RING Video doorbell. An internet-connected doorbell isn’t a new idea. The Doorbot of a few years ago was clunky and ugly, but the concept was good: someone rings your doorbell, your smartphone beeps and buzzes, and with a tap, you can initiate a videochat with the visitor. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the kitchen, at the office, or on vacation in the mountains. You can talk to them and see them. They can hear you, but they can’t see you. If it’s a delivery, you can give the guy permission to leave a package and instructions on where to stash it.
The Ring Video Doorbell offers a more refined and comprehensive approach. It adds motion sensing, so it can alert you via your phone when somebody walks through your yard or onto your porch. It also records video and audio of each event (a ringing of the bell or a motion detection) and stores it in the cloud for later review.
The Ring unit costs $199, and you can easily install it yourself. Below the 180 degree camera eye is a circular button surrounded by an LED ring. At the bottom is a speaker allowing you to chat with your friendly FedEx or UPS driver. The companion app is a free downlaod, as is the user account that lets you access the Ring’s features. The cloud storage runs $3 per month or $30 per year.
The Ring Video Doorbell doesn’t offer a live video feed or the ability to constantly record footage, but Ring does say it will allow remote camera access at some point in the future, so you can take a peek out your doorbell even when nothing triggers the camera.
Knock, Knock, Who’s There?
All the tools necessary for installation are included—even caulk and a miniature level. Before you mount the Ring, you charge it using USB (you’ll probably have to take it down and recharge it once per year) and connect it to your Wi-Fi network, which happens through the smartphone app. (Ring is set to release their next generation doorbell that would in place of your current wired bell.)
When someone presses the button on Ring, your smartphone begins to, well, ring. The same goes for the unit itself—it rings to let the person at your door know something is happening. Opening the notification brings up a live video feed, where you can Reject or Accept the invitation to interact.
Bodies in Motion
Using motion sensors built into the camera, Ring can alert you when someone is at your door before they even press the doorbell. This is especially useful when the UPS or FedEx driver leaves a package and refuses to ring your doorbell. Also, before the button is even pressed, Ring detects motion at your door and begins recording video. This makes it possible to view what happened at your door before the bell was pressed. This video recording feature can provide you with the peace of mind in knowing any activity at your door is being recorded – well worth the minimal monthly fee. Not to mention, you can download any of the videos to your mobile device for easy sharing with family members, or in the hopefully unlikely case where it’s necessary, the authorities.
Video of how the Ring Video Doorbell works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9TRo7JDxFg
Check out their product line: https://ring.com/products
