If you are looking for an affordable video surveillance system, you are in the wrong place. The basic kit of Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlightwhich includes a hub and two cameras, costs 699,99€. For ours, which has 3 rooms, an investment of 899,99 €. There are not a few, this is evident, but we can tell you right away that the quality of the product justifies the list price.
This does not mean that the Arlo system is perfect, there are some small burrs, but overall the user experience is really of the highest level, the installation is really simple and the design, unchanged for years, continues to be winning.
What do the Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight kits include?
Inside the package you will find first of all lo Smart Hub VMB5000. It is the beating heart of this surveillance system, characterized by a simple and essential design, with the back housing the power supply input, the one for the RJ45 cable (included in the package), the Sync button and the reset hole . Below we find lo slot per la microSD, a vital element for Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight. Yes, because all the cameras transmit to the central hub that takes care of the local recording of movies. This means that you will not need to have 2, 3 or 4 different supports – depending on the kit chosen – but you will only need a single card. But not only. This choice constrains the positioning of the rooms as you will need to make sure they are able to communicate with the Smart Hub to allow data transfer.
It’s not a big limit, mind you. They actually have a good range, so you should only invest a few minutes to figure out where to put them.
Also found in the box Arlo cameras with their respective rechargeable batteries, batteries that can be released to be recharged even away from the central body. However, keep in mind that the basic equipment includes just a classic power supply, what works when the battery is inserted into the camcorder; the charging station for the batteries only must therefore be purchased separately if you wish to opt for this solution.
In any case, you will not have to frequently reload the system. The American brand guarantees up to 6 months of autonomy but obviously it depends on the use you will make of it.
Always in the package you will find mounting brackets. And no, they are not all three alike. We have two magnetic supports, which must be positioned on the wall with special plugs and allow you to hook and unhook the cameras in an instant, and a screw holderwhich instead takes a few more seconds to position and remove the camera.
The three Arlo cameras are the same. They all support the registration of videos in 4K HDR, they have a infrared sensor for shooting in the dark and at night, they are equipped with a lED spotlight which illuminates the space in front of them (with a maximum radius of 7.6 meters), integrate microphone and speaker for two-way communication and the siren and finally withstand the elementsalthough there is no official certification.
There are no cables, power supplies or wires to manage: the whole system is wireless and can be managed via the app.
How do I install all of this?
If you are new to it, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The installation of this video surveillance system is really simple. The application Arlo Secure, available on both Android and iOS, it guides you step by step: it starts with connecting the Smart Hub to the electricity and the router, ending with the positioning of the cameras.
Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight review: what do they offer?
The Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight cameras take advantage of an 8 megapixel sensor with a 180 degree viewing angle, which helps you to cover a very large area with a single camera. In addition, the videos give away lots of details and a good overall quality, even when the light goes down.
As anticipated, all the videos end up on the hub’s SD card but two out of three cameras can transmit the feed in real time, so from the app you can check what is happening inside and outside the home.
All this is at your disposal “out of the box”. This means that, as described so far, you will not have to do anything.
However, by putting your hand to the application you can achieve something more. The software allows you to change the field of view choosing between 180, 155 and 120 degrees, of change the resolutionfrom activate zoom when motion is detectedfrom schedule the hours of activity and to take advantage of the geofencing, asking the system to activate only when you leave home.
The subscription gives you something more
Well yes, there is a subscription.
There are indeed features that are only unlocked by paying Arlo a monthly amount. And the amount varies depending on the chosen plan: from € 2.99 per month up to € 14.99 per month.
What more can you get? First of all the possibility of record in 2K or 4K, otherwise you’ll have to settle for FullHD. The subscription also allows you to save movies to the cloud and to access functions based onartificial intelligence, such as zone detection, which allows you, for example, to control specific doors and windows, or the recognition of people, animals, vehicles and packages, so you will not receive notifications just because the cat has passed in front of the room.
The subscription also allows you to have the interactive notificationsto use the emergency call to a previously set number and access to the program that replaces the rooms in case of theft.
The Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight review: conclusion
The flaws of Arlo Ultra 2 Spotlight they are very few. On the one hand, in fact, we find a hooking system that exposes them to possible thefton the other hand a subscription that requires a double economic effort from users. It is true, nothing obliges you to subscribe, you can use this security system without spending any more money but with significant sacrifices. In short, compared to the almost 700 euros required for the pack of 2, we would have liked at least the inclusion of detection of people, packages, vehicles and animals.
Having said that, we are still faced with a product that works. Well, effortlessly and without requiring specific knowledge from the user. A great way to protect your home or small office.
PRO
- Excellent build quality
- Intuitive installation
- Good image quality
- Intuitive application
- Good autonomy
VERSUS
- Not theft proof
- Additional subscription for some features