Best Door/Entryway Monitoring Cameras for 2018

Emelie Go

November 2, 2017

A home security system is an important part of a “connected home”. Its primary purpose is to help protect your family and the things that matter the most. With home security cameras installed in your home, you can deter burglary and prevent crime. And with the advancement of monitoring technology and wireless compatibility, it’s now possible to keep a close watch of your home even when you’re not actually there!

The great thing about today’s home security systems is that they’re easy to install and set up, and it’s easy for you to access them, thanks to Web-enabled apps and user interfaces. The cameras also come in various shapes and sizes, allowing you to easily squeeze them in almost anywhere, without being too obtrusive. We’ve seen a lot of compact ones that are small enough to be placed on shelves and tables, and can even be enclosed inside a stuffed toy. However, there’s a new breed of home security solution that’s currently gaining the spotlight – one that’s being put front and center, right at your front door.

Door monitoring cameras allow you to get a good view of your entryway no matter where you are. This type of security camera works almost like a doorbell, except that when someone’s at the door and pushes the button, you’ll get an alert from your smartphone and have the ability to answer the door remotely. It’s a great way for when you’re expecting a guest or a friend. What’s more, it also lets you see who’s stopped by in your place when you’re away from home, and whether or not the person at the door is welcome to see you. Some door/entryway monitoring cameras even allow you to take snapshots and video clips, and be integrated into some parts of your automated home, like in smart door locks.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the best door/entryway monitoring cameras for 2018 and see how they can help secure your home!

Why Buy A Door/Entryway Monitoring Camera?

Door monitoring cameras help you see who’s at the door before you even open it, thus increasing the security of your home. It’s also beneficial if you have a large house or you’re in the backyard where you may not be able to hear the doorbell ring and answer the door before the guest leaves. Apart from this, there are many other cool features a door monitoring camera has, such as the following:

Best Door/Entryway Monitoring Cameras for 2018

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Ring

Versatile smartphone compatibility: Works with select IOS and android devices, WI-fi connectivity-2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi: Makes it easy to link with your home wireless network download the Ring app ...

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Ring Video Doorbell Pro (Wiring Required)

$179.00

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Last price update: 2019-11-30 19:43:39

Part Number	RINGPRO
Item Weight	9.6 ounces
Product Dimensions	1 x 2 x 4.5 inches
Item model number	88LP000CH000
Size	Small
Color	Silver
Style	Doorbell Pro
Power Source	AC
Item Package Quantity	1
Number Of Pieces	1
Certification	Not Applicable
Usage	Outside
Included Components	Ring Video Doorbell Pro, Screwdriver, 4 Interchangeable faceplates, Optional Wiring and connectors, Drill Bit, Pro Power Kit, Installation Screws and Anchors, Quick Set-up Guide
Batteries Included?	No
Batteries Required?	No
Warranty Description	1 Year

One day while I was out running an errand my ring app on my phone notified me that someone was ringing the doorbell. I don't always answer, but decided to. The young man at my door seemed a bit 'off' and asked for "Nick". There's no one named Nick on my street... or in the small area where I live. I told him he had the wrong house and the guy left. Few minutes later I could not shake that something was off, so I reviewed the entire video footage - Ring captures motion so I was able to see what he did prior to ringing the doorbell. This guy was wearing a hoodie so he covered his hands, looked through my front door window for a good 5+ seconds, then started to check the door to see if perhaps it was open, before deciding to ring the doorbell... all with his hands covered. It was 70 degrees out. Once I answered, he seemed shocked and he quickly pulled up his hood.I contacted the police and they filed a report. I shared my Ring video with them and they said it was the cleanest video they had seen in some time. Less than two weeks later a detective called me to let me know that the guy who came to my door was indeed looking to burglarize my home. He had been arrested and put in jail for other area burglaries. The detective said that had I not answered the doorbell, my home would most certainly have been broken into that day.I've had the ring doorbell since September 2016 and this was the first and only time something odd/suspicious was captured and, to say the least, it works!!!Now onto some of the issues I've had:1. Ring initially was recording very poorly and sometimes would not capture video properly if at all. I installed a high end wifi extender nearby and problems went away. Previously my wifi signal strength was about 40% at the doorbell location. Now it's close to 100%.2. My Ring doorbell went offline and it took me who knows how long to realize it. The app has a health monitor - RING why are you not telling me that you're offline??? Why do I need to discover it for myself???? Getting it back online was a bit of a hassle also.3. Angle. I now see some angled plates for sale but would have liked to have had those when I installed it. It's perpendicular to my door, which means I am not capturing as much motion as I would like. Someone needs to be on my porch before it starts capturing motion. With an angled plate, I could catch them coming up my walkway instead, which is more useful.4. Costs $30/year to maintain recordings. If I install additional devices, it's an additional $30 per device. Would have liked to get a price break.Overall, great product. Not sure I've seen a better one on the market. As with any tech, there are always likely to be issues somewhere. Overall, I think this is a good product and well worth the peace of mind.

February 22, 2017

After a 4 month battle with the original Ring Doorbell (unreliability) I decided to order the Ring Pro, which promised to fix all the motion detection issues I had with the previous generation Ring. I have to admit, I felt completely back-stabbed by Ring when they came up with the new device because I was in constant contact with the support team trying to fix all the issues and not once they mentioned that a new device was coming out soon that would fix the issues I had. My first generation Ring review here: https://smile.amazon.com/review/R3TS0F9G2D2HYX/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00TZAO9DKOf course since so much time went by (4 months total) until Ring finally admitted that there was a design flaw that prevented the device from detecting any motion accurately, (see review above for details on the flaw) I was way past the 30-day return window. Amazon being awesome as always, and after sending them all of the communications between myself and Ring support, they made an exception and took the device back because it never worked as advertised.Enough with the rant, now to the Ring Doorbell Pro review:The device looks much nicer than the original Ring, less footprint and it looks more like a doorbell than a intercom. Being that said, the new Ring Pro materials feel a little bit on the cheap side (everything is very plasticky).Ring was kind enough to include a back plate to cover the holes left by the my first generation unit.Installation was definitely a breeze like the first generation, with only an extra step involving the installation of the "Pro Power Kit” on the actual door chime.Living with the Ring Doorbell Pro:It has been about a week at the time of this review and I am finally a happy camper. The new motion zones appear to FINALLY work and I have only seen a couple of “false” motion detections outside the zone set by me.I didn’t notice it at first, but there is a 5 second delay between when you press the doorbell and for the actual mechanical chime in my home to activate, however, the push notifications are sent instantly!Pros:-Fantastic video quality-5GHz wifi support-Motion zones actually work-Instant push notifications sent to all the registered devicesCons:-The field of view is MUCH smaller than the first generation Ring.-Video can be choppy at times even with a dedicated Apple AirPort Extreme literally behind the doorbell-A few random false motion detections outside the set motion zone-A 5 second delay between when you press the doorbell and for the actual mechanical chime in my home to activateThe unit itself deserves 4 stars, but I'm dropping my review to 3 stars because of several billing issues I've had when transferring my already paid yearly subscription from my old unit to the new one. For some reason they are charging my card randomly $6.66. We'll see what happens when the 30-day trial expires and hopefully they don't charge me for a new year since it's already paid for.05/15/2016 Update: It was brought to my attention by another user, that the output files are not really 1080p. After downloading a couple of files myself, I was surprised to find out that the files are actually 1302×720. This is not a big deal for me, but definitely not the advertised 1080p.5/18/2016 Update: After Ring failed to detect the motion of someone coming to my door at night and only started recording after the person walked away (I'm having flashbacks to the original Ring), I decided to test it myself and after a full week of tweaking the settings, I can confirm that the motion detection at night is a total BUST. No matter the setting or "detection area" set, the device will only start recording when someone is 2-3 feet away, often just recording people walking away.5/21/2016 Update: Well crap, the Ring notifications have stopped. The unit will push the "Motion Detection" notifications but not the ones when someone rings the bell. I thought it was an isolated incident at first, but I just tested this morning by ringing the bell a couple of times and the notification never gets pushed to any of my registered devices and just show up as "missed calls" in the activity log. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the new iOS app update from 5/18 (ver. 3.1.4)6/19/2016 Update: The unit stopped working all together 3 days ago. No motion detection, no ring notification, no live view. At least it still rings my mechanical chime when the button is pressed. A very expensive (dumb) door bell.7/11/2016 Update: After doing a "hard reset" the unit is working again, however the same issues remain. There is a very annoying new one: The unit fails to detect motion in "real time" sometimes sending motion notifications (and recordings) hours after they happen. Unfortunately the latest firmware continues to be v 1.0.50, which is the same one that came out when the Ring was shipped to the public (at the end of April) so that shows the lack of commitment to fix issues.9/8/2016 Update: Ring Pro has failed me once again, this time at a CRITICAL time. I had a package delivered today and soon after it was delivered it appears to have been stolen. I did actually get notified via the app when there was motion detected, but when I went to review the footage I got the following message "This video is processing.Looks like this event just took place and the video is still processing.Try refreshing your browser and selecting this event again in just a moment." This happened over 5 hours ago and still no footage available so it looks like the footage (and in this case, theft evidence) is now lost forever. I do have several other Ring devices (first gen) and those seem to be recording to the cloud properly, so the issue only seems to affect the Ring Pro.... so much for $30/yr for cloud storage, sigh!To answer a few questions I have received recently, my device is currently running the latest firmware 1.2.23.9/26/2016 Update: No matter how many times customer support promises me that all the issues are resolved, a couple of days later my devices seem to fail like clockwork. Yet another example of failure during a critical time: I am currently out of town, I received a motion and ring alert on my phone, upon reviewing the activity, absolutely NOTHING is showing as recorded, again, why I am paying $30/yr for? I actually ended up getting a separate security camera just for those times when Ring decides to fail me which is more often than not.

May 10, 2016

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro works both as a doorbell and a security camera. With it, you can update and replace your existing doorbell in just a matter of minutes. Simply connect it to the doorbell wire using the included tool kit and you’ll never have to charge a battery. It’s that convenient!

