Devolution, the latest book by World War Z author Max Brooks, is getting the feature film treatment.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Legendary Entertainment has acquired the new novel, titled Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre, which hit shelves on Tuesday via the Del Rey imprint of Penguin Random House.
Image credit: Del Rey Books
The supernatural story is drawn from the journals of Kate Holland, recovered from the bloody wreckage of a volcanic eruption in the eco-community town of Mt. Rainier that has been rampaged by ferocious beasts known as the Sasquatch. The Bigfoot thriller is described as “part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction.”
Devolution was originally set to be developed as a creature feature back in 2012, with Lost TV director Jack Bender and David Leslie Johnson attached to the project alongside Brooks, who was working on the concept for Legendary, but Brooks switched mediums and decided to turn the idea into a book first. However, now that Devolution has been optioned for an adaptation, Bender and Leslie Johnson are no longer involved.
Brooks is best known for writing World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, which was adapted by Paramount into the Brad Pitt-starring zombie horror movie, World War Z, that grossed $540 million worldwide following its release in 2013. A sequel was in development, but production halted last year due to budgeting issues and a lack of momentum.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Doom Patrol Season 2 is nearly upon us, and IGN can exclusively debut a new trailer for the DC Universe/HBO Max series.
Check out the trailer in the video player above or embedded below to get a closer look at the wacky storylines coming in Season 2, as well as a first look at new villains like The Candlemaker, Red Jack, and Doctor Tyme.
If you’re struggling to make sense of the weirdness on display in this trailer, we can help. Read on for a breakdown of these new characters and how they may fit into the new season.
The Candlemaker
With Niles Caulder’s daughter Dorothy Spinner (Abigail Shapiro) making her full debut in Season 2, we recently speculated Season 2 might focus on the villain known as The Candlemaker. That guess turned out to be correct. The Candlemaker is a powerful psychic entity powered by humanity’s collective fear of the apocalypse. It was banished outside our plane of existence. However, because Dorothy has the ability to turn imaginary beings into real, flesh-and-blood figures, The Candlemaker sees her as a pathway back into the DC Universe.
At this point we don’t know whether The Candlemaker will be a standalone villain or a recurring antagonist in Season 2. But given its power level and its fundamental connection to the Caulder family, we could easily see this villain taking the place of Alan Tudyk’s Mr. Nobody.
Red Jack is another immensely powerful and profoundly evil villain who could easily serve as the main threat of Season 2. This villain claims to be the creator of the universe, after which he punished himself by banishing himself to another dimension and only returning once every 100 years. Last time he showed up, he played the part of Jack the Ripper until vanishing again.
Red Jack derives power from the pain and suffering of other beings. He even keeps a collection of live butterflies pinned to a wall in his manor, sustaining him during those long years in between killing sprees.
Percival Sutter is a brilliant scientist who chooses to use his talent for evil. He’s designed a weapon called the 4-X Ray, one which allows him to speed up or slow down time at a whim. Sutter eventually abandoned his evil ways and began working with the Doom Patrol in the comics, so we may see the character undergo a similar journey in the TV series.
The SeX-Men are easily the strangest and most eye-popping new characters to be introduced in this trailer. As the name suggests, this group is sort of a parody of the X-Men, or at least a sly acknowledgment of the many similarities between the X-Men and Doom Patrol.
The SeX-Men aren’t necessarily villains. They’re actually a government-sponsored team who specialize in supernatural sexual situations. Their members include colorfully named heroes like Captain Kiss, Lieutenant Cuddle, and Lieutenant Torture. We’re not surprised to see them showing up on Danny the Street, given the very NSFW antics that go on there. But if the comics are anything to go by, we expect the Doom Patrol and the SeX-Men will eventually join forces to battle a common foe.
Here’s DC’s official description for Doom Patrol: Season 2:
DC’s strangest group of heroes — Cliff Steele aka Robotman (Brendan Fraser), Larry Trainor aka Negative Man (Matt Bomer), Rita Farr aka Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby), Jane aka Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero), and Victor Stone aka Cyborg (Joivan Wade) — are back again to save the world. That is, if they can find a way to grow up…both figuratively and literally. Following the defeat of Mr. Nobody, the members of the Doom Patrol now find themselves mini-sized and stranded on Cliff’s toy race car track. Here they begin to deal with their feelings of betrayal by Niles Caulder aka The Chief (Timothy Dalton), while confronting their own personal baggage. And as each member faces the challenge of growing beyond their own past traumatic experiences, they must come together to embrace and protect the newest member of the family: Dorothy Spinner (Abigail Shapiro), Niles’ daughter, whose powers remain a mysterious but real threat to bringing on the end of the world.
