Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Generation) - Satin Nickel & Chime Bundle

So glad my mom and daughter got me a Ring Doorbell for my birthday! It has a great camera, quality is very clear. You download an app and it notifies you whenever someone is there. You can set the motion area to catch a large or small area. Ours catches every vehicle that goes down the street, and every person that comes in the yard and to our door. It has a doorbell which rings on your phone. There's a speaker that allows you to hear everything outside and also to talk to someone. It has a cloud storage option that saves all your videos and it's only $3/month. You get a monthly or biweekly saftey report that tells you of all the police activity in your area, shows location on a map and tells you the crime committed. There's also a neighborhood notice where other ... MoreSo glad my mom and daughter got me a Ring Doorbell for my birthday! It has a great camera, quality is very clear. You download an app and it notifies you whenever someone is there. You can set the motion area to catch a large or small area. Ours catches every vehicle that goes down the street, and every person that comes in the yard and to our door. It has a doorbell which rings on your phone. There's a speaker that allows you to hear everything outside and also to talk to someone. It has a cloud storage option that saves all your videos and it's only $3/month. You get a monthly or biweekly saftey report that tells you of all the police activity in your area, shows location on a map and tells you the crime committed. There's also a neighborhood notice where other Ring Doorbell owners can share found pets, video of stolen items, etc.. The battery lasts for 3 to 4 days, then you have to charge it. That's the only time we run in to problems. It always has an issue reconnecting to the wifi. It takes several hours to charge, sometimes overnight, and we usually have to restart the wifi in order for the Ring to find it and connect. It's a minor pain in the butt, but well worth it. You can buy a kit that hardwires your Ring, like a regular doorbell, so you don't have to worry about charging ever 3 to 4 days. We don't have a doorbell so we would have to wire an entire setup and I'm just not ready to do that at this point. It's a great product and I highly recommend it!!

A great opportunity that misses the mark…

I own several ring devices. This is our first plug-in spotlight cam though. That being said lets get to the good. It’s easy to connect. Installation was fairly easy and I had just enough cable to plug it in. If the power cable were 2 inches shorter it would have been a real issue. The camera’s picture quality is okay but could definitely be better. Now for the BAD! The camera mount that attaches to your house is fine. What’s not fine is the mount/camera ball clamp that attaches to that. It’s so cheaply made and the one screw that locks it to the mount feels like it does absolutely nothing. If someone pulled on the camera it would break right off. It’s absolute garbage to sum it up. They could have made it more solid or even made it and the base mount out of metal. ... MoreI own several ring devices. This is our first plug-in spotlight cam though. That being said lets get to the good. It’s easy to connect. Installation was fairly easy and I had just enough cable to plug it in. If the power cable were 2 inches shorter it would have been a real issue. The camera’s picture quality is okay but could definitely be better. Now for the BAD! The camera mount that attaches to your house is fine. What’s not fine is the mount/camera ball clamp that attaches to that. It’s so cheaply made and the one screw that locks it to the mount feels like it does absolutely nothing. If someone pulled on the camera it would break right off. It’s absolute garbage to sum it up. They could have made it more solid or even made it and the base mount out of metal. Ring could have allowed for it to lock into both threaded inserts on the base as well instead of only the one. The ball-mount clamp is garbage and so are the screws that tighten the ball. No matter how much you tighten it, it just never seems tight enough. Then you get to a point where the tiny screw on the clamp starts to fall apart because they’re just junk. The USB-C cable that powers this unit is such a stupid design. I can only image it’s 100% the reason for the failures i read about. Water takes the path of least resistance and I can only think that the water gets into the usb-c slot and shorts out the board in some scenarios. Every time I adjusted the cable it pops right out. I’m going to silicone it in place today to try and combat that. I picked up a ring battery today to use as a backup power supply. It doesn’t look like there’s any way to enable that feature. I also absolutely hate that I can’t set a light zone like I can on my wired floodlight cam. I’m puzzled at why this feature was overlooked in this “new” plus version. I probably should have picked up another wired floodlight cam but thought it would look silly on the front of the house. All of that being said ring has clearly missed the mark once again and why is it my dashcams are 4k HDR but ring’s still not there yet. It makes me question their design/tech teams. Sounds like they should start listening to the customers.

