A 43% price increase will occur to the Ring Protect subscription plan from the start of March
If you have a Ring doorbell then you will already know about the ridiculous 43% price increase on the Ring Protect subscription plan that is hitting you from the 11th March if you are in the UK. This subscription plan allows you to save, download, and share footage from your Ring doorbell and video cameras. If you don't have this subscription then you will only be able to see the live view of your camera and will not be able to look at previously recorded footage.
This has annoyed me for a long time, well before this price increase was announced. The reason this irritates me so much is because this whole subscription based model is unnecessary, and you could actually be saving yourself hundreds of pounds by simply using a different product that even offers a better experience.
Ring was one of the very first video doorbells to enter the market way back in 2014, and it became very popular almost immediately. This early market entry and surge in popularity made it the go to video doorbell and is what you will see mounted outside of most peoples homes. However, there are a lot of new video doorbells floating around the smart home market and a lot of them do not require a subscription. This lack of subscription doesn't mean you are losing out on any features, it just means you are saving yourself money whilst still getting the same experience you would from a Ring device on a costly subscription plan.
Eufy are a reputable smart home manufacturer who are proving to produce very popular products at an affordable price tag.
They have a whole range of video doorbells for you to choose from, but the Video Doorbell 2K is a brilliant product at a great price. It provides a crystal clear video image at
2560 x 1920 resolution, is able to identify the human body and faces, has built-in 4GB of storage, can be viewed from anywhere in the world, and there is no subscription needed to access its features.
It's important to note that the video footage captured is stored on the doorbell itself. You can get one of Eufys other doorbells that record onto a hub in your home know as the "HomeBase". Not only does this mean your video footage is stored securely, but it allows you to record even more footage as it has a larger storage capacity.
Reolink are another reputable smart home manufacturer who are delivering some excellent products at a great price. They are also who we would recommend if you are looking to get a new video doorbell, or if you are wanting to replace your existing one due to insane price increases...
Unlike Eufys large selection of doorbells, Reolink likes to keep things simple as they only have two doorbells to choose from. One of them is a WiFi doorbell, and the other is a PoE doorbell, but both of them need to be wired and do not support batteries. If you are confused about the term PoE, I would advise sticking with the WiFi doorbell, or consulting with a professional before making a decision.
Reolink also offer a wide variety of robust security cameras that the doorbell can seamlessly integrate with, making them the perfect whole home solution when it comes to your security cameras. Although Eufy offer security cameras too, Reolink is our advised option, as they have a greater selection and will provide you with a better user experience.
Still confused?
If you are still scratching your head as to what the best option is for your particular situation, then don't hesitate to get in contact with us. Our video doorbell and camera consultations are free, and we can discuss what option is suited for you whilst also answering any burning questions you might have.
If you only want some free advice to help you make a decision that is perfectly okay. However, we also offer installation if you don't want to go through the hassle of doing it all yourself.
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