I Wish I Had Read THIS Before I Bought My Smart Home Video Doorbell
Smart homes may seem like the tech-savvy homes of the future—except they are here now. Smart home capability, also commonly referred to as home automation, is the ability to configure the basic functions and switches in your home to your smartphone, tablet or computer. The devices are all connected by the internet and Bluetooth in order to enable the devices to be controlled remotely.
Apart from the technical side, smart homes are extremely convenient for homeowners. Having control of the security, appliances and other functions in your home provides a sense of security and is super energy efficient. With home automation, there is no need to worry if you’ve forgotten a light or left an appliance running. You have the convenience of controlling it all from your mobile phone—no matter where you are.
Home Security and Smart Homes
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One of the most beneficial parts of home automation is the level of security it provides. Nowadays, most home security companies offer packages that are home automation compatible. This means you can configure it with the rest of your smart home functions. When it comes to videomonitoring your home, with many home security companies you are able to log in and see HD video footage at any time. That can include alerts from front door sensors, smart home video doorbells and window or door sensors. With most home security companies, you’ll always know what is going on in and around your home and will be alerted if anything goes wrong.
It’s important to remember that video doorbells are technically home security. They are simply a way to integrate the rest of your home security devices, and when configured, can optimize the security of your home.
Video Doorbells and Smart Homes
Ring
Video doorbells are another popular extension of smart homes that provide an extra sense of security. Much like home security monitoring, video doorbells use an internet connection to provide 24/7 video footage of whoever approaches and rings your front door. That means no matter where you are you can see, hear and answer the doorbell. If your video doorbell system is smart home compatible and your locks are electronic, you can also configure your devices to lock or unlock the doors with your phone.
Integrating video doorbells with the rest of your home automation system is surprisingly easy for the most part. Once your home is already set up with electronic locks, sensors and automation devices, integrating your new video doorbell shouldn’t be too hard. Simply set it up with the instructions that come with your equipment and you should be able to connect it tothe other functions in your home. In the case that your home doesn’t have electronic locks, you may have to hard-wire everything which may require a professional.
The Best Smart Home Video Doorbell Brands
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With smart home technology expanding and evolving, convenience is everything. That means more people nowadays want the convenience of controlling everything from one app. Ideally, in a perfect smart home, all devices would be controlled by one device on your smartphone. This eliminates confusion and makes the home automation experience much smoother. For example, let’s say your kids arrived home from school and are at the front door. In a perfect smart tech world, you’d be able to see them at the front door, greet them, and remotely unlock the front door. Video doorbells provide all of the features of the doorbell and another device would allow you to actually lock the door after them.
Luckily, many video doorbell companies also make other smart home devices like smart locks and smart thermostats. So if you have a Honeywell video doorbell, you can control that and their other products from the same application.
One of the top ways to get all of your home’s devices interconnected is to find devices that are Amazon Echo compatible. If the device you’re buying is compatible with Alexa, then you will be able to control everything with your voice, and your life will be much easier. For example, when shopping for a video doorbell, look for devices that say “Works with Alexa.” Some of the top video doorbells that are Echo compatible are:
Ring Video Doorbell
The Ring doorbell is already considered one of the master video doorbells of its kind. So it’s no surprise that these handy devices can also be configured with the smart speakers in your home. With Alexa integration, you can see who is at the door before they ring the doorbell and before you answer it. However, in order to communicate with whoever is at your door, you will have to use the Ring app.
Nest Hello
The Nest is a perfect example of the perfect smart home ecosystem. With Nest Secure, you can connect all of your smart devices to create the perfect ambiance. From smart locks, smart thermostats and smart cameras to put around your home, to the high tech Nest Hello video doorbell. With Nest Secure all of your devices can conveniently be controlled from one app. Add in Alexa and you’ve got voice recognition and a slew of other features to take advantage of.
