Video Doorbell recommendations

[eytonxav]

I have a Nest Outdoor IQ cam (not yet installed) and have been considering whether it is even worth installing a Nest Hello doorbell, since the IQ would pick up anyone coming to the door. FWIW, several of the reviews I've read seem to think the Nest doorbell is a bit better than the Ring.

 

[Spock]

If all you want is the video and not 2way voice, another option is DIY with trail cams.

 

[Chuckanut]

I decided to confirm my voltage before doing further research. It looks like my doorbell only uses 10 Volts. Not enough for many of the new video doorbells. Here is a photo of the transformer.

 

[BigBob]

These options look very favorable to me, with a second house. Question for those using video doorbells on a second house: do you pay for internet service or is there some Verizon/Sprint/AT&T hotspot/interface that you use?

 

[MichaelB]

These options look very favorable to me, with a second house. Question for those using video doorbells on a second house: do you pay for internet service or is there some Verizon/Sprint/AT&T hotspot/interface that you use?

We have year round internet service in both locations.

 

[bingybear]

We have a Ring doorbell on the front door. Works great. But disappointed that I had to take it off the wall and reprogram it when I put in a new computer network. No back door doorbell.

Where you reprogramming the doorbell or having the computer get the MAC address from the device?

 

[bigcmagor]

We have year round internet service in both locations.

Same here. We used to put each location on vacation with Comcast when we left for the season. Always had equipment or service issues when we returned to either home and decided it was better to just leave both active. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Comcast somehow engineered this outcome.

 

[travelover]

I decided to confirm my voltage before doing further research. It looks like my doorbell only uses 10 Volts. Not enough for many of the new video doorbells. Here is a photo of the transformer.

Can't you just replace the transformer? I have just a basic solenoid ding-dong door bell and I punched up the voltage. All it did was make it louder, but since it only operates for a split second it doesn't seem to have harmed it.

 

[braumeister]

Well, as a result of this nice thread I bit the bullet and got a Ring Pro doorbell. It was delivered about two hours ago and I spent half an hour installing and setting it up with the app. Been playing with it since then.

I'm delighted with it!
Easy to customize the motion detection zone, and I was concerned about that because my next door neighbors could trigger it every time they went in or out unless I was able to screen them out.

I set it up to detect motion only for those coming up my walk to my front door, and only when triggered by people, not just any motion.

The setup process was a little finicky, and I had to go through it 2 or 3 times before I finally got it working correctly. Not a big deal, maybe ten minutes total for that part.

Shared the control with DW, and she's impressed too. So I have to say I'm very satisfied with the Ring, and especially so since Amazon has it on sale right now.

 

[timo2]

FYI: from the link below: "The video doorbell company Ring is working with more than 400 US police departments to streamline their access to user videos, the company announced last month.

Ring, which is owned by Amazon, says the partnerships will allow police to post important safety information and view and comment on public posts to a Ring-operated portal. Police can submit requests for video recordings for certain locations to help with active investigations.

But concerned privacy advocates say the partnerships threaten to create a 24/7 surveillance program."


https://www.stltoday.com/news/local...cle_18da8288-27b8-574c-b242-8206e512503c.html

 

[Scrapr]

Those of you who have these seeing-eye doorbells, do you have one on your back door also?

We put in a Ring doorbell about a year & a half ago. And a Spotlight cam on the side door watching our patio. Grill & firepit & chairs out there. The doorbell is wired. The Spotlight cam is battery. I put a 2nd battery in. I charged both batteries about 3 months ago. The first one just ran dead this week. It takes a step ladder to reach that one as it's up in the eave.

We put these in last summer as there were a couple instances of plant theft, a hammock was taken & something else was stolen over a month or two. Very odd. The plants were taken out of the ground from a couple lots. The hammock was on a corner lot backing to a busy (for our hood) street

We do not have a cam on the garage facing the alley. Would have been nice last week when I came back & the garage door was up. I look to see when the cleaning lady is in/out. She was sick last week & called me. She said she was going to be in this week but looks like a no show

 

[Walt34]

But concerned privacy advocates say the partnerships threaten to create a 24/7 surveillance program."

I have to admit being puzzled over their concerns. There is no expectation of privacy when out in public - that legal issue was settled decades ago. The only thing new is cheap and ubiquitous cameras with recording abilities. And surprise! surprise! when someone's house is burglarized the investigators, most of whom do have a bit of common sense, look to those recordings as a source of evidence.

 

[timo2]

I have to admit being puzzled over their concerns. There is no expectation of privacy when out in public - that legal issue was settled decades ago. The only thing new is cheap and ubiquitous cameras with recording abilities. And surprise! surprise! when someone's house is burglarized the investigators, most of whom do have a bit of common sense, look to those recordings as a source of evidence.

Apparently is the concept that the authorities would have an instant neighborhood surveillance network. In the front of the house, who cares. But what if you put one of the Rings in more private areas of the property? Where private activity goes on? I have a different camera system that is not connected to Amazon, so I don't have a dog in this fight.

 

[Walt34]

Apparently is the concept that the authorities would have an instant neighborhood surveillance network. In the front of the house, who cares. But what if you put one of the Rings in more private areas of the property? Where private activity goes on?

