How are Dahua doorbells?

S

Sunfox

Getting the hang of it
Aug 5, 2018
56
35
Ontario, Canada
So, I’m really opposed to monthly fees to view cloud camera feeds and whatnot. I’ve used Dahua for well over a decade now, and everyone’s always amazed the quality and ease of use of my cameras in DMSS.

I’m looking to get away from the monthly fees of Ring, and had been considering a Ubiquiti G4 (since I’m already invested in the Unifi ecosystem), but I see Dahua has some options too.

How do those work? Are they powered by a normal doorbell transformer? Do they have doorbell chime triggering? Any monthly fees? Do they rely on Dahua servers for communications? Is it handled through DMSS or some other app? Any Alexa integration?

information is a bit scarce.
 
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Here are the review threads to a few of them.

Review- VTO2301R-P 2mp Door Station/Doorbell Dahua/Empiretech

Courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY we have another cam to checkout in return for a fair and honest review. Thanks again to Andy! He does such a great job of supporting everyone here. We have the: VTO2301R-P PC and ABS material make it ideal for indoor and outdoor use. 1/2.8" 2-MP HD CMOS camera...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com

Review-Dahua/EmpireTech new doorbell cam Db6l 5mp

We have a brand new Doorbell cam to check out from @EMPIRETECANDY in exchange for a fair and honest review. At this juncture some details are not yet available, I will add them here as they become available. I don't believe this model will be available to purchase until sometime in January, if...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com

Review-Dahua DB-10 Video Doorbell

Courtesy of Andy at @EMPIRETECANDY we have another cam to look over. It was provided in exchange for a fair review. Highlights: >The DB10 Video Doorbell. >Operates up to 5 months on a single charge > Wire-free installation and Wi-Fi connection > Up to 1080P HD video talk with 140° horizontal...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com
 
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@Sunfox The title of forum thread that I shared above is incomplete. Reolink provides 2 versions of doorbell: POE or Wifi. The Wifi version can be powered by a doorbell transformer. I bought Wifi version and it integrates well with BlueIris and Home Assistant. Completely local.

BTW, YouTube video includes both Reolinks as well as other brands.
 
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Sunfox said:
Yeah, sadly POE is not an option as the builder only ran a standard doorbell cable.
Click to expand...

I have a Lorex doorbell camera and WiFi works fine once you get everything set up. I did have to install a new doorbell chime and larger transformer since my original 40+ year old Nutone doorbell wasn't compatible with the Lorex doorbell camera.
 
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Ugh. So the Dahua 2K’s video is horrible (and seems to be the only model available). Frankly the Unifi’s video is also completely unacceptable for the high price. And the otherwise excellent Reolink won’t activate a local doorbell chime.

Thinking I’m just going to install the old but still NIB Ring Pro I still have, and eat the $40/year subscription price until better products come out.
 
Sunfox said:
Ugh. So the Dahua 2K’s video is horrible (and seems to be the only model available). Frankly the Unifi’s video is also completely unacceptable for the high price. And the otherwise excellent Reolink won’t activate a local doorbell chime.

Thinking I’m just going to install the old but still NIB Ring Pro I still have, and eat the $40/year subscription price until better products come out.
Click to expand...

The Lorex doorbell camera I have works very well and actually better than I had expected. It has it's own app for notifications and remote access plus also works with my NVR for 24/7 recording and playback, but no Alexa support. I guess it depends on what you're looking for.
 
@Sunfox Reolink comes with it's own chime. Why wouldn't that work for you if you want to avoid cloud doorbells? With Ring, you're also loosing control since they have access to your video now.
 
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Sunfox said:
Yeah, sadly POE is not an option as the builder only ran a standard doorbell cable.
Click to expand...

What is standard doorbell cable?

I found out Cat 3 was run to my doorbell, and they just used 2 wires from it to run power. I wasn't able to use the cable as a pull cord to run cat 6, so I just spliced some in.

Anyhow, if I had to do it again, I might consider the WiFi version, despite the fact that it's against my religion.
 
redpoint5 said:
What is standard doorbell cable?

I found out Cat 3 was run to my doorbell, and they just used 2 wires from it to run power. I wasn't able to use the cable as a pull cord to run cat 6, so I just spliced some in.

Anyhow, if I had to do it again, I might consider the WiFi version, despite the fact that it's against my religion.
Click to expand...
standard doorbell wire is just 2 conductor small guage (like 22awg)

that being said, almost all new builds are using cat 5 or cat 6 to the bell location
 
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Have to say I’m quite intrigued by the forthcoming Lorex 4K doorbell. Unless the video quality is garbage, it seems to have everything I’m looking for including chime integration, local video storage, no fees, etc.

The ReoLink also looks quite good, only I have a real soft spot for mechanical chimes! :)
 
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Reolink wifi doorbell camera is on sale on Amazon $80. It is a lightning deal, you might need to have Amazon prime to get the discount.
 
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Sunfox said:
Have to say I’m quite intrigued by the forthcoming Lorex 4K doorbell.
Click to expand...

Sounds interesting is there a part number or a direct link for info yet? My hikvison doorbell cam is barely hanging on and I don't like it much anyway (DS-HD1)
 
Thomas Kenny said:
Sounds interesting is there a part number or a direct link for info yet? My hikvison doorbell cam is barely hanging on and I don't like it much anyway (DS-HD1)
Click to expand...

www.lorex.com

Lorex 4K Wi-Fi Video Doorbell (Wired, 32GB, Cloud-Enabled)

This doorbell is NOT like other doorbells; this is the FIRST EVER 4K DOORBELL. Have you counted how many times your doorbell rings? It's a lot! That's why it is so important to have a view that shows it all. With the expansive head-to-toe view and crystal clear 4K Resolution, you can truly see...
www.lorex.com www.lorex.com

Quite a bit more spendy than the Reolink 2K.
 
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