Following news that Baldur’s Gate 3 will launch in early access this August, a massive Dungeons & Dragons PC games sale is happening right now on Steam and GOG. Both sales feature steep discounts on classic computer role-playing games from the world of D&D, from Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2 to Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Knights, and more.
If you want to go back to where Baldur’s Gate began before the third game releases, the enhanced versions of both Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II are on sale for $10 each, down from their usual $20. These both include the original stories along with an added expansion, new adventures, new characters, native support for high-resolution widescreen displays, and hundreds of bug fixes and other improvements. Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear is also on sale for $10–this 2016 expansion added the first original content to the series in over 15 years and includes more than 25 hours of gameplay.
You can check out the full D&D sales happening on Steam and GOG below along with highlights from the sales. You’ll find additional DLC for some of these games discounted as well.
Following its scheduled downtime, a new update for Pokemon Home is now live on mobile and Nintendo Switch. While the update primarily makes the service compatible with the new Pokemon introduced in Sword and Shield‘s first expansion, The Isle of Armor, it also resolves a persistent issue that has plagued the Global Trade System feature for years.
According to the patch notes for the 1.2.0 update, players can no longer set impossible conditions in the GTS. This has been a recurring problem since the feature was first introduced and one of our biggest complaints about Pokemon Home. Prior to the update, players could, for example, put a Pokemon up for trade and request a Cinderace that’s between levels 1-10 in return, despite the fact that Cinderace is a fully evolved Pokemon and cannot be that level.
Longtime Pokemon players will know that this has been an ongoing issue with the GTS, but it seemed particularly prevalent on Pokemon Home. Many players would deliberately set impossible trade conditions like this to troll other users or show off their own Pokemon without fear of it being traded off, but this update has thankfully made that no longer possible.
Beyond that, the 1.2.0 update improves the Pokemon Box labeling function and makes numerous other unspecified fixes. You can read the full patch notes below.
The Isle of Armor is the first of two expansions coming for Sword and Shield this year. The second, The Crown Tundra, is slated to release sometime this fall. Each DLC introduces a new area to explore along with a ton of new and returning Pokemon to catch, but you don’t need to own the expansions to get them.
In other Pokemon news, The Pokemon Company revealed a new Pokemon Snap game for Nintendo Switch during its Pokemon Presents video presentation. The company teased that more Pokemon news is on the way next week, on June 24, and it’ll concern “another big project.”
Pokemon Home 1.2.0 Update Patch Notes
Added compatibility with The Isle of Armor, the first wave of content for the Pokemon Sword Expansion Pass and Pokemon Shield Expansion Pass.
Updated the GTS so that impossible search conditions cannot be set under “Pokemon wanted.”
Improved the Pokemon Box labeling function.
Made various other fixes.
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Sea of Thieves newest monthly update, Haunted Shores, is now live. In a post on Xbox Wire, developer Rare detailed the update, including the new fleet of spooky enemies.
Ghost ships are a new enemy type, rising up from the depths of the sea. These high-powered fleets have less health than other ship types but make up for it by outnumbering living pirates. Ghost ships will remain in the game beyond this month’s event.
The Ghost ships are under the command of Captain Flameheart, who is at the center of Sea of Thieves’ new event. His looming skull will appear over islands, similar to the war clouds appearing over Skeleton forts or Skeleton ship battles. Flameheart’s Skull signifies that his ship–the Burning Blade–and a fleet of Ghost ships, are around an island.
The event rewards supplies in addition to Damned treasures and unique sails for those who send enough Ghost ships back to the bottom of the sea. Taking out Ghost ships will also earn players gold and reputation through Voyages with the Order of Souls.
Shanties get an upgrade with the Haunted Shores update as instrument-wielding pirates ca now jump straight to a favorite tune through the menu. New shanties have been added to the game as well, including “Maiden Voyage” and “We Shall Sail Together.”
The full patch notes are available on Sea of Thieves official website or below.
Sea of Thieves Update 2.0.16
Haunted Shores
Battle the Burning Blade – Crews must sink the phantom fleets as they’re summoned through the rift between worlds before facing off against Flameheart’s flagship, the infamous Burning Blade.
