Exploring the Alarm.com Camera Onboard Recording Feature

Posted March 17, 2021 at 09:00 am

You may recall us briefly discussing the Alarm.com Camera Onboard Recording feature when it was announced that the ADC-SVR122 was being discontinued. Today, we're taking a closer look at the feature, what it entails, and how you can get started. Let's check out Alarm.com Onboard Recording!

Simply put, Alarm.com Onboard Recording allows a compatible Alarm.com Camera to record captured footage locally to a micro SD card that is on board the camera. As the camera is connected with the Alarm.com servers, the user can access the footage on the Micro SD card remotely using the Alarm.com website or mobile app. Only footage that is still on the Micro SD card can be accessed. As the camera continues to record and store video, older footage on the card is deleted to make space. You must access and save any important footage on the Micro SD card before it is deleted and lost forever. Many Alarm.com users have found that onboard recording is a nice alternative to using a streaming video recorder (SVR) device.

There are many things to keep in mind when thinking about Alarm.com Onboard Recording. The first thing you should consider is which Alarm.com Cameras support the feature. At this time, there are only three (3). These are the ADC-V515, the ADC-V523, and the ADC-V723. It's likely no coincidence that these cameras also happen to be the premier residential video surveillance options offered by Alarm.com. You may also recall that Alarm Grid took an in-depth look at these same cameras not too long ago. Check out that post here. Remember that you will need a monitoring plan that includes both video surveillance and access to Alarm.com to use any of these cameras. Examples of compatible plans include an Alarm Grid Platinum Level Plan (Self or Full) or an Alarm Grid Video Only Plan. Learn about monitoring plans here.

Once you have a compatible camera, you can then start thinking about which Micro SD card you want to use. The Micro SD card you select cannot have a capacity smaller than 32GB and cannot be larger than 512GB in size, and it should be a high-quality card that has been specifically built for video surveillance. Alarm.com lists the following Micro SD cards as compatible:

Micron Industrial Memory Cards (Available in 128GB and 256GB)
SanDisk High Endurance
WD Purple Micro SD Cards

Additionally, you should check out the following FAQs from Alarm Grid that show you how to install the Micro SD card for each of the compatible ADC Cameras:

After selecting the proper plan, a compatible camera, and a recommended Micro SD card, make sure your monitoring company enables the "Onboard Recording with Smart View" feature on your account. You will not be able to set up the feature on your account until this option has been enabled. Once you have the Onboard Recording feature set up and running, accessing the recorded footage is very simple. You can use the Alarm.com website or mobile app for this task. We recommend checking out our FAQ on Viewing Alarm.com Onboard Recorded Video from an SD Card for more information.

What do you think of the Alarm.com Camera Onboard Recording feature? Would you like to see it become available for more Alarm.com Cameras? Leave a comment down below, and share your thoughts. And stay tuned to the Alarm Grid Blog for more security system news coming soon!