Right, look. My aunt Pam – she’s obsessed with her Ring camera doorbell thing. Always checking who’s stealing her Amazon packages (spoiler: it’s squirrels). So when I got this LS-S61 smart lock after the whole key-fumbling disaster, I kinda wondered… does this fancy lock thingy even do video? The box pictures showed a camera looking bit, but honestly, I wasn’t sure if that was just decoration or what. Brian (yep, that Brian again) swore his uncle had one “with the screen,” but Brian also thought wifi was magic, so… yeah.
Setting it up sucked. Again. Different screws this time? Felt like it. Then came the video part. Downloaded the app, added the lock… but finding the video settings? Took me ages. Menu was burried under like “Device Advanced Unicorn Settings” or something ridiculous. Finally got it paired with my wifi after the password rejection drama. Caps Lock on? Maybe. Felt like it hated my router. Kept losing connection the first day whenever the microwave ran. Annoying.
First time the camera turned on, it scared the mail carrier! He just stood there holding a box, waving awkwardly at… my door knocker? Angle felt weird. Had to adjust the little fisheye lens thingamajig. Picture quality? Okay, I guess. Not as super HD crispy as my aunt’s Ring, but good enough to see Bob-from-next-door picking his nose while waiting for me to answer. Awkward! Night vision is kinda green and ghostly. Saw Mrs. Henderson’s cat looking like a demon, eyes glowing. Freaky.
The actual intercom bit? That’s where things got iffy. I pressed the talk button in the app, yelled “HELLO!”. There was this huge delay. Then the mail guy jumps like a foot in the air! My voice came out all distorted, like Darth Vader gargling water. He yelled “WHAT?” back. We went back and forth, distorted shouting, lag… eventually he just dropped the package and RAN. Communication win! Not.
Can I unlock it from the video screen? Yeah, thank god. See it’s UPS again? Slide open the little lock icon in the app, watch him jump again when the deadbolt clunks open. That part does work reliably, gotta admit. Saves me rushing downstairs.
Where does it rank? Compared to just video doorbells, picture and sound are maybe… average? But the point is, it’s a SMART LOCK with video glued on. Doing double duty. When it works together? It’s kinda cool. Seeing who it is and letting them in remotely? Yes! Less hassle. But honestly, if video chat is your top priority, maybe get a dedicated camera. If you want a solid lock that also shows you Bob picking his nose? Then this does the job. For combining decent security with a functional “peephole” you can talk (badly) through? I’d say it’s gotta be up there. It might not win video prizes, but for a total package? Definitely earns its spot among the top rated smart locks offering video features. Just… maybe warn your visitors about the voice distortion. Offer earplugs.