Ghost Ships – While these phantom foes are fragile, any contact with them is dangerous and they attack with weaponry from beyond this world! Engage carefully to avoid their Phantom Cannonballs, the ghostly mines dropped in their wake and especially the Wraith Cannonballs that deal major damage and hit your ship like a shockwave.
Order of Souls Voyages – The Order of Souls now offer permanent new Voyages for pirates at rank 25 and above wishing to seek out and sink Ghost Ships. For the duration of the Haunted Shores update, your old friend Duke will also offer an exclusive Voyage to take on this ghastly new threat!
Supernatural Spoils – Along with their spectral skulls, Ghost Ship Captains will leave their ethereal armaments adrift in the water upon their defeat. Phantoms will circle any dropped rewards, so stay alert for the chance to collect a Cannonball Crate of the Damned stocked with Phantom and Wraith Cannonballs for your own use!
Haunted Shores Commendations – New Commendations have been added to the Order of Souls, charting players’ progress in vanquishing Ghost Ships. By progressing through these Commendations, players can earn the Ghost Captain Sails and the dreaded Burning Blade Sails.
Haunted Shores Achievements – New Xbox and Steam achievements can be unlocked by progressing through the new in-game Commendations. A total of 40 gamerscore is available to earn from this update, and these achievements will remain in the game indefinitely.
Banisher of the Spectral Flame [10G]
Scourge of the Damned [30G]
Regular Events – If Daily Bounties and the Gold Rush multiplier aren’t enough to fill your nautical calendar, head to the dedicated Events Hub for more information on the live events included in this update – including Ashen Expeditions and Shark Hunt!Please note that the Fort Nights event has now been retired to the vault.
Pirate Emporium
Free Giveaway Emote – Players can find the new Shovel Skills emote available for free in the Pirate Emporium. Show us a trick!
Blighted Ship Collection – All the parts of the Blighted Ship Set, inspired by State of Decay, can now be picked up within the Blighted Ship Collection. A Blighted Ship Bundle is also on offer which includes all the regular ship cosmetics at a discount!
Gold Curse Collector’s Pets – These exquisite pets were transformed into living treasure by touching, pecking or licking cursed gold!
Ghost Pet Outfits – After reaching Athena’s Fortune rank 20, why not pick up something for your pet to celebrate the achievement? Ghost Outfits are now available for all pets and breeds!
Bilge Rat Cat Outfits – Is your feline friend a bit of a reckless, rough-and-ready sort? Then pick up a Bilge Rat Outfit to emphasise that scruffy, devil-may-care look.
Hide and Peek Bundle – Four new hiding emotes enable all kinds of sneaky shenanigans. There’s even an emote given away for free! When using these emotes, your gamertag and title will be hidden for as long as you stay silent. So keep quiet to stay hidden!
Animal Dance Bundle – Show off your animalistic moves by joining your cat or parrot in dance, wiggling your limbs like a squid or shaking that (imaginary) fin like a shark!
Solid Gold Bundle (Store Only) – Available only from the Xbox, Microsoft and Steam Stores. This bundle contains two premium Gold Curse Collector’s Pets touched by the same curse known to turn some pirates’ skin to gold, 1000 Ancient Coins and a free 25,000 gold bonus for use in the Outpost shops! Head to the Microsoft Store or Steam Item Store to find out more!
Black Market
Wild Rose Clothing – This month, complete the look with the Wild Rose Belt, Boots, Eyepatch, Gloves, Hook and Trousers, all purchasable with Doubloons.
Inky Kraken Equipment – Spend some gold to acquire the Inky Kraken Bucket, Compass, Fishing rod, Lantern, Pocket Watch, Shovel, Speaking Trumpet, Spyglass and Tankard.
Gameplay Improvements
Choosing a Shanty – When equipping an instrument, the Item Radial now expands to a new menu allowing players to select which shanty to play. Alongside the original selection of shanties, several new ones are now available including an exclusive shanty for Pirate Legends!
Improved Non-Verbal Communication – The Non-Verbal Radial has been redesigned to provide a much wider range of phrases separated into categories. The top category still provides fast access to chat and alerts, while the second category is for strategy (more ways to communicate with/give directions to others) and the third offers contextual phrases specific to an item or ship interaction. See this article for full details.
