Upgrade your doorbell to the 21st century with a video doorbell or video door phone for optimum security and convenience. These intercom systems, as they were first known, allow users to screen visitors from the comfort and safety of their living rooms or entryways. They're an easy way to amp up security, and, if integrated with your home's automation system and access control software, can help you keep track of who's entering your home.
In office spaces, video door phones are usually more likely to be integrated with Access Control Systems. This is to allow access to certain authorized users with the help of cards, fingerprint sensors, keypad for pin numbers and Bluetooth. The outdoor panel, installed beside the external door entrance or gate, consists of a microphone, keypad, speaker, camera, and pushbuttons. The complementary indoor panel has similar capabilities, and enables the user to view and converse with a visitor, and remotely unlock the door.
While traditional models had a low-definition camera and a cord-attached phone, modern-day versions are much more elegant. Solutions like Ring connect to your home Wi-Fi network once it's mounted and will send you alerts when it detects motion or when someone presses the button on your doorbell. They can be wired to a power source, like a regular doorbell, or use a rechargeable battery that charges via a lightning cable. They're often connected to an app that allows you to see an HD video stream of the person at your door and speak to them using two-way audio communication. Missed Amazon packages and pizza deliveries are a thing of the past. With these HD models, you can screen visitors, ward off suspicious callers or annoying telemarketers, or let in housekeepers and dog-walkers with the click of a button, whether you're in the kitchen or thousands of miles away.
When picking a model, look for one that has two-way talk functionality, supports motion activation, stores video recordings on an external drive or the cloud, records nighttime activity using infrared for night vision, streams live footage, provides push notifications and alerts when activated or detects motion, allow you to view shared footage from neighbors, check history of events, or check the doorbell's status via the app, control motion alerts, and has a robust backup system. High definition audio and video capabilities, should also be high on your list of must-haves, as should durability of design and materials used, water-proof and weather-proof systems, wide-angel camera scope, and zoom functionality.