This door monitoring camera boasts a crystal-clear 1080p wide-angle HD video resolution that allows you to see everything clearly so you won’t have to miss a visitor again. By downloading the dedicated Ring app, you can access and manage all aspects of the doorbell camera, all from a remote location. You can access this via your smartphone, tablet, or desktop. With it, you can go for Live View where you can keep watch of things as they happen, or go for video on demand. You’re also covered at night since the camera comes built with high-quality infrared (IR) LEDs that allow for superior night vision that allows you to continue recording footage even in dim lighting. Now, you can protect your home all throughout the day – and night!

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro also features advanced motion detection technology that lets you get instant alerts whenever a guest presses the button on the doorbell or triggers motion sensors. Apart from this, the system also lets you customize alert zones where you can designate areas you want to monitor, for optimal security. And if that’s not enough, the system also comes with a brilliant two-way audio feature that lets you listen in and speak with whoever is at your door, even before you let them in. So apart from being a doorbell and a security camera, it also acts as a handy intercom!

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro boasts a sleek and ultra-slim design that makes it look perfect for any type of home. In fact, it comes with 4 interchangeable faceplates where you can choose a finish that best fits your style. Pick from Satin Black, Venetian, Satin Nickel, or White Pearl to customize the look and make it match perfectly to your home. And with its robust, weather-resistant design, rest assured that this system can brave even the harshest environment condition, giving you peace of mind knowing that your security is covered day or night, rain or shine!

Ring also offers optional cloud storage that allows you to view recordings at a later time, as well as automatically record footage and get alerts whenever motion is triggered. With cloud recording, you can easily download and share moments that matter the most. Ring lets you test out their cloud service by offering a free 30-day trial of cloud video recording on all purchases. If you like it and wish to extend the cloud service, you’ll have to pay extra. One thing’s for sure, though: You can’t put a price to you and your family’s ultimate security!

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SkyBell

SkyBell HD is a High-Definition, patented video doorbell connected to your home Wi-Fi that lets you see, hear, and speak to visitors at your door simply by using your smartphone or tablet - even if ...

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SkyBell HD Silver WiFi Video Doorbell

$139.00

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Last price update: 2019-12-01 12:43:38

Part Number	ADC-VDB101
Item Weight	1.9 ounces
Product Dimensions	2.8 x 0.9 x 2.8 inches
Item model number	SH02300SL
Color	Silver
Finish	Brushed
Item Package Quantity	1
Number Of Pieces	1
Included Components	SkyBell HD Device, Wall Mount, Hardware Kit, Set Screw, and User Guide
Batteries Included?	No
Batteries Required?	Yes
Warranty Description	1 Year

Let me begin by stating that I have FINALLY got this thing working correctly after months of frustration. And I was the person that ultimately figured out a fix. I will share this with you momentarily.(UPDATE 02/10/2017: It has come to my attention that this is a pretty wordy and long review. I'm sure not everyone is interested in, for instance, the things that I tried that didn’t work. Fair enough. For the convenience of those that would like to skip over those unnecessary details, after you read the sentence that begins with “The biggest issue I have had,” skip ahead to where you see ***SOLUTION***.)Pros:The daytime video on this thing is excellent and the color night vision is phenomenal.Physical set up was a breeze. Our existing doorbell was mounted to the brick and mortar wall, and Skybell's bracket matched up perfectly with the existing holes, so no drilling. Had I needed to though, it comes with the proper drill bit to do so. I do have to ding them for the mounting screw. It is plastic and stripped almost immediately so I had to finish tightening it with some needle nose pliers. That was pretty difficult.Here is a huge pro, and ultimately why I chose SkyBell over the competition. Once you buy your product they provide you with free video storage and unlimited free downloads. No subscription fees! Ring, among others, cost about the same and then you are stuck paying a subscription to be able to use your new expensive hardware.The last pro I can think of is the product looks really good.Cons:Easiest con to explain, is the speaker quality is mediocre. It gets the job done though.SkyBell's top priority is iOS. When they add a new feature or fix iOS gets it quite a bit in advance. For example, the iOS app has had the ability to adjust the motion sensor for weeks and it still hasn't made it to Android. I couldn't even activate it on my phone (Moto X Pure 2015), I had to use a Galaxy S7 to sync it.While we are on motion sensitivity, out of the box the motion sensor is way too sensitive. There website says if someone lingers by the door for 10 seconds before sending you a push notification. But as soon as we were stepping out of the door it would go off. Both our original and replacement unit had this issue. Also, the unit was picking up cars driving by on a road 50 feet away from our house or changes in lighting (shadows moving in the distance). After the first day of receiving 6 notifications in under an hour, we had to turn off one of the advertised features. Luckily, a few weeks later they added the ability to adjust the sensitivity and I just so happened to have an iPhone in a drawer, and I was able to use the iOS app to put it on low. Now we don't get any notifications from the motion sensor. Now that I think about it, I am actually concerned if it is working at all on low. We have packages delivered and such and I haven't had any notifications since making the adjustment. I see in other reviews apparently changing to low makes it as useless as high. Where with high you get constant notifications and low it is nearly impossible to trip the motion sensor. I haven't done further testing myself, but that seems to be holding true here given the activity I know has been in front of it recently.The biggest issue I have had with this unit, which literally took 2 months of exchanges with their support before I figured out a solution, was getting the video, yes the head line feature, to work. On demand and button pushes would sometimes take 30 seconds to 2 minutes for the video to start coming through and even then it would be just primary colors or video with static in large areas of the video or a black screen with little dots of light randomly spread out. Completely useless if trying to id a vandal or package thief or to have a conversation with whoever was there (because usually they weren't there but I couldn't tell since I couldn't see). I immediately went to their website, read through the FAQ, troubleshooting, and support info. I logged on my TP-Link Archer C5 changed the channel bandwidth to 20Mhz and checked everything else was as they suggested. No luck. I changed my Cat5 cables to Cat6. Nothing. I tried getting a extender and putting it in the outlet next to the window where SkyBell sat. Same issues. I had my cable company come out and hook up a cable port in the room closest to SkyBell. No improvement. I cleared all other devices off of the 2.4Ghz channel and only allowed SkyBell to use it. Nope. Firmware, all up-to-date. I did several speed test for Skybell's SSID and was consistently clocking over 3Mbps, well over double Skybell's requirement of 1.5Mbps. When I told support my results they actually said, well 5-6Mbps would be better. Really? Ok, called Internet provider and upped the speed. Now I'm getting just over 6Mbps. No improvement. Somewhere along the way they sent a replacement product and nothing got better.Skybell's support is an absolute joke. They are very nice, but they repeatedly failed to fully read my emails. I would give them very detailed information like, I did a speed test, under these conditions, and here were my results. And they would reply something like, here's an idea, do a speed test, here's how to do it, and let me know the results. This happened repeatedly with various bits of information.Finally, being at my wits end, I wrote them an email letting them know I couldn't wait for them to start selling their product through 3rd party vendors so I could start reviewing it (true to my word). I listed my previous experience, recapped the issues, and told them to quit trying to blame my settings, ISP, and acknowledge their product was not functioning properly. I received a phone call the next day apologizing for my experience. Again, I had to repeat myself constantly to the guy trying to make things better from having to repeat myself constantly. Even after correcting him several times that I have had only 2 units (the 1st and one replacement), at the end of the call he was still perplexed that I was having issues on my 3rd unit. He also kept saying things like I was the only person having issues with their product, still not owning the issue. Being at work, he said he was going to shoot an email to me with the details regarding his top tech guy who would be calling me either tonight or tomorrow. I sat at home all day Saturday waiting and never received the call. It turns out the guy was off those 2 days. Seems like an easy thing to check and an unacceptable error when you are trying to fix an upset customer's issue.I finally get a call from the top guy and we run through pretty much the same info and same troubleshooting again. Side note, anytime I reset the device it would kind of work for about 24 hours before issues returned, so it made it hard to immediately let him know if anything changed right then.***SOLUTION***He suggested that I get a Netgear router because he's noticed a lot of issues with TP-Links, mine was only 3 months old and had the latest (I know this is about to change) AC standard. But I did. I got the Netgear AC1750. No improvement. I would like to mention that I also have a Canary cam that happily worked in every configuration I had trying to get SkyBell to work. I emailed him back a week ago asking him to review the settings he wanted on this unit and he still hasn't contacted me.I deduced that the primary thing that SkyBell needs to operate correctly is upload speed. It has to get the video to their server in order to record and relay that data to the requesting device. So I enabled QoS upload, ran the speed test to determine the value to use for speed cap, added a rule using SkyBell's MAC ID Address and gave it the highest priority. Since doing this, videos start on the app in under 2 seconds. My TP-LINK doesn't have a QoS setting, so it looks like I will be keeping the Netgear. I'm only in my first 48 hours since adding the QoS setting and issues have had a tendency to pop back up in a day or two. I will be sure to update my review if they do return.(UPDATE #2 02/10/2017: Someone in the comments mentioned that my Netgear/QoS solution worked for them and shared that “All SkyBell MAC IDs start with "D0:C1:93".” I thought this may be helpful to anyone trying to do their own troubleshooting.)One other issue I have noticed is if I try to launch Skybell through the notification popup that I get from a button press or motion detection, all I get is a black screen. But if I ignore the convenient popup and instead go to the app and launch it and then click watch live everything is fine. I have read several reviews of the 2.0 that had this same issue so I hope it is something they are aware of and attempting to fix.Areas SkyBell needs to improve: Better trained customer support, better mounting screw, better speakers, hardware that plays nice with a broader range of routers and phones, and equal treatment of iOS and Android.Photos: Installed on wall (looking good), day time on demand video, night time video so you can see color night vision (no porch light is on), and one where you can see just how dark it is on my front porch before starting the night vision video (top part of the picture with the watch live button in it).

