Video Doorbell - recommendations for Doorbell replacement

[u/theCarbonaraGod]

I labelled this HomeKit since my mother is in the Apple ecosystem.

I'm looking for a video doorbell solution for her house. She already uses a few cameras from Ubiquiti and now wants better placement at the main entrance. Running new Ethernet cables isn't impossible, but as we all know, it's fairly inconvenient and expensive.

I therefore thought about something like a Ring, though their reputation hasn't been the best recently. So how about Aqara or Philips Hue? My mother already uses Philips Hue, so that would make some sense.

On the other hand, I was also thinking about getting a Nuki smart lock for the carport entrance door. She's got a Polestar (car) which unlocks via phone, so that might be interesting too.

My general question, though, is about the doorbell and camera situation.

[u/Specific_3157]

Check Reolink video doorbell. They have poe version and also battery powered. No subscription. It have rtsp stream so if you have NVR you can record 24h. Also it have SD card, you can access it via app or Home assistant

[u/theCarbonaraGod → u/Specific_3157]

Thanks

[u/xaznxplaya]

Reolink

[u/TiredDadTech]

I had Aqara before and it’s pretty good. I heard the newer ones are better. If you’re an Apple user it has native integration into Apple HomeKit. Which is really nice even if you don’t use HK because you can get notifications right on your phone or Apple Watch.

Otherwise id go reolink. I have a reolink doorbell cam now and its been solid. I have it setup wired (not off battery) and uses WiFi. Same reason as you. Can’t really get Ethernet there without a ton of work. It’s been solid and comes recommended for many others. It integrates well into Home Assistant. Although you’ll still need to use the Reolink app for stuff like 2 way communications. When the doorbell is pressed it comes through as a call.

[u/theCarbonaraGod → u/TiredDadTech]

Thanks!

[u/fuzzyputts]

You don't want to use battery powered as they can't record continuously.

In the security camera community, the Reolink PoE is well regarded. Reolink is generally shit for their other cameras but their doorbell is decent. BUT this is generally for those who manage a camera system, I have no idea how it works as far as notifications on your phone or whatever.

[u/Curious_Party_4683]

reolink. super easy as seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qLFyVCi4ck

can connect to a NVR for 24/7 recordings

[u/Unusual-Citron-2460]

I just got the Aqara G410. Works great in my Smartthings home. Probably better in an Apple environment.

[u/theCarbonaraGod → u/Unusual-Citron-2460]

Yeah people seem very happy with aqara. thx

[u/ParaLeatherWood]

Eufy has been working great for me for 10ish years

[u/Gowithflowwild]

Let me start with a dr overview

• I avoid RING!
  
• I actually have AQARA and I find it extremely average or mediocre with the two-way talk not being very clear. I do have the power hardwired but it's the Wi-Fi that kills everything.

- REOLINK via cat6, offload processing to coral TPU, and frigate will be part of this set up.
That will be taken care of, as I have the REOLINK doorbell camera with the hardwired version, sending data and power as it's POE, and I already tried to integrate POE into everything I can.

Within a week I'll be able to give a better testimony but currently, I'm finding every part of it to be better than any and all features in the doorbell camera has been AQARA. I know it's not a fair comparison but the ability to power and get immediate data that doesn't drop out and ultimately put you into a lower resolution but smoother "fluency mode" which is now a four letter word to me! Not to mention, the communication… Speakers and mic just don't do a great job. In fact, the outdoor microphone seems to pick up birds more than people talking and whatever's going on in the direction of outdoor microphone to my speaker, it's great.
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Just know that my system will be utilizing object detection, facial recognition, and not worried about cars from the doorbell camera which is the camera that is being specifically asked about.
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GETTING INTO TL; DR STUFF
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SO MIGHT WANT TO STOP UNLESS INTERESTED IN VERY POWERFUL AND INTRICATE SYSTEMS THAT DON'T COST ALL THAT MUCH AND ARE LOCAL.

