This video helped big time. I don't have a subscription and my local storage motion recording stopped. I figured out the issue thankfully. I recently adjusted the length of the recording past 25s on each camera to at least 35s to 60s. After doing this the recording stopped loading to my USB, until I switched back to a shorter time. I think disabling the early notification helped also. However I placed that back on and now my system is working perfect subscription free. Thanks for sparking an idea to fix the problem.
Blink is really interesting system, I bought it to my mom so she feel more safe at home but in the same time no one around her feels to be watched. Tbh, I like it, I like the idea. I just wish The Blink let users to access those cameras directly without a cloud. Just disconnect it from the internet and connect it directly to Home Assistant, that would be really great.
Blink may be "outdated", but it's far from useless. It's more accurate to view the Blink Outdoor subscription as optional backup of the video files to offsite cloud storage. This IS a benefit in the event the sync module is stolen or destroyed in a fire before the video files can be backed up to other local storage. The USB doesn't need to be moved to a PC or similar to download to local storage back up. Each video file can be downloaded to the mobile device's own storage by pressing the download symbol (down pointing arrow) while viewing each video. Then the video files can be shared (uploaded) from the mobile device to other device storage via email, text, NFC, etc. Or simply share the video files immediately while viewing them. Continuously delete unnecessary videos (pretty much all of them) to save on cloud and thumb drive storage. More importantly, in the event of intrusion, much easier to find the pertinent videos if very few of them to rummage through. After a recent burglary, I needed a cam system that would be fast and easy to set up, affordable, and I definitely wanted and gladly paid for the cloud backup (subscription). After a quick study of the tresspass and burglary laws, I set the Blink cams up so they would be somewhat easy to steal. About a week later, while playing tennis about 10 miles from home, I was rewarded with the usual QUICK notification on my Samsung S20. This time though of teen tresspassers instead of the usual local wildlife. I was still giving descriptions to the 911 dispatcher when she suddenly interrupted me with a, "never mind, they (cops) just apprehended them." A quick live view of some of the cams revealed the swimming pool cam not working anymore. After arriving home, one of the cops handed me a smashed Blink camera he removed from one of the teen's pocket. I was able to find and see the videos on my S20 of the pool camera recording it's own theft and demise, the smiling faces and hands of the theives filling the entire screen. The teens apparently thought destroying the camera would also destroy the video recording. After I showed the videos to the cops, I was rewarded with a nice bonus. The theft and recording of the easy to steal camera resulted in the teens arrested for felony burglary instead of just misdemeanor tresspass...BOOM! As alluded to before, Blink's market niche is affordability, fast easy install, ease of use, but rough around the edges. Blink simply needs to be effective, not perfect. I've watched and learned much from LH's videos. Fortunately for me though, well thought out real world success trumps mostly accurate but theoretical reviews. With my local Costco unloading Blink 5 kits for only $200 each, I'll soon be up to about 15 Blink cams and a Blink doorbell. My indoors early warning system is SimpliSafe sensors and sirens. Probably summer 2022, I'm going to SUPPLEMENT the existing setup with my original choice, a wired 4K NVR system.
To clarify, Blink Outdoor camera video files via Sync Module 2, wirh cloud "subscription", are IMMEDIATELY uploaded to Blink servers within seconds of motion detection or Live View Save. The "backup" occurs later in the day when they are sent back to the sync module's thumb drive for archiving. So, it's ass backwards from traditional backup which is usually from local storage to cloud.
Not always do you realize a piece of footage is needed until a couple months later. The idea of deleting footage almost immediately after the date seems shortsighted.
@@OptimusSatanasFeel free to keep all video footage of buzzing insects, rain, snow, leaves and trees moved by the wind, cats, possums, raccoons, etc. you feel may be needed in the future. However, deleting a video via the app removes it only from the playback list in the app. ALL the videos files, including the "deleted" ones are still backed up daily from cloud back to the sync module's thumb drive. At least that's how it's supposed to work. I've noticed a small number of files don't make the backup, most likely due to some kind of data transfer or network error. If a crime was recorded by a Blink sync module 2, don't wait hours later for backup to provide a local copy of the files. Instead, right from video playback, you can immediately download a copy of the video file(s) to your phone and/or share with the cops via SSM and email.
@@Fearless-1 You seem to not realize my point that crimes are not always instantly apparent. I do like how you trivialized my point to make it about things I didnt mention. Its totally not intellectually dishonest at all.
Also, deleting videos from the Blink apps's playlist does not delete them from Blink's cloud. So, ALL the video files recorded by your system including the "deleted" ones, are backed up daily to the SM2 flash drive.