May 31, 2016

I have been using this product for 4 months now (installed in December 2015) and have been using it successfully for months. I do not usually write such lengthy reviews but I have summarized my experience at the top and then broken it down further below for those that are on the fence about this product or those that are looking for more information.I originally gained interest in finding a quality "smart" doorbell following a string of package thefts and strange dudes loitering in our community. I truly value the ability to see exactly what is going on in front of my house, to be able to verify if a package was delivered, and to be notified if someone is lingering at my front door. For these reasons and more I have been researching and comparing "smart doorbell" products since the first models hit the market a few years back. Our household has been through a SkyBell original, SkyBell 2.0, Ring, and now the SkyBell HD (I plan to stick with this one). The first two (2) iterations of the SkyBell product were just so so. They had lots of potential but did not quite deliver. SkyBell HD on the other hand is a dramatic improvement and is still getting better. From the time this HD product hit the market there have already been updates to both the firmware and mobile application. These updates have improved functionality and reliability of the product itself and the new SkyBell HD application made it incredibly easy to interact with the product via multiple smartphone devices. Photo quality was drastically improved too (true HD quality) even with such a wide angle lens and colors are truly sharp regardless of night or day.The SkyBell HD app is a completely new app (separate download in app store) from the past models and is lightyears ahead and finally a “modern” app that works. We no longer worry about package thefts! Since installing the new HD model, I have had numerous conversations with neighbors through the SkyBell HD and I have even been able to tell solicitors to go away from my desk at work miles and miles away! Even better, I have been able to notify my neighbors when packages are delivered so they can pick them up while I am out of town. I love my SkyBell HD! I highly recommend this product. More detailed review below.**Hardware**First off, this device is sleek, nice looking, and ROCK SOLID. The connectivity and wireless range on it is great when compared to previous and competitor models. I did not feel worried about breaking it during install because when you hold the device you can tell it is manufactured well with durable materials. In the past, all other doorbells to this point felt dinky and plastic (not to mention that most were ugly). As for the WiFi connection, this works great. You will need to use a 2.4Ghz WiFi which makes total sense because the signal has to get through exterior walls to the doorbell (5Ghz doesn’t travel as far or through walls as well). I originally had issues with connectivity but this was resolved when I changed my own set up a bit. The device glows a nice LED color right on the button itself and on the top. For those of you who love to change the look of things, this LED color is fully customizable via the SkyBell HD app so the kiddos in the family like to make it match the current holiday!**Picture/Audio Quality**The picture and audio quality on this device far surpasses anything else I have used/tested. The camera is 1080p which compared to past generations of the SkyBell and the Ring HD, this product is so much better. The closest runner up would be the 720p Ring. The picture itself is very impressive, I have showed friends and co-workers my porch from the app and they have been blown away. You can even pinch zoom while watching the video. If the WiFi signal degrades, the picture quality seems to scale in my experience (this normally happens when my toddler gets hold of the router antenna, which is a quick fix haha). As far as audio quality, I have never had any issue understanding anyone at the door using this device. Each SkyBell in the app has the ability to control speaker volume in case you find that it is too loud or if you live in close proximity to other neighbors, it is easy to decrease. I was skeptical that the picture was 180 degrees but it really does hit the entire porch from wall to wall, it is amazing the angle this little device captures. As far as night vision, this is some of the best night vision video I have seen, it is in fact in full color and you never have to adjust the camera for day vs night, it just handles it all automatically.**Installation/Set-up**I have installed two of these devices to date, one of my home and now one on a family members home. One was on stucco and the other on uneven decorative stone. Both were mechanical chimes, not digital door chimes. Let me first say I have had my fair share of frustrations and setups with DIY projects all over my house INCLUDING past SkyBell and Ring doorbells. FINALLY, this install was straightforward and fast! If you have a mechanical doorbell like me you should have just two wires going to your doorbell. The instructions are straightforward from SkyBell, however in short you just kill the breaker, hook the two wires to the base plate (genius improvement as previously you had to wire to the device and then mount it to the mount and it was a pain, now the device isn’t involved until the very end at all) and then mount your mount to the wall. I have used a combination of screws and glue for these installs. SkyBell provides a nice drill bit in the box if you would like to drill two holes into the house. For my stucco installation I did use two holes, however I chose to use my own masonry bit on my stucco just to be safe. The install was straightforward and completed in under 5 minutes. For the 2nd installation I did I was on some decorative uneven stone and this was quite the challenge as it would be for any doorbell installation. I went down and got some quickrete patching material from Home Depot and filled in the grout and made a nice circle the size and shape of the SkyBell provided base. I was able to get one screw hole drilled using the SkyBell provided drill bit (worked fine), however I had to use glue for the other side. I recommend Loctite Outdoor Adhesive, it dry’s fast and clear and worked PERFECT. I have to say with only 1 screw in and the glue this device was not going anywhere.Once the mount is secure and the wires are attached, you just lock the device onto the mount and put one screw into the bottom. For those of you who had experience with the older SkyBell models like me and hated the insanely small annoying screw under the bottom, this has been addressed and is finally nice and easy to install.Setup with the app was much faster and worked the FIRST time in both cases. I would say the longest part is the 5 or so minutes it has to charge the internal battery, after that it only takes a minute or two to get it all setup and configured. The LED lights are extremely helpful in knowing what the device is doing during setup along the way. It comes with a little card showing all the possible light combinations in the box.**Weather/Reliability**My SkyBell HD has been through the rainy season and I can tell you now that the water had no effect on my device, seems great no matter what the weather was. Occasionally a very windy day will trigger the motion on the SkyBell if the tree in front of my camera is really moving, but it is unusual.**Motion Detection**Regarding motion detection I have many comments on this but I will try to keep it on point. I have reached out to SkyBell a couple times on this for assistance and they have been awesome to explain how the motion detection works and why I have experienced certain things happening. My SkyBell device sits in a location that will not be able to see the person until they are practically right on top of it which makes things very tricky for motion detection compared to a standard porch where it can see someone approaching. The SkyBell works by detecting motion the first time, and then if it detects a second trip of the motion within X number of seconds it triggers the alert. Therefore, my front porch has the issue of people only being on my porch for a matter of seconds and being gone. Originally when I got the device I was only capturing anyone walking near it in a slow fashion and taking their time, however if someone was being fast such as the UPS man, it would often be triggered right at the time the person was leaving and I would just see someone exiting the frame. Since I started using the device in December, they have added “Motion Sensitivity” to the app (low, medium, high) and this has helped, however I still am hoping for being able to customize the amount of time between activities to warrant triggering a motion activity. I have been told this might be coming soon, *fingers crossed*!!! I understand SkyBell not wanting to drive people nuts with motion alerts, and the fact my front porch is not the usual case for the average customer has caused me to be understanding and have to admit they have been great about updating the app and responding to questions. Overall I feel like the motion detection is almost perfect, is a lot better than day 1 for sure, and I am rooting for them to get it to be a 10/10 soon! Also to clarify, when motion detection happens, it stores it automatically in the cloud for FREE and you can go play it back later!**Cloud Storage**Loving the cloud storage for FREE, it captures Button Presses, Motion Detection, On Demand (When you watch it live on your own whim), and 3rd party triggers such as IFTTT or Alexa (Echo). It seems to hold a really decent amount of clips and how old they are doesn’t seem to matter, it is more based on how many activities you have saved it seems. I have seen some fall-off the bottom of the list after I had quite a large number on there. It is very easy though to download the clip to your device and store it forever. When it is something I want to keep I just save it then I don’t have to worry about it being erased with time. To be honest most videos you will not have a need to store to your device unless it is something suspicious or you want to be funny and send friends/family videos of themselves! Also just a note that downloading it does not remove it from their cloud, it will still stay and you can continue to download on other devices, etc.**Integration's**IFTTT – I have hooked this up with my Nest Protect and Alexa channels. It works exactly as advertised. You can record video, change the color of the LED, and turn on and off the chime with Alexa.Echo – This is a recent addition that I am loving and am using mostly in place of IFTTT. We have a small toddler at home who still takes naps and the ability to ask Alexa to tell SkyBell to turn on quiet mode (turn off bell) is such a great feature. No more little signs on the front door saying “Baby Sleeping”, just tell Alexa and the doorbell is off while your child sleeps in peace. Love it! Wish list item: Ability to turn on and off motion detection from Alexa! This would be nice for the times you are out working near the porch with plants, etc. and don’t want to keep tripping the motion. Hopefully we see that soon.Nest – Have a nest account linked but I do not have the Nest Cam. It seems at this time the integration is specifically with the Nest cameras. If you have them you can have the motion from one trigger the other. Seems useful in concept, but I cannot speak to how well this works. As of now I just have my Nest Protect linked via IFTTT in case of a smoke alarm I can have it record video.**Support**I have reached out to SkyBell a few times for feature requests/asking how things work. I have been impressed thus far with their support and response time. Furthermore App updates (that is what most of us really care about anyway), their team has been great about providing an update every few weeks to my phone. These have supported new features and improvements; so far I have been impressed with the rate of content delivery. I was also told once by customer support that my firmware was updated and it seems that happens directly with the device without you even knowing it! Great stuff!I will continue to update in the future if I have more to report!

April 18, 2016

What makes this wireless 1080p video doorbell so unique is its relatively small size and the round-shaped, smooth-surfaced aluminum finish that makes it look elegant and classy, no matter where you hook it with. There’s no battery required for it, since it’s hardwired to your home. It’s very easy to set up and comes with a lot of cool features that will conveniently give you peace of mind when answering the door. And even if you don’t, it will send you mobile alerts and will record video to your cloud account as soon as someone presses the button or when motion is detected. Now, you’ll always know who’s at the door!

By downloading the mobile app, you can control the camera even when you’re not at home. You can see the video feed on your screen as it happens, control the digital zoom up to 5x, record each video so you can download and watch them later, and many more. The system also has a quick alert that lets you know within seconds who’s at the door, and you can decide if you want to answer it. With its two-way audio feature, you can also hear and speak to the visitor before letting them in.

Worried about your security at night? The Skybell HD WiFi Video Doorbell also comes with IR LED night vision so you can conveniently see people clearly even in total darkness. Now you know you’re covered 24/7 – day and night!

Skybell supports cloud storage, though it’s worth noting that the most common issue encountered by homeowners with this model is that it lacks enough memory to store recordings. Still, the good thing is that Skybell offers cloud recording for free, unlike some competitors that charge an extra fee.

