March 4, 2026
Alarm.com Video Doorbells Explained: Models, Features, and Home Setup Tips
A video doorbell gives you a live view of your front entrance from anywhere—on your phone, tablet, or computer. Alarm.com video doorbells go a step further by combining high-resolution video with AI-powered analytics, helping you understand not just that something happened at your door, but exactly what it was. This guide covers the available models, their features, and how they work within a Surety Home security system.
Why Choose a Video Doorbell for Home Security?
The front door is the most common entry point for package theft, and it’s often where uninvited visitors make first contact with your home. A video doorbell lets you monitor that space continuously, even when you’re away, without the need to check a separate security camera feed. You can see and speak to anyone at the door in real time using two-way audio, which means delivery drivers, guests, or even unexpected visitors can be addressed without opening the door or being home at all. Beyond convenience, this visibility creates a deterrent effect—visible cameras at entry points are widely documented to reduce opportunistic crime. When integrated with a full Alarm.com-based security system through Surety, the doorbell becomes part of a coordinated response ecosystem rather than a standalone gadget, enabling automation rules, clip storage, and unified alerting across your entire property.
Alarm.com Video Doorbell Features
All Alarm.com video doorbells share a core set of capabilities designed for reliability and practical daily use. Video analytics use on-device AI to classify what the camera sees—distinguishing people from animals, vehicles, and other motion sources—so that push notifications are meaningful rather than constant. This significantly reduces false alerts caused by passing cars, tree movement, or pets, which is one of the most common complaints with basic motion-triggered cameras. Two-way audio is built in across the lineup, allowing real-time conversation through the Alarm.com app regardless of your physical location. Infrared night vision ensures clear footage after dark, and HDR (High Dynamic Range) processing handles challenging lighting conditions like bright afternoon sun or deep shadows that would otherwise wash out or obscure the image. Most models connect via Wi-Fi; the ADC-VDB755P uses a wired Ethernet connection; and the ADC-VDB780B is fully wireless, running on a rechargeable battery with no doorbell wiring required at all. All models in the current lineup carry an IP66 weather-resistance rating, making them suitable for exposed installations in rain and varying temperatures.
Comparing Alarm.com Doorbell Models
Five models make up the Alarm.com video doorbell lineup, ranging from a fully wireless battery-powered camera to a Pro Series PoE door station designed for maximum reliability. Here is how they compare:
| Model | Resolution | Field of View | AI Analytics | Power / Connectivity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADC-VDB775 | 4MP, HDR | 150° H / 150° V | People, animal, vehicle & package detection; familiar faces | Batteryless hardwired power, Wi-Fi | Sold by Surety |
| ADC-VDB755P | 2MP, Full HD, HDR | 150° H / 150° V | People, animal & vehicle detection | PoE 802.3af, Ethernet (RJ-45) | Sold by Surety |
| ADC-VDB780B | 2MP, 1080p, HDR | 160° H / 90° V | People, animal & vehicle detection | Rechargeable battery, Wi-Fi; requires W115C Smart Chime | Sold by Surety |
| ADC-VDB750 | 2MP, Full HD, HDR | 165° H / 145° V | People, animal & vehicle detection | Batteryless hardwired power, Wi-Fi | Available elsewhere |
| ADC-VDB770 | 2MP, HD | 150° H / 115° V | People, animal, vehicle & package detection | Hardwired power, Wi-Fi | Replaced by VDB775 |
The ADC-VDB750 is a capable Wi-Fi doorbell with an exceptionally wide 165° by 145° field of view, making it well-suited for entries where coverage angles matter. The ADC-VDB775 is Surety’s current Wi-Fi doorbell recommendation and the most analytically advanced of the Wi-Fi models, offering 4MP resolution and the broadest set of detection categories—people, animals, vehicles, packages, and familiar faces—along with the ability to distinguish between them in a single notification. The ADC-VDB770, which the VDB775 replaces, is no longer sold but shared similar hardwired and Wi-Fi connectivity. The ADC-VDB755P stands apart from the rest of the lineup as the only PoE (Power over Ethernet) model—it draws both power and network connectivity through a single Ethernet cable rather than relying on Wi-Fi or traditional doorbell wiring. This makes it the preferred option for installations where a reliable wired network connection is available, or where Wi-Fi signal at the front door is inconsistent. The ADC-VDB780B takes the opposite approach: it is entirely wireless, powered by a rechargeable 9540mAh battery with an expected runtime of up to six months per charge. Because it requires no wiring of any kind, it is the easiest to install and works equally well at a front door that has never had a doorbell, though it may require the Alarm.com ADC-W115C Smart Chime to provide an audible alert inside the home.