Ashley's review of Ring Video Doorbell 4

Pros: The Ring Doorbell 4 is a smart doorbell which is packed full of features which offer re-assurance the front of your home is protected.The Ring Doorbell 4 offers high picture quality and it works well in both daytime and nighttime settings - the HDR mode built into the camera makes the image quality even better when activated through the Ring app.What I like about the Ring Doorbell 4 is the built in ‘pre-roll’ functionality - which automatically records footage before the doorbell is rung, which allows you to see whose coming to the door before the bell is rung. The doorbell was incredibly easy to set up using the Ring application - it only took a matter of minutes before I was able to utilise and use the doorbell, the Ring app makes set up simple and ... MorePros: The Ring Doorbell 4 is a smart doorbell which is packed full of features which offer re-assurance the front of your home is protected.The Ring Doorbell 4 offers high picture quality and it works well in both daytime and nighttime settings - the HDR mode built into the camera makes the image quality even better when activated through the Ring app.What I like about the Ring Doorbell 4 is the built in ‘pre-roll’ functionality - which automatically records footage before the doorbell is rung, which allows you to see whose coming to the door before the bell is rung. The doorbell was incredibly easy to set up using the Ring application - it only took a matter of minutes before I was able to utilise and use the doorbell, the Ring app makes set up simple and fast.Unlike other doorbells I’ve used previously, what I like about the Ring Doorbell 4; is that it offers dual band Wi-Fi connectivity, running on both bands of Wi-Fi. Which means the doorbell runs smoothly, offering speedy playback and connection when outside the home.The improved battery built into the Ring Doorbell 4 offers longer battery life and I find the improved battery is handy for those who have motion detection activated; compared to my old Ring, I find the battery is lasting a lot longer which is a bonus - reducing the need to regularly charge the doorbell.The Ring Doorbell 4 comes with a Ring subscription trial (30 days) and a free interchangeable face plate voucher - which allows you to personalise your Ring doorbell. Overall, I’m incredibly impressed with the performance and quality of the Ring Doorbell 4 - if you’re looking for a doorbell which offers high picture quality, strong network connection and extended battery life; this is a great option.Based on my experience using this product, I would highly recommend it to family and friends.Cons: Installation was a bit fiddly compared to other Ring products - there is no backplate, as this is built into the doorbell.Older Ring devices come with a removable face plate and a spirit level which makes installation a little easier.

Battery died after 2 weeks of installing it

I followed all the guidelines on how to preserve battery life on this thing in the settings and one cold day came along and without any notifications, I notice in the app it shows that my battery was critically low. Keep in mind that I had the doorbell HARDWIRED to my existing doorbell so what this means is I have to detach the wires from the unit each time I need to charge the battery because it does not have a rechargeable battery. It is stressed in their instructions not to touch the wires by yourself and to hire an electrician if you're not sure what you're doing which I don't do I hired an electrician to install it but 2 weeks later it dies and now I have to deal with the wires anyways so that was a waste of money. I contacted Ring via chat to ask them if there ... MoreI followed all the guidelines on how to preserve battery life on this thing in the settings and one cold day came along and without any notifications, I notice in the app it shows that my battery was critically low. Keep in mind that I had the doorbell HARDWIRED to my existing doorbell so what this means is I have to detach the wires from the unit each time I need to charge the battery because it does not have a rechargeable battery. It is stressed in their instructions not to touch the wires by yourself and to hire an electrician if you're not sure what you're doing which I don't do I hired an electrician to install it but 2 weeks later it dies and now I have to deal with the wires anyways so that was a waste of money. I contacted Ring via chat to ask them if there was a way to remove the battery without having to disconnect the wires and they just sent me links to YouTube videos, not made by Ring but of some random guy with screaming kids in the background of his video instructing you how to remove the battery from a completely different device that was not even hardwired. I ended up having to call Ring and was told that the only other way I could charge the doorbell without dealing with wires was to remove the 6 tiny screws from the back of the unit. I haven't tried it yet, it's -30 outside so I'll wait for it to warm up but at this point I'm without a doorbell and apparently will be every time it gets cold, which in Alberta, is 10 months out of the year! I would return this in a heartbeat if my 30 day return window didn't end a week ago! Complete waste of money!!

