Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell
The Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell lets you see and speak to visitors, even when you’re not home. There’s somebody at the door? See them on your smartphone and talk to them live, whether you’re at home or on the other side of the world. You’re at the office? Give instructions so you don’t miss a delivery. And if you’re still getting dressed, compliment your guests on their outfits and let them know you’re coming!
More than a simple doorbell. The smart person detection feature prevents unnecessary alerts: receive a real-time notification on your smartphone if someone is lurking around your front door. Is it an intruder? Deter them immediately in complete safety using the built-in speaker.
I was really happy to see the Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell works with the Apple HomeKit, which it does, albeit without the Homekit Secure Video Recording.
Physical installation was easy, and being able to connect directly to the existing doorbell is a real plus, as I didn’t want plug-in chimes all over the house.
Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell Review
The setup was an absolute nightmare. I couldn’t get the first one to complete the setup and it just kept hanging halfway through the process. Eventually, I did manage to set it up, but it was still a laborious task. I’m pretty network savvy, so would like to think it wasn’t a user error.
When you make that purchase decision, is the fact that Netatmo’s Doorbell, like other products in their line up, is subscription-free. All features come with the product, out of the box, with firmware updates rolled out regularly sometimes even with new features. You mentioned that it doesn’t currently have the Homekit Secure Video Recording, but this is one of those features, for example, that will be rolled out with a firmware in due course.
At first, I was getting constant warnings that the Wi-Fi signal was poor – my router is about 7’ feet away, and I’ve never had connection issues with other products in the house. I’ve also been getting a message on the Netatmo app telling me there’s insufficient power so no video, however video works perfectly within the Apple Home app.
The positives are that the very good video quality and the lack of subscription cost are a bonus, and it looks good and feels well made.
To summarise, I think the concept is good, but the execution is extremely poor, my one experience with customer support was just as disappointing as the product itself.
Overall, if you don’t want Apple HomeKit integration, then there are loads of other options out there, the Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell is overpriced, overcomplicated in its setup and unreliable.
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