Ring Cameras - What would I be leaving on the table?

[snmhanson]

We moved into a newly built house about three months ago and I am working on finishing off some of the automation systems.  I ran cat6 to various locations for security cameras and am getting ready to move on to that.  I just installed a Ring Elite doorbell and it seems to work well which got me considering using their cameras for my outdoor video surveillance system of three cameras.  I like how accessible the system is and how easily it integrates with Alexa and other main-stream products.  Some of the other systems I have looked at all seem to require quite a bit of effort to get set up and integrate into other systems which I'm not sure I have time for.
 
Now, I know this would not be as robust a system as some of the other options I've considered, but it would be very easy.  Obviously I would lose at-home video storage and have to rely on the Ring cloud service.  And I suppose integrating it into any other automation systems would be a challenge at best.  However, what else would I be losing out on by going with a Ring "system"?  It would be such an easy plug and play solution, but if there are too many negatives (or just one or two significant negatives) I will probably abandon that plan and stick with a more flexible/powerful system.  Any thoughts on this?
 
Thanks,
 
Matt

 

[lanbrown]

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/ring-video-doorbell-security-flaw-hack/
 
https://www.protectamerica.com/home-security-blog/safe-sound/ring-doorbell-hack_25196
 
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/27/18243296/ring-doorbell-hacked-fake-images-security-experts
 
https://nypost.com/2019/01/11/employees-at-amazons-ring-have-been-spying-on-customers/
 
Being 100% reliant on the cloud is not a good position to be in.

 

[snmhanson]

Thanks for the reply - certainly something to think about.  We live in a pretty small town so those issues probably aren't as big a concern for us compared to those who live in larger cities, but still shouldn't be ignored.  The biggest reasons for cameras for us are to be able to check in around the house and to be able to see (and keep a record) of who's coming and going.  I'm not really concerned with people using our exterior cameras to spy on us and inserting fake video into our streams probably wouldn't be a big deal since I won't be using the cameras as a part of our entry control.  That said, you never know how our usage of them may evolve over time and we may end up relying on them in the future for reasons warned about in those links.
 
Thanks again for the post and I will definitely keep all that in mind when working towards a decision on what system to go with.
 
Matt

 

[lanbrown]

For a local DVR to use with camera, it is hard to pass Blue Iris up for the price.  Albeit apparently the next version will see a price increase on June 1st.
 
There are a lot of affordable cameras available to use.  Some require flashing different software on them.

 

[snmhanson]

Thanks again for the replies.  I have looked at Blue Iris previously - and I just did again.  In theory it appears to be a great solution and I know a lot of people here use it.  The only thing is it seems to me to require more tinkering and there are many more variables when compared to a plug and play solution.  I'm sure I could figure it all out and get it running, but for this house I am trying to keep out automation/security as simple and straight-forward as I can.  For whatever reason, the more self-contained a system is the better and more reliable results I seem to get from it.  That said, I can certainly see the value and flexibility Blue Iris offers. 
 
One question concerning Blue Iris - would I be able to or integrate it onto my main office computer or does it work best on it's own dedicated computer (or at least a computer dedicated to automation systems)?
 
Thanks,
 
Matt

 

[lanbrown]

Depends on the computer, the number of camera and/or MP's of the cameras.  It does use the CPU and Intel based systems have better performance because of the Quick Sync they have and Blue Iris can use.  This does cut CPU usage down.  I have my instance running on a small dedicated tucked behind a bookshelf in my office.  So I never see it.  You can buy some pretty cheap system to run it on.