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I have a lot of experience with the Ring Doorbell, both at our house and my brother-in-law's two houses.  I would say that with one possible exception it has been  glitch free and works as advertised in any environment where you want to capture all motion that appears in front of the camera (i.e., most suburban or rural settings where the doorbell is far enough away from the street and/or sidewalk).  In front of a DC row house facing a busy sidewalk/street situation, though, there are way too many false positive motion alerts (even optimizing the sensor focus and sensitivity).

The one potential exception is the speed with which the app connected to the phone on my old iPhone when I wanted to connect to it live (like if someone rings the doorbell and you want to see who it is and talk to them, or if you just want a live view).  To my mind it was too slow, sometimes taking 15 seconds or so to connect.  But when I got a new phone a few months ago that problem went away so it may just be an issue with older, slower phones.  

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2 hours ago, Rhone1998 said:

The one potential exception is the speed with which the app connected to the phone on my old iPhone when I wanted to connect to it live (like if someone rings the doorbell and you want to see who it is and talk to them, or if you just want a live view).  To my mind it was too slow, sometimes taking 15 seconds or so to connect.  But when I got a new phone a few months ago that problem went away so it may just be an issue with older, slower phones.  

I have that concern. How long from the doorbell ring to notification on your phone? 

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2 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I have that concern. How long from the doorbell ring to notification on your phone? 

Nearly instantaneous even on the slower phone. It was making the video connection that was slow but that problem went away with the new phone. 

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I know nothing about this topic, but my first question was this: Why a video doorbell and not a security camera? (The obvious advantage is that the security camera would record while you're out of town.) Maybe there are two-in-one video doorbells? Or maybe they're really inexpensive?

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3 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I know nothing about this topic, but my first question was this: Why a video doorbell and not a security camera? (The obvious advantage is that the security camera would record while you're out of town.) Maybe there are two-in-one video doorbells? Or maybe they're really inexpensive?

You normally pay monthly for a security camera, and it is generally a hefty fee, whereas with these you generally pay a lot less.  Especially if you get Amazon packages dropped at your house, etc, it could be handy.

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32 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:

The doorbells have motion detectors.  So they basically are security cameras.

Yes, they are security cameras. For a small fee Ring records and saves video of triggered motion and doorbell rings to your account so you can review it later. 

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I have the Ring 2 (battery powered since the electrical line for my doorbell was pretty shot).  Other than the battery draining way more quickly than I'd prefer (I have a backup so its not a huge issue) I've been very happy with it.  If the WiFi in your house is weak, it definitely will make the "live feed" exponentially slower.  Since I recently moved to a mesh network in my house, it has not been an issue.

If I had a working line to the doorbell, I'd likely have gone for the Ring Pro which is smaller.

I also eagerly await the day that Amazon (which purchased Ring) integrates Ring with the Alexa skills so that it "rings" through my Echo(s).  It irritates me to no end that they still peddle the Ring Chime when clearly its obsolete.

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From Ackerman Alarm I was given a Skybell(Similar to Ring) at a cost of $1 month for 36 months.  After 36 months the device will either be vastly outdated or need replacement.  I ws going to buy a ring but this deal seems much better.  I get video and audio on demand when motion detected or the doorbell is pressed, video and audio is recorded and I can initiate as well from a mobile device.

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7 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I'm looking at the Ring 2.  Do you need the Ring Chime?  I assume I can install the Ring app on my phone and iPads so that when someone presses the doorbell, I will be alerted by one of my devices and I don't need an actual chime?  

If everyone who you want to hear the doorbell always has their phone with them then no need for the chime. Just hook everyone up with the app. 

If you already have a hardwired doorbell though I’d recommend just replacing it with the ring pro.  That way it will chime like it does now.

We added a chime for the basement just because we can’t always hear the bell from down there and don’t necessarily always have our phones with us 

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This may help for comparison's sake

A side-by-side comparison of all four Ring Video Doorbells - from All Home Robotics

