Get a Wi-Fi video doorbell with indoor chime for $58.49 (Update: Expired)

Happy Friday, cheeps! Who's looking forward to the weekend? 🙋 Before we jump into today's deal, a little side business: CNET's latest giveaway gives you the chance to pick your own prize from our roundup of the best holiday gifts under $250 ( Nintendo Switch Lite , anyone?).

Meanwhile, Amazon's Black Friday sale is officially under way, with excellent Kindle and Fire tablet deals available now and more stuff rolling out in the coming days. So riddle me this: What's better, a Fire HD 8 tablet for $50 or a Kindle 2019 for $60? Obviously the former is significantly more versatile (and makes a perfectly good e-reader, too), but there's something to be said for a lightweight, distraction-free reading device -- especially one that doesn't produce sleep-affecting blue light. Hmm.

Finally, a quick not-to-be-missed deal: For a limited time, Firefly Season One (aka The Complete Series) is just $5 from Amazon Video. That's 14 episodes of pure sci-fi gold, people. (It's also available from iTunes for the same price.)

OK, on to the main event: A video doorbell is not only a porch-piracy deterrent, it's also a handy way to see who's at your door -- whether you're home or not. I installed one earlier this year and must admit I like it better than I thought I would.

And, good heavens, they don't get much more affordable than this: For a limited time, and while supplies last, the MECO 1080p WiFi Video Doorbell with indoor chime is just $58.49 with promo code CNETMECO. That's an extra 35% off the already-pretty-great regular price and a Cheapskate exclusive.

I haven't yet had the chance to test-drive (test-ring?) this doorbell, but it definitely ticks all the important boxes. It's weatherproof and can capture 1080p video. It offers passive-infrared (PIR) motion detection and supports 2-way audio. I particularly like the option of playing a 30-second prerecorded audio message, which you can turn on or off as needed. 

The doorbell runs on rechargeable batteries (good for two to three months, according to MECO), so you don't have to deal with wiring for power or an existing indoor chime.

Speaking of which, you also get an indoor Wi-Fi chime that supports four different ringtones. However, it requires a USB port for power, so unless you have a spare USB AC adapter lying around, you'll need to buy one.

You won't, however, need to buy storage: The kit comes with a 32GB microSD card. Cloud storage is available as well, though it's not free.

Two important things to note: First, if you don't have a decent Wi-Fi signal just outside your door, you may need an extender; and, second, this doorbell is compatible only with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks. If yours allows only 5GHz devices, look elsewhere.

The 4.3-star average rating looks pretty solid until you realize that many of those reviews are questionable, according to both Fakespot and ReviewMeta. That's annoying, though it doesn't mean the product itself is bad. (If it is... return it!)

Before you spend considerably more money on one of the products in CNET's best video doorbells roundup (some of which require a monthly subscription if you want full video-recording capabilities), it might be worth checking out this option.

Your thoughts?

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