The 5 Best Smart Home Video Doorbells

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Gained early experience with automation technology in the private and industrial sector, can turn his living room into a movie theater with one voice command and is the owner of this website. He is happy to share his accumulated experience with every new article.

Buying Guide for Smart Video Doorbells

The function of a video doorbell is obvious – it should be able to record and playback the area in front of your front door as well as the function of a normal doorbell. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind when buying.

To give you an overview, here is a list of the most important criteria when buying a smart video doorbell:

Live view and video quality: To see the area outside your front door or the person ringing the doorbell in real time via your smartphone or an Echo Show*, the video doorbell should be able to give the camera a live stream. In addition, the video quality should be at least 720p.
Voice control: Some smart video doorbells can be operated by voice. The Ring Doorbell Video Pro* can do this. This allows you to control the doorbell by voice command, giving you even more flexibility and automation.
Wifi range: Depending on where your router is located in your house, you may need a Wifi range extender*. Especially if there are several walls or ceilings between the router and the doorbell, the more difficult it is to establish a stable connection. So if you want to get a smart video doorbell you should think about the necessary infrastructure and range.
Weather resistance: Normally doorbells for the front door are outdoors. Not every front door is protected by a roof, so the requirement is that a smart video doorbell must be weather resistant. With our favorite, the Ring Doorbell 2*, this is given.
Power supply A smart doorbell is either powered by the pre-existing power supply of the old bell, or it is powered by batteries. If it is powered by batteries, you can usually set the app to warn you when the charge level is low so that you can replace them early. It would be a shame if your visitor was standing in front of the door and you didn’t hear the bell because the batteries were empty.

Our Tip: Ring Video Doorbell 2

The Ring Video Doorbell 2* brings many new features with it and sets itself apart from its already ingenious predecessor the original Ring Video Doorbell*.

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Just like the original one, the Video Doorbell 2 connects via Wifi and functions as a security camera, intercom, and bell at the same time. So if someone comes to your door and rings the doorbell, you’ll immediately get a message from the doorbell via Wifi via the Ring Mobile app to your smartphone.

If you accept the “call”, you can use the live stream with the 2-way audio system to talk to the visitor and at the same time see who is in front of the door.

You can see the visitor outside the door, but you won’t be seen yourself. So you can stand directly behind the door, lie in the bathtub or be miles away at work and still talk to the visitor in front of the door.

I’ve often told postmen where to park my parcel so I don’t have to go to the post office to pick it up.

You can of course also decide not to respond to the signal or talk to the person in front of the door if you see directly that you are not interested in a conversation. Especially when you don’t have much time and a salesman is standing in front of the door, you save a lot of time and nerves.

If you like, you can also save all the videos you record with the Ring Video Doorbell 2 in the Ring Cloud. However, this service costs a small fee which has to be paid annually. By saving the videos, you can provide important evidence in the event of a break-in.

You can also set the doorbell to record a video only when the bell button is pressed or directly when the motion sensor detects motion. So you can also make video recordings of someone just doing something outside your door but not ringing the bell.

This is a huge advantage of video doorbells because you get a full security camera in addition to the smart bell.

Ring Video Doorbell 2 Features

To give you an overview of the features of Ring Video Doorbell 2*, here are the most important ones listed:

New design: Just like the original Ring Video Doorbell, the new model can either be operated with batteries or wired to the existing power supply of a conventional doorbell. With the first version, you had to remove the whole doorbell to change the batteries. With the Video Doorbell 2, this is fortunately no longer the case and you can exchange the batteries more comfortably without screwing the complete housing off the wall. The Ring Video Doorbell 2 also comes with two different housings. One light and one dark, so you can match its design with your house.
Improved video quality: Video quality has been upgraded from 720p to 1080p. In 90% of all cases, a resolution of 720p is sufficient to detect people, but upgrading the resolution in an emergency can help identify a thief.
Improved night vision: Ring has also improved the night vision mode of the built-in camera. The old sensor has been replaced with an RGBIR sensor, which makes the night vision videos look better and contain less noise. So you can even see faces from further away.
Improved motion detector: The infrared motion detector has also been improved. Of course, this difference is not seen in optical videos or images, but in the distinction between people and objects of the motion detector. This results in much fewer false alarms than before. With the old Ring Video Doorbell, it could happen that a passing vehicle, especially buses or trucks, triggered the motion detector. The new motion detector works much better and only reacts when someone comes to the door.
Compatible to Amazon Alexa: Due to the compatibility to Amazon Alexa, you can also control the smart doorbell by voice command. In addition, the live stream of the integrated camera of the doorbell can also be displayed via an Echo Show*. So you can always see who’s at your door.
Compatible with IFTTT: With IFTTT (IF This Then That) you can connect the Ring Video doorbell 2* to other Smart Home devices in your home and let them interact. You can program events and automatically switch on a light, for example, as soon as the motion detector of the doorbell has detected a movement. The possibilities with IFTTT are practically limitless and only limited by your creativity.

