John, we will have an upgrade program, yet have not announced it. It is coming though!
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You can now do this through our IFTTT Channel: http://blog.skybell.com/skybell-hd-works-with-ifttt/
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Looks nice but a lot of us have the older skybell 2.0. Any word on either upgrade program or making a channel compatible for the 2.0?
FYIā¦ skybell announced their upgrade program for existing usersā¦ $40 off the HD unit
you have to email support@skybell.com to get your unique codeā¦
Hopefully someday @SkyBellAndrew will announce direct ST integration like they did for Xfinity usersā¦
thanks
@SkyBellAndrew Do you have any update on whether your API will be opened anytime now or in the future? Also, would it be possible to use SkyBell as any other IP cameraā¦with standard NVR softwares like Blue Iris?
Hi Devesh, This is certainly on the roadmap. We have a number of integration partners weāll be releasing this spring.
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Hi Ashutosh, Not to take the easy way out, but itās hard to comment about the future. Our roadmap shifts quickly given market demands, resources and strategy. At this time, we donāt plan to open the camera feed via an open API. We are looking forward to working with the right partners to deliver video to controlled endpoints. SkyBell HD also has free video recording in the cloud, available now.
thanks for the update. Looking forward to the integrationā¦ Please let me know if you are looking for testersā¦ Will be glad to help test the ST integration
@SkyBellAndrew Any update, Iām ready to buy this product whenever it integrate to SmartThings.
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Iāve recently purchased a Skybell 2.0 via a Woot sale. I do have to say I would be upset if I purchased one of your products for full price only to find out your API will remain closed or in a semi open state. Skybell really needs to release the full api in as open a state as possible for the following reasons:
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Your Android app is quite frankly terrible. While I knew going in that you have an issue with tmobile samsung phones, you also have an issue with all other android phones (Iām a developer and have quite a few including a LG G3, Mytouch 4g, and others) as well as android tablets (nexus 7 2012 and others). I had to use my ipad to set up the skybell on my wifi. I cannot answer my door at all 50% of the time via the app when Iām on wifi, and not at all when Iām away via the cellular network. By comparison my company iphone will answer the door most every time no matter if Iām on wifi or cellular. You really should open this API up and let us take a wack at making a better android experience for you.
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Your competition isnāt open. This is all the more reason why you should drop your closed architecture and open things up. By allowing the maker community direct access to your systems we can make more effective integrations. IFTTT is a start for people who are customizers but itās almost useless for a developer. We need direct API level access to make effective applications.
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People who invest in this sort of technology are usually more technically minded than most. If you donāt open the API for us some may just take it as an excuse to learn how to reverse engineer the API ourselves. Using a network monitor and some open source utilities we should be able to snag enough information to slap something together.
Be our partner, not a road block!
Thanks for the offer. Weāre keeping the beta testing in house for now, but will let you know. Weāre very close.
I understood there is an upgrade program but it seems as one of the first buyers of the Skybell on Kickstarter I am left out? Point is I live in The Netherlands and you seem to only ship to the US nowadays. Would be ok if Skybell v1 was also supported through IFTTT but seems I need the HD version which I canāt buy?
I would hesitate purchasing from Skybell for this reason. Most companies continue with software and firmware upgrades until the hardware can no longer practically support them. Skybell, on the other hand has a history of dropping work on existing platforms in favor of the next product.
They leave you with a feeling of a half baked product and a continual bait and switch to cough up money for their next half baked version.
Hi Martin, Sorry to hear this. As a small startup, we made the decision to no longer directly support international customers and now ship only to the US. You can obtain SkyBell HDs from our European distributor. The SkyBell v1 was built off $585k in crowdfunding and was an award-winning device at CES. It was shipped 4 months after our Indiegogo campaign ended and only 6 months after we started the company. Weāre very proud of that device. The HD is built on an entirely new platform with our robust SkyBell Connect API program. So itās unclear as to whether or not v1 and v2 will be made backwards compatible.
SkyBell HD is a great product. CNET just said that the SkyBell HD is āleading the packā of video doorbells and gave us 4 stars. Honeywell, Alarm.com, Monitronics, Comcast, Nest, Apple Homekit and Amazon Echo/Alexa have all chosen to work with SkyBell HD. IFTTT is an open platform and we are the only video doorbell with bi-directional API communication on IFTTT - resulting in triggers and actions. You can be confident with SkyBell and SkyBell HD. Those companies chose us for a reason. We will continue to support the operation of v1 and v2 while always innovating with future products, partners and software integrations.
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The SkyBell Classic app, and devices v1 and v2, have received firmware updates. They still work and perform the function they were promised. SkyBell HD is built on an entirely new platform. SkyBell is committed to supporting the products we sell, yet also steadfastly committed to innovating our products, software and partner integrations. Thatās why our list of partners is the longest in the connected doorbell space.
We very proud to be working with Honeywell, Nest, Alarm.com, Comcast, Apple HomeKit, Monitronics, Amazon and IFTTT. Another integration is coming out soon that Iām sure many folks will be happy with.
SkyBell HD was just rated the highest in the connected doorbell category at CNET, with the article saying: āThe SkyBell HD Wi-Fi Video Doorbellās 1080p camera and array of third-party integrations set it apart from the packā.
Weāre very proud of the validation from both the companies we work with and our stellar CNET review.
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@SkyBellAndrew congratulations on the CNET review.
One big over site in Meganās review, in my opinion, is not critiquing color night vision. You think she would at least comment on it. Are there any other third party reviews that demonstrate or comment on this feature?
Sorry to hear that you donāt support international customers. Itās nice that nowadays at least you can order a skybell within the EU. It would have been nicer if there was made an agreement with the distributor for similar discount for early customers as is the case in the US.
After all, also your international indiegogo backers did support you get your small startup funded, known and running. I think it would be nice if appreciation for that would be reflected towards all customers. Not just the ones in the US. Anyway, I enjoy the product but itās dissapointing that development of new functionality is so limited after such a short time for v1 users. Should not be too difficult to add REST API support to that too. I hope you will be able to add it for v1 and v2 users too in the future.
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Iāve been really disappointed in Skybell. I ordered the new version off their website to replace the 1.0 I have because I wanted the IFTTT integration. Four days went by and I finally got a sketchy email from someone claiming that my order was on hold until I could call and give them my credit card information (I paid with Paypal). It seemed like a scam and I told them this in the email. The guy ensured me it wasnāt and that I had to call to confirm my identity. What a pain in the ass. I buy hundreds of items online every year and I never have to call anyone to verify an order, thatās kind of the point of Paypal. Anyway, I tried three times to call this guy at the number he provided and he never answered. No voicemail to leave a message either. Whole experience left a very sour taste in my mouth and I never received a doorbell. Iām about to switch over to Ring.
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Do you have an update on your bad experience? I am about to order one myself.
Andrew, any update on when the ST integration might materialize?