08 Aug
Blog

Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro: Purging Pesky Porch Pirates

Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro installed.

Vivint doorbell camera Pro

"The Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro's mission is to proactively protect your packages with A.I."

  • Extremely wide field of view

  • Intelligent integration into the Vivint system

  • Slim, durable construction

  • SmartSentry mode protects your packages

  • Professional installation ensures impeccable performance

  • Must be bought with Vivint system, not alone

  • The depth of field of night vision is shallow

  • Limited A.I.

Parcel theft has become a phenomenon in recent years. Vivint set out to curb this behavior with a new SmartSentry deterrent mode that actively protects your packages from thieves. This new deterrent mode has been incorporated into the new Video Doorbell Camera Pro, which is built into the rest of the Vivint package. I've put the doorbell through its paces for the last month and I've learned that.

The Vivint doorbell camera Pro immediately offers the same restrictions as the rest of the Vivint device family. You need a Vivint security system installed in your home in order to use the doorbell. If you're just looking for a video doorbell, this is where you can stop reading. However, if you are interested in the Vivint system, read on because the doorbell does some great things.

Low profile

The Doorbell Camera Pro Hardware is slim compared to most other doorbell cameras. It still looks a lot like a video doorbell, but some options like Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus are clunky. The Vivint doorbell is much slimmer, which homeowners should appreciate. The black face of the doorbell starts with subtle branding on top, with the camera lens directly below and the doorbell button below. A ring light surrounds the doorbell button. The rest of the case is white.

The Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro has many functions in common with other doorbell cameras. It comes with a 65dB speaker and microphone for bidirectional communication. Visitors reported that the speaker was clear and easy to hear. The microphone is very sensitive and visitors can also be heard clearly. The camera records and transmits videos at 1080p. You can also unlock doors directly from the camera interface, which is convenient.

No escape from this camera

This doorbell has two hero functions, the first of which is a 180 degree field of view from left to right and top to bottom. This is similar to the Arlo Video doorbell. The advantage is obvious – even a package on your doormat is visible. The large field of view also allows you to see your entire porch. That’s really impressive in practice. My front door is set into the brick so I can't take full advantage of the left-to-right view, but the 180-degree top and bottom are certainly beneficial.

The Vivint Smart Doorbell Pro is expensive at $ 250. As mentioned, the doorbell is installed professionally, which sometimes costs $ 99. But the $ 99 is the cost of installing everything in your home, not just the doorbell. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate the installation cost. For my part, my installers were quick, competent and very professional. Overall, they also saved me a lot of the hassle of installing it myself. Speaking of which, my plumbers offered to run the doorbell up to the brick paneling of my house so I could take advantage of the 180 degree field of view, but I declined. I've never been a fan of this look.

The video quality of the 180 degree camera is sufficient for this purpose. The quality is to be expected from a midrange phone, for example. That's fine for identifying visitors, bad for club selfies. The center of the frame is pretty clear with a fisheye effect when you come out to the edges of the frame. The clarity is sharp about 10 feet away and then drops off quickly. My mailbox 45 feet away is a pixelated work of art.

Proactive protection

When deterrent mode is activated and a person is detected, the ring light will glow red.

The other hero feature is similar to the one I tested with the Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro and is the SmartSentry deterrent mode which is powered by Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Vivint really wanted to focus on package delivery and looting porches, so the doorbell has a guard mode. When the camera detects that a package is being delivered, you will be notified on your phone. From there, you can activate deterrent mode. When someone else approaches your porch, they will play the deterrent tone. I prefer the whistle followed by "camera shot" but there are other tones to choose from.

In my tests, this feature worked very well. Whenever deterrent mode was on and a person approached, there was no doubt that they were being recorded. Vivint's chief technical officer JT Hwang said that many people use deterrent mode at night, not just to protect packaging, but just to keep people away from their homes. It's not very neighborly, but I'm not going to judge it. As long as Vivint A.I. I would like to see an extra step by adding face recognition. That way the doorbell won't yell at me when I get my own package.

The ring light around the doorbell meant notification, not lighting. When the deterrent is played, the ring will glow red. If someone approaches the door while SmartSentry is off, the ring light will turn white. It's handy at night for visitors to see the button.

Limited recognition

The Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro has the same disadvantage as the Outdoor Camera Pro. The doorbell only recognizes parcels and people. It doesn't detect any other movement or sound like the Nest Hello Video doorbell and I miss that. If there is an animal living under my porch or a loud crack occurs somewhere in the neighborhood, I'd love to hear about it. Vivint says it's A.I. Efforts to protect packets, but other events may occur in the future. At least Vivint is clear about his priorities.

