Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen) Poor video quality

[Chrishaugh17]

Has anyone else had issues with the streaming video quality of their of their nest doorbell cam? I’ve tried alot of different things like factory resets, different angles, different placement and nothing fixes it. Also had my doorbell replaced under warranty and the new one came also has the same issue. It’s worst at night to be honest. It’s also running firmware 1.75 not sure if that helps. This is very aggravating to me to still be having this issue. 

[sameerkhanar03]

Yes, you're not alone—many users have reported Nest doorbell cam streaming video quality issues, especially at night. Since you've already tried factory resets, repositioning, and even a replacement, the issue may be tied to firmware (like your current v1.75) or low bandwidth at the camera's location.

Quick Tips:

• Ensure strong, stable Wi-Fi signal at the doorbell.

• Try adjusting video quality settings in the Google Home app.

• Use a 2.4GHz network if the 5GHz signal is weak outside.

• Contact support about firmware stability.

This can be especially frustrating if you're using it for security at a moving company office or warehouse. Hopefully, a future update improves performance.

[Chrishaugh17]

Well that sucks, is Google aware and doesn’t care? It’s rather frustrating.

not concerned about the WiFi signal it’s strong. I even put it on a dedicated network with the same result. I guess we wait for a new firmware version. Who knows when that will be. I’ve been dealing with this since at least last year

[TheTaurus]

The quality of the video has really deteriorated, it was better a few moths ago, now it is just garbage. And  I am sure it is not my wifi since I have a wyze camera setting near the nest doorbell and the image is 10 times better. I contacted support and the asked me to reset !! How is that going to solve the problem , it doesn’t make any sense! With the amount of money they are charging for the hardware and subscriptions this is totally unacceptable. Looking for alternatives in the meantime!

[Chrishaugh17]

Yea I even turned off night vision since my porch light is there so it’s really not needed and it’s still terrible. I’m not happy. It used to be so much better. It was fine one day then **bleep** the next. 

[DeboraJ]

Hi Folks! 

Thanks for posting! We’re sorry to know that you are experiencing a low-quality image on your doorbells. I understand this is not the experience you expect from your devices. I appreciate that some of you have already tried troubleshooting steps and also the tips provided on this thread. Please allow me to help you with this and find the best solution.

Before we continue, I need some information to ensure more accurate steps:

• When did the issue start?
• Are you using the Nest app or the Google Home app?
• Are your app and phone up to date?
• @TheTaurus and @sameerkhanar03, could you please tell me what the make and model of your doorbell is?
• Does this quality issue appear consistently in both the live stream and in recorded event history?
• Could you describe the video quality issue? For example, is the image pixelated, blurry, grainy, overly dark, etc.?

I'll be happy to help you once you provide this information.

Best regards, 

Debora

[Chrishaugh17]

For me this issue started 12/11/24 and has been the same poor, grainy, washed out contrast since.

I am using the Google home app

It is consistent in live streaming as well as recorded events. It’s super frustrating especially paying 15.00 a month for the subscription and after working with Google-nest support only for the same outcome.

I can take a screen shot of how my camera looks at night if needed and upload it somewhere. It was never like this prior to 12/11/24 that for sure I remember because I was happy with it when I bought the replacement for my original Nest doorbell

[TheTaurus]

It is really frustrating, before the gen 2 I had the original nest doorbell for a few years and the image quality was way better, but that one failed repeatedly and after several replacements I switched to the gen 2, I immediately noticed a lesser image quality but it was never as bad as it is now! 

[Chrishaugh17]

Hi DeboraJ do you have any solutions or anything else to try?

[DeboraJ]

Hi folks!

I appreciate all the information you've provided! Next, let's go through some camera settings to ensure they're configured correctly, so you can get the most out of your doorbell.  

Let's confirm your camera's quality and bandwidth settings are correct to help optimize your doorbell's performance. Here are the steps:

• Adjusting Video Settings in the Google Home app
  • On the home screen, select the camera you want to adjust.
  • In the top right, tap Settings.
  • Tap Video.
  • Note that the Max setting uses more bandwidth, while the High setting uses a smaller amount.
    • To get a general idea of how much bandwidth Nest cameras and doorbells use, please refer to our Help Center article on "Internet bandwidth and speed requirements for Nest cameras" for more details.
• Check Your Internet Connection
  • Ensure your camera's stream is viewed through a strong Wi-Fi connection with sufficient bandwidth. Please remember:
  • Streaming via 4G or LTE has a 720p max resolution.
  • Streaming via 3G or lower has a 224p max resolution.
• Cleaning the Camera Lens
  • Maintaining a clean lens is also important for video quality:
  • To clean the body, simply wipe it down with a soft cloth to remove any dust or dirt.
  • To clean the lens, gently wipe away any dust with a soft, lint-free cloth. Eyeglass and optics cleaning cloths are ideal for removing dust and oily fingerprints without damaging lens coatings. You can also use a compressed air duster made for electronics.
  • For tougher smudges, like oily fingerprints on the lens, use a damp cloth with a drop of cleaning solution specifically made for cameras, eyeglasses, and other optics.

Please try those steps and let me know how it goes! I'll be waiting for your answer.

Best regards,

Debora

[Chrishaugh17]

I tried lower settings, didn’t make a difference, plus this is only at night, during the day it’s fine.

The doorbell is legit within 20 feet or less of the router. So it’s not an issue of whether it’s getting a good signal or not. I even went as far as setting up a single network and only putting the doorbell camera on it to have the same result.

The lens isn’t dirty, again this great during the day, this only happens at night, and I had the same issue with my old doorbell camera, Google/nest replaced it under warranty and I had the same issue so unless both cameras had dirty lenses out of the box that’s not it.

What else you got. I miss my old Nest camera.

[Chrishaugh17]

Also want to mention bandwidth is not an issue with fiber internet and almost 1.5GB speeds.

[Chrishaugh17]

Anything else? Pretty frustrated with this at this point. Was hoping for better from Google.

[DeboraJ]

Hi Folks! 

Thanks for sharing the information on the last steps. To investigate this issue further, The team would like to learn more about this behavior. When you get a chance, please fill out this form and let us know when you’re finished. We’ll have someone reach out to you via email from there. 

Please remember to include the thread link and your username! Keep me posted.

Best regards,

Debora

[Chrishaugh17]

Done, filled out the form.

[TheTaurus]

Form submitted

Thanks!

[Chrishaugh17]

What did you hear from all this?

[emiian]

I had the original was awesome but it just will not connect for some reason....So i bought a new version 2 weeks ago the video quality is hurrendous, horrible. I have 3 other nest cams and the video quality is GREAT!. But the new doorbell is CRAP.. Can someone from gogle please explain?

[Chrishaugh17]

I’ve yet to get a good answer.