what should you pay attention to?

A smart doorbell is one must for your smart home, but before you buy one you have to make some important decisions.

Before you buy a smart doorbell

With a smart doorbell you can see who is at your door and you immediately have a security camera in front of your home. Yet one smart doorbell is not the same as the other. That is why it is wise to first consider what you find important before purchasing such a doorbell.

Wired or wireless

The most important choice is whether you want to connect a wired or wireless doorbell. If you want to hang a smart doorbell in a place where there are already wires from an old doorbell, then it is practical to go for the wired option. You never have to think about charging the battery.

The big advantage of a wireless doorbell is that you can hang it anywhere you want. You are then not dependent on that one spot where the wires from the old bell are located. Yet you will just see: that is often the best place. There are also doorbells on the market that can be installed either wired or wirelessly.

How do you save the images?

With any doorbell you can watch live with the camera, but what happens to the images that are saved? You store it locally or in the cloud.

With local storage, some doorbells have room for a memory card, or you can buy a special base station where all images are placed. It is the most secure option from a privacy perspective.

Cloud storage provides the most flexibility and security. The images are then placed on the servers of the doorbell maker. You can then access it anytime and anywhere. The biggest disadvantage of cloud storage is that you almost always have to pay for it via a monthly subscription.

Which functions do you find important?

In addition, not every doorbell has the same functions. It is good to determine in advance what you find important. For example, look at the resolution of the images, so that you can be sure that you can recognize the people at the door. The ‘field of view’ indicates in which angle you can see everything. In addition, check whether it also includes a wireless receiver so that everyone in the house hears the doorbell and you don’t just receive a notification on your phone when someone rings the doorbell.

There are also doorbells that allow you to set specific zones, so that you do not receive notifications from people and vehicles on the road, but you do receive notifications when someone is at your door. You can also play pre-recorded messages with some doorbells.

With all these functions, especially new AI functions such as facial recognition, you should carefully check whether you can use them immediately or whether you need a subscription.

Appearance

Also important is how the doorbell looks. The device is the first thing you notice about your home, and one that visitors are more likely to interact with than with you. That is why you should think about whether you like a doorbell or not.

For example, look at how subtly the camera lens is processed and how clearly the button to ring the doorbell is recognizable. One doorbell also clearly states the manufacturer’s brand compared to the other.

How does the doorbell work with your other devices?

If you have already completely furnished your smart home, you must be sure that the doorbell also works well with the rest of your devices. For example, if you work with Google Home, check whether the doorbell also supports Google Home so that you can, for example, see the images of the doorbell via the Google TV Streamer.

This is what they cost

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