Amcrest 1080P Video Doorbell Camera Pro, Outdoor Smart Home 2.4GHz WiFi Doorbell Camera (Wired Power), MicroSD Card, PIR Motion Detect, RTSP, IP55 Weatherproof, 2-Way Audio, 140º Wide-Angle AD110

I was looking for a video doorbell that was not created by the Big ones. I found this great doorbell and the quality is really good for the money. I used it to connect to a Home Assistant instance and play a customised chime over my indoor speakers as I didn't have a old chime to retrofit with.Motion detection is good, you only need to customise the detection area to make sure there are no false positives.Night vision is really good and you can clearly see picture details.The quality of the picture is good enough for a video doorbell. You can see people faces even when the camera is directly against sun light.I updated the firmware and it stopped working, I checked and there is a big community in their forum, but after contacting support they solved my issue even giving me API specs and the old firmware in less than 24 hours during Xmas period. Impressive support team, only for that I think it is worth the money.

Pros-Good build quality-Outstanding dynamic range-High and low quality rtsp feeds (should be viewable on most things)Cons-Doesn't work well with new doorbell parts (most are 8V and/or tansformers aren't powerfull enough)-Onboard motion detection misses a lot of things (with sensitivity on max)-Most of the app doesn't work consistently with Android 11 and pressured 12 as well (known issue bein worked on but without an estimated date yet).-No response from the conventional support request. (But I did get a prompt response from the escalation email address).The hardware's very good for a 1080p camera and I'm happy with the results now it's working, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't know what there doing.In order to get it to work I ended up using a toroidal transformer (2x9V 30VA wired for 18V 15VA) with a relay to activate my mechanical chime (relay coil in place of the chime).On top of this if you also want reliable motion detection I had to setup a free program called motion on a raspberry pi to do the motion detection and recording using the rtsp feeds (although any NVR should be able to do the same).The rtsp feeds and fact it can be wired into a relay give you a lot of control to do pretty much anything with it, but in reality this is redoing things that should work out of the box.

Okay the first year or so, but no longer records to SD card, coincided with a firmware update.I have formatted it, tried different cards, and after customer support couldn't solve it, the told me to return it. Started that process to be told they won't replace it.

I purchased this product as it is one of not too many that can work without a cloud subscription and have full control. I was very much surprised that initially the product did not work as expected, I intended to integrate this in home assistant. instead of sending it back I contacted AMCREST US (I'm in Europe) for support and they responded very quickly with instructions and the software to program the device to an earlier version. All the functionality I needed was restored. This was a far better solution than returning the product and trying to find something similar. I have rarely experienced such great support (without the interrogation if I am sure the product has a problem). Amcrest for me is more than a product, it is a proud company who cares.