Ring Video Doorbell 2: Installation

Installing the Ring Video Doorbell 2* is very easy. After inserting the batteries into the doorbell, you just have to mount it on the wall and press the Setup Device button in the app.

There, select Ring Video Doorbell 2 from the menu, name it, and then follow the detailed instructions within the app to complete the installation.

Then all you have to do is connect the device to your Wifi and you can control the smart doorbell with your smartphone via the app.

If you want to connect the Video Doorbell 2 to the power supply of your old doorbell, you should of course first switch off the power and then connect the cables to the new doorbell exactly as they were on the old one.

So remember the connections or mark them best. If you are unsure, you can watch an excellent video tutorial inside the app.

Ring Video Doorbell 2: Performance

The Ring Video Doorbell 2 delivers very sharp videos with a video quality of 1080p – even while live streaming.

Due to the large field of view of 160°, there is of course a slight fisheye effect, which distorts the spatial dimensions at the edges of the picture. With a security camera, however, the wide angle is much more useful than a distortion-free image.

In night vision mode, the camera delivers sharp black-and-white images or videos, even at a distance of up to 7 m in a very good quality.

With the improved motion detector, you can also set motion zones to ignore zones that would otherwise trigger many false alarms. My setup shows the sidewalk and road on the left edge of the camera image, so I disabled the motion zones there so the motion detector only reports motion when someone comes to the house and not when someone walks or drives past it.

The intercom system is very interference-free thanks to its high-quality microphones and loudspeakers. The audio signal is transmitted clearly in both ways, so that you can communicate with the visitor in front of the door without screaming.

Compatible with IFTTT (IF This Then That), the Ring Video Doorbell 2 can be connected to any other smart home device to program smart events. I used IFTTT to couple the light in front of the door to the motion detector. So I kill two birds with one stone, because I don’t need a motion detector for the light anymore.

Another ingenious feature is the compatibility with Amazon Alexa. Every time someone rings my doorbell, my Amazon Echo Show* shows me the live view in front of my front door. So I can directly see who is standing in front of the door and so directly decide how I react.

Conclusion on the Ring Video Doorbell 2

The Ring Video Doorbell 2* is due to its many features, its easy installation and its good performance not without reason our tip for a smart video doorbell.

It delivers sharp 1080p videos both day and night.

It has a smart motion detector that allows you to set zones, and it is compatible with Amazon Alexa, which allows you to control it via voice command. Through IFTTT, you can also connect this smart video doorbell to any other Smart Home device to create smart events.

The only sensible upgrade to this smart doorbell at the moment is the Ring Video Doorbell Pro*. It is faster, smaller and delivers even better images, especially at night.

Also Great: Skybell HD Video Doorbell

The Skybell HD* looks like the original Skybell Video Doorbell from 2015, but besides a similar design, almost all other features are better than before.

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This new version delivers sharp HD videos in 1080p both day and night. The possibility to record in color at night is quite exceptional among the video doorbells and sets the Skybell HD apart from its competitors.

It is compatible with other smart home devices and comes with a free cloud storage space.

The Skybell HD Video Doorbell* delivers sharp 1080p videos in color even at night and offers free cloud storage for recorded videos!

Design and Installation

The Skybell HD has a round housing with a bell button, the motion sensor, and the camera. The case is available in silver or bronze.

Included in the delivery are some tools and the appropriate screws for assembly including a Quick Start Guide with easy to understand installation instructions.