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DoorBird

You speak with your visitors and open the door by smartphone from anywhere in the world. DoorBird combines innovative technology with exclusive design. A smart solution Made in Germany. DoorBird can ...

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DoorBird Video Door Station D101, Polycarbonate Housing, White Edition, POE...

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Brand Name	DoorBird
Item Weight	10.2 ounces
Product Dimensions	9.4 x 3 x 9.4 inches
Item model number	D101 Video Door Station
Color	White
Size	White D101
Manufacturer Part Number	D101 Video Door Station

I have been using the Doorbird for about 7 weeks now. The unit comes complete with with cables and miniature connectors for Ethernet, power, lock, doorbell, etc. And snap connectors.The hardware installation took some time because the difference in wire gauge between the provided cables and the Ethernet, lock, and gate wires I used. At the end, I use yellow wire caps and blue ones for the Ethernet wires. The provided snaps did not make connections and after replacing a bunch, as I said, I used the wire caps without any problems. You will need to make room behind the unit in the wall to accommodate all the wires and connectors. You have to be very careful when connecting and disconnecting the miniature plugs. You may have spares with the double ones, but there is only one Ethernet one. I also connected my gate’s open/stop/close to the Doorbird and I used the TP-Link PoE as my gate is about 120’ from the house. I also wired the Doorbird to the existing doorbell. And if you have old phones you can use them as well for extra video and sound.The software application was very easy to install and works flawlessly. I contacted technical support for a motion issue and they responded within one day. The motion alarm was triggering false alarms, but this is a common issue with all kind of devices that have motion sensors. The app will save 20 pictures when the doorbell rings, and 20 for alarms. You can subscribe for video and more pictures.In addition they have published API, so if you have IoT controller. (I used Veraplus) you can integrate the Doorbird to your system. So I have scenes to take additional pictures, turn lights on when the gate opens at night and open the gate automatically when approaching the house.

May 2, 2017

This doorbell is really a 5 star doorbell, but a few personal preferences prevented me from giving it a 5 star rating - Apple HomeKit compatibility & motion sensor sensitivity/lack of adjustment (I use a vera currently along with Apple HomeKit & amazon echo and plan on switching to openHAB soon - so far I've been running into issues with finding packages that are compatible with the intercom http calls from the DoorBird API). More on these three items later.A brief summary of the DoorBird: 720p camera w/ infrared night vision (via 12 infrared LEDs), intercom functionality via the app, can record video for free on a home NAS via API http calls or pay for cloud storage, can be powered via AC adapter or Ethernet POE, data via Ethernet or wifi (2.4g only), and can be hard wired to an existing door chime & an electronic door lock and/or a garage door controller (as far as I can tell in the app only one of these can be used & there only seems to be a single "open door" http call in the API). The DoorBird API includes commands for: live video steam, live image stream, open door (aux hook up), light on - I believe this turns the doorbell led on, history image request, notification request (doorbell, motion, or door open), check request/current status, monitor request - returns the current state of the motion sensor and doorbell as a continuous stream, live audio receive and transmit, live audio receive, live audio transmit, info/version request, & live video request (mpeg4 h.264 full 720p video quality - the first http call sends a compressed video/image feed).All in all the unit is very feature rich. The app includes a feed of the video, ability to toggle nightvision, intercom, and door open. In the standard format it also shows you the past 20 snap shots from when the doorbell was pushed, and the ability to toggle the motion sensor and when the led & night vision should be turned on (on, off or auto). Through the app you also setup wifi if that's how you plan on connecting the DoorBird.Installation was very simple - since my door chime is kaput as the Germans say I re-used the wiring to power the device. I hooked one end up to the doorbird with the included splices and the other end up to the AC adapter in the same manner. I then used the app and the details provided in the "digital passport" page to login to the device and set the wifi. Later on when I wire in a door chime and possiblely a door lock I may switch to POE. However, using a smart home hub I can set various sensors throughout the house to beep by creating a scene that is activated by the DoorBird API.And it should be noted that the overall quality of the device is amazing - as one would expect from the Germans. While the DoorBird API is useful (there is also another API call for video recording via a home NAS) the lack of Apple HomeKit integration is a bit of a bummer. This is because what is needed to integrate the DoorBird fully is quite technical. For a device in this price range I would have hoped it would be a little more automated.Then there is the motion sensor - while everything else is grand (picture quality is great, field of Vision is great, led and night vision go on automatically when needed, etc) the motion sensor is wayyyy too sensitive. And furthermore there is no way to adjust it. Other doorbells in a lower price bracket have sensitivity levels and some even allow you to toggle what areas (as seen through the camera) should trip the sensor (this would be the ring pro). My door is about 60 feet from an infrequently traveled road and I can't level the sensor on because I get constant notifications on my phone. To me this isn't ideal.As for integration - I'm slowly setting up my smart home & getting the hang of http calls (honestly I'd rather do http calls than have z wave devices because of their reliability, but z wave is much simpler). Currently, using my veraplus, I'm getting the hang of how the calls work - I plan on switching over to openHAB and setting the veraplus as a secondary controller (basically as a zwave, zigbee, Bluetooth, etc arm of the openHAB computer) and will have the scenes setup there as openHAB is more configurable/adjustable. However, with adjustability comes complication. Apple HomeKit integration would have been easy peasy and I feel would have justified the price tag more. But I have a NAS so I don't need to pay the monthly fee for cloud video storage.Overall excelent Door Bell with lots of functionality - if the price is ok with you then the only other gripe would be the motion sensor sensitivity (and complication to setup with the API).

January 23, 2017

In terms of hardware this is a quality product. I wanted a POE option for a video door bell and this was one, if not the only, option. When it is operating, it is great. However, here are my issues:It is way too expensive. I bought a repackaged version so saved a few dollars but still too expensive.Response time is an issue. Although I suspect this is an issue with other internet based video door bells. I have this connected via Ethernet (POE) so the ring starts within a few seconds of someone pushing the button. But it still takes time to open your phone, unlock the phone, open the app, wait for the app to load and then hit the speaker button. Usually about 15-20 seconds in which time caller has left, especially if it is a courier driver.Service depends on doorbird servers which are prone to shutdown. My doorbird worked fine for about four months and then on the one day when I had a large party over and tried to demonstrate the doorbell, the doorbird server was down (May 12, 2017). This was VERY embarrassing, but could be worse. I know the problem was their server as everything else on my network, including the internet, worked fine. It would appear they shut down their servers in the wee hours of Saturday morning in Germany, which means we in NA loose a security feature in the critical Friday evening hours.As another rater noted, the connection wires provided are VERY short. There is no need to make these so short. I had to do extra splicing for the sake of an extra foot of wire. Really, how much more would I'd cost to provide a meter of wire?

May 12, 2017

DoorBird can be connected to PoE (Power over Ethernet), over an existing doorbell transformer, or via a power supply. You can connect it to the Internet via WiFi or PoE. To be able to access camera streams, simply download the app with your iOS or Android device. You can remotely control and manage the system as long as you’re connected to a strong 3G or 4G signal. From the app, you can answer the door even if you’re away from home. The system also comes built with ONVIF support and has the ability to integrate with smart home automation. So if a smart lock is part of your connected home, you can integrate it with DoorBird and let in welcomed guests. It even works with your gate or garage door system! The company provides automatic firmware updates so you’ll always be at the cutting edge of advanced home security.

The DoorBird Video Door Station D101 is manufactured in Germany and is built with high-quality materials. It provides top-notch720p HD video resolution, with a wide-angle 180° field of view. The camera also has IR night vision for crisp and clear video recording even in complete darkness. It also features smart motion sensor technology with the ability to take snapshots when someone rings the doorbell, as well as the option to keep a record of the last 20 guests. Additionally, the system is built with a microphone (with active noise cancellation) and a speaker so you can listen in and talk to whoever is at the door.

Unfortunately, DoorBird doesn’t offer video recording, which means you can’t store recordings locally or through the cloud. This can put off a lot of potential buyers, especially those who want to store footages that they can view later.

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Zmodo

#productDescription .aplus-3p {width: 970px} .aplus-3p ul {overflow: hidden;} .aplus-3p ul li {list-style-position: inside;} #productDescription .aplus-3p table {border-collapse: collapse !important; ...

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Zmodo Greet WiFi Video Doorbell with Zmodo Beam Smart Home...

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Last price update: 2019-12-02 14:43:58

Part Number	ZM-KSH004W
Item Weight	1.7 pounds
Product Dimensions	9.3 x 6.5 x 4.5 inches
Item model number	Zmodo
Color	Zmodo Greet w/ Beam
Item Package Quantity	1
Batteries Included?	No
Batteries Required?	No

Updated 20161107.Excellent product. I have been researching video doorbells for several months, and I finally decided to go for the zmodoGREET doorbell. at $99, it was one of the least expensive doorbells I could find, and it comes with a Wifi 2.4GHz repeater.Besides the price, the main reason to get this video doorbell was that you do not need to use a paid service. The dr4awback is that you can only retrieve the current day's videos. The videos will be deleted the following day, unless you save them to your phone, or computer, tablet, etc. You can use the doorbell to answer your visitor's calls at the door, while having a 720p Video of the person that is at the door, andusing 2 way audio. The video quality is excellent, and it does not distort too much due to the use of the fish eye lens, toprovide the wide angle. It is much better than the video on the Ring bell of a friend. Even though the RING bell is 1080p,and wider lens, but the distortion is much more noticeable.Installation was very easy, with the exception that my transformer only provides 10V, and it initially did not work. Itconnected and installed fine, the button light went to a steady blue, but as soon as I pressed the button, the led colorwould change to Green and the chime would "try" to sound but would cutoff immediately. I thought I needed to install theadapter that came with the unit, but when I checked the voltage on my transformer, it was 10VAC, and as I pressed thebutton, it would come down to about 9.75V. So, I went to my local store and got a 36V Center tap transformer to replace the10 V one, using the center tap to provide 18VAC. When I got back from the store, just in case, I pressed the button on theGREET, and it worked fine (with the original 10VAC transformer). I waited a few minutes, and tried again. Worked flawlessly.I tried it several more times with the same result; so I decided to leave the 10VAC transformer, and return the 36VACtransformer to the store (it was a lot bulkier than the original one, anyway). The following weekend, I travelled to China,and used the greet to answer my door, and to communicate with my wife and kids, whenever they were at the door.. The devicehas been working flawlessly ever since. I have had only one issue, not with the GREET, but with the BEAM wifi repeater. Itlast week went green, and would read as disconnected on the Zmodo app; however, it worked fine as a repeater. I disconnectedit, reset it to factory default, and added it back to the Zmodo App. It is currently working fine.