Innovative camera

The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro has been a great addition to our home and existing Ring cameras. Installation and setup were easy with the provided instructions, and the Ring app which walks you through the process. If you are new to Ring you will need to download the app, which is free and user-friendly. I installed this camera over my garage door so that I could monitor the driveway and garage area of my home. Since this camera is a plug-in version I was able to conveniently plug it in via a standard plug just inside of the garage door and tuck the excess cable cord inside of the garage to give it a neat appearance. Once installed, I was able to easily customize the settings to my liking such as motion sensitivity, alerts, lights, video settings, etc. This spotlight ... MoreThe Ring Spotlight Cam Pro has been a great addition to our home and existing Ring cameras. Installation and setup were easy with the provided instructions, and the Ring app which walks you through the process. If you are new to Ring you will need to download the app, which is free and user-friendly. I installed this camera over my garage door so that I could monitor the driveway and garage area of my home. Since this camera is a plug-in version I was able to conveniently plug it in via a standard plug just inside of the garage door and tuck the excess cable cord inside of the garage to give it a neat appearance. Once installed, I was able to easily customize the settings to my liking such as motion sensitivity, alerts, lights, video settings, etc. This spotlight cam is very unique in features compared to other basic security cameras; it has 3D motion detection, Bird's Eye View, two-way talk, and a security siren just to name a few. I love that I can monitor my surroundings remotely via the Ring app on my smartphone any time day or night. The color night vision and 1080 HDR video quality provide clear images even at nighttime. The two LED spotlights provide adequate lighting and can be set to come on with motion, programmed on a schedule, have adjustable brightness, and you can turn them off and on manually if you prefer. There is a small monthly fee associated with the use of Ring depending on what type of subscription you choose that lets you review, share, and save video and photos captured by your device, but it is optional and you get a 30-day free trial when you register a new device. Also, this Ring Spotlight Cam Pro model is a plug-in style but has the option for a rechargeable battery, but the battery pack is sold separately so keep that in mind just in case the power goes out in your home you won't be able to continue recording/monitoring if that happens. I have had nothing but great experiences with this spotlight cam and it has given me peace of mind knowing that whether I am home or away I can depend on it to keep me informed of what is going on outside of my home. I highly recommend this camera.

No recharging necessary!

I love this Ring Spotlight Cam Pro plug in for that reason!! it plugs in!! i had another camera system that was rechargeable but i found that i never got aroud to recharging it so it didnt work for me. I didnt want to stand on something, unscrew it..charge it and put it back over and over. This camera plugged in..set up with my phone, I adjusted the angle i wanted it to cover and job done!! ...and i have never had to touch it again. It just works perfectly every single day! I have an outdoor plug right under where i installed it so it worked out great and the cord just blends into my white woodwork. Installation was simple and all the hardware was included for various types of intallations. This sytem does it all!! it connects to an app on my phone for easy set up. ... MoreI love this Ring Spotlight Cam Pro plug in for that reason!! it plugs in!! i had another camera system that was rechargeable but i found that i never got aroud to recharging it so it didnt work for me. I didnt want to stand on something, unscrew it..charge it and put it back over and over. This camera plugged in..set up with my phone, I adjusted the angle i wanted it to cover and job done!! ...and i have never had to touch it again. It just works perfectly every single day! I have an outdoor plug right under where i installed it so it worked out great and the cord just blends into my white woodwork. Installation was simple and all the hardware was included for various types of intallations. This sytem does it all!! it connects to an app on my phone for easy set up. The features i like best are the light and siren that i can turn on from anywhere with the app or are motion activated. I think this is a great deterrant to anyone coming around our property at night. The added benefit is that we always come home to a lit up front door at night so theres no danger of tripping on the stairs or fumbling for the keys. We have a motion activated completely lit up front doorstep every time we need it! The dual light is very bright and covers a wide angle. Theres also a birds eye aerial monitoring viewing angle available so you can see the direction that someone is approaching the house from and there is a privacy feature that lets you block out areas you dont want covered, like your neighbors lawn. The two way sound is really clear so i can talk to anyone at my front door from where ever i am and the color night vision lets me see my entire front door area, front lawn, circular drive and the street in front of my house so i can see anyone approaching my home by car or on foot from any angle. This in tandem with the motion activated light and siren give me a very secure feeling at night and during the day whether im home or away from home. It even comes with a ring security sticker! I think this is the best security camera on the market and i enthusiastically recommend it!!