Non-Verbal Radial Keybinds – The Non-Verbal Radial has now moved to RB (controller) and E (keyboard), ensuring players are free to move while communicating. The Quest Radial has been moved to a sub-menu inside the Equipment Radial, but a standalone Quest Radial is still available as a keybind option.
Cannonball Radial – When using a cannon, the Cannonball Radial now uses a revised priority order for displaying cannonballs, Chainshot, firebombs, Blunderbombs and Cursed Cannonballs.
Harpoon Retraction – The harpoon now retracts rapidly, allowing players to fire again and more easily hit moving targets.
Barrel Inventory Mouse Navigation – When using keyboard and mouse, opening a barrel inventory will now reset the mouse cursor to the centre of the screen.
Updates
Expanded Emissary Ledgers – The Ledgers for the Gold Hoarders, Order of Souls, Merchant Alliance, Athena’s Fortune and The Reaper’s Bones now have expanded views in the Reputation pages, with the Ledger overview now showing the required Emissary value to reach each tier and access the rewards.
Ledger Tiers – When viewing an Emissary Ledger, players are now shown their standing in the current tier and the players around them.
Ledger Views – Switching to ‘Friends’ view will now filter the Ledger to show your current standing amongst Friends, while switching to ‘Top’ view will show the top 10 Emissaries in the Ledger. The ‘Previous’ view shows your final position in the previous month’s Ledger (along with the ability to filter by ‘Friends’ and ‘Top’).
Emissary Balancing – The Gold Hoarder’s Skull will no longer award The Reaper’s Bones or Order of Souls reputation, or contribute toward those Companies’ respective Emissary Ledgers.
‘Let Games Read to Me’ Improvements – With ‘Let Games Read to Me’ enabled, extra narration instruction is now included when navigating menus and options, informing players which keys to press. In addition, tutorial prompts during the Maiden Voyage and onboarding experience are now fully narrated, and when activating voice chat a narrated alert informs players that the text chat box is active.
Text Size Accessibility – Text sizes for all Crew Join and Leave toast notifications have been increased to improve accessibility.
Interaction Audio – Opening a crate now makes a different sound to opening a barrel.
Fixed Issues
Performance and Stability
To improve quality of service, Sea of Thieves servers have been activated in the regions of East and Southeast Asia and Japan.
When attempting to log in to the game following an error, the response time has now been improved.
Gameplay
Shooting any ship with a Chainshot will now inflict predictable damage holes on the outside of the ship.
Trading Company onboarding will now start for new pirates without having to leave a session and start a new one.
The Servant of the Flame at The Reaper’s Hideout will now allow players to interact with them and sell items when standing at any angle to them.
Killing a player at the earliest point of vulnerability after revival and then reviving them again will no longer cause their camera to get stuck.
During the Maiden Voyage, eating the banana before being prompted to no longer causes the Pirate Lord’s animation and dialogue to be cut short.
In the Pirate Legend Hideout, swimming into the rudder at the back of the Athena’s Fortune tavern and getting stuck will now spawn you in the Pirate Legend Hideout.
After an Arena contest, interacting with the ship’s wheel, cannons or ladders prior to migration will now correctly detach players, preventing them from becoming stuck.
When receiving an invite notification through Steam, an alert sound can be heard in-game.
The ‘View Gamercard’ option in Crew Management has now returned for Xbox and Microsoft Store platforms, but has been removed for Steam.
When wielding and using a fishing rod, player animations are now improved.
Players firing themselves out of the island cannons on Lost Gold Fort will no longer be teleported back to their ship.
Combat
Improvements have been made to hit registration when shooting at players who are using static interaction points around the world, e.g. ladders and cannons on islands, docks and the Sea Dogs’ delivery ship in The Arena.
When engaging in sword combat, attacking a player and landing the first hit will now prevent the rival player from retaliating, ensuring they are unable to attack through a three-hit combo. The rival player will still be able to block, so be prepared for counterattacks.
Players are prevented from switching between throwables while throwing to bypass inventory limits.
Trading Companies
Reaper’s Bones Emissaries handing in their own Flags no longer will no longer count towards stolen Flag Commendation progress.
Umbra will no longer give out Order of Souls level 5 Emissary Quests.
Emissary crews migrating to your server will no longer release duplicate Emissary Flags when sunk.
Tall Tales
‘The Shroudbreaker’ – Players will be awarded the appropriate Commendation when opening the Puzzle Vault even if this follows migration earlier in the session.
