Ring recently launched a new version of the Ring Video Doorbell, which they are just calling it Video Doorbell 2. This new unit comes with better specs and brings it closer to what the Pro version offers. Pricing is also in between the standard Ring Video Doorbell and Pro version.
A couple of weeks ago, I just installed the Video Doorbell Pro at my house and multiple friends of ours has installed the basic Video Doorbell at their homes so we have quite a bit of personal experience on how these units work.
Pros
The Video Doorbell 2 brings some nice upgrades from the base version. Video quality has now been increased to 1080P from 720P. The Pro version already records at 1080P so the Doorbell 2 brings it on par with the Pro version.
Removable batteries mean that you don’t need to remove the whole unit to charge it. And, if you have 2 batteries, you can swap the batteries and keep the doorbell mounted and working while charging the dead battery.
Cons
These cons are more in line with comparisons to the Pro version.
The Video Doorbell 2 still uses a battery while the Pro version is completely hardwired only. Even if you hardwire the Doorbell 2, it will still use battery power and you will eventually have to remove it to charge, but not as often.
All houses have doorbells and it’s fairly simple to hardwire it. I installed the Pro version myself and wired up the power kit into the existing doorbell easily. The hardest part was finding out which breaker disabled the power to the doorbell to work on it. I think I switched off half the breakers in the house before finding the right one.
With the Pro version, I never have to worry about batteries.
Video Recording Differences
Video recording also operates a bit differently between the Pro and the battery operated versions. With the Doorbell and Doorbell 2, video recording starts when motion is triggered, which sounds correct, right? But, there have been complaints that the video started recording after the person was already at the door so you don’t see that person walking up to the door.
With the Pro version, I found something odd, but a great feature. I tested the motion at my house several times and I noticed that the recorded videos all start with me out of the video frame. Then you’ll notice me walking around the corner of the house about 15ft from the door. It almost seems like the video started recording before I even triggered the motion since I was around the corner and not even in view of the doorbell. Can the Video Doorbell see through walls? No.
With the Pro version, because it is hardwired only without batteries, the video is constantly recording in the background. So, when it detects motion, the uploaded recorded video starts about 2 seconds before the triggered motion so it shows everything. You’ll never have recorded videos where the person is already at the door and you don’t see the person walking up with the Pro version.
Ending Thoughts
The Video Doorbell 2 does add some nice upgrades from the base version and is a good buy. But, the better buy in my opinion is the Pro version. The biggest advantage is how it records the video. Even though both the Pro and Doorbell 2 have 1080P recording, you’ll never miss a thing with the Pro as the recorded videos start about 2 seconds before the triggered motion. With the battery powered Doorbell 2 and the regular Doorbell 2, recording only starts after motion is detected.
In my opinion, get the Pro version. You won’t regret it.
Ring Video Doorbell 2 – Amazon Product Page
Ring Video Doorbell Pro – Amazon Product Page