Ring Cameras Get Always-On Recording: What You Need to Know

Ring’s New Home Security Plan: Continuous Video Recording and More

Ring, the Amazon-owned smart home security company, has announced a significant upgrade to its security offerings, introducing 24/7 continuous video recording (CVR) for its smart cameras and a revamped subscription plan, now called Ring Home. This development marks a substantial shift in how Ring approaches home security, addressing a highly sought-after feature by users while introducing several other enhancements.

Continuous Video Recording: The Big Leap Forward

For years, Ring cameras and doorbells have relied on motion-activated recording, only capturing footage when movement is detected. While this conserves storage and reduces data costs, it inevitably results in missed events. Ring’s introduction of CVR directly tackles this limitation; cameras will now continuously record, providing a complete timeline of events, even those that lack motion. This is a game-changer for users who need comprehensive recording for security or other purposes, like monitoring pets or children. "The ability to rewind through a 24/7 timeline of footage and see everything that happened on your property is a much-requested feature," highlighting the significance of this development for a large portion of their user base.

This significant improvement, however, comes at a cost. CVR is exclusively included in the highest tier of the newly restructured Ring Home plan, Ring Home Premium, priced at $19.99 per month. This plan allows CVR for up to 10 cameras, combining it with existing features like event-activated recording. While this continuous recording capability is a major step forward, the cost and limitations compared to competitors raise some questions about its true value proposition.

Competitive Landscape: Cost Comparisons and Feature Sets

Ring’s pricing for CVR places it at a competitive disadvantage compared to other major players in the smart home security market. Google Nest Aware, for example, offers continuous recording for an unlimited number of wired cameras and doorbells at a slightly lower price of $15 per month. Arlo, on the other hand, charges $9.99 per month for CVR, but this fee applies per camera, potentially leading to higher costs depending on the user’s setup.

Beyond simply the cost of CVR, a significant difference lies in the additional features offered by competitors. Both Google Nest and Arlo provide more advanced detection capabilities, including facial recognition, pet detection, and vehicle detection. Ring’s plans, in contrast, currently offer only person and package detection, limiting the potential for granular event filtering and analysis. While Ring’s CVR provides the advantage of uninterrupted video coverage, the lack of these advanced features could be a significant drawback for users preferring detailed event identification.

Ring Home: A Revamped Subscription Plan

Ring’s subscription service, previously known as Ring Protect, has been rebranded as Ring Home. This rebranding is more than just a name change; it reflects a restructuring of the plan tiers and features. The three tiers now available are described below:

• Ring Home Basic ($4.99/month): This entry-level plan offers event-based recording for a single camera.

• Ring Home Standard ($9.99/month): Provides event-based recording for multiple cameras, and includes the additions of extended live view (30 minutes) and doorbell calling.

• Ring Home Premium ($19.99/month): The top-tier plan includes all features of the lower tiers, plus 24/7 Continuous Video Recording for up to 10 cameras, continuous live view, and video preview alerts.

A significant change within the Ring Home Premium plan is the removal of professional monitoring for Ring Alarm. This service, which previously included emergency dispatch services, is now a separate $10/month add-on, increasing the total cost to $30/month for users who require both CVR and professional monitoring. This adjustment could be perceived as a decline in value for users heavily reliant on both services.

New Features Enhance the User Experience

Alongside CVR, Ring is introducing several valuable enhancements to improve the user experience and enhance home security:

• Doorbell Calling: Transforming doorbell notifications into actual phone calls, ensuring users don’t miss important alerts. "Instead of a popup notification when someone rings your doorbell, it will come through like a phone call—which is harder to miss," emphasizes the increased reliability of this approach.

• Video Preview Alerts: Providing a short video clip with notifications, offering a richer, more informative preview of the event than a static image. This added context significantly improves the user’s response time and decision-making.

• Extended and Continuous Live View: Extending live viewing time from 10 minutes to 30 minutes (or unlimited with Premium), offering greater flexibility and observation capabilities.

These features aren’t uniformly available across all Ring Home plans. Video preview alerts are available to all subscribers, while extended live view is included in the Standard plan, and continuous live view (alongside doorbell calling) is a feature of the Premium plan.

Availability and Compatibility

At launch, CVR supports four wired Ring cameras: the Stick Up Cam and Stick Up Cam Pro, the Indoor Cam (2nd Gen), and the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam. Ring states that compatibility with more devices is coming soon, suggesting future expansion of CVR support to include additional cameras and potentially wireless doorbells. The rollout of the new features is currently underway, with nationwide availability expected by November 5th, 2023.

Conclusion

Ring’s introduction of 24/7 CVR and the revamped Ring Home plan represent a significant evolution of their home security services. The continuous recording capability is a response to user demand and a substantial improvement over motion-activated recording. However, its relatively high price point compared to competitors, coupled with the less robust object detection and the removal of professional monitoring from the top tier plan, creates a complex picture. While the added features and improved functionality offer enhanced usability and security, evaluating the cost-benefit ratio within the context of existing market alternatives is crucial for prospective and current users. Ultimately, the success of Ring’s new offering hinges on whether the benefits of continuous recording outweigh the cost and limitations in comparison to other solutions available.

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