Visual and Audio
Players using Nvidia RTX GPUs should no longer see gridlines in the sea in certain hardware and setting combinations.
The ship’s compass should no longer appear stuck pointing towards north on certain hardware configurations.
When starting an Athena’s Run Voyage, the appropriate audio now plays.
The X Marks the Spot Eye of Reach now uses the correct model when wielded.
The Cronch Eye of Reach now has the intended yellow lens.
Players will now burp again after consuming several pieces of food in succession.
Steam Platform
When playing on Steam and using the ‘Fullscreen Video’ setting, the mouse cursor is now constrained to the screen when the game takes focus.
When playing on Steam, pressing Left-Alt and Space together are now correctly handled by the game.
Improved Steam platform compatibility with a range of anti-virus products, removing the need to whitelist Sea of Thieves within your anti-virus product.
In an interview with Healthy For Men magazine (via Batman-News), Pattinson revealed what he’s doing to get into shape as Batman.
Robert Pattinson’s Batman diet and workout plan includes:
Cut down on alcohol, processed meats, and fried foods.
Boxing and “military-style sandbag routines on the beach.”
Run 5-10km (3-6 miles) three to four times per week.
For abs, he begins with a regular five-minute cardio workout.
Followed by bicycle crunches, dumbbell side bends, double crunches, and the Superman exercise, with three sets of 25 reps per move.
New interview with #TheBatman star, Robert Pattinson. He talks about his workout regime, enjoying a challenge, real magic, his relationship, and living in London. #Batman#Battinson Thread: pic.twitter.com/H3A9IJgLWW
“You look at the true warriors of the superhero genre — Hemsworth, The Rock, Downey Jr., Evans — and wonder if you’re putting yourself in the wrong place,” Pattinson told Healthy For Men. He added that he spoke to a few of those aforementioned actors about nervousness in taking on such a physically challenging role as that of a superhero.
“It’s all about pushing boundaries and building up to a point where you know you can do justice to the physicality required. And past that, so much of it is letting the special effects and on-screen exchanges produce the real magic. Overall, it’s just very exciting.”
So why did Pattinson say what he did in that prior GQ interview? It turns out he has a reputation for trolling interviewers and even messing with his directors in a playful way. As The Guardian recently recalled:
“A commitment to chaos is pretty much Pattinson’s MO, according to the directors he’s worked with. In the profile Robert Eggers describes him as “Andy Kaufman-esque in real life. Rob’s so beyond dry that it’s, like, meta. You’re like, ‘Is that funny?’ Like, ‘I have no idea what’s going on.’ In the piece, Pattinson also claims he can’t remember the plot of Tenet, an upcoming movie he just starred in directed by Christopher Nolan. So (the interviewer) calls Nolan to see if he’s being played. The response: ‘The interesting thing with Rob is, he’s slightly f***ing with you.'”
Bat-fans should expect to see the first footage from The Batman quite soon. Warner Bros. revealed this week that their July 31 release of Tenet will include previews for upcoming Warners films, which could very well include The Batman since Pattinson stars in both films. Warners also announced their Comic-Con-style virtual event DC FanDome, which takes place August 22, will includes panels and footage from a number of upcoming DC movies, including The Batman.
David Koepp has had a storied and varied career in Hollywood so far. As a screenwriter, he was responsible for the original Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible, and Spider-Man films. In addition to his writing and other credits, he’s directed films including 2004’s Secret Window, 2015’s Mortdecai, and now, the new Blumhouse and Universal horror movie You Should Have Left. And Koepp thinks skipping theaters to go straight to digital video-on-demand platforms is a good thing for the movie industry.
“I see it as nothing but a strength, and I think Universal has been great with their ability to make movie premieres feel kind of exciting. I’ve watched every one of theirs that have come out,” Koepp told GameSpot during an interview to promote You Should Have Left. “Last weekend King of Staten Island and Da Five Bloods both came out on Friday, and it felt like a Friday, you know? It felt like, ‘Oh, new movies, I’m gonna watch them this weekend, and then I want to talk to people about them, because that’s what we do.’ So, I think it’s great.”
Here in the age of COVID-19, movie theaters remain closed and many films’ release dates are being continuously pushed back. Christopher Nolan’s next big blockbuster, Tenet, is the most recent victim, as Warner Bros. optimistically delayed it until July 31. The studio and some fans might argue that Tenet is the type of movie that should be viewed on the biggest screen and with the loudest speakers possible, but that’s not the case for every film, and more and more distributors are choosing to skip theaters and go straight to digital platforms (much to theater chains’ chagrin.)
