9 Ways to Find the Best Video Doorbell Camera

A video doorbell camera is a camera that is usually placed on the front door of a house and is either hardwired into the existing chime setup and doorbell or battery-powered.

It sends instant notifications through a mobile app when either the camera detects a person or motion or when someone pushes the doorbell, depending on the doorbell’s artificial intelligence capabilities.

Using an app compatible with the video doorbell camera, you can live stream the footage to see and communicate to the person at your door, or you can talk to them through a smart T.V. or a smart display device. They are similar to security cameras as they perform nearly the same roles using the same mechanism.

Features of a Good Video Doorbell Camera

Every quality video doorbell camera has some superior features that make it stand out from the rest. These features include:

·An excellent resolution

·Night vision capabilities

·A wider field of view

·Can detect motion

·Superior audio capabilities

·It has an excellent and compatible app

·Allows you to back up footage in the cloud or SD card

Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Video Doorbell Camera

When purchasing a video doorbell camera, there are many factors that you should put into consideration to ensure you find one that is ideal for your home. These factors include:

Home Ownership

When purchasing a video doorbell camera, there are some factors that you must consider whether you are renting someone’s house or if you are a homeowner.

· Renters

If you are renting someone’s house and it has a doorbell setup, you may not want to interfere with it. In this case, it is advisable to choose a wireless video doorbell camera.

· Homeowners

If you are a homeowner, you do not have to worry about interfering or replacing your existing doorbell set up. It means that you can choose either the wired or wireless option depending on your taste, needs, and budget.

2. Power

Depending on how video doorbell cameras connect to power, the setup requirements vary. With a hardwired video doorbell camera, having a chime or doorbell setup is a requirement, while in the case of a wireless video doorbell camera, there is no requirement. These two types have their advantages and their fair share of cons.

· Wired

These are video doorbell cameras that connect to the home’s existing chime and doorbell setup. It means that for you to install the camera, you will have to remove the existing doorbell. It may be tricky where you are renting, although a professional can install it in a way that will not jeopardize your security deposit.

A significant disadvantage with this type is that it goes off once your power goes off. To curb this challenge, it is advisable to purchase a video doorbell camera with cellular backup as it does not use data from your home Wi-Fi but instead uses data from cellular towers.

· Wireless

This type of video doorbell camera is advantageous as it is cheap, easy to set up, and independent of your home power source, meaning that it does not go off once your home’s power goes off. However, you will worry about the camera’s battery life, and if the batteries cannot be charged, you will need to replace the old batteries with new ones regularly.

3. Night Vision

Although most home burglaries occur in the middle of the day when there is no one at home, some do occur at night. For this reason, it is crucial to find a video doorbell camera that has night vision. Most people prefer infrared night vision from LED sensors since they make the camera less conspicuous.

Even though the camera’s footage is black and white, it is pretty clear. Manufacturers have developed some other types of infrared night vision doorbell cameras that have a spotlight to allow for color night vision.

4. Audio

Audio is one feature that you should look for in a video doorbell camera before deciding to purchase. Although many video doorbell cameras have built-in microphones and speakers, some do not have them.

It is advisable to buy one with audio features as they are more convenient since they allow you to communicate with guests, delivery people, salespeople, and anyone else that may be at your door without being there physically.

5. Video

One of the most essential features of any video doorbell camera is high-quality video. Some factors affect the quality of a video doorbell camera’s footage. They include:

· Field of View

A quality video doorbell camera has a wide field of view that captures all your property. A quality doorbell camera has a field of view that is 120 degrees or wider.

· Resolution

Most video doorbell cameras available in the market have a resolution of 1080 HD. This resolution can produce non-pixelated and clear images. However, some have a high resolution of 2560p H.D. while others have a low resolution of 720p H.D. We recommend purchasing a doorbell camera with a resolution of 1080 HD or higher.

· Field of Zoom

A quality video doorbell camera has a high zooming capability that allows you to zoom in and see more detail. This feature is essential, especially where you need to see some details such as a car’s license plate in a theft case.

Beyond doubt, High Dynamic Range (HDR) eliminates the shadows and glare that are usually present in outdoor footage. At this point, most video doorbell cameras available in the market lack the HDR feature. However, it is available in the higher-end models.

6. Storage

There are two types of storage for your video doorbell camera: cloud storage and local storage. It is vital to ensure that your doorbell has a larger local storage micro S.D. card that can store more footage.

Another essential type of storage is cloud storage that allows you to back up your local storage footage to ensure you have the footage if the local one gets interfered with. However, you will have to pay for cloud storage.

7. Costs

Another thing to consider when purchasing your home video doorbell camera is the cost. Ensure you first list out the features you want in a doorbell camera, then set a budget before going out to purchase. Always find the best that has the majority of all of your desired features within your budget to avoid over or underspending.

8. Weather Resistance

It is an important feature that many people ignore when choosing an ideal doorbell camera. Resistance to harsh weather conditions such as heavy snow rains and ice and freezing rain accumulation, among others, is an essential feature for a high-quality video doorbell camera.

9. Motion Detection

A doorbell camera’s ability to detect motion is critical as it initiates the process for everything else. Motion triggers the camera to send you an instant notification through an app that there is some movement in front of your door, allowing you to respond accordingly.

There are some with superior motion detection features, such as identifying pets, objects, and people. In contrast, others can be set to identify motion only in certain zones to avoid sending continuous notifications anytime a family member enters or leaves the house or a car passes near your home.

Advantages of a High-Quality Video Doorbell Camera

There are many advantages that every homeowner with a video doorbell camera enjoys. They include:

1. Improve the Safety of Your Home by Reducing the Occurrence of Burglaries

Burglary is a significant challenge that faces nearly every household. Fortunately, you can minimize burglaries’ occurrence in your home with a video doorbell camera as it gives you instant notifications about the presence of anybody at your door.

 A quality video doorbell camera has a superior speaker that allows you to call out anyone at your door, thus giving the impression that you are in the house when you are not around. It can significantly help as a thief will think you are present when you are not and will most likely not rob your house due to fear of getting caught.

2. They Make Your Life More Convenient

Have you ever heard your doorbell ring, rush downstairs to check who is at the door, and finding out it is a door-to-door salesman? Well, with a video doorbell camera, you can permanently solve this problem. It makes your life more convenient as you can see who is at your door using a smart display or an app without having to go downstairs.

If your friend or family member comes over, you can see them, greet them and welcome them into your house when you are too far from the front door. Why leave your comfy bed when you do not have to.

3. They are Effective in Preventing the Theft of Your Packages

A significant challenge that faces every homeowner is the theft of packages. According to research, nearly 40% of homeowners in the U.S. have experienced package theft. However, you can minimize the chances of package theft in your home when you have a video doorbell camera.

It will give you instant alerts once your package gets delivered, and you can tell the delivery guy the exact spot where they can hide your package. If a thief spots your package and attempts to steal it, you will receive an instant notification on your smartphone that someone is at your door. You can then use the doorbell camera speaker and call them out, thus scaring them away, leaving your package secure.

As we have seen above, there are many factors that you should consider when purchasing your home’s video doorbell camera. There are also many advantages of having a video doorbell camera in your home.

At Arenti, we have the best and affordable video doorbell cameras and other security products. Visit our website today to purchase the best security products that will help keep your home secure.