Such a frustrating bunch of nonsense....just for a doorbell
OMG....I know I am making this a LOT harder than it has to be, but I want a specific setup and I'm not giving up until I get it!!!!
I want to be able to see anyone that comes up to the back door and I want to be able to talk to them from the office while seeing them. So, the "Ring" doorbell seemed like the way to go. It hinges on you using your phone....which I don't want because I want my two employees to be able to glance at a screen and handle whatever is going on at the back door.
So, the ring doorbell......paired with a TV that is set up to view the ring was my plan. I thought I needed a firestick, but it turns out you need "Alexa" to get in on this for it to work.....so the Fire Cube is what I got. After all this messing around.....talking to the sales guy.....asking another guy how he has his setup.....I finally get home with the 19" tv.....the ring doorbell.....spent two hours making spots for things to go and plugging crap in.....just to find that the DANG Fire Cube requires an HDMI cable that it doesn't include!!!!!
I hate hate HATE when you are soooooooo close to getting a thing handled and something silly prevents it from happening.
I want to be able to see anyone that comes up to the back door and I want to be able to talk to them from the office while seeing them. So, the "Ring" doorbell seemed like the way to go. It hinges on you using your phone....which I don't want because I want my two employees to be able to glance at a screen and handle whatever is going on at the back door.
So, the ring doorbell......paired with a TV that is set up to view the ring was my plan. I thought I needed a firestick, but it turns out you need "Alexa" to get in on this for it to work.....so the Fire Cube is what I got. After all this messing around.....talking to the sales guy.....asking another guy how he has his setup.....I finally get home with the 19" tv.....the ring doorbell.....spent two hours making spots for things to go and plugging crap in.....just to find that the DANG Fire Cube requires an HDMI cable that it doesn't include!!!!!
I hate hate HATE when you are soooooooo close to getting a thing handled and something silly prevents it from happening.
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Or keep your regular doorbell and buy a WiFi camera with microphone and speaker for about 50 bucks from Amazon. Bob 0 -
I'd do that, but the Ring thing has some features that are helpful like recording and I will be able to check on things and get notifications on my phone when I am gone.
I would just put a cheap something together, but if I do this bit of "extra" nonsense I'll have everything I need and more. I'm just surprised at how hard it has been. I'm sure there is another option to get this handled a lot easier, but I've jumped off into the deep end and there's no going back now.0 -
I put in 2 Ring 2 doorbells. One at the back door, and one at the front. Along with the Arlo cameras we have it covered. 0 -
We have Arlos throughout the house and adding the ring will cover everything pretty much.
I thought about just using an Ipad for the ring in the office, but after thinking it through the TV seemed a better option.0 -
My approach would be to get the doorbell and one phone working and understand the controls. When that works (the doorbell transmits) move on to the next task.
or watch these Videos, might help, Personally don't have a ring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2dR5aEMTtM
The next video notes that you MUST pay for a subscription (cloud service $3.00 month, $30 per year) service from RING to record videos for viewing at a later date. IE: folks come to your door when you are gone, ring your bell and if your phone is connected it will ring your phone,,, BUT when the person leaves there is NO "saved record" in the ring device. Bummer would have thought the ring would "save" to an internal removable card that would start doing a first=in last out when full. I'm fairly positive the video CAN be recorded BUT it won't be easy or cheap.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG2Po_-mErE
or just pay the $30 bucks a year for cloud storage of videos. (for each ring device),, front and back door $60 bucks.This is an older comment, think 2017
I?ve rarely regretted a purchase as much as I do the Ring 2 video doorbell. I would really love to see someone find a way to record video locally. It isn?t paying $30 that bothers me, it?s that the latency sucks. We have gigabit fiber connection here and the Ring, while going through a wifi repeater, reports an RSSI or 42 or so, which is an excellent signal and the wifi test shows perfectly reasonable flow and ping times (see below), the RIng often screws up the process of viewing or answering the door. I?ve resigned myself to just using the motion sensor and live video, but would like to have the last video saved, simply because often the video comes up showing no one there while the motion was detected. So I will monitor this and hope someone eventually find a hack for using the device and NOT their service. I?d readily donate to such a project, and I believe other might as well.
A test where the ring is installed on the same wifi:
Doorbell/Cam outside with the door closed:
Surely someone has "cracked" this drawback, cards are normally installed on cameras. It did look like the messages sent to Alexa or ????? might save some video??? but there was this:Can I use Ring without a subscription? Yes you can. There's a free level of monitoring with no additional cost. That will allow all the connected features of Ring, but won't save any video for you to access later - it's live or nothing. The Protect Basic Plan offers 30 day online storage for all video captured at ?2.50/$3 a month. If you have multiple Ring devices, you might need the Protect Plus plan at ?8/$10 a month.0 -
The $30 a year is almost nothing. Besides video stored offsite is a plus if your place is burgled. Arlo also charges for offsite video storage. Worth every penny. 0 -
i tried to figure out an economical way to view a thermometer set in the middle of the lake house....so 180 miles away i can check the central heat during the winter....now i am electronically challenged, computers and cell phones are out to get me.....finally the REA has a daily useage chart i can access with the computer..but ...it is a day behind and if heat quits ?????? three hour drive over..did not know if a game camera could be rigged up to send a view when i access it ???...only need smething to check on it live whenever ..unless i get the place sold before next winter 0 -
Some people just chain their pit bull near the door. 0 -
Locust Fork wrote:
I want to be able to see anyone that comes up to the back door and I want to be able to talk to them...
Leave the door open.0 -
Get the blink system its better and no subscription service fees... 0 -
Alexa.. release the alligators.. 0 -
I finally got the cable, but I haven't had time to mess with it. So, as soon as I get some time I will let you guys know how this works out. 0 -
Here is a link to the indoor version of Blink...
https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Home-Security-Detection-Included/dp/B018HC6PVA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=blink+x3&qid=1560376390&s=gateway&sr=8-10
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