What You Be Wary of Installing a $100 Doorbell Button Outside Your House?

[drvnbysound]

Heh, I thought the concern was a potential thief seeing the doorbell (if they recognize it) and realizing they were on camera before breaking into a home... not actually trying to steal the doorbell itself.

If they don't know you have one before they get there... wouldn't they already be on camera (probably not disguised very well since they weren't expecting to be on camera)? I don't foresee a market where criminals start going door-to-door to steal doorbells - there are MUCH better ways to do this and it's not door-to-door for a $100 MSRP item. I'm much more concerned about the items inside my home than ANYTHING on the outside.

 

[znelbok]

A lot of negativity in this thread - maybe not negativity, but not a lot of inspiring posts.

Give this guy a little support - I am sure you would like the support if it were you.

A $100 doorbell is not a lot of money compared to other things around the house. As an example, my C-Bus motion snesors are worth a lot more than that and are just as easy to steal. I would not be concerned about theft.

A few comments on asthetics - loose the screws top and bottom (or what look like screws).
a tall thin button is sometimes needed but maybe look at a different scale for width to height.

Make it a wired camera (option) as indicated previously as everyone here knows that iPhone apps do not make a device part of an automted home - they are just for those who just dont know ay better and we here prefere to have integrated homes. If that is not what your goal is then that is fine (aka Nest did the same thing - its not for an automated home - yet) I am sure you will capture a lot of people who will still be interested.

Good luck with your project

Mick

 

[biz123]

A lot of negativity in this thread - maybe not negativity, but not a lot of inspiring posts.

Give this guy a little support - I am sure you would like the support if it were you.

A $100 doorbell is not a lot of money compared to other things around the house. As an example, my C-Bus motion snesors are worth a lot more than that and are just as easy to steal. I would not be concerned about theft.

A few comments on asthetics - loose the screws top and bottom (or what look like screws).
a tall thin button is sometimes needed but maybe look at a different scale for width to height.

Make it a wired camera (option) as indicated previously as everyone here knows that iPhone apps do not make a device part of an automted home - they are just for those who just dont know ay better and we here prefere to have integrated homes. If that is not what your goal is then that is fine (aka Nest did the same thing - its not for an automated home - yet) I am sure you will capture a lot of people who will still be interested.

Good luck with your project

Mick

Hello Mick. I appreciate it. My goal is to create the world's first smartphone connected doorbell, not an ugly IP camera with a button, which is DoorBot.

 

[az1324]

Doorbot made a lot of practical but necessary design choices which influence its form factor but yes it could be styled less industrial. For example: IR illumination, adjustable camera angle, speakers loud enough to be heard over road noise, enough space for batteries. When you have a 3D render (with all internal parts accounted for) or a prototype then come back and show it off.

 

[drvnbysound]

A lot of negativity in this thread - maybe not negativity, but not a lot of inspiring posts.

Give this guy a little support - I am sure you would like the support if it were you.

A $100 doorbell is not a lot of money compared to other things around the house. As an example, my C-Bus motion snesors are worth a lot more than that and are just as easy to steal. I would not be concerned about theft.

A few comments on asthetics - loose the screws top and bottom (or what look like screws).
a tall thin button is sometimes needed but maybe look at a different scale for width to height.

Make it a wired camera (option) as indicated previously as everyone here knows that iPhone apps do not make a device part of an automted home - they are just for those who just dont know ay better and we here prefere to have integrated homes. If that is not what your goal is then that is fine (aka Nest did the same thing - its not for an automated home - yet) I am sure you will capture a lot of people who will still be interested.

Good luck with your project

Mick

I know I'd want support, but I'd also want straightforward information/feedback. I'd want to know what it is that people want - assuming I want to be successful. If I (or anyone else) builds something that no one wants... well you get the point.

Hello Mick. I appreciate it. My goal is to create the world's first smartphone connected doorbell, not an ugly IP camera with a button, which is DoorBot.

