Why You Should Invest in a Video Doorbell

The humble doorbell is a new member of the club of smart home devices. The new video doorbells allow you to see who is at your door and converse with them without opening the door. While they do increase security, is that the only reason to purchase a video doorbell? There are a lot of them.

If you're debating whether to get a video doorbell or stick with the old-fashioned non-smart version, here are all the reasons why you should. Before we get there, let's define a video doorbell.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A VIDEO DOORBELL?

It's pretty much what the name implies. They function similarly to standard doorbells in informing you of who is at your front door. They go a step further, however, and can also be used as a video surveillance device. When someone rings the bell or detects movement, they record small video snippets.

As a result, they improve the overall security of your home. When you combine the Smart factor, you'll have a capable security system at your disposal. The best part is that if you have a compatible smart speaker, such as the Amazon Echo Show, you can see who is at your door on the smart screen.

And if something bad happens, you can always take the video to the appropriate authorities. While the majority of video doorbells rely on cloud storage, there are a few that do offer local storage (more on that later).

So, if you're debating whether or not to get a video doorbell, here are some of the reasons why you should.

1. FEATURES THAT ARE SMART

A video doorbell is more than just recording video snippets when someone knocks on your door. Some modern video doorbells include features such as two-way audio, night vision, person tracking, package tracking, and more.

Some models, such as Google's Nest Doorbell, also make an announcement when it detects a familiar face. Isn't that clever?

2. AUDIO IN BOTH DIRECTIONS

When most of us work from home, answering the door can be difficult. That's when two-way audio comes into play.

You can converse and leave instructions for the delivery person. Furthermore, the two-way conversation adds a sense of security because you do not have to open the door to a stranger.

Smart doorbells and traditional doorbells both support two-way communication. In the latter case, you'll have to approach the in-house unit to speak. Having said that, you will still be protected by your home's security system.

3.TRACKING OF PERSONS AND PACKAGES

Person and package tracking are also useful additions. Smart tracking is used in person tracking to determine whether you have an animal or a person at your front door. However, it is only available in a few high-end video doorbells. If you intend to purchase a video doorbell, we strongly advise you to go through the feature page with a fine toothcomb.

Package Detection is another useful feature found in some doorbells. This one notifies you if it detects a package in its field of vision, allowing you to take appropriate action.

Indeed, video doorbells, such as the Ring Video Doorbell, include package removal alerts. It is especially useful if you live in an area where package theft is common. If necessary, you can also set up a geo-fence to prevent the doorbell from alerting you to anything unwelcome.

4. ACCESS FROM ADVANCED LOCATIONS

However, remote access is the feature that almost all smart video doorbells excel at. Whether you're on business or vacation, you'll be notified of any activity on your smartphone.

Surprisingly, doorbells such as the eufy Video Doorbells begin recording prior to pressing the doorbell.

5. QUALITY OF NIGHT VISION AND VIDEO FOOTAGE

However, if the recorded video is of poor quality, most of the above features are rendered useless. Generally, all of the popular video doorbells provide good picture quality, at least during the day. Faces and features will be easily discernible. HDR recording is an important feature to consider. When the sun is in the front, some doorbells tend to record dark videos in the absence of HDR.

The feature that takes the prize, however, is the night vision. While some low-cost video doorbells have somewhat murky video quality in low light, others, such as the Arlo Essential, Ring Video Doorbells, and Nest Doorbells, have excellent night vision.

SUBSCRIPTIONS VS. LOCAL STORAGE

Most popular players, such as Arlo and Ring, have a subscription plan. Though they increase the cost, they serve as a good backup plan because you can always refer to an older video snippet for reference. Furthermore, the subscription fees are not prohibitively expensive, typically ranging between $2 and $5 per month, depending on the plan type.

Doorbells, on the other hand, such as the Blink Video Doorbell or the eufy Security video doorbell 2K, allow you to store offline videos. They are inexpensive, and you don't have to worry about losing the videos. However, you must exercise extreme caution lest some critical files be overwritten.

The bottom line is that you will be able to watch and analyse the videos later. This is especially important if you want to improve your home's security.

THE VERY BEST VIDEO DOORBELLS

When it comes to video doorbells, there are a lot of options. If you simply want the best experience possible, the Arlo Essential Wire-free Video Doorbell delivers.

Arlo Essential Wire-free Video Doorbell
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It has useful features such as 12x zoom, built-in sirens, Home & Away mode, and it works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. More importantly, the videos are crisp and clear.

However, if you are a Google user, you might want to give the Nest Doorbell a try.

Nest Doorbell (Battery)
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The Nest Doorbell is less expensive than the one mentioned above and comes with a slew of features, including facial recognition. So, if your aunt comes up to your door, this video doorbell will notify you of the same. I'm not kidding! Aside from that, it comes with a 4:3 tall aspect ratio, smart alerts, facial recognition, and a wide field of view.

For those who are connected to the Amazon Alexa ecosystem, compatible video doorbells such as the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and the Blink Video Doorbell are available.

DING-DONG!

The future has arrived, and video doorbells will be around for a long time. However, you may not require all of the features. However, having a doorbell by the front door provides a sense of security because you can track everyone who comes through your front door. On some days, you can bury yourself in your favourite book without fear of strangers knocking on your door.