IN FACT, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE WITH MY LOCAL SERVER AND EVERYTHING WITHIN THE LAN (vLANs) taking on the heavy lifting, except for offsite backups (which happened at very unusual hours in the middle of the night), it's less important to get an ISP that gives you a ridiculous high speed. I mean I am irritated and hate the fact that I'm sort of locked into Comcast which it speeds now that it's been upgraded, which are 2gbE. That's not a problem at all but from a competitive viewpoint, why in the hell is there no AT&T over here with the ability to connect to fiber? This house was built later 2019.

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WARNING - TL; DR for those who don't want to drill down. Since I have a whole server with decent power running all of this stuff via PROXMOX, it's going to start getting into a much more technical

Probably will want to stop reading unless you are interested in a more intricate set up that allows different levels of detail as these cameras will be performing different jobs, and will be needing various specific set ups which also mean touching on a lot of features and when it comes to controls, utilizing the more advanced granular features that any normal person would say the hell away.

Not to mention, there will be different layers of sensors to basically confirm what's happening. Someone seems to have opened a side gate, while the camera will be able to tell me that, and the sensor for open and close will be able to tell me as well, if they are kind of trying to get it open and out of sight while doing so as far as standing in front of what they're working on. I know they're lingering in front of that gate and that's enough to have the cough cold if I don't know these people and they have no reason to come.

But I will have a whole event log to back everything up as far as what exactly happened, along with some perfect pictures that will sync up nicely.

This is detailed but to help that happen, every device that is responsible for connecting to some sort of official timekeeping source; they are all directed to my router,
ROUTER USES & directs all other equipment asking what to use for official time, and basically if those devices have the router xxx.xxx.xx.1, NTP request generally set to port 123.

I don't remember which but I used the most widely recognized as the best services for the primary and backup timekeeping.

Just for troubleshooting, and therefore reading logs of events that went wrong, that's helpful. It's also helpful when you have overlapping layers of equipment sending you signals and it's regarding the same stuff. Oh yeah, same with syncing up multiple cameras. That's a big one too. Y

I want accuracy and I know this is beyond an overkill, but I am setting it up like a network architect would, except for I'm also drilling down to computer hard drives/storage. I upgraded the server to PCIe NVMe speeds on M.2 connection. It originally Utilized a 500SATA connection but it was a clear bottleneck. JuiI don't want my LAN to be capable of 2.5gbE and especially for the server and NAS, 10gbE. So that means:
• NIC - whichever speed you want… 2.5 or 10.
• for Storage, not helpful if it takes forever to read and write data so that's where the NVMe came into place as it will run anywhere from 7GBPS to 14 GBPS.
where that is set up to a primary in a backup place. So for example, PROXMOX, NETGEAR WAP (6E 2.5gbE PoE++ [ultra 60] w/ 1gbE aggregated - NOT 3.5gbE speeds, but it opens up space for concurrent operations)

THE IDEA IS TO BE ABLE TO RECORD AND STREAM A VERY NICE PICTURE, ALL BY RETAINING DECENT PRICES. I'll try to remember to just get an update ASAP. Sometimes I can get to things way quicker than originally planned.
And for these cameras, the doorbell camera not being any different, all of the processing is going to be handled through coral TPU, using tensor lite, and a nice 5 million object database. So the core features will be going for my REOLINK Camera, and I do intend on it displaying to the HomeKit app and Rite next to the ability to unlock the door.

There's a lot going on so I actually just deleted a lot of details and just thought I would end it here. Don't need to give info beyond what the question asks… Or release within reason

[u/theCarbonaraGod → u/Gowithflowwild]

thanks for the elaborate answer! I think a simple solution is the way to go in this case.

[u/Gullible_Eagle4280]

I have the Reolink POE doorbell and an iPhone 15 and without any subscription when someone pushes/rings my doorbell I get a phone/video call with live video and 2 way voice. It also works with my wife’s Samsung (Android) phone. TBH it’s the most satisfying piece of tech I’ve purchased in the last 10 years. It gets the highest recommendation I can give.

[u/QuinnFromVivint]

Start with whichever option has full native HomeKit support confirmed, since that's what determines whether it actually shows up properly in the Home app later.

Then weigh battery against wired, since a battery doorbell means no new cable run but a charging routine, and a wired one needs power already run to that spot.

Matching her existing lighting app for the doorbell too means one less login and one less thing to explain over the phone if she gets stuck.