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Ring Launches Second-Generation Video Doorbell With 1080p Video and Removable Battery

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Ring today launched the Video Doorbell 2 with 1080p video, up from 720p, and a removable, rechargeable battery pack.

ring-video-doorbell-2.jpg

Ring's original Video Doorbell also has a battery, but it's not removable, so the whole doorbell has to be unmounted and taken inside every six to twelve months or so to be recharged with an included Micro-USB cable. A removable battery pack makes recharging the video doorbell much more convenient.

Alternatively, the Video Doorbell 2 can continue to be hardwired with an 8-24 VAC transformer part of existing wired doorbell setups.

Ring's second-generation video doorbell also features customizable, interchangeable silver and brown faceplates, and improved infrared night vision with a 160º field of view and 180º horizontal motion detection angle. It continues to have two-way audio with noise cancellation, and so-called bank-grade encryption.

ring-video-doorbell-2-mac-iphone.jpg

Ring connects to a home's Wi-Fi network and streams live video and audio to a paired iPhone and iPad through the free Ring Video Doorbell app on the App Store [Direct Link]. Video recordings can be saved in the cloud for up to 60 days with Ring's optional $30 per year, per camera subscription plan.

Ring's Video Doorbell and Video Doorbell 2 are not compatible with Apple HomeKit. A company spokesperson said the Ring Pro and Floodlight Cam will be HomeKit compatible most likely by the end of this year.

Ring is accepting orders for the Video Doorbell 2 on its website for $199, the same introductory price as its original Video Doorbell, now $179. The sleeker, hardwired-only Video Doorbell Pro is also available for $249.

Ring said the Video Doorbell 2 is also available today at all 15,000 major U.S. retailers that carry its devices, including Best Buy and Home Depot.

Article Link: Ring Launches Second-Generation Video Doorbell With 1080p Video and Removable Battery
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/06/19/ring-video-doorbell-2/
a slight but important clarification: the hardwired pro requires a 16-24 VAC transformer and does NOT work with 8 VAC
 
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A 1080p video camera on your doorbell makes about as much sense as putting a Xeon into an iMac.
 
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Reactions: Avieshek
emm386 said:
A 1080p video camera on your doorbell makes about as much sense as putting a Xeon into an iMac.
Click to expand...
Oh, so then you agree it's a good idea, then?

With the fairly wide-angle lens that those "security" applications have (which tend to make things look smaller), having high resolution really helps when you are trying to zoom-in on something digitally.
 
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MacRumors said:
Video recordings can be saved in the cloud for up to 60 days with Ring's optional $30 per year, per camera subscription plan.

Ring's Video Doorbell and Video Doorbell 2 are not compatible with Apple HomeKit. A company spokesperson said the Ring Pro and Floodlight Cam will be HomeKit compatible most likely by the end of this year.
Click to expand...

They are dragging their feet on HomeKit support because supporting HomeKit would mean customers no longer have to subscribe to their monthly service to see the device remotely.
 
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Just installed my Ring Pro yesterday. It's pretty cool! I'm looking forward to a motion alert notification so I can see the mailman coming today :)

My wife and I are planning on replacing our two floodlights with the Ring floodlight units also. Now if only they would update the Stick Up lights to 1080p!
 
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No HomeKit? No deal.

Device is intriguing but w/o HomeKit and unless and until I can save the video data to my iCloud Drive, instead of having a separate subscription service, I don't think I'll be buying one.
 
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OriginalMacRat said:
They are dragging their feet on HomeKit support because supporting HomeKit would mean customers no longer have to subscribe to their monthly service to see the device remotely.
Click to expand...

It astounds me how uninformed some are. You don't have to pay a monthly fee for the doorbell or remote access. If you want to have the recordings that are automatically made when there is motion or the doorbell rings, then that does cost and it's all of $30 a year. But the basic operation is not extra.
[doublepost=1497895358][/doublepost]
JRobinsonJr said:
Without the subscription you can only get the audio/video feed while on the same network. With it - for $30/year - you can view it from anywhere.

So yeah... you need a subscription to view a doorbell. Kinda silly if you ask me.
Click to expand...

NO. NO. NO. That is completely wrong!
[doublepost=1497895414][/doublepost]
Robert.Walter said:
No HomeKit? No deal.

Device is intriguing but w/o HomeKit and unless and until I can save the video data to my iCloud Drive, instead of having a separate subscription service, I don't think I'll be buying one.
Click to expand...

