Don’t pay extra for this smart doorbell

• High-resolution smart doorbells that promise 4K (or even “2K”) may not be worth the money given the type of functionality they provide.

• Capturing more pixels means the footage will take up more memory and require more processing power (which is a problem for battery-powered doorbells).

• If 4K filming is a priority, consider investing in a proper home security system with high-quality surveillance cameras.

The smart doorbell allows you to see visitors and answer them using your smartphone or tablet, wherever you are. They’re designed with convenience in mind, so the best quality footage isn’t necessarily worth spending money on.

You don’t need 4K doorbell footage

The main role of a smart doorbell is to connect you with the person standing outside your home, whether you are still in bed or thousands of miles away on vacation. In most cases, you will answer these questions on the small display of your smartphone.

For this reason, the highest quality camera usually doesn’t matter. Instead, you should base your decision first mains or battery power and which smart home ecosystem to use so you can integrate the doorbell into your setup.

In most cases, even 1080p is sufficient. If you’re holding off on buying a decent, inexpensive doorbell camera because you’re waiting for a crystal-clear 4K image, you’re missing out on a really useful smart home device.

Of course, your saved footage will have a bit more detail in 4K or 1440p, but that’s assuming you want to save your footage anyway. Many people are satisfied with the basic function: telling the courier where to leave the package or asking a neighbor to call later when you are not in the bathroom.

High resolution does not guarantee high quality

Do you remember the first smartphones that could shoot in 4K resolution? The video they produced was technically 3840×2160, but the quality left much to be desired. That’s because image quality is much more than the number of pixels a sensor can capture.

Due to the size of the sensor and the quality of the optics, doorbell cameras are notoriously grainy. In 90% of cases, the footage is of sufficient quality, but paying extra for a higher resolution will most likely result in slightly improved poor quality video.

You may find that a competing brand that maxes out at 1080p actually produces better video than a higher-resolution sensor on an expensive video call. And that’s not to mention the performance when the sun goes down.

You should also pay close attention to the captured angle, measured in degrees. If a camera can only take a 110 shot, it may not be as useful as a lower resolution model that does 130 or 160. Be sure to consider the location of the camera when choosing an angle (doorbells are available for portrait and landscape video).

Larger videos require more memory and power

Storage may not be an issue depending on your setup. If you have already agreed that you will pay a monthly subscription to Ring ProtectNest Aware or a third-party cloud plan, then you don’t have to worry about the size of your footage (as it’s usually measured in days or weeks).

But if you want it avoid paying a doorbell subscription feeremember that higher resolution sensors mean larger file sizes. Many doorbells that use local file storage save footage to a microSD card. When the card is full, the oldest files are sent first.

This means you will have a shorter snapshot of events when saving larger files. Of course, you decide how much you want to spend on a memory card.

Other solutions, such as eufys Homebase, exist as upgradeable base stations that store footage on hard drives. The same applies here, although the eufys solution is designed to work with a range of devices, including compatible security cameras (which often reach 4K resolution).

Also, larger files require more processing power. For battery-powered models, this means higher power consumption. While the chips will likely become more efficient over time, they will always be less expensive in terms of power consumption to record lower resolution video.

Most doorbell cameras reach a maximum resolution of 2K

At the time of writing, there are relatively few smart doorbells on the market that record 4K video. Two that stand out are these Leading Smart Doorbell Lorex 4K and Swann Buddy4K Wireless Doorbell. Most other models max out at 1080p or 2K.

2K is a bit of a vague term. In cinema, it has a definition that means 2048×1080, while others use the term to refer to 1440p with a resolution of 2560×1440 (also known as QHD). In the end, the manufacturer decides how to interpret it.

Sometimes the resolution is simply referred to as 5MP (since a 2560×1440 image contains approximately 4.9 million pixels). Reolink is one such doorbell manufacturer that uses this terminology when discussing video resolution.

But some of the most popular doorbells on the market don’t even go up to 1080p, like Google’s battery-powered Nest Doorbell, which only supports 960×1280 (the wired version takes it up to 1600×1200). Frame rates for both the battery and wired versions are up to 30fps, which is smooth enough to keep footage from looking like a slideshow.

4K doorbells are likely to become more affordable in the coming years, but they won’t necessarily become major purchases. You’ll get the same functionality and better value by opting for the base model instead.

If you want 4K video, invest in security

A smart doorbell replaces a dumb doorbell by adding a bunch of extra features, from two-way communication to smart home integration. With so many people opting for battery-powered doorbells, it’s no wonder 4K hasn’t caught on in a big way yet.

But that’s not the case when it comes to security cameras, many of which are wired. Because power and storage constraints aren’t as pressing when it comes to home security, 4K security cameras are not only common, they’re also much cheaper.

You can buy a two sets of 4K Reolink wired security cameras cheaper than the price of the Lorex and Swann 4K video doorbells we mentioned earlier. Individual 4K cameras can be purchased for less than $50, sometimes with a power source such as a solar panel.

Security is one area where high resolution can be worthwhile. While doorbells can play an important role in home security, they are no substitute for proper setup. You will need to invest a little more in wiring, Power-over-Ethernet injectorsas well as a video recording device such as a Network Video Recorder (NVR), so the expected cost will be slightly higher.

While higher quality video recording can be useful if you need to identify someone, some of best security cameras don’t go 4K either and can be had for less than $30. Doorbells look very expensive in comparison, but the truth is that many households opt for a smart doorbell before even considering a full home security system.

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The best video calls usually defined by their features and value for money rather than Oscar-worthy picture quality. Before adding it to your smart home, make sure you go through privacy concerns of an always-on camera connected to the Internet.