Arlo - Essential Indoor Camera, White - VMC2040 - White

I love the design, video quality, 2-way audio and smart features of this camera. The app is quick, and I never have to wait to see what is going on when I get an alert. Setup only took a few minutes. Pros - Daytime video quality and viewing angles are great. - Privacy shield is a great physical indication that the camera is not recording and makes my family more comfortable knowing the are not being recorded when we are home. - Design and size allow the camera to easily blend in on my white fireplace mantel. You can turn the status led off to make it even less noticeable. - Smart detection tags motion alerts (people, animals, other) and allows you to exclude notification of certain types. This helped cut down on false notifications due to my dog, but it didn’t always work. - Microphone allows the camera to record audio and be triggered by noises, including listening for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms - 2-way audio allows you to get a better idea of what is going on – you can listen for your dog barking and speak to people/pets if needed - Allows for multiple motion detection zones (unfortunately this is all or nothing – I wish it allowed you to select different zones dependent on time of day). - The Arlo app works well on the iPhone. Notification previews work great – giving you the type of alert, a short video clip, and highlighting the motion so you can easily determine if there is an issue without opening the app. Inside the app it is easy to set up the camera, live stream, view recordings, change motion settings, set schedules and turn the camera on/off. - Arlo works with my Echo Show (Alexa) Things to Consider - Low light video quality is just ok – it is just good enough to provide motion alerts and make out high level details. - Camera is wall mountable and includes the mount/screws, but the length of the provided power cord limits your options (6-7ft). Not a big issue, since the cord is standard USB and you can easily buy a longer one. - Video recordings and smart alerts require a subscription that adds to the overall cost of ownership. The plan you subscribe to impacts video quality. It is an investment, but this is not my only Arlo device and they all work well.

My Arlo Q has served me well for years, and this is essentially a new version of it that performs just as well or better. The new privacy cover over the lens is pretty neat. However, I was disappointed to discover that the base for the camera is no longer magnetic like the Q, which is something I use extensively with my older Arlo Q, so I have to deduct a star for that alone. The power cord is shorter, too. I also quickly found out that the black model picks up dust almost immediately, so you might want to go with the white model.

I now have four Arlo cameras this is the only one that requires constant energy and be plugged up into an outlet. The camera looks good and works good. There is however a weird shutter sound when the camera is on which is called shield mode the camera is covered when the shield is on when you turn the shield off the camera cover comes off and starts recording and you’re able to view, this is an extra feature for privacy. The video quality is super clear way better than the indoor outdoor cameras overall I like it just wish it ran on battery and not wall outlet.

Nice and visually appealing. I have many of the Arlo cameras. This one I never have to worry about charging. It’s great that you don’t need a base station for the Essential line. Picture quality isn’t as good as some of the other cameras, but still pretty good

Less expensive at Best Buy than purchasing from the actual company. White case is the other reason for the purchase. I like a over all light color scheme for that room.

I have 5 Arlo cameras, and they are ALL great. Had some for more than 3 years or so, and they still work like new. This one is in my office, and it's super clear even at 1080p. The others are 4k and 2k, but this works great too. Easy fast setup, within about 5 minutes. You will spend more time looking for a place to put, than setting it up. Open the app, power it on, boom. Done. Since this is wired unlike my others, no need to have solar, or worry about charging it. Having a privacy shield is nice, so no one can look in on you while working or you needing some alone time. Buy these, they are worth it.

I've been using Arlo since they launched years ago. And to be honest, I don't know what I would have done all these years without it. They were the first to come to market with a fully wireless product, and it works. Fast forward to today, I've got at least one of everything I think they offer from the camera line, and this is the latest offering I've gotten. It fills a void previously filled by leaving one of the wireless cameras plugged in to charge. So I replaced my "puppy cam" that I use to watch my front door and where the dogs tend to hang out, thus the "puppy cam" and while not puppies anymore, the name still fits. This provides the camera, the mount, the AC adapter and cord, along with screws if you wish to wall mount this. I have kept it on the little table in the hallway, looking back towards the front door. It works fine, provides a nice 1080p view, and allows all the rules you would have with any of the other cameras such as when to record, do you want notifications, etc. All that is pretty Arlo typical. The only thing I don't like, and I'm not willing to drop a star for it, is the lack of dynamic lighting/background lighting gain control. And my example picture will show why that can be important. Without it, the light coming through the door is overwhelming the camera and if I adjust the brightness of the camera to tame that, when the door is closed, everything is too dark. Since I have Arlo cameras outside, it isn't a big deal for me, but for some, this might be an issue such as wanting to see who is at a door that is backlit by the sun. Arlo has come a long way, continues to offer innovative products, and products that fit the needs and budgets of the American people. Thank you Arlo for doing this, because since not all of us are able to buy the very pricey installed system from a security company, this fills that void quite well. It isn't perfect, but for the price point, I'd say it is about as good as anyone could have hoped for! It does include a microphone and speaker, so you can listen in and/or talk back, if desired. One unique feature this camera has is a privacy feature. That allows you to put this into privacy mode, which puts a physical cover over the mic and camera - you'll know you've activated it in the app because you'll hear the click when the cover is engaged or disengaged. Very cool! Adding this to an existing system, or a new system, takes no time at all to do. Follow the app guidance, and I had this online in about 30 seconds.

I was able to get this camera up and running in a matter of minutes.I have outdoor cameras but wanted one for inside to monitor the front door, an entry in from the kitchen, and a door from a lower level living area. With the accompanying app, I was able to connect the camera to the app, update the firmware (why do all new devices immediately need the firmware updated??) and I was ready to go! The camera uses a wide-angle lens so it covers a wider area than expected. They do want you to buy their monthly plan. I am using the 30-day free trial and will make my decision after that. I will see what I can watch and save without the subscription but the lowest price plan for one camera is only $3 per month so it's not too bad. It did take me a little navigating in the app to figure out how to deactivate it while we are home and walking around. I mainly want it to register movement overnight and during the day (once I return to work in Sept). It was annoying at first because it would notify me every time I walked by to go to the kitchen. I was able to go into the "mode" section of the app and set a schedule. Overall, this is a great way to monitor indoor areas.