Ajax DoorBell - smart video doorbell with AI and integration into the security system

Ajax Systems needs no introduction; its security systems have become a standard for both home and business users. But in the past few years, it has also been developing a new direction — smart video surveillance cameras for outdoor and indoor use that use AI to recognize objects and people. The experience in their development and production has allowed Ajax to create another interesting product — the DoorBell video doorbell, which also integrates into the company’s security system.

Package contents, design and specifications

Ajax DoorBell comes in a small box, inside of which you can find the video doorbell itself with the SmartBracket mounting panel, the BellKit adapter (for connecting to a wired doorbell), two wedge-shaped brackets for installation at different angles (up, down, right or left), two dowels, screws, self-tapping screws and 3M double-sided adhesive tape.

The latter, of course, is not for the purpose of "giving" someone an Ajax DoorBell, but if you need to install a video doorbell, for example, at the entrance to an office space in an office center, where they are not allowed to make unnecessary holes in the walls. So it's good that the manufacturer has thought of this option, and in general, the DoorBell package immediately has almost everything you need for installation.

The design of the video call follows the style of Ajax System devices quite well, in particular, the doorbell button itself has the shape of a SmartButton alarm button. Here we see complete consistency in the design and it is very pleasing that the Ukrainian company has found its own recognizable style.

It is also worth noting that the Ajax DoorBell is offered in four body colors: white (RAL 9003), gray (RAL 7004), graphite (RAL 7024) and black (RAL 9005). All options have a black glossy insert around the camera, but all other body elements are made of matte plastic. There is an LED around the doorbell button to indicate a call. It displays the current status of the device: for example, it is triggered when motion is detected. At the same time, all this can be turned off in the settings.

The quality of materials and assembly is traditionally at a high level, Ajax System uses high-quality plastic, all the elements of the case fit very well and it feels monolithic, even taking into account the removable SmartBracket panel.

The dimensions of Ajax DoorBell are 145 × 47 × 34 mm, weight - 163 grams. The wider capabilities did not greatly affect the dimensions of the device, it is not very different from ordinary doorbells. So the video doorbell does not look like some complex access system and in general is not very noticeable. In the case of a security system, this is good, because it should not attract attention.

The video doorbell housing itself has protection against water and dust according to the IP54 standard and can operate at temperatures from −25 °C to +60 °C with humidity up to 90%.

The Ajax DoorBell is powered by a 4-megapixel camera with a resolution of 2688×1520 pixels, a horizontal viewing angle of 155° and a vertical viewing angle of 90°. It also supports HDR for high dynamic range.

The picture quality is quite good, even considering the operating conditions in poor lighting conditions, typical of common corridors of apartment buildings. When used outdoors during the day, the image quality will be excellent, and at night the LED of the doorbell button and the infrared sensor will help. In the Ajax application, it is possible to change the brightness, color saturation, sharpness and contrast of the image.

Just above the camera is an infrared sensor with a range of up to 6 meters, which allows the video call to detect movement up to 4 meters away and also detect people or objects in low light conditions. In addition, below the camera is an ambient light sensor and a motion sensor lens.

Thanks to the support of AI algorithms, Ajax DoorBell is able to recognize people, animals and vehicles. Accordingly, if you install the device outdoors, you can configure it so that the alarm signal is not triggered by a dog running nearby or a car passing by.

The video doorbell has two connection options: via the Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n module (2.4 GHz, up to 2 Mbps), or to the Ajax Hub, which creates a backup communication channel. Ajax Jeweller and Wings proprietary wireless technologies are used to transmit commands, alarms, events, and photo verification. Thus, the DoorBell can directly connect to the Ajax hub and continue to transmit data even if the provider has problems with the Internet or something happens to the Wi-Fi connection.

As with other Ajax devices, the video call is integrated into the company's security system and can be used via the official app. Therefore, there is no need for a separate internal monitor; when you press the call button, you simply receive a notification in the Ajax app on your smartphone or laptop, and immediately see the video feed from the camera.

In addition, the Ajax DoorBell has a speaker and microphone on the body, which allows you to communicate with the person who rang the doorbell, even if you are not at home at the time. You will see and hear the guests, but until you decide to answer, they will not know that you have already answered the call.

Using Ajax DoorBell provides the ability to both simply view the video stream from the camera, i.e. direct connection, and record it in H.264 format to your own storage via the NVR recorder, to the Ajax Cloud cloud service. You can also activate and configure both options simultaneously. It is worth noting that Ajax cloud storage can currently only be activated through certified installation engineers. On its website, Ajax indicates that the company does not set recommended prices for Ajax Cloud, so installation engineers and distributors determine the cost of the service independently, taking into account the characteristics of their market. Given the competition between installation engineers and distributors, the cost should be approximately at the same level

At the same time, although information about the cost of Ajax Cloud is not published publicly, the company still outlines the exact scope of services that the user will receive. These are three packages: Economy, Standard and Premium. Each of them offers a 7-day or 30-day archive depth, respectively, the cost of Ajax Cloud will vary depending on the selected package and the depth of the video archive.