November 1, 2016

Hands down for $80 you are not going to find a better doorbell system (and Wi-Fi extender). I started researching smart doorbells after dealing with too many packages not being left by FedEx because they wouldn't knock on the door and I live in an upstairs unit.First I would like to address much of the (unfair in my opinion) negative comments regarding this product. The biggest one I have noticed was regarding power issues. Doorbell wiring comes in numerous sizes, and in numerous voltage, all depending on when it was installed and by who (My house was built in the 1900’s and it was a nightmare trying to identify and follow the wiring). Most of it is not consistent across the board which makes building a product compatible difficult, additionally in some homes wiring in low voltage systems sometimes gets crossed as well. So before buying any doorbell system, research and make sure it will be compatible with your setup (which includes doing your own due diligence and figuring out what you have for a setup). So take those complaints with a grain (or a whole bag) of salt.The second biggest complaint I saw was with the Beam not connecting. Many people stated that it was DoA or just simply would not connect. I ran into the latter issue when I received mine. After doing some research though I discovered why. To set up the Beam, it requires that you do so through its app on a device that is connected to your Wi-Fi via a 2.4GHz frequency (Also security needs to be WPA/WPA2). Now most routers these days are dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and devices will connect based on their preference. When attempting to connect my Beam, my Xperia Z5 Premium phone was connecting to my Wi-Fi via 5 GHz, even though I was attempting to do it via 2.4GHz. The only way I was able to overcome this was to use an old tablet with an older Android OS and going into my Wi-Fi Settings and selecting the 2.4GHz band (Android 6.0.1 and later seems to have dropped that setting). Once I did and then set the Beam up using the tablet, it sync’d with my Zmodo account and now works perfectly fine on my phone.Aside from those, below are additional Pros and Cons.Pros:- Looks great. Very nice looking device.- No subscription required- Awesome being able to see live footage and use 2 way audio from anywhere- Price you can’t beatCons:- Needs motion sensor control (sensitivity / on off). I live on a busy street so every time a car goes by it gets set offThe only other thing I wish would be that Zmodo and Samsung would work together to make this compatible with their SmartThings system. Besides that, this is a solid buy, with minimal improvement opportunities which are all application based.

April 5, 2017

In order to remotely access the video doorbell, you must first download the dedicated Zmodo app on your iOS or Android app. The system must also be connected to a mechanical doorbell. Otherwise, you have to use a 20 ohm/10-watt resistor (which isn’t included in the package) to be able to connect Zmodo to a power source. Once connected, you can enjoy on-demand access to 720p live high-definition video streaming at any time from your smartphone or tablet (and even on your desktop). And with its 155° horizontal viewing angle, you can pretty much see your visitor no matter where they’re standing. Of course, the camera is also built with IR LEDs so you can enjoy crystal-clear images even in complete darkness! The camera is especially built for outdoor use, so you’ll never have to worry about it being damaged by heat, rain, humidity, or snow.

With the Zmodo Beam WiFi Extender, you’ll be able to answer your door wherever you are even before opening it. This all-in-one combo WiFi range extender and smart home hub extends the range of a WiFi signal up to 656 feet and 300 Mbps so your entire home can be covered. Once set up, you can expect to be able to greet your guests by voice (through the mobile app in your phone) or set up a personalized recorded message for the visitors to hear. Zmodo Beam will also act as a smart home hub that can connect to other Zmodo accessories like door and window sensors which will alert you on your phone whenever motion is triggered.

And speaking of motion, the Zmodo Greet WiFi Video Doorbell comes with smart motion detection that sends you real-time alerts along with a recorded video clip whenever movement is detected. When someone rings the doorbell, you’ll be notified, as well. You can opt to watch live footage, record and store them on the local memory card (8GB), or upload the video to the cloud so you can view them later.

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VueBell

Enter your model number to make sure this fits.; With VueBell you can answer your door wherever you are whenever you want, see, hear and talk to visitor from your smart device.; Get push ...

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VueBell WIFI HD Camera Video Doorbell, with Motion Detection,Two Way...

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Last price update: 2019-12-02 20:43:46

Part Number	NI-4011
Item Weight	4.6 ounces
Product Dimensions	3.1 x 1 x 3.1 inches
Item model number	NI-4011
Color	Silver&Black
Material	Plastic
Shape	Square
Power Source	AC/DC
Item Package Quantity	1
Special Features	Power: AC8~24V/DC8~36V (Wide power source configuration), without fixed voltages and polarity, "Live View" and "Two Way Talk":Cost free to access the camera for from smart device
Included Components	WIFI Camera Doorbell, Door Chime,User Manual,Installation Screws and Anchors
Batteries Included?	No
Batteries Required?	No
Warranty Description	1 years warranty

Update 5/23/2017I got an email from manufacture saying there are a new update for the app(IOS and Android) and the door bell firrmware. Once the app is upgraded, it will update the bell firmware automatically. You cannot choose not to upgrade. The app interface changed a lot. Took me a while to get use to it. One thing worth mentioning is the process that setting up the new bell. It was much easier than my first experience. I have to admit that there was a mistake in my assumption. When connect the bell to my app, I was assuming bell picked up the 5ghz wireless connection itself, and them causeed all these trouble. The truth is, the app will use the WiFi connection that your phone is using. So you must make sure when setting up the app with the bell, DO NOT use 5ghz connection. Then you won't have all the problem I had. The new app also added a nice feature, live chat. You can get real time support now in the app. Or you can call and send your feedback in the app.I also want to mention about the service again. The manufacture customer support team always get back to me in a timely manner when I have questions. Excellent service!===================================This review includes pros and cons I felt during setting up the doorbell. I hope my review can help other buyers avoid the mistake I made, to save some time and frustration.I was look for a video doorbell that has at least 720P, preferably has night vision, and won’t break my bank. I considered Ring Bell and Skybell before trying this Vuebell, but those two are around $200.00 after tax. I wasn’t willing to spend that much on a doorbell, even it is a video doorbell. This one and the other brand (also sell on Amazon) are within my budget. I couldn’t tell the difference between the this and the other product since they use the same pictures on Amazon website. Maybe they are using the same mold? I bought Vuebell solely because it has slightly better review (3.5 stars vs 3).First impressionFirst impression was OK. Not too many things in the box, doorbell, indoor chime, mounting plate, user manual and some screws. Although you can easily tell the outer shell was made by plastic, it is pretty solid. Edges are smooth, no big gap between the outer shell and back plate. I think it is important for who wants to install the doorbell outside. Less chance to let moisture in. I will give it 4 stars (1 – 5 stars).Initial set upI consider myself is very tech savvy and handy person. I can set up almost any computer, camera, electronic device, networking device without problem. But this one really beats me. After almost one hour, I still cannot add this doorbell into the Vuebell App (Yes, it has an App for Android and IOS). When I followed App’s instructions, to the step that add the doorbell to my wireless network, I always got failed notification. After carefully reviewing each step, finally I found the culprit. The doorbell only shows first SSID it found on the screen, which happened to be the A band in my case (I have a dual band router). Ironically, this doorbell only supports B/G/N band!! Basically, doorbell picked up a SSID it doesn’t support. If the App lists all the SSIDs to let me choose, or put a drop down list box for SSID, or just don’t list the band that is not supported, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time! Once I figured out what was wrong with the App, the whole set up procedure went through easily, it shouldn’t be taking more than 20 minutes. But because of the problems I mentioned above with the App, it took way longer then it supposed to. I would give 4 stars if they fix the App, but right now I will only give it 3 stars.Daytime Image qualityIf the person stands within 2 feet in front of the camera, the face is very recognizable. Since it has a wide angle lens, fish-eye effect is expected. I would say the lens’ angle is approximately 160 degrees. I wish it was 1080P instead of 720P, but the image quality is good, meet my expectation. I will give it 4.5 stars.Night Vision Image qualityComparing to the daytime image quality, I am little bit disappointed with night vision. Although the bell has infrared 8 emitters, the face is no recognizable at all unless within a foot. Imagine the case that camera captured the villain, but image or video quality was so poor, you can’t identify the person at all, wasn’t it frustrating? I have played with lots of IP cameras, from $40 to $1,000 range. Considering the dimensions of the doorbell (can only fit smaller lens, less emitters), I would say night vision image quality matches the lower end IP cameras. The exapmles I uploaded were taken in completely dark room, from 1 foot, 2 feet and 3 feet. Since the user manual is white, so it doesn't look that bad. But still I am not happy with the image quality. I will give it 3 stars.SoundThe doorbell has built-in mic and speaker; you can talk to the visitor through the App on your cell phone. The sound was loud and clear, but there was a slight delay even when my cell phone and doorbell were on the same network, maybe 0.2 second delay, not a big deal but you can definitely fell it. I am assuming it was because the sound travelled through the backend server then to the cell phone. I will give it 4.5 stars.InstallationI haven’t actually install the doorbell outside, but I don’t think it is hard to do. Just few mounting screws with a back plate, shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes if you had a doorbell installed already. Just remove old doorbell, connect two power cables and it is done. I will give 4.5 stars.App FeatureThe App does pretty much what I wanted, such as taking a snapshot, recording a video, but you can’t change where to save the video. It always goes to the internal storage unless you purchase the online storage from the company ($2/month or $20/year). You can talk to the visitor through the App even when the doorbell is not pressed. If someone approaches close enough, doorbell will activate the built-in motion sensor, you will get a notification on the cell phone. This is a plus because Ring bell won’t allow you do this, at least when I checked last time. One other feature I liked was this doorbell can be connected to the motorized gate, and then you can control the gate through the App. This is something I didn’t expected. Besides the AC/DC connectors, there are two more connectors marked as “UNLOCK” in the back. But there is nowhere mentioned what it was for in the manual. I assumed it was for the motorized gate but I didn’t know how to connect the wires. I have to call the technical support to get help (I think the company has an office in SoCal based on the phone number). It turns out you just connect two connectors to where the push button wires (com + cycle on mine) connects on the gate controller board. I tested with my gate, it works with some glitches. Sometime it worked, sometime it didn’t. I think it was because the App, not the doorbell itself. And whenever you click the unlock button in the App, it always pops up a message to ask you to confirm, I felt it was really annoying. For the user who has a motorized gate, this feature is really useful because you will never miss a delivery, and you don’t have to give access code to anybody anymore. I would give the App 3 stars. Oh, the App crashed quite a few times on me while testing.Wireless rangeI tried to set up the doorbell in my yard about 55 feet away from wireless router, with one wall/window in the middle, it still picked up the signal fairly quick. I can switch to HD mode and get up to 400KB/s transfer rate. But YMMV, depends on the router signal strength and environment. I will give 5 stars for this.In door chimeI haven’t tested it yet, will update the review once it is done. At least you don’t have to pay extra for the chime.Smart GuardThat’s the name given to the motion sensor feature. Like I mentioned above, if someone is close to the doorbell (about 3 feet), it will send a notification to the App. You can set either 24x7 or only certain times of a day. Again it doesn’t work all the times. The weirdest case was I got notifications on every 18 minutes of the hour, like 1:18, 2:18 ……14:18. Then it just stopped doing it without a reason. Maybe there’s a ghost in my house…. I will give 3.5 starsFew things I wish it had and my concerns1. I wish I could choose where to save the video and pictures. Either to my cell phone memory card, or my personal NAS at home. I am not sure how many users want to save the video on cloud storage, maybe just me being paranoid.2. I wish the infrared emitter and doorbell but were not always on. (Doorbell icon is always lit up blue. Emitter turns in low light environment). I don’t want it draw any attention than necessary since I will install to the yard gate. Turn it on only when motion sensor is trigger would be ideal.3. The company who made the doorbell, it not as big/famous and Skybell or Ring bell, so I am not sure how long will they stay in business. But this potential problem exists for all wireless video doorbells. If the company who made the doorbell is out of business, then your doorbell is useless since it depends on the backend server to send notification and stream video/audio. If there is a configuration to allow doorbell send email, that will fix part of the problem. At least you will see still images from the email.4. The user manual suggested that don’t install the doorbell facing the sun. I am not sure it was because of the glare or other reasons. Over the time it will get warm to hot, I measure 86F from the doorbell inside my living room which was 68F. So under the direct sunlight it will be much hotter. Will see how it holds.5. The manual suggested not exposing the doorbell to water. I don’t know what that means. Come on, it is a doorbell, it meant to stay outside. How am I suppose to use it if it can’t be installed outside where will be rains sooner or later. Or they were just trying to let me know that I shouldn’t put it into water?There are few things were not done right if you ask me. But maybe it was because I am very picky on gadgets. Once more thing worth mentioning is this company really took care the customer. I called them for few technical questions, the person who answered the phone knew the product very well. Gave me the straight answer right away. He was also interested in my thought about their product, asked me if I would like to give him some feedback. I was told they are working on a new version to fix the bugs in the App. Overall, I will give this doorbell 4 stars, if you are looking some alternative doorbells other than Ring Bell or Skybell, this is one is worth trying.

