Tapo D235 2K 5MP Doorbell Camera Wireless 180°DFOV Ultra-Wide Video Doorbell Wireless or Wired,Battery 210 Day,Ring Chime Included,Head-to-Toe View IP66,TP-Link Free AI Detection,Alexa,No Monthly Fee

There are so many doorbell cameras to choose from these days it can be a daunting process to find the right one. If you want functions and features without the cost of a subscription then having tested this one, I can honestly say this one will be hard to beat.You get so much for your money like up to 500GB of storage and 24/7 recording; these features are very often only available if you're prepared to pay a subscription.I tried a couple of other doorbell camera systems before deciding on the Tapo D235. I was so impressed by its video quality, 180° horizontal field of view(FOV) with 140° head to toe view and ease of navigating playing back video clips of captured events. I have decided to tell you about some of the key things that have impressed me and features/functions that others may not have mentioned in their postings.[The Tapo app/ User guide]. I use the Android version of the app and it allows me to not only control my Tapo D235 doorbell camera but my Tapo security camera (model C325WB) and my Tapo dimmable lights as well with the same app. The installation process is simple and intuitive with step by step guidance. If you are a person who is not so confident with SSID’s and passwords etc. then there is an alternative install method referred to as the Amazon Frustration-Free Setup (FFS) method available in the very comprehensive 38 page Tapo downloadable PDF user guide available from the Tapo website.[Alexa and Google compliant] I mention this because for those that might not be aware it is possible to get announcements/ ringtones on a compliant smart speaker as well as live views on an Amazon or Google compliant smart display. You can also view this Tapo D235 doorbell camera on a Smart TV or on a normal TV using an Amazon Fire Stick.[Chime unit] The chime unit is a 3 pin plug top device that connects to your doorbell camera and WiFi Network and gives access to a choice of 11 individual doorbell ringtones. It is possible to cycle through the ringtones on the plug top unit to select your choice or adjust the volume of the ring which is loud enough for most people. You can of course select the ring tones and adjust ringtone volume within the Tapo app. You can also purchase an extra Chime/Hub to provide a doorbell chime in different rooms if required. Don't forget you can make use of an Amazon or Google smart speaker to give a doorbell ring and announcements in other rooms.[AI Artificial Intelligence] Most other doorbell camera systems that offer AI do so only when you subscribe to their subscription cloud storage system. The Tapo D235 doorbell camera system offers you this by default. You can also assist the Tapo AI feature to improve its accuracy of detecting trigger events by reviewing recorded events and editing the detection type to include for example motion, person, pet, vehicle or package detection if missed on the playback clip.[Local Storage (micro SD)/ Event Detection] The Tapo D235 system allows the user to insert a micro SD memory card in the camera body. You can fit a micro SD card from as small as 8GB to massive 512GB (half a terabyte) of storage whereas many systems only offer 8GB to 250GB of local event storage. The doorbell camera can be configured to record an event caused by any or all of the following event types; Motion, Person, Pet, Vehicle or Package detection. Again many other systems require you to subscribe to their subscription cloud system to get this level of saficuation. Also you can set individual detection zones for each of the detection types thus maximising the ultimate control of your doorbell cameras event detection and record function. You can even set multiple detection zones for any of the event types giving you a more accurate event capture.[Build quality/ Battery and Fixing kit] The doorbell camera unit feels sturdy but is a bit larger than most other doorbell camera units measuring 150mm (H), 50mm (W) 38.4mm (D). This is because it houses a 10000mA (10 amp) Lithium-ion rechargeable battery. Most other doorbell camera systems do not offer such a large capacity battery but the advantage is that you can get up to 210 days of event backup, equal to nearly 7 months if you set your event detection sensitivity carefully. I connected a 240 volt plug top 24 volt AC power supply to my system so that it will keep the battery charged. The Tapo battery charging circuitry within the doorbell camera ensures the battery is not over charged so it may pause charging when it gets to 80 or 90 percent of full charge; a nice feature to help prolong the battery life.The doorbell camera mounting kit comprises of a self adhesive mount strip along with a raised flat spacer, a wedge shaped spacer (if you need the doorbell camera unit to tilt up or down) and a thin back plate for the camera. The spacers are a bit flimsy compared to the rest of the doorbell camera build but they seem to do the job just fine.[Privacy Mode/Zones] This doorbell camera system not only supports the basic Privacy Mode setting where in the app you can disable recording and streaming (video and audio content) to other devices on your WiFi network. You can manually set Privacy Mode On or Off from within the Device Settings menu of the app.[Privacy Mode Zoning] this is a far more sophisticated setting that is available in the app's Video & Display menu. It is possible to select sensitive areas of your doorbell cameras display to mask off areas such as neighbours or friends property so that video content will not be recorded in these areas thus making private their comings or goings. You can even set multiple zones for the zoning screen so that you can more accurately mask off key areas from being monitored or recorded. And finally you can even set the days of the week and times when Privacy Mode Zoneing takes place; what a fantastic feature you get and without paying for this cloud support.[Customised Announcement]I think the good people at Tapo must have been listening to their customers' feedback because they have even provided the ability to record a customised message (auto response) to add to its list of pre-recorded messages. I can now choose my own message to play if I am away from home. I was able to record a short message requesting the parcel delivery person to “please leave the package inside the porch”. You can even set the period of time after the doorbell has been pressed before the message will play. One slight error in the advert, the Tapo D235 does not offer voice changer functionality.I hope this review will give you the confidence that this is one of the best function and feature rich doorbell camera systems on the market at present for a reasonable price.

I’m pleased with this doorbell camera it was easy to set up and install. I like that it has a memory card for your camera footage and that you don’t have to pay any subscription fees. Although if you want to you can pay a subscription for tapo cloud storage but it’s not essential. The camera quality is great and you can set up your own custom zones for detecting motion, people, car and packages. I also like that you can turn off pet/animal detection if you don’t wish to pick up the neighbourhood cats and foxes. Night vision is nice and clear. The app on my phone was simple to follow and set up, and has options for how you would like to be notified of activity captured. The chime part plugs into a plug socket and has a variety of sounds with volume control. I think it is good value for money and would recommend.

I had been comparing many doorbells and found this Tapo D235 doorbell which after a recommendation of tapo doorbells from a CCTV security company, having owned a previous indoor tapo camera and noting this doorbell can be powered from existing doorbell wiring, I decided to buy it.In the box comes the doorbell itself, a chime, 2 types of wedges and backing plate, charging cable, jumper cable to bypass the existing chime, wired to extend the doorbell wiring, adhesive strip screws and installation guide.Installing the doorbell can either be stuck to the wall using the supplied adhesive strip or in my case drilling holes and screwing in the back plate and wedge (optional). The doorbell then clicks onto the back plate.Before touching any wiring the doorbell needed to be switched off at the circuit breaker.Once the back plate was fixed on to the wall I connected the 2 existing doorbell wires to the 2 screw points at the bottom rear of the doorbell. Next I had to bypass the existing chime as I wanted to power the doorbell from the existing wiring. This was a bit tricky as the wiring for my chime didn't look like the guidance from tapo. After as few tries it was up and working and the tapo app does tell you if it is actively being powered from the hard wiring or the battery.The app is useful as it guides you through this setup and once done helps you configure the doorbell itself.Operating the doorbell over the last week I've found the doorbell was highlighting motion outside of the boundary areas I setup. What mostly fixed this had been reducing the sensitivity of this event type and found you can re-assign events it's found to re-train the doorbell AI. Other than that I've also managed to connect my Google mini and other phones to receive notifications from the doorbell. Note the Google mini also sounds the chime. The video quality both day and night is good and I can make out people, cars etc clearly.Few things to watch out for. The battery is internal and cannot be replaced like other tapo models. If hard wiring check your chime and online YouTube videos to see if you'll come across any issues. If you need extra chimes currently you cannot buy any and it's not clear the tapo hub which has a chime supports this doorbell. The doorbell needs a stable WiFi connection as my mobile 5G router didn't work well with it but the broadband one did.Overall I'm happy with the doorbell and would recommend it.

One month review. I hardwired the doorbell.Camera quality is amazing, even at night. Microphone quality is average. I synced it with google home and without any further setup the google smart speakers now tell me when a person or vehicle is detected.I have person and vehicle detection turned on, motion turned off. There are zero false alerts, cars driving past with headlights lighting up the driveway also do not trigger alerts (all my other doorbell cameras struggled with this).Doorbell chime rings instantly. App and camera open within a second of the doorbell being pressed (this is really impressive considering that I've tried Reolink, Blink and Ring doorbells which disappointed me).I have yet to set up the constant recording on my network drive, but I've read that it's not too difficult to configure.Edit: Works perfectly with Synology Surveillance Station, took less than 5 minutes to configure.