- Ring Protect is a comprehensive service that activates video recording and photo capture, saving and sharing for your Video Doorbell 3 Plus, plus a few extra perks. There are two tiers of Ring Protect: Basic and Plus. Ring Protect Basic activates video recording and photo capture and sharing for individual Ring Doorbells and Cameras.
- Easily setup by connecting your Ring Video Doorbell 3 to wifi through the Ring app and mounting with the included tools. With a Ring Protect Plan (subscription sold separately), record all your videos, review what you missed for up to 60 days, and share videos and photos.
- Ring Protect is a comprehensive service that activates video recording and photo capture, saving and sharing for your Video Doorbell 3 Plus, plus a few extra perks. There are two tiers of Ring Protect: Basic and Plus. Ring Protect Basic activates video recording and photo capture and sharing for individual Ring Doorbells and Cameras.
- Ring’s Video Doorbell 3 and Video Doorbell 3 Plus stick close to the design of the previous video doorbells. You’ll have the camera and sensor deck located at the top, and the physical ring button.
Rings may be better known as The Ring 3 since it’s the third movie about the enigmatic and acrobatic, Samara. Rings has been underway for a long time, but was it worth the wait?
Official 'Rings' Movie Trailer 3 2017 Subscribe Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz Movie #Trailer Release: 3 Feb 2017 https://KinoCheck.de/f.
Unfortunately, when it comes to Rings, the answer is a definite no.
As it tends to be the case for any popular horror franchise, the rumors of a third The Ring movie has been around since forever. The rumors turned into reality when it was announced that Rings would be released in November 2015.
Well, November 2015 came and went without Rings being released. New release dates ensued and then during the summer of 2016, it was revealed that reshoots were being made. Whether those shoots improved on the final products is unknown, but as of February 2017, Rings is finally here.
But do we even need a The Ring 3 movie? Well, any good story can easily continue and evolve. Unfortunately, Rings is not an example of this being the case.
Now, we don’t tend to be very negative here at Heaven of Horror. As a rule, we have no problem with remakes, reboots, and tons of sequels. As long as the story is still there, mind you. With Rings, we get a very good idea of why many people hate sequels.
At the very least, I was hoping for a nostalgic moment or two, and an entertaining movie. I can’t say Rings delivers on either.
Besides, just as it was the case with Blair Witch, this sequel is coming out so long after the original that a new generation of horror movie fans is now old enough to go to the movie theater for this. So it really does need to stand on its own.
Still, I can imagine you’ll want to watch the previous movies – especially the first one – after watching Rings. Especially since you do end up feeling nostalgic about seeing Samara again. Unfortunately, it’s in the “Everything was better in the old days”-way.
Has the VCR become a retro object?
Because Rings takes place in the present, you’ll find some cute remarks about the absolutely ancient VCR. It’s very appropriate and works, even if the scene where this banter takes place, is very strange. While watching it, you won’t really know what the relationship between these two characters is. And the scene afterward doesn’t help much either.
However, the VCR debate does tie into the opening scene, which takes place onboard a plane and has been released as a teaser for Rings – you can watch it right here:
While this opening scene is very entertaining, it is also very much a movie within the movie, which is a concept for Rings in general. However, it doesn’t have anything to do with the rest of the storyline. Not really. And honestly, it’s much more reminiscent of Final Destination than it is The Ring adjacent.
Oh yeah, and I have no idea why the relatively young man from the opening scene would own a VCR and a collection of blockbuster movies on videotape. I mean, come on, the retro vinyl love hasn’t exactly happened to the VCR and videotapes. Even though this is what they’ll have us believe. Oh well, maybe it’s underway as I write this.
Rings is both current and hopelessly outdated
No matter the state of videotape and VCR popularity, the videotape is being transferred to a digital version in Rings. Other than that, the concept is the same; Once you’ve watched the movie, you have to make a copy and get someone else to watch it. Only then will you escape the curse of Samara.
