Hub in living room Camera A - At front door, 12 feed away, on the other side of a wood door Camera B - At front gate, 16 feed away, line of site through window Camera C - On back porch, about 25 feet away, through 2 walls Chime - 6 feet away in same room Issues: - Hub randomly goes down - Cameras randomly disconnect from hub - One camera battery stopped charging - Camera batteries die within 2 weeks of full charge - Low battery warnings don’t get sent until after camera died, is recharging, and is reconnected - Camera associated with Arlo doorbell never connects or shows image when doorbell is pressed - Audio at Audio Doorbell is unintelligible - Doorbell batteries last just a few weeks - Arlo Chime no longer connects to hub Customer service - Stats: 9 calls / 32+ hours on hold / 14 emails & chat threads - Arlo says that issue may be due to my router wifi channel - changed with no effect - Arlo told me to reset everything - tedious, but that didn’t work either - Arlo agreed to replace the Chime after hours of tests (the RMA email link expired before I could send it in) - Arlo asks for your phone number when calling “in case you get disconnected” but I’ve been disconnected 3 times with no call back - There’s no “call back queue” feature with Arlo’s customer service Outcomes - Missing deliveries due to not hearing our doorbell or not being able to communicate to person ringing doorbell - Multiple deliveries left outside our gate have been stolen - Friends thinking that we’re not answering our doorbell, but it doesn’t work Other product complaints - Cameras can be stolen if you don’t install 3rd party security hardware - App is insanely frustrating and will not tell you what’s wrong with the device that’s having troubles connecting or is flashing some random LED color and pattern - There’s no way to manually search for disconnected devices in the app - When adding a new device, the app will often hang for minutes at a time and there’s no way to cancel other than force quitting the app

This was extremely helpful! Thank you!

Steve went super in-depth on this one! Want to skip ahead somewhere? Here's the table of contents: 0:00 - The disastrous initial release of the Arlo Ultra 2:27 - What's in the box? Overview of the cameras and base 4:07 - The Arlo app 6:50 - Testing the camera, including color nightvision, motion tracking, and microphone 9:35 - The slow app 10:15 - The subscription plans 12:35 - The bottom line

Had issues from day one. Have had 3 Ultras for 3 months now. Two of those months were me trying to aquire a RMA (replacement for a defective camera) HOLY SH*T was that a nightmare. Absolutely the worst customer service. I like the cams and the system. But pray you don't get a defective camera....

Fantastic video! I'm concerned about pulling up live view, is that still a concern? Does it load up faster now, have they fixed that? Thank you

Watching this on December 1st 2020, thinking of buying it. Have they fixed these software issues by now? Can you recommend similar 4k cameras WITHOUT monthly subscription? Thank you so much, sir, GREAT REVIEW!

Great information! Thank You!!

I've watched several of your Arlo reviews. You've done an excellent job. Thanks.. Question.. As I understand it the Ultra 4K is hard wired to use the Arlo cloud.. is that correct? I own my own cloud storage on the Internet and would prefer to use my own private cloud and save a few bucks. Is it possible to do that? Not clear on one other issue. I have the Arlo hub version #1 from years ago. Will this ultra 4K work on my old hub?

That camera is amazing. I have 4 Arlo Pro 2s and love them. I would love to get the Arlo Ultra, but that price is still way too much. For $600 I could get a complete low end security system!

So you still need to pay more for the 4k cloud? Or can you access the SD Card footage from the app remotely now? The IQ is great for sure. Thanks

Hi, great review! How far out can the camera recognize or identify a person (DORI distance)?

Love it here comes another one.

Can you please tell me..... of the footage on the micro sd card that you view(whilst at home) can this be recorded and viewed in 4k, 2k and 1080p

Steve, did they fix the issues via a firmware update, or was it done via hardware?

I purchase my Arlo Ultra in November 2019 after I saw you r review on this Arlo. I have had connection issues in the past and lately they seem to be happening more frequently. How can I tell if I have the most recent firmware and software?

Hello - First of all - Thanks for making this video ! And...I know this is just partially related to the product being shown above, but I have a question - We have Arlo VMC3030 cameras that have reached EOL and I wanted to upgrade them - so I was starting to look at these Arlo reviews on RU-vid. If the item above - in a perfect world - had no flaws ( the missing thumbnails was one that I didn't like ), and I was to purchase this - would you happen to know if this HAS to use the new base - rendering the old base useless at this point if I changed to these cameras ? I didn't realize how many choices there were - but I keep wondering - if I could just buy 3 ( or upgrade to 4, we're thinking of adding one ) to replace the 3030's, can I get cameras like above without the base - and just reuse the one I have from 2016 if possible ? It seems like a waste to put it aside or throw out ( I suppose I could always sell it or give to a relative ). Plus on a smaller but important scale, can these cameras use the old magnetic wall mounts or do I need to screw these new mounts into the wall to support each camera ? Thanks for any help - and thank you for reading this - I know it's kind of long.

