OT: video doorbells and cameras

[sfscott]

Due to increased levels of hijinx in the hood, the boss is adamant that we get a video doorbell and some outdoor cameras.

We use Xfinity for alarm, but Xfinity doesn’t integrate with any video doorbells afaik. We have Nest thermostats and smoke detectors, so logically would lean towards the Google/Nest offerings.

Ring however has a stick up camera that works off of solar. Since I’m averse to drilling holes through stucco and or having long cable runs, that looks somewhat appealing but could be better in concept than execution. The doorbell piece is easy; it’s the outdoor camera that seems to be more tricky.

Part of the hope is that I can avoid adding another app to the mix. Nest, Xfinity Home and Eero are enough.

Discuss.

[RobJ]

The option I will recommend may not help with the app integration goal, but I haven’t dug around enough because I’m happy with their app.

It’s the Eufy Cam. Made by Anker whose products and portable power units absolutely rock. I had the Ring camera and would never buy another one. Battery life was total crap, WiFi signal reception was crap and other app/connection issues.

The Eufy is slick. 365 day battery, excellent clear images day or night and no connection/WiFi issues. No charge for hosting videos for playback etc. I have 3 setup now; front door, side yard and back patio. Can watch my dogs too! The one on the back patio had no problem connecting to our WiFi network.


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[batman1425]

We have a nest bell and once you get them setup they seem to work OK but the setup can be challenging.

Best option is if you have a standard, wired doorbell so the camera can pull its power from the 12v supply to the bell and you don't have to worry about charging. We also bought a cheap wireless range extended to plug into an outlet in the room next to the front door to make sure the signal was always reliable.

Some compatibility problems can come up with the bell unit itself. The camera doesn't always play well with the older bells and the diodes they sometimes require. I had to get all new guts for our standard bell, one that didn't require a diode, to make it work, then had to modify the setting on the nest with delays for the button to get the electronic chime to run through its cycle correctly. It was fiddly, but once I sorted it out, went almost 2 years with no fuss.

[m_sasso]

Know little about these and the validity of this info, however just read this article on Ring cameras, https://gizmodo.com/dont-buy-anyone-a-ring-camera-1840070640?utm_source=gizmodo_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2019-11-29

[sitzmark]

If you're serious about capturing hijinx, I suggest you go with a network of dedicated security cameras. More difficult installation for sure, but done right will return better results. PoE makes install easier - power and comms in a single line. If you have access to eaves through attic it makes install relatively easy and you get greater range of vision, plus better protection/concealment of cameras. If it is a self-contained system you own the video and it never hits the internet ... unless you want access when not at home.

I've setup August doorcams at home and on a vacation property .. only because they are also a wifi interface for the August smart lock. (Alternatively there is an interior plug-in module for wifi interface.)

Most pranksters/thieves are wise to doorbell cams now unless they are total idiots. Depending on the doorcam's field of vision and walk-up access to where it is mounted, it is possible to approach the cam from the side and avoid detection or just rip the device off the wall/door. Without a video archival option/service you'll see nothing or have no record. Some doorcam systems are always active and can "look back" and document a few seconds of video before the motion sensor is triggered. At least with August, if you pay for the cloud archival service ($3-$5/mo) in addition to video storage they will replace the doorcam if it is stolen.

All of the "smart" integration is still in its infancy, so bundling it neatly into a single vendor's app is basically futile unless you go with a few basic devices. Amazon has moved quickly to knit a more integrated solution together through Ring and Mr Beams acquisitions and Google is following suit with Nest and partnership with Assa Abloy (Yale), etc. I've had a network of Nest T-Stats and smoke alarms for years, but wasn't enamored with the Nest cam/lock service ... even less now with Google ownership and Google's track record for privacy and security. That said, the more we bite off of the "smart apple" the more of each of those we will ultimately concede to undesirable access.

[Peter P.]

Deleted duplicate post.

[Peter P.]

...it is possible to approach the cam from the side and avoid detection or just rip the device off the wall/door...

The solution to this problem, which I employed to catch a vandal, was to install TWO cameras (In my case, I'm referring to game cameras and not security cameras), where each camera has a view of the OTHER camera within the image. That way, if they attempt to damage one camera, it's captured by the other one. And sometimes, they don't even think there's a second camera after they congratulate themselves for finding the first one.

I caught the vandal.

What has gotten into our society that we need security cameras and video doorbells?