Model  Ring Video Doorbell  Ring Video Doorbell 2 Ring Video Doorbell Elite  Ring Video Doorbell Pro 
Price  $179  $199  $499  $249 
Video resolution  720p HD  1080p HD  1080p HD  1080p HD 
Advanced motion detection  Choose from five preset zones with customizable sensitivity  Choose from five preset zones with customizable sensitivity  Motion detection zones  Motion detection zones 
802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi  Yes  Yes  Yes  Yes 
Compatible networks  2.4 GHz  2.4 GHz  2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz  2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz 
Two way communication   Yes  Yes  Yes  Yes 
Dimensions (inches)  4.98 x 2.43 x 0.87  5.05 x 2.5 x 1.08  4.80 x 2.75 x 2.17  4.5 x 1.85 x 0.80 
Field of view  180° horizontal  160° horizontal, 90° vertical  160° horizontal, 90° vertical  160° horizontal, 100° vertical 
Finishes  (4) Polished Brass, Venetian Bronze, Satin Nickel, and Antique Brass  (2) Satin Nickel and Venetian  (4) Pearl White, Venetian, Satin Black, and Satin Nickel  (4) Satin Black, Satin Nickel, Dark Bronze, and Satin White 
Live view available  Yes  Yes  Yes  Yes 
Motion detection angle  180 degrees  180 degrees  160 degrees  160 degrees 
Camera analyzes motion   Infrared detection only  Infrared detection only  Yes  Yes 
Weather resistant  Yes  Yes  Yes  Yes 
Operating temperature (°C)  -20.5 to 48.5  -20.5 to 48.5  -20.5 to 48.5  -20.5 to 48.5 
Can run on rechargeable battery  Yes  Yes  No  No 
Hardwired to existing doorbell  Yes  Yes  Power over Ethernet  Yes 
Battery life (maximum)  12 months  12 months  N/A  N/A 
Recommended download and upload bandwidth  1 MB per second  2 MB per second  2 MB per second  2 MB per second 
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On 7/25/2018 at 12:07 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

The doorbells have motion detectors.  So they basically are security cameras.

In addition, you may have already ruled out the Arlo 2, but they work great.  Cameras are motion-sensitive, so not only the front door, but typically come in pks of 2, 3 or 4 and setup is a breeze.  Video quality is excellent.  On sale frequently at Costco, BestBuy etc.

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18 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I'm looking at the Ring 2.  Do you need the Ring Chime?  I assume I can install the Ring app on my phone and iPads so that when someone presses the doorbell, I will be alerted by one of my devices and I don't need an actual chime?  

You don't "need" the chime.  However, as I'm currently running around chasing 8 month old twins and a 3 year old - I don't always have my phone on me, so enabling alexa's ability to notify you if someone is at the front door would be helpful.

Currently - we just rely on seeing the alerts on our phone and largely that works fine.  The chime thing is just a nit / irritation that could be my household specific.

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Earlier this month I installed a Nest.  You need a hardwired doorbell to install.  The hardest part of the installation was figuring out which circuit the doorbell was connected to.  Once you figure that out, there is a guided setup which asks you how the wires are connected in your chime.  Then it tells you exactly which wires to hook to which on the adapter they give you.  Next you install the doorbell button at the door, then turn on.  I was done in less than 30 minutes.  The picture quality is really amazing.  It will also connect to a google home, but it rings on the house bell also.  One neat feature is that it will learn the people that come to your house often and begin identifying them by name.  I live in a three story townhouse, you enter on the ground floor, but the main living space is one level up.  So, for us, we can know who is at the door without having to run downstairs.  You can also talk through the setup to tell someone you are on your way to the door.  I was spying on my wife and daughter the other day when they were waiting for the carpool to camp.  I startled them when I told my wife to sit up straight!  The nest setup also is always recording, but there is a small fee to be able to access the recordings.  30 days is free, not sure if I will pay for a subscription.  It's also nice to know when a package is delivered.  It is pretty worthwhile for my setup.

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On 7/28/2018 at 9:57 AM, pras said:

Earlier this month I installed a Nest.  You need a hardwired doorbell to install.  The hardest part of the installation was figuring out which circuit the doorbell was connected to.  Once you figure that out, there is a guided setup which asks you how the wires are connected in your chime.  Then it tells you exactly which wires to hook to which on the adapter they give you.  Next you install the doorbell button at the door, then turn on.  I was done in less than 30 minutes.  The picture quality is really amazing.  It will also connect to a google home, but it rings on the house bell also.  One neat feature is that it will learn the people that come to your house often and begin identifying them by name.  I live in a three story townhouse, you enter on the ground floor, but the main living space is one level up.  So, for us, we can know who is at the door without having to run downstairs.  You can also talk through the setup to tell someone you are on your way to the door.  I was spying on my wife and daughter the other day when they were waiting for the carpool to camp.  I startled them when I told my wife to sit up straight!  The nest setup also is always recording, but there is a small fee to be able to access the recordings.  30 days is free, not sure if I will pay for a subscription.  It's also nice to know when a package is delivered.  It is pretty worthwhile for my setup.

