INTRODUCTION

   I can't really begin to count the times when i was away and someone got to my doorstep, whether that someone was a friend, family member or even a delivery person bring samples over. Luckily unlike countries like the states here delivery people don't just leave packages outside (normal postal office on the other hand does leave small ones from time to time) and most of the times they do call if they don't find me at the office but still i always wanted to know before hand and this is where video doorbells come in. Needless to say, video doorbells also act as deterrent to people who may be after packages or who'd just want to break into your home so there are quite a few reasons as to why all people should own one. One such device is the GREETS 1 Smart Video Doorbell by HeimVision which I’ve been using for just over a month.

   Here at HeimVision, we believe that everyone of us deserves a safer world, to smile freely and to share willingly. We aim at making the world a safer place by providing exceptional home security solutions - This has always remained the core motivation that kept us moving forward and our products evolving. Up till now, we have gained recognition from many of our happy customers. Our HM241 NVR system and HM211 outdoor camera were certificated "Best Seller" on major e-commerce platforms - We are grateful for all these and can't wait to put smile on more faces. Covering two product categories for the moment, we put full dedication to new product innovation just to make the world a safer place.

   The GREETS 1 Smart Video Doorbell is currently available in 2 colors (black & white) and basically combines a compact wireless IP camera with a doorbell. So, inside the IP65 certified plastic housing HeimVision has squeezed 166 degrees wide-angle all-glass lens capable of capturing Full HD (1080p) video at 25fps (with HDR and distortion correction), mono speaker, unidirectional microphone, WiFi chipset, microSD card slot (supports cards up to 128GB in capacity) and two 5000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion batteries which can provide power to the GREETS 1 for up to 6 months (standby). The GREETS 1 also features a single IR LED for night vision, PIR motion and human detection sensors, encrypted cloud storage (optional, trial available) and a wireless chime (WiFi connectivity) which can be used either with AA batteries or with an USB cable. So, is this the video doorbell to get? Let's move on with the rest of today's review to find out just that.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Typically, a large product picture is located at the front of the box, right under the company logo.

The product features and specifications are printed on both sides of the box.

Contact information for HeimVision along with two 2D barcodes redirecting you towards their HeimLife app are placed at the rear of the box.

Along with the GREETS 1 Smart Video Doorbell inside the package you'll also find the wireless chime, 3xAA batteries, microUSB cable, two 3M adhesive tapes, surveillance notification sticker, torx hex key, small Philips screwdriver, nameplate holder, two reset pins, 2 copper wires with 2 U-shaped terminals, 2 copper wires with a single U-shaped terminal, 2 wire nuts, 4 mounting screws and the user manual.

THE GREETS 1

The body of the GREETS 1 Smart Video Doorbell measures 142mm in height (147mm with the base), 57mm in width (60mm with the base) and 34mm in depth (41mm with the base).

Equipped with ultra-wide 166 degrees all-glass lens the GREETS 1 should easily record everything happening wherever you place it at 1080p resolution (the PIR sensor is right beneath the lens whereas the IR LED is located on the left - right as you see it - of the PIR sensor).

The wireless chime button is located at the lower end of the doorbell (this also acts as a detection LED - blue and red - a reset button is located on the right side).

As you can easily tell the plastic wall base/bracket has two mounting spots on it and two copper contacts which you can use to attach the GREETS 1 directly to the power (that way you can skip having to recharge it).

The doorbell itself also has two copper contacts and two screws which hold the battery cover.

Removing the battery cover reveals the two 5000mAh (18.5Wh/3.7V) rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

A microSD card slot is located just over the batteries as you can see from the above picture.

The microUSB charging port is placed at the base of the doorbell.

The bundled wireless chime features a large mono speaker and two activity LEDs (pairing/working) at the front.

Three buttons are located on top and from here you can adjust the volume level (4 Levels), choose a ringtone (4 available ringtones) and reset the chime.