Of course, it would be easier if you could subscribe to Ajax Cloud directly in the app or on the company's website.

We seem to have figured out the basic capabilities of Ajax DoorBell, now it's time to move on to installation.

Installation and fastening

As I wrote at the very beginning, Ajax DoorBell has a good delivery set, which allows you to install the video doorbell in the right place quite quickly. The only thing is that you will have to buy a 25 W power supply and immediately provide a place for its installation. I just found a hole for it, where the screen of a regular video doorbell was supposed to be installed before. The power supply itself is not very large and does not require much space.

Thus, the Ajax DoorBell is plugged into the mains, but it also has a built-in 600 mAh Li-ion battery, which is used as a backup power source, as well as to heat the device in cold climates. The battery lasts for more than four hours of operation, but it also takes quite a long time to charge - almost 3 hours. Unfortunately, the Ajax application does not show the percentage of battery charge, but only writes that it is "OK" or that the charge level is low.

Ajax DoorBell comes with a special BellKit adapter that allows you to use it with a regular doorbell speaker. That is, when you press the button on the DoorBell, you will hear the usual signal, and you will not have to dismantle the already installed speaker.

To mount the Ajax DoorBell, a wedge-shaped bracket is used, to which the SmartBracket system is connected. Usually, it allows you to quite easily remove Ajax devices located inside the room, for example, to replace batteries. But since the video doorbell is used either outdoors or in a common corridor, the SmartBracket has an additional retaining screw for it, which does not allow you to remove the Ajax DoorBell. If someone tries to do this, the video doorbell has a tamper alarm and the owner will receive a corresponding notification.

The Ajax DoorBell itself needs to be installed at a height of 1.2 to 1.5 meters from the floor level on a flat vertical surface. The video doorbell must be within Wi-Fi coverage, and if it is added to the hub, then a good signal level of the Jeweller and Wings protocols is also required.

Functionality, settings and usage

Ajax DoorBell is fully integrated into the Ajax security system ecosystem and is very easy to add to the company's application by scanning the QR code on the case. After that, the video call starts appearing in the list of added devices, and you immediately see the image from it.

If this is your first Ajax camera, you will also see a new tab in the app called "Video Wall", which generally allows you to quickly view video from multiple cameras. If there is only one camera, there are two ways to quickly jump to the image from it: in the first option, click on DoorBell from the list of devices, in the second - go to "Video Wall".

In the Ajax DoorBell interface itself, the video is transmitted quickly, the delay can be about half a second, there is a "Speak" button here, which allows you to broadcast your voice through the built-in speaker of the video call, and below is a timeline with recorded events. It is important to note that it will be available only if the video is recorded on a DVR or sent to the Ajax Cloud.

At least when using a cloud archive, the camera records images and sound, but only when triggered or in a scenario. The recording itself can be done continuously, or only when the security mode is enabled. The maximum recording duration can be 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds.

In the DoorBell interface, you can view the calendar and quickly jump to events from previous days. However, this feature is also only available when connecting Ajax Cloud or a DVR.

In addition, you can filter events by type, for example: a doorbell button was pressed, a person, animal, car, or any movement was detected.

In the Ajax DoorBell interface, you can also quickly take a photo that will be immediately saved to your smartphone's gallery, or upload the desired video fragment, but its length cannot be more than 15 minutes.

The application allows you to change the quality of video from the camera, and if you look at the instructions, it supports resolutions from 1024×576 to 2688×1520 pixels. However, you won't see this in the interface. The developers decided to focus on the options "low", "high" and "auto".

Once you've figured out the basic interface, you can move on to Ajax DoorBell's settings, and they're very extensive. You can set the video doorbell to notify you of any movement at all, or only people, animals, or cars.

The AI-based recognition system allows the camera to "understand" what it sees. It's interesting to watch in real time, as you see the camera tag a person and indicate the percentage probability that it is a person. In a week of use, I had no false positives.

Ajax DoorBell allows you to choose which area of the camera's view should be monitored for motion.

This is very convenient, because in apartment buildings the camera can capture the neighbors' doors and be triggered when they come in or, conversely, leave the house. You can also change the object detection zone.

Another useful feature is hidden zones, which allow you to cover part of the video image. In general, this is an option that came to Ajax DoorBell from the manufacturer's external and internal cameras, because it allows you to hide what you would not want to record on video. For example, the KeyPad touch keyboard, on which you enter your code to arm the system. In the case of Ajax DoorBell, this feature also allows you to prevent conflict situations with neighbors who may think that your camera is filming them. You can easily prove that this is not the case.

It is also worth noting that the device provides the ability to control the video stream, as well as configure access rights and privacy settings. The lack of built-in memory in the DoorBell excludes access to video recordings in case of dismantling or theft of the device. Recordings are saved on a network video recorder (NVR) or in the Ajax Cloud Storage cloud storage. If the archiving function is not used, viewing live video is available only to users with appropriate access rights.