This review is on the Video Doorbell Pro, the initial version, let's call it version 1. That is what I purchased and what many reading this review may have as well. My original review that follows pointed out one annoying negative and gave the product 3 stars. Apparently Ring monitors their reviews (since they are owned by Amazon) and as a result I was contacted by a Ring specialist, who was knowledgeable about their products and worked closely with me for a resolution. That experience was very positive. As a result, I have upped my review to 5 stars as the doorbell now meets all my needs and her willingness to work with me was exceptional. The product I am giving 5 stars to is the Video Doorbell Pro 2 which is different than the product I purchased which was the Video Doorbell Pro.
Following is the review of the Pro. After that is the review of the Pro 2.
I purchased Ring since they are an industry leader, generally get good reviews, and were helpful with my questions prior to purchase. The install went fairly well. The couple of questions I had they quickly and efficiently addressed with my calls to their help line. The only tricky part was due to my door’s construction and the need to mount the Ring somewhat higher on the frame then normally is done for conventional doorbells. I had to fish my doorbell wire up behind the trim to the Ring. But it all went well.
The one problem, and the one that is still not resolved, is the audio quality of the signal broadcast by the Ring speaker for talking to the person at the door. The audio quality I hear inside is great; it is just the audio quality going out that is bad. I did a bunch of reading about this. I suggest you go to the Ring community forum at community-dot-ring-dot-com. Search for poor audio quality and read the post titled “Ring Pro very poor audio quality - garbled badly at doorbell - but fine if reviewing recording.” That series of posts covers the problem in detail. I also found similar complaints in Amazon reviews. I called their help line hoping to raise the complaint up the food chain and get it resolved. It seemed to me like a product problem. After over 3 hours invested and talking to 4 different support agents of increasing authority, I was told by the last one “I am the top of the line,” I still got no resolution. She insisted the issue was my Wi-Fi even though all the tests conducted by the Ring doorbell indicated the Wi-Fi was fine and even though the incoming video and audio was high quality with no distortion.
They also sent me one replacement and then another, the last one supposedly from the newest “version 3” batch. They all worked the same. I do have to say they tried, but with the info I provided and the info in the Ring Community posts, it does sound like a design flaw. I can’t say for sure, but I have given up. I don’t really believe my last contact was the “top of the line,” nor that she ever spoke to actual product engineers. It is annoying how companies “protect” their engineers from their customers.
I decided to keep the doorbell since it does everything else well, and I have modified my door jamb to accept it. I don’t often have to talk to a visitor using the doorbell and the one time I needed it I was able to, even though the audio sounds like I am talking through a Kazoo.
The Ring website is easy to use and it is nice to have a video doorbell.
UPDATE for the Pro 2.
As I said a Ring specialist saw my Amazon review and contacted me to see if she could better resolve my problem. She was more expert that the 4 prior persons I had spoken to and also apparently had direct access to engineers familiar with the product. She asked if she could send me another (my 4th doorbell). I said “yes let’s give it a try,” thinking this was another update on the Pro. Actually it turned out to be a different more-expensive product, the Pro 2, but I didn’t realize this till later.
The long and the short of it is, the Pro 2 works fine. It has even better video than the Pro, similar incoming audio, and a much-improved outgoing audio. It is now reasonable to have 2-way conversation through the doorbell. She also assured me that the prior Ring advice was incorrect and that my Wi-Fi was fine as was the way I had interfaced the doorbell to my system.
I asked my contact if the Pro still had the same audio problems as I had identified, and she assured me that the latest version of the Pro and the Pro 2 had “the same audio capabilities.” I cannot confirm this but she seems to know her stuff. So, if outgoing audio is important to you, the current version of the Pro may suffice, but your best option may be to spend the extra for a Pro 2.
-
Buy New$149.99
-
Buy Like-NewOffers available from
$69.99$139.99