This was also the concept for It Follows [passing the curse on to someone else to escape it], though the transfer of the curse happened quite differently. Also, with that particular movie, something new was actually introduced.
Rings takes place in the present and we’re exposed to Skype and fast copying of the now digital movie, which is being shared via a USB drive in place of a videotape. However, a smartphone is used mainly as a flashlight. What is up with that?!
All these super modern and “current” horror movies with their use of “current” technology, but no one ever uses Google?
When in doubt about something or trying to find answers to any question, you Google it. Especially if your life it in danger and your survival depends on getting answers fast.
Still, the worst part of Rings is the constant need to really spell things out for us. We tend to get at least one characters actively stating what we’ve just been informed of in some other way. Person A will very solemnly state “The butler did it!”. All the while you’re sitting there thinking; Yes, the butler just plunged a knife into the victim. I think I got the fact that the butler did it.
It’s annoying and dumbing down everything. Also, it happens several times!
A director with a fresh perspective
Rings was directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez, who previously wrote and directed the apocalyptic Before the Fall from 2008. He’s a Spanish director and Rings is his first feature film since Before the Fall. In other words, he doesn’t just push out movies all the time.
Before the Fall (the original Spanish title is Tres Días) was a critically acclaimed movie that won F. Javier Gutiérrez several awards. Including at horror film festivals like ScreamFest.
Basically, this should mean he had every chance to make another great movie. And while Rings is a perfect way to reach a much larger audience, I can’t imagine there’s much left of his original vision.
And everything we hoped Blair Witch would deliver but didn’t quite, I was hoping Rings would now bring. It simply did not. In fact, Blair Witch is much better.
The script for Rings was written by Jacob Estes and David Loucka. Jacob Estes had his feature film debut as writer and director with Mean Creek in 2004. It’s more of a “crime drama” than “horror drama”, but it is damn good. Also, it shows Estes’ ability to write about the darker parts of human nature. David Loucka has written more hardcore horror with House at the End of the Street (2012) and Dream House (2011).
Impressive names among the cast
Samara is once again portrayed by the immensely and impressively flexible, Bonnie Morgan. She first played the part of Samara in The Ring 2 and is as flexible as ever, which you’ve probably seen in various clips from the movie already. No CGI, just Bonnie Morgan being amazing!
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the rest of the cast, which consists of several actors I really like. Their characters are either boring or pretty stereotypical.
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) does have an interesting character, but we never get enough from him to understand his motives. Not really, anyway, which results in him being very one-dimensional. The always enigmatic Vincent D’Onofrio (The Cell) is okay, but his character is just so typically him, that you feel like you’ve seen it all before.
The star of the movie is Mathilda Lutz, but her character is just plain boring. Full stop. Everything she has to work with is flat and uninspiring to begin with, but she doesn’t make it better. Aimee Teegarden (Scream 4) is almost the only exception to the boring performances. She has some great scenes, but unfortunately, she’s not a very big part of the movie.
This could have been a great addition to The Ring franchise, but it simply isn’t. However, there is some new information on the origin of Samara, and for this reason alone, you should actually check out Rings. Just make sure you don’t expect too much because then you will be disappointed.
Rings is being released worldwide and hits US theaters on February 3, 2017.
Details
Director: F. Javier Gutiérrez
Writer: David Loucka, Jacob Estes, Akiva Goldsman, Kôji Suzuki (based on the novel by)
Cast: Matilda Lutz, Aimee Teegarden, Johnny Galecki, Vincent D’Onofrio, Alex Roe, Laura Wiggins, Bonnie Morgan
Plot
A young woman finds herself getting caught up in the curse that threatens to take your life in exactly 7 days.
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When it comes to seeing what's happening at your front door, Ring is first on the list: it makes some of the best video doorbells around. But you'll quickly face the question of which of its two main models to go for: All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) or Ring Video Doorbell 3? Is the latter's Plus variant worth the extra expense?