Due to its small housing, it is only possible to supply it with power via cable. But this shouldn’t be a problem, because you can simply use the existing wiring of your old doorbells for the new smart doorbell.

After mounting the Skybell HD*, you can turn the power back on. After a few seconds, the LEDs should flash red and green. Then all you have to do is connect it to the Wifi via the app. As soon as the doorbell tries to connect to the Wifi, the LEDs light up orange. After about 20 to 30 seconds it will have connected and the LEDs will light up constantly green.

And that completes the installation.

Skybell HD Features

Here are the most important features of the Skybell HD listed:

Good video quality: The camera records videos in a resolution of 1080p. This is an enormous leap to its predecessor, which only has a resolution of 640 x 480. With such a high resolution you can see details even at long distances. In addition, the lens has a 5x zoom.
180° viewing angle: You can’t have a larger viewing angle. With the 180° you can see the complete area from left to right in front of the doorbell.
Color night view mode: This feature is really special among video doorbells, as the night view mode is mostly only in black and white. However, the Skybell HD has the same color spectrum at night as during the day.
Intercom: The high-quality two-way audio system allows you to speak perfectly with the person in front of your door.
Free cloud storage space: Another special feature is the free cloud storage space. Most other smart doorbells require you to purchase a paid subscription. With Skybell HD, the recorded videos are stored in the cloud for seven days free of charge. You can also download them there if you need them.
Live view: The app lets you access the camera at the touch of a button and see what’s going on outside your front door. You can use the live stream to activate the intercom or take snapshots.
Smart Home integration: Compatible with IFTTT* or Amazon Alexa*, you can integrate the Skybell HD wonderfully into your Smart Home. So you can either program event-based controls and let different Smart Home products interact with each other or you can view the camera’s live feed on an Echo Show* or directly on your TV with a Fire TV Stick*.
Weather resistant: The Skybell HD is insensitive to rain, snow, and frost. So you don’t have to worry that someday you won’t notice visitors at your door.
Motion detectors: A good motion detector is one of the most important features of a smart doorbell. The motion detector can be set in three different sensitivity levels, which helps to avoid false alarms. Skybell is also constantly working on improvements that will be installed on the doorbell via an update of the firmware.

Elegant and Smart: Ring Video Doorbell Pro

With the Ring Video Doorbell Pro*, you really get a professional device with sharp videos and lots of great features to take control of your front door area.

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But don’t let the name put you off – the installation and operation are just as easy as with the other Ring doorbells!

Due to the progressive development of better and better security cameras and the possibility to stream HD videos, it was only a matter of time until the concept of video doorbells came up. After Ring came onto the market with its popular original Ring Video Doorbell (which has now become very cheap*), it didn’t take long for other manufacturers to catch up with similar products. Ring’s answer was a new premium model – the Video Doorbell Pro.

The Video Doorbell Pro not only offers all the features of the other Ring models but is also much smaller and has a very appealing modern design. Due to the smaller housing, this video doorbell is not easily confused with an intercom system. And you can see at first glance that it is a high-quality and smart device, which enhances the entrance door area.

The only disadvantage of the Pro version compared to the Ring Video Doorbell 2* is that it can only be powered by wires and cannot take batteries.

But I don’t really see this as a disadvantage, because first of all the battery operation of other video doorbells is rather impractical because the replacement is complicated and the doorbell is useless when the batteries are empty. Secondly, there is usually a power connection anyway because the previous old doorbell was wired anyways.

Video and Audio Quality

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro* records videos in 1080p. With the wide 160° viewing angle, you can reach the area in front of your front door almost completely with your camera.

Night vision mode delivers the same sharpness of video as daytime, but only in black and white.

Through the Ring App, you can stream the video and audio signal of the doorbell via Live View. The built-in microphone and excellent speaker lets you talk to the person in front of the door at the touch of a button in the app with your smartphone. As long as you are not living on the main street, the volume is absolutely sufficient to have a normal conversation.

The Ring App

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro is one of the few video doorbells where you can dynamically adjust the motion detector to your situation. You can define certain areas of the 160° field of view where motion alarms are triggered or not.