[jamesdak]

Know little about these and the validity of this info, however just read this article on Ring cameras, https://gizmodo.com/dont-buy-anyone-a-ring-camera-1840070640?utm_source=gizmodo_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2019-11-29

Yeah, it's pretty well known that a lot of these wireless devices are hard coded to send the images to off shore locations no matter how the user configures it.

[MikeD]

I've got a Ring doorbell. The problem with it is it's slow. Someone could dash onto your doorstep and steal a package before the camera wakes up to take a video. Waiting for a live video can take a while (too long) too. I've got a good wifi connection to the doorbell. I'm currently considering getting a faster camera doorbell, but don't know which one.

[Birddog]

The option I will recommend may not help with the app integration goal, but I haven’t dug around enough because I’m happy with their app.

It’s the Eufy Cam. Made by Anker whose products and portable power units absolutely rock. I had the Ring camera and would never buy another one. Battery life was total crap, WiFi signal reception was crap and other app/connection issues.

The Eufy is slick. 365 day battery, excellent clear images day or night and no connection/WiFi issues. No charge for hosting videos for playback etc. I have 3 setup now; front door, side yard and back patio. Can watch my dogs too! The one on the back patio had no problem connecting to our WiFi network.


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Rob, just curious what other brands were considered. Eufy doesn't seem to have much feedback and seems relatively new to the market. Did you look at other brands? Did you compare to Arlo for instance? I have a Blink system and it seems to be adequate at best.

[Peter P.]

From NPR's All Things Considered (https://www.npr.org/2019/12/02/784225316/doorbell-cameras-are-popular-but-should-we-be-sharing-the-videos-online) today.

[zap]

No problems with our Ring system. Fast and reliable and battery life is pretty darn good....year plus. Charging the battery is slow. Doorbell is wireless, video cameras are hard wired and mounted quite high.

If the guys and gals in China want to watch our video's....have at it. Mostly critter action.

[mktng]

Have a Nest Hello. It's been wonderful. Works perfectly and is reliable.Sucks you have to buy the nest aware package to make it more useful.

Having that with a few other nest/Google products all in the Nest app is easy to manage.

If you're going strictly cameras. WYZE is great. I have a few around the house. I use them with Tiny Cam Pro which allows me to see all cameras on one screen in real time.



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[C40_guy]

I'm in the process of replacing my doorbell. Seems that every time we get rain and southerly wind, the existing doorbell gets soaked and short circuits, ringing the bell (once) typically in the middle of the night. I have to disconnect the wiring at either the transformer or the chimes until the button dries out.

So...I'm replacing the button. Thought about a video doorbell. Wife shot that down - "no need." We live on a quiet cul de sec in a family neighborhood where most people still don't lock their doors.

Well..it would be nice to know if someone is coming to the door.... :)

I looked at wireless chimes, decided that wasn't necessary.

So I went with a Spore doorbell - https://www.sporedoorbells.com/.

Adds a bit of interest to the entry.

And I can always add a Blink camera to the front of the house if I really want to monitor the comings and goings of the wild turkeys and coyotes. Mostly the coyotes stick to the trails behind our house, at night, but one did saunter through the front yard at (our) dinnertime!

[redir]

Know little about these and the validity of this info, however just read this article on Ring cameras, https://gizmodo.com/dont-buy-anyone-a-ring-camera-1840070640?utm_source=gizmodo_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2019-11-29

Yup, pretty much my first thought, data security and hacking.

[dbnm]

Bringing this back around.

I am looking for a 3 camera system.

The new Ring cameras look pretty good.

Any thoughts?

[Spaghetti Legs]

I got a Eufy doorbell/camera last winter, just brought it in to charge it for the first time today, but still probably had about 30% charge on it. I’ve been very happy. I got it mostly because my house didn’t have a doorbell and I didn’t want to deal with hard wiring one. Nice thing about Eufy is it comes with its own storage so (at least as far as I can tell) everything stays in the house and there is no monthly fee to actually use the thing as intended.

It’s pretty good about picking up motion on the front porch and when you walk up it lights up, but for some reason 50% of the time, people knock on the door and don’t use the doorbell. The voice response feature is a little slow sometimes, I don’t really use it. Eufy also has cameras that will conn3ct to the same home base drive.

[Bob Ross]

The only systems I'm intimately (ha!) familiar with are the high-end expensive ones that talk to a whole-house control system, and involve drilling/running wires.

But my sister has been using the simplest Nest doorbell/camera in both of her houses, and she loves them, and every time she's shown me what she can do from/with those I think "that is cool and simple and why would anyone ever need something more?"