Installation and Setup Tips
Most Alarm.com video doorbells in the current lineup are batteryless hardwired designs that draw power from your home’s existing low-voltage doorbell wiring (typically 8–24VAC). This eliminates battery maintenance and allows for continuous operation. The ADC-VDB750 and ADC-VDB775 both follow this approach and connect to your home network via Wi-Fi. Both are compatible with the Alarm.com Smart Chime W115C for homes that need a supplemental indoor chime, and they support existing digital or mechanical chimes where wiring allows. The ADC-VDB755P takes a different approach: it is powered entirely via PoE 802.3af over a standard RJ-45 Ethernet cable, which means no traditional doorbell wiring is required at all. It can be connected to a PoE-capable switch, a PoE injector, or an Alarm.com CSVR that provides PoE output. It can be surface mounted or installed on a single-gang box and is also compatible with the W115C Smart Chime. The ADC-VDB780B requires no wiring at all—it mounts with screws and a supplied mounting plate, includes a 10° tilt wedge for angle adjustment, and pairs wirelessly with the ADC-W115C Smart Chime, which is required for indoor chime functionality since no existing chime wiring is involved. The battery charges via the included micro USB cable and a 5V/1.5A USB wall charger; a full charge from empty takes approximately seven hours. For all models, app pairing with your Surety system is done through the Alarm.com app: navigate to the video devices section, select “Add Device,” and follow the on-screen prompts to connect the camera to your panel. For detailed pairing instructions, refer to the Surety Support guide for the ADC-VDB775, the Surety Support guide for the ADC-VDB755P, or the Surety Support installation guide for the ADC-VDB780B.
Integrating with Your Surety Home System
Because Alarm.com video doorbells operate on the same platform as your Surety security system, they are not isolated devices—they participate in the broader automation and alerting infrastructure of your home. When someone presses the doorbell or the camera detects a qualifying event, that activity is logged in the Alarm.com app alongside arm/disarm events, sensor triggers, and other system activity, giving you a unified history rather than separate logs from separate apps. Automation rules can be configured so that a doorbell press or a detected person triggers other actions—for example, turning on a smart light at the front entrance, sending a specific notification to a household member, or unlocking a smart door lock if you recognize a visitor through the familiar faces feature on the VDB775. Video clips tied to doorbell events are stored within the Alarm.com platform and accessible through the same Surety app you use to manage your alarm. The ADC-VDB775 supports 24/7 continuous recording with an on-board SD card. For users who install the ADC-VDB755P with an Alarm.com SVR, continuous locally-stored encrypted video is available alongside cloud clips. Either provide redundant footage storage independent of internet connectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Alarm.com video doorbells require a battery? It depends on the model. The ADC-VDB780B is battery-powered, running on a rechargeable 9540mAh pack with an expected runtime of up to six months; it charges via micro USB in approximately seven hours. The remaining models—ADC-VDB750, ADC-VDB775, ADC-VDB770, and ADC-VDB755P—are all hardwired and batteryless. The Wi-Fi hardwired models draw power from low-voltage doorbell wiring, while the VDB755P uses PoE over Ethernet.
What is the difference between the Wi-Fi doorbells and the ADC-VDB755P PoE model? The Wi-Fi models (VDB750, VDB775) connect to your home network wirelessly and require existing doorbell wiring for power. The ADC-VDB755P connects via a single Ethernet cable that carries both power and data, making it well-suited for installations where a wired network connection is available near the door, where Wi-Fi reliability is a concern, or where continuous local SVR recording is desired. The VDB755P is also NDAA-compliant, which may matter for certain commercial or institutional use cases.
Which model supports local video recording? The ADC-VDB775 and ADC-VDB755P are the only Alarm.com video doorbells with 24/7 local recording. The ADC-VDB775 has on-board storage with an SD card. The ADC-VDB755P is compatible with Alarm.com SVR (Streaming Video Recorder) units, which store continuously recorded, locally-encrypted video footage on an on-site hard drive. All models support cloud-based clip recording through the standard Alarm.com video service.
What are the Wi-Fi requirements for the wireless models? The Wi-Fi doorbells require a stable 2.4GHz or 5GHz connection with adequate signal strength at the doorbell location. A weak signal near the front door is a common cause of connectivity issues; a Wi-Fi extender or mesh network node placed near the entrance can help. The ADC-VDB755P has no Wi-Fi requirement since it uses Ethernet.
Will these doorbells work with my existing indoor chime? It depends on the model. The ADC-VDB780B does not connect to an existing wired chime at all—it requires the Alarm.com ADC-W115C Smart Chime, which is a Wi-Fi-connected plug-in chime sold separately or bundled with the doorbell. The hardwired Wi-Fi models (VDB750, VDB775) and the PoE model (VDB755P) support many existing mechanical and electronic chimes and are also compatible with the W115C Smart Chime. Check the product documentation or contact Surety support to confirm chime compatibility before installation.
Can I see footage from before the doorbell was pressed? Yes. Alarm.com doorbells with analytics can be configured to record clips based on detected events—such as a person approaching the door—not just on a button press. The ADC-VDB770 specifically auto-records on button press, while the VDB775’s broader analytics and the VDB755P’s people detection can both capture activity before the button is activated. SVR users with the VDB755P have access to continuously recorded footage going back as far as the storage capacity allows.
To add the ADC-VDB775, the ADC-VDB755P, or the ADC-VDB780B to your Surety Home system, or to get help with an existing Alarm.com doorbell camera, visit Surety Support or reach out through the Surety Support portal.