December 20, 2016

Pros:Well-packed and designed with all necessary accessories, such as screws, wall tampers, quick user guide and an extra wireless receiverEasy to install: removed the old bell, and use current wires to connect the new bellUnder WIFI conditions it’s easy to set up by using doorbell camera to scan the QR code on my phonePicture quality meets my needs but also depends on the Wi-Fi conditions. For communications, you need to press the “talk back” and “audio” buttonThe camera will take photos when people close to my gate and then send pics to my phone.Cons:The video quality depends on the Wi-Fi conditionsI need to pay $2/month for cloud service in order to check the previous videos or missed callsSometimes the audio will have a 1-2 seconds delayOverall, I’m happy with the product as well as its function and price. I will recommend it to my friends for sure.

October 9, 2016

 I finally got everything settled for this camera video doorbell. The manual is not very helpful. The more you read the more you get confused. But there are videos on the Youtube, which are more visualized and more helpful for people like me.After everything is settled, I am amazed at what it can do, and that is why even with some issues of installation, I still want to give it a 5-star.First of all, it is an outdoor camera. It can take pictures automatically when there is a visit, even when the visitor doesn't ring the doorbell. If I am not at home, I still can check who just came via cellphone APP.Second, I can always get in time message from the cell phone for each visit. If the guest rings the bell, I can even talk with the visitor just like answering a phone.Third, The indoor chime has multiple sound options, I can choose a regular doorbell sound or classical music, which makes the doorbell even more customized.Finally, this company has very good customer services, I had an issue with installation before, I can call them or live chat directly via the APP. Very very convenient.The only thing I dislike is that there is an extra cost of $2 per month for APP cloud if I want to check the video records. I haven't decided yet if I need to pay for it. Without the could, I am still able to the pictures, which seems enough for me.

June 3, 2017

Installing the system is very easy. Simply replace your old doorbell push button then connect Vuebell with the existing wiring, without fixed voltages and polarity issues. Once installed, simply download the VueBell Smart Bell App from your iOS or Android device and you’re good to go! The system also allows for multi-user sharing, which means the camera can be accessed by authorized viewers in a single time.

With the VueBell WiFi HD Camera Video Doorbell, you’ll get sharp 720p HD live view, with an extra-wide 185° horizontal and 120° vertical viewing angle that lets you see more of what’s at the front door. And at night, the camera’s IR night vision function will automatically activate, with its IR LEDs that allow you to see everything in crystal-clear detail even in total darkness.

This door monitoring camera ensures that you’ll have the peace of mind even when you’re away from home. Not only will you be able to get a good view of your front door from your mobile device, you can also hear and talk to whoever’s at the door, no matter where you are. That’s all thanks to the system’s real-time two-way audio feature, with its built-in microphone and speaker.

The VueBell WiFi HD Camera Video Doorbell also comes built with a motion sensor technology called Smart Guard Function that triggers an alert and sends real-time push notifications, along with a snapshot, to your smartphone or tablet. This is triggered whenever motion is detected or when someone rings the doorbell (or have not pressed the button). This gives you peace of mind knowing that you’ll immediately be notified each time something untoward takes place at home, or when a person comes over to visit, while you’re away.

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The features of Xenon is easy to install,cheaper than other seller, can control by your phone,night version and PIR function. It is the best cost performance. Not only our price is lower than others, ...

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Xenon Wifi Wireless Doorbell With Security Camera,Motion Detection, iOS &...

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Last price update: 2019-11-17 02:43:47

For done reason I could not get it to connect to my wifi. It's possible that I need another access point in my house. I returned the video doorbell. Dissapointed.

April 25, 2017

While I was able to install, required putting a hole in my house for the power line, the unit and connect to the app and doorbell The video worked sporadically. The video worked when I initially powered it on and later when it was initially mounted. Video quickly stopped thereafter. The audio works but momentarily cuts out every few seconds. The video worked again after removing the unit and using the RJ45 LAN connection, then on the wifi and then for about an hour after remounting. Maybe the camera gets cold.

March 13, 2017

Junk. I will be returning it. It won't connect and the instructions were wrote out of the US so hard to read and understand.

March 13, 2017

Xenon is relatively cheaper compared to most models in this list, and is very simple to install and set up. The camera features high-definition 720p, with a 135-degree viewing angle that gives you a wider view of what’s at the front door. And at night, you can continue to monitor things as the camera will record footage in crisp and clear black and white screen.

To be able to remotely and seamlessly control and manage the security camera, simply download the app on your iOS Android device. And then, turn the system on and match it with your device. Take note that you must dismantle your old doorbell and take the power line out so you can connect it to the Xenon WiFi Doorbell Security Camera. Additionally, you must use a battery for the chime in order to work. The package doesn’t come with a battery pack, however, so you must purchase one separately. Once you’re connected, you can control the system as you please!

From the mobile app, you can control the system’s features, such as the video recording function. There’s also a feature that lets you speak with your visitors via the app. Through the Pyroelectric Infrared (PIR) sensor function, you’ll get notifications whenever people come to your home, whether or not they press the doorbell button. And with the built-in microphone and speaker, you can listen and talk to your visitor even before opening the door. It’s a really great choice if you want to spend less on a doorbell but want to get a high-quality product with a lot of cool features and options.

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Video Doorbell easily connects to your Wi-Fi network so you can see and speak to your visitors from your smartphone or tablet using either an iOS or Android App. Comes with motion detection alert ...

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Video doorbell -WiFi enabled connects to your smartphone (Android &...

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Last price update: 2019-11-17 10:44:12

Not a bad system, a couple of annoying features - if the power goes down at the house or the WiFi is reset, the whole unit has to be dismounted, reset, and reconnected.Re initial installation - was able to connect to WiFi without any issues and installation was simple. The doorbell has an annoying chime outside (with a minor delay after pressing the ring button, the unit is activated).

February 19, 2017

It's a Vuebell. Dont be tricked! Back in the begining of this sharade of trying all these video door bells, Vuebell was the first one i tried! I returned it because it wouldnt broadcast your voice and it doesnt ring your excisting doorbell (for those people who have a wired system installed) and its a bugger to get connected to your system. So since then ive tried evevery one of the video door bells in the $100 range and everyone had something wrong and had to return. So i saw this one and remembered i did like the wide angle view of the Vuebell so id give this one a try and see if it wasmaybe different! Well i downloaded their app and it had me sign into my old Vuebell account! So it looks like its not any different, its also a Vuebell in disquise! I did hook it up and it also has same problems! Only this one when you try to use intercom it locks up and im using apple products! So looks like this one will be going back! Why cant any of these units do what they say they are goingf to do?