At a glance (and especially in design), it's not very obvious what the differences are between, and which is best for what circumstances. And then the crucial question is what does the more costly Ring Video Doorbell 3 give you that the cheaper version doesn't?
Don't worry: we're putting them lens-to-lens here, and we'll explain everything you need to know between them.
- Check out our in-depth Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus review
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Ring isn't the only player in the game. The Nest Hello is a strong option, Netatmo has its own Smart Video Doorbell on the way (though it seems to have been on the way for years now), Arlo has one, and smaller companies such as Byron and Maximus offer their own smart doorbells.
The All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) and Ring Video Doorbell 3 aren't even the only option from Ring, with the higher-priced Ring Video Doorbell Pro bumping up the video capture smarts for those with an existing wired doorbell, and the Ring Door View Cam is a dedicated option for those with a peephole to replace.
© Provided by T3 (Image credit: Ring / Amazon)All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) vs Ring Video Doorbell 3/Plus: Price
Our first category is the one where these two cams differ most. The Ring Video Doorbell 3 is twice the price of the All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen), with its Plus version adding a small extra premium on top.
That's a big jump in spending for what are (as you'll discover) some relatively minor improvements like a removable battery, extra networking options, and slightly improved motion detection. The features that Ring has trickled down to the base-level model are impressive enough that for many people, the additional outlay might simply not be worth it.
All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) vs Ring Video Doorbell 3/Plus: Image quality
Both the basic All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) and the Video Doorbell 3 include a 1080p camera sensor; for the former, that's a bump up from the 720p sensor in the first-gen variety. Image quality, as you would expect, seems very comparable between the two, though they're not quite identical, with the Video Doorbell 3 predictably coming out on top.
The difference here lies in the lens. While the Ring Video Doorbell offers a 155-degree horizontal and 90-degree vertical view, the Video Doorbell 3 (and its Plus version) goes slightly wider at 160 degrees, but only offers 84 degrees top-to-bottom. Both have useful night vision capabilities.
© Provided by T3 (Image credit: Ring / Amazon)If you're thinking of picking one of these video doorbells simply on the basis of its viewing angle, don't. You could juggle those teensy variations around in your mind based on where the doorbell is going to be positioned, but the difference is so minor that an angled mounting bracket is likely to make a much bigger difference to what you can see. Given that, it's important to note that the Video Doorbell 3 includes two wedge mounts (one for angling horizontally, one for angling vertically), but you'll need to buy wedges separately if you want to angle the Gen 2, though they're not too expensive. Angling the doorbell can be useful to point the camera or even just the motion detector away from a busy road, say; the wide-angle lens means you'll see who's at the door, though.
One big, er, plus to the Plus variant of the Video Doorbell 3 is its pre-roll functionality, which constantly records using a second camera sensor, and pulls in a few seconds of lower-resolution black and white video preceding any motion detection events, so you get a fuller picture of what's happened outside your house.
All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) vs Ring Video Doorbell 3/Plus: Motion detection
All credit to the upgraded base-model Ring Video Doorbell -- its motion detection smarts are far in advance of its tech-limited original, with addition of motion detection zones leading to far fewer false positives, particularly when pointed at a road.
Both it and the Ring Video Doorbell 3 include the fanciest new feature in this area, which is near-field detection: the doorbells can tell the difference between movement closer to the camera compared to in the distance, and you can opt to only get notifications for close motion.
The Ring Video Doorbell 3 (and 3 Plus) do have one extra feature, though: Person detection. This optional extra analyses any motion detected before it notifies you, to see if it seems to be a person or not. You'll then know better whether a motion trigger alert is something you need to pay attention to or not.
Sadly, you can't define a specific area of the video view in which to capture motion, as you can with many smart security cameras. You can, however, use privacy zones to block out areas you don't want captured. These will stop motion detection, sure, but they'll also blot out image capture. Great for keeping your neighbours' activities out of your camera, but not so good as a replacement for motion zones.