So you can ignore a street or sidewalk and only get an alarm when someone really comes to your front door. This is quite practical because otherwise every car and every cyclist activates the motion detector.

You can also set in the app whether it only gives an alarm for people or for every movement. You can also create a schedule to set times when the motion detector is disabled.

Another interesting feature of the ring app is the community feature. With the community feature, you can share suspicious activities with other Ring users. You remain anonymous, but you can still warn your neighbors about package thieves or other things.

Smart Home Integration

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT. With Alexa, you can have the live stream of the camera automatically displayed on an Echo Show* or Echo spot* and with IFTTT you can program individual events where e.g. the light comes on when someone approaches your front door or certain music is played when someone rings the doorbell.

Smart Motion Detector: Avoid False Alarms

The motion detector of most other smart doorbells is based on infrared sensors. They search for moving heat sources such as people, animals or cars.

You can usually set such motion detectors so that they are only activated in certain zones. Here you have to try a bit until you find the best setting. Of course, it is advisable to hide sidewalks and streets and only cover the area in front of your door.

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro has a different motion detector. Here the complete video signal is evaluated and analyzed for movements.

Thus, not only movements of heat sources are detected, but also dead objects that move. In the beginning, this can be a bit difficult, because you first have to adjust the area perfectly by trying it out. Otherwise, a moving tree in the wind triggers the motion detector.

That’s why the Ring Video Doorbell Pro app allows you to set the zone in which a motion alarm is triggered more individually than anywhere else.

The difference between these two concepts for motion detection quickly becomes clear in a direct comparison. With a motion detector passing on heat signatures, such as the Ring Video Doorbell 2*, you still get quite a few false alarms every day.

With the Ring Video Doorbell Pro* you can avoid almost all false alarms with the individual setting of the alarm zone and the better motion detector.

I actually only get a motion alarm on my smartphone when there is actually a person outside my front door.

The only exception was a big dog that did his mischief in the evening in my front garden…

Wifi Connection

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro includes a better Wifi receiver than the Ring Video Doorbell 2 and supports 2.4 and 5 GHz networks.

Although the 5 GHz frequency has a lower range, it is less susceptible to interference, as quite a few devices still transmit on this frequency.

The advantage of this is that you have several frequencies to choose from if the connection is not optimal at one frequency and you may have a better chance at the other.

Otherwise, there are now also very cheap and fast Wifi range extenders*, which fix the problem of a bad connection.

Good and Cheap: Ring Video Doorbell

The popular original Ring Video Doorbell*

One of the affordable variants among the smart video doorbells is the original Ring Video Doorbell*. But it’s not just that cheap because its features and quality can’t keep up with other models, but because there’s already a successor – the Ring Video Doorbell 2*.

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Since the original Ring Video Doorbell is still very good and has an attractive price, this is our tip for beginners.

With its 720p video resolution, night vision mode, intercom, 180° viewing angle, adjustable motion detector, and live stream, the Ring Video Doorbell offers almost everything you could wish for in a smart video doorbell.

Ring Video Doorbell Features

To go a little bit deeper into the features mentioned above, here is a list of the technical details and options you have with the Ring Video Doorbell:

5-minute installation: The installation of the Ring Video Doorbell is actually extremely simple. As will be explained in detail later, you simply replace your old doorbell with this smart doorbell, register it in the ring app and you’re done.
720p HD video quality: Although today’s standard for video recording is 1080p, you’ll get by with 720p. Even with 720p, faces and other details can still be seen at some distance. So you can always see who is at your door and even in case of doubt you can provide important evidence for the identification of burglars.
Live View: The live stream allows you to see who is in front of your door via your smartphone.
Night vision: The built-in infrared sensors enable the camera to record high-resolution videos in the dark.
Wide viewing angle: The built-in camera has a remarkably wide viewing angle of 180° in the horizontal plane and 160° in the vertical. This allows you to monitor and view the entire area outside your front door.
Adjustable motion sensor: The motion sensor can be adjusted individually. You can divide the area in front of your front door into zones and determine where the motion detector should ignore a movement and where not. So you can ignore the sidewalk or the street.
Intercom: The 2-way audio system allows you to talk to the person outside your front door. For example, you can tell the postman where to park your parcel even though you are not at home.
Weatherproof: The smart Ring Video Doorbell* is weatherproof and can be used from -20 to +48 °C.

