Bird’s Eye View is an oversold feature, but the Pre-Roll view it competes with is more valuable anyway. Beyond that, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro offers plenty of features and performance to earn our strong recommendation—unless you’re a Google Home or Apple HomeKit afficionado.
The Ring Spotlight Cam (the Plug-In model is reviewed here) offers a host of new and innovative features, including radar-based motion detection. And that’s the basis for the camera’s most-hyped feature—Bird’s Eye View—an aerial map of the motion events that triggered the camera to turn on its dual spotlights and/or record a video event. The Ring Spotlight Cam is a great home security camera, for reasons we’ll explore in depth, but I found Bird’s Eye View to be its least compelling feature.
Here’s why: Bird’s Eye View depends on the Ring app’s picture-in-picture mode, but so does Pre-Roll, which allows the camera start recording a few seconds before the camera’s motion detection sends you a push notification. You can enable either feature in the Ring app, but you can’t have both at the same time. Picture-in-picture mode works just as it does on your TV, with either pre-roll or Bird’s Eye View displayed in a small window overlaid on the larger main view. Tap on the small window and it will swap places with the larger one.
Overlay a motion detection zone over a satellite photo of the area the camera is set up to monitor, and Ring’s Bird’s Eye View feature will trace the path a person takes as they move through that zone.
Overlay a motion detection zone over a satellite photo of the area the camera is set up to monitor, and Ring’s Bird’s Eye View feature will trace the path a person takes as they move through that zone.
Overlay a motion detection zone over a satellite photo of the area the camera is set up to monitor, and Ring’s Bird’s Eye View feature will trace the path a person takes as they move through that zone.
Bird’s Eye View sounds like a great feature: It shows you the path a visitor—or prowler, as the case may be—took while they were in motion detection range, even before that motion has triggered the camera to send you a notification. But what would you rather see, an aerial view of your property with a series of animated dots overlaid on it tracking a visitor’s path? Or video of the person moving in the camera’s view before you received a push notification?
I’m not saying the Ring Spotlight Cam’s radar-based motion detection is a gimmick—the technology makes for more accurate motion detection and fewer false alerts. You can also restrict motion alerts so they’re triggered only by people, while other movement—from animals and cars, for instance—is ignored. I just found Pre-Roll to be a more compelling application than Bird’s Eye View.
This screenshot of the Ring app shows Ring’s new Ring’s Bird’s Eye View feature: The dots show an aerial view of the path I traversed while walking in front. There’s also an option to show a satellite of your home, which you’ll see in another screenshot.
This screenshot of the Ring app shows Ring’s new Ring’s Bird’s Eye View feature: The dots show an aerial view of the path I traversed while walking in front. There’s also an option to show a satellite of your home, which you’ll see in another screenshot.
This screenshot of the Ring app shows Ring’s new Ring’s Bird’s Eye View feature: The dots show an aerial view of the path I traversed while walking in front. There’s also an option to show a satellite of your home, which you’ll see in another screenshot.
With Birds Eye Zones, you can use radar technology to create personalized aerial-based motion zones that can be integrated with your cameras’ motion zones for more accurate alerts. This way, you can receive notifications about activity in your front garden rather than on the sidewalk.
Your radar-enabled device must detect motion in both a Birds Eye Zone and one of your Camera Motion Zones in order for a motion event to be set off. To guarantee that you only receive notifications about particular areas of interest, motions that aren’t picked up by both views will be ignored.
Radar detection will be disabled when Use Bird’s Eye Zones is turned off. When the camera notices movement inside your designated Camera Motion Zones—which may extend farther than 30 feet from your device—you will be notified.
Battery Doorbell Pro, Wired Doorbell Pro (formerly Video Doorbell Pro 2), Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, Spotlight Cam Pro, and Stick Up Cam Pro are the doorbell models that support Birds Eye Zones.
The default zones, which cover a distance of up to 30 feet from your device, will be used if you select Skip for now.
Installing the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro
The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro can run on hardwired AC power (the $250 Wired model is a good option if you’re replacing an existing fixture) or AC from an outlet (the $230 Plug-In model, reviewed here). There are two battery-operated models available in case AC power is unavailable. The camera features a chamber that can hold one or two of the quick-release rechargeable batteries that Ring utilizes in its doorbells and other battery-operated cameras.
The $250 Solar and the $230 Battery, the two battery-powered options, each include one quick-release battery; the $250 Solar option also includes Ring’s second-generation solar panel for trickle-charging its battery(ies). You can add batteries to either of the AC-powered models, and the specifications and functionality of the lights and camera are the same.
The battery-powered models require no searching for an adjacent outlet or tangle with a cord, making them the simplest to assemble. Any model can be fixed to a horizontal surface (e.g., a wall) or a vertical surface (e.g., g. , a roof eave). Ring additionally offers mounting accessories that can be attached to poles or rain gutters. It doesn’t take a herculean effort to pop the camera out of its socket mount, but you can tighten a security screw to make it more difficult for a thief to steal the camera’s battery.
The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro’s back ball slides into a socket that you can attach to a wall or the eave of your house. In this model, the camera is powered by both a plug-in and a USB-C cable. If you would like to operate the camera on batteries, you can also plug in a solar panel to this port.
The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro’s back ball slides into a socket that you can attach to a wall or the eave of your house. In this model, the camera is powered by both a plug-in and a USB-C cable. If you would like to operate the camera on batteries, you can also plug in a solar panel to this port.
The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro’s back ball slides into a socket that you can attach to a wall or the eave of your house. In this model, the camera is powered by both a plug-in and a USB-C cable. If you would like to operate the camera on batteries, you can also plug in a solar panel to this port.
