Milestone Arcus VMS Tested

By: Ethan Ace, Published on Oct 21, 2015

For more than a decade, Milestone was a Windows only VMS. With the Internet shifting power away from Windows OSes, Milestone launched a new VMS, called Arcus, which can be embedded onto Linux devices.

One such device is the Western Digital DL4100 NAS appliance. Based on a recent partnership between WD and Milestone, Milestone's Arcus VMS is offered as an application that can run on WD's MyCloud NAS devices.

We recently bought that WD device and tested Milestone Arcus. The image below overviews some of the areas we tested:

We examined the following questions:

  • How difficult was the initial and remote access setup? What technical expertise would it require?
  • How easy to use and how sophisticated was the client interface?
  • What support and what quality of support was provided?
  • How does Arcus compare to Milestone's other VMSes?

*** **** **** * decade, ********* *** * Windows **** ***. **** the ******** ******** ***** away **** ******* ****, Milestone ******** * *** VMS,****** *****, ***** *** ** embedded **** ***** *******.

*** **** ****** ** the******* ******* ****** *** appliance. ***** ** * recent*********** ******* ** *** Milestone, *********'* ***** *** is ******* ** ** application **** *** *** on **'* ******* *** devices.

** ******** ****** **** WD ****** *** ****** Milestone *****. *** ***** below ********* **** ** the ***** ** ******:

** ******** *** ********* questions:

  • *** ********* *** *** initial *** ****** ****** setup? **** ********* ********* would ** *******?
  • *** **** ** *** and *** ************* *** the ****** *********?
  • **** ******* *** **** quality ** ******* *** provided?
  • *** **** ***** ******* to *********'* ***** *****?

[***************]

*********

***** ** **** ** install ** ** *** simple ** ***** *** use ** *** ***** network.

***** ** *********'* *** Husky ********* (***) ******** support *** *** **** sophisticated ***** ****** (*** this ** **** *********** ******** **** ******).

*********

***** ** *** ** the ***** ******** ***** we **** **** ****, with **** ******** ******** and ************ **** * Dropcam, *** *** **** than *** ** *********'* other *** *********.

***** ** *** ********* partner ****** **** ***** with *** *********** *** client.

******* *** ** ** issue ** ****. ******* being ******** **** **** a ***** ***, ********* and ** ******* **** confused, **** ********* ** to *** ***** *** support. ********* **** **** are ********** **** *** that ******* **** ** handled ** **, ****** we *** ********* ***** WD's ******* ** *********** support *********'* ***.

***** **** ******** ********:

  • ** ********* ************* ****** on *********'* *******. ****** Arcus ** ******, ** you **** ********* ****, options *** *******.
  • **'* ***** ******* ****** ******. ** ******** this ** ********* *** WD ** **** ***** to *********** *** ** of ***********, ** ** still ******.
  • ********** ******* *** ** problematic, ***** **** ***** had ******** ********** ** some ******* *** ***** no ******* ***** **** went *****. ****, ***** is ** ****** *** connecting *** **** ** MJPEG *** ** * fallback.
  • ** ******** ** *******. Open ****** ** *** application ****** * **** is ******** *******.
  • ***** ******* *.* ******** a ******* ***** *** application ****** ********* ******* **** (***) with ** ********** **** but ** ** ******. Milestone ***** **** ** to ****** *** *** and **** *** *** ID ****** ***** **** be *********. *******, *****, they **** ** **** SUP ** *** ******* on ***** *** **** the ********* ***** ** removed **** *** **** release.

Market ******

*******. ***** *****' **** release, ***** *** **** little ********** ****** ** market **********, *** *** test ******* ********** ***. Arcus ** ****** *** competitive **** ** * low **** ($** *** channel) ***. *** *******, for *** **** *****, Exacq ***** ******** *** more ************. *** ****** of****** ***** ***-**** ***** provide **** ************.

***************

** *** *** * device (**** * ** or ********* ***) **** supports ********* ***** *** want ** ****** * few ***** ******* **** minimal ************, ***** ** acceptable.

** *** *** *** Husky *** **** ***** with ***** *** ******** the ********* ***** ******, this ***** ** ** attractive ******** *** $*,***-$*,*** sub-8 ******* ************, ****** certainly *** ***** *** its *****.

*****

*** ** *** **** not **** **** ***** pre-installed *** ***** ** simple. ***** **** **** it **** *** ***' web *********, **** ********, installation, *** *** ****** all ********* *************, * ~5 ****** *******. ***** is **** ** *******, with *** **** ****** licenses ********, *** $** USD *** **** ********** channel ** ** **.