Ring Video Doorbell Installation

Just like its successor, the installation of the Ring Video Doorbell is super easy. Almost everything you need for assembly is included in the scope of delivery. Only a little tool is necessary for mounting on the wall.

The Ring App can also be used to call up assembly and installation instructions.

Of course, the Ring Video Doorbell also works as a normal doorbell, even if you don’t use the camera function.

You can power the Ring Video Doorbell with either battery or power cables. As long as it is possible without difficulties, you should always try to supply them via a cable.

This is much more reliable and practical because you don’t have to change the batteries all the time. Usually, you install a doorbell anyway where the old one was installed.

And normal or old-fashioned doorbells are always wired. Therefore, in most cases, it should not be a problem to reconnect the old wiring directly to the new doorbell.

The biggest disadvantage of battery operation is actually the battery compartment itself. So that not everyone can deactivate the doorbell, you need a special screwdriver to open the battery compartment. That means every time you have to change the batteries, you have to look for this special screwdriver. It is obvious that this is not particularly practical.

Tip: You can only watch the live stream of the Ring Video Doorbell* if you wire it. If you use batteries, you’ll only get snapshots.

Security Aspects of the Ring Video Doorbell

Once you’ve installed and set up the smart doorbell, you can watch the live feed on your smartphone. You can also set it to send you notifications when the motion detector has detected a movement.

What really surprised us was the 180° viewing angle of the built-in HD camera. Of course, you have a fisheye effect with such a wide angle, but it’s absolutely acceptable because it’s mainly about security and not about taking nice pictures.

Through this enormous viewing angle, you can see everything that happens in front of your door without having to set up a swiveling professional camera. So nobody can creep up from the side and forcibly remove the doorbell without being in the picture and easy to identify due to the high resolution.

By buying a Ring Doorbell you not only get a smart doorbell but also a fully-fledged smart security camera for your entrance area or for your front door.

Plus, the Ring App, which lets you access the doorbell from anywhere, is free. With many manufacturers of security cameras, you have to pay monthly fees!

For Professionals: DoorBird Video Doorbell

With DoorBird’s Wifi Doorbell* you can see who is at your door from anywhere. As soon as someone rings the doorbell, the video doorbell sends a message to your smartphone via Wifi or cable via the base station – no matter where you are!

With the corresponding DoorBird app, you can see who rang your doorbell from anywhere in the world. So you can talk to the visitor on your smartphone like with an intercom and open the door for him.

What makes the DoorBird Video doorbell stand out is that, in addition to the added convenience of live camera images, it also offers a major security advantage.

The transmitted data is protected from intruders by the latest encryption technologies. The built-in infrared motion sensor detects all movements up to a range of 8 meters and can immediately let you know when it sees someone outside the door.

This is a typical feature of a smart security camera, so when you buy a DoorBird Video doorbell you not only get a smart doorbell, but also a real plus for your real estate security.

What Variants are there?

Assembly and Installation of the DoorBird Video Doorbell

The Doorbird Wifi doorbell is quite easy to install. It looks very professional, which it is, but you don’t need professional help to install this video doorbell yourself.

You simply exchange your old doorbell with the new one and mount it in the same place. Of course, there is also a comprehensive operating manual for the Wifi doorbell.

But you can also simply copy the wiring from the existing doorbell and take over. The connection of a doorbell is not very complex. In addition to the operating instructions, a mounting plate with screws and a 110-240V power supply unit are included in the scope of delivery.

To integrate the bell into your Smart Home, simply connect it to your wireless network and install the app. Make sure that there is sufficient Wifi signal strength at the location of the doorbell. You can also connect the DoorBird Video doorbell to your network with a cable for an even more stable connection.

Technical Details of the DoorBird Video Doorbell

Video Quality

The built-in camera has an ultra wide-angle and takes pictures in HD. The frame rate is 30 frames per second. The app can also be used to record images or video recordings of the live stream at the touch of a button.

Thanks to the high-resolution camera, faces can be easily recognized during the day and at night – even if the person is moving hectically.

