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A video doorbell is the perfect gadget if you want to start converting your house into a smart home. Video doorbells, also called Wi-Fi doorbells, smart doorbells or doorbell cameras, use a camera, speaker, microphone, motion sensor and an internet connection to detect visitors and activity on your doorstep. You then see and hear live video and can talk to the visitor.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t respond, the doorbell can record the event for you to watch later \u2013 like voicemail for your home. You can also drop-in on your doorbell anytime to see live video of your front door.<\/p>\n
We like cool gadgets<\/a> here at\u00a0BBC Science Focus<\/em>, so we tested a selection of the best smart doorbells and picked our favourites. We chose the Arlo Video Doorbell<\/a> as our top pick as the best video doorbell because it offered the best balance of price, features and performance. It\u2019s smart enough to work out when to alert you and when to leave you alone, offers great video and audio quality and comes with a siren feature if you need to scare someone off.<\/p>\n However, there are as many different needs out there as there are door knockers, so read on to see which is the best smart doorbell for you.<\/p>\n If you have an existing, working doorbell the chances are you can install a wired smart doorbell. A wired-in buzzer is better than battery-powered because you don\u2019t need to worry about charging it and it will ring your existing doorbell chime. They\u2019re also more reliable for capturing all the action on your doorstep compared to their wire-free siblings, which have to \u201cwake-up\u201d before they start recording \u2013 resulting in the common \u201cback of the head problem\u201d (when all you get is a clip of someone walking away). The downside is a more complicated installation process, which you might need to call an electrician to carry out.<\/p>\n When it comes to security camera footage, quality matters. You want at least 1080p HD resolution or you\u2019ll be left with barely visible recording. Super HD (1440p and higher, also known as 2K) gets you sharper, clearer images. Digital zoom, 6x or higher, is also something to consider \u2013 especially if you might want to zoom in on a licence plate number as it sideswipes your parked car. And unless you have an always lit front porch, night vision is a must.<\/p>\n If you just want to see who\u2019s at your door when they\u2019re there, and bark instructions at them from behind the safety of your smartphone screen, then you don\u2019t need to pay a monthly subscription. But if you like the idea of literal \u201cvisual voicemail\u201d for your house, pony up a few quid a month and get recordings of anyone who comes to your door (whether they press the button or not). Features that cut down on how many times you need to pull your phone out of your pocket to check on your front door include customisable motion zones to cut out a busy street and smart notifications that only alert you if there are people or packages on your porch. Some of these require a subscription.<\/p>\n Scroll down for more information on what to keep in mind when choosing the best video doorbell for you.<\/p>\n Read more about smart homes:<\/strong><\/p>\nWhat do I need to know before I buy a smart video doorbell?<\/h2>\n