Description
Honeywell Intrusion DBCAM-TRIMBR VID DRBELL RECTANGULAR BRONZE
Honeywell SkyBell Slim Design 1080p Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Bronze Finish
$234.83
- Honeywell Intrusion DBCAM-TRIMBR
Additional information
| Weight | 6.4 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 8 × 6 × 4 cm |
| Product Dimensions | 8 x 6 x 4 inches |
| Item Weight | 6.4 ounces |
| ASIN | B0747Z7TPW |
| Item model number | DBCAM-TRIMBR |
| Date First Available | July 25 2017 |
| Manufacturer | SkyBell |
10 reviews for Honeywell SkyBell Slim Design 1080p Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Bronze Finish
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Chris –
I had higher expectations for a $200 smart doorbellAfter 1.5 years of use, here’s how my Skybell has held up:Purchased 2/15/18On 8/6/18, I found my Skybell unit with no power. Upon investigation, I discovered that the plastic loop on the bottom of the unit (the set screw on the bottom goes through this loop and holds the unit to the mounting bracket) was broken which allows the unit to push far enough away from the base to disconnect power. I was able to get the unit to power back on by literally “taping” the unit down to the mounting bracket base which is obviously only a temporary fix. After contacting Skybell support, they asked for a picture of the broken piece and proof of purchase from Amazon. I provided this the next day and didn’t here back from them until 8/20/18 after I sent 2 additional follow up emails. They said I need to go through the 3rd party seller. I’ve never heard of the manufacturer push back a defective item to the authorized reseller. Needless to say, I still have my broken Skybell.Software issues:1) Constantly disconnects from WiFi: I use an Eero mesh network system which is absolutely amazing and use 3 pucks (Basement, 1st floor, 2nd floor) to ensure total home coverage. The Skybell is literally located less than 6 feet from the main network puck, so WiFi signal from the Eero is not the problem.2) Image Quality: It’s rated as 1080p, but I can only use the 720p setting as the 1080p setting never loads the live video. I am also 8 times above the minimum required upload speed. (Minimum is 1.5 Mbps & I’m at 12Mbps). At 720p, the video is extremely grainy which only becomes worse when you try to zoom in. Sometimes, I have to try to watch the live video a few different times by closing the app and re-opening. If I switch to 480p, it will usually load the first time.3) Motion Detection: This feature is complete garbage. There are 3 sensitivity settings and I’ve tested all 3 for months at a time. If there’s even a slight breeze on a given day, you might as well turn off motion detection as you’ll get 100+ notifications that day on any of the sensitivity settings. To make matters worse, I will get a notification for around half of the cars that pass in front of our house (20+ feet away), but get around the same 50% notification when someone comes to our front door. I can’t tell you how many times I come home to find an important package sitting on our porch and no video recording of it being delivered through Skybell. There are some days I can stand right in front of the unit and waive my hand for 5 minutes and it doesn’t detect motion, but the next day, it picks up a single leaf blowing across our sidewalk. This is so frustrating!!4) Light color sometimes doesn’t switch back: There are 2 lights on this unit. The 1st is the lighted circle for the doorbell. The second is a light on top of the unit. The default color is green (you can change this though) until the unit detects motion or the doorbell button is pressed. Once that happens, both lights switch to “white.” This does 2 things: a) alerts visitor that the Skybell is recording (which I don’t like because the visitor can tell if it’s working or not if they are familiar with this unit) and b) the white light on top is kind of like a small flashlight that somewhat illuminates the visitors face (This is how you get a color image at night instead of using infrared to get a black & white image. The doorbell button light always returns to the default color, but the light on top of the unit sometimes will stay “white” for days before reverting back to the default color.
C. Norborg –
Very easy to install and set up. Much easier than Ring Pro for me!I got a “Ring Pro” for my birthday from my dad initially and had nothing but issues trying to hook it up. The doorbell itself never lit up at all, even when hooked directly into a brand new power supply that I got thinking I was having a “low power issue” they discuss in their literature. Their tech support acted like I knew nothing of what I was talking about, even though I provided them with very detailed input as to what was going on, including things like voltages and such. I finally got frustrated and returned it even though they wanted to ship me off some special cable they hadn’t include in it.So, I went and got this Skybell and wow, what a difference. I did have an issue with my first doorbell in that the anchor that holds the doorbell wiring in had what I believe to be a manufacturer defect, one of the two wouldn’t come out to allow me to secure the wire. Got a replacement and it installed super easy. With the ring there was something that had to go in where the actual bell was that hooked into both wires. With this it was just the bell on the outside of the house, nothing inside. Once that was done, fire up the app and follow the instructions on getting it hooked up to your wireless network and your up and running right away.The only downfall that I can see so far is the lack of a Windows or browser based interface to the video. Where I work at the cell signals are horrid and due to security there is no wireless where I’m at. So, while I get notice that motion was detected or the bell rung almost immediately, I can’t bring up the interface from here. A bit disappointing. I’d also like to be able to download videos directly to my computer. With the current setup I’d have to first download it to a phone or tablet and then transfer it somehow to the computer.I’ll still give it 5 stars with that as a caveat.9/28/2018 UpdateStill no browser based interface to videos or being able to see things. Inside the building I work is very bad cell signals, so I get notified there is something going on, but can’t establish a connection to view. A web-based interface would fix this quite easily. Subtracting a star for them not doing this as one of their tech said they would. If they fix it, I’ll give them a star back!!
