Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro Review
The Vivint Video Doorbell Pro is an ideal pick for anyone wanting to deter package thieves, thanks to its package detection and Smart Sentry features. We also like the simplicity of its Vivint app. We weren’t too keen on the high price or the fact that Vivint doesn’t offer a DIY installation option, though.
Extra-large field of view Smart package-theft deterrent No Vivint subscription required
Grainy video quality Professionally installedVivint Doorbell Camera Pro vs. other video smart doorbells
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$249.99 | 180° | 1080p | Wired | View on Vivint | |
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$99.99 | 155° | 1080p | Battery or wired | View on Amazon | Read Review |
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$149.99 | 180° | 1536p | Wired | View on Amazon | Read Review |
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$229.99 | 160° | 1600x1200p | Wired | View on Home Depot | Read Review |
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$159.99 | 160° | 2K | Wired | View on Eufy | Read Review |
*Amazon.com price as of 08/02/2021 at 8:50 a.m. (MT). Read full disclaimer.
What's in the box
- Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro
- Mounting bracket and screws
- Manual
Smart Sentry: Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro’s best feature
While this Vivint camera has many of the same features as other smart doorbell cameras, like two-way talk, night vision, and motion detection, one stood out: Smart Sentry. If you’ve ever battled with porch pirates, then you’ll like this feature as much as we do. It's also the main difference between the original 2015 Vivint Doorbell Camera and the latest model.
First, the security camera detects a package on your porch and alerts you on the Vivint Smart Home app. Then, Smart Sentry goes to work. If Smart Sentry detects someone on your porch, the light on the smart doorbell turns red and flashes, and the doorbell emits a high-pitched whistle (or you can customize it to another sound) to scare any would-be thieves away.
Even better, the doorbell security camera says, “Camera recording,” loudly. If that doesn’t scare off a porch pirate, they don’t care about being caught.
Vivint Smart Sentry in action: video
Watch our tester try to sneak past the Vivint doorbell with Smart Sentry on guard.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for more videos like this one! Learn how to protect your home, your loved ones, yourself and your belongings.
This smart doorbell camera offers you more ways to customize the motion sensor than most cameras. You can create motion zones that are triangles, rectangles, or squares so you can easily map the exact area that you want monitored.
Fantastic field of view
Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro’s 180° field of view is impressive and covers more area than almost any other doorbell camera on the market. Even some of the best doorbell cameras have a 150° to 160° field of view. A few exceptions include the Arlo Video Doorbell and EZViz DB1, which measure in at a girthy 180°.
What does this mean to you? You can see the faces of very tall people on your porch. Also, a doorbell camera with such a large field of view not only catches activity on your porch but a large portion of your front yard, as well. In fact, you may be able to skip a video doorbell and security camera combo and just use this doorbell camera to monitor your front yard alone.
Vivint video quality needs a boost
The video quality let us down a bit at a maximum of 1080p. Although this is considered high definition, we've tested other video doorbells with much higher resolution, like the Nest Hello, Arlo, or Eufy.
When we tested the Vivint Doorbell Camera pro, the video had great contrast and little distortion, but it was a bit grainy. You could still easily identify faces, though, which is important.
The Vivint Pro doesn’t record 24/7. It only starts recording when it senses movement and stores the footage as clips.
High audio quality
We found that this Vivint camera’s audio quality for the two-way talk feature was just about perfect. You can understand the person on either side of the doorbell really well.
There wasn’t any lag or static in the conversation, either, though this can vary depending on your Wi-Fi strength and connection to the doorbell cam.
Effortless installation
Installation of the Vivint Pro is super easy since all Vivint equipment must be installed by professionals. Vivint professional installation costs $99 for a whole smart home security system package, but the installation is free if you just buy the doorbell.
High price tag
As mentioned earlier, the Vivint Doorbell Camera costs about $250, which is a lot when compared with other doorbell cameras with better video quality. Vivint does offer customers free installation for the device and 30 days to try the Vivint Pro with a 100% refund if you don’t like it, though.
Intuitive Vivint Smart Home app
The Vivint app for this doorbell cam is easy to use and intuitive. We found the various options easily, and it didn’t glitch out like many other smart home apps. The Vivint app wasn’t anything spectacular, though. Simply basic and reliable.
The best feature is the ability to delay the Smart Sentry for 15 minutes, which gives you time to snag your package. Of course, if a package thief is quick, they may be able to snag the package in those 15 minutes, as well.
Storage needed
You can watch the Pro’s live feed for free through the Vivint Smart Home app or through the control panel, but you’ll need a storage method to record and save clips. The cloud storage plan is $5 per month, which is similar to other doorbell camera’s storage subscription fees.
If you would like a local storage solution, you can purchase the Vivint Smart Drive. It will record video 24/7, instead of just clips, and it saves videos for 30 days. Since the drive costs almost as much as the doorbell cam, at $249.99, we recommend opting for cloud storage.
Vivint Doorbell Camera smart home compatibility
Vivint products are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Z-Wave products, but don't work with the Apple HomeKit smart hub. Some users have reported trouble getting Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands or video devices to work with the Vivint Pro, though.
Final word
While the Vivint Video Doorbell Pro doesn’t have the best video quality, we love its advanced package-theft deterrents for your smart home. If you already have a Vivint security system, or really want to scare away porch pirates, we highly recommend this video doorbell if you can afford the high price.
Not feeling Vivint? Check out our more affordable picks with better video quality or our security recommendations for renters.
How we reviewed Vivint Doorbell Camera
While tackling our Vivint Doorbell Camera review, we researched several factors, including these:
- Video quality
- Audio quality
- App usability
- Smart home compatibility
- Features
- Cost
- Storage
- Monitoring
We investigated these areas with hands-on testing, conversations with Vivint, and research to determine if this is a product that our readers should invest in. Learn more about how Safewise reviews products by checking out our methodology page.
Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro FAQ
You can pair another Vivint camera with the Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro. It's not compatible with any other security camera brand.
Yes and no. You can have more than one doorbell camera on your Vivint account, but the video will only work on one of them.
It will still chime, but you won’t be able to watch the video until you have Wi-Fi again.
No, you do not have to subscribe to a full Vivint home security system to use the video doorbell. It can be used as a standalone product. However, the only way to get professional monitoring is to sign up for a Vivint contract.
The Vivint doorbell camera costs about $250 when it's not on sale.
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