Another limitation of the camera that the Outdoor Camera Pro mirrors is the reliance on the Smart Drive to record a 24/7 feed. Without the smart drive, the doorbell will record events when a person or package is detected and you will get a live view of the camera, but the footage will not be cleaned. If you want to record around the clock, plan on spending the extra cash on the smart drive.

Limited range but in line with mission

I noticed that the range of night vision is particularly limited compared to a Nest Hello video doorbell. Below I have placed a screenshot of each doorbell side by side at night. In both shots you can clearly see the Santa Claus statue standing on the edge of my porch (yes, even in August). When shooting the Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro, the image quickly falls off directly behind the veranda. With the Nest Hello doorbell, the rest of the front yard is free – or at least if I cleaned the camera lens and that was a lesson, kids. Remember to clean your doorbell camera's lens from time to time.

Screenshot of Nest Hallo "aria-descriptionby =" gallery-6-2534726

Screenshot of the Vivint app "aria-descriptionby =" gallery-6-2534727

When I spoke to Vivint's CTO about this, he explained that the strength of the infrared light is a compromise due to power and heat issues. The infrared light from Vivint's Outdoor Pro cameras is stronger because they draw their own energy. If you are limited to doorbell current and trying to capture such a wide field of view, you will hit a wall. I get that, and the camera area covers my entire porch, which is in line with Vivint's mission – your porch and your packages. To be fair, that's covered.

Finally, just like the rest of the Vivint system, compatibility with certain smart displays would be good. When someone rings the doorbell, the video will appear on the Vivint security panel. That's nice, but when I'm in the kitchen I already have a Lenovo Smart Display. Vivint is looking into the integration of smart displays, but it's not there yet, which is disappointing.

Our opinion

Snapshot from the Vivint doorbell camera Pro

This is a doorbell camera with a specific mission that is refreshing in its own way. Nowadays, smart tech seems to want to be everything for everyone. This doorbell is designed to protect your packages. This is arguably the best reason for a video doorbell. Also, unlike many other A.I. Proactively protect packages. A video doorbell can help you catch thieves, but SmartSentry will stop them before you lose your belongings. I wouldn't be surprised if more doorbell cameras took on a similar role in the years to come.

Is there a better alternative?

There is a wide variety of doorbell cameras available in the market. The Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation), Nest Hello and others have the "See who's at your door" theme covered. But none of them proactively protect what's on your doorstep. This also begs the question of whether there is a better alternative that integrates with Vivint. Since this doorbell is part of that system, the answer to this question is a simple no.

Will it take?

Yes. The Vivint doorbell Pro is made of solid polycarbonate and seems to be very durable. The operating range is between minus 20 degrees Celsius and 45 degrees. The warranty applies to all Vivint devices for the duration of a customer's customer service contract. All required service visits are free for the first 120 days after installation. Service visits cost $ 49 after 120 days. After the 120-day period has expired, follow-up service visits within 30 days of a $ 49 service visit are free for the same reason.

Should you buy it

Like everything in the Vivint ecosystem, the answer is yes, provided you purchase Vivint security for the entire home. Not only does the doorbell integrate with the rest of the Vivint system that you are already buying, but the price is also competitive. While this doorbell was offered as a standalone option, I think it's worth buying. The large field of view and proactive SmartSentry mode are worth a few extra dollars. That's a lot of great things in one package. Even given the tradeoffs, this is a good buy in itself regardless of the Vivint system.

Editor's recommendations




02 Aug
Blog

Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro Review: Your Guardian Awaits

Photo of the Vivint outdoor camera.

The Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro

“The Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro uses A.I. to monitor your property and proactively protect it. "

  • Integration with basically everything

  • Smart sentry mode

  • Low profile, inconspicuous

  • Two-way speakers

  • No floodlights

  • No smart screen integration

  • iPad app locked on portrait

Given that there are more home security solutions in the game these days, it's important to know that there are still home security professionals you can call. When these professionals work hand in hand with smart home technology and artificial intelligence, it gets really cool, and that's exactly what we're working with here with the Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro. But first let's talk briefly about the entire "Vivint experience".

As we described in our test last year, Vivint is a smart home / security solution for the whole house that is professionally installed and monitored. All of Vivint's technology is deeply rooted in the entire security system, making it difficult to assess a single component of it. You cannot just buy a Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro and connect it to the house. It's part of the whole. In this case, the Outdoor Camera Pro works most directly with your Vivint Home Security Panel to display videos. It also works with other components in your home, such as: B. your smart locks, lights, etc.

Keep out of the way

One thing I really like about the Camera Pro is how small and humble it is. After checking the Netatmo outdoor camera with siren, the hardware design is day and night. This camera is designed to sit firmly on a corner and go unnoticed unless it sees someone playing around with your things. Then it becomes visible what I will talk about in a moment.

The Vivint outdoor camera is small and inconspicuous.

