I am looking for a clever doorbell / entry solution as well and did some research and comparing during the last weeks.
Verdict:
There is nothing on the market that suits perfect.
However, there are 5 products on my shortlist:
- Ring
- Doorbird
- Nest
- Fibaro Intercom
- A selfmade Solution, using binary sensors
While Ring vs Nest is tested very often throughout the web, I need to state they are out of race. Why? They’re offering subscriptions, okay - typical Google and Amazon - but the added value for money is to me not really worth it. Furthermore I want to open the gate with a click - not possible there.
Doorbird doesn’t fit in my case as it has to be installed at the door at the garden and I don’t wanna mess up with all the clutter.
Fibaro Intercom seems to be technically high-end, offers at least on paper all that’s “neede” and even more. Pain in the ass: costs is around 750 - 800€ (!). No subscriptions, no hidden costs.
After all I still don’t got a doorbell at the house entry and as there is a Gira TKS-Gateway (not IP) built-in w/ Phone Intercom (I don’t wanna go this way with an external call) I am really struggling what to do.
Perhaps a binary sensor in the basement, where the simpel 12Volt signal comes in from the “dead” doorbell from the house entry could send a signal (433mhz) and Homey could receive it, handling it as a virtual device; then - as a flow - Start procedure such as:
When it rings, stream 3rd party cam signal and mic audio to smartphone; enabling a button to speak or to open the gate.
After looking up weeks (really weeks!) I tend to be somewhere between trying Fibaro because of less stress - or building the own solution.
