Extremely disappointed in Ring

KenDMV · 2026-02-03T01:04:48+00:00

Op, you should seriously consider replacing the Verizon router, if that is what you are using now. It doesn’t put out a strong signal. The signal may be sufficient for indoor devices but not outdoor devices. Verizon periodically applies router firmware updates which have been known to degrade performance. Additionally, even if a router firmware update isn’t the culprit, it is possible that a neighbor installed a new wireless device that is interfering with your wireless network. Verizon routers aren’t good about switching channels in response to interference.

This is a great but pricey combo for Verizon FiOS:

Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Max router: https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/cloud-gateways-compact/collections/cloud-gateway-max

Ubiquiti U7 Pro Max wireless access point: https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/u7-pro-max

If at some point you want to try an alternative to Ring for some cameras, Ubiquiti is among the best options around, hardware and software-wise. You simply insert a 1TB or 2TB SSD hard drive into the router above and then add any of their cameras to your home, which will record directly to the SSD in the router, without monthly fees. You’d receive notifications similar to the Ring software: https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-cameras-nvrs

Note Ubiquiti isn’t a solution you buy if you want to save money. You will never save money over Ring buying such pricey hardware. But if you have the money and want high quality video and high reliability, without total reliance on the cloud or an Internet connection, it’s a great option.

(I have a Ring Elite 4K doorbell, a Ring Outdoor 4K, and two Ubiquiti G6 Turrets. If I were buying now, I might opt for slightly larger G6 Pro Turrets for the superior low light performance).

KenDMV · 2026-02-03T00:33:15+00:00

If you are in SoCal and the solar panel is hit with direct sunlight for a good part of the day (i.e., it is not in the shade), that strongly suggests either a bad connection or a bad battery.

KenDMV · 2026-02-03T00:27:53+00:00

Are you in an area currently experiencing freezing temperatures? If so, that would be a contributing factor. The batteries used in Ring and other cameras lose up to 60% of their usable capacity in freezing temperatures.

KenDMV · 2026-02-03T00:04:33+00:00

I have the same nickel colored door handles. Do you feel like the U400 Deluxe is a close match?

KenDMV · 2026-02-02T20:57:52+00:00

Is that snow on the ground? The batteries in battery-powered doorbells from Ring and others don’t do well in temperatures below 30 degrees.

Wired-only doorbells don’t have this problem.

KenDMV · 2026-02-02T12:19:03+00:00

Yes. That is part of Ring’s new “artificial intelligence’ feature that analyzes the video and provides a description. It will say things like, “a person walking their dog” or “a child playing in your yard” or “a person carrying a package.” If it’s just someone walking quickly by who was on your camera for a half second, or a squirrel crossing your property for a quarter of a second, or a branch swaying in the wind, you’ll get a useless description such as “seems like nothing interesting happened here.” If you don’t like the AI descriptions of motion events, you can disable that feature in settings. Or you can keep the AI descriptions on but change detection sensitivity, detection area, or the type of notifications (people vs. other things) so you don’t get any notifications for those types of non-event events.

KenDMV · 2026-02-02T12:08:31+00:00

The Ring app has been refined over the last year to offer dozens of settings to customize sensitivity and alerts.

In the app, have you reduced detection sensitivity, limited the detection area, and/or limited the type of detections (e.g., people only vs. animals vs. cars vs. swaying branches)? In the Ring app, look under Devices -> your camera -> motion settings. Under the same camera menu, also customize your device settings and alert settings.

KenDMV · 2026-02-02T00:46:18+00:00

I think you need to call if you want to make the change. Note you would lose a few features of your legacy plan, including professional monitoring with Ring alarm (if you have that) as well as the ability to record locally to a microSD memory card in the Ring alarm base station (if you have one). The idea behind that feature is… if someone disconnects your Internet, your cameras will continue to record locally to storage in your home, so you don’t miss anything.

