Daily Star Assistant Editor Richard Brown has vowed not to pay a subscription fee for a video doorbell…and now he doesn’t have to
I have monthly subscriptions for everything from Netflix to the NFL…and even coffee.
But despite all that, I have never owned a video doorbell for one simple reason: I refuse to pay a monthly fee just for it to do its job. If that makes me a hypocrite, so be it. It’s a hill I’m willing to die on.
But now as a proud owner of an EZVIZ CP8 video doorbell, I’ve finally joined an illustrious group without having to sacrifice my principles – and all at a bargain price.
The CP8 may not be the most flashy video doorbell on the market but it packs a punch that is more than comparable to its more expensive rivals.
Retailing at just £49.99 on Amazon currently, down from a retail price of £69.99, it’s an incredibly affordable option that doesn’t scrimp on video quality or functionality.
The CP8 captures video in 5MP resolution and, in the couple of months I’ve owned it, has fared well in all kinds of weather and lighting conditions. The quality is coupled with a wide field of view that helps to minimise blind spots. I can comfortably see both ends of my drive, the house next door and much of the road from its location on the outside wall.
What I’ve come to appreciate most about the CP8, even more than the video quality, however, is the accessibility it offers. You can change pretty much any setting to alter how sensitive the camera is, at what point it alerts you to a presence outside your home and much more, all from the intuitive EZVIZ app. The set-up is simple and even including the time to download the app and create an account, it probably only took me about five minutes to be up and running.
And while some reviewers have complained about the connection dropping, I’ve not experienced any issues.
The battery life is strong and, in more than a month of usage, it has dropped by less than 15%.
But more than anything else is the ability to insert your own microSD card (up to 512GB), which provides a sizeable archive of recordings without the need to pay for a subscription. For those not as bothered by paying a monthly fee, you can also get cloud storage but buying a cheap SD card more than did the job for me.
There is ultimately only so much you can say about a cheap, practical household tool that improves the quality of your life, is easy to set up and operate and hasn’t gone wrong in more than a month of consistent usage.
While there are plenty of more expensive alternatives on the market, the EZVIZ CP8 stands alongside them all.
The EZVIZ CP8 is currently available on Amazon for £49.99 .
For those looking for a subscription-only model, the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro is available for £219.99 or for a different subscription-free version, the eufy E340 is retailing for £109.99, down from £169.99