I tried homekit last year. It's fine in the house. But remotely, using the apple tv, was a disaster. I'll never ever buy another homekit product.
[doublepost=1497895466][/doublepost]
b0nd18t said:
Shame they didnt change how enormous and ugly it is
Click to expand...

I have one. It's size is quite fine and it looks great. Many visitors have actually commented on how attractive it is. I'm glad they didn't change it.
 
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The only thing keeping me from buying the doorbell cam and a rear floodlight cam along with the alarm is HomeKit support. I want to be able to do the following:
  • If someone approaches the front door at night, have it turn on a light inside, wait 10 seconds, and then turn on all five of my under eave floodlights.
  • If someone approaches my rear floodlight, turn on the lights for my other three back doors in 20 second succession.
  • If they continue to linger for more than 30 seconds near either device, have it auto trigger the alarm speaker. From what I've read, the system can discern between people and animals so it should work. I also don't get many larger animals in my back yard because I have a privacy fence.
  • If someone approaches the front door during the day, flash a specific light in the house. My wife runs a daycare downstairs, and it would be good to know if someone is creeping around outside. I guess she could get phone alerts, but she's not always on her phone or able to pull it out when wrangling children. Sometimes grandparents will pick up, so they don't always remember their daycare code for our Schlage Smart Sense deadbolt. So it would be nice for her to see their face in Ring and quickly unlock the door using Siri.
Maybe I could do some of these things with IFTTT, but I'd rather have a native solution since I've been slowly going all HomeKit because I like the high security and Siri integration. There are a lot of companies out there leaving money on the table when it comes to people like me who just want a unified solution.
 
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It's operating conditions is -5F (-20C) to 120F (48C).
For an outdoor product, it would be nice if they were able to make -40F to 120F.

.
 
MacRumors said:



Ring today launched the Video Doorbell 2 with 1080p video, up from 720p, and a removable, rechargeable battery pack.

ring-video-doorbell-2.jpg

Ring's original Video Doorbell also has a battery, but it's not removable, so the whole doorbell has to be unmounted and taken inside every six to twelve months or so to be recharged with an included Micro-USB cable. A removable battery pack makes recharging the video doorbell much more convenient.

Alternatively, the Video Doorbell 2 can continue to be hardwired with an 8-24 VAC transformer part of existing wired doorbell setups.

Ring's second-generation video doorbell also features customizable, interchangeable silver and brown faceplates, and improved infrared night vision with a 160º field of view and 180º horizontal motion detection angle. It continues to have two-way audio with noise cancellation, and so-called bank-grade encryption.

ring-video-doorbell-2-mac-iphone.jpg

Ring connects to a home's Wi-Fi network and streams live video and audio to a paired iPhone and iPad through the free Ring Video Doorbell app on the App Store [Direct Link]. Video recordings can be saved in the cloud for up to 60 days with Ring's optional $30 per year, per camera subscription plan.

Ring's Video Doorbell and Video Doorbell 2 are not compatible with Apple HomeKit. A company spokesperson said the Ring Pro and Floodlight Cam will be HomeKit compatible most likely by the end of this year.

Ring is accepting orders for the Video Doorbell 2 on its website for $199, the same introductory price as its original Video Doorbell, now $179. The sleeker, hardwired-only Video Doorbell Pro is also available for $249.

Ring said the Video Doorbell 2 is also available today at all 15,000 major U.S. retailers that carry its devices, including Best Buy and Home Depot.

Article Link: Ring Launches Second-Generation Video Doorbell With 1080p Video and Removable Battery
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1497901791][/doublepost]I have the hard wired ring bell and I am very satisfied now. Before a had the battery version, but got crazy from charging the bell each and every 3-4 weeks. With the hard wired version the response is much faster too. I would not recommend the battery version with/without the changeable battery.
 
They said same BS last year when I bought my HomeKit pro - they were to have HomeKit support by end of the year (last year). I don't believe anything get this company says now. If a competing product comes along that is good with HomeKit support I will cut my losses and buy it.
 
OriginalMacRat said:
They are dragging their feet on HomeKit support because supporting HomeKit would mean customers no longer have to subscribe to their monthly service to see the device remotely.
Click to expand...

The subscription service isn’t for seeing the device remotely, it’s for backing up more than 30 days of recorded activity videos.
 
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