All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) vs Ring Video Doorbell 3/Plus: Connectivity
In order to capture footage reliably, a video doorbell needs a solid network connection. Of course it does. Which is why the fact that the Video Doorbell 3 and Plus both support 5GHz networking is a bit confusing as a selling point; unless you have some kind of access point close to your front door, and that's not super-common, supporting the lower-range (though higher-speed) 5GHz seems like an utterly needless feature when 2.4GHz has more than enough capacity to cover the Video Doorbell 3's bandwidth demands, and has better reach.
Naturally, each of these doorbells also works with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and it's your only option on the Gen 2, so in our opinion, the extra support in the Video Doorbell 3 is not an essential extra.
There's no local storage on either doorbell, though realistically that does defeat the point seeing as they're designed to be used live. But having the option in case of network dropouts would have been nice.
If you struggle with connectivity on your doorbell, Ring sells the All-new Chime Pro, which acts as a network booster – place it halfway between your router and the doorbell, and it will help bridge the wireless connection between them. It also makes a noise when the doorbell is pressed, as an added bonus.
© Provided by T3 (Image credit: Ring / Amazon)All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) vs Ring Video Doorbell 3/Plus: Installation
Neither of these doorbells is in any way difficult to install. You don't need an existing wired doorbell (though if you have wiring, you can use it), and the only holes you'll need to drill are for the mounting plate. Screw 'em in, mount the doorbell, connect in the Ring app, and you're away. It's a simple process that'll take well under an hour even if you stop for a well-earned cup of tea half way through.
The big difference, as we've already mentioned, is the presence of angled mounting blocks in the box of the Video Doorbell 3; these, again, aren't difficult to install, but they make positioning the doorbell for an optimum front-of-house view much more convenient.
All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) vs Ring Video Doorbell 3/Plus: Battery
Here's where the convenience of the Video Doorbell 3 makes itself known: unlike the cheaper version, the 3 features a removable rechargeable battery pack. To get it out, you undo a single security screw – simple.
The Ring 3 Plus
Conversely, in order to charge the cheaper Ring, you'll need to remove the entire unit from its mounting plate and plug it in for a couple of hours. One is simple and potentially (if you invest in a second battery) means no downtime at all, the other is a bit of a pain in the rear.
That said, both can make use of existing doorbell wiring to charge their batteries from whatever kind of power your existing bell uses.
Assuming you don't use wiring, you can expect battery life between 4 weeks and 8 weeks, depending on how often your doorbell will detect motion.
© Provided by T3 (Image credit: Ring / Amazon)All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) vs Ring Video Doorbell 3/Plus: Alerts
Another tie here: both video doorbells will alert your phone, Amazon Echo, or Amazon Echo Show within a couple of seconds of the button being pressed.
If you need a faster notification (perhaps your regular courier, like ours, has decided they don't have time to wait five seconds for you to get to the door before they abscond with your package) Ring publishes an alternate app, Ring Rapid. This cuts down on extraneous features to focus on fast alerts and live view.
The Ring 3 Full Movie
Both can be wired into an existing doorbell chime as long as it runs on AC power (neither supports DC-powered chimes), and both can communicate with the plug-in Ring Chime speaker, or the Chime Pro Wi-Fi extender mentioned above.
All-new Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) vs Ring Video Doorbell 3/Plus: Verdict
For most people, we think the cheaper Ring Video Doorbell (2nd gen) will work just fine, especially with the big price difference. The biggest issue is that it's more hassle to charge, but it's still not difficult to do… just less convenient. It also doesn't come with the mounting wedges included, but not everyone will need those anyway, and you can pick them up from Ring if needed.
The Ring Video Doorbell 3 is the better option if your door faces a busy road, since you can use the mounting wedges and the person detection to avoid too many confusing motion notifications, while also getting the convenience of swappable battery packs. We would spend the small extra amount to get the Plus version though, with the Pre-Roll Video feature – if you're already spending nearly double the money of the cheaper model, you might as well get every feature.
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