You Should Have Left, which stars Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried as a couple who travel with their young daughter to an apparently haunted Airbnb in remote Wales, is the latest to go this route.
“This size movie, obviously, we’re not a big budget movie. And we were just in those conversations about, ‘OK, when are we going to be released? What’s the calendar look like? How are we going to avoid, you know, all the behemoths that stock the multiplex?’ And then this appeared as an option. And [producer] Jason [Blum] and I kind of thought at the same time, ‘It’s ideal for us.’
“I hope it becomes, not a replacement way of seeing the movies–we all want to go back to the movie theaters of course–but an additional way to see movies. Can we do this too? Because it would be really fun. So I’m thrilled that it’s coming out this way. I can’t think of a better way for this one.”
Koepp said for You Should Have Left, he “wanted to make a scary movie set inside a marriage.” It’s based on the 2017 book of the same name by German author Daniel Kehlmann. While the marketing may make the film look like a haunted house story, it’s really more of a haunted marriage movie.
“It’s the story of a couple that is together that probably shouldn’t be. He’s 27 years older than she is. That ain’t right. I wanted to examine the tensions and suspicions that linger in that relationship, and then take them and put them in a remote location where unusual things happen, and it seems like a pretty combustible thing,” Koepp said. “My favorite movie of all time is Rosemary’s Baby, so I love the idea that the person you’re supposed to be able to trust the most is actually the one you should trust the least. And [in You Should Have Left] we’re not sure which of them that applies to, or both, or neither. So hopefully the movie keeps us guessing a little bit.”
You Should Have Left will be available on demand everywhere you rent or purchase movies digitally on June 19.
GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
And speaking of things you should be watching, consider listening to GameSpot’s weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. With new episodes premiering every Wednesday, you can watch a video version of the podcast over on GameSpot Universe or listen to audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.
The best video doorbells are practically synonymous with convenience. These smart home devices are not just excellent security tools, so you can catch package thieves or vandals in the act. They’re also perfect for seeing who’s at your door without having to physically be there yourself – whether you’re away from home, trying to avoid Jehovah’s witnesses, or you just can’t be bothered to get up from the couch.
In addition, video doorbells are a perfect complement to that smart lock you’ve just installed. Alongside a set of wireless security cameras, they make an ideal home security system that’s easy on the pocket and free from exorbitant monthly service fees. Take a look at our top picks for the best video doorbells.
Google’s Nest Hello is the best video doorbell hands down, complete with all the bells and whistles you could ever want – pun intended. This nifty little device already has all the makings of a great video doorbell, including 24/7 live streaming and video recording, a video format that captures your visitors from head to toe, HDR capability, two-way audio, night vision, an IPx4 rated weather resistance, and of course, alerts and notifications.
However, it beefs up its feature set with things like facial recognition so you’ll know if a familiar face is coming. Package tracking, meanwhile, notifies you immediately if a package has been removed. You can even leave a pre-recorded messages for when you’re not home, and noise and echo cancellation ensures any audio captured in your security recordings is loud and clear. You’ll need a Nest Aware subscription to get some of the more advanced features like intelligent alerts and timelapse, but it starts at $5 a month, which is less than the cheapest Netflix plan.
Our only gripe here is that its installation is best left to professionals, as you’ll need a wired doorbell, a compatible chime and the right transformer. However, for all the features it brings to the table, the Nest Hello is well worth the extra $99 installation service fee.
For budget-minded consumers who want to save money on both their device and monthly subscription, eufy’s video doorbell has our vote. Not only is this among the cheapest options right now, but it also forgoes any type of monthly subscription for storage and additional features, saving you money in the long run.
Instead, it utilizes local storage. Though don’t take “local storage” to mean that your videos are vulnerable to theft. They’re stored in a military-grade chip that boasts AES 256-Bit data encryption to keep that footage from prying eyes.
And, for much less than Nest Hello, eufy Video Doorbell boasts facial recognition, a 4:3 aspect ratio, HDR capability, night vision, pre-recorded responses, 2-way audio, and instant alerts when someone is approaching, just like its more expensive rival. Understandably, it isn’t as feature-rich – it doesn’t record 24/7 or offer package tracking, and it only has a 150-degree field of view.
