REOLINKVideo Doorbell WiFi Camera - Wired 2K Outdoor, 5G&2.4G WiFi, 4:3 Wide View Angle, Smart Detection, Local Storage, No Subscription Front Door Home Security, Customized Chime V2

If you're already in the Reolink ecosystem then this, or the white portrait version, are the best options for a video doorbell. Brainless install, great picture quality, integrates easily with a Reolink NVR (the RLN8-410 in my case) and mobile app, and works perfectly with Home Assistant for automation and security dashboards. IR lights, two-way audio, recorded message capability, and included wedges make this an all-around performer for most homes.I wish the doorbell would have supported our mechanical chimes (for the old-skool feel) but the included chime has several available sounds and is definitely loud enough to be heard throughout our three-story home.Camera number eight in my Reolink setup and the one I've built the most automations around (e.g. package notification, AI image interpretation, etc). Great product, no subscriptions, and it just works.

Wow! I had been looking at doorbell cameras for awhile and decided on Reolink after reading reviews. Great price and great quality. Installation was fast and easy, I was able to use the existing doorbell wiring and DC power in my older home and things set up in a little over 1 hour. The documentation was excellent and their on-line support pages are great.There are several ways to access the camera, Reolink app for PC/Mac (sorry, no Linux yet) and phone apps for Android and iPhone. Direct web browser access works also. There are several differences between the apps depending on which you are using, but overall very easy and intuitive.Setting up the camera and recording is straightforward but you may need to spend a little time tweaking it for your preferences, there are plenty of options without being too overwhelming.Picture quality is adjustable and pretty good overall.Pros:Great documentation and on-line resourcesEasy installationNo batteries or rechargingMultiple easy to use apps to view the cameraCamera can be viewed away from home with the apps (PC and phone)Optional (128G recommended) Micro SD card for video storageNO CLOUD!Email alertsCons:*No Linux support (you can view through a web browser)Notes: Not pro or con, there is a good mix of features for the price so I feel this is a great value. If you are fairly tech savvy this camera is definitely for you. The documentation is excellent so answers to questions and problems are easily available.

Edit:Reolink support reached out to me to make things right. And so far, they have. They offered to send out a replacement unit even after acknowledging that I had willingly thrown my old unit out. They persisted in this request for 2-3 months before I finally said, as long as it's free of charge, be my guest.And my guest they became, as they shipped it out at no cost to me. Now, I don't know if the updated software or they updated the camera to cause this, but I would call this newest version they sent me OK, not great. Initial difference, my router immediately detected it as "Roku", which routers can get things wrong so it's not that big of a deal, but I thought I remembered it being picked up as something else initially.The camera itself also seems to be different. It still has some good clarity, but it seems suddenly plagued by intense smearing. The image around movement is clear and sharp, but when things start moving it's smeared incredibly poorly. I've tried several of the settings to fix this but nothing appears to be working so far.The chime itself actually works with this unit, as do push notifications, and the connection itself seems much more reliable than before. However, I still greatly wish they'd just enable the use of your home's built in chime over using a wirelessly connected one.Original Review:I've had enough trying to get this piece of junk to work. It's supposed to connect to my router through wifi, ring when someone presses the button, and alert me on the app when it happens. I connected it to my NVR and even gave it an SD Card.I've never been more frustrated with a machine than I have with this one. Don't get me wrong, the camera on it is great, clear and really usable. But that's it. The software in it sucks so bad that after 2-ish months of owning it I'm just throwing it away, it's not worth the hassle anymore.First, it refuses to keep a steady connection to my router. I'd have to put my router basically on the other side of my door for it to stay connected reliably, and I do not have a weak router. When it works it works great, but it's almost constantly disconnecting.Second, the push notifications are spotty at best, and non-existent at worst. I don't know how many times I've had to reset this camera because of something stupid, but it's more than I can count on one hand.Third, the chime. The awful, terrible, forced to be used chime. They REALLY need to make it so that you can just use your built-in chime if it exists because that sorry excuse for a piece of technology deserves less than the landfill it's going to rot in. When I first received the doorbell, the chime paired right up and worked exactly like expected. However, for some reason unknown to me, the chime unpaired itself and I had to try and re-pair it. But, the chime just don't do it. It beeps like it pairs, but the doorbell says the pairing failed. Right before I started typing this review I was trying to pair it for the last time, and I actually got it to pair, to my surprise. Only for the software to say that the chime wasn't connected. Are you kidding me? Not connected? While I was troubleshooting they were plugged in less than a foot from each other, and the chime can't connect to the doorbell? After what totals up to several hours trying to get it to pair over the course of me owning it? Nah, that's cool, I'm just going to smash it to pieces and throw it in the trash.I've never had the displeasure of working with something this frustrating before. I'm in IT and networking, none of the issues I've encountered with this doorbell should exist. It's just a waste of money and a terribly executed product. Being forced to use that sucky chime was really the kick in the teeth I needed to decide I'm never going to buy another Reolink product again.