Gabe Turner: Hey, folks.
This is Gabe at Security Baron and today we've got quite the collabo with the ADT Samsung
SmartThings Home Security Starter Kit.
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Gabe: In today's review of the ADT Samsung SmartThings Home Security Starter Kit, we're
going to talk about what you get in the package, how easy it is to set up, what are the professional
monitoring options, what customer support is like when you try to give them a call.
Finally, dive into the mobile application, show you all the information you need to make
the right decision.
If you'd like to see a list of our favorite home security systems, google "Security Baron
Best Home Security Systems."
If you have a question about today's review, leave us a comment and I'll get back to you.
Looking at the ADT Samsung SmartThings Home Security Starter Kit, what you see is basically
what you get.
You have your ADT Security Hub which will connect with your ADT door and window detectors.
This will allow you to know if someone has opened or closed a door or a window.
Finally, you'll attach or rather, connect your ADT motion detector.
They're just four pieces but with these four pieces, you'll know if people are coming in
and out of your home and if people are moving around inside with that motion detector that
of course, is armed with your ADT Security Hub.
Now that we've gone over all the components that come with the ADT Home Security Starter
Kit, let's talk about the installation process.
You're going to begin with that ADT Security Hub, take it out of the box, plug it in, sync
it with your WiFi and then, let it go through the firmware updates.
Takes a few minutes and then eventually, you'll get an activation code on the screen.
This is where things can get a little dicey, if you will.
You're going to want to take your mobile device and download the Samsung SmartThings Classic
app.
Just to give you an idea of what happened to us, we downloaded the Samsung SmartThings
Modern app which is actually what they tell you to do.
We get through the entire process.
We set everything up.
Then we realized we can't actually control the components in the mobile app.
If you want to arm and disarm your system, the ADT system that is, you cannot do that
in the Modern app.
At least, we couldn't figure it out.
With the Classic app, you can.
You're going to want to download the Samsung SmartThings Classic app and that is really
important if you want to be able to arm and disarm right from your mobile device.
From there, you set it up.
They will sync together from the activation code on this screen that you put into your
phone.
Then you're going to want to do each of the individual devices.
Here is the second part where you could run into some issues.
You have to actually scan the QR code here.
With that scan, it will start saying registering device.
That's when you're going to want to pull the battery tap.
Usually you think, "OK, scan device.
It registers device and then we pull, and then scan."
This is scan, wait for it to start, spinning in terms of registering device, then pull
the tab.
The tab is actually a little tough.
It's not the easiest tab to pull out.
Then, you're ready to go.
Once you understand that process, setting up the remaining components takes mere minutes.
You can take your door detector, put it up in the door frame.
Your window detector, place it up in the window frame.
Put your motion detector wherever you'd like in the wall or in the corner and you're set
up.
That's honestly the easiest part of the setup process.
Overall, I can't really say it was that convenient of a process because there's really no clarity
from ADT or Samsung on what the capabilities and distinctions are between Samsung SmartThings
Modern app and Samsung SmartThings Classic app.
Now that we've covered the installation process, let's see what the professional monitoring
options are.
Professional monitoring is a team of professionals protecting you and your home 24/7 365 days
out of the year.
With ADT, you can get the Home Security package which is 24.99 and that includes everything
for intrusion detection or just things going wrong with like alerts or things like that.
If you would like to add environmental elements to that like C02 or smoke sensors or flood
sensors, you can get the Total Security bundle which is 34.99 a month.
Fortunately with ADT Home Security Starter Kit, you do not have to sign any type of long-term
contract.
It's basically month to month and at any point you can just cancel.
On top of that, if you decide to move, it's just move your system and have everything
set up in your new home and you can start again.
I do want to note that you don't need to have any of these professional monitoring options
with the ADT Home Security Starter Kit.
You actually can just self-monitor using this system and the components that come with it.
Let's talk about the customer support for the ADT Home Security Starter Kit.
You can go to their online help center, you can write them an email, or you can give them
a call Monday through Saturday, 9:00 through 6:00 Pacific Standard Time.
That's something good to know about this particular system.
One thing I want to note about this system is that I did have issues and I had to make
a phone call and I had a very positive customer service experience.
I had to set up this entire system again.
I had to reset it, I had to reconfigure it.
I had to make sure everything was working each individual component.
The gentleman that helped me on the phone was really helpful.
He knew the ins and outs of the system, what was going wrong, and he was on the phone with
me for at least an hour making sure that I did every single part right.
This is countered by a lot of the information out there on the Internet.
For example, in Amazon, it has a 2.8 out of 5-star rating and of the nine reviews that
mention customer support, eight of those are negative with those customers saying the customer
service representative wasn't particularly knowledgeable.
Ultimately just wanted to return the system, which is not necessarily the most helpful
thing if you want your security now.
Overall, it seems that there is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to the ADT Home Security
Starter Kit's customer support.
Hold on, wait.
