Until recently I had been using an EZVIZ DB1C doorbell. I researched before I got it, and it worked immediately when bought. Then the company started playing dirty pool. Over the next two firmware updates (WIth nothing in the notes beyond “bugfixes and imrprovements”) they stripped out the ability to use a local RTSP stream then they stripped out the ability to use their Windows-only software to even re-enable any functionality. Then they jerked me around for over a month before they finally copped to what the company had done.
And of course there’s no way back to a working firmware.
I know people have mentioned Reolink and Amcrest before, but those models are no longer available.
Is there anything in the way of wired, mechanical-bell compatible doorbell cameras that work with HomeAssistant?
I’m so sick of companies that sell you one thing, then strip out the functionality that made it useful, shoving you into their cloud/app shit or leaving you stranded on whatever firmware the thing came with.
GRR
I have a Uniquiti G4 Doorbell Pro and a standard mechanical bell (I’m in Europe so it’s a Honeywell chime and the transformer came with the doorbell)
Integration with HA is good, but it does need some sort of Ubiquiti NVR at the very least to operate. I have a Dream Router as my main router so that functions as both. If you aren’t already using Ubiquiti gear this can get expensive quickly.
But the equipment is (in my experience, I know others have variable opinions, especially with software updates) very positive.
I have the G4 Doorbell, it’s worked well as doorbell and camera in both UniFi and Home Assistant.
I had no luck at all getting it to work with a chime though. I tried several different chimes and transformers and the chime would never work.
I ended up setting up automations to trigger device notifications and a bell sound on smart speakers to act as the chime instead.
I have the same issue. We have two unifi doorbells (previous model) and one chimes no problem but the second refuses to, even after transformer upgrades.
And despite having cloud integrations, if my WAN is offline I can still view my doorbell. I haven’t tested it HA received notifications or anything though, as I just rely on the Unifi Security app.