WIStoney –
Easy to installWorks great. Relatively easy to install and set up. The only issue is the mounting surface. I had to buy a 3D printed angled mount on Etsy to mount this to the siding where the original doorbell was installed.
Andre Viens –
Don’t expect to use this as your only source of videoUpdate:I am thoroughly discouraged with this doorbell. It stopped recording any events even though I was still receiving alerts to my phone that motion was detected or that I had a visitor. I Googled this problem and the advice was to reboot my doorbell. I don’t understand why I would need to reboot a device that just decided to stop working two weeks after just setting it up.Of course you need to reboot it in person by pushing and holding the doorbell, not through the app even though the app can still communicate to it.I just did that and now I can’t even connect to it at all.I am going to look into purchasing the Eufy doorbell as it does not rely on WiFi communication to save recordings and events.– Original review below –Finally decided to go with this Skybell since I wasn’t interested in paying for anything monthly like with the other smart doorbells. Upon first opening the package, I was surprised how much taller this slim line design was than my original doorbell. I had to create a custom mount for my install since the original doorbell was only on one panel of my 4 inch siding, but this was larger than just one. I cut out a piece of siding to install the mount flush and drilled a hole through it to accommodate the doorbell wires.Was happy when I turned it on and it starts blinking at me with all these different colors. You can set the color you’d like, the brightness level, or just turn it off all together. When you ring it, it chimes on the outside as well as activating the doorbell on the inside.I downloaded the app and configured it. It didn’t take too long, but it does involve putting your phone in airplane mode manually, then turning on WiFi and looking for the Skybell WiFi to connect so the app can configure it. Once complete, you again manually turn that off. i have used other apps that do all this for you – this isn’t a con per se, but a bit of an annoyance.The layout of the app (for Android) is a bit weird – not crazy intuitive, but easy to figure out after about ten minutes. There are three different recording modes you can choose from… visitor (when someone pushes the doorbell), motion detection, and on demand (when you just request to watch live video and audio).I was happy with my install and went on my way. Each day, we pass by this doorbell to take the dog out – seemed like I was only capturing this motion sometimes. Other times i walk right in front of the thing and it doesn’t capture me. For that reason, I cannot use just this doorbell to protect my front door to get all activity on camera. I even have motion cranked up to high.The other issue I experienced is when I went to add my wife as a shared person. She received the email, and then went to sign in – it said “user already exists”. That’s not right, but whatever – if you think she already exists, let’s try logging in then “user not found”. Same error when trying to reset the password. I e-mailed customer support and was informed to have her log in with my id on her phone. i replied and stated while that was a workaround, this is apparently a feature sold for this device and did not work. They said they are working on it.I hope that in time these problems will be resolved (motion detection and the sharing feature), but I still plan on using my dedicated security camera system to monitor the front door area.
Mark –
Reliable and the Differentiating “Free Storage” BenefitI had no issues with the simple installation of this doorbell and required connection to my home wifi. My internet speed is somewhat weak by todays standards at a max of 25mbps and given the doorbell is outside my speed is even slower relative to my router but the doorbell stays reliably connected and functional after over 6 months use. Note: I am not a fan of posting many electronic reviews after shortly receiving an item as reliability is proven over time and reliability is a critical review element.I travel often and with no one home I am able to capture short videos of anyone approaching my front door. I’m amazed at the High sensitivity setting as it sets off the alert to me and recording even as some vehicles (trucks common) pass by some 30 feet away. Setting to Medium sensitivity resolves those “false positives” and still captures those approaching the door.Although finding a quality video/security doorbell is not difficult finding a free storage one is difficult I believe after researching. I am not a fan of reoccurring subscription fees that are more common every year (“Cloud” often also means “Reoccurring fees”). Seven days free storage is advertised which is very much enough assuming you are getting alerts and have the phone/mobile app. Using iPhone/iPad screen recording I can record the video and save on my phone/iPad “if” by chance I do unfortunately need video evidence of either a package theft, break in, or break in attempt. I was away on business this week and received an alert. After reviewing I saw an unexpected package delivery was made 4 days before my planned return home. I texted my next door neighbor who was nice enough to pick up my package for me thus avoiding one of those “unfortunate” example needs.
CF –
Good entry level video doorbellDon’t expect magic; there is a reason why some doorbell cost 300 dollars. Picture quality is only one aspect.This camera has a decent image quality; beware of where you place it, in relation to light sources because it bloom like crazy when a light source is too close to the camera view field. This happen also with sunlight; so unless you want to see dark silhouette instead of people, think where you place it.It is a bit cumbersome to install, but if you just need the camera features, you can plug it via USB. There is a small connector that power the doorbell, and it is loud enough to be heard inside, so if you do not want the hassle to hook up cables to your existing doorbell, just use a USB micro cable; it works just fine.The good thing is that you do not have mafia extorting you money for the recording. You pay nothing for the recording, and you get notified on your phone for free. Other companies should learn about how to handle customers after they buy your products.For what you pay, it is a good buy, but if you care about your safety and can’t afford to miss even a single face; then look at more expensive products.
