@gcluley Doorbird. Local access to the video stream, possible to save video to a nas with your preferred software. (eg kerberos.io)

@gcluley You might want to add the hashtag #HomeAssistant, as that will reach a lot of people who are into this stuff. :)

@gcluley Raspberry Pi Zero W/Zero 2W, with the PiCam in the official case, plus something like MotionOS or the motion app on regular Raspberry Pi OS?

@gcluley Wyze has one. Put in an SD card for constant recording

@gcluley the amcrest doorbells you can get off the shelf while they have their own service you can turn it off and it works as just a doorbell with standard password protected RTSP streaming (can use mplayer/ffmpeg/vlc) and save directly to a SD card. I think they don't advertise it to try to upsell their service but every one of their cameras i've tried can do this. I use them in zoneminder with no internet access on their network.

@gcluley Just picked up a Reolink doorbell. Can get a PoE one or Wired+ethernet/Wifi. Has onboard storage (SD Card) plus you can pull the feed into an NVR or whatever. Be aware of the aspect ratio difference between the black and white.

Moved away from Arlo because of subscription.

https://reolink.com/product/reolink-video-doorbell-wifi/

@gcluley I've bought a Reolink doorbell and some additional cameras in the last months and they're working great. Connects to #HomeAssistant just fine (for example, I could easily set up an automation that switches the light on in our backyard when it's detecting a person, but not if it's just a deer passing by from time to time)

@gcluley I have not "tested" the security of this solution, but I use Eufy cameras and HomeBase, no subscription, and data stored locally and not in cloud. The E340 has wired or battery.

@gcluley Unifi G4 Doorbell. If you are not in the Unifi ecosystem yet, the 24h recording will be on the pricey side, because you need additional Unifi hardware. But quality and reliability are great.

@gcluley

Use a dashcam with a big memory card. Not quite a doorbell, but you may be able to make it work for you.

@gcluley running a Reolink myself.

@gcluley I like my ezviz doorbell camera, works with home assistant, the app works well... I use an SD card and don't pay for the cloud storage option.

@gcluley I've been happy with the support for offline use that Wyze products have, and I understand they sell a doorbell now.

@gcluley Did you look at the Consumer Reports list of doorbells? They have a "Data privacy" rating about how your data is treated. Spoiler, most of them are pretty low.

@gcluley I've been using the Reolink doorbell with Frigate, it's been solid

@gcluley @hacks4pancakes I’d recommend Ubiquiti

@gcluley I've been happy with my Amcrest. No cloud/internet connection required. FrigateNVR is able to pull the stream over RTSP or ONVIF.

@gcluley I have been using the Google nest product for years now without any problems

@gcluley not a recommendation as I’m not running this exact setup, but the Aqara G4 with HomeKit is doing an excellent job. Before I bought it I looked through HA integrations and it seems possible with a bit of work. Might be a starting point :)

@gcluley I have a Logi Circle View. Works great. There are options for subscriptions, but I just hooked mine up to HomeKit Secure Video, and get access via the Apple Home app.

@gcluley I installed a Reolink Doorbell that is pumping a 24/7 live feed to a local synology nas. On it's highest resolution (2650x1920), it is saving ~1.3TB for 3 months of 24/7 video.

It's been working well for 15+ months without any issues.

@gcluley if you're in the Homekit ecosystem, I am pretty happy with my Wemo Doorbell Camera, which is compatible with Homekit Secure Video and doesn't require any Wemo-specific service to operate.

@gcluley Unifi.

@gcluley@mastodon.green as some others recommended the Reolink Video Doorbell. Works flawless since day one.

@gcluley I'm on Unifi's products and really enjoy them. I'm using them with HASS as well.

@gcluley Aqara. Can do 100% local storage and processing if you prefer. Works battery or wired in the same unit. (The local storage is in the indoor bell unit, not the camera itself, so even if someone rips it off the wall, you still have the video.)

Only problem I have with it is that the video is landscape orientation, which may not be the best for your setup. (For my front door, I really want a square or even portrait orientation. I have mine on my basement entrance where the wide view is "fine.")

@gcluley I used Netatmo (SD card, integrates with Apple), UniFi (requires Dream Router with HD, own solution) and Logitech (requires Apple Home). Those are three options that don’t require subscription as far as I am aware.

@gcluley Ubiquiti.

Their Protect software is included.

You’ll need the doorbell, plus a Ubiquiti NAS box, or Dream Machine Pro, etc., for local storage.

If you want to poke at the environment without buying, maybe look at the (free) Ubiquiti Portal app.