[Edits/updates: I've called out a couple improvements to my original review where applicable, all in a positive "it's been added via firmware/software update" that became available about 4 months after I originally bought this]Tl;Dr – a fully featured doorbell camera providing quick notifications and interactions within a solid mobile app, and does NOT require a subscription to fully utilize it. A cloud subscription is optional, and in fact the first year (as of this writing) is free, but you do have the options of using local device storage via SD card, Blue Iris/Amcrest NVR/Synology integration (among others). There are some deficiencies for Amcrest’s first effort for this device, although none that I can think of that couldn’t be eventually fixed via a firmware and software update [see my "Edits" below for what has changed for the better].Long Review: I purchased this Amcrest Doorbell camera because honestly I’ve been so impressed with the other outdoor cameras I’ve purchased from them on a price/performance/flexibility standpoint, I couldn’t wait to see what they could do with a Doorbell camera. Overall, this device hits a lot of great points that I’ll get into (the #1 benefit is NOT requiring a monthly subscription to fully use the device), but it is in a very crowded market right now between Amazon’s Ring and Google’s Nest that they’ll need to differentiate themselves a bit more. Fortunately, a lot of deficiencies I see can likely be fixed with software and/or firmware updates to make it work better.Some of its great qualities, and some of my quibbles:• It has a nice looking 1080p picture and is quick to send notifications to the app when motion is seen and/or when someone rings the doorbell (I’m getting the notification and seeing the person as they are approaching my door). The picture is wide in the horizontal vs. vertical, so depending on your porch, it may or may not see packages placed near the door. You will, however, get quick notifications that someone is walking up to place it (or run off with it if that’s the case).• Install is easy, it works with about a dozen different chime manufacturers (full chime compatibility is on their website) out-of-the-box. The included “Chime kit” attaches to your existing door chime (mechanical or digital), and from my experience it requires at least a 24v/20VA transformer to operate. I wish it came with a wedge, or at least the option to buy a wedge accessory, as for where I had to mount my unit, its very close to my porch wall and I had fabricate a wedge from some scrap wood I had to mount it to pick up their view I desired.• It comes with two faceplates (silver and black) and they are easy to replace and look nice. The problem is that they may be too easy to replace – they are not secured along with the doorbell after you mount it with the “security screw”, and a person could simply pop the faceplate for access to the SD card and reset button on the doorbell if they wanted to. One could argue that a thief would likely tear the entire doorbell off the wall if they wanted to instead of trying to pop the faceplate, but I’d still rather have the faceplate secured with the doorbell when you’re doing the final mounting of the device.• I use Blue Iris to monitor my existing cameras and set up deeper options around recording schedules, motion zones, Sentry AI alerts for human detection, etc. and Blue Iris has no problems adding this doorbell camera to the mix (as a generic camera with audio). I do wish I had the option to choose between the high-def stream vs. the standard-def stream as it appears only the standard def stream is what BI picks up.• The Amcrest Smart Home app is the only way to configure this camera. This is a big difference between this camera and others that they sell. Other cameras are configurable via a web browser plug-in that while they have a steep learning curve to figure out, actually provide really deep options in how the cameras operate. Since this is a doorbell camera, I can see Amcrest desiring to keep the app and configuration as simple as possible, and it is a nice app – probably the best Amcrest has written – but I would like to get to deeper settings that I do with my other cameras. Settings like: forcing IR mode based on a schedule, separate accounts to view the stream, tailoring the video streams with finer-tuned settings regarding brightness, contract, noise reduction, etc [Edit: this functionality was added in a later firmware update]. All of that is NOT possible today with this doorbell camera. Amcrest informed me (after a talk with their support and marketing) that those software improvements like HDR and deeper customizations are coming in an update. (.5 star deduction here) [Edit: And they did in the firmware update, as I mention above]• The Amcrest Smart Home app could be improved in other areas, especially around notifications. It would be nice if the notification on my phone included a snapshot of what caused the notification (motion/doorbell button pressed – Eufy’s doorbell camera does this best currently) to be sent. For now, it just states “motion detected” or the notification will state the button was pressed (and you can tap those notifications to be sent to live view/answer mode for doorbell presses, or show the last 10 seconds or so of the event that caused the alert). The 2-way audio performance is completely dependent on your network/ISP/network your phone is on, but I found it to be acceptable and the microphone is sufficiently sensitive and clear. The speaker on the doorbell camera can be pretty loud. However – there is no pre-canned or recorded responses you can respond with.• The App provides a grid-type view of the camera that you can use to “paint” the areas of motion you want notifications from. Its actually (as of this writing) much better than the video the Amcrest site has regarding how motion detection can be configured (their video shows a pie-slice method of setting motion zones which I’m glad they’ve moved away from), so this is something they fixed early, and it works really well. The minor drawback is that if you accidentally “paint” an area you didn’t intend to, you have to “clear” the entire grid and start over.• Using the app, you can share the access to the doorbell camera (and alerts) with up to six other users. Only the person that originally set up the doorbell can configure the camera with the app, and this includes notifications and its that last part that is unfortunate. For instance, I can set up my notifications to fire when motion is detected and/or the doorbell button is pressed. My wife, on the other hand, would prefer to only be notified when the doorbell button is pressed. The app as it stands today cannot be configured like this. When you’re sharing access to the doorbell camera, you’re also sharing whatever notifications are set up by the “owner” [Edit: this was added in a firmware update and possible now]. Since I utilize Blue Iris, I’ve gotten around this hurdle by setting up motion notifications to be sent only to me from BI and the Amcrest Smart Home app to notify only on doorbell press, but that’s a kludge. Another drawback to this sharing, is that the person you’re sharing too must also have an Amcrest account. Its easy enough to set up, but I’m not a fan of my minor children requiring one to utilize the app themselves for monitoring the front door. (.5 star deduction here)• It’s documented to integrate with Alexa Show devices, but I can’t test that since I use Google Home Hub (now Nest Hub) as my smart display solution. Blue Iris integration comes to the rescue here, as I can view my doorbell camera on command by using a combination of IFTT, PushBullet, Push2Run, and Cast all Things (CATT) to automatically show the porch when motion is detected and/or when I request to view it. I only mention this to say that it IS possible if you are a Google Home Hub/Nest Hub/Lenovo Smartdisplay user instead of Alexa Show user.Overall, I really like this doorbell camera. Could it be a little slender? Sure. Could it use a wedge accessory option to make it better for my application? Absolutely [Edit: the wedge accessories are now available to buy]. Most importantly: Does it do the main function I bought it for to my needs given its cost? Yes.I would have no issues recommending this doorbell camera to family, friends, and you as an excellent option – especially if Nest/Ring subscription requirements and costs (plus their recent foibles regarding who has access to those video feeds) are a concern. I see the deficiencies I’ve listed above all being eventually fixed and improved through software/firmware updates [edit: they mostly were] and they’re not so deficient as to prevent me from using the device successfully. Buy this and use it with confidence!

After following the instructions in the box and the video's on the website, the app does not connect to the device.The doorbell never goes in hotspot mode, following the reset instruction makes the light flash blue as described in the instructions but does not create a hotspot.I tried to call the support (In the USA) but they just keep you on hold (great for your international customers btw..)As this product is useless with the app its not worth buying.Great 1st experience with Amcrest products...

This is a review of the Amcrest 1080P Doorbell Camera - Full Disclosure, I am coming from a Ring Pro which I have had for 2 years, so some of the comparisons will be directly related to that. When I installed my Ring I was forced to upgrade my power transformer so also be sure to check for that as it may impact use. I, also made a mounting plate to use my existing Ring mount as it was the wall angled extensions to help make it a better view for my mounting location. I also wanted to get away from the $3 a month Ring charges per device, this camera was and excellent candidate as it comes with a free year of cloud storage, has its own internal SD storage slot as well as I am using it with Blue Iris (NVR Software).On to the Review!So what brought me to getting a new doorbell camera is that I had come to a cross road as I was beginning to become increasingly frustrated with the Ring camera. As it seems as updates were being pushed there were issues with performance, accessing the live stream as well as talking to people through the doorbell. In all my tests the Amcrest Camera met or exceeded my expectations which was surprising because the Ring Pro was on 5Ghz vs 2.4Ghz and when the Ring was 2.4Ghz there was a very noticeable difference in quality and performance. The Amcrest Doorbell runs on 2.4 Ghz connected with minimal issue as the app does a great job of walking you through each step. Now, I did have to do a full reboot on my camera when I started as it would create the wifi access point and then when I tried to configure it wouldn't work properly. So the app suggested a reboot which I did and then the camera started talking and doing voice instructions that matched the app. This is very similar to the Ring cameras when you set them up.Once the app and camera were setup I was notified to do the firmware upgrade which was also painless. I did not have to format the SD card but it is always recommended just in case. I used and would highly recommend an endurance card like the Samsung as they are made for camera / dash cam applications as well as environments like heat/cold and have a higher survival rate. I like this as if there was an issue on my recordings either on the NVR or loading to the cloud I would have the local SD backup as well. I also found that when reviewing through the Amcrest app it is faster to pull from the card vs the cloud recordings.Install:So overall the install and provided instructions were clear and since I had the Ring prior it was pretty much a rip and replace. The Chime Kit goes on the Doorbell terminals and is required it seems even if you don't use it or don't have one (my guess is to stabilize load but its not in between so I dunno how that works). One con to this is currently at my time of review (Sept 15 2020) there is currently no Alexa / GCP integration for announcements, meaning if you wanted to be alerted when the button is pressed you have to rely on the app, a chime or your existing doorbell hardware. I have currently left it in with my default doorbell and have no issue. You can turn the chime off or change it though the app.*NOTE* I would recommend when wiring your doorbell try to get the wires as close to center as possible (wires coming together from posts) as I found it was harder to mount based on the size of the hole for the wiring etc.Everyday Use:In my case I am more dependent on using Blue Iris than I am on the app, however my wife likes the native app enough to use it to communicate to anyone at the door. So when she wants to check the door she runs the app, where I generally check it against the Blue Iris App. What's great is once it is setup you can do either. I found that there is still a delay of course when opening live video but I have yet to be met with issues such as not being available or the person already gone by the time video opens like I was having with the Ring (my biggest issue with them). Since this device is working on 2.4 I had a lot of concerns with quality and speed but they both seem to be non issues as my image has always been mostly clear (some pixelation / stutter here and there but nothing major).Connection to Blue Iris was quite easy, but make sure to follow the posted directions and do the full setup through the app first, assign the IP, user/pass etc and THEN connect through Blue Iris. Something I would like to see unfortunately is there is little in ways of quality / settings etc through the app and there is no web interface to control the device. Hopefully down the road we will get that but I just matched the config from the device specs and so far it has been great and no reported connection losses.Audio Quality:I did some testing to see if I could talk though the app and it worked great. I had some issues with my Ring not being able to understand the person and vice versa. With the Amcrest there were no quality issues to report and I'm sure it will continue to get better as updates come out.Night Time Performance:This was somewhat of a pain point for me as I have a over door light that creates enough light to prevent triggering of the Night Mode. While night mode wont make too much of a difference in my situation, something I think could be nice is a scheduled night mode vs just auto, on, off. If I turned off my over door light it would work as intended and had pretty good performance, just would like it if I could combine the two.Overall Conclusion:I really like this camera vs the Ring Pro I had before, it's fast enough to communicate through the app, quality is on the same level and I no longer have to rely on a cloud solution to store my videos. The local storage on the device is awesome to speed things up when doing review through the app, integration though BI was super simple and easy to setup. However, there are somethings I would really like to see that I think are staples to the industry. While there is currently Alexa support, it is to view the doorbell NOT get doorbell announcements. This I think is due to the classification of the device it is seen as a camera and not a doorbell so it cannot announce. So hopefully will be able to see this sooner than later especially if the support for viewing is already there. I would really like control of the quality settings for NVR use, maybe an "advanced" settings section so I can go in and change things like FPS, Night Sensitivity etc.In the end I don't think that you can really go wrong with the Doorbell cam as it seems very flexible with lots of options for use. It works directly through the app, has multiple storage options including local which is a HUGE PLUS. You can use it in parallel with an NVR and even works with Alexa (viewing only for now) which I believe we will see change down the road to include announcements or you can get a wireless plug in chime so you can get rid of your mechanical doorbell.

Haven't been able to install the device as it details of what devices i need to purchase in Australia and how to connect them is limited. All instructions are based around having an existing door bell system that most people have in the US. Tech support only referred me to their web pages.