The camera must be firmly connected to your home, but this is done via the power supply via Ethernet. Basically, a Cat 5 cable leads from the camera to a connected hybrid WLAN adapter, which supplies the camera with power and at the same time transmits the video signal via WLAN. If this sounds intimidating, it may be so, but that's why the camera is installed professionally.

Overall, the picture quality is quite good and sharp. The 140-degree field of view isn't the best, but it does meet the arbitrary minimum standard. A camera like the Arlo Pro 3 gives you a generous 160 degree field of view, which is great. In my garden 140 degrees do the job. You can also use the app to adjust the image quality and bandwidth. I set mine to medium, which was more than sufficient for my needs. The camera also has a full night mode.

Loud and proud

Screenshot of the Vivint app.

As for the rest of the hardware, the camera is equipped with a speaker and a ring light. Through the speaker, you can use the app to speak to anyone who is outside, whether it is an intruder, or your trampoline kids who refuse to come in for dinner. The speaker is loud and clear, so both the intruder and your children know they are bad. Whether one of them cares or not is another conversation. The speaker can also be used as an extension of your alarm so that your neighbors can be notified if something is wrong. The camera can also be a doorbell extender, which is very convenient if you work in the garden or have a socially distant party in the garden. The speaker offers a lot of functions.

At 85 decibels, the speaker is not the loudest, especially when compared to the 108 dB output of the Netatmo outdoor camera. In our tests, however, 85 dB is great for talking to people about the camera, and the Vivint camera also offers protection from professional surveillance. Given the extra layers of protection Vivint offers, it's a little easier to forgive a quiet siren.

Software strengths

Ironically, this camera's software is both its greatest strength and weakness. One really cool, unique thing that this camera does is the wake mode. Sentry mode keeps an eye on your lawn and searches for people. If someone stays in the camera's eye for a period of time (between 1 and 90 seconds), the camera can play a sound and make the ring glow red to indicate that it is a recording. My favorite sound it can play sounds like a human whistle. In theory, the whistling causes an intruder to look into the camera so that a perfect picture of his face is achieved. The wake mode can be activated automatically when your alarm system is activated, on a schedule or manually.

When you switch to the app, use the Vivint app (available for Android and iOS) to display the cameras, view recorded events and unlock the doors directly from the camera view via the app interface. You can also take a photo from the app or view all recorded events. The settings for multiple cameras can also be adjusted in the app so that you can activate the wake mode in the front yard and deactivate it in the background. However, the camera and app have some limitations.

Software challenges

To get footage captured around the clock, you first need a Smart Drive, a physical hard drive module in your home. The Smart Drive is attractive, but costs an additional $ 250. With the hard drive, you can “rewind” for up to 30 days and search through the footage. Without the smart drive, you are limited to events that are recorded when people enter the frame, which leads to our second weakness.

The smart camera only records events when it sees people. It will ignore animals and other movements. It is not ideal. Most cameras can identify people, but they can also record events for cars, animals, or other movements. You can see these things as you scrub through the footage (if you have the smart drive), but it can be easy to miss some of these other movements, which is a real disappointment. As an example, my wife found that an animal ate our vegetable garden, which the camera says is the case. Without recorded events, it is difficult to browse and see what actually arrives there and how.

I have two other minor camera problems. The Vivint app on the iPad is locked in portrait mode. This is an obvious sign that the iPad app is just an enlarged version of the iPhone app. In addition, neither Vivint controls nor cameras are compatible with Alexa or Google Assistant smart screens. The former is a disappointing find for a veteran company like Vivint that does so many other things right. The latter just feels like a total swing and miss. With the increasing spread of smart screens, it should be a matter of course to be able to monitor your garden camera in your Nest Hub in the kitchen. When I asked Vivint about it, I was told the company would look into the possibility of adding both.

Our opinion

Overall, the Vivint Outdoor Pro camera is a solid upgrade to an already solid security system. The safety factor is one thing, but the wake mode surpasses it. Surveillance cameras are usually passive protective devices. But taking care of people and warning them is another level of defense.

I would like to see a floodlight here as another layer of protection – whistle, red light, and then hit them with the flood when they are not running. But at that point, I had already been notified, as had Vivint, so things were done one way or another.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes and No – $ 399 is expensive, and other options offer as much (or more) functionality for a lot less. The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor can be integrated into your smart displays with assistants. The Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera gives you a floodlight together with the camera. If you want to drive super cheap, check out the Wyze Cam Outdoor.

Will it take?

The camera has a solid plastic construction and feels durable. The warranty is 120 days after installation, which is less than any other competitor. Call us cautiously optimistic anyway.

Should you buy it

Yes. This camera fits seamlessly into the Vivint security system and has frills that surpass the few shortcomings. However, this is only a qualified yes if you invest in the entire Vivint system. If you just want a surveillance camera and nothing more, look elsewhere.

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