Smart Home

Review: Ring Video Doorbell 3

Review:Ring Video Doorbell 3 is a doorbell that automatically establishes a video connection with possibly speech with your iPhone when the doorbell is pressed, so you can see who is at the door.

Smart push notifications, HD video and advanced motion detection

Nowadays you come across cameras almost everywhere, not only for professional purposes but also in and near homes. Such IP cameras often give the owners a sense of security.

Ring Video Doorbell 3

Ring has integrated IP camera technology into the Ring doorbell for several years. The Ring Video Doorbell 3 is a doorbell that automatically establishes a video connection with possibly speech with your iPhone when the doorbell is pressed, so you can see who is at the door. Even if there is no bell, you can use ‘Liveview’ to see what is happening at your front door.

All you have to do is replace the push button of your bell installation with the Ring doorbell. In recent weeks we have extensively tested the Ring Video Doorbell (third generation).

Physical Ring installation

If your house is equipped with a bell installation (8-12 volts) with a push button and mechanical or electronic bell, the installation is very simple. All you have to do is replace the call button on the outside of your house with the Ring doorbell.

Wherever you are going to place the Ring , a good WiFi connection is available at this location . If your WiFi connection is too weak, you can possibly solve this by using a WiFi repeater. If the internet connection fails for any reason, the mechanical bell will continue to work and the Ring will function as a normal bell button.

Ring Video Doorbell 3

De-energize your current bell installation and remove the push button, connect the Ring to the two wires. The existing bell will sound when the Ring is pressed as it does when the removed push button is pressed.

A mini spirit level is included to check whether the Ring is hanging horizontally. The front of the Ring is secured with a special TORX screw, which protects it against theft.

The Ring has a rechargeable battery, which is automatically charged when you connect it to the bell installation. When you use the Ring stand alone, so without a bell installation (power supply and physical bell), you can place it anywhere you want. In that case, you use the available battery, which will last for 2 months under normal circumstances and then you must recharge manually.

The installation package of the Ring is super complete, everything you need to install the Ring is present (screws, plugs, screwdriver, masonry drill, etc).

It is a pity compared to version 2 that no different corner plates are included anymore. With the help of these corner plates you can place the Ring at different angles (vertically or horizontally), useful for example if the frame of the door is deeper than the outside wall. If you need these pictures, you have to purchase them separately.

Ring Video Doorbell 3

Configure Ring Video Doorbell 3 via the app

After the Ring has been physically connected you can start configuring it using the Ring app. The configuration is very simple and a matter of going through the steps. Via the app you create a Ring account and the Ring is registered on your WiFi network. The Ring can use the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WiFi signal. After going through the simple steps you can use the Ring doorbell.

You can check the status of the Ring doorbell via the ‘health’ option in the Ring app. Here you can find, among other things, the battery and WiFi status. When the Ring is connected to a bell installation, this is indicated as ‘Hardwired’.

The Ring app also has the option to configure ‘Motion zones’ and exclude certain sectors. When movement is detected within the set zones, recordings are automatically made that you can watch from the app. This option is only possible if the Ring is connected to a bell installation with a power source, because this is too high a load for the battery.

Extra bell with repeater function

An extra electronic bell ‘Ring Chime 2’ is available for the Ring, which you can link via the Ring app. When the bell is pressed, a set melody will be played. Handy for places where you cannot hear the normal bell or can hardly hear it, but a WiFi connection is required for correct operation.

Ring Video Doorbell 3

The extra bell is also available in a version with built-in WiFi repeater ‘Ring Chime 2 Pro’. In addition to an extra bell, you can also use this to increase the range of your WiFi network. You can then also connect the Ring doorbell yourself.

How to use: Ring Video Doorbell 3

When using an existing physical (mechanical) bell, it will sound without delay when the button on the Ring is pressed. After pressing the button on the Ring, the leds around the push button light up blue and a melody is played, after 1 to 2 seconds you will receive a push notification on iPhone or iPad . A snapshot is also sent directly in the push notification, so you can already see who is at the door in the push notification.

When you tap this notification, the Ring app opens automatically and a connection is established after 2 to 3 seconds. The connection takes about 3 to 5 seconds, after which you can view the camera images and possibly communicate with the visitor via the voice connection. The speech connection must be manually activated. Of course you also need a few seconds to grab your iPhone or iPad.

Ideally, the audio / visual connection will be active within 10 seconds of pressing the Ring. That is not a problem for the average patient collector, for a rushed parcel delivery person this could take too long. Of course you can address the person through the speaker after the connection is active.

Ring Video Doorbell 3

The speed of setting up the connection depends on the WiFi coverage and the internet speed. We have tested the Ring for a good WiFi connection (RSSI -59) with an internet connection of 100MB up & download). In most cases we had the video connection active within 5 to 6 seconds.

Always know who was at the door

If you are not at home, you can see all over the world who has been at the door, you can easily review these images via the Ring app. In addition, you can also watch Live without pressing the doorbell. The recordings made are stored for 24 hours by default, if you want a longer storage period that is possible, for € 3.00 the recordings are saved for 60 days.

It is unfortunate that the Ring 3 does not have the option to save the images locally with an advantageous SD card. If you want to look back more than 24 hours, you have to take out a subscription.

Conclusion: Ring Video Doorbell 3

Configuring and installing the Ring is fairly straightforward, and everything needed is included in the box. Compliments for this because a lot of attention has clearly been paid to it. During our review, we connected the Ring 3 to an existing 8-volt bell installation and the Ring worked almost without any problems.

Unfortunately, it can sometimes happen that a message arrives too late, this is especially the case when the bell has not been pressed for a while. The Ring must then come out of standby, which can take a few moments. We are talking about 2-3 seconds before you get the notification and 2-3 seconds before the camera is activated in the app. It is best to open the notification and walk towards the door. Less delay for receiving notifications and starting the image would be better.

The WiFi connection is important for flawless operation, it must be good to receive a quick push notification and to keep the connection time for the video connection as short as possible. The recordings made during the day (1080p HD) are of good quality, only the night mode recordings were somewhat disappointing when there is no direct lighting. People in the dark are only clearly visible when they are close to the Ring. Motion detection over a longer distance in the dark is therefore pointless. This can be different if an outdoor lamp is present.

Ring uses the SIP protocol for the audio and video connection, unfortunately it is not possible to view the video stream via the RTSP protocol. This would allow the images to be integrated into other Camera apps and applications. With the Ring 3 doorbell you know exactly who is (or has been) at your door. Not only is this handy, but it also gives you an extra sense of security. Operation is hassle-free and the app is very clear.

  • Simple installation
  • Clear Ring app for configuration and viewing images
  • Good picture and sound quality
  • Smart notifications with a photo of who is at the door
  • Subscription necessary for withdrawals longer than 24 hours ago
  • No support for Homekit