Digital door viewer with and without an app: Inexpensive and quickly installed from 30 euros

With a door viewer you can see what is happening in the entrance area of ​​the apartment and house without having to open the front door. Classic variants offer a wide field of view with a fish-eye effect via a lens. However, digital solutions such as smart doorbells (list of the best) provide more comfort and security.

But smart video doorbells are often unsuitable for rented or condominiums. The installation represents a structural change and is usually not approved by the community of owners. But there is a solution to the problem: digital door viewers. This allows tenants or apartment owners to replace the classic door viewer without violating the building regulations of the community of owners. If you want to use a digital door viewer, you should still get the consent of the other residents of the house for data protection reasons.

Compared to a classic door viewer, a digital version uses a small camera instead of a lens. And a connected LCD screen at the other end of the peephole camera on the inside of the apartment or front door shows the live image. The monitor and camera are usually powered by rechargeable batteries or batteries. However, you will look in vain for a motion detector or WLAN connection in simple door viewers. They are also available for little money.

Smart variants with motion detectors are significantly more expensive. However, they offer considerably more performance. High-resolution cameras and screens are standard here. In addition, they often integrate an intercom function and can be controlled via app thanks to WLAN. This allows you to conveniently communicate with a person in front of the door, such as a parcel delivery person, even when you are out and about. Communication with a visitor via smartphone is also a real advantage for people who use walking aids.

A digital door viewer can often do much more. For example, a night vision function is integrated into most models, which allows you to see outside the door even in the dark.

For more security, smart door viewers not only allow videos to be recorded when motion is detected, but also to be saved. Most smart door viewers use internal memory in the form of a microSD card as a storage medium. However, it is usually not included in the scope of delivery.

Many of the cheap digital no-name door viewers also offer a bell function. The bell button is often located directly under the camera unit. This is also the case with the smart door viewers, all of which have a bell.

The subsequent installation of a digital door viewer is uncomplicated and requires little effort. First, the old analog model is dismantled. This ultimately consists of a fish-eye lens and a viewing tunnel, which is countered and fixed on the inside of the door.

A hole remains in the door. The lens with the cable and the tube are inserted into this from the outside. Double-sided adhesive tape is used to secure the camera unit against accidental twisting during installation. After inserting and gluing the module, the monitor bracket is installed. This is screwed twice to the tube of the exterior camera from the inside of the door and also fixed with double-sided adhesive tape. Depending on the thickness of the door, screws of different lengths are used. If you use a very thin or extremely thick door, you have to be careful. Not all door viewers are suitable for all door thicknesses.

The last step is to plug in the camera cable on the back of the monitor and slide the screen into the bracket. In theory, the digital door viewer is now ready for use. If you use a model with a WLAN function, you should also install the associated app in order to be able to use additional functions of the camera.

In our test models, the Wireless Peephole Video Doorbell and the Ezviz CP4 (test report), the tube of the camera unit is slightly wider than in our old door viewer. In order to use it, the viewing tunnel must first be enlarged. In our case we use a size 16 drill bit. While this is not a problem for owners, renters should first discuss such an adjustment with the owner of the apartment.

After installing the monitor of the Wireless Peephole Video Doorbell, we noticed that the integrated battery is empty. To charge it, we need a micro USB cable and a power source. It sounds easy, but it is only possible with the right equipment. If you don’t have a socket next to the door, you must either disconnect the monitor from the camera and charge it in another room or use a power bank. We use a USB power bank and our own cable. The included cable is far too short for our purpose at just 30 centimeters.

After charging and switching on the display, the digital door viewer works straight away. To see what’s going on in the entrance area, a short press on the screen button is enough. The display starts and shows a pleasingly sharp and properly resolved camera image – even in the dark. The problem is that the viewing angle of 135 degrees is too small – small children cannot be seen on the monitor at all. A low mounting is also not helpful here, since we would only see the chest or stomach of taller people. It is a pity that the monitor is not of any help for children or wheelchair users.

The integrated bell works. After pressing the button below the camera unit, the monitor comes on for about 30 seconds and plays a melody lasting several seconds. The ringtone is loud enough for small apartments, but too quiet for large apartments or houses. The solution is not a real replacement for the doorbell. At least if children come to visit. Because they don’t even reach the bell button.

The attempt to connect our no-name door viewer to the smartphone via an app fails miserably. Despite several attempts with different Android devices and switching off the 5 GHz WLAN, no connection is established. Too bad, because this function would have brought real added value.

The second test model looks much better. The Ezviz CP4 (test report) with a 4.3-inch display for the inside does not cause any problems during setup or operation. And the CMOS sensor integrated in the camera records videos with a resolution of up to 1920 × 1080 pixels and 15 frames per second in the data-saving HEVC format. The quality of the recordings corresponds to the expectations that one associates with a surveillance camera with full HD resolution. They are rich in detail and the color reproduction is neutral in the basic setting. For an improved picture, users can activate WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) for backlighting and distortion correction. Alternatively, the live image is also shown on the large display on the inside.

The app basically offers easy operation of the camera: the video resolution can be changed, which the app also recommends if the WiFi signal is weak. Users can start video recordings directly in the live stream or use the intercom function.

As soon as a person approaches the CP4, the status LED of the doorbell integrated in the outdoor unit lights up. So there is a good chance that a visitor will also use it and not use the standard doorbell. By pressing the bell button, a notification is immediately sent to the smartphone, so that you can communicate directly with a visitor. This is very convenient and especially useful when you are expecting a package. In this way, you can communicate directly with the parcel carrier and discuss the storage location for the parcel.

Electronic door viewers are available from just over 30 euros. In this price range, the solutions transfer the camera image to a display mounted on the inside of the door. Not more. On the other hand, if you want to follow what is happening in front of the house entrance via a cell phone, you can use a smart variant. They offer many more functions with higher camera and monitor resolutions, notifications, intercom function and remote operation. These not only increase comfort, but also safety. After all, you are informed almost in real time about people in front of the house entrance. This is also reflected in a higher price. We have had excellent experiences with the smart door viewer Ezviz CP4, which is currently changing hands for 136 euros instead of 170 euros with a discount of 20 percent. Anyone who is not necessarily dependent on the CP4’s relatively large field of view of 166° can also use the predecessor model DP2C with a field of view of 155°. This is currently on sale for 120 euros.

Simple digital door viewers are not expensive and installation is uncomplicated. The advantages compared to a conventional model vary depending on the variant. Inexpensive devices only transmit the image from the camera to a display. As a result, you do not have to step close to the door, as with a classic door viewer, to see what is happening in front of it. The disadvantages of our inexpensive no-name model are the too small viewing angle, the complicated power supply of the monitor unit and the connection problems with the wireless network.

The impression with the smart digital door viewer Ezviz CP4 is completely different (further information can be found in our detailed test report). Not only can it be put into operation without any problems, it also works perfectly in practice and is currently on sale at a price of 136 euros. Thanks to the ability to distinguish between movements of all kinds and people, false alarms are practically impossible. To follow the live stream, you can also use the desktop application or a smart display like the Amazon Echo Show. With the integrated intercom function, users can speak directly to visitors in front of the door – even if they are not at home. The smart door viewer saves videos locally on a microSD card, and a paid cloud subscription is also available for those who are interested.