My requirements for a doorbell are probably pretty similar to what most people here are looking for: good visual quality, low light performance, mechanical chime support, POE, wifi optional, RSTP support for BI, open API, not cloud dependent (not ring/nest/most others), easy to install, reasonable price (not doorbird, not ring elite), bonus: NFC reader for hands free unlock. Small list, i know.
Nothing standout seems to exist yet, but thanks to the community here, I came across the Dahua DB-11. It's far from perfect and doesn't meet ALL my requirements, but its pretty close and works well enough for my needs now. Info on the DB-11 is fragmented into lots of different threads, so I wanted to summarize and share my findings here:
Install - THIS WAS TERRIBLY IRRITATING. The recommended install method doesn't work because the serial numbers are mismatched. Someone at the factory mixed up all the labels. In the imou app, choose "enter serial number manually" and use the serial number broadcast in the camera's wifi name.
Visual quality - Some artifacts, but overall pretty good. 2MP resolution.
Viewing angle - 140°. A bit too narrow for my application, but ok.
Power - This doorbell does not support POE. However, it does take 12V DC! If you have a POE run to the location, you can use a POE splitter such as this one: or for something cheaper, more compact, a buck converter board to step down the voltage: . However, downside to this method is hardwired traditional chimes will not work. For AC power, at least 30VA transformer is recommended.
Mechanical chimes - Using a traditional chime requires configuration in the imou app. Users report mechanical chime rings a bunch of times per door press.
Wireless chime - Dahua DS11 can be paired as a wireless option. Reportedly works via wifi - untested.
Configuration - Can be configured through Dahua ConfigTool on PC or imou app. Configuration options are severely limited.
Lens condensation - My camera came with condensation on the lens. Dried it out with a blowdryer and it's been fine for now (about a week so far). This camera is IP55 rated, which means it's weather resistant, but not as waterproof as other Dahua models.
BlueIris - Use your DB11's IP address and auto scan for install. Defaults to RTSP stream on port 554. Username is admin - password is the one you set in setup
Mounting brackets - Ring Pro brackets are the closest size
2 way voice - I have not tested this so far. imou app supports it. User reports say voice works in BI as well, but volume can be low - unconfirmed.
Storage - Specs say 64GB, but only microsd cards 32GB or lower, formatted at FAT32 work for now.
Triggers - Currently there are two triggers supported: 1) doorbell press 2) motion detection via PIR - PIR range is configurable in imou. I have not confirmed if this is a real PIR or software-based, but so far, I have not gotten a lot of false positives in my environment.
Viewing - An SD card is required to view triggers (doorbell, motion) in the imou app if you are not using Dahua's cloud service For me, viewing recorded videos in imou is really slow. A workaround for this is to simply use blueiris where viewing is much faster, but currently there is no way to trigger doorbell pushes or other actions to blueiris.
API access - None known for now (does anyone know if you can access doorbell events?)
Event Integration - See API access above. However, they currently advertise support for IFTT through the imou app, so you could feasibly do something such as "sound alert on Echo/Google Home" when doorbell rings. - untested
I ordered the doorbell a couple months ago but didn't have a chance to install until recently. Thanks to @EMPIRETECANDY for the great service!
EDIT: Aug 2019
After using this doorbell for almost 6 months, here are my follow up thoughts. The new gadget excitement has kind of worn off, so I can give a more objective perspective.
Performance (visual quality) - Performance is good, but not great. The image quality has room to be better.
It might not be fair to compare the image quality to a standalone turret or bullet, and I'm sure this probably has to do with the fact that they have to send the signal wirelessly, while still keeping everything in a relatively compact package, but I do notice artifacts, softness, and some blurriness in the video.
Low light performance really isn't good, but I guess that's to be expected. I do wish there were ways to tune settings such as backlight, B&W, and IR filters like other Dahua cams. For now, you're pretty much stuck with the automatic settings from the factory.
Connectivity - The network connectivity has been very stable, no problems after setup.
Chime and Event Integration - Thanks to ideas from other people here, I was able to hack the doorbell to connect to my home automation system. I don't have a chime, but instead, the doorbell now plays an audio alert to the Amazon Echos while also sending a animated GIF image notification to our phones. This is very case specific though, so YMMV.
Details here: Dahua DB-11 DoorBell and DSC 1832 Powerseries Alarm Integration
Storage - I wound up throwing an SD card in there and used it for a while with no problems.
Lens condensation - Has not been an issue since clearing it the first time, but that's probably because weather out here has been dry.
Overall - I'd rate this a 3/5. For the price, it's not a bad choice. Especially considering there are still a lack of good options for ONVIF capable doorbell cameras in the market. The HSDB2A seems to be the closest competitor. The things I'd like to see improved are: ethernet connectivity (POE), better image quality, the ability to tune the image for individual environments.
Nothing standout seems to exist yet, but thanks to the community here, I came across the Dahua DB-11. It's far from perfect and doesn't meet ALL my requirements, but its pretty close and works well enough for my needs now. Info on the DB-11 is fragmented into lots of different threads, so I wanted to summarize and share my findings here:
Install - THIS WAS TERRIBLY IRRITATING. The recommended install method doesn't work because the serial numbers are mismatched. Someone at the factory mixed up all the labels. In the imou app, choose "enter serial number manually" and use the serial number broadcast in the camera's wifi name.
Visual quality - Some artifacts, but overall pretty good. 2MP resolution.
Viewing angle - 140°. A bit too narrow for my application, but ok.
Power - This doorbell does not support POE. However, it does take 12V DC! If you have a POE run to the location, you can use a POE splitter such as this one: or for something cheaper, more compact, a buck converter board to step down the voltage: . However, downside to this method is hardwired traditional chimes will not work. For AC power, at least 30VA transformer is recommended.
Mechanical chimes - Using a traditional chime requires configuration in the imou app. Users report mechanical chime rings a bunch of times per door press.
Wireless chime - Dahua DS11 can be paired as a wireless option. Reportedly works via wifi - untested.
Configuration - Can be configured through Dahua ConfigTool on PC or imou app. Configuration options are severely limited.
Lens condensation - My camera came with condensation on the lens. Dried it out with a blowdryer and it's been fine for now (about a week so far). This camera is IP55 rated, which means it's weather resistant, but not as waterproof as other Dahua models.
BlueIris - Use your DB11's IP address and auto scan for install. Defaults to RTSP stream on port 554. Username is admin - password is the one you set in setup
Mounting brackets - Ring Pro brackets are the closest size
2 way voice - I have not tested this so far. imou app supports it. User reports say voice works in BI as well, but volume can be low - unconfirmed.
Storage - Specs say 64GB, but only microsd cards 32GB or lower, formatted at FAT32 work for now.
Triggers - Currently there are two triggers supported: 1) doorbell press 2) motion detection via PIR - PIR range is configurable in imou. I have not confirmed if this is a real PIR or software-based, but so far, I have not gotten a lot of false positives in my environment.
Viewing - An SD card is required to view triggers (doorbell, motion) in the imou app if you are not using Dahua's cloud service For me, viewing recorded videos in imou is really slow. A workaround for this is to simply use blueiris where viewing is much faster, but currently there is no way to trigger doorbell pushes or other actions to blueiris.
API access - None known for now (does anyone know if you can access doorbell events?)
Event Integration - See API access above. However, they currently advertise support for IFTT through the imou app, so you could feasibly do something such as "sound alert on Echo/Google Home" when doorbell rings. - untested
I ordered the doorbell a couple months ago but didn't have a chance to install until recently. Thanks to @EMPIRETECANDY for the great service!
EDIT: Aug 2019
After using this doorbell for almost 6 months, here are my follow up thoughts. The new gadget excitement has kind of worn off, so I can give a more objective perspective.
Performance (visual quality) - Performance is good, but not great. The image quality has room to be better.
It might not be fair to compare the image quality to a standalone turret or bullet, and I'm sure this probably has to do with the fact that they have to send the signal wirelessly, while still keeping everything in a relatively compact package, but I do notice artifacts, softness, and some blurriness in the video.
Low light performance really isn't good, but I guess that's to be expected. I do wish there were ways to tune settings such as backlight, B&W, and IR filters like other Dahua cams. For now, you're pretty much stuck with the automatic settings from the factory.
Connectivity - The network connectivity has been very stable, no problems after setup.
Chime and Event Integration - Thanks to ideas from other people here, I was able to hack the doorbell to connect to my home automation system. I don't have a chime, but instead, the doorbell now plays an audio alert to the Amazon Echos while also sending a animated GIF image notification to our phones. This is very case specific though, so YMMV.
Details here: Dahua DB-11 DoorBell and DSC 1832 Powerseries Alarm Integration
Storage - I wound up throwing an SD card in there and used it for a while with no problems.
Lens condensation - Has not been an issue since clearing it the first time, but that's probably because weather out here has been dry.
Overall - I'd rate this a 3/5. For the price, it's not a bad choice. Especially considering there are still a lack of good options for ONVIF capable doorbell cameras in the market. The HSDB2A seems to be the closest competitor. The things I'd like to see improved are: ethernet connectivity (POE), better image quality, the ability to tune the image for individual environments.
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