Eufy Video Doorbell Lets You Be Nosey in HD GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO News > Smart & Connected Life

Eufy Video Doorbell Lets You Be Nosey in HD

Go big when you watch your home

By Sascha Brodsky Sascha Brodsky Senior Tech Reporter Macalester College Columbia University Sascha Brodsky is a freelance journalist based in New York City. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, the Guardian, the Los Angeles Times and many other publications. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 26, 2020 12:09PM EDT Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart & Connected Life Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming

Key Takeaways

Eufy’s new Video Doorbell 2K costs $199 and offers five days of recording time. This doorbell boasts a sleek design and high-end specifications. I was impressed by the image quality and easy installation. eufy Eufy’s new Video Doorbell 2K lets you easily keep a high definition eye on visitors with five days of recording time. This doorbell ($199) offers crystal-clear picture quality and integrates with voice assistants. It’s available exclusively at Best Buy. But could it win me over as a video doorbell skeptic? Until recently, I had never understood the need for a video anything to monitor my home. It seemed, frankly, a little paranoid. However, I tried out eufy’s latest just as my anxiety level was ratcheting up over doom-laden pandemic and election headlines. Was civilization about to break down over coronavirus-related toilet paper shortages? Could the remnants of society end up fighting over the last packets of yeast? If so, I reasoned, it might be better to know who was coming to call in the middle of the night.

Good Looks Great Picture

For the reluctant Mad Max or just regular homeowners, the eufy is a slick piece of tech. The doorbell boasts a sleek all-black design with a front-facing camera and a built-in microphone. It records and streams in 2K (2560x1920) resolution with HDR and in a taller 4:3 aspect ratio that’s "designed to show people head to toe," the company said in a news release. And that camera is designed to work when things go bump in the night. It’s got all the specs you’d expect in this price range. Weather resistance? Check. Two-way audio, notifications, and voice assistant integration with Alexa and Google Assistant? Sure thing. It also features the ominous-sounding "local A.I. image processing" which supposedly allows face recognition and filtering that can keep pets and vehicles from setting off alerts. There’s no need to purchase an external SD card because the 32GB of built-in storage allows each recording to be saved directly to the device. I found that I was able to capture long scenes of the view outside my door with all that onboard memory. This led to some incredibly boring viewing sessions. Leaves falling from the trees were the most exciting thing I saw.

Hacker-Proof Recordings

I was reassured to know that the video is stored locally on-device with "military-grade" encryption, accessible through the eufy app without a cloud subscription. If hackers ever want to nab leaf videos from my doorbell, they are in for a tussle. There’s one snag, however. The continuous recording feature draws a lot of power so the new doorbell is only available in a hard-wired version. Make sure you really want this thing on your door before drilling holes to put it there. Once committed, installation was surprisingly easy and using the eufy app was intuitive. For people who are super into ringtones, (I’m not judging) the new doorbell also includes an upgraded chime that provides eight different sounds, along with volume levels that you can adjust to your heart’s content. They all sounded very pleasant to my ears. The best part of the Doorbell 2K is its image quality. It might not be big screen cinema ready but it’s startlingly clear for a video doorbell. The company claims that the 2K image is combined with "advanced HDR and Distortion Correction," ensuring that "every video is recorded in 2x the quality." I believe them. The leaves that were blowing in front of my door showed up in glorious high definition. I imagine that you could in fact film a halfway decent movie entirely through this doorbell. Pity the screenwriter though. There’s healthy competition in the video doorbell arena. The August Doorbell Cam Pro ($250), for example, also has high-definition recording and claims to offer "easy" installation. It’s boxy looks, however, can’t compare to the eufy’s curves. For those on a budget, the RemoBell S offers many of the same features as the higher-end models but only has three days of recording time. Amazon’s own Ring Video Doorbell Pro ($249) offers "customizable privacy zones" and interchangeable faceplates if you change your mind at some point about what color doorbell you want. What a world! Despite these tempting alternatives, my time with the eufy was well spent. Although I discovered not a single porch pirate while reviewing hours of footage, I did, however, spot a squirrel casing my house. I was left reassured that if things somehow got worse in 2020 outside my door at least I’d have the evidence to prove it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Roku Jumps Into Connected Living With Its Own Smart Home Devices RCA Video Doorbell Camera Review: A Capable Camera Expert Tested: The 7 Best Smart Doorbell Cameras in 2022 Ring Video Doorbell 2 Review: The Best How to Install the Ring Doorbell and Ring Doorbell 2 Ring Video Doorbell Pro Review: A Seriously Smart Device VueBell Video Doorbell Review: One Of The Cheapest Video Doorbells Available The 7 Best Home Security Cameras of 2022 9 Things to Consider Before Buying a Dash Cam What Is the Ring Doorbell and How Does It Work? Nest Hello vs. Ring: Which Is Right for You? Eufy T8200 Review: A “No-Subscription” Video Doorbell Google Store Best Deals (Updated for 2022) How to Install Any Ring Doorbell Without an Existing Doorbell How to Connect a Ring Doorbell to Alexa The 8 Best 4K Monitors of 2022 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies