You didnt know who was at the door until you opened it.
Now, largely thanks to Amazon-owned company Ring, video doorbells are everywhere.
Think Kevin talking to The Wet Bandits in Home Alone!
The Swann4KVideo Doorbell looks like it’s no exception.
Visually its quite similar to theYale Smart Video Doorbellwe reviewed recently.
Thats to say its chunkier than some of the doorbells out there, but feels well made.
Setup is reasonably straightforward.
Once the doorbell fully charged using the USB-C charging port, simply download the app to your smartphone.
However, we didnt test this out, preferring to use the devices rechargeable battery instead.
One problem we faced was with the mounting bracket which the video doorbell slots into.
the wooden mouldings of the frame than if its made out of plastic.
Certainly, when it comes to features, the SwannBuddy 4K ticks most of the boxes.
Probably the most useful of all is the built in MicroSD storage.
A 32GB card is provided with the doorbell as standard, but it will support up to 128GB.
Less useful, but much more likely to grab headlines, is SwannShield.
Of course, the video doorbell is much more than a gear for talking to people at the door.
Alternatively, you could store videos in chronological order on the built-in MicroSD card.
At the top of the gear is the camera while underneath are the microphone and night detection sensor.
Alternatively, it can be hard wired into the AC mains.
Swann recommends mounting around chest height between 1.2m and 1.6m high.
Provided is a small metal mounting bracket which the doorbell slots into.
SwannBuddy4K: performance
Like most Swann models weve reviewed, the SwannBuddy 4K doesnt disappoint.
The software on the app is straightforward too with well laid out menus.
Adjustable sensitivity controls and recording schedules are also provided to limit unnecessary recording time.
However, in high quality 4K the image is excellent even when recording at night.
That said, the viewing angle is still a respectable 165 degrees, more than adequate for most set-ups.
Included are various options including push to talk which enables you to speak directly to whoevers at the door.
Alternatively, the SwannShield feature allows you to play pre-recorded messages to your visitors.
Theres even one telling the person to leave your property as the police are on their way!
And if that doesnt do the job theres always the siren button to scare them off.
It all feels a little unwelcoming and probably not entirely suitable for most interactions.
Should you buy the SwannBuddy4K?
it’s possible for you to also buy a mains-powered version as well as a separate solar panel.
We particularly like thefittings provided with the camera for easy installation, and the doorbells clear images.
But he later saw the funny side when I explained it was an experiment for a product test!
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