Vivint Smart Home specializes in custom-installed smart home and home security systems, and its Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro is one of our favorite products in its category, garnering a TechHive Editors’ Choice award earlier this year. Until now, however, it was available only with a complete Vivint Smart Home system and a professional monitoring service plan to go with it.
Now, Vivint has not only decided to offer its Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro as a stand-alone product, it’s including professional installation in the purchase price—even if the buyer doesn’t already have doorbell wiring already in place (unlike some smart doorbells, Vivint’s depends on low-voltage electrical wiring, not batteries). You’ll need to live in an area that Vivint serves, but the company says it has a presence in 97 percent of the zip codes in the U.S..
The doorbell normally sells for $249, but Vivint has slashed the price to just $99 for Black Friday weekend. Most buyers, however, will want to also sign up for the optional, $4.99-per-month cloud storage plan; without it, you can only watch a live stream from the doorbell cam (Ring Video Doorbells operate the same way). With a subscription, Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro users can store motion-triggered recordings for up to 14 days. The camera doesn’t stop recording a clip until motion has stopped or 90 seconds has elapsed, whichever occurs first.
Michael Brown / IDG
Notice the message at the top of the screen indicating that a package has been delivered, and note that the resolution is crisp enough that you can read the logo on the truck in the driveway that’s nearly 100 feet away.
The Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro supports infrared night vision, an image sensor that supports high dynamic range, and boasts a 1:1 aspect ratio with resolution of 1,664 x 1664 pixels (video streams in 1080p resolution). As you can see in the image above, these specs not only deliver a very wide field of view (albeit with some fisheye distortion), but they also provide a head-to-toe view of visitors. When someone comes into the camera’s field of view, a whistle tone will sound to catch their attention and a red LED ring will begin to flash to warn them they’re on camera. The end user will receive a person-detection alert, and if a package is left on your porch, you’ll receive a notification to that effect as well.
Continuous video recording to a network-connected Vivint Smart Drive ($249), however, does require a full Vivint Smart Home system installation. Prices for that start at at $599, plus a $99 installation fee (which is often waived if the company is running a promotion). The kit includes Vivint’s smart home hub, two door/window sensors, a motion sensor, a water leak detector, and a $100 credit for additional sensors. Monthly service fees start at $39 and include professional monitoring. If you choose to finance the system purchase through Vivint, you’ll need to sign a service contract; no contract is required if you pay for the hardware up front.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor, TechHive
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering smart homes, home networking, and home audio/home theater. He holds a BA in Multimedia Journalism, authored the book Desktop Video Production, and was awarded Best Online Review by the Computer Press Association. Michael built a smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world product-testing lab. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, he is converting his 1890 Victorian bungalow into a modern smart home. Michael has worked at CNET, PCWorld, Electronic Musician, and Maximum PC. As a freelancer, he contributed to New Media, Camcorder, MacWeek, and more.