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View the application of the Lorex doorbell on the phone.
Does it work with smart home platforms? If so, do the smart features work well together?
Today, A Smart home The device is expected to work with at least one smart home platform. Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Home Kit These are the main elements you need to look for. Apple support is hard to find, but if the rumors are true, Apple is set to release its own security camera soon and support should become more common.
Note that the Matter home standard, which enables cross-platform functionality and other tricks, isn’t actually available for video doorbells. The Matter standard has been very slow to add video functionality and isn’t ready for home cameras of any kind yet.
Privacy and security
Video doorbells capture many everyday moments and many store that footage in the cloud. One of my priorities is to check a brand’s track record regarding privacy, digital storage, and overall security practices.
You’ll see me discuss topics like how easy it is The doorbell maker delivers the video to authorities or how they have responded to data vulnerabilities in the past. This is also why some doorbells don’t appear in my list: Wyze, with Frequent security vulnerabilities Recently such as the video buffering issue in September 2023 which allows others Look through strangers’ doorbellsHe didn’t make the cut.
This doorbell model has a ton of features but you’ll need to enable most of them.
Video storage and subscriptions
Video storage is an integral part of the video doorbell experience. With so much video captured automatically, I focus on how that video is uploaded, its storage limitations, and how easy it is to access or share the video. Saving video footage is especially important if you want to report a porch pirate to the police or save a similar unpleasant event for later action. (But sometimes animals hunt and they’re cute.)
Video storage varies widely across doorbell devices. Some allow a certain amount of video storage for free online but many require monthly subscriptions to store video in the cloud or dramatically increase your storage options with a subscription. This is best for people who want access to video event history and don’t want granular video management. It’s also the only option that works with chat video search like what Google Gemini provides.
Other doorbells have the option to use local storage with a microSD card, which is a less expensive option that requires more manual video management. I’d love to see as many free and easy-to-use options in video doorbells as possible, assuming you have enough home technology subscriptions as it is.
Learn about artificial intelligence and alerts
Artificial intelligence and video doorbells are an increasingly useful and popular combination. I’m looking for an AI program that can correctly recognize packages, pets, or even the faces of people in your contact lists and send you more accurate alerts about what’s happening (and if the package disappears unexpectedly). On the other hand, I would also like to see intelligent motion detection that could easily ignore passing cars or fallen leaves Reduce unnecessary alerts.
Wired versus wireless
Wired versus wireless is largely a matter of preference but it is an important one. Wired doorbells always have power and can often be connected to an existing door chime. Wireless models are much more flexible in terms of placement but you will need to recharge them every few months or so and they will not be connected to a ringing device. One is not necessarily better than the other, and many doorbells offer both options but it is important to consider how you prefer to use one.
cumin
If your smart doorbell camera takes too long to send an instant notification after someone rings your doorbell, you risk missing a visitor altogether. You also need to make sure you get notifications when something activates your motion detector, as you can set the motion sensor of most video doorbells to notify you of activity happening near your door, even if no one rings the bell. If you have latency issues, start with a Wi-Fi connection. If your doorbell mounting location isn’t sturdy, you might consider moving it (or, more easily, getting a Wi-Fi range extender). Sometimes it’s a software issue instead, which is why app quality is an important part of the review.
Live show quality
Doorbells are often exposed to direct sunlight but many others are installed under porches, near shady trees and in all sorts of other places. It’s important for your camera to have night vision and be able to handle any of these scenarios so you’re not stuck with a product that doesn’t work and can’t see faces under a porch.
Sound quality
If the microphone and speaker of your doorbell are not working well, you will find it difficult to communicate with anyone who is there. I tested it a few times to see what the doorbell sounded like through our phones, narrowing down the best video doorbell camera options for conversation.