I’m interested in purchasing a Ring Video Doorbell.
https://ring.com
Has anyone found a way to integrate into Vera?
Are there other products you would recommend over the Ring?
Thanks,
Rob
I just ordered a Doorbird(.com) device. Unfortunately it does not work yet with anything else, but much lower cost than AIPhone. There are rumblings the will open up to third party controllers, but nothing definite yet.
When it arrives I’ll post some comments.
Researched this quite a bit, there are 3 decent options out there:
- Ring.com - Has a built-in battery which makes the unit much bigger (but allows easier testing and works if you don’t have an existing doorbell, or it’s a digital doorbell).
- Skybell.com - Smallest of the 3, no internal battery so it has to be hardwired in. Allows remote viewing without anyone triggering the motion detector. Should be a straight replace for existing doorbell (meaning the screws are supposed to be the same).
- Doorbird.com - Seems the best of the 3, also the most expensive. They have a marketing comparison http://www.doorbird.com/comparison (salt needed).
They all have the internal bell ring just like your normal wired doorbell when they are pushed. Biggest issue with them all is the delay of being able to answer from the time someone pushes the button. Ring seems to be the worst. They all are not opening their APIs and trying to drive you to their cloud storage which is STUPID expensive. As soon as one opens their API, I will give them a try and work on integration.
Got the Doorbird in today. Got it up and running in 10 minutes. Had to leave for the weekend, only got to work it for a short time.
Includes small power brick, mine is connected using POE. First impressions:
Fast, on local LAN 1/4 second to ring on phone. Uses VPN to server in Germany for remote access, ring time not tested yet for that mode.
Video quality and voice very good, using Note 4. Image geometry not fully corrected (barrel appearance).
No software hooks apparent. Wired relay output to unlock door remotely from app, wired existing door chime, and wired connection to manually open door (from internal dumb switch).
Apple app not tested, Android ok. Some icons I don’t get even after figuring out what they do. Not polished, but works.
Missing: API. No way to tell my Schlage z-wave locks to open, sigh. Contemplating hooking up switch sensor to wired output. No apparent way to: disable ring, except removing app or changing sound to none. Short of an api, a simple send http string to IP address on door unlock button would go a long way. Should do same on ring button, off course. I sent them a request for same, will report …
Will use this one for sure, likely even buy a couple more, but a few simple additions are essential to this product success and market share. When somebody in China makes one for 1/2 cost with an open API they will be toast. Making such an apparently nice device, pushing cloud, security, made in Germany, IoT, and yet not connecting to anybody seems absurd to me.
Thanks for taking time to review. We have a legacy AI phone installed and would love to replace it, but haven’t seen anything yet that seems worth the cost. Have looked at the newer ai phones and siedle, but both are very $. Looks like the door bird may be a decent mid-tier option, but would love to be able to integrate into vera.
Got some more time with the DoorBird:
Correction to previous comments: the UI does have an option to enable/disable ringing on each configured device. In fact, motion detection, which can be disabled, can also be enabled/disabled on each phone/tablet with DoorBird app installed.
Speed: fast when having to go “public”. When calling Verizon device (not using WiFI) it takes maybe 1/4 second to get the notice. Nearly instant when using a LAN connection.
Here is a link DoorBird provided re API: Video door intercom and video doorbell for iOS, Android, iPhone, iPad, Smartphone and Tablet
I am ordering another unit for a site that does not require remote door opening. But, the lack of accessible API is most disappointing and will limit deployments.
This is interesting about Ring:
If they can integrate with Wink, I would think they could do something with Vera
I’m curious to see what else you all uncover. My wife wants one of these, but we don’t agree on which one.
Marc-
Not to waylay the conversation, but shouldn’t WE be interested in what VERA uncovers?
I would think GetVera would be interested in reaching out to these companies to your customers a well integrated product.
Got a 2nd negative on sharing API with the “public”. Wrote them again.
It appears more likely to get integrated if Vera reaches out.
So, we have reached out to both Ring and Skybell, I do not know about Doorbird. They have been receptive and we do intend to integrate them into the platform. With that said, there is no timeline for this, I expect it will be sometime next year.
We have a need for one of these in my new house, my new office is in the basement and I cannot hear the door bell down here. My wife wants to get one of these sooner than later, she likes the ascetics of the Ring but they currently don’t have an accessible video feed; that or our integration are must haves for me.
Anxiously awaiting this.
Does any company have the option for the guest who knocks rather than pushing the button? Other than a whack to the head :
;D
No whack sensor. Does have a motion sensor…
Installed a DoorBird today. Works as advertised and it is fast.
However,
1: the mounting bracket has to much “flex” and does not mount directly to the wall due to counter sunk dimples for mounting screws.
2: the image quality if just fine, except: today was a sunny day here in the NorthWest, the DoorBird is mounted facing north underneath an overhang. Effectively the person’s face was backlit to a degree you can not make out the face. The DoorBird guys can improve the image usability with some image processing. Alternatively, a unit with a few LED’s to light up the face a bit would be good, or an adjacent light. This is likely an issue with other similar unit.
Here is a pix saved from the DoorBird app and a pix of the back side.
[quote=“NickTheGreat, post:12, topic:188907”]Anxiously awaiting this.
Does any company have the option for the guest who knocks rather than pushing the button? Other than a whack to the head : ;D[/quote]
One of these?
Has anybody tried Ring yet? What happens if you connect it directly to the Vera Edge WiFi hotspot?
Has Vera made any progress on the integration of Ring?
I am thinking to buy a Wink as my secondary controller (veraedge is my main controller) so that I could connect my ring doorbell and kwikset 
Hi edempsey. Ring has been less than cooperative in working with us. We will be integrating some kind of door bell device but which one has yet to be determined.
The Ring doorbell can talk to the wink and I believe the wink has a plugin for Vera. It may be possible to bridge the ring door bell to Vera and pass through…
I love my Ring doorbell - it now works with Wemo, Lockstate, Kevo, Wink, Kisi, and Lockitron. Can someone figure out how to get it connected to a Vera system?