How to Choose a Doorbell Camera – Key Features to Look Out For

There are some obvious things when you’re getting a home security system – cameras, smart locks, window and door sensors, motion sensors, etc. All of them work together to give you peace of mind when you’re at home (and when you’re not), so you know that your home can’t be broken in easily, and even if someone does do that, you’ll have evidence of what happened and who did it.

However, an often overlooked aspect of home security is a doorbell camera. You’ll also come across them as “video doorbells”, which are pretty much the same thing. We do believe they’re an integral part of home security, so let’s take a look at what they are, and what the key features are when you’re choosing one.

What Is a Doorbell Camera?

Even though they’re a fairly new thing and are just picking up steam, a doorbell camera is a very worthy addition to any system. If you want to make things simple, it’s just what you think it is – a doorbell that also has a camera. But dive a little deeper, and you’ll recognize that it’s actually a Wi-Fi-enabled smart device that has recording capabilities, motion detection, microphones and speakers, and comes with a host of functionality.

Copyright: Unsplash | CC0 Public Domain

How does it work? Well, to begin with, it does connect to your home’s existing doorbell wiring, which means you’ll get the same doorbell chimes. It also connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network (preferably a 5GHz one). When someone rings the doorbell, it’s going to ring just like a conventional one. But in addition to that, you’ll get a notification on your smartphone via Wi-Fi, letting you know that someone is at the door. You can open the app and watch a live feed from the camera.

Now, there are two types of cameras here. The ones that don’t have motion detection will start recording once the doorbell is pressed. However, ones that do will start recording as soon as they notice someone outside, so you’ll have footage of them even if they don’t actually ring the doorbell. This is a nice feature we’ll talk about later on.

What Are the Key Features?

When you’re shopping for a doorbell camera, you’ll come across various specs. Resolutions, the field of view options, additional features etc. Let’s see how much each of them actually matters.

Contrary to most cameras, the key thing here is actually the field of view and not the resolution. The field of view basically dictates how much of the area outside your door the camera will capture. This is a very important feature because with a narrow field of view, anything that’s not directly in front of your door won’t be visible.

Of course, the resolution is important, too. However, since you’ll be looking at the footage on a smartphone display most likely, you don’t have to go for crazy resolutions such as 4K, and you might as well stick to 1080p, or even 720p if you’re on a tighter budget.

Copyright: Unsplash | CC0 Public Domain

Now, additional features are where things get interesting. The first thing you’ll absolutely want is a stable Wi-Fi connectivity solution that won’t lag, as well as an intuitive app compatible with your smartphone. Most of the brands that are known quite a bit will offer this, no issue, but if you’re getting a budget variant, by all means, do your homework and see if this is the case.

Next up we have motion detection. This is where some of the more premium models really shine because they’ll let you know that something is happening even before anyone rings the doorbell, which might come in handy in case you’re dealing with porch pirates who can’t seem to stop stealing your packages. Whenever someone is outside your door, you’ll instantly get a notification on your phone that something is happening, giving you time to react before anything happens.

Last but not least, it’s definitely worth mentioning that two-way audio is a critical feature. You aren’t always at home, and even if you are, you aren’t always able to go to the door and answer it. Two-way audio will give you a way to communicate with whoever is outside your door using nothing more than your smartphone and the doorbell camera’s app. This is a pretty easy way to get rid of nosy door-to-door salesmen who you don’t want to be dealing with while you’re enjoying your afternoon cup of tea.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you what type of doorbell camera you get. But by all means, get one, and make sure you keep in mind the features we discussed above if you want to make the right purchasing decision.

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