HI Steve,great vidéo, Arlo Ultra 2 comming soon?

Steve, will the mounting brackets support mounting a camera on the side of your house to aim down a sidewalk that runs parallel to the house?

Was looking for a battery powered indoor or outdoor camera and decided to get the Armorax battery cameras. Couldn’t have made a better decision. Long lasting battery, easy set up and each camera comes with its own wifi base station and they don’t even charge you for it

so many questions! Distance for camera to pick up movement and start to record? Costco now has the Arlo Ultra 2 4 camera pack. Can I sync 8 cameras on one base station? Is the base station only hard wired from router or is that now also wifi (like the camera to base station)? On the zoom, can you just zoom in after the video is recorded? Max size of the SD card that the base station will use?

Hi. What is the length of the cable to connect the camera and does it comes with one power cable for each camera?

whats the best video security system that you have tested? Looking to get a system soon! Thank you

Great review

Great review. I have the Pro 4 camera's and I'm not happy with the audio. I notice no reviews talk in two way segments. The camera mic works fine but I can not have a two way conversation. Please add to your next review. Or do you know of a fix?

What would you reccomend the 4 camera ultra 2 at Costco for 700 Or the pro 3 kit with 3 cameras for 400 with 2 extra for 300 ?

The hub they provide is the router for the signal. How well does it work distance wise? I need to place some cameras pretty far away from the hub. I have a seperate router that really pushes the signal and would prefer it use my personal router for the cameras

Will these connect to the Arlo Pro 3 Base Station? My biggest problem with my Arlo cameras is the slow app. Do you recommend a different camera with a faster app?

I have one and I love it 👍🏽

Question, I have the pro 3, if I use my old 4500 base station in order to use HomeKit, will I lose any features on my pro 3 cameras ?

What about the battery life in general and on different night modes??

Have been waiting for nearly a year for the glitches to be addressed and now looking to purchase the Ultra to add to my existing Alro Pro system.

Great video! Im leaning toward purchasing these for my home. how is the battery life? about how long until you need to recharge?

In your opinion is arlo worth Getting or is there something out there that's better?

I think I detect a little misunderstanding about how zoom actually works. When the zoom function is digital rather than mechanical (optical) there is no choice but to reduce the resolution when you zoom in digitally because you are using less of the sensing elements of the CCD chip. Digitally zooming means the same light is falling on the same points of the chip and you are just masking out the pixels of the chip you are not "zoomed" into.... and the pixels you are zoomed in on are just enlarged through software. Optical zooming can maintain full resolution because it involves lenses that are physically moved and all of the "pixels" of the CCD chip are still in use. None of the pixel are thrown out. I am assuming the zoom is not at all mechanical in this battery powered camera because in the video it zoomed in steps rather than smoothly.

Thanks for the video. Can I connect a monitor to the hub, instead of remote viewing? I don't have internet.

Hello, I have the Arlo Pro 2, but i'am thinking about the Arlo Ultra 2 - 4K but without a subscription (so only local storage with an SD-card). Two questions about that: 1. do you already have a previewshot of your motion when it's local storage and 2. When you click on that local storage movie, the app will open it immediately and in which quality ? Thanks.

Thumbnail photo aside, if you go with me no subscription local storage option, do you still get notifications on your phone? And more important, are those smart notifications to determine and notify based on animal versus person?

Great review, really disappointing that wireless cameras still have such long delays for live views. Defeats the whole purpose for me

hello what micro sd memory recommends for ultra cameras base and up to what size can i install

(I'm not terribly techie!) So, if I wanted to use this primarily to live monitor activity in our driveway (for example if you are waiting for someone to arrive) this may not be the best due to the lag? Thx

Can I access local storage from the app with an Arlo Pro 2 and regular base station?

Which one has better vision for night or which do you recommend

Thank you, very helpful!

Is the latency still an issue? How much video does the SD on the smart base store?

whats the distance of motion detect? how far can the cam puck up and what degree angle does it pick up? 180 deg like ring?

What is the lens made off? I noticed some small scratches and what to do?

What determines the battery life on these? Does it have to be with the smart notifications or shoiod I just turn them all off to increase battery life. 🔋 Just purchased them , first time owner so would really appreciate any recommendations. Thanks

Do you have to pay for a subscription in order to watch video from the app?

What do you recommend for a battery based Wi-Fi camera? I just got the ultra 2 and still same issues and it fogs every night!!! Arlo team is clueless.

I have never had a security system and looking to buy. For the pet owner's out there can these be a pain with notifications? I have a doggie door and the dogs will travel the area I want coverage often. Any thoughts would be helpful!