Night Vision and Motion Detector

Thanks to the twelve integrated infrared LEDs with a built-in light sensor, the camera delivers excellent images even at night. With the built-in motion sensor, movements up to 8 meters away and at an angle of 180° can be detected.

Weather Resistance

Of course, such a high-end device is suitable for all weather conditions in temperate latitudes and partly also for more extreme conditions. It can withstand temperatures from -20 °C to 50 °C and is insensitive to dust and splash water.

Advantages – DoorBird

Good video quality
Easy to install
Infrared motion detector
Intercom system
Controllable by App

Disadvantages – DoorBird

Most suited for larger estates or real estates with several parties.

Why You Need A Wifi Doorbell

A smart video doorbell gives you the opportunity to monitor what’s happening outside your front door. You can even talk to the person outside the door even if you’re not at home.

So if the postman comes and delivers a parcel while you’re at work, you can use your smartphone to talk to the postman and tell him where to put it.

A video doorbell also has an important security aspect because you can set it to record what’s happening outside your front door as soon as it detects movement.

A Wifi doorbell replaces your old doorbell with a device that has a button to ring, a microphone, a speaker, a camera and various sensors.

As soon as the camera is alerted by its sensors or someone presses the button, it will notify you. Of course, you can still hear the normal ringtone in your house, but your smartphone will also receive a message if you set this to be so.

Soon the connected device, be it your smartphone, tablet or Echo Show*, you can see and hear what’s happening outside your front door via the live stream.

You can then decide whether you want to go to the door or even talk to the person in front of the door. I don’t know about you, but I can already remember a lot of situations where I would have liked to have told the postman where to drop my parcel so I wouldn’t have to go to the post office the next day.

And with unpopular guests, you can just pretend you’re not at home.

In addition to the comfort provided by a Wifi doorbell, there is of course also the security aspect that such a smart doorbell embodies. You can set it so that it makes a video recording of what is going on outside your door when you move or press the bell.

This gives you not only a smart doorbell but also a security camera that can provide you with important evidence about criminals in the event of a break-in.

How We Test and What was Important to Us

Before we test a product, we first research which products are currently the most popular on the market. Then follows the analysis of numerous reviews on various review pages on the Internet, the reviews and comments on Amazon and in product forums.

If we have limited the selection, we try to buy the product and test it ourselves. A test under real conditions includes the use of the doorbell for about two weeks. You need this time to adjust the settings correctly to your environment and to test different situations.

In addition, we have also tested the connection via Wifi and also outside the Wifi via the Internet.

After all this preliminary work and testing in real life, we have identified the most important features that a modern, smart video doorbell should have:

Easy installation: Some high-end models in this area can only be installed by professional personnel. However, we wanted to test the DIY (Do It Yourself) models, which you can install yourself with little effort. The assembly of such devices is now as easy as replacing a light bulb and also explained in detail in the app.
Motion detectors: The camera of the doorbell should have a motion detector that can reliably register movements within a certain range. With a motion detector, you can also use the doorbell as a security camera and automatically record a video when someone is outside your front door at night. Some cameras can be adjusted so that the motion detector only triggers in certain areas of the viewing angle. In this way, false alarms can be reduced or even completely avoided. For example, you should hide a sidewalk or a street so that it doesn’t constantly alert you when someone passes your house. Some cameras can even distinguish between people and other things.
Video quality: A video doorbell should at least have a video quality of 720p so that details such as faces can be easily recognized. Ideally, you should look for a camera that has 1080p. The higher the resolution, the more details you see.
Smart notifications and Live View via smartphone: When someone rings the doorbell or triggers the motion detector, the doorbell can send you a notification. You can then either view the Live View to see who is at your door or talk to them directly (see intercom).
Intercom: With a 2-way audio system you can talk to the person standing in front of your door – from everywhere. One of the best things about a smart video doorbell for me is that I can tell the postman from work where to park my parcel.
Cloud space: Many video doorbells need cloud space that you sometimes have to buy through a paid subscription. Fortunately, the costs incurred are very low. It lets you store all your recorded videos in a cloud and make them accessible from anywhere. Once you also have the security aspect of a video doorbell in mind, you should definitely invest in a subscription, so that in the worst case you can also provide evidence after a break-in.