It’s pretty easy to get pulled into the whole wired and Wi-Fi and camera system, though.

@gcluley

Unifi has a couple of Doorbell kits that are PoE. They go directly to the NVR in your home. No subscription required though the software isn't OSS, so it won't last "forever".

It does support 24/7 recording.

@gcluley, currently I am all Ring products, but once they start dying, I'm looking at Ubiquiti's line of security devices. My home already has Ubiquity switches, routers and many access points, so adding security devices will be trivial. And while I'm not sure it works directly with HomeAssistant, HA does have support for some Ubiquity products.

@gcluley DIY? With modern camera modules and cheap Linux SBCs, it's not significantly harder than mounting a factory kit, but you'll get full over everything.

@gcluley
I heard eufy.com is good; my comptech recommended it (he's got one); waiting for mine to arrive. Will try to post if I like it after it's installed.

@gcluley oddly enough: Google Nest doorbell. I hate all things google, but I have one of these and it works pretty well. Uses the Home app and doesn't need a subscription.

https://store.google.com/us/product/nest_doorbell?hl=en-US

@gcluley

I use Wyze cameras and they have a subscription-free option and you can store continuous recordings on an SD card, but access from anywhere.

@gcluley i've been able to tolerate my eufy doorbell. faint praise, yes.

their security track record is meh. but it is on-prem.

@gcluley I have a Eufy wired doorbell (I think mine is a S220).

Storage is local and no subscription. It's pretty privacy conscious for being a big brand (subsidiary of Anker).

Also quite affordable ($110 USD right now).

@gcluley

I had this same search and went with an amcrest POE camera backed by Frigate. No cloud. No privacy issues. No subscriptions.

I think (could be wrong) Amcrest’s doorbell camera is WiFi but I went back to a boring old doorbell and am using a turret camera.

Works beautifully.

@gcluley I've been using the Ubiquiti G4 Doorbell pro for a couple months and it works great. Can be powered off a doorbell transformer or POE (diff models). It has two cameras: one pointing outward and one pointing down for packages. It also has a LED light to help with keys, etc. if you need that. Paired with a Unifi Dream machine SE and an 8TB HD you can record 24x7 for months and months. I have it tied into HomeKit (if that's your thing) using homebridge.

@gcluley Most doorbells/security cameras aren't going to record 24/7 as that would be a waste.

But, for something that should integrate easily with Home Assistant, doesn’t require a subscription, and is wired, my first thought is an Amcrest AD110.

https://amcrest.com/2mp-wifi-camera-doorbell-ad110.html

@gcluley Reolink PoE doorbell checks all your boxes. Recording 24x7 would depend on your NVR setup.

Personally, I'd go with a Frigate or Blue Iris motion triggered system.

@gcluley If you’re willing to invest, the Ubiquiti ecosystem has a lot of local storage options and camera/doorbell stuff, as well as now supports third-party cameras.

@gcluley
If you have an Apple Home this will upload to iCloud encrypted so only you can view the video:
https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/cameras/circle-view-video-doorbell.html

@gcluley
We have UniFi Protect doorbells in our extended families houses.

The ecosystem is closed, but the hardware *appears to be* secure and bulletproof. You will need their proprietary NVR for it to function.

We have the 4th Gen doorbells which connect wirelessly but use your existing Doorbell transformer and bell wires for power.
The 5th Gen versions use PoE.

@gcluley I just got a Eufy doorbell cam and really like it. It starts recording and storing as soon as it senses movement, but I don’t think it’s saving non-stop video all of the time. It records about 1 minute at a time but I believe that setting can be changed to more or less.

My page has some recent videos of wildlife it has picked up on at night if you want to see clarity.

@gcluley I use Kasa (TP-Link). It takes a SD card for 24/7 recording. Works well enough.

@gcluley An expensive solution would be something from Mobotix. There are also some chinese cameras and camera doorbells which can be used without the cloud. They write their videos via NFS and use onvif and rtsp and even VoIP for the doorbell. E.g. Hikvision or Anpviz., you just have to find the URL for their rtsp stream and don't use their cloud or apps. Many can be configured via webpage only some use proprietary windows apps.

@gcluley I went with the Dahua VTO2202F-P recommended by Intermit.Tech's Quindor in his video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbkCuT4qHbA

Using it with a HACS HomeAssistant integration that works pretty well. I'm also using Dahua's "DMSS" app that lets you monitor and interact with ppl. at the door over local Wifi (you can turn off the cloud integration in its web interface and block it from the internet entirely through your router/fw).