The AC-powered model has the obvious benefit of never having to worry about running out of batteries. You don’t have to worry about jamming a wall wart into the bubble cover on an outdoor outlet because Ring offers an ample long power cord (I measured it to be about 18 feet) with a USB-C connector at the camera end, a two-prong plug at the other end, and an in-line power supply. Ring includes cable clips to keep things organized in addition to the screws you’ll need to mount the camera, but I had to add some cable staples from my basement to the package’s contents.
To connect the spotlight camera to your Wi-Fi network, you must have the Ring app installed on your Android or iOS smartphone. To accomplish this, just launch the app, tap the menu bar on the left side of the screen, select Set Up a Device, pick Security Cams, and finally scan the QR code on the camera. You’ll need to provide your Wi-Fi network credentials (dual-band—2. Supported networks include 4 and 5 GHz), but the app will automatically apply any information from previously installed Ring devices to your new camera.
This is the aforementioned socket. I was still able to pop the camera out of its socket with a respectable amount of force, but you can tighten it down by tightening the screw that goes through that gray collar.
This is the aforementioned socket. I was still able to pop the camera out of its socket with a respectable amount of force, but you can tighten it down by tightening the screw that goes through that gray collar.
This is the aforementioned socket. I was still able to pop the camera out of its socket with a respectable amount of force, but you can tighten it down by tightening the screw that goes through that gray collar.
Ring Spotlight Cam Pro camera features
Similar to other Ring doorbells and security cameras, you cannot access the camera in real time unless you subscribe to Ring Protect. The price of the $3 Basic plan, which includes one camera or doorbell, 99 per month or $39. 99 annually. The Plus plan includes coverage for an infinite number of Ring products at a cost of $10 per month or $100 annually. Most Ring Alarm and Ring Alarm Pro users probably subscribe to the Pro plan, which includes professional monitoring that can send first responders in the event of an emergency and covers all Ring devices. That tier costs $20 per month or $200 per year.
It is possible to connect a microSD card to the base station of your Ring Alarm Pro system, which has an integrated Eero Wi-Fi mesh router. After that, instead of being uploaded to the cloud, the video from any or all of your compatible Ring cameras and doorbells will be processed locally. The word “compatible” is italicized because it’s important to note that a few relatively recent Ring devices—the Ring Video Doorbell 4 and the Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, for example—are incompatible with Ring Edge (more information can be found at the link above).
All four of the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro models have the same camera, which accepts two rechargeable batteries.
All four of the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro models have the same camera, which accepts two rechargeable batteries.
All four of the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro models have the same camera, which accepts two rechargeable batteries.
The camera on the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro records video in 1080p resolution with color high dynamic range (HDR). Its adjustable motion sensors provide a range of up to 30 feet, and its lens has a field of view of 140 degrees horizontally and 80 degrees vertically. Additionally, when you stream a live view or watch a recorded clip, you can create up to two privacy zones that will overlay a black block over areas you don’t want to monitor—a neighbor’s door or window, for example.
When the spotlight is activated, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro offers superb color night vision.
When the spotlight is activated, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro offers superb color night vision.
When the spotlight is activated, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro offers superb color night vision.
Ring’s Snapshot Capture feature records still images every 30 seconds, minute, or three minutes in addition to motion-activated ones. You can choose to turn the feature off to save battery life. Use the Ring app to view the camera. You can pan and zoom on a timeline to see these photos combined into a stop-motion animation. Connecting the camera to other Ring devices, such as additional cameras and smart lighting fixtures, is an additional method of starting a recording. This way, when motion is detected by the Ring Alarm Pro at one location, it can start recording on that camera and all other Ring cameras simultaneously. It can also start turning on all of your Ring smart lights throughout your house.
Furthermore, these triggers can be sent to any third-party smart home device that supports IFTTT (If This, Then That) because Ring supports that service. I have an IFTTT applet set up so that when someone rings the Ring video doorbell at my side entrance, the camera records a video clip, the Hue lights inside the house above the side door turn on, the Ring Floodlight Wired on my deck turns on, and the Sonos speaker in my home office starts playing music.
The concern of inserting a wall wart into an outdoor outlet’s bubble cover is removed with the use of this inline power supply.
The concern of inserting a wall wart into an outdoor outlet’s bubble cover is removed with the use of this inline power supply.
The concern of inserting a wall wart into an outdoor outlet’s bubble cover is removed with the use of this inline power supply.
If you would like to scare someone away from the camera, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro has a remote-activated siren. It also supports two-way audio support with noise cancellation.
However, Ring’s third-party support isn’t flawless. To begin with, Ring products are difficult to incorporate into Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem. It is possible, but it requires some tinkering and third-party hardware. Ring is also only partially compatible with Google Home hardware. For example, you cannot watch a live stream from any Ring camera on a Google Nest smart display. If you choose to install Ring home security systems, you should initially consider using smart displays and speakers that are compatible with Amazon Echo. Hopefully, Matter will eventually resolve those kinds of interoperability problems.
A sizable speaker for two-way audio is located on the bottom of the Ring Alarm Pro camera. The QR code makes for easy setup.
A sizable speaker for two-way audio is located on the bottom of the Ring Alarm Pro camera. The QR code makes for easy setup.
A sizable speaker for two-way audio is located on the bottom of the Ring Alarm Pro camera. The QR code makes for easy setup.
FAQ
How do they do birds eye view?
What is the point of a birds eye view shot?
What is the field of view of the Ring spotlight camera?
How far can you see with Ring doorbell?