The battery compartment is located at the rear and as for the microUSB charging port that's located at the base.

HEIMLIFE ANDROID / IOS APP

To control the GREETS 1 Smart Video Doorbell you will need to download the HeimLife app and follow the installation/pairing steps.

After that you will need to enter the settings page and give a name to the doorbell (you can pair as many GREETS 1 smart video doorbells you want but HeimVision recommends up to 10 for optimal results).

From inside the settings menu, you can also check the current status of the doorbell, set the volume, leave a pre-recorded message, enable/disable night vision, check the current battery capacity, adjust the motion detection settings, enable a 7-day trial for the cloud storage service and adjust the various recording settings.

As expected from the main software tab you get the feed, recording history (if you have a microSD card installed) and the cloud recordings (since i test the image quality of most similar cameras at home i decided to do the same here).

AUDIO / VIDEO QUALITY

As you can see from the above pictures the HeimVision GREETS 1 Smart Video Doorbell has two image quality settings (SD/HD) but even at HD i never saw its bitrate going over 98KB/s (for a single IR LED night recording is relatively good - click on each picture to get the full uncompressed screenshot). This is of course a wireless model so bandwidth is always considerably less compared to what you can expect from a wired model (manufacturers have to consider weak signal strength). On top of that this is a video doorbell so even such a small bitrate is actually more than enough, at least for that use (recording people 20-200cm away from your door that is). As for audio quality i guess it's quite ok for both ends (there's also a slight delay – just like with the video - as expected from a wireless model), just don't expect miracles from a video doorbell with uni-directional recording and mono channel reproduction.

CONCLUSION

   For a wireless video doorbell, the GREETS 1 by HeimVision did very well during the almost 1 full month I tested it for. Image and audio quality are both good (not great but again, this is a wireless video doorbell) and the HeimLife app gives you a plethora of settings to adjust and test. Moving to battery life things here vary a lot on the where you place the doorbell and of course the sensitivity level of the motion sensor feature. For example, i placed it on the front door which faces the street and even though i set the motion sensor to low (that made sure it only picked up people passing near the door) it still was enough for the battery to deplete at just over 9 days (9 days and 10 hours to be exact). This of course means that if you position the doorbell at a place where it will only pick up people coming to your door it should last for much longer than that. Yes, it will never reach the advertised 6 months of standby time but even 10+ plus days before each recharge (that is if you can't connect it to a power source) is not bad at all. All of the sensors found in the GREETS 1 also work like a charm as does the wireless chime (although i still don't know if you can use rechargeable AA batteries in it - should be possible however). What I’d change with the GREETS 1 is that I’d also include the 25-40 degrees angled base/mount since it’s far more convenient than the bundled one (at least in my case). Still even the fact that HeimVision offers it separately is a good thing so I can’t really complain. Also, when choosing the black color it makes very little sense for the wireless chime to be white but that’s exactly the case with the GREETS 1 (perhaps HeimVision will change that in future models).

   Currently retailing for just USD89.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for around 90Euros inside the EU the GREETS 1 Smart Video Doorbell by HeimVision is clearly priced right (also available for USD69.99 directly from the HeimVision website). Yes, it may not be the best video doorbell in the market today but it’s affordable, easy to install and use and offers a good array of features all of which are enough for it to get the Golden Award.

PROS

- Full HD 1080p @ 25fps (Good Overall Quality)
- Two Way Audio
- Easy Setup & Use
- Battery Life (6 Months Standby)
- PIR & Human Detection Sensors
- IP65 Certified Enclosure
- Micro SD Card Slot (Local Recording)
- Wireless Chime (AA Battery & Wired Operation)
- Cloud Recording (Monthly Fee)
- Available In 2 Colors (Black & White)
- HeimLife Android/iOS App
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Average Bitrate
- Speaker & Microphone Clarity (Ok But Could Be Better)
- Chime Is White in Both Versions (For Some)