April 1, 2017

Compared to the Ring, this product seemed very cheaply made. Returned and paid the premium for the Ring, which is awesome.

March 29, 2017

This WiFi video doorbell is an easy-to-install system that you can connect to your existing doorbell, allowing you to easily communicate with the person at your door. It’s one of those DIY installations that don’t require a lot of effort to set up, saving you the trouble of hiring a professional to install it in your home. It has an impressive 720p HD video resolution, as well as great night vision that lets you see things clearly even in complete darkness. The camera also has an extra-wide viewing angle, with 185° horizontal and 115° vertical field of view that provides a clear and better view of your home’s entrance, giving you optimal security.

Just like the Xenon WiFi Doorbell Security Camera, the ValJax Wifi Video Doorbell also comes with motion detection alert using PIR, which alerts you whenever there’s a guest at the door or when motion is detected. The model also comes with impeccable audio quality, with a handy intercom that lets you speak to visitors from your mobile device. This is especially useful if you have your hands full or if you’re upstairs, in your backyard, or even when you’re not at home! Talk about convenience!

Another thing that’ amazing about this camera is that you can take snapshots and video clips, and store them in your cloud account so that you can view them later. This is so much more convenient and safer than local storage since there’s less risk of data loss and you can access data anywhere, as long as you’re connected to the Internet. Additionally, you can pair the ValJax Wifi Video Doorbell with an electronic door lock so even while you’re away or can’t easily get to the door, you can let your friends and family in. Now that’s really convenient for everyone!

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It seems like every time you turn on the news, you hear a scary story about a home invasion or someone dangerous trying to gain access to a house that's just too close to home for comfort. With all ...

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YYGIFT Smart Video WiFi Doorbell Remote Access See Who's At...

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Last price update: 2019-11-17 14:44:13

Part Number	HI0010B
Item Weight	14.4 ounces
Package Dimensions	6.3 x 4.1 x 2.5 inches
Color	Black
Batteries Included?	No
Batteries Required?	No

Great product.I a little more work on making it easy to hide the wires behind the unit once installed would be nice. The small screw on the bottom to secure the device to the plate can be a real pain. Lost it and had to improvise with a small sheet metal screw. Works very well, but it could be a just a little better by being able to be connected to multiple users and smart phones.Like the ease of syncing to the WiFi and the calling feature to the smart phone is excellent.

November 13, 2015

Horrible waste of money. Just flush $500 down the drain. Loses wifi after short time. Absolutely no support. Bought two, they don't work even after electrician connected them and my tech guy installed them to the wifi

January 10, 2016

IT SUCKS....WON'T STAY CONNECTED. HAD IT WORKING BUT JUST WON'T STAY CONNECTED...I DID EVERYTHING CORRECTLY. AND ALL MY OTHER WIFI PRODUCTS WORK GREAT AND CONTINUALLY...WISH I COULD GET MY MONEY BACK SO I CAN BUY ONE THAT WORKS AND HAS TECH SUPPORTReggie HalesHARTFORD, CT

March 27, 2016

While other security solution providers are busy creating that perfect look in their door monitoring cameras, YYGIFT has already designed one that came out with the right set of features. Not only is this doorbell camera sturdy, it’s also technically sound. The camera is built with 2.5mm lens (640x480p resolution), with a wide 135° viewing angle that lets you see more in a certain area. At night, the built-in IR LEDs provide top-notch night vision that will give you a clear view of the area outside your door, at distances of up to 10 meters.

To be able to access the camera remotely, you must download the free iOS or Android app and connect with the system by following the instructions included with the package. The system’s innovative wireless technology lets you use your home’s WiFi to transmit signals to and receive details from your mobile device. Once connected, you can access live view from anywhere in the world. And with a simple tap on your phone, you’ll immediately see who’s at your front door!

With the YYGIFT Smart Video WiFi Doorbell’s motion sensor technology, you’ll receive alerts on your phone whenever someone rings the doorbell. You can also easily adjust the sensitivity so you won’t be troubled with false alarms. You can choose to ignore or answer the call, and even take a photo or video clip of your visitor. And thanks to the system’s built-in microphone and speaker, you can easily communicate with whoever’s at the door, with impeccable audio quality that makes communication convenient. Additionally, you can integrate the system to an electronic lock and set a 6-digit code to unlock the door. Now, you can even let your visitors in even if you’re upstairs, in the backyard, in the garage, or even out of town! It’s a really good option for homeowners who want an elegant yet sturdy entryway monitoring camera that’s packed with useful features, but is affordable enough to make it a worthy investment.

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Always know who's at the front door, even when you're not home. August doorbell cam alerts you every time the bell is rung and lets you see and speak with visitors from your smartphone, from ...

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August Doorbell Cam – Silver

$79.98

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Last price update: 2019-11-17 14:44:17

Part Number	AUG-AB01-M01-S01
Item Weight	8.8 ounces
Product Dimensions	2.9 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches
Item model number	AB-R1
Size	1 x 2.9 x 2.9"
Color	Silver
Pattern	Silver
Item Package Quantity	1
Included Components	1 Doorbell Cam 1 Mounting Plate 4 Mounting Screws 2 Wall Anchors 4 Wire Connectors 1 Hex Wrench 1 Mounting Wedge Getting Started Guide
Batteries Included?	No
Batteries Required?	No
Warranty Description	1 year

The August Doorbell Cam is one of those almost-but-not-quite devices, - mostly because the software isn't quite there.Installing the camera was very simple, though be aware it's helpful to have your phone with you for the full set of instructions available on August's site.For my house, with the original bell to the left of the door, I chose to use the included wedge, which angled the bell toward whichever direction you need - in my case - to the right. Installation required me to install a couple of anchors for the screws, but this again was simple - following August's instructions.Setting up the app was also simple. The instructions told me to bring the bell into the house and use its built-in battery to set up the account next to my router, but I lived a little dangerously and set it up while the bell was still attached outside. I had no issues during the setup, nor during the subsequent firmware upgrade.Once this was done, things worked as expected, mostly. Notifications from the doorbell come through to my iPhone (or Apple Watch, if you have one of those) most of the time. There were definitely some missed notifications, but I expect this will improve as the app does.But there are some issues:1.) The camera doesn't deal with exposure very well. Here in Seattle, it's overcast a lot of the time, and despite a person standing right outside the door, the camera was exposing for the brighter background, so the visitor just looks like a silhouette. You can see this in the picture I've included. SkyBell includes a little contrast-boost on-screen button if you need it, but I can say I never did when I used that device. It just exposed correctly for the visitor.2.) The camera supports HD 1280x960 (a slightly curious resolution). However, the iPhone app is only iPhone 5-compatible in terms of resolution, i.e. 1136x640. Yep, that means no matter what iPhone you have, you're not getting an HD picture. On my iPhone 6s Plus and my wife's iPhone 6s, it's running in scaled mode (you can always tell, as the interface/time/wifi symbol becomes huge on the screen). This is disappointing in 2016, given the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus resolution have been around the better part of two years (September, 2014 release date). So while the camera itself may be HD, the software isn't able to take advantage of the camera, and currently this feels a little like false advertising....*edit*As of May 27, 2016, the August app now properly supports 4.7" and 5.5" iPhones, yay!3.) No Do-Not-Disturb mode. I really liked this feature on my SkyBell 2.0 of old (and the new SkyBell HD). If I didn't want the doorbell to ring, I'd flick this setting, and my dog wouldn't go nuts during an important meeting if UPS etc rings my doorbell. I'd still get the notification on my phone that someone's at the door, but in terms of house noise? Nothing. Sadly, no such option on the August Doorbell Cam.4.) No motion detection or recorded video clips. These are coming in the next three months (why three months?!), apparently, but they're missing now, and this is disappointing at launch of what needs to be a competitive device.5.) No landscape view for video playback.6.) There's a security screw that's inserted into the bottom of the August Doorbell Cam once it's placed over the mounting bracket. The instructions tell you to turn that screw 2-3 full rotations to keep the doorbell from being removed easily. It's a really tiny screw, and the allen-key-type-screw they give you doesn't give good purchase, so it's difficult to even tell if you're turning the screw or if the key is in the right place, especially since it's nigh impossible to see the screw.7.) The wiring setup is actually a little more complicated than it needs to be. You take the two wires from your existing doorbell, hold them in parallel with the wires on the mounting bracket, and then insert both wires into a sleeve which you then squeeze down on using a pair of pliers. Yes, this is relatively simple, but it's also not as simple as using a screw mount system (like SkyBell HD uses). With SkyBell HD, you just put each wire from your house around a screw located on the SkyBell HD mounting bracket, and then screw it down with a regular Phillips screwdriver. Simple. No pliers and no special conductive sleeves to squish closed etc.Despite the seemingly myriad of issues, overall I'm actually reasonably happy with the August Doorbell Cam. However, the hardware could have been simpler, and the app and features seriously need work - and a lot of it.3 stars out of 5. Some early-adopter syndrome, but I sense good things ahead.*Edit June 9, 2016*Things are improving at August, but still some work to do:1.) Under-exposure is still an issue with the camera, which absolutely needs to be fixed as soon as is reasonably possible. This is a MUST-FIX issue.2.) The connection via Bluetooth from the Doorbell Cam to the August Door Lock is too slow, so when you see who is outside, you have to wait a huge amount of time for the lock to become "usable" to let your guest in.3.) Communication with your visitor is on a "Press to Speak" system, which is fine. However, when you're pressing that on-screen button to talk, you can't actually hear your visitor because it mutes him/her! Feels like you need to say "OVER!" after you speak, so that the visitor knows when he can talk and you'l be able to hear him. I would expect to be able to hold the "Press to Speak" button the entire conversation, and still be able to hear my visitor while I do so! This is also a MUST-FIX issue.4.) Connecting to the camera feed is still not fast enough. Even with the doorbell on battery power, sitting next to the router with full signal, it still takes 5-10 seconds to connect to the feed after opening the app. This is a HIGH-PRIORITY issue.Things are clearly improving, but there's a way to go yet.And here's a June, 27, 2016 update:1.) Connectivity weirdness issues still remain. My most frustrating one currently is when I access the Live Feed, and it shows me a "feed" from yesterday or sometime during the night. It seems to be a glitchy "still" with audio captured live at that moment, but it's very off-putting. Nothing like shaking your confidence when you see night-time video at 3:30pm... I haven't seen this happen when answering the door, but even so...2.) When the doorbell is pressed, the doorbell cam is supposed to send a screenshot of who's at your door to your phone so you can see whether you want to actually "answer" the door. However, for some reason, and perhaps related to my first issue above, I always get a screenshot of outside my front door with absolutely NOBODY there. Once I actually ACCEPT the call, I can see who's there. What's that about? A cached image from an earlier feed from August's servers, that's what! And it does this on a fairly constant basis, frustratingly.3.) Connectivity to the door lock connected to the Doorbell is still flaky, with it often still being quicker for me to go to the front door and unlock it, than wait for the ability to unlock it from the video feed. Interestingly, using Siri to unlock the door works in just a few seconds... The August app is the issue.Again, we have some progress, but more is expected. Current firmware is RC103, dated June 15, 2016.And here's a last July, 25, 2016, update:I'm done with August's Doorbell Cam, have disconnected it, and have now switched to the SkyBell HD. August's development team is clearly backlogged with fixes needing to be applied to the Doorbell, and it's a shame. The support team have been helpful and positive, but I've gotten tired of trying to help them fix their device and make it stable, so I've moved on now. For some, the August Doorbell Cam will work as well as it should, but for the rest of us - there are other choices out there, and you should probably vote with your wallet.

