Video Doorbell

[securespark]

No. 1 son has recently completed on his house purchase and wants a video doorbell. He had his heart set on a Ring, but they now want subs, so he's not keen.

He's asked me for help (Cos you're an electrician, Dad...). I've done my usual go-to and looked up Which? best buys.

They are dominated by Ring. There's also Arlo, which needs subs. Theres another, Tapo, which is only great value and not a best buy.

Then there's Eufy and Ubiquiti G4. The Ubiquiti G4 (non PoE) is a best buy with the highest rating (apart from its PoE brother), but is out of stock.

The Eufy gets some poor reviews and something about not being able to connect a mains powered Eufy to a home base?

I feel a bit of weight on my shoulders:

Son asks for a recommendation for a product.

I recommend a product.

Son buys it.

Son doesn't like it.

"Dad...! This doorbell's ****!"

Anybody bought anything other than Ring that doesn't require a subscription and how do you rate it?

 

[pcaouolte]

I have a Eufy doorbell and a Home base. The doorbell is battery powered, I didn't use the option to have a wired power connection. It's ok but can be a bit slow. Sometimes it's fast enough to talk to a visitor who has rung the bell but at other times the visitor has left before I get a reliable connection. It needs a good network connection at both ends (home and mobile). It does reliably send notifications to my phone when it sees a person and it is fairly good at recognising known people so that I can choose whether to be notified when other members of the household come home or only to be notified for strangers. I don't have any other make to compare it to but I had hoped that it would be faster to connect than it is.

 

[Diver Fred]

I bought a 'Ring' doorbell this year (on the Amazon offer period). AFAIK there is an option for subscription but it isn't necessary. I don't subscribe, so it doesn't have the storage capability that is as much as I can see is missing.
I've been notified that I have someone at the door when I was on Holiday. Is that all that matters?

 

[foxhole]

Got a cheap video doorbell from Aldi £1.99.

 

[securespark]

 

[joe384]

I bought a eufy doorbell a few years back (at my mums house). Agree it can be slow sometimes, what happened about a year ago is the video stopped working and only the chime and notifications would work.

As it was not under warranty I decided to unscrew it to take a look, I didn't do anything but once I had put it back together the video started working again. I have since figured out that for some reason if the back casing is on too tight the video stops working. The video stopped working again after a few days, and sometimes I could get it working by "jiggling" the back plate a bit, but not any more.

For my own place I have bought a reolink doorbell. I haven't installed it yet but I do run some of their cameras. I would say their stuff is ok, obviously not as good as some of the better CCTV brands (if you mention reolink on ipcamtalk I'm sure they would laugh you off the forum) but not as bad as some brands like Swann. Both eufy and reolink don't require a monthly subscription.

 

[SandyLyon]

I bought a 'Ring' doorbell this year (on the Amazon offer period). AFAIK there is an option for subscription but it isn't necessary. I don't subscribe, so it doesn't have the storage capability that is as much as I can see is missing.
I've been notified that I have someone at the door when I was on Holiday. Is that all that matters?

If you don’t have a subscription, you have a video doorbell that allows you to see and speak to whoever rings the bell, live.

The main thing for me is being able to view a caller after the event (if you were unable to answer the call at the time) or view an intruder on your property.

I had a Ring video doorbell with a subscription but changed it earlier this year, I have a Hikvision CCTV system so replaced the Ring Doorbell with a Hikvision Video Doorbell connected to my CCTV system.
Obviously not an option unless you have a compatible CCTV system but it does everything the Ring did plus more, it records 24/7 with motion alerts, records in colour at night, and it is wired so the WiFi signal can’t be jammed.

If you chose one with out a subscription make sure if it records to a SD card, the card isn’t fitted inside the device, if someone pulls the doorbell off the wall the recordings disappear with it.

 

[devon scouse]

Have Tapo TD21 since Christmas
No subscription, can connect to tv, battery have recharged once so far. Picture is clear.
Overall more than happy with it and for £45 I think it was money well spent.

 

[Lower]

I'd be nervous about buying a video doorbell where the feed is sent via china.

We have a ring doorbell and a few ring cams. They are excellent and the ring customer service is also very good. One one of the external cameras got stuck on a firmware update when it was well out of warranty and ring replaced it with a newer version FOC. I do have a ring subscription though.

 

[pcaouolte]

I'd be nervous about buying a video doorbell where the feed is sent via china.

What is your concern with this?

 

[SandyLyon]

I'd be nervous about buying a video doorbell where the feed is sent via china.

Most will be either made / assembled in Asia (China or Vietnam) even Ring.

In a domestic situation this wouldn’t bother me too much, if someone in China wants to watch me washing the car, cutting the grass or talking to the postman, so be it, I’d rather watch paint dry.

 

[Lower]

What is your concern with this?

The more CCTV cameras supplied by china, the closer they or other bad actors get to total surveillance of the UK. Might not affect you personally, but i'm being more careful with what data i allow china access to.

 

[Mottie]

No. 1 son has recently completed on his house purchase and wants a video doorbell. He had his heart set on a Ring, but they now want subs, so he's not keen.

Does he need recordings? I gave up my ring subscription and just use it as a doorbell that I can speak to people who call at my house when I’m out. You can also remotely view what’s happening through it. Just today bought a Eufy 2K indoor cam with pan and tilt and remote talking ( to keep an eye on the pup when we are out). Only a tenner at Halfords and for a tenner, it’s pretty impressive.

 

[securespark]

I have suggested Eufy to him, but some reviews say it is slow to react over WiFi.

His other gripe about Ring is that the newer kit also has poor connectivity with WiFi.

He thinks he will buy a refurbed older Ring model that is more reliable and he'll run it without subscription.

Thank you to everyone for your contributions.