Doorbird video door phone in daily use - an experience and test report

Admittedly, we (danholt.de) are a specialist dealer for smart technology - and a certified premium partner of DoorBird.
In this respect, you may now wonder whether this can be an objective report... 
Own experience is the key...

Since we test all products from our range ourselves and, in the case of video door intercoms, also install and use them ourselves, I can reassure you:
Of course, we only use what we are convinced of - for everything else our time is too precious.

We use Doorbird and Birdguard security technology both in a private and business building.

Our DoorBird D202b - a variant in stainless steel with bronze optics - has been adorning our house entrance for a few months now.
Movements in the entrance area can be recorded automatically and can be signaled immediately on the SmartPhone or tablet as an alert, also with a warning tone.
Direct access to the video camera via smartphone or tablet allows us to inspect the entrance area immediately.
And not only when we are at home!
This function is available anywhere in the world - Internet access of a smartphone or tablet provided, of course.

The intercom of the 70s...
If a visitor is standing in front of our door, we can also use our smartphones or tablets like a good old intercom and talk to the visitor.
And this doesn't just work when we're at home either!
No, even when we are out and about!
If friends are unexpectedly standing in front of the door - as is the case with us from time to time - we can easily communicate with them and, for example, ask them to wait for a moment, or, as in our case, open a door for them even from a distance - but more on that later.

Smart technology is superior
A video door station like the Doorbird naturally has motion and brightness sensors that make it possible to log movements in the entrance area, right down to doorbell events, either photographically or with video. This makes it far superior to the classic intercom system.
If you have ever received a non-delivery notification from the parcel carrier, even though you were at home all day, you can now prove to the parcel service that no serious delivery attempt was made.

In addition, there are really practical little things like the possibility to connect a door opener or garage door opener, which of course can also be controlled with your smartphone or tablet.

The door chime...
The classic door chime can also be reconnected to the door station - and that's how we wanted it. 
We reactivated an original 70s 2-sound gong - matching the bungalow from the same decade.
So if there is no SmartPhone or tablet ready, it rings as usual and the gong sounds.

Installation and assembly
In our case, an old intercom system from the 70s was replaced. This was already installed as a flush-mounted variant and so we could install our new DoorBird - also as a flush-mounted variant - flush in the already existing wall opening.
Since in the wall opening only the bell wires installed at that time were present and we did not want to lay new lines, we decided for the enterprise over our wireless WLan network. Since the existing wall opening could not also accommodate the supplied antennas and extension cables and we also wanted to exclude shielding effects through the steel housing, 2 holes were drilled. We used a drill and a long masonry drill to drill a hole about 30cm deep in the center of a side wall of the wall opening as parallel to the wall as possible (we didn't want to break through to the inside!).
The 2 antennas were then inserted into the two holes and are now invisible in the wall.
This is of course only one possibility of many, which we preferred with our structural conditions.

Likewise, the power supply included with the Doorbird was dispensed with and instead a Doorbird DIN rail power supply (accessory) was installed in the fuse box.
Since the said bell wires already arrived in the fuse box, this offered itself. The old bell transformer was disconnected accordingly or only used to power the door chime.
This is a bit tricky and should be done by an electrician on site...
In any case, it must be ensured that the DoorBird is operated exclusively with its own power supply or the original DoorBird DIN rail power supply.
And it is absolutely to be paid attention to the fact that the door gong gets its own separate voltage supply! In turn, the door gong may only be operated with max. 24Volt at max. 1A.
Door gongs that do not meet this requirement must not be used!

Security technology and burglary protection
For us, however, one of the most interesting aspects was and is the possibility to expand such a door station to a comprehensive security and automation system.

In our case, the video door station - which, by the way, is connected to the in-house network via WLan, as in our case, or also via cable (Ethernet) - is also connected to additional video cameras, the so-called BirdGuards, via radio.
Now, such an additional camera as the BirdGuard is not just an "extra eye" for general building security.
A BirdGuard has apart from the HD video camera likewise a microphone and a loudspeaker as well as 2 further, so-called potential-free switching contacts - like also already the door station.

Home automation included
In our case we use one of these switch contacts to open a garage door!
A BirdGuard camera is placed in the garage and overlooks the entire garage and the door with its almost 180° wide angle.
Should someone try to open the garage door without authorization or other "unauthorized movements" and events take place in the garage (e.g. martens...), the camera sounds an alarm and a push message appears on the smartphone... with us an additional warning tone is also configured.
Of course, this also works in the dark... like the door station, the BirdGuard also has an IR night vision function.

In addition to the desired security aspect - which may nevertheless hopefully never be forced to seriously intervene - this configuration has an enormous practical aspect, as is now becoming increasingly apparent after prolonged use.
E.g. again the case with the parcel carrier... 
If we are not at home and the messenger rings the doorbell, he is asked to go to the garage and the garage is opened by me from a distance.
The BirdGuard camera installed there has the messenger and the package firmly in view, I can watch everything on the smartphone and can also continue to talk to the messenger - because a microphone and speaker are also in the camera!
Once the messenger has left, I can also close the gate from a distance.

Another BirdGuard guards the back of the house.
Together with a loudspeaker siren from DoorBird connected to the camera, it can make a real racket - about 100dB - in case of an emergency.
Whereby this siren loudspeaker could play also e.g. dog barking or goose chattering - no borders are set to the fantasy.
That should probably deter most thieves.

Quality of life and comfort
All in all, we would not want to miss our DoorBird video door station as well as the other components such as the BirdGuards.
In everyday life completely problem-free and clear in handling.
Originally, the security aspect was in the foreground for us, but after longer use, the terrific gain in comfort comes more and more into the foreground.

Made in Germany
The door stations of the D20x series are all manufactured with stainless steel fronts and steel or stainless steel housings and are therefore ideal for outdoor installation. A doorbell plate that is illuminated in the dark and an illuminated doorbell button made of stainless steel round off the overall appearance.