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These days, it is quite simple to go the DIY route of setting up your home security system, helping you keep an eye on what’s going on with the property. You can jump in with all manner of cameras, and it’s just a matter of figuring out what ecosystem you want to go with. If you’re just starting out, though, a video doorbell can be a great way to start. We recently had a Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra come in for review, and we’ve got some thoughts.
Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra: what it is
If you’ve seen a video doorbell before, the Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra is going to look quite familiar. You’ve got a thick rectangle with a large circular button, with a camera lens above that. Many newer doorbells will have two camera (one that points out, and one that angles down), so why just one here? They were able to accomplish a wider field of view so you can more easily see what’s on the ground in front of the door.
Installing the doorbell
Good news here, installing and setting up the Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra is pretty easy. From the hardware perspective, you need to figure out where the wall-mounted frame is going to go. You’ll also want to decide if you need the angled wedge (say, to point it more towards the driveway), as that installs on the wall first. Once you’ve got all that level and installed on the doorframe, you’re ready to pop the doorbell in place.
For the electronics, our first step was to charge it up (it relies on a USB-C connector, under a weather-resistant flap). Of note, this version can utilize existing doorbell wiring if you have it (their less-expensive 2 MP version doesn’t). Once charged up, we fired up the Aosu app and went through the steps to configure it. Along with getting it setup on your WiFi, you’re making choices like the chime tone (and volume) for both the doorbell and the base unit. Then it’s a matter of getting it hooked on that frame, and letting it do it’s work.
The app
Since we mentioned the app, let’s talk about that. In the first image in the gallery below, you can see the field of view that the Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra provides. You can also see some quick settings, like Snooze, Events, and Settings. The Snooze I’ve been using quite a bit, as it turns out.
Why is that? Unlike other security products I’ve tested, there’s no way to set a schedule for the Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra. For instance, you might say to put it into a more laid-back mode (only recording when the ring button is pressed) during the day (or while you’re at home) and going into a more vigilant mode over night or while you’re away. With this doorbell, it’s always vigilant. So, when my kids are playing in the background, it’s constantly alerting me that it sees someone, or someone is lingering.
On one hand, that’s great that it can tell when someone is loitering around. However, not being able to tell it that you’re home and it can be less vigilant, that means the snooze gets used. Setting a detection zone could help that (as well as extend the battery life) but we’ve not set that up quite yet.
Then, in the third image in the slides above, you can see the other settings. Those are things like whether or not you want motion detection, what to do with night vision, and so on. One note on the Anti-Theft warning. This is a great idea, as it sounds an alarm if someone takes the doorbell off of it’s frame. This includes when you take it down to charge it up (yes, learned that the hard way). So, if you have this setting on, remember to turn it off before you pull it down to charge.
Using the doorbell
As I mentioned, I set the Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra up on our back door, as we already had a different one mounted on the front door. This was to give an additional bit of video coverage on the yard, as well as giving a method to let us know if someone was at the back door. This is where setting the different chime tone was critical, so we could tell where the visitor was.
In the specs listed below, you’ll see that it notes a 180-day battery life from a single charge. I realize we use this door perhaps more than most folks would use a back door, but we chewed through the battery pretty quickly. We took it from 100% down to 20% in about a month. Again, I plan to play with those detection zone settings to squeeze some more out, but your mileage may vary on that battery.
Actually using it, being able to snooze from alerts, and being able to respond to someone at the door, those are are actually quite good, and the app is one of the better one I’ve used. And the intelligence built in, figuring out that someone is lingering, or if someone is approaching and then goes away, is great. Of the doorbells I’ve tested, this is one of the best I’ve seen for that.
Wrapping things up
From a hardware perspective, it’s an excellent device. The software (aka, the phone app) is where I’m hoping we’ll see an improvement over time. Now, this should not be a deal breaker – what the app can do right now for the Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra definitely gets the job done. If you could get the ability to have it be armed/disarmed on a schedule though, that would be a huge step. Hopefully that’s something we’ll see in a future version of the app.
Of course, the fact that it stores things on-board (don’t have to send it to a central server) and that there’s no monthly charge for it, that’s always appreciated (if you want things like AI facial recognition, those are subscription add-ons). As tested, this 5MP version of the Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra that we have installed will run you $125.99 (retail is $171.99, but it’s on sale at the moment). If you want to save a few dollars, and don’t mind dropping to a 2MP camera (and giving up doorbell wiring) then you can snag it for $89.99. You can order yours at Amazon, or of course directly from aosulife.com
Aosu Video Doorbell Ultra Details
- 5MP Ultra High-Definition: 40% clearer than 2K. The 7-piece advanced ultra-clear optical lens ensures sharp, detailed images, even in bright or low-light conditions.
- No Monthly Fee: The HomeBase with built-in 8GB memory and 60-day loop-recording means your videos are safely stored at home, and you can view them anytime anywhere.
- Triple Motion Detection Technology: Never get a false alert. Our advanced radar and PIR motion sensors and intelligent detection system work together to distinguish and track near and far objects, and determines if they are people, animals, or vehicles.
- 166° Field of View Eliminates BlindSpots: Head-to-toe viewing lets you see exactly who is at your door and your packages on the ground.
- 180 Days From 1 Charge: The built-in rechargeable battery is 58% more efficient due to our technology. This ensures 180 days of flawless front door coverage on a single charge.
- HomeBase Included
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant
