TP-Link Tapo D260：今年測試過最佳免訂閲影片門鈴

Tyler Lacoma/CNET Art

Tapo D260 Video Doorbell Pro

8.5

Pros & Cons

• Powerful 4K resolution
• Free AI detection and custom motion zones for packages, people, animals, vehicles and more
• Choice of local storage with a microSD card or cloud storage
• Built-in spotlight, a rarity in video doorbells
• Novel extras like a privacy mode and a distortion reduction mode
• Accurate recognition, alerts and video recording
• Can turn any features on or off if the doorbell feels too complicated for you

• Lagging connections, one or two times while testing
• Bulkier than the average smart lock
• Will require a microSD card for free local video storage

Every new smart video doorbell I’ve tested this year has some new feature to experiment with, from AIs that can hold front door conversations for you to texts with descriptions of exactly what the camera saw. The catch is that these features usually cost extra through monthly subscriptions or other fees. Not so with Tapo’s latest model.

The TP-Link Tapo D260 ($220) is a rare find: a combination of top-line features like 4K resolution and the latest AI detection, without requiring a subscription to get all the goodies. The result is one of the best doorbells I’ve tried for people who hate ongoing subscriptions but want maximum value from a porch pirate-fighting device (with the purchase of a microSD card).

Here are the results of my tests, what you should know before buying and how those many fee-free features work out in the real world.

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A hefty design, but filled with extras

Tapo’s doorbell is one of the largest and heaviest I’ve tested, measuring about 5.7 by 2.6 inches and weighing about 12 ounces. That means you may need a bit of extra space, but Tapo also includes multiple installation methods in its kit, including adhesive strips, screws, and wiring connectors if you want to wire the doorbell instead of using the rechargeable battery. There’s also an angling device so you can turn the doorbell in a specific direction.

Those many options made doorbell installation easy, and despite the size, I found the design to be sturdy, with no flimsy components (plus an IP66 weather rating). That shiny front plate will instantly get covered in fingerprints, though, so if that’s one of your pet peeves, prepare to experience some distress.

App setup proved straightforward with no surprises. Tapo doesn’t include any installation walkthrough, so you’ll have to handle those details with the manual. Navigation is good, but some menu controls will take a minute to learn. Tapo’s “control panel” for the video doorbell proved particularly effective, although chock-full of options, including a few I’ve never seen before.

The app will ask if you want to sign up for Tapo’s Care subscription for cloud storage, which I’ll cover below, but it’s not necessary. To avoid subscriptions, install a microSD card in the doorbell and format it in the app. Smaller cards, which are fine for video doorbell purposes, aren’t expensive but will typically add around $12 to the one-time cost, depending on the deals you find. This approach is at the heart of Tapo’s no-subscription design, and while I’ve seen it on quite a few security cameras, it’s harder to find in video doorbells.

Image quality and overall audio/video performance

Tapo’s 4K resolution is the highest you can find in video doorbells, and few other models exist with such a high rating, although it’s becoming more common. That means more detail in the view of your porch and front yard, which I quickly noticed in the app’s live view, though there was a little glare from the afternoon sun. Note the battery percentage icon under the model name, which makes it easy to see when a recharge is coming.

The view contains a couple of unique buttons, which I appreciated for the extra options they offered. There’s a privacy mode, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen presented like this. It’s a quick way to shut off the camera’s video and audio if you don’t want it watching anything for a while, but without shutting the doorbell down entirely.

There’s also an interesting distortion correction button: Typical video doorbell views get stretched a little to match the space, but a tap of this mode will switch Tapo’s view to a more true-to-form, rounded-lens view. Some users may prefer this mode for the greater accuracy. I switched back and forth several times before settling on the novel distortion-free view.

Audio proved very clear in my testing, especially compared with some more compact doorbells, and you can easily control volume or enter chat mode using the app.

One more rare add-on is the included spotlight, which can automatically turn on with motion detection to provide light when someone comes knocking in dark hours, complete with brightness settings. Frankly, this option isn’t nearly as useful as spotlight security cameras you can put anywhere, since porches and front doors are typically well-lit anyway. But it’s a nice backup if your porch light isn’t on and you get an unexpected evening visitor – just be warned, it will drain the battery much faster.

The Tapo app can automatically record based on motion and other features, or you can take manual videos and photos of whatever you’re currently seeing, which gets siphoned into your microSD card (or cloud storage) for later managing. The only issue I noticed here is that a couple of times in my testing, the manual recording options were hesitant or dropped the connection before working. The automatic recording worked without flaw, which brings me to Tapo’s various detection methods.

Tapo’s smarts and yet more unique features

Smart detection watches for specific objects and automatically starts recording while alerting you about them, based on your settings. Tapo lets you choose to watch and record people, animals, vehicles, packages and general motion. It’s all on-device AI, so no data is sent back to servers or the company, and you can choose which to watch for and which to get alerts about, or turn everything off except motion detection, all for free.

Tapo also has yet another novel feature here: the ability to set separate motion zones for each type of detection. That means you could, for example, choose to watch for animals across your entire front lawn, but only watch for humans in your porch area so the camera doesn’t pick up every person walking down the sidewalk.

Most of these detection features also have sensitivity settings, which I increased a bit and found very accurate in my testing. I collected all my alerts and recordings in one section of the app to review after a busy day.

If a person is detected or you’re alerted to a doorbell ring, you can use the buttons I mentioned above, or you can activate a Quick Response. You can’t customize these replies, like you can for doorbells from Nest, Ring and similar brands, but you choose from options like “leave it by the door,” “sorry not interested,” and “I’m calling the cops,” etc.

You don’t really need a Tapo subscription, but here’s what it adds

Here at last, I ran into something Tapo does charge for: The most advanced smart features for the doorbell include facial recognition that can collect faces for you to identify, as well as intelligent summaries and notifications that add more detail about what the doorbell is seeing to your alerts. These are fairly common features these days, but they often come with high subscription costs, and Tapo is no exception.

To get AI features like these, you’ll need to sign up for the $20 per month Cloud Advanced AI version of Tapo Care, which I tested with a free trial. It works quite well with a few adjustments to the settings, but there are a couple of problems.

First, if you want to avoid fees and stay out of a company’s cloud, you obviously don’t want a subscription this high. Second, facial recognition in particular creates privacy issues for a growing number of users. Several lawsuits currently allege that companies like Nest and Ring are violating privacy laws by offering doorbells that analyze passing strangers without consent. Tapo labels its facial recognition as local AI, which makes this more of a legal gray area than processing everything in the cloud, but even then, the company blocks this feature in states with strong privacy laws like Illinois and Texas.

Fortunately, you can disable face recognition or avoid subscriptions for this doorbell, which is my preferred solution considering all the capabilities you get for free.

Final thoughts on the Tapo D260 Video Doorbell Pro

I’ve never seen a video doorbell focused on subscription-free use while offering so many in-depth features to experiment with. Other companies like Anker Eufy are making big advances in these no-fee fields, but for now, Tapo’s latest doorbell is one of my favorites.

You won’t get every feature for free, but AI descriptions and controversial face recognition aren’t necessary for many users, and you still get more capabilities at no cost than most doorbells offer in the first place. That includes free object detection, a privacy mode, a built-in spotlight, a distortion-correction mode, advanced motion zones and other fun add-ons.

Everything this doorbell can do tested well, outside of a rare laggy connection or two. It’s a little pricey at over $200, but that’s common for 4K video doorbells, including those that require subscriptions for many features Tapo gives you for free. Add in a microSD card when you buy, and this video doorbell is the complete setup for zero-cloud utility.

Tyler Lacoma

Senior Editor / Home Security and Smart Home

Tyler has worked on, lived with and tested all types of smart home and security technology for over a dozen years, explaining the latest features, privacy tricks and top recommendations. With degrees in business management, literature and technical writing, Tyler takes every opportunity to play with the latest AI technology, push smart devices to their limits and occasionally throw cameras off his roof, all to find the best devices to trust in your life. He always checks with the renters (and pets) in his life to see what smart products can work for everyone, in every living situation. Living in beautiful Bend, Oregon, gives Tyler plenty of opportunities to test the latest tech in every kind of weather and temperature. But when not at work, he can be found hiking the trails, trying out a new food recipe for his loved ones, keeping up on his favorite reading or gaming with good friends. See full bio

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