Home security is both serious and big business. It is serious business to homeowners who put a lot of time and effort into securing their properties. It is big business to companies whose bread and butter is manufacturing, selling, and installing home security equipment.
Vivint Home Security is one such company. They recently published a post discussing the possibility of adding holiday chimes to a video doorbell. That post is the impetus for this one. I was originally put off by the idea, until I realized that it’s okay to have fun with a video doorbell. Everything about home security doesn’t have to be doom and gloom.
Video Doorbell Basics
If your knowledge of modern smart home security is limited, a video doorbell is a pretty simple device. It combines the traditional doorbell paradigm with video surveillance. A video doorbell is essentially a doorbell with onboard video and audio that facilitates real time surveillance of the front door.
Most video doorbells are wireless. This is to say that they are powered by a battery, and they communicate with a home security system through Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or some other wireless protocol. The fact that they do not have to be wired to the home’s electrical system makes wireless models very easy to install.
A wired video doorbell is just the opposite. It is installed by either connecting it to an existing doorbell’s wiring or running new wiring. A wired video doorbell can still communicate with a home’s security system over a wireless network.
A Smart Device
A modern video doorbell is considered a smart device. It is smart in the sense that it can be programmed to do certain things. It can also be accessed and controlled remotely. Smart technology even makes it possible to change a video doorbell’s chimes on demand. Of course, a particular model of video doorbell has to support multiple chimes for this to work.
From a functional standpoint, a chime could be anything that gets a homeowner’s attention. It could be a single sound effect or the first line of the homeowner’s favorite song. The chime could be a human voice or a barking dog.
It’s possible to change chimes because video doorbells are electronic devices that can play audio files. By contrast, traditional doorbells rely on either pre-programmed sounds or actual, physical bells installed behind a case.
Why Change Things Up?
At this point, you might be asking the same question that came to my mind as I first read the Vivint post: why change things up? Why bother adding holiday chimes to your video doorbell? Doing so isn’t necessary to maintain function.
Some people change their chimes on a regular basis just to do something different. They like change. They enjoy trying new things. Variety is the spice of their lives. Adding holiday chimes from November through early January gives them the opportunity to enjoy variety and simultaneously create some extra flare for the holidays.
I admit, there’s something fun about ringing a person’s doorbell and hearing a favorite Christmas tune. It sort of enhances the whole holiday spirit. I can also imagine a weary delivery driver approaching the last door at the end of a long and tiring day. He just wants to leave the package and get home. But when he hears that holiday tune playing over the video doorbell, he has a sudden burst of joyful energy.
It’s Easy to Do
Customizing a video doorbell’s chimes isn’t hard to do. Though there are exceptions to the rule, most video doorbells can be easily managed through a mobile app or a smart home hub. Vivint describes how it’s done with their video doorbells. The process is pretty straightforward:
- Go into your mobile app or smart home hub.
- Navigate to cameras; select settings.
- Select the doorbell camera by tapping on it.
- Choose from a list of available chimes.
The chime you choose will automatically be downloaded. After that, you will hear the new chime every time someone rings the doorbell. It’s just that simple.
If You Don’t Have a Video Doorbell
Everything you have read thus far probably means nothing to you if you don’t have a video doorbell installed. A more important consideration is whether or not a video doorbell would make a nice addition to your home security system. Let’s unpack that before I close this post.
When video doorbells were first introduced years ago, they were primarily intended as an entry level home security device for people who had no wireless video cameras. The target audience for manufacturers consisted of homeowners worried about package theft.
Today, however, video doorbells are standard home security devices that are as commonplace as smart speakers and door sensors. They are easy to install and set up by anyone who knows his way around a smartphone.
How They Work
A video doorbell has a small camera and microphone embedded inside. Most models record live video in real time, although low-end models might only store still pictures. Most importantly, a video doorbell allows a homeowner to interact with a visitor without ever opening the door.
When someone approaches the house, the video doorbell sends an alert to the homeowner’s smartphone. With a simple tap, the homeowner can bring up a live video feed. He can also interact with the visitor by conversing with him or her via onboard audio.
The best thing of all is that the homeowner doesn’t even have to be home to deal with the visitor. As long as they have an internet connection and a mobile device, they can be thousands of miles away and the visitor would never know it.
It’s Okay to Have Fun
So much of home security is dead serious. If you have a video doorbell that supports customized chimes, why not take the edge off and have some fun? Download special holiday chimes for the end of the year. Who knows? You just might put a smile on someone’s face.
