I could see where it would be spec'd if the house looked like this.  But the vast majority of the population doesn't live in a house that looks like this.

So, it's your position that you should take whatever your manufacturers push on you and be happy about it? 

I'm done with this conversation.  It's a waste of time.

Your list didn’t cover how you’d actually make it look better. Just your wants. It also didn’t take into account what’s really possible and what isn’t. Like can a cellphone camera work in a doorstation.

Btw, the elan station has facial recognition.

I work at a house like this that has a stainless doorbird. Looks fine and homeowner is happy.

Lol so because an architect specs it is must be good or good looking?

Man that house is U.G.L.Y. I would complain to the designers 'cause they are sh!t....

....here's what I would suggest they do....


....oh...wait...I've both got a life, AND I understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

...meantime i will make a living selling what is avaialble...!

Actually that is not strictly true....On occasion we do what we purport to be...'Custom' installers, and have fabricated our own product when there is a need. This however typically means that we take a group of already developed product, fabricate a housing/front-plate, integrate the products that provide the required solution, and make it work within the parameters required for the project.

Seems you want everyone else to suggest a solution so that you can shoot it down.

Rather than whinge that your specific requirements aren't available off the shelf, get your custom hat on and sort a custom solution.

Nest/Ring are upgrades for regular people. They replace the $20-50 typical push button door bell. Yes they are a couple hundred bucks...just like Sonos is a couple hundred bucks more than say a CD boombox or the Nest thermostat price compared to a cheapo thermostat. They are affordable "smart upgrades". And they are awesome upgrades. With an app you can monitor your front door. This would have cost thousands of dollars before and the user interface wouldn't have been nice.

Ring 1 was ugly and cheap looking but Ring 2 is fine. Nest is fine. These devices look as good as they can IMO. They have to hold batteries cameras mics a push button and the circuitry to make all those things work and transmit over wifi. These devices will not work everywhere. They wont hold up in a high traffic environment. They wont last as long as low tech door bells when directly exposed to the elements. I realize that people shouldnt expect them to but you know how people are..."my old door bell was 50 years old and still kicking".

Everything has its place. If you mount a Ring or Nest doorbell on the front of your townhouse in Chicago it will be stolen before the sun sets. Especially since everyone knows what they are. All you need is an app on your phone and you have this magical thing you cant even recreate for 3 or 4 times the cost using other products.

Flushmount stainless lasts and looks good. I prefer it over eholovision or other custom plates. It can be made secure and no one wants to steal it because they have no use for it.

I am pretty sure the disty said that doorbirds are bricked when reported stolen. All of them should do that. You should be able to open your app and press settings icon and click "device stolen" and have it listed as a stolen product that cant be activated.

Julie Jacobson hit the nail on the head in her article in the latest CePro titled “Make our Industry the Smartest Again”.

I think what Mac said is the entire answer to this whole controversy.


Yeah? I've got an anvil that belonged to my Granddad. It does even less than your old doorbell but it will do it forever.

Siedel has been around for a long time. Not designed for the average home, more suited to "modern design " and fits very well with the aesthetic of these types of homes. Many clients will balk at the price mind you.

Comelit is another brand of door intercom, not discussed around here. They offer a few different designs for residential, that are not a couple of things stuck behind a brushed chrome plate.

https://www.comelitgroup.com

Thank you for the link to Comelit. I've never heard of this Italian company before. They have a lot of nice stuff - I looked through their entire catalog.

These are more products (with several design awards) that Hasbeen can claim are UGLY!

I would like to see Ring and Nest offer to pay for customers product if it successfully captures and results in prosecutions for theft and assault.