You might think you don’t need 4K beyond your TV or camera, but 4K in security means a bigger picture to see who’s dropping by.
Improvements to cameras happen all the time, not just in your phones, action cameras, or even the versatile proper cameras you might take with you. They also happen in security.
We’ve seen some pretty solid camera updates in dedicated security cameras in recent years, and this week, they’re also happening on the door level, it seems.
Yes, that concierge that sits between you and the outside world appears to be getting an update this week, as the maker of the first video doorbell gets a colossal update with its first 4K cameras.
Amazon’s Ring brand — which it bought several years ago — is getting 4K upgrades to its Wired Video Doorbell Pro model (the 3rd gen variant), while two other cameras will also get the 4K capability, including the Floodlight Camera Pro (2nd-gen), Spotlight Camera Pro (2nd-gen), and a new Outdoor Camera Pro.
The 4K sensor is just a part of what’s being offered, providing a larger picture to capture of anything that drops by, which can mean a clearer picture. Ring’s whole approach here is to optimise the vision using AI, something the company is calling “Retinal Vision”.
While the company hasn’t gone into detail, it’s likely a frame-by-frame optimisation by sharpening and clearing the video, so that your security video is less a blur and more like what you’d expect to see.
“At Ring, we’re constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in home security, and today’s launch, including our first-ever 4K lineup, represents a significant milestone for our customers,” said Mark Fletcher, Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region for Ring and Blink.
“With Retinal Vision technology, we’re not just improving resolution, we’re fundamentally changing how our cameras capture and process images to deliver unprecedented clarity and intelligence,” he said.
For Ring’s Wired Video Doorbell Pro, that includes the 4K camera with 3D motion detection, a technology that we’ve seen prior, plus improvements to low-light capture and adaptive night vision even when it’s very dark outside.
The Outdoor Camera Pro will aim to do much the same, but not in a door. It’s more of a camera that goes anywhere, but gets the tech of its Wired Video Doorbell Pro brother.
Both the Spotlight Cam Pro and Floodlight Cam Pro will use the Retinal 4K tech with up to 10X zoom, the former using a 600 lumen spotlight to light up an area, while the latter will see a 2000 lumen spotlight to shine a light down a driveway or off the side of the house.
“Our team is excited to bring these innovations to Aussie and Kiwi households, where customers have always been early adopters of smart home technology.”
If that sounds like the 4K Ring range will arrive in both Australia and New Zealand, you’d have read it right, with the 4K Wired Video Doorbell Pro set to launch from $399 in Australia and $429 in New Zealand, though these are only found in wired models, meaning they need to be plugged in by an electrician.
The Outdoor Camera Pro is also a wired model, priced from $329 in Australia and $349 in New Zealand, with Power-over-Ethernet models available for both at a higher price.
The 4K Spotlight Camera Pro will be found at $399 in Australia and $429 in New Zealand, and the 4K Floodlight Camera Pro for $449 in Australia and $479 in New Zealand.
Amazon’s security camera efforts aren’t just Ring, with budget security offering Blink also getting updates, too.
Blink is getting a sub-$100 Video Doorbell in a model that runs on three AA batteries, costing $89 in Australia and $99 in New Zealand, fresh from its arrival in the country last year.
It will also be offering a new 2K camera in the Blink Mini 2K+, a 2K camera that plugs into the wall for either inside or outside (though needs a weather resistant power adaptor for that) for $59 in Australia and $69 in New Zealand, as well as a neat two-camera mount called the Blink Arc that includes spaces for two cameras to cover two angles simultaneously ($35 AUD/$39 NZD).
