Ring vs Skybell vs Kuna vs?

While I’m glad it worked out for you, WiFi extenders traditionally just make a bad situation worse. I don’t recommend them in the slightest although some new WiFi ‘mesh’ designs are coming up which approach the problem in a slightly different way and do a much better job of it.

Personally though, there is no replacement for just having a separate router and multiple WiFi access points connected via Ethernet. I know this isn’t possible for a lot of people but for those who are building new houses or are able to run Ethernet, you’re much better off with that solution than any WiFi extender/mesh.

Yah I would have loved to have everything cabled, but it wasn’t feasible. That being said, it did the trick to get the Ring Pro working properly for the time being. Ultimately my point was make sure you have a good WIFI signal to the doorbell if you’re planning on getting it.

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I am re-hijacking this thread… Trying to pull the trigger on either the Skybell HD or Ring - both on sale Skybell HD at $140 and Ring $125 and Ring Pro for $200. I have read mixed reviews on both which is making this process harder. I had my mind set on Ring for $125 at Best Buy and getting the $30 yearly cloud subscription. However, Skybell came out with their offer today which includes cloud recording at no extra charge. However, I read different reviews compaining that Skybell’s cloud storage is not reliable as the videos are not always available to be watched whereas paying $30 seems to have be fair to avoid not having access to recorded videos…

Where is the Ring Pro for 200 at?

Note my response in that thread about their sales tax shenanigans…

And this is why I came to this forum instead of trusting Amazon reviews. Thanks!

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The choice between Ring and Skybell is yours although I personally recommend Ring and if you have a powered doorbell I would personally not even consider anything else but the Ring Pro.

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Does anyone have experience with both Ring Pro and Skybell HD? I got the Skybell HD and the WiFi reception seems to be weak - a tablet at the same spot gets above 40 SNR whereas Skybell HD only gets 24. I wonder if Ring Pro has any better WiFi performance.

Woohoo! It’s a small thing, but you can now control the Kuna porch light through Alexa. :sunglasses::bulb:

It’s just on/off for the light, nothing with the camera, but it’s still nice to add this to my outdoor lights group.

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I have a skybell hd POS, yes. And I would recommend highly that you return it immediately. Their customer service is an absolute joke. I had to get a replacement, which also didn’t work, and they had claimed I would be refunded for the entire cost if the replacement didn’t work. Well, when it didn’t, the representatives claimed I had a poor internet connection, and skybell couldn’t connect. But if that’s the case, how was I able to get notified everytime someone rang my bell, on my phone? Anyway, after months of them refusing to respond to my emails, I filed a BBB claim against them (you should check their rating btw) and a few days later, before I got my response, the Skybell tech JUSTIN finally responded and asked for allt he pertinent info for my refund. Next day, on BBB, some crusty chick Crystal said I was outside of the warranty period (which is a year, and I have only had it for six months) and that she was blocking all communication from me, and that I was SOL. Save yourself the time.

I highly recommend the Ring as well. I am using the original ring and it’s completely wireless, it works well practically no delay and very satisfied. The only con I have noticed is at night sometimes it takes an additional second or two for the night vision to actually kick in, but that’s about it; BTW I haven’t subscribed.

It all depends on the settings, I have my Ring Pro jacked to the max on the sensitivity setting and on the recordings now it’s starting before what was supposed to have triggered the motion in the first place.

As for the video quality, can anyone post a clip to demonstrate? Genuinely interested.

Kuna runs on AC mains, yes? It has access to much better power than Ring or Skybell. Kuna is always recording, and it keeps a 2-3 second buffered video. When it detects motion, the recording starts with the buffered video and then continues with the live recording.

Ring runs on AC mains… but post-doorbell transformer, so it’s getting 12-24vAC and limited current. Current is limited because it’s installed as a parasitic device positioned as a momentary switch (like an original doorbell button).

So, that’s why Kuna’s motioned-detection video is awesome, and why getting the same to run off the power from the doorbell wires is difficult. I have a Ring Classic and a Ring Pro, and I’m very happy with the product and the customer service.

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Quite true although mine does seem to be doing a lot better with the sensitivity turned right up now.

With that being said you’re pretty much spot on about the issues Ring/Skybell face. Ring Elite will alleviate pretty much ALL the issues faced by Ring/Skybell but it’s VERY expensive and the amount of people who have PoE by their doorbell is probably next to zero.

Just chiming in here on how worthless the SkyBell HD is.

I bought it based on the great reviews I read and the integration with SmartThings. It installed easily, looks great and the night time video quality is exceptional. That’s where the good ends though.

The motion detection on the SkyBell is a joke. A delivery driver can walk up to our door, ring the doorbell, and drop off a package, then turn around and walk back down the sidewalk and get in their truck. The only thing the doorbell captures is the driver’s back as he walks the last 5 feet to his truck (and our house is a good 40-50 ft from the street). What’s the point of capturing the back of people who are up to no good - they obviously aren’t going to be loitering at my front door.

The quality of the microphone / speaker on the doorbell is questionable. Most attempts at a conversation with someone at the front door aren’t audible and ends up resulting in mass confusion.

The reliability of the doorbell is also terrible. Someone just rang the doorbell and my wife’s phone received a notification saying that someone pressed the button, while my phone didn’t receive anything. When trying to view the video “on demand” as SkyBell calls it, it often times results in a black screen and you have to restart the app.

And finally, let’s talk about customer service. I really wanted to like this product so after trying everything listed in the knowledge base, I contacted customer support to ask about the motion detection and the delay in recording. Below are their responses…seriously, what’s the point of the product if their own technical support teams says that you should buy a separate security camera!!!

All this to say that I’m returning the SkyBell HD and trying out the Ring Pro.

Responses from SkyBell HD Technical Support
"I understand that the motion sensor is recording video but is capturing the back of the delivery driver as they walk away.

Please consult the motion sensor settings and read each high medium and low description to choose the one that best suits your needs.

It does have a built in 10 second delay before going off as we do not want the sensor detecting you or your household members as they come and go as this would annoy most people."

AND

“Our SkyBell is first and foremost a WiFi video doorbell. Most people pair our device with NEST security cameras that have instant motion detection video recording. Our SkyBell works well with NEST products!”

I have the ring running on battery. It’s pretty much instant on all my devices when someone triggers the door bell. For motion one problem I ran into is that I had to install my door bell almost at shoulder height when standing beside it (otherwise at one point in the day the sun hits the camera just right that you don’t see anything…), and my door itself is a good 10 steps high… so unless you are at the top 5 steps it won’t pick up the motion. Its been great!

Well that 10 second delay is basically the reason I won’t be buying the Skybell now. So does the Ring Pro have any delay? Our neighborhood is having packages stolen from porches. I need something to start recording as soon as someone steps onto my sidewalk. Am I better off just buying a wireless IP camera if I want something to turn on as soon as it senses motion?

I don’t have the Ring Pro but rather the original. Haven’t really noticed any delays. You can also adjust the sensitivity to detect motion from as far as possible.

I had the Ring Classic (my term :slight_smile:) on my front door for a while. Worked great, but it uses IR for motion detection. In the middle of winter, everyone has thick coats and it’s often single digits-- so IR was questionable. I switched to the Ring Pro on my front door, which is motion detection by visual changes, not IR. Fixed the winter problem, but it introduced some problems with direct sunlight. So, I installed one of Ring’s new Wedge Kits to direct it more downwards, and that solved almost all instances of direct sunlight and also improved the overall video experience. My house also has a low approach (15’ above street level), so the Wedge Kit improved the video angle a lot!

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