Fancy a well-known comedy TV presenting duo greeting visitors to your house with cheeky and chirpy soundbites when someone uses your Ring Video Doorbell?
Well, you’re in luck, as from today, Amazon-owned Ring is introducing some new ‘quick replies’ for its video doorbell, which are voiced by Ant and Dec.
If you’re not familiar with quick replies – a capability introduced some time ago – here’s how it works. When you’ve got the quick reply feature activated, you can choose from a bunch of pre-recorded messages, this time from Ant and Dec.
When a visitor presses the doorbell, they’ll get that message, and can leave their own message in reply (like a voicemail) if necessary.
Bants and Dec
There are six Ant and Dec quick replies to choose from with the Ring Video Doorbell, featuring the expected kind of back-and-forth between the two presenters.
Here’s one example:
“Ant: Surprise! Ant and Dec here, and you’re live on the telly! Give us a wave!”
“Dec: We’re only joking! But you are live on this doorbell, so please leave a message!”
And another:
“Ant: Hi, Ant and Dec here – fortunately, Dec’s so small he can fit inside the doorbell.”
“Dec: Yes, I’m here! Thanks for stopping by! Someone will be right out.”
So, you get the idea with that, to quote another well-known TV comedian. That said, we’re slightly disappointed that there are no ‘prime minister’ references sneaked in there.
For the uninitiated, the Ring Video Doorbell can be triggered by motion tracking (with varying levels of sensitivity), so the doorbell doesn’t necessarily have to be pressed, and it’s possible to have a two-way call with the person at your door (via your phone, so you can interact with, say, delivery people even if you’re not at home).
The device very much impressed us in our Ring Video Doorbell review, although the latest ‘Plus’ version is a relatively pricey proposition.
In the past, other celebs have voiced quick replies, so for example we’ve had Toadfish from Neighbours. (“G-day mate, they’re busy doing some good neighbourly deed because, crikey, we all know ‘everyone needs good neighbours…”)
And also, M&M’s, or ‘Red,’ the animated character version of the sweets, which was brought in for Halloween this year. But this one is the strangest, and potentially most popular, one so far.