Overall Good - Taxing Setup, Slow Motion Detection

I bought this Ring Video Doorbell 4 along with the Chime Pro since I did not want to deal with possibly needing some special wiring and electrician assistance to ensure the voltage for my home chime was correct for this specific doorbell. Overall, this camera is useful, but it is somewhat underwhelming for the price. The doorbell recording function is great, especially with the useful option for quick replies. The setup was cumbersome, though, and the motion detection is subpar. I would recommend SimpliSafe's items/system over this if you don't mind paying a tad more per month for storage and/or security (but still at a good price). Pros: I love the in-app options for changing the chime sounds to differentiate between motion detected versus someone ringing the ... MoreI bought this Ring Video Doorbell 4 along with the Chime Pro since I did not want to deal with possibly needing some special wiring and electrician assistance to ensure the voltage for my home chime was correct for this specific doorbell. Overall, this camera is useful, but it is somewhat underwhelming for the price. The doorbell recording function is great, especially with the useful option for quick replies. The setup was cumbersome, though, and the motion detection is subpar. I would recommend SimpliSafe's items/system over this if you don't mind paying a tad more per month for storage and/or security (but still at a good price). Pros: I love the in-app options for changing the chime sounds to differentiate between motion detected versus someone ringing the doorbell. I also like the options to select the motion detection zones, the volume/sound of the doorbell for the person ringing the doorbell, and the frequency of motion detection. I'm glad the battery lasts around 30 days before getting low and that it warns you when it gets to that point. I'm also glad you can buy a replacement battery on the Ring site for a discount if you have the Ring Protection Plan, which is about $3/month, that way you don't have to go 12 hours without the doorbell while charging the one battery you have. Cons: The motion detection notifications lag significantly, especially at night, even though I have lights on in my yard and I have the motion detection field aiming at all the paths people can use to get to my front door as well as where the cars usually park. Usually, the motion notification occurs 2 seconds max before the doorbell is rung, even though it takes about 10 sec to get to my door from the driveway or road. Furthermore, it's odd that you have to decide how often the doorbell checks for motion... This means the doorbell does not necessarily "detect" motion as it happens but rarely/occasionally/frequently (depending on the setting you choose) looks to see if there is motion. I compare this to someone either sitting in their living room with the blinds open all day, always being able to *detect* motion outside their home versus the blinds being closed all day but you occasionally and randomly peeping out of the blinds to "check" and see if there happens to be motion at the time that you're peeping out (meaning you're going to miss the motion that occurred during the times you weren't peeping out of the blinds). This is a huge letdown, especially since I have the camera set to the most frequent "detection" setting and it still misses a lot of motion, which may explain the delayed motion detection notifications that I mentioned above. I've had the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell at another property for a while, and that one actually *detects* motion as it is happening, so the Ring Video Doorbell was a letdown in comparison. Not only because of how subpar this motion detection is but also because of how troublesome it was to set up! Sorry to keep comparing it to SimpliSafe, but the setup for the SimpliSafe one was much easier even though I actually wired the SimpliSafe one where the old doorbell was. It took me about 10 minutes to do, and I have 0 electrician or handywoman experience. The Ring Video Doorbell took approximately 2 hours because the Doorbell itself went through several updates and would cycle between not responding and flashing the light to tell you it was ready for setup, only for you to get through the setup and make it to the video testing phase where it would freeze and say there was an issue. I went through these cycles several times and followed the troubleshooting instructions every time. Eventually, I found a random YouTube video showing how to reset the Ring Doorbell. After the reset, it went through a few more updates and set-up cycles before it was actually ready. The width of the doorbell proves to be an issue if you don't have a flat wall next to your front door and you are trying to put the doorbell on the doorframe, as this doorbell is wider than most doorframes I've seen (compared to my SimpliSafe one which was the perfect width). But we were able to work around it by using a longer screw on the side where the supporting wall was further back than the door frame. Overall, I would recommend it only if you are not willing to pay a little extra per month for the SimpliSafe video storage and/or monitoring plan, as I much prefer their Video Doorbell and their indoor/outdoor cameras as well.

Overall Great Security Camera

I had wires run to the area of my house specifically for the video camera. The install wasn’t too bad, but found the basic ring instructions weren’t as easy for this as the doorbell. Would recommend a quick YouTube video if it’s your first time. Overall got it installed in about an hour. Pros: - Does a great job covering a lot of area. I actually had to lower the detection area because it could cover so much. Also love the spotlight that comes on at night when motion is detected. - Multiple ways to install the camera. I have it under the eave of my house which is at an angle, and was worried about mounting it to work properly. Ring gives you 3 different brackets and he no problem making it sit how I needed. Cons: - Has just OKAY quality. It’s usually pretty clear, ... MoreI had wires run to the area of my house specifically for the video camera. The install wasn’t too bad, but found the basic ring instructions weren’t as easy for this as the doorbell. Would recommend a quick YouTube video if it’s your first time. Overall got it installed in about an hour. Pros: - Does a great job covering a lot of area. I actually had to lower the detection area because it could cover so much. Also love the spotlight that comes on at night when motion is detected. - Multiple ways to install the camera. I have it under the eave of my house which is at an angle, and was worried about mounting it to work properly. Ring gives you 3 different brackets and he no problem making it sit how I needed. Cons: - Has just OKAY quality. It’s usually pretty clear, but can get grainy when zooming in. I have the Ring Doorbell Pro 2 and this is definitely lacking compared to it. - I struggled getting the security screw to actually hold it in place. Also ended up needing to grab some bigger screws to secure it into the house siding, as the screws Ring provided were too small. These could be issues specially to me though, so not dinging Ring on that as much as just making it aware. - Feel like it’s a little pricey, but if you’re wanting to hardware in without cables or deal with batteries, then I think this is the best route currently.