****** *******

**** ******, ***** ************* detected ********* ******* ** the ***** *******. ***** are ******* ****** **** this *******, ******:

  • ** *** ** ****** driver:** * ****** ** not ******** ********, ***** is ** *** ** tell ***** **** ****** it ****** ***. **** may **** ** **** cameras ****** *** *******, but...
  • ******* *************** ****:** * ****** **** not **** *** ******* other **** ***** ***********, no *************** *********** ** supplied. ** *********** **** during *** *****, **** an **** ****** *** properly *********** ** ***** until ** *** ******* defaulted.
  • ******** ******* **-*****:************, ***** ** ** way ** **** *** auto-discovery, ** *** *** camera ******* **** *** network ** ***** ** the ***, ******* ** is ******** ** ** added ** ***** ** not. ******* *** ** disabled ************, ******.

** *** *****, ******* from ****, *****, ****, Samsung, *********, *** ***** were *** ********** *** added ******** (***** **** one **** *****, ***** above).

****** *************

**** *****, ****** ************* is *****, ******* ** CODEC, ***, *** **********, with ** ******** ******* of ***********, *-***** ********, etc., ***** ***** ** full ***** *****, **** as ********. **** **** some ******, **** ** Axis, ***** ****** ******** to ** ******* *** Arcus, *** **** ** not.

*******, ***** *** *** up ***** ****** ********* via *****, ***** ** performed ** *** ****** (despite * "*** ****" dropdown ***). *** ******** to * **-****** ****, 4x3, ****** ******** ** even ***** ** *******. Users *** ****** ******* processing **** ** *** on * ****** ******** basis, *** **** **** this *** ****** ** drastic *** ***** ****** in **** ****** ******.

** ******** ** *******

**** ***** *********, ***** does *** **** * username *** ********. ***** simply *** **** *** NAS's ** *******, **** 8081, *** **** ***** is *********** *********.

******** * **** ******* security, **** *** ****** warning ***** **** ******** and ******** **** ** entered **** **** ***** on.

****** *****

** ****** *** ************ and ************* ******* ** this *****:


Live *** ******

*****' **** *** ******** functions *** ****** ** use, *** *****.

**** ****

***** ****** ***** ** a ****** ** ****** to ******* **, *** use ***** ***** ** digitally/mechanically ****. ******* *** single ******* *** ** viewed **** ******. **** and ********* *********** *** given *** **** ****** in *** *** *****.

********

** ***** ********, ***** click * ****** ** the ***** **** ** the ***** ****, ***** brings ** ***** **** forward/backward *** **** *******/******* controls. ***** *** ***** a ****** ** ***** up * ***** ******** which *** ** ******** through. *******, ** *********** of ****** ** ***** events *** ***** ** this ********, **** ****, hour, *** ******.

******

***** ****** *** **** exporter **** * ****** camera ***** ******** * dual ******** ****** ******* the ******** ***** *** end ******. ***** **** scroll ******* ***** *** end **** ** ******, with ** ****** ** manually ***** *****/*****.

**** ********, ***** *** saved ** *** "*******" section, *** *** **** available *** ******** *** download (.*** ******). ** standalone ********** ****** **** multi-camera ****** ** *********, only ***** .*** *****.

****** *****

** **** ***** ****** in *** ****/******** ********* video ****:

Comments (4)

John Honovich

IPVM | 10/21/15 11:18am

Milestone needs to focus more on execution. Milestone talks a big game about 'leadership' and the 'power of partnership' but they clearly struggle to deliver. Not only has their post-acquisition new product release rate been weak, even the few things they do release, like this WD / Arcus 'partnership' are poor. When there are so many mistakes like here, this is a leadership problem and reflects a failure of Milestone's executives to focus the organization on delivering viable products.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to John Honovich | 10/21/15 02:28pm

If they can't include technical documentation they could at least include a scream pillow.

Thumbnail michael matta

Mike Matta

10/21/15 09:58pm

Thx Ethan. Very interesting. Do you know wether the Arcus product varies in functionality based on the hardware unit? They have several devices where the app can be flashed (or comes pre-flashed) - https://www.milestonesys.com/our-products/milestone-arcus/ - not sure if the feature set is comporable to what you witnessed with WD.

side-note: I think the Arcus site is dated, doesn't even show the WD partnership.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Mike Matta | 10/23/15 08:24pm

Mike, according to Milestone, there's only one functional difference and it varies based on processor used. Motion detection on an ARM based unit is triggered from the camera as an event, no server side VMD. By contrast, Intel based units can do motion detection sever side processers (transcode H.264 streams on unit).

Both the WD NAS and Arcus M10 unit use Inel Atom processors, so no difference between those specific devices.

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