Ring Video Doorbell 2 Review: The only setback with smart home devices is that not everyone in the household is ready to use their smartphone for everything. Ring’s Video Doorbell 2 is a kind of bell that can substitute a wired doorbell. The Ring Video Doorbell is battery-powered. It can be installed wherever you wish to. And an optional accessory offers a nice, loud doorbell chime inside the house. In this way, you and your family acquire the best of both worlds: live video feed and intelligent notifications for those who wish to use their smartphones, along with a customary doorbell for those who don’t.
Design and Features
Approximately 5.0 by 2.5 by 1.0 inches (HWD), the Video Doorbell 2 is more or less the same size and looks almost identical to the original Video Doorbell. On the contrary, the Ring Pro is quite smaller and thinner and looks more like a customary doorbell.
The upper portion of the Video Doorbell 2 enclosure has the camera and is lustrous black, while the lower portion is a detachable faceplate with a round backlit ring button. The doorbell is available in Venetian (matte black) and Satin Nickel (silver) faceplates. It also offers everything you require to install it. Which includes instructions, a screwdriver, a drill bit, mounting screws, and anchors. There are two wedges present to angle the doorbell, a mini-level, wire extensions and wiring nuts, and a USB cable for charging purposes.
Charging
Under the faceplate is a button for setup and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack that is expected to last between three to six months between charges depending upon the usage. To charge it, just push the metal PUSH button to release it from its bay and connect it to a USB charging port utilizing the USB cable available in the pack.
While charging, red and green LEDs glow on the face of the battery. When the battery is fully charged, the red LED will turn off while the green continues to glow. You can even use your current doorbell wiring to power the Ring and use your existing chime. At the back of the device, there are two wiring terminals present that are connected to the transformer of a normal doorbell which is a 16-24 volt AC power source.
Video Quality
The Video Doorbell 2 camera is capable of making a video at 1080p and comprises a field view of 160 degrees. Four infrared LEDs are capable of providing night vision up to 30 feet. It accompanies two speakers a microphone for two-way audio communication and an internal ring. It gets easily connected to your home network via an 802.11n (2.4GHz) radio and includes a motion sensor, which will enable the camera to start recording once triggered. The camera even begins recording when someone pushes the doorbell button. However, it doesn’t provide the pre-buffered recording option that was there in the Ring Pro.
Join The Neighborhood
The Video Doorbell 2 can be connected to a similar Android and iOS mobile app as other Ring devices. There is a button present for every installed Ring product on the My Devices screen, and there is even a Neighborhood button present on the screen. The Neighborhood feature allows you to share recorded events with neighbours who have the Ring app downloaded and who have joined the Neighborhood. You can even get alerts when a neighbour posts a video or when there’s fire and police are taking action in your neighbourhood.
Operating The Ring Video Doorbell 2
There is a rundown of all events (rings, motion triggers, and live view requests) present at the bottom of the screen. Hit any event to view the related video clip, share it, delete it, or save it. Hitting the Video Doorbell 2 button directs you to a screen where you will get the option of enabling and disabling ring and motion alerts, checking the battery level, viewing live video, and getting access to doorbell settings. What you need to do is just hit the Live View button in order to view a live stream in full-screen landscape mode along with the presence of two-way audio buttons, speaker mute button, and neighbourhood sharing button.
Under the Live View, there are many buttons. Event History directs you to the similar events list that you have viewed on the My Devices screen, and Device Health allows you to check voltage, Wi-Fi signal strength, and system status. The Linked Chimes button can be utilized to get connected with an external plug-in Ring Chime ($29) or Chime Pro ($49), while the Motion Settings button enables you to regulate motion sensitivity, set up motion zones, and generate a motion schedule that verifies when motion alerts are active.
Motion Snooze Option
There is an option in the Motion Snooze button that enables you to disable motion alerts for a short period for example, for 15 or 30 minutes or one or two hours, while the App Alert Tones button gives the option of choosing one of 20 sounds to play when the doorbell is pressed or one of 16 sounds to play when it detects a motion. The Shared Users button allows you to add users who can see the video and receive alerts, while there is a Ring+ button that is capable of linking the Ring app to one of Ring’s partners such as Kevo, LockState, Wemo, and Wink.
Installation and Performance
Installing Video Doorbell 2 is extremely simple. You need to charge the battery, click the Set Up Device button in the app, and choose the Ring Video Doorbell 2 from the Doorbells menu. Name your device, confirm your location on the map, and follow the detailed video instructions to remove the faceplate and install the battery. Then you need to press and release the Setup button on the doorbell and connect to the device’s SSID in your phone’s Wi-Fi settings. Next, you need to select your home network SSID, enter your password, and wait a few seconds for the doorbell to get connected. You can attach it to the wood siding next to your front door using the included screws and it is ready.
If you’re planning to hardwire the Video Doorbell 2, you have to switch off the power of your current doorbell and remove it prior to attaching the wires. The app provides superb video instructions if you do not have any idea how to mount or wire the doorbell.
The Video Doorbell 2 gives a sharp and colourful 1080p live video stream and records video in very good picture quality. The video quality of Black-and-white night video is awesome around 20 feet, but when compared with Ring Video Doorbell Pro, it is a little softer.
Where To Buy?
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Conclusion
If you’re searching for a video doorbell that is extremely simple to install and does not require huge wiring, the Ring Video Doorbell 2 is worth taking into account. It gives a colourful 1080p daytime video and comparatively sharp black-and-white night video, and it provides multiple motion detection zones and even supports Amazon devices using Alexa’s voice commands. It can even manage other smart home products using IFTTT applets and can be hard-wired to your current doorbell wiring if you want to avoid the hassle of recharging the battery.
On the other hand, it doesn’t provide pre-buffered recording that captures several seconds of video before the triggering of an event ringing of the doorbell. For that, you’ll require the Ring Video Doorbell Pro. It’s a little additionally pricey than the Video Doorbell 2 and requires wiring, but with regards to pre-buffered recording, it gives a more streamlined design and to some extent better night video.