Until recently I had been using an EZVIZ DB1C doorbell. I researched before I got it, and it worked immediately when bought. Then the company started playing dirty pool. Over the next two firmware updates (WIth nothing in the notes beyond “bugfixes and imrprovements”) they stripped out the ability to use a local RTSP stream then they stripped out the ability to use their Windows-only software to even re-enable any functionality. Then they jerked me around for over a month before they finally copped to what the company had done.
And of course there’s no way back to a working firmware.
I know people have mentioned Reolink and Amcrest before, but those models are no longer available.
Is there anything in the way of wired, mechanical-bell compatible doorbell cameras that work with HomeAssistant?
I’m so sick of companies that sell you one thing, then strip out the functionality that made it useful, shoving you into their cloud/app shit or leaving you stranded on whatever firmware the thing came with.
GRR
If you want something really really stable I can recommend 2N a lot. They cost a bit more,as they are mainly geared towards professional users,but they absolutely know what they are doing.
Whole thing works completely “off the cloud” and without any subscriptions (there is one available for their app - but that’s more a convenience feature, they literally tell you how to use other apps).
The whole environment is based on plain old SIP so it works with basically everything - I have an answering unit, but I also can use my snom phone or my SIP app to answer the door. The door unit can simultaneously be their own PBX and/or integrate in an external SIP environment.
The camera itself can also provide RTSP,ONVIF,etc. if needed and plays along with Fregate,etc. quite nicely.
And the automation interface(which requires a add-on licence, but single payment) is based on node red.
Integration in HA is a breeze due to that.
It works with PoE, but 2 wire conversion kits are available. And LTE.
I can absolutely recommend them. (And I do not sell them,don’t worry. Just a happy user who got screwed over by other manufacturers too often)