Video Doorbells

[basil6345789]

Wife keen on one, I'm uncertain. What are the pros and cons, please? I have an existing hard wired bell system and have Alexa. Advice would be welcome. Thanks.

[DCWat]

I don’t really see a con with having one, although there may be opportunity to hack if not properly secured.

I find them useful for visitor announcements, facial recognition. If you’ve got Alexa, probably better to opt for Ring. I use Alexa but predominantly Google so have Nest doorbells, thermostat and protects.

I think I pay about £5 a month for facial recognition and 30 days of video history. Great images, night and day.

Should be reasonably easy to install yourself. with already having a wired doorbell in place.

[Selby Claret]

Doorbell will ring on all devices (Alexa) in house as well as phone - useful if you're a long way away from the front door and/or live in a mansion

Will live stream video to Amazon Echo Show devices with doorbell push - so you don't have to be the one with the app and/or be with your phone to see who is there

Can see who is at your door if you're not home - on your phone (live feed notification accompanies doorbell press)

Can speak with person live through phone app if not at home - or if at home and incapacitated / mobility issues (inc. answering on Echo Show)

Some require a subscription for wider features - e.g. accessing historic recordings of previous visitors

None of this works, however, if they knock

[DCWat]

Doorbell will ring on all devices (Alexa) in house as well as phone - useful if you're a long way away from the front door and/or live in a mansion

Will live stream video to Amazon Echo Show devices with doorbell push - so you don't have to be the one with the app and/or be with your phone to see who is there

Can see who is at your door if you're not home - on your phone (live feed notification accompanies doorbell press)

Can speak with person live through phone app if not at home - or if at home and incapacitated / mobility issues (inc. answering on Echo Show)

Some require a subscription for wider features - e.g. accessing historic recordings of previous visitors

None of this works, however, if they knock

I still receive a notification that it’s seen someone, if they knock rather than ring the bell. Could ‘go live’ and speak to them without them pressing the button.

They are especially useful for avoiding / ignoring cold callers!!

[Selby Claret]

I still receive a notification that it’s seen someone, if they knock rather than ring the bell. Could ‘go live’ and speak to them without them pressing the button.

They are especially useful for avoiding / ignoring cold callers!!

Absolutely right - apologies - my flippancy was misleading

The bell features are redundant if they knock but certainly - as you say - the motion sensor means they don't even have to knock and you'll be notified of any movement in range

I even get the odd notification on windy days when the potted plant by the front door gets a bit shaky!

[Pearcey]

Only downside for me is that when I’m at work my kids ring it because they fancy a chat! . They’re a comfort for me when I’m on nights as they provide security. I also have a ring camera in the back garden.

[karatekid]

I have a video doorbell from EUFY. After the purchase there is no monthly fee and the quality is excellent. Bell can be hardwired to existing bell wire or rechargeable. Charge typically lasts about 2 months. Notifications can be set to your preferences and all footage is stored on the 16gb Homebase .
S330 Bell and Homebase on offer for £123 currently on website. I can provide a code to get it slightly cheaper.

[fatboy47]

Fretting over who might be at my door when I'm away on holiday (or even upstairs on the bog) just isn't my thing...I pay insurance.

My lad had one at his place up until recently...found it intrusive after the novelty wore off and binned it.

[claretburns]

If you're a little overweight like myself when you arrive home you'll be told a package has arrived

[Goliath]

Cons..a monthly cost for a doorbell.

[Clovius Boofus]

Fretting over who might be at my door when I'm away on holiday

We were abroad at a family wedding last year, and all my sister-in-law did was gawp at her CCTV/doorbell app and then worry about who they were and what they wanted.

[karatekid]

I only get notifications when someone rings the doorbell. It’s useful for deliveries and you can ignore the ones you don’t want to bother with. It records movement within its set arc of detection and stores the footage in case I need to look back at any events. Simple.

[IanMcL]

I have a doorbell. When pressed, it rings, loudly, indoors, so I know someone is at the door. Ideal for Amazon, who ring and run, leaving parcel.

I am also surprised, each time someone is standing at the door, when I open it. Sometimes known, sometimes not. Some I let in, others not.

Amazing system. Previously, I used a door knocker. Works in a similar way but without Sometimes reaching the garden, for an alert.

There is a very few pounds, initial outlay, then nothing.

Visitors remark on how, when the door isn't answered, they realise I am absent and leave.

Clever.

Recommended.

All other systems intrusive, including for the visitors, who have not given permission to be filmed.

[Clovius Boofus]

I'm not being a Luddite here, but I'll leave well alone after witnessing my sister-in-law's CCTV/doorbell neuroticism.

When I'm out and about and not on work related stuff, all my phone is used for is calls/texts from my close family and friends list, and for paying for stuff. No intrusive social media apps etc. I find it makes life easier and more enjoyable, than bothering about who-what-where-when-why all the time.

[Quickenthetempo]

It's great for watching the tipsy people of the house come home after a few sherberts.

[ClaretTony]

Didn't a former Burnley player's video doorbell pick up a woman arriving at his house while his wife was away?

[Row x]

I have a doorbell. When pressed, it rings, loudly, indoors, so I know someone is at the door. Ideal for Amazon, who ring and run, leaving parcel.

