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Arlo Essential Indoor Camera (VMC2040-100AUS) review

Indoor security camera. Priced at $159.

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CHOICE Expert Rating

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CHOICE Expert Rating

This is the product's overall performance score, based on key tests conducted by our industry experts in the CHOICE labs.

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The product's best features and benefits

Bad points

Drawbacks or issues you need to know about
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Placement View more details.

Where the camera is intended to be positioned, whether indoors or outdoors or either.

Indoor
Wire-free View more details.

Wire-free cameras are powered by batteries.

No
Power supply View more details.

Power is either mains or battery

Mains
Recommended View more details.

We recommend models that score 75% and more.

CHOICE Expert Rating View more details.

CHOICE Expert Rating is made up of Image quality score (60%) and ease of use score (40%). Image quality score takes into account normal light (50%) and low light (50%) conditions Ease of use includes installation (30%) plus recording and motion (70%) features. Recording and motion takes into account image and video capture ability, cloud storage and remote access, as well as alerts and notifications.

Image quality score View more details.

Image quality score takes into account normal light (50%) and low light (50%) conditions.

Ease of use score View more details.

Ease of use score includes installation (30%) plus recording and motion (70%). Recording and motion takes into account image and video capture ability, cloud storage and remote access, as well as alerts and notifications.

Tester comments
Availability View more details.

'Tested models' should still be found in shops. 'Discontinued models' may be available on sale or second hand.

Tested model
Price View more details.

Recommended retail price.

$159
Ongoing costs (cloud storage, remote access) View more details.

The ongoing costs incurred by subscription service for cloud storage and access to recordings.

Description
Wired indoor camera
Kit or camera only View more details.

Some cameras can be bought stand-alone or in a kit, while others only come as part of a kit.

Camera only
Kit required View more details.

Some cameras need to be used as part of a kit with a hub.

No
Kit inclusions
N/A
Number of batteries
N/A
Claimed battery life (months) View more details.

The manufacturer's claimed life of the battery (where applicable) in months. Note that these figures may be based on different amounts of usage.

N/A
Weatherproof rating View more details.

Weatherproof rating: IP55 offers protection against dust; IP65 and IP66 are dust-tight. All are protected against water, the higher the number, the better the water protection.

N/A
Maximum resolution View more details.

In pixels, width by height.

1920 x 1088
Megapixels View more details.

The image resolution of the camera, expressed in Megapixels.

2
Field of view (H/V or diagonal, degrees) View more details.

The field of view (Horizontal/Vertical or diagonal) in degrees. A wider field of view shows a greater area captured by the image.

130°
Frame rate (fps) View more details.

Higher figures give smoother video. Standard video is 30fps.

15
Video format View more details.

The standard formats for saved video footage.

H.264
Image settings in app
Resolution (1080p default, 720p, 480p), rotate image 180°, video brightness (darker, brighter), flicker adjustment (auto)
802.11n Wi-Fi band (GHz) View more details.

The Wi-Fi band used – 2.4GHz band or 5GHz band or both, or neither in the case of 3/4G models.

2.4
Warranty (years)
1
Website
arlo.com/au
Country of origin
Rechargeable battery
N/A
Removable battery View more details.

Whether the battery can be removed from the camera for charging.

N/A
Solar panel accessory available View more details.

Some battery-powered cameras are compatible with a solar-powered charging accessory. Usually this is separate, at extra cost, but may be provided in some kits.

N/A
Night vision (m) View more details.

Night vision allows the camera to see in low-light conditions using infrared technology. The distance for night vision is in metres. In some models, the night vision distance is not specified by the manufacturer (labelled as not stated).

Yes (not stated)
Ethernet port View more details.

Whether the camera has an ethernet port for wired networking.

No
Remote pan View more details.

The capability to change the horizontal position of the camera remotely.

No
Remote tilt View more details.

The capability to change the vertical position of the camera remotely.

No
Remote zoom View more details.

The capability to change the image magnification of the camera remotely. This can be either optical or digital zoom. In some cases, the amount of zoom (e.g., 10x) is stated by the manufacturer.

Yes (digital)
Stand or wall mount
Both
Wall mount option
Yes (base, anchors and screws supplied)
Email alert with picture View more details.

The camera can email a captured image automatically once motion is detected.

Option present but did not work (couldn't add email address)
Motion detection View more details.

Motion detection registers movement either within the entire field of view, or a user-specified area.

Yes
Motion detection actions triggered View more details.

Motion detection registers movement either within the entire field of view, or a user-specified area.

Video recording, push notification, siren sound
Motion detection scheduler View more details.

Lets the camera make recordings at predetermined periods.

Yes
Motion area selection View more details.

Lets you restrict motion detection to a particular part of the viewing area provided by the camera.

Yes
Home and away setting View more details.

The camera can be set to either home or away mode for disabling/enabling motion detection. This can happen automatically with some models via geofencing (detecting when you move outside a perimeter) or be set manually.

Yes
Built-in microphone
Yes
Built-in speaker
Yes
Built-in siren
Yes (via speaker)
Noise detection View more details.

Can trigger an alert on detection of noise.

Yes
Local storage View more details.

If the camera can store pictures and video footage locally (rather than in the cloud) and where this is located, whether in built-in internal memory or on memory card and whether in the camera or the hub (where applicable).

None
FTP storage View more details.

FTP enables the camera to upload video and images to a network server using FTP protocol.

No
Cloud storage View more details.

Uploading of images and video to an internet-based storage server, usually provided by the vendor or a third party agreement.

Yes (paid subscription based)
Remote access View more details.

Whether remote access is enabled automatically or manually.

Yes
Remote access via Android and iOS apps
Yes
Remote access via web browser
No
Google Home integration View more details.

Whether the camera works with Google Home devices for home automation.

Yes
Member reviews

Average rating

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