“Alexa, show me the front door!” – Echo Spot*

Smart Home Compatibility: It can be very convenient if the video doorbell can be integrated into your Smart Home through Amazon Alexa, Google Home or IFTTT. This feature is not necessary but can be very practical. For example, I found the connection of my outdoor lamp with the motion detector of the doorbell very practical. Another advantage of integrating the smart doorbell into your Smart Home is that Amazon Alexa allows you to display the live stream on an Echo Show* or Echo Spot*.
Power connection: A good video doorbell should be able to be supplied with power by cable. Most of them also offer battery operation if you don’t have a power source in front of your front door. However, we definitely prefer the power supply via cable, as you don’t have to change the batteries all the time and also get better performance or the possibility to watch the live stream of the camera.

Video Doorbell or Smart Home Security Camera?

Video doorbells and smart security cameras sometimes have very similar features. Both monitor the area outside your front door and can record videos as soon as the motion detector detects something. In many cases, security cameras also have an intercom function.

The only two major differences between a smart video doorbell under a smart security camera is the bell function and the need to mount the doorbell next to the door.

With a security camera, you can choose the location where you install it so that you have the best view of your house or entrance area.

You can also place them so that you can’t see them and visitors don’t feel watched. With a smart video doorbell, it’s obvious that it has a camera.

The decision as to whether a video doorbell or security camera is the best for you depends on whether you only have the security aspect in mind or also want to have a smart doorbell.

If you are only interested in monitoring your entrance area, a smart security camera is probably the best choice.

Our Tip for Outdoor Security Cameras: Blink XT

Smart, Robust and Small: Blink XT Security Camera*

A smart security camera for the entrance area can be very useful. But it should also work in winter! The Blink XT* not only delivers sharp videos and ingenious features but also withstands extreme temperatures in winter as well as in summer.

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In this review, you’ll find out why the Blink XT is the best security camera for cold weather.

If you compare it to a video doorbell, there is another big advantage – the Blink XT has a battery life of up to 2 years! So you don’t need a nearby power source and you don’t have to change the batteries all the time.

The most important features of Blink XT are summarized here:

Easy installation: The Blink XT security camera can be installed virtually anywhere. It does not need a nearby power source as it works with batteries (2 years battery life!). Due to its small design, it is hardly noticeable and even finds its place in small corners and niches. The installation and setup can almost be compared to plug-and-play. Mount it, connect to the Wifi, adjust settings in the app – done!
The Blink App: The Blink App is available for Android and iOS systems, very intuitive to use and offers numerous features.
Smart Home Integration: You can also control the Blink XT with Amazon Alexa* by voice command. It is also compatible with IFTTT, which allows the camera to connect to other smart home devices and program smart events. For example, you can couple the light in front of your front door with the motion detector of the security camera.
Weather resistance: The Blink XT security camera is very suitable for cold winters where it is extremely cold or wet for weeks. Unfortunately, I already had security cameras that didn’t survive a hard winter. I had to scratch it off my house like an ice block. The ingenious thing about the Blink XT is that it runs perfectly even at such cold temperatures and its battery life is not lowered by the cold.
Video quality: With a resolution of 1080p, the Blink XT security camera records video in crystal clear HD format. The lens does not fog up in the cold. At night, the camera also has a night vision mode in which it makes use of its infrared LEDs.
Configurable motion detector: In the Blink app you can adjust the motion detector individually. When the motion detector is activated and triggered, you can set it to send an alarm to your smartphone with a small video clip. So you can see directly whether it is a false alarm or not. You can also adjust the sensitivity of the motion detector. Until you have found the right settings for your situation, it can take a few days. I was astonished at the beginning by how many animals were running around in front of my house!

Bottom Line

Video doorbells are becoming more and more popular because they offer ingenious features, you always know exactly who is at your door and at the same time you get a security camera for your entrance area.

Through this article, you should now know which smart video doorbell is right for you.

And if you are only interested in the security aspect of a security camera, take a look here: How to choose a Smart Home security camera

Attention: When installing electronic equipment, please be sure to observe the manufacturer’s safety instructions. You have to take care of your own safety. The information on this site only helps you to learn.
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