I hope you're enjoying today's review of the ADT Home Security Starter Kit.
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Let's get back to the video.
Let's jump into the mobile application for the ADT Home Security Starter Kit.
Despite what Samsung tells you, they're going to say, "The new app is the bomb!
All the cool kits are working with the new app."
You might want to go with that Samsung Classic app.
By might, I mean you definitely should.
It's only the Samsung Classic app that allows you to arm and disarm your system and monitor
what's going on in the way that we've become accustomed to with the home security system.
The Samsung SmartThings Modern app does not allow for all of those integrations.
Now, one thing we'll note is that it actually is doing pretty well now in both app stores.
In the Google Play Store, it has a 3.4 out of 5-star rating, and in the Apple App Store
it has a 4.5 out of 5-star rating.
This has basically been a huge jump in the past few months and how people feel about
that SmartThings app.
Let's go ahead and check it out on my iPhone X.
Here I am checking out the dashboard of the Samsung SmartThings Classic app for your ADT
Home Security Starter Kit.
It's pretty straightforward.
At the top you have Home Security and then you can make your favorites below that.
If I want to arm it to Stay, I can tap right there on the first page.
Voice Prompt: [beep] Arming Stay.
Gabe: Now you hear that it's armed to Stay.
This will make sure that if any doors or windows are open, you're alerted but will not have
the motion detector go off.
Let's go ahead and disarm that.
Voice Prompt: System disarmed.
Ready to arm.
Gabe: Let's see.
Arm Away which will turn on motion detector.
Voice Prompt: [beep] Arming Away.
Exit now.
Gabe: I want to go ahead and turn this off so that it doesn't begin to alert and alarm
rather and use that siren before I get done going through this process.
Voice Prompt: System disarmed.
Ready to arm.
Gabe: If you look in My Home, you'll see that you can add a host of things.
We already have our door and window sensors, our motion sensors all attached but you could
add more just using the QR codes for new devices.
You could add more door sensors, more motion sensors, more anything.
You can add various routines like Turn Everything On for example and then you will just turn
on anything that you needed to right here in the app depending what you tell it.
You can essentially use this to change the mode to Away, Home or Night which gives you
different options.
Of course, they have the marketplace so you can buy more things that will integrate with
your system like light bulbs or locks or outlets or thermostats.
Remember, you can of course incorporate environmental elements into the ADT Samsung SmartThings
Ecosystem which is pretty cool.
Overall, it's a pretty straightforward application.
You can see that there are a host of things you can do right here on the app.
We've actually integrated this app with Amazon Alexa so you can see that all the elements
that go with the ADT Samsung SmartThings and has capacity to integrate with various voice
assistants.
That's me checking out the Samsung SmartThings Classic mobile application.
Here we are taking a look at the panel provided by ADT in Samsung SmartThings.
It's pretty straightforward.
You can see most of the functionality right on that home page.
Of course, I love having the weather here.
I don't want to take out my phone all the time.
It's nice just walk out the house and see exactly what it's going to be like.
If I wanted to go ahead and arm my system because I am walking away, I will just hit
Arm Away.
Voice Prompt: [beep] Arming Away.
Exit now.
Gabe: I could also make this silent.
Now I'm not hearing anything when that exit happens.
I don't want to exit right now so let's hit Disarm.
Of course, for the purposes of this video I set my alarm PIN code at 1111.
Now we're done.
If I wanted to set it up where I'm home but still arm so make sure that no intruders can
come in but doesn't react when it sees moving inside, I would hit Arm Stay.
Voice Prompt: [beep] Arming Stay.
Gabe: Once again, you can hear as going through this process.
I can make it silent.
Now it's a silent exit.
Let's go ahead and disarm it.
1111.
What?
All right, there we go.
Now on the bottom right-hand corner you got Info like System Info.
You can see here, go out of here.
Let's look at the history.
Master User, go back.
Let's look at the settings.
To access your settings, of course, you have to put in your PIN code.
Here you just get your Users, Sounds, Bypass Sensors, Screen, Walk Test, Wireless.
It's pretty straightforward.
It's definitely similar to systems that we've seen.
That's it.
That is your ADT Security Hub with Samsung SmartThings.
Let's get to the bottomline of the ADT Home Security Starter Kit.
The bottomline is if you want the option to self-monitor, flexible monthly contracting
and a solid mobile application, then ADT has the right stuff for you.
That move with working with Samsung SmartThings makes for a pretty fun experience.
But, and this is a big but, if you're someone looking for a foolproof installation process,
you may want to look somewhere else.
There are a host of potential pitfalls when setting up this system that can be frankly,
quite frustrating.
However, if you can get over the other side of that and have the system up and working,
it's definitely a solid choice for you and your family.
That concludes today's review of the ADT Samsung SmartThings Home Security Starter Kit.
If you appreciate today's video, give us a like and hit that subscribe button.
As always, this is Gabe at Security Baron.
Be secured.
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