Simplisafe popularized affordable DIY Home Alarm System and has been doing it since 2006. They started offering their indoor cam called Simplicam last year and now, they are venturing outdoors with their Video Doorbell Pro.

So, we are going to do the unboxing, check out the features, setup, installation, video footage and testing its functions.

This doorbell camera is currently priced at 170 dollars and I got mine at my local Best Buy.

So, we are going to do the unboxing, check out the features, setup, installation, video footage and testing its functions.

This doorbell camera is currently priced at 170 dollars and I got mine at my local Best Buy.

So, here are the specs:
It is a 1080p Full HD and with 162° FOV
It has HDR or High Dynamic Range which basically balances the bright and dark areas of the video creating clear footage.
It has smart motion detection which uses PIR motion sensing and also image classification that will be rolled out in a later update. So, right now, it just uses PIR motion detection which detects infrared heat.
It has 2-way audio
It can pan and zoom but this is digital zoom and panning around by swiping your finger left and right of the footage which most cameras already do.

Well, let’s open up the box.

We have the doorbell itself. Which looks like the Nest Hello just a tad smaller. It is around 1 1/2 inches in width and 4 and 3/8 inches in length.

Button push has a pretty good positive feel.
We have the PIR motion sensor, mic, and the camera lens.

We have a micro USB port and the connector for the base plate at the back.
It also says here that power input is 8-24 Volts AC.

It is all plastic and thicker compared to Nest or Ring’s. It measures 1 and a quarter inches.

At the bottom are the speaker and also the hole for the security screw.

What else is inside the box…

We have the mounting bracket which you will connect your doorbell wires and the camera will just slide down in place.

A few other things you may need…

We have the installation guide.

Legal notice paperwork.

We have 2 other faceplates… black or obsidian and jade. The white or cloud is already installed.

Then, we have the angled base which is not angled side to side but angled up or down. Like if you have sidings.

Then, we have the Torx driver, security screw and mounting screws and anchors.

-Just to clarify, this doorbell needs to be wired to your existing doorbell wires. It says that it will work from 8 to 24 VAC, so you can also connect this to an AC adapter. It does not need to have a power kit or chime connector like the Ring Pro or Nest Hello so you don’t have to open up your chime and should be a faster and easier install.

– Also, the camera only records when there is motion and/or doorbell press just like the Ring Pro.

The installation is pretty easy. Remove your old doorbell…which mine is the Ring Doorbell Pro…
Install the mounting bracket. As you can see, I already have a handful of holes but one hole from the Ring and another from my original doorbell is a perfect fit to the holes of the Simplisafe. Thank God I don’t have to drill any more holes.

I have to thread the doorbell wires through the middle opening on the mounting bracket. Insert the wires on either of the screws and tighten it.

Then, screw in the mounting bracket to the wall. It just needs 2 screws to secure it.

Just slide the Simplisafe Doorbell Pro down to lock it in the mounting bracket.

You can then secure the doorbell with the included security screw using the Torx driver. It uses a smaller torx than the Ring’s.

– Time to set up the camera. First, download the app and sign up if you don’t have it yet… in the app store or Google Play.

Click on setup Simplicam…
Then type a name for your property…
Click Next…
Enter your WiFi Network which is automatically filled out. Click Next.
Enter your password…Click Next.
Choose where are you installing the doorbell.
Click Yes if you see a flashing white light…which it does…

Then, a QR code will be generated which you need to let the camera see.

Click preview to check out if the camera was successfully installed.

The Simplisafe Video Doorbell Pro comes with 2 extra faceplates if you want it to match it with your house and you can easily change it by popping it out and pushing in the new one.

Now, let’s check out the settings.

Click “cameras” in the menu and it will show your current cameras. So, I have the front door doorbell which you can click on it to view live footage. Turn your phone to view it in landscape mode. To record the live footage, you can click the record button. It doesn’t automatically record like the Ring Pro when you click live view.

To talk, click and hold the mic button.

Click on the gear icon on the upper right corner to get into the camera’s settings.

Which on top it shows your camera’s status which is offline on mine at this time.

We have motion detection which has off, low, medium and high…
Motion notification ON or OFF.
Doorbell Ring notification ON or OFF
WiFi if you want to change your connection.
Night Vision – ON-OFF or AUTO
And Status Light ON or OFF

Now, to view recorded footage, you need to be subscribed to Simplisafe’s Cloud Subscription which is $4.99/month or it will be included if you have their alarm system and subscribed to their interactive monitoring.

When you are subscribed, you can then go to the timeline on the menu. You will see the list view of the recordings and when you click on the arrow, you will then get a GIF preview of the footage.
Click on it again and it will play the footage. You can also click on the download button on the lower right to download the footage to your phone.
As you can see, it will only say that the camera is recording but you will see that when the doorbell is pushed it will say that somebody “rang” the doorbell. So, motion activated recordings or if you manually pushed the record button in live view will only say that the camera or in mine, that it is a “front door” recording. Also, all recordings last for a minute and 5 seconds.

– Now, it is time to show sample footage from the camera and also testing the motion, doorbell notifications and the 2-way audio.

You will see that the camera starts recording about 3 seconds before motion is detected.

Motion notification is almost instantaneous and the cool off period though between alerts is 5 minutes. Motion that are within the 5 minutes are still recorded though, it just doesn’t send a push notification…

Only the camera’s side audio is being recorded just like the Nest Hello. Ring Pro records both sides audio. So, this is one thing that Simplisafe can add in an update.

Lastly, your cameras and recordings can also be accessed through your account in Simplisafe’s website. You can check your house via live view but you will not be able to record the footage or use 2-way audio.

You can also access and view your recorded footage by choosing timeline.
There is also the download button if you want to download the footage to your computer.

– Overall, it meets my requirements for a doorbell camera and it will stay in my front door for a while while I’m letting my Ring Pro rest for the meantime. The Simplisafe video doorbell pro is simple to install, has a decent footage day and night, a delay is acceptable as to the doorbell push and it is pretty quick in motion notifications.

5 minute cool off I think is still ok. All motions are being recorded anyways. Also, the camera starts recording around 3 seconds before motion is detected and lasts for a 1 minute and will continue to record when motion persists. It has a pretty clear and no static 2 way audio except that it doesn’t record the other or the phone’s side of the conversation. Supposedly the motion detection will have an added feature in their future updates that will work in conjunction with the PIR sensor. Let’s see.

If you have the Simplisafe Home Security Alarm and you have the interactive monitoring plan, then you don’t have to pay for the monthly subscription.

At this time, there is no Alexa or Google Home integration for the doorbell camera yet but I have a feeling, it will be coming soon.