Peace of mind for my home!

I highly recommend this Ring Spotlight Cam Pro, specifically the plug in version. Here’s why - first of all, if you set up the plug in a secure fashion (meaning at a height that is not easily accessible) then criminals will not want to steal it nor will it be ease to unplug. I love the plug in version because I am not someone who is willing to get high up every 2-3 months to obtain the battery for charging; hence knowing that I always have a connection which is also secure, puts me at peace of mind. From unboxing to setting up the camera, took me about 30 mins total - a lot of this was adjusting the camera to the view we wanted and also fine tuning some adjustments within the app itself which I still have to work on. It’s very very easy to set up; the instructions ... MoreI highly recommend this Ring Spotlight Cam Pro, specifically the plug in version. Here’s why - first of all, if you set up the plug in a secure fashion (meaning at a height that is not easily accessible) then criminals will not want to steal it nor will it be ease to unplug. I love the plug in version because I am not someone who is willing to get high up every 2-3 months to obtain the battery for charging; hence knowing that I always have a connection which is also secure, puts me at peace of mind. From unboxing to setting up the camera, took me about 30 mins total - a lot of this was adjusting the camera to the view we wanted and also fine tuning some adjustments within the app itself which I still have to work on. It’s very very easy to set up; the instructions provided in the box were super easy to follow as well. From plug in to connection of wifi and seeing a live video took me 4 mins or less! The video during the day is super crisp clear, more clearer if you take off the bird’s eye view. During the night, it is also clear and this gets clearer once the side lights came on as a subject passed in its view. This light is pretty darn bright and illuminated a good chunk of the backyard, as well put the subject in proper view. The sirens are a great feature I love….for example we had thieves break into the garage…so with this option, not only will I get an alert that is just 2-3 seconds delayed to your app, BUT I have the ability on the app to turn this siren alarm on while seeing everything that is happening. With this said, I am also able to speak clearly to someone in the backyard; in return they can speak back very clearly to me and they hear me with almost no background clutter noises. The speaker on this unit is pretty large which allows for a great background free conversation. I love that you can customize a lot of features on the app AND you can connect it to Alexa. Also, with some fine tuning, you can connect it to fire stick and have the view come up on your television when someone is at your door step / in view of the camera. Overall, this is a highly highly recommended camera which I have not found any fault at thus far. I have other outdoor cameras (plug in as well) which is no way near this comparison.

User friendly installation and app customization

I am new to the Ring family and I am very satisfied with my experience with the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro. This spotlight camera is offered in four power options: wired, plug-in, battery and solar. The base of the spotlight has two battery compartments that can house one or both batteries that can be used with any power option. The set-up was easy, visually guided by the app. I was able to connect this to the 5G band of my dual band network on the first attempt. The settings were pretty easy to set-up. Ring has recommended settings and does a great job at explaining what each setting will do and for some settings, how it will impact battery life for those operating off of battery power. The app has everything you need to maximize the potential of your camera and secure ... MoreI am new to the Ring family and I am very satisfied with my experience with the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro. This spotlight camera is offered in four power options: wired, plug-in, battery and solar. The base of the spotlight has two battery compartments that can house one or both batteries that can be used with any power option. The set-up was easy, visually guided by the app. I was able to connect this to the 5G band of my dual band network on the first attempt. The settings were pretty easy to set-up. Ring has recommended settings and does a great job at explaining what each setting will do and for some settings, how it will impact battery life for those operating off of battery power. The app has everything you need to maximize the potential of your camera and secure your home. The Live View has a couple second delay, which is comparable to previous cameras I have used. Notifications to my phone are prompt and the camera has been doing a great job at being accurate with person detection. I really like the colored night vision, which is an improvement over black and white from other cameras I have used. The two way talk with audio is clear when projecting but it has a harder time picking up clear audio at my house, perhaps because my camera is up high. The camera has a wide angle of view with customizable motion zones that are easy to set. You can also add the Bird's Eye View option, which creates a mapped trail of movement for a specific path or paths. The siren projects loudly. The motion activated spotlights provide decent supplemental lighting. Both aforementioned features can be turned on and off with the app as well. This camera is feature packed while remaining easy to operate, perfect for any level of DIY and technological expertise. I can see why Ring products are such a hit!