DH –
Simple and EffectiveAfter much research, I was looking for a more affordable smart doorbell that captured video based on motion detection and stored the video for a period of time without having to pay a subscription fee. The installation was easy and this was compatible with my basic electronic doorbell. It is a sleek design and doesn’t take up a lot of space on the door frame. I like the mobile app, it is straightforward and easy to configure the settings.I really like the video is saved for a rolling 7 days and you can download from the app to your own device if you want to save for your own use. The audio/speaker works fine and I am able to talk through the phone app to people at my door without answering it. The only problems I have had with this doorbell is if my phone network connection isn’t strong, then the video will be choppy but that problem will exist for any wifi based system. The other small annoyance you will have is if you live in a busy area or have objects around your doorway that blow in the wind, the motion activation may be triggered. For instance, when the wind blows, a tree in the background blows and sometimes triggers the alert on my phone but you can adjust the sensitivity setting which helps. Overall, I really like this product, it works well, and I haven’t had any major issues.
. –
Works well, sometimes too well!My Skybell works very well and I like the free 7 days of storage with the unit.The motion detector works a little too good in my location – set to low it detects and records every car going by house, maybe 40 feet away. It is also triggered by my flag.I did buy the wedge in order to angle the camera away from the brick edge and more towards the door. This wedge should have been included at this price.
Some Guy –
Mostly excellentComprehensive set of technologies wrapped up in a nice looking, sturdy package. It looks great and feels well made. Finish is elegant and will fit in on the nicest of doorways. Installation was super easy (assuming doorbell wiring is already in place).Generally happy with performance except for two recurring issues.1. Doorbell chime (hardwired) takes 30-45 seconds to ring after doorbell button is pressed. Not a huge deal, especially because phone notifications indicate someone at the door, but certainly an inconvenience if you don’t see the notification.2. Not all videos are saved. Occasionally, and with no consistent behavior, the video is not saved when the button is pressed or motion is detected. This occurs about 7-10% of the time, which seems like a lot.Customer service is patchy, slow, and apathetic, but there are tons of online resources to use for troubleshooting, if necessary.Overall very happy with device and the app. The fact there aren’t any subscription fees is nice, too. If I had to it again, I would still choose this doorbell. Ring outperforms Skybell but not enough to justify the annual fees that double/triple the required investment.
David A Mcree –
Disappointed with my choice after researchingWe have been very disappointed with this product and support in the two months that we have had it. Issues involve the constant loss of connection to the home network, failure to identify movement, lack of notifications to the application, and customer service.Loss of connection: We reconfigured our home network so that the 2.4 band was available just so this item would work. We still have problems with the system either dropping the connection requiring a reset or showing poor signal. My phone which is set to the 2.4 band is showing strong reception at the door, yet the skybell is indicating a yellow or weak connection. Periodically it does show a green connection, but more times than not, it is yellow.Failure to Identify Movement: The purpose of investing into this doorbell was to identify when people are at the door or when packages are left. However, Skybell seems to be hit or miss with identifying when there is movement. I watched our postman deliver a package right under the device and leave. The system never activated. I cannot say this is always the case, sometimes it will identify a car driving down the road late at night and let us know, but it doesn’t do it normally. Very poor software or sensor in this item.Lack of notifications to the application: When the sensor does work, then we tend to be hit or miss on the notifications or they are delayed as they might be transmitting across the globe to get to us. My wife as pulled up the app and suddenly there is motion that occurred two hours ago. Once again, sometimes we get them when they occur and sometimes we don’t. I recently tested the system when she was out of town by activating the bell, delivering a message and then walking away. She received the notification 4 hours later. Resets will sometimes help, but not always.Customer service: They do answer the phone, but if they are busy, you are transferred to an automated system that forces you to leave a voice message. They never call you back. We have dealt with them repeatedly and while they attempt to solve the problem, it is like dealing with the customer service of, cycle the power, press CTRL-ALT-DEL, there, that should fix the problem. We were lucky to get an excellent rep the other day and he stated that there seems to be something wrong on their side and please reinstall the system from scratch. We did and things worked for about two weeks. We are back to the original state.I wish you luck if you decide to purchase this system, but do not let the return window expire on you trying to fix it like I did. Two stars for working some of the time.Updated 8/5/2020Well, we are down to one star. After 1.5 years of use, we have removed the Skybell and replaced it. It no longer would capture motion. The lens cracked. The best thing it did was make the doorbell chime. We were told by Customer Service that we should protect the camera from the elements and that would have kept it from cracking. The doorbell was on an enclosed porch, never been rained on. The only other thing I could have done would have been placed it inside but that would defeat the purpose. The only reason we picked this one over others was there was no fees for storage of the video. Oh well, we thought the Honeywell named would carry this device.