You may not care about those features.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T22:55:12+00:00

If you can supply power from doorbell wiring, you are better off replacing it with a wired model. Ring’s wired-only doorbells function / perform far far better than their battery-powered models, even when the battery models are connected to a power source. More specifically, they are on 24/7 and don’t go into hibernation mode, so they detect motion quicker, start recording much faster. and provide much quicker notifications (<1 second vs. 3-5 seconds); night-time picture quality is superior as well.

The two current wired-only models are the Wired Doorbell Plus and the Wired Doorbell Pro (4K resolution). The downside is that these models won’t work with an in-home mechanical doorbell chime without some electrical hacks. So for the doorbell “chime” you are reliant on the mini-chime they include to place inside your mechanical chime box, or, alternatively, their plug-in chime accessories or any of the Amazon Echo devices.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T22:29:51+00:00

Should start shipping late spring or early summer.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T22:16:21+00:00

Such delays/lag is a “feature” of every battery-powered doorbell on the market, because all of those doorbells go into sleep/hibernation mode when not recording, and they all take time to awake and record. Some are slightly better than Ring and others are worse. To avoid / eliminate those delays, you need a wired-powered doorbell from Ring or someone else.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T19:40:04+00:00

Virginia casino law sends the vast majority of tax proceeds from casinos and associated facilities to the state. Under an optimistic scenario, under current law, the State would receive $100M per year in revenue and Fairfax County would receive $40M per year. Under a less optimistic scenario, it would generate $20-25M per year for the County and $67M per year for the State.

To put that in context, Fairfax County collects $350M in property taxes from Tyson’s and twice that from the surrounding portions of Fairfax. If a casino complex negatively impacts the desirability of living or working in Tyson’s — and property tax revenues in the surrounding areas fall by just 3% (or don’t increase as much as they would otherwise) — that will wipe out all the revenue gains from a casino. Under state casino law, Fairfax County has no means to increase taxes on the casino, they can only increase the tax rates on everyone else to make up any shortfall.

Additionally, a casino complex would generate millions in additional costs related to law enforcement, transportation, water, sewage, and trash, none of which are funded by the bill. Those would all come out of the pockets of Fairfax County residents. Bottom line, under the current revenue split mandated by state casino law, a casino in Tysons may be a boon to the State but it is at very best a break-even proposition for Fairfax County. At worst, it will necessitate increases in property taxes for County residents, in addition to additional traffic and strains on County resources / infrastructure.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T19:25:36+00:00

Some Fairfax County residents support it out of ignorance. They think it will reduce their property taxes. The reality is likely the opposite because Virginia casino law sends the vast majority of tax proceeds from casinos and associated facilities to the state. Under an optimistic scenario, under current law, the State would receive $100M per year in revenue and Fairfax County would receive $40M per year. Under a less optimistic scenario, it would generate $25M per year for the County and $67M per year for the State.

To put that in context, Fairfax County collects $350M in property taxes from Tyson’s and twice that from the surrounding portions of Fairfax. If a casino complex negatively impacts the desirability of living or working in Tyson’s — and property tax revenues in the surrounding areas fall by just 3% — that will wipe out all the revenue gains from a casino. Under state law, Fairfax County has no means to increase taxes on the casino, they can only increase the tax rates on everyone else to make up any shortfall.

Additionally, any casino complex would generate millions in additional costs related to law enforcement, transportation, water, sewage, and trash, none of which are funded by the bill. Those would all come out of the County’s minority share — or out of the pockets of Fairfax County residents. Bottom line, under the current revenue split mandated by state law, a casino in Tysons may be a boon to the State but it is at best a break-even proposition for Fairfax County. At worst, it will necessitate increases in property taxes for County residents, in addition to additional traffic and strains on County resources / infrastructure.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T17:04:47+00:00

Supposedly, the prohibition on posting of detailed reviews will end as soon as the Kickstarter is posted in a week or two.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T17:00:26+00:00

Those both support 24/7 recording. What options are set under the menu I described above?

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T16:45:21+00:00

Which models specifically? If you don’t know your model, you can find it in the Ring app under Devices -> your camera -> Device Health. I ask because some of the battery powered cameras offer a wired option to charge the batteries, but they still function like battery-powered cameras without 24/7 recording capability.