However, it has a few advantages over the competition including impressively high resolution video, camera distortion correction so you’re not getting those ghastly fisheye footages, and a wider operating temperature range of -4 to 122F.
The Arlo Video Doorbell has a few tricks up its sleeves that you won’t find in other video doorbells on the market. While it has all the trimmings that make for an excellent video doorbell, including intelligent motion detection alerts, 2-way audio, pre-recorded messages, and Amazon Alexa compatibility, it also boasts a few features that make it unique.
Among those features is its video call function. You can set this device to call your mobile phone directly if someone presses the doorbell. That way, you won’t just know when someone’s at your door, you’ll also be able to interact with them directly without that extra step of going through the app.
Other features that set it apart are its 180-degree field of view, 1:1 video aspect ratio, and that built-in siren that you can either set to go off automatically or trigger remotely in case of suspicious activity. What’s more is you also have the option to save your videos directly to your Arlo base-station or Smarthub, so you can keep your video footage locally.
Whether hardwired or battery-powered, Ring Video Doorbell 3’s versatility makes it ideal for both homeowners and apartment renters. It’s definitely a favorite among folks who either do not have existing doorbell wires or cannot make too many big changes to the unit they are renting. In fact, its battery-powered model takes only a few minutes to install, and you won’t be needing the help of an electrician to do it.
It’s also popular among consumers who want extensive smart home integration. That’s because this video doorbell is easier to pair with existing locks, smart lights, and home alarms than many of its rivals.
Unfortunately, its video resolution isn’t as high as the top three contenders on this list. However, it’s just as reliable in terms of motion detection, alarms and notifications, and two-way audio, which boasts noise cancellation. And, it’s cloud storage service is pretty affordable, starting at $3 a month. Besides, 1080p resolution is pretty standard these days, so it’s not like you’re getting pixelated footage and images.
If you like the Ring Video Doorbell 3’s battery-powered feature, but you just don’t have the funds to spend $200 on a video doorbell, the Ring Peephole Cam might just be the perfect budget alternative. You’ll still be paying a little over $100, but you’re also saving $70, which could go into paying for that Ring Protect subscription for almost 2 years.
There are, of course, things that the Ring Video Doorbell 3 can do that the Ring Peephole Cam can’t. This cheaper alternative has a narrower field of view, for example, and it doesn’t give you the option to connect to your existing doorbell wires. However, it offers the same fundamentally important features like two-way audio, live viewing, night vision, and motion detection. It’s also compatible with many smart locks on the market.
Plus, it has a couple of unique tricks. It has a built-in impact sensor that notifies you when someone’s knocking at your door, for one. And, it takes care of that aging, unflattering peephole you’d rather not display, but still want to utilize.
You can spend a couple of hundreds of dollars on a pricier video doorbell, or you can spend half that amount for practically the same basic features. That’s what Remo+ RemoBell S 6 offers budget-minded consumers. Not only is the video doorbell cheap, but it also comes with a free 3-day rolling cloud storage, so you don’t have to pay for a monthly subscription if you don’t want to.
As for its features, it has all the necessary trimmings: two-way audio, night vision, motion detection alerts, and an operating temperature range of -4 to 122ºF. It even offers that live on-demand streaming feature that some of the more expensive video doorbells make you pay for. And, while many of its rivals only give you a 160-degree viewing angle, this one offers a 180-degree field of view.
The only thing is that it does have that fisheye distortion happening, but that’s hardly a deal-breaker, especially for that price tag.
The Amcrest Video Doorbell Camera Pro may be the least popular and one of the cheapest products on our list, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it seriously. Sure, it has its share of limitations: namely, the 1080p resolution, the 140-degree field of view, and the 2.4GHz only support.
However, it also has a few things going for it. We certainly appreciate the MicroSD local storage, for one. You can put in a MicroSD card with up to 128GB storage space, instead of having to commit to a monthly subscription. And, its operating temperature range of -22 to 122°F certainly comes in handy to those folks living in places with the coldest winters.
Factor in its up to 16 feet of night vision and motion detection, 2-way audio, and motion detection alerts, and you’ve got yourself a great value. The catch? To get the live streaming function, you’d have to get the Amcrest Smart Home Cloud app and subscribe. The good news? You get your first year free with your purchase. Not too bad a deal.