As an inside condo set-up, we have a dropcam connected to our nest, it tells you when someone enters the home.  BUT it also will send you a message when the fire alarm goes off and asks if you want to open the dropcam to see what is going on.  I didn't know about this feature until I was away one time and Hubby attempted to warm up a frozen skillet meal.  He doesn't understand that there is a range of temperatures that one might need on a cooktop- that it isn't just high and off.  I messaged him and told him I would just throw that dinner away and order something.  I don't think he was as amused as I was.  But we really love our nest fire detectors, so this is good to know.

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On 7/28/2018 at 9:57 AM, pras said:

Earlier this month I installed a Nest.  You need a hardwired doorbell to install.  The hardest part of the installation was figuring out which circuit the doorbell was connected to.

This is dead-on.  Unfortunately, "doorbell" was not one of the labels on the circuit panel in our basement (only "lighting") so we had to use trial-and-error to figure out which one to shut off during installation.  That and drilling a hole outside were the two most time-consuming tasks, but I'm not remotely handy and was able to complete the steps otherwise.  We have a few other Nest devices at home and they were all fairly idiot-proof too.  I'm pleased so far.

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We've had a Ring Pro at the front door plus another one of the stick-up cameras out back for a little over a year now.  I researched basically all of the options available and settled on the Ring because a) we didn't have an existing doorbell and I was fine DIY-ing running the circuit to make that happen, and b) the motion zones seemed to be the most configurable of everything we looked at.  I was very close to choosing the Arlo system, but read about too many bad experiences with battery life.  An active camera that I have to get up on a ladder to charge every couple of months wasn't appealing.  What finally settled it was the availability of a small solar panel to charge the Ring remote camera that wasn't hard-wired.  I'm thinking about picking up one of the security light/camera combos for our driveway as well.

Pros

  • Doorbell notifications work well.  Sometimes it is slow to connect when you are away from wifi, but we can get a notification on our phones, pull up the app and be talking to the person at the door in about 5 seconds
  • Motion zones are very configurable on the wired Pro model.  I was basically able to create a path that alerts to anybody setting walking up our front pathway and onto the porch, but also excludes the front path for the townhouse next door.  The remote camera not so much (see below)
  • Alert notifications also pretty configurable, even down to times of day if you want to set up the schedules (only alerts you to motion events from 8-6 on weekdays while at work, etc.)
  • Solar panel set up keeps the remote camera fully charged even with limited sunlight exposure (it only needs a couple hours a day to top off it seems)

Cons

  • Yearly subscription is required if you want any meaningful recording history; I really wanted a HDD system to keep local recordings, but nothing fit the bill
  • Resolution on the stick up camera is pretty bad; ours out back gets basically washed out by a nearby floodlight at night; motion zones on that one also not as configurable, so I had to dial back the range in order to not pick up every car driving down the alley
  • Wifi signal needs to be very strong.  We had to get a wireless repeater and place it basically in line of sight for the front door in order to not get constant disconnect errors.  Remote camera was a little more forgiving, but probably because of the lower resolution.  This was a big drawback

Ultimately I wanted a fully wired camera set up and a local HDD with remote capabilities, but running the cables everywhere we wanted would have been a real pain (old masonry row house).  Ring was the best of the wireless options I found, but not perfect.  I wish I could have test driven the Arlo system as well as they are cheaper and more easily extendable.

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On 8/30/2018 at 2:15 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

Ring 2 on sale at QVC.com for $160 + $10 tax.  There's a $5 off code "five4u" for QVC.  I just got one.

How has the Ring 2 been Eric? Just started installing some smart switches in the house looking to get some monitoring equipment as the next step. 

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On 9/19/2018 at 3:54 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

It's sitting on my kitchen counter.  I don't know when I'll actually install it.

That doesn't make me feel bad about still not setting up the water leak sensor for the past year! But had started the smart home process with some light switches and recessed led lighting last weekend.

Think will slowly start adding some smart home features this fall. 

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On 9/21/2018 at 9:23 AM, lion said:

That doesn't make me feel bad about still not setting up the water leak sensor for the past year! But had started the smart home process with some light switches and recessed led lighting last weekend.

Think will slowly start adding some smart home features this fall. 

I have an ecobee thermostat and a few wemo light switches.  All work very well. 

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