May 5, 2016

May 17: After returning my August doorbell cam I installed a Skybell HD doorbell cam and couldn't be happier. For the same price as the August, the Skybell HD does everything well, doesn't drop WiFi connection, has excellent video quality with LED light augmentation to improve facial recognition and has free cloud storage of video clips. The Skybell HD is everything the August wishes it could be.May 6: I have returned mine because it will not reconnect even after resetting. Plus the video and still quality is much too dark. Hopefully the Skybell HD will be better.May 5th: I am revising my review. After about a week of working (kind of), this device is now offline and I can't get it back - this despite a solid signal strength of 70/70 and -33dBm. I called tech support and after he told me I have to totally remove the doorbell in order to reset it I told him that is ridiculous for something that is designed to be a permanent fixture that would require a lengthy process to comply - there should be a reset function remotely or at least available without having to remove the whole darn thing. I then requested to RMA this crappy thing and he said sure after which he hung up on me. This is what you can expect from August. Buyer beware!!I just received the dark gray version of this doorbell cam directly from August. The installation was straightforward and easy after taking the advice from someone else here that said to leave the device hooked up to the 24V AC bell wiring before proceeding with installation. It seems the internal battery comes discharged and mine needed at least 30 minutes before it would work. Despite the successful installation, I am not very happy that this does not have an infrared light for dimly lit conditions. Also, I have a covered front porch that faces south and peoples faces are very difficult to identify since the faces appear too dark, probably because the camera is compensating for the south facing lighting conditions. Another issue, at least with the dark gray version, it does not really look like a traditional door bell and people have a hard time trying to figure out where to press to ring the bell - the tiny, almost unrecognizable green bell-shaped led light in the center of the device is not visible during daylight. I furthermore am not happy that August has yet to implement motion detection or cloud or local storage of captured video.

April 24, 2016

For the optimum experience, you must connect the system to a reliable WiFi signal. For most homes, a WiFi router located within 10 to 15 feet of the door can deliver enough signal strength. Otherwise, you’ll have to set up a WiFi extender in order for the system to work without a hitch. And once you’ve installed the doorbell camera, simply download the free dedicated mobile app on your Android or iOS device and you’re good to go!

The camera boasts an impressive 960p HD resolution that offers a clear view of the person at your door. This helps you identify your visitors with clarity. Add to that the fact that this is a one-way camera, which means you can see the visitor even if they can’t see you, thus ensuring your privacy. The system also has a motion detection feature that sends alerts each time motion is detected from just about anyone outside your door, whether or not they rung the doorbell. And with the two-way audio feature, you can conveniently speak with your visitor using your smartphone, from wherever you are!

Want to know if you missed a visitor while you’re away? Don’t worry, there’s a provision for that! With the August Doorbell Camera, you’ll get a free 30-day trial for video recording. With this, you can keep track of people who came to your house while you’re not around. Conveniently replay footages as you please so you’ll know who visited when and for what purpose. The system is also built to record conversations which you can easily play on your mobile device – a handy feature that’s not readily available in other models.

Lastly, the August Doorbell Camera also lets you control the lock from anywhere, right from your smartphone. Simply sync it with the August Smart Lock and you can lock and unlock it as you please. You can check the lock’s real-time status from the app, so no more wondering! You’ll even get instant alerts when someone enters or exits your home. Talk about ultimate security!

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Meet Blink, the one-of-a-kind, battery-powered remote home monitoring system that’s simple to set up and equally perfect for renters or homeowners. Its stylish, totally wire-free design houses ...

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Blink Home Security Camera System with Motion Detection, HD Video,...

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Last price update: 2019-11-17 14:44:21

Great idea but I think they rushed this to market. This home security system is lacking some basic key features that most systems on the market come standard with. Setup is easy and I love the complete wire free feature. The antennas are choppy and inconsistent with both WiFi and the sync module. I have a high powered router so signal should be great from anywhere around my one story home. The "instant on" feature doesn't work so well or at all. I am always capturing ghosts. If a person or object walks by the camera and doesn't hang around, the camera fails to capture anything but thin air. The 10sec record time and delay between the next record just adds to this issue, as does the weak IR sensor. The sensitivity settings don't work either. Even when set to level 1 I still get false positives multiple times per day. The app lacks any zone masking of any kind which adds to the library of false positives. When I share a video via email the receiving party can't open it. Although it shows as an mp4, the phone, computer or other device can't play it. It was a mistake to use an LED illuminator over the standard IR for night illumination. Also the IR for motion detection was a mistake as well. One would like to use this behind a window but can't accomplish this because of the limited IR detection function. I hope they can get their act together and put a real deal system on the market. I will gladly purchase a system with some much needed improvements.

September 9, 2016

After 6 months of use:1) Needs geofencing. Scheduling camera based on a strict schedule does not work for a typical family!2) Needs individual camera scheduling. What if we only want certain camera armed at certain times?! There's only so many videos of me in my undies getting a drink of water in the middle of the night that my wife and I can tolerate...Not to mention the LED on blast at night!3) Needs zone control. This will never happen as the main feature of the cameras is battery powered and longevity. This would be CPU intensive and just isn't part of the design.Moral of the story: You get what you pay for. Free cloud recording and EXCELLENT battery lift, but lacks too many features to ultimately recommend for daily/normal use. I've moved on to Nest cameras, which will cost me monthly, but provide a much more rich feature set. After 6 months of use, I deem that an acceptable cost for what I now know I want out of a security camera.

January 21, 2017

I want to like this product because of its design and picture quality but its performance is not as reliable as I hoped. Let me start with that I have used this system for over a month now and waited to write this review to give it a fair chance. The pros are the picture is crystal clear, great wide angle coverage, and I prefer the battery concept versus plug-in as it’s a great feature for flexibility in where you can place the cameras. Set-up was a breeze! Customer service is through email only and when they answer, they are great, but again, inconsistent. Consistency/reliability in the performance of the system is the challenge/frustration. When it works, it’s great. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work. Even today if you check the in-app customer support (which is a great idea rather than having to log into a website) it still has the server issue notice from 9/21 and today is 9/27. I can log in for days without any problems and then one day it will not load and the wheel spins with no connection to their servers. It’s not my Wi-Fi as I check the signal strength with a meter and my Vue Zone cameras are working. Waiting seems to be the key, as it usually resolves itself, but it’s very inconsistent and they usually don’t tell you when they have a brief issue. I want to buy a third camera but I’m reluctant until the system is more reliable. This is a potentially a great camera and a real competitor to Vue Zone/Arlo if Blink can improve its reliability. I will update this review and the number of stars if these concerns improve. I’m a potential big fan of Blink, so please guys make this product all it can be! I want to increase to 5 stars

September 27, 2016

Blink is a unique, battery-powered remote monitoring camera that’s easy to set up and is ideal for renters and homeowners. You only need 2 AA lithium batteries (included in the package) and a strong Wi-Fi signal to be able to connect the camera to your home. You can then control the camera by downloading the iOS or Android app. From the app, you can check back on the camera in real time, with the Live View streaming mode.

Apart from being completely wire-free, the camera boasts a stylish and elegant design, with innovative 720p HD video technology that lets you see everything in crisp and clear detail. It has a 110-degree field view, with 3x digital zoom, and built-in IR LEDs for night vision up to 20 feet coverage.

The system can be installed both indoor and out. With it, you can create a system that covers your entryways. The system even comes with a built-in motion detector that sends an alert to your phone whenever motion is triggered, and will record a short clip of the event through the cloud. Now, you can see exactly what triggered the sensors and you can immediately decide how to respond.

The Blink Home Security Camera System may be more ideal for indoor use but it can be a pretty effective door monitoring camera. You can even expand and customize the system quickly, and add extra cameras to cover your entire home, depending on your needs. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a door chime and a two-way audio feature. However, there’s a built-in microphone that allows the person on the other end to speak to you. On the upside, it offers free cloud storage where you can store up to 2 hours of video clips. It’s a pretty good offer, considering that most products of this type offer cloud service at an extra cost. With Blink, there are no monthly fees to speak of. Once you purchase the system, it’s all yours – no hidden or additional charges!

Smart doorbell cameras have now become an essential upgrade to home security. When you install it in your home, you won’t have to worry or wonder who’ll be waiting for you on the other side. What’s more, if something bad happens, you have recordings as evidence, to help law enforcement find the culprit. Choose any from our list of the best door/entryway monitoring cameras for 2018 and add an extra layer of protection to your connected home!