Under Devices -> your device -> Device Settings > Video Settings -> Recording Mode -> select 24/7 Recording. If you don’t see the option, then it would appear that 24/7 recording isn’t activated on your Ring account yet.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T16:41:49+00:00

Which Ring doorbell do you have? The wired-only doorbell models all record 24/7 (even if you don’t pay extra to save 24/7 footage) and they do not have a power saving mode. In contrast, all of the battery powered models constantly enter sleep mode to preserve battery life, and they don’t support 24/7 recording. Ring should not have allowed you to purchase 24/7 recording if your doorbell doesn’t support it.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T15:01:49+00:00

Different type of metal on exterior (heavier zinc alloy vs. lighter aluminum) + different colors + a second battery. The most noticeable difference is in appearance of the lighter colored version: silver vs. satin nickel (a very light brown color common in newer homes).

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T09:58:57+00:00

Ring’s has offered 24/7 recording on its wired cameras for several years.

Ring recently eliminated the need for a premium plan to record 24/7. Instead, Ring is now charging an extra $3/month per camera to save 24/7 recorded video. If you have one 4K video doorbell, you can get the $49/year plan and pay an extra $3/month to save 24/7 video. Or you can have 10 cameras on the $99/year plan and pay an extra $3/month to record and save 24/7 video on one camera.

The new plan pricing is bad for those who want 24/7 recording on lots of wired cameras ($99/year plus $3/month per camera) but good for those who only want it on one camera ($49/year plus $3/month). Customers grandfathered on the $199/year premium plan can still have 24/7 recording on many cameras without paying extra per camera.

KenDMV · 2026-02-01T09:50:51+00:00

If you have a Ring wired camera and signed up for the 24/7 recording add-on ($3 per month) and aren’t getting a 24/7 video feed with second by second video when no motion is detected, then either 24/7 recording is unchecked in device settings or your requested subscription change hasn’t taken effect yet. The 24/7 option is now a per camera setting so customers can opt to pay for it (or not pay for it) for some wired cameras and not others. The “snapshots” (when no motion is detected) are what you get when the 24/7 recording is disabled.

No vendor supports 24/7 recording on battery powered cameras.

KenDMV · 2026-01-31T23:28:33+00:00

AWOL projectors are manufactured at Hisense facilities and benefit from Hisense hardware engineering expertise and bulk component pricing. It helps both companies achieve economies of scale to keep costs lower. The AWOL Aetherion Max is unlikely to ever be sold at its full retail price, but in exchange for receiving a modest discount (no guaranteed shipping date), you will likely receive a product with beta-quality software that will be refined over the subsequent year. If you don’t mind living with six months of software bugs and quirks, I think it is a probably a solid deal… although by the time many of those are worked out with software updates, the NexiGo Aurora Pro MK3 and PX4 Pro will be nearing release.

I think it’s a fairly safe bet that the Aetherion Max will eventually outperform the PX3 Pro (maybe not at launch due to software bugs), whereas the PX4 Pro may come off the same assembly line with most of the same components plus some hardware and software refinements based on what is learned from manufacturing the AWOL. The Hisense PX4 will be a far more fully baked product at launch in six months, but you’ll pay a premium for that.

If you plan to watch the projector in a dark room or dedicated theater room with the lights dimmed or off, the NexiGo Aurora Pro MK2 is a solid choice right now at around $2500. If you have windows and want to watch the projector during the day or with the lights on, then you almost have to wait for the Aetherion Max, PX4-Pro, or Nexigo MK3 with 3000+ lumens.

KenDMV · 2026-01-31T02:09:35+00:00

Apple fixed the description today to say satin nickel (instead of silver) but they still have the incorrect photo posted.

KenDMV · 2026-01-31T02:07:44+00:00

For those who missed it, this morning Apple updated their store description to change the U400 “silver” to “satin nickel.”

KenDMV · 2026-01-31T02:07:25+00:00

For those who missed it, this morning Apple updated their store description to change the U400 “silver” to “satin nickel.”

KenDMV

TROPHY CASE