What to Look for in the Best Video Doorbells
Most video doorbells on the market offer basic features. They all have 2-way audio so you can communicate with whoever’s at the door even if you’re not home. These doorbell cameras are capable of recording videos, naturally, and at resolutions of 1080p and up. They have night vision, though some are better at it than others. And, they all offer compatibility with one or more of the most popular smart home systems and virtual assistants right now.
However, they do differ in quite a few ways that matter a lot to consumers. Here are the some of the main things you must consider when choosing the best video doorbell:
Installation and power
When it comes to installation, not all video doorbells are created equal. Some require a bit of electrical knowledge and experience similar to the best home security cameras, while wireless doorbells can be installed in minutes by anyone capable of inserting a battery.
It really boils down to the type of power source the video doorbell requires. Quite a few of them actually need doorbell wiring to work, although there are others that only rely on rechargeable batteries, making them perfect for many apartment renters. One or two have adapters so you can make them work even if you don’t have existing doorbell wiring at home.
Before you click that buy button, find out what kind of power source your choice needs and whether or not it’s something you can accommodate.
Storage and subscription
Cloud storage solutions are all the rage these days, which makes sense as they’re generally more secure. However, most video doorbells do not offer their cloud storage for free. Subscriptions typically start at $3 per month and can go all the way up to $30 a month.
Granted, if you’re getting the basic plan, you might be paying less than your Netflix or Disney+ subscription. And, you’re also getting additional features like live streaming, timelapse recording, and intelligent alerts.
However, that monthly subscription can still add up, which isn’t good if you’ve got limited funds. Luckily, there are video doorbells out there that come with free, albeit limited, subscription, or better yet, a MicroSD card compartment.
Resolution
There are still some video doorbells out there with only 720p resolution. That’s hardly a surprise; many high-end ultrabook laptops only have 720p webcams. However, when it comes to your home and family’s security, the higher the resolution, the better. You wouldn’t want your home invaded by an intruder, and then realize that the only chance you have of finding the perpetrator is an extremely grainy, low resolution video.
These days, 1080p is standard and good enough. If you want something better, however, there are a few that offer 1,536 x 1,536 and 1,600 x 1,200 resolution.
Field of View
The field of view or viewing angle is another thing that differs from video doorbell to video doorbell. And, unlike camera lenses, it doesn’t follow that the more expensive ones typically offer the widest angles. A lot of video doorbells boast a 160-degree viewing angle, while there are some that give you a whopping 180 degrees of viewing pleasure. A handful still only have around 140 degrees.
Find out what’s best for your home or apartment before deciding. If you have a broader area to cover, then the widest field of view is better for you. However, if you only need to cover a smaller area – like if you’re in the corner apartment, for example – then a 140- or 150-degree video doorbell should suffice.
Michelle Rae Uy is a freelance tech and travel writer, part-time production editor, and a full-time traveler from Los Angeles, California. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles, London and the rest of the world. Follow her on Instagram @straywithRae.
The Mandalorian Season 2 is expected to premiere this October on Disney+, which means we’re only months away from reuniting with the adorable Baby Yoda. If you’re looking forward to Season 2 of the breakout Disney+ hit, you may be interested in the upcoming Lego kit featuring the Razor’s Crest. Originally revealed during Toy Fair earlier this year, the Razor Crest has gone in and out of stock ever since. Now, it’s available to pre-order at both Amazon and the Lego Store for $130.
Lego Star Wars: The Mandalorian Razor Crest
Fans of the show will instantly recognize the Razor Crest as Mando’s trusty ship. This 1,023-piece kit comes in at 5.5 x 15 x 11 inches when completed, and the ship has some neat interactive components. It’s fitted with a pair of spring-loaded shooters and hatches that open to the cockpit and cargo hold.
Like all Lego kits, the Razor Crest comes with mini-figures; you’ll get Mando himself, Greef Karga, Scout Trooper, IG-11, and a very tiny Baby Yoda who can sit on Mando’s lap while the bounty hunter controls the ship.
It’s worth noting that the Razor Crest will be a fairly in-depth build, so parents will likely want to be on standby to assist their kids while putting it together. As part of a limited-time offer at the Lego Store, you’ll get a free Hot Rod kit with your pre-order, which sweetens the pot for sure.
Star Wars has arguably been the most popular franchise for Lego for years, but we’ll see what happens come August when Lego Super Mario arrives. If you’re interested in the first collaboration between Lego and Nintendo, check out our pre-order guide detailing the full Lego Super Mario lineup.