Is there a local storage 24/7 playback feature similar to that of Wyze and Eufy or do you need to be subscribed to the outrageous $20 per month per camera CVR service?

are they still going to release the thumbnail preview for the local storage?

Hi Steve, great channel and thanks for the work I have the ultra and none of my 2 way audio works, I've done everything I can but can't resolve this. The mic pics up audio but I can't use it as a intercom Any thoughts? Or anyone with the same problem? Thank you

Were you satisfied with the battery life?

Steve you forgot to mention the CVS cloud plan. You can have your camera record 24/7 to the cloud regardless of the motion

You reccomend this or the pro or eufy cam 2 oe there pro ?

Would any ethnic cable wire work for the camera if not can you recommend me one because I’m looking for a 50’ thx

@ 6:54 your camera quality is super good! How is it possible? I have Arlo ultra and my one looks trash compared to that. It’s on all the highest settings and downloads to cloud which I then download to my phone. I can’t even see the neighbours car’s number plate which is parked like 10 meters away from the camera. Yet your video is super clean and clear. Any advice on settings or maybe I’m not downloading the video correctly?

Have you reviewed the Ultra 2? From Costco..

can i watch 4k videos stored on a micro card with my phone or do i have to use a computer

When are you reviewing Arlo ultra 2

HI i want set up this camera for live view in local network without subcription is it possible? As i understand Base station have SD card option for storage . Does it have Local Live view Feature? Thank you in advance.

Can u make a vid on what to do if your smart hub won’t connect

can you record or do a screenshot from live view anymore?

Can you share a video,of how to set up this cameras ( arlo ultra 2 ) with the Apple HomeKit please, I’m having big issues, for some reason I can’t get it right and I can make it work with Apple HomeKit..... thanks

How many cameras does each hub hold or connect to?

Also Steve, what's to stop a thief from pressing the release button and steal the battery unit? Thanks again

I have a question. If I want to view the cameras at work so that I can monitor my home and Rotties. can I keep them on live view and how do I do this

Wait how can you compare when they have a flood light on there camera and you taking a based ring with no flood light? I don't understand get two of the same functions to compare

I was told that I need to purchase a Neteork Security because my cameras are not updating is this true?

I've had 3 Arlo original for years now, between slow connectivity and plenty of other issues, NO , I don't feel it was worth it

Thank you for addressing the slow live view, Its one of my gripes with the system too.. SO slow to load, especially if you dont already have the app open be prepared for an additional 5-10 seconds loading delay on top of the live view loading delay. my other biggest problem is that there is a huge delay in the local live view stream even though im showing "Strong" bandwidth.. I have an open support ticket for it at the moment but they clearly under trained on their products..

Hi nice video I just want to ask you one question I'll I'm trying to buy the Arlo Ultra I want to leave them for 24 by 7 on but I was just wondering hope the cameras do not heat up. At the moment I'm using Arlo Pro but on them I cannot do 24 hours so that's the reason I'm upgrading to Ultra which I have to pay 12 to £13 a month

I have been looking for a 4K and 180 degree angle camera. The Arlo meets this requirement. However, the video quality shown on this video is not showing a 4K quality. Is it because when you upload it to RU-vid, it cannot show the true 4K quality?

The motion sensor on my Arlo Ultra is not sensitive enough, even though I have it set at 100 percent. I have to walk within 7 feet of the camera in order to trip the motion when coming from the side. Any ideas on how to make it pick up motion farther out than 7 feet. I have a long rectangular deck that I was hoping to catch motion on from at least 20 feet out from each direction of the camera.

Thanks for the information Steve. Can you tell me how long is the camera battery can last after a fully charged?

Steve, I found out that a second phone (wife) cannot see the local storage at all unless you pay for the subscription.

How is the battery life?

How long does the battery last?

Can you review 4K Nocturnal IP NVR System featuring Four 4K (8MP) Real-time 30FPS Cameras with 4x Optical Zoom, Color Night Vision and Listen-In Audio

I wish eufy had a 4k hdr option with spotlight. My biggest reason for migrating from nest cameras to Arlo ultra is the image quality and spotlight. The best cameras are great in the daytime, but at night they get so grainy when zooming in that I really can't see faces out make people out very well.. it's frustrating. The higher image quality and color night vision at least gives me a better chance at identifying people and seeing what they are doing at night. Isn't that what you want a security camera for, generally speaking? It's a shame that Arlo can't get their act together on the software side of things. Fix the app issues, address the lag... Instant winner. If Eufy or even Google comes out with a 4k spotlight HDR camera.. I would likely have less reason to tolerate the Arlo issues, but for now, I tolerate them in favor of image quality and the spotlight.

Does the camera record 24/7 for 30 days if I subscribe with the Elite plan or is it just a clips?

I have a Arlo 2 set I just purchased a Arlo ultra set is there a way to put two apps on your device so you can run both sets