Requesting recommendations for a smart doorbell
My mom was interested in a smart doorbell to let her know what’s going on at the house when she’s not there, if a package gets dropped off or if someone tries to in. She does have a number of Google Pucks and an Android phone with some smart plugs set up with Google Home, but also has Roku TVs if that ecosystem is a major value add. I’m not super interested in yet another subscription service, but if it’s a “monthly fee to make the problem go away,” I can be convinced. Are there any must have recommendations or considerations I should keep in mind?
Edit: As far as I can tell, there’s no wire leads on or around the doorframe. The old setup had a chime wired to the wall of the foyer, but that was uninstalled and the wall was repaired, so I don’t think there’s a lead if that changes recommendations.
Google Nest Doorbell probably makes the most sense. Works well with Google Home and no subscription.
Second this, you can use the existing Google Homes/Nest minis as the chimes. There is a subscription that allows you to save the video and such but it's not required.
You could also consider a battery-powered camera placed so you can see the front door. Having done this instead of a doorbell camera in the past, the motion alerts work just as well as a doorbell camera.
Ring functions well, but I have some ethical qualms about their data sharing with police in the US without any warrants. The only alternative I know is something local-only like Ubiquiti’s Unifi Protect, but that requires a lot more maintenance than a cloud-based solution like Ring.
Additionally the Ring doorbell battery periodically has to be taken out and charged, even if you hook it up to the doorbell power. This requires a tool and a period of time without functionality.
As a technical person I find engineering limitations like these supremely annoying. You can buy a solar panel accessory to mitigate these issues, if your area even gets adequate sun and if your install location is exposed to said sun. Again, annoying.
I've installed dozens of ring doorbells over the years; if they are attached to a standard doorbell circuit, they never need additional charging. Some of the older models needed a diode across the poles, so I'd check that first, or you may have a simple line break. But it shouldn't be a problem, at least, once you get the circuit squared away. :)
I really like the UniFi Protect doorbells I installed recently with power-over-Ethernet (not required) as it keeps the data local.
As a UniFi user, I would not recommend getting anything from UniFi unless you're planning to go all in on UniFi. In the case of OP's mom just wanting a video doorbell, UniFi is not a recommended brand.
I almost went this way, but there have been a lot of reports of those dying after a year which is disappointing.
FWIW I and several folks I know have been running the G4 Doorbell Pro for going on a year and a half now and I have heard no complaints. But I still wouldn't recommend for OP's mom who doesn't have any other unifi gear in the house.
We have an Arlo Video Doorbell that works well. It requires an indoor chime component, but I guess they all do. When somebody rings the doorbell, it calls our phones. It is battery powered and requires charging every 2 months or so, but it's easy to remove from the mount and could charge overnight without a problem.
I bought an EZVIZ DB1 and have loved it. I also had no wired leads, so the doorbell is permanently plugged into an AC outlet on the inside wall of the house.
Most of all, it's an SD recording device with a great app and desktop app, and integration with more serious home security products like NVRs and Blue Iris. Happy to tell you more about it if you want to know.
I'll add that the chimes are wifi devices that your doorbell triggers across the network when it gets pushed.
Hate to shill for Amazon but their Blink cameras work pretty well and are like half the price of other brands I've seen. Their doorbell does all the basic things you want it to do (record, motion detection, live view, 2-way audio, battery operated, night vision, etc.) and if you get the 'sync module 2' you don't need any sort of subscription. You just plug a USB stick into the sync module and connect both the sync module and any cameras you have to the app. It records everything to that USB stick, and since they're usually like 10-30 second videos, it takes a long long long time to fill up, then you can just delete some old ones to free up space. And you can very easily add more cameras if you want later, just connect them to the app and they'll record to that USB as well. No subscription needed.
The combo deal (both the doorbell cam and the sync module) is here for $70 currently, but regularly goes on sale for less than $50, (might do so again for Black Friday this week).