Doorbell Camera Buyer’s Guide – Learn About Prices, Features and More

Even though the popular song says, “If you liked it, then you shoulda put a ring on it,” we’re going to have to disagree here. When shopping for a Doorbell Camera, you may be drawn in by the allure of our large competitors. Before you do that, have you stopped and really looked at the facts of the matter? Have you compared products, spec by spec, feature by feature? If not, you might not know exactly what you are paying for. In the ecommerce age, with brands valuing profit and a quick sell-through over actual quality, not knowing where your money is going can be a scary proposition.

To help you make a more informed decision, we’re providing you with a closer look at our Gen. 1 Doorbell Camera as well as our Gen. 2 Doorbell Camera. We’ll run through features, specs, installation requirements, and how those stack up with their prices.

From there, we are going to take a look at a couple options from our top competitor in the doorbell camera market. We’ll see if some of the high prices, hidden costs and subpar specs ring a bell for you. Hopefully a bell that will send you the other way!

Check out our Doorbell Camera Guide!

LaView HD 1080P Gen. 1 Doorbell Camera

LaView’s First Generation Doorbell Camera is a great place to start if you need high-quality front door surveillance coverage. Along with that, you’ll get tons of top-tier features, that help you keep an eye on the front porch of your home. Check out the chart below to see some of the key features as well as how those stack up to the price point:

Beyond this, you get an IP54 weatherproof rating, which is good for most climates. Along with that, the operating temperature range -22°F to 122°F for functionality in any reasonable temperature. You’ll have a 180° field of view to keep an eye on the entire space in front of your door. This can be helpful with package deliveries.

Plus, with easy two-way audio, you can direct the delivery person on where to place the package. You do this from the easy, free mobile app.

3 faceplates and all hardware needed comes included in the package.

Not a bad starting point for anyone looking for a good WiFi security solution for their front door monitoring. But, let’s take a look at the 2nd generation doorbell camera that is taking things to a new level.

ONE Halo Gen. 2 Doorbell Camera

The ONE Halo Doorbell Camera is LaView’s front door surveillance solution for those who are looking for more on each feature. The kicker here is that you are still paying less than the average video doorbell camera on the market. That means you are getting more for less.

You’re looking at a full upgrade with this doorbell camera. There isn’t another unit on the market that combines all the industry leading specs found here in a single solution.

You have a complete step up in resolution with a higher clarity as well as sharper detailed HD 3MP. Along with that, you get a 180° field of view, ensuring you see the entire picture in front of your home.

The motion settings are really where this camera stamps itself as an industry benchmark. The ONE Halo is equipped with a PIR thermal detection sensor to help you eliminate false alarms from non-human movement. This is helps you know exactly when a person approaches your door.

Your nighttime security standards are also heightened with the ONE Halo. This doorbell camera features full color night vision when it is a dark area with at least ambient lighting (which accounts for most outdoor areas).

What is a “Pro” Doorbell Camera?

What does it mean for a doorbell camera to be pro? In fact, why do companies slap on the label “pro” or “professional” and charge us more? Granted, sometimes the label fits as the product has more upscale features and sophisticated applications. But generally speaking, brands in the consumer electronics market slap these words on their product names and expect us to blindly pay more.

This is exactly what one of our big competitors has done. They have a “Pro” version of their doorbell camera which they charge $250 for. When it comes to the important specs, you get the following:

• 1080P Resolution
• Basic Motion Detection
• 160° Field of View
• No IP Weatherproof Rating
• -5°F – 120°F Operating Temperature Range
• Traditional IR Night Vision

Okay, so here is the base info for our competitor’s doorbell camera. Doesn’t look bad until you realize this looks completely comparable to our base level Gen. 1 Doorbell Camera. But the difference here is that this “Pro” model costs $150 more. Yet, you are getting less field of view, no IP weatherproofing, a narrower operating temperature range.

Plus there are tacked on hidden fees for storage service. On top of that, they charge for all the accessories. Like $20 a pop on little things like angled mounting brackets. In contrast, our units come with all hardware needed for installation.

If you compare the ONE Halo Gen. 2 Doorbell Camera to this “Pro” version, they aren’t even in the same league. More on that below:

As you can see. The ONE Halo trumps other leading doorbells in basically every feature category. Let’s take a look even closer at a comparison between this and an even “higher” level doorbell from the same competitor below.

Is an “Elite” Doorbell Camera Worth the Price?

Our competitor decided to tack on the label “Elite” with their highest tier doorbell unit. It retails at (prepare for impact) $500.

Okay, now that you’ve regained consciousness, let’s look at what you get with this doorbell camera:

• 1080P Resolution
• Basic Motion Detection
• 160° Field of View
• No IP Weatherproof Rating
• -5°F – 120°F Operating Temperature Range
• Traditional IR Night Vision

No, we didn’t just copy and paste the features from the “Pro” version of their doorbell camera. This is really all you get with the “Elite” version. The only discernible difference was PoE technology and a bulkier design. Even with PoE, we are confused why that is such an advantage when this particular competitor doesn’t sell an NVR for you to integrate into a system and really take advantage of the technology. On top of that, they don’t include a PoE adapter for you. They sell you one for and additional $30.

So, base level with the “Elite” version of their doorbell, you are paying $530 plus a required subscription fee per month.

Care to change the aesthetics on your “Elite” doorbell? An alternate faceplate will run you $130. We aren’t kidding. Our Gen. 1 comes with 3 face plates for free.

When it comes to comparing the ONE Halo to this “Elite” doorbell, it is no contest. With ours, you are paying half the price and getting a full step up of 1 million more pixels in resolution. Every other spec of the ONE Halo outmatches this camera. Just take a look at the full specs:

So, before you pay several hundred dollars more for less features, we highly suggest doing a little homework on your choices!

The post Doorbell Camera Buyer’s Guide appeared first on LaView.