I am also surprised, each time someone is standing at the door, when I open it. Sometimes known, sometimes not. Some I let in, others not.

Amazing system. Previously, I used a door knocker. Works in a similar way but without Sometimes reaching the garden, for an alert.

There is a very few pounds, initial outlay, then nothing.

Visitors remark on how, when the door isn't answered, they realise I am absent and leave.

Clever.

Recommended.

All other systems intrusive, including for the visitors, who have not given permission to be filmed.

Very good, but what about people who need to know who's at the door before answering?
The elderly, people living on their own, people with injunctions out etc etc.....life is not a one fits all scenario

[dushanbe]

I haven't got one, I can't be arsed, but if its your thing the Blink doorbell doesn't need a monthly subscription. You get a powered module that you can pop a USB stick into to save video files on.

[karatekid]

Most doorbells have an app associated with them so you can just open it and chat with the person at the door. Don’t have to be at home or open the door if you are.

[Vincent'sCap]

I have a doorbell. When pressed, it rings, loudly, indoors, so I know someone is at the door. Ideal for Amazon, who ring and run, leaving parcel.

I am also surprised, each time someone is standing at the door, when I open it. Sometimes known, sometimes not. Some I let in, others not.

Amazing system. Previously, I used a door knocker. Works in a similar way but without Sometimes reaching the garden, for an alert.

There is a very few pounds, initial outlay, then nothing.

Visitors remark on how, when the door isn't answered, they realise I am absent and leave.

Clever.

Recommended.

All other systems intrusive, including for the visitors, who have not given permission to be filmed.

Our front door has no fancy bells whistles cameras doorbells knockers or the like if someone's at our door they have to give it a good old fashioned knock more often than not though with it being a good old fashioned wood one i think it's the police calling more often than not.

[Venkys4eva]

We have blink and got it very early so are on the free plan. Its fantastic, really useful when out if a parcel gets delivered etc.

[dsr]

I have a doorbell. When pressed, it rings, loudly, indoors, so I know someone is at the door. Ideal for Amazon, who ring and run, leaving parcel.

I am also surprised, each time someone is standing at the door, when I open it. Sometimes known, sometimes not. Some I let in, others not.

Amazing system. Previously, I used a door knocker. Works in a similar way but without Sometimes reaching the garden, for an alert.

There is a very few pounds, initial outlay, then nothing.

Visitors remark on how, when the door isn't answered, they realise I am absent and leave.

Clever.

Recommended.

All other systems intrusive, including for the visitors, who have not given permission to be filmed.

I'm more high tech than you - my doorbell rings in two places, upstairs and downstairs.

It's also wireless. Which would be a pain if I wanted one of these video doorbells, because there's nothing to wire it up to.

[Row x]

I'm more high tech than you - my doorbell rings in two places, upstairs and downstairs.

It's also wireless. Which would be a pain if I wanted one of these video doorbells, because there's nothing to wire it up to.

They don't need to be wired

My two are battery powered, and wireless.

[johnnyjones]

Cons..a monthly cost for a doorbell.

Not all of them, I have a tapo one and its got a memory card that lasts about 30 days before it starts to overwrite itself

[Bosscat]

I'm more high tech than you - my doorbell rings in two places, upstairs and downstairs.

It's also wireless. Which would be a pain if I wanted one of these video doorbells, because there's nothing to wire it up to.

Battery power ... ours uses 3 x 1850 rechargable batteries ... bought 3 spare batteries ... so just swap over and recharge

[pureclaret]

Clever.

Recommended.

All other systems intrusive, including for the visitors, who have not given permission to be filmed.

Theres no right of privacy when you are on private property so no need for them to give permission, same applies if you film someone in public places. So if you set your door bell to record to the boundary of your property to neighbours and record on the public footpath road you are within your rights

[IanMcL]

Theres no right of privacy when you are on private property so no need for them to give permission, same applies if you film someone in public places. So if you set your door bell to record to the boundary of your property to neighbours and record on the public footpath road you are within your rights

Rights have no bearing on the personal intrusion experienced by the harmless visitors.

[IanMcL]

I'm more high tech than you - my doorbell rings in two places, upstairs and downstairs.

It's also wireless. Which would be a pain if I wanted one of these video doorbells, because there's nothing to wire it up to.

Mine is wireless and very loud!

[pureclaret]

Rights have no bearing on the personal intrusion experienced by the harmless visitors.

For me if you have a problem coming to my door and been filmed , then don't come as you must be up to no good. I have no family or friend who has any health problems in being filmed at my door

[Foshiznik]

Rights have no bearing on the personal intrusion experienced by the harmless visitors.

What about the harmful visitors? Describing it as a personal Intrusion sounds a bit drama queenery to be honest.

[Taffy on the wing]

Cons..a monthly cost for a doorbell.

Eee heck, tha dunt want to be spending brass!

[IanMcL]

What about the harmful visitors? Describing it as a personal Intrusion sounds a bit drama queenery to be honest.

The likelihood of a harmful visitor is miniscule to say the least.

Just like CCTV is everywhere, we are conned into believing we are safer, somehow.