Personally, I have no use for a doorbell that's can only be viewed via smartphone. I want a camera that can be recorded (e.g. DVR) for forensic purposes, and able to be viewed live from multiple places in my home (e.g. integrated with other A/V equipment). This is obviously an automation board... So for example, if I'm sitting on the couch watching TV and someone rings the doorbell, I want my TV to display who's there. 99% of the time I drop off my phone on our kitchen bar or my nightstand shortly after coming home from work. I usually check it 1-2x throughout the evening to see if I have any emails or messages, but I don't always have it on me when I'm at home. So if I have to get up to grab my phone, it would be just as easy for me to make my way to the door. However, this would be a nice feature to have if I wasn't at home... if got an alert and was directed to live video of someone being at my door. But, does someone have to ring the doorbell to get the alert? What if it's a mailman/UPS/FedEX guy who just drops off a package, knows I'm not home and doesn't ring the bell. OR, as eluded to earlier, what if it's someone actually breaking in, or attempting to - they aren't going to ring the doorbell. So motion based alerts are also needed...

I'd prefer not to have stand-alone systems or devices. I want integrated solutions

 

[oberkc]

I am not worried about someone stealing a doorbell button. I already have lots of items around the outside of the house far more vailuable than $100, and easier to steal. This includes a few IP-enabled video cameras. No...worry of theft would not be a concern for me.

I am similar minded to drvnbysound...my biggest factor in purchasing such a device is not whether it will be stolen, but whether it can be integrated with the rest of my stuff. I am not interested in a single-provider solution, requiring going through a third-party web page to view the video. For me to be interested in such a device, it must provide internet-streaming video capable of being viewed directly via IP, port number and username/password, using my chosen app (just like the hundreds of IP cameras on the market already). It also has to be installable without adding new wire.

 

[biz123]

I am not worried about someone stealing a doorbell button. I already have lots of items around the outside of the house far more vailuable than $100, and easier to steal. This includes a few IP-enabled video cameras. No...worry of theft would not be a concern for me.

I am similar minded to drvnbysound...my biggest factor in purchasing such a device is not whether it will be stolen, but whether it can be integrated with the rest of my stuff. I am not interested in a single-provider solution, requiring going through a third-party web page to view the video. For me to be interested in such a device, it must provide internet-streaming video capable of being viewed directly via IP, port number and username/password, using my chosen app (just like the hundreds of IP cameras on the market already). It also has to be installable without adding new wire.

I'll take this into account, thank you guys for your opinions.

 

[znelbok]

Personally, I have no use for a doorbell that's can only be viewed via smartphone. I want a camera that can be recorded (e.g. DVR) for forensic purposes, and able to be viewed live from multiple places in my home (e.g. integrated with other A/V equipment).
........
I'd prefer not to have stand-alone systems or devices. I want integrated solutions

I agree completely, but there must be a large market out there becasue just about manufacture makes some stupid app for their "connected" device. I recently saw an add for a spa that had an app to control it. This stupidity needs to stop.

TV manufactures need to wake up as well - they make apps to control their TV's but nothing for the integrator to use.

 

[drvnbysound]

I don't know if it's really a market as much as just being used a marketing tool... to try to encourage people to buy their product or services simply because there is an app that "connects" the customer. Unfortunately, it's "these customers" who don't know any better... that don't see the larger picture of a truly integrated lifestyle.

For example, how many shopping websites require an account to make a purchase? Most all of them, right? I don't even know if I could count all the sites that I have accounts to from purchases I've made, and I'm pretty selective as to who I shop with.... I've said it for years, that it sure would be nice if I had a single set of login credentials which allowed me to purchase from any site, but it would take an integration software piece of serious proportion to accomplish this. Unfortunately, I feel like the majority of people either don't care or don't know that it's something they want, but would seriously appreciate if it happened. PayPal is making it easier, but you usually still have to have a set of login credentials for the individual sites.