performance: All smart doorbells require a strong Wi-Fi signal to work properly. Some even come with a hub that doubles as a Wi-Fi repeater for better connectivity. Please note that the performance when accessing your phone's doorbell on the go is greatly affected by the quality of your phone's Internet connection. All the video doorbells we've tested have a slight lag, but you should be able to see a live feed and carry on a two-way conversation in near real time. The feed should load within 2-3 seconds, but occasional delays in loading live feeds are common, and I haven't found the perfect doorbell yet. Video doorbells tend to load fastest in native apps.
Wired vs battery powered: Smart doorbells require more power than traditional doorbells. A new transformer may be required. We also recommend that you hire an electrician for safe installation. The main advantage of wired doorbells is that they do not need to be touched again after installation and will chime your existing doorbell. Wired doorbells are usually a little cheaper and slimmer than battery-equipped models.
Battery-powered smart doorbells are easy to install yourself and can be mounted anywhere you like. The main drawback is that you need to remove and charge the battery every few months. That means there will be some downtime unless you buy a spare battery to switch it on. Also note that regular doorbell chimes do not work with battery-powered smart doorbells. You'll probably need to purchase a wireless chime device that connects somewhere in your home, but you can also set up your smart speaker to act as a doorbell chime.
Most battery-powered video doorbells also have a wired connection, which may be the best solution if you're concerned about power outages. Wired doorbells generally provide faster alerts and are more reliable than battery-powered doorbells.
Resolution and HDR: The higher the resolution, the clearer the image you get, but keep in mind that higher resolution videos require more bandwidth to stream and require more storage space. If your front porch is in direct sunlight or strong shade, we highly recommend choosing an HDR-enabled video doorbell to prevent bright areas from becoming blown out or shadow areas becoming too dark to see. To do.
Field of view and aspect ratio: If you want a head-to-toe view of the person at the door, consider the field of view and aspect ratio your candidate offers. The wider the field of view, the more things are taken in, but a fisheye effect can occur. Rather than the traditional landscape aspect ratio, you may prefer a square or portrait view to ensure you can see the visitor's face and the luggage on the porch.
Local or cloud storage: If you don't want to sign up for a subscription service and upload your video clips to the cloud, make sure the doorbell you choose offers local storage. Some video doorbells have a microSD card slot, and others record video to a hub device inside your home. Expect to pay around $3 to $8 per month for 30 days of storage for a video doorbell.
Advanced features: Many video doorbells come with features like package detection and people recognition. These features are useful for filtering alerts so you only receive notifications that are useful. Please note that access to advanced features may require a subscription.
Brand selection: If you already have a security camera system or are planning to buy one, it makes a lot of sense to use the same brand for your doorbell. This way he can access everything in the same app and get one subscription if he wants. If you're setting up a smart home, make sure your doorbell is compatible with your preferred ecosystem and voice assistant.
safety: We recommend checking it out. It's two-factor authentication (2FA) to prevent anyone who knows your username and password from logging into your doorbell, and someone who accesses the manufacturer's servers from seeing her Wi-Fi login details and information. This is encryption to make it so. Watch uploaded videos.
