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The front doors of many houses and flats have a peep hole with viewer fitted. While this is ideal for enabling you to have a quick look before deciding whether or not to open the door, the Ring Door View Cam does a lot more. The combination of a video camera, door bell, motion sensor and the two-way talk, in conjunction with a smart phone, means you can see what is happening outside your front door and interrogate a caller from your armchair, when you are out and about, or even on holiday on the other side of the world.

The enhanced security that it provides will be appreciated by both families and those living on their own – especially the elderly. In fact, in this day and age where callers may not be all they seem to be, relatives can even keep a watchful eye as and when needed on the security of those living alone.

It is a straightforward task which only takes a few minutes to install the RDVC once the existing peephole viewer has been removed. There are simple instructions in the box but more detailed information the manual can be downloaded from the Ring website. No tools are required as Ring has provided the simple key that does the job of removing the old and fitting the new. Furthermore, as it is mounted in the same way as the peephole that it replaces, without having to drill any fresh holes or anything else, it is suitable for use by tenants who can then just replace the original basic peephole when they vacate the premises and move elsewhere.

See also: Web-cams

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The RDVC consists of two parts, one that is located on the outside of the door and the other on the inside. The outer one is silver and black in colour and incorporates the camera, peep hole and the “bell” push button. The inner unit, into which the provided rechargeable battery is inserted, is white in colour. It has a tiny sliding cover over the peep which can be closed to prevent anyone looking in from the outside. They are linked by a tube which passes through the door and contains the viewer.

Once the parts have been assembled, and the retaining nut tightened the tiny flexible printed circuit, terminating with an equally small connector, is then plugged in to make the connection between the inside and outside units.

While that all straightforward and took just a few moments, the RDVC’s battery needed to be put on charge, using the provided USB cable. As this seemed to take forever, it would probably be best to put the battery on charge overnight before beginning installation.

Once the RDVC was installed, the battery charged, and the “Ring Always Home” app (there are both Android and iOS versions available) downloaded one needs to register with name, country and email address prior to setting up a device – in this case the RDVC – and the location where you are setting up the device together with linking into your WiFi network

Once set up the motion sensor provides an audible notification to one’s smartphone whenever anyone passes in front of the camera. One can, however, adjust the sensitivity to increase the “privacy zone” so as to avoid spurious triggering such as when someone walks by one’s front door or turn it off either on a schedule i.e. overnight or permanently if you so desire.

By the way, where one feels that the notification to one’s smartphone is inadequate – especially where there is elderly person – a Ring Chime or Chime Pro which provides a choice of tunes and loudness is a useful adjunct.

The app on one’s phone shows a 155 degree view and, instead of just a snap-shot, one can go to Live View to get a 1080p HD video and then, without even getting out of one’s chair, one can have a two-way conversation with the caller while the front door remains securely closed.

The RVDC also apparently incorporates “Knock Detection” and “Night Vision” using IR LEDs which I have been unable to try. The former because the motion detector cuts in automatically when you are in front of the camera and the latter because the security lights in our block remain on all the time. Irrespective of that, I have a live form of watchfulness as protection against attempted break-ins.

However, while the video and conversations are in real time and form a useful degree of protection there are many situations, such as a break-in or a doorstep scam, where it would be useful to have a recording. To meet this need there is Ring Protect which, for a monthly subscription of £2.50 per device, stores unlimited Ring footage in the cloud for 30 days so that it can be re-watched or downloaded to one’s own devices and so provide a useful record. A 30-day free trial subscription is offered with the RDVC.

Ring appears to have put a great deal of thought in developing its Door View Cam which is available on Amazon priced at £179. While this is, at first glance, quite expensive it is quick and simple to install. Hence, there will generally no need to pay a local handyman to do the job as it will be within the capability of the majority of householders. Furthermore, the price will probably become less significant when one considers the importance of security for your loved ones and yourself?