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- First reviewSeptember 16, 2015
- Last reviewMarch 15, 2016
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- Average rating4.5
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TDawg's Reviews
This 3-pack of motion-activated NETGEAR Arlo Smart Home VMS3330-100NAS indoor/outdoor wireless IP security cameras lets you record 720p videos, both during the day and at night, so you can easily keep an eye on your home or business.
Posted by: TDawg
I've been researching different security solutions from a traditional alarm service to camera / video products like the Arlo so I was excited about the opportunity to look at one first hand.
The three camera solution was shipped to me and the retail packaging is smartly designed so that the cameras are very well protected during transit. They each are locked into their own pedestal area and physically mounted to the box with a screw that attach to the bottom of each camera.
Setup of the Arlo is a simple process.
- Base unit (the wireless device that communicates with the camera) is wired into an existing router.
- App is downloaded onto either your iOS or Android based device (iOS for me)
- Create an account
- Insert 4 batteries (included in the package) into each camera
- Pair each camera by hitting a sync button on the base station and the camera itself.
Cameras are placed or mounted in locations of your choosing. My base station is centrally located in my house so I have full wireless strength to all of my cameras as none of them are probably any more than 40 feet maximum away from the base statioh with a claimed maximum range is around 300 ft.
There are two ways to mount the camera. The first is are magnetic mounts which stick to the back of the camera. Netgear includes screws and a drywall anchors for all of them and the spherical shape of the mount allows the camera to be positioned in almost any direction away from the surface. The second is a traditional camera mount (think the same kind of screw type as a tripod). These are not included in the package but for my purposes the magnetic mounts were sufficient for my home.
The cameras have a surprisingly wide angle, field of view is 110 degrees (think GoPro style videos). The app will be needed to help finalize setup as there is a positioning mode that will allow the user to make adjustments to the position of the camera to see what is being captured as well as a motion detection mode where a LED lights up for when motion is detected in the FOV of the camera. One aspect of the software that is not very intuitive is after the sensitivity of the motion detection is set, there is a very small check that has to be hit at the edge of the slider before the settings are finalized and that tripped me up a couple times. The motion detection itself even at 100% can be more sensitive as there seems to be a lag before videos start recording.
The rest of the software itself is pretty slick. There can be both app and email level notifications when motion is detected. Interface is slick as videos are stored in the cloud for seven days (for free!) and can be viewed remotely. Timers / rules can be set on when the system is armed so it can be on only during work hours as an example or all the time depending on what is needed. For a longer archive of videos, there is a paid service available via the app. This is a great feature compared to other security systems where a DVR / storage has to be managed locally as well whereas this is all transparent to the user with the Arlo
Current battery life has been very good so far. I've had the system for about a month and the batteries still look like they are full. Wireless is a huge plus but there is also a cost for the batteries. CR123's are not as common as the usual standard sizes so budget $4-$6 per camera every 4-6 months which is the stated battery life of the camera. It doesn't look like there are good rechargeable options like Eneloops available in this size.
Overall I'm quite pleased with the Arlo system and think it's a good value. Compared to a home monitoring service, there are no recurring charges except for the batteries and for most people, the free seven day video archive is probably good enough. Costs for competitors like Dropcam add up quickly - the same three camera setup with the seven day video access will be $20 monthly so it makes the Arlo pretty much a no brainer.
I received this product free of charge from Netgear First Look Review Program for my honest opinions and experience with this product
My Best Buy number: 3482820050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Only at Best BuyTake your gaming strategy to the next level with this Corsair VOID wireless headset, which features a noise-canceling microphone that makes it simple to lay out your plan of attack, and up to 40' wireless range for flexibility as you play.
Posted by: TDawg
I own many gaming headsets including a couple Corsair headsets and this is my favorite by far. For even moderate usage, the one thing I find most important is comfort and these fit the bill with the microfiber ear cups (much improved over the H2100's I had previously) and the amount of pressure on the crown of my head is a lot less.
On ear controls seem like it's a fairly minor thing but in real world usage, it's a great feature. FInd it a lot more accessible compared to finding in-line controls like with a lot of other headsets.
As with the 2100 series of products, the battery life is great. Only have had these for a few days but going on over 12 hours of usage right now and battery is still good.
Highly recommended
My Best Buy number: 3482820050
I would recommend this to a friend!
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5of 6voted this as helpful.
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