Since participation is voluntary, one simply declines to participate. I still don't see the problem.

 

[harley]

FYI: from the link below: "The video doorbell company Ring is working with more than 400 US police departments to streamline their access to user videos, the company announced last month.

Ring, which is owned by Amazon, says the partnerships will allow police to post important safety information and view and comment on public posts to a Ring-operated portal. Police can submit requests for video recordings for certain locations to help with active investigations.

But concerned privacy advocates say the partnerships threaten to create a 24/7 surveillance program."


https://www.stltoday.com/news/local...cle_18da8288-27b8-574c-b242-8206e512503c.html

That's one of the reasons I just decided to use wifi cameras instead. I don't upload anything to the cloud. I just put 128GB microSD cards in and set them up to overwrite if they get full. I have one looking out the front and back of my house, as well as a few inside and a water leak detecor in my hot water heater pan. I set them up with motion detection push notifications, as well as email. I also installed a couple (night vision) in my attic so if I get a repeat of those damned raccoons while I'm in FL this winter I can call somebody right away. So far I've only had one alert, from a big moth.

I know there are ways to deny police access to your Ring/Nest/whatever, but since I've got wifi cams spread around anyway, I don't see any need for them.

And we also keep internet active everywhere all year. I've also had the issue with reconnecting in the past. And I turn in my cable TV equipment at least a week before I leave, because I've had them disconnect the internet when shutting down cable TV even when I told them not to. After they do that they say they can't start it back up without access to the inside of the house. I suspect they're lying, but what can you do?

With Comcast I'm able to have them turn down my internet speed during the off season. I don't need it fast just for the cameras, and it saves a few bucks.

 

[Retiree_Having_Fun]

I bought a Wyze cam for $25 and pointed it out the front window. Had an outlet nearby so installation took about 5 minutes. You can set the alert zone and get alerts to your phone plus record video for days on the micro sd card. I get notifications when the mailman delivers or UPS/Amazon or even the neighborhood cat.

 

[Sunset]

That's one of the reasons I just decided to use wifi cameras instead. I don't upload anything to the cloud. I just put 128GB microSD cards in and set them up to overwrite if they get full. I have one looking out the front and back of my house, as well as a few inside and a water leak detecor in my hot water heater pan. .....

So a thief just has to take the camera's with them when they break into your place and all your recording is gone ?

Ring is pretty cool with a lifetime theft replacement, and you would see who stole it as it's saved on the web.

 

[harley]

So a thief just has to take the camera's with them when they break into your place and all your recording is gone ?

I guess so, but I'd still have the email with the video, and I'd have been alerted during the break-in. These aren't really set up to be anything more than notifications and to give us the ability to look at our place while we're elsewhere. I don't really see the doorbells as being any better security. All either one of us gets is an image of the person who robbed us. I'd be curious to know how often that results in an arrest. I suspect not often.

 

[Chuckanut]

Can't you just replace the transformer? I have just a basic solenoid ding-dong door bell and I punched up the voltage. All it did was make it louder, but since it only operates for a split second it doesn't seem to have harmed it.

I thought of that. And I might do it. But, now this is becoming work!

I may just go with an outdoor video cam that stores the images on an SD card. I have a place to plug one in near the front door.

 

[Carpediem]

Jeez, this stuff is more confusing than cutting the cord! We had a visit from our local police this week. Some thief was going around in the middle of the night checking cars for unlocked doors so the police were checking with all the neighbors. We currently do not have a video doorbell or security cameras. Starting to think about it.

 

[Janet H]

We have a nest and it works well. My only complaint about all these e-bells is that they are UGLY and out of character for anything but an ultra modern building. Mine is attached to a log home and looks goofy.

 

[Carpediem]

Our issue with these doorbells is our front door is set back about 3-4 feet from the sidewalk. There is a brick wall on one side and a mostly brick wall on the other side. I doubt the camera would see anything not directly in front of the door. So maybe we don't need a doorbell but exterior cameras instead. Confusing.

 

[Chuckanut]

Our issue with these doorbells is our front door is set back about 3-4 feet from the sidewalk. There is a brick wall on one side and a mostly brick wall on the other side. I doubt the camera would see anything not directly in front of the door. So maybe we don't need a doorbell but exterior cameras instead. Confusing.

+1

I’m starting to think a well placed exterior camera makes more sense for my home. I’ve asked Santa for a $25 Wyze cam to play with.

 

[braumeister]

+1

I’m starting to think a well placed exterior camera makes more sense for my home.

No question about it, for some.
My rationale was simply that I like being able to "answer" the doorbell by voice from wherever I am. Just a camera won't let you do that in most cases AFAIK. I also like being able to customize the motion detection area, but I think some cameras let you do that. Anyway, after a couple of days I'm very happy with the Ring doorbell.

 

[Sunset]

Our issue with these doorbells is our front door is set back about 3-4 feet from the sidewalk. There is a brick wall on one side and a mostly brick wall on the other side. I doubt the camera would see anything not directly in front of the door. So maybe we don't need a doorbell but exterior cameras instead. Confusing.

So in other words, your door is hidden from view, the perfect type of door to break in through.