Thank you so much for all your videos. Have Blink and am grandfathered with free cloud storage. My original cameras are going on three yrs battery life. With your advice, added motion security lights and turned off night vision. I was able to clearly identify a potential home invaders distinctive clothing recently. The cameras and the Blink app have been flawless. For the price point, hassle free reliability and performance we are extremely pleased.
You are stuck with what you have because if you buy another camera, new camera, if for some reason you need to, the new camera is not grandfathered in and you would have to pay a subscription after a short free time.
As always an excellent, information packed and honest review. Thank you! (I anticipate, however, that there’ll be no perks coming from Blink in the near future due to your unquestionable integrity).
After reviewing videos for two years I still believe that Blink cameras are the best. The clarity, notifications, battery life, and price point are the best out there. I was disappointed with their new storage pricing but since I was grandfathered in that’s not a problem for me.
You can't buy a new camera or replace an old camera with a new camera and still get free storage. They give you a time limit of free storage on the new camera and then tell you to get a subscription. :( Also if you can use an old camera with a totally new system.
@@piman2boek364 Not true. You absolutely can replace an old camera with a new one and still get the free storage (If grandfathered in). As long as you use that grandfathered account paired with the module(s) then you are fine.
@@Patricksauerland when I registered the new camera using my original grandfathered account it indicated I needed to pay after a short period of time. It is a newer and current version of the original cameras covered in the grandfathered account.
A quick heads-up, the Doorbell *can* run entirely on battery, but if your doorbell system is wired and is able to provide sufficient power (you'll be informed during the setup) then the doorbell runs off of your doorbell's transformer. The battery still needs to be installed, but the drain is minimal. All of the other cameras can run on external power too, if you want, but being able to live entirely on battery is amazing in situations where power just isn't a thing. I'm lucky enough to be grandfathered, so I don't have any experience with the local storage limitations. I do have a drive installed anyway to give me local copy in case I need it.
Got 2 blinks from Amazon warehouse (used) at $70 something. Deal price for new ones will be $99 for two. Sometimes, deal even includes a free echo show. For the price, can’t complain much.
Thank you for this review you have answered some of my concerns a lot faster than the blink support house two of my four blank minis are offline and will not let me register them to my account cuz they say they're already registered I've been working on this for over a month now leaning towards going towards ring instead watching your video has help me decide to go with the ring cameras you really do get what you pay for
You are SO RIGHT !!!!!!!. People should watch your video before buying a Blink system to see what they are (not) getting. I am going to add the following. This only backs up much of what you are saying. BEWARE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Blink does NOT tell you up front that if you want to see motion detected clips you MUST SUBSCRIBE at a fee of $120.00 per year or $100.00 in advance per year. You get the first few days to experience cloud storage which IS nice but then that ends after a couple of weeks and you NO LONGER CAN SEE THE CLIPS. ( who triggered it? ) which basically makes it useless. Next bad revelation was the fact that if you have a blink xt or xt 2 model camera(s) THEY DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO STORE THE RECORDED CLIPS ONTO A USB DRIVE ATTACHED TO THE SYNC MODULE 2. That's nice. So now you can not record what triggered the notification NOR can you use it as evidence UNLESS for the nominal fee of $120.00 per year that you pay Amazon/Blink to make video clips available to you. So my system is obsolete because of two older cameras. I have 2 gen 3 but none of this stuff is working. BTW, try to talk to someone at Blink Support. Good Luck. They have no live humans there. It's all AI. And it basically makes you want to reach through the phone line and rip the wires right out of the AI's socket. I It will notify you of motion and supposedly you can stream video to your phone but there is no recording. Goodbye, Blink.
I will start off. I am grandfathered in. So the doorbell is a bonus for me. You can hard wire the XT2 with a after market cable. I did that with my front door. As it gets the most action. It then plugs into a USB plug. I think the doorbell is a delayed covid release. And I think over the holidays they are clearing it out. And you will see a new model that can be hard wired similar in the new year. Also, I think the doorbell is still useful. As a secondary camera. Not as the front door. But as a side doorbell. Either on a garage when you are in their working. Or On a back gate. In a lower traffic area. Say, you are in your back yard. And order pizza. When you order you give instructions where to go. And they ring that doorbell. Similar, people in town house style condos. With fenced back yards. Again, as a way for people to contact you without yelling up. And even people in apartments. You can turn the motion sensitivity off. Have it mounted to your side of your door. And view who is there. In all these cases. At the low price. I think it's a win. It's not just home owners that want to view who's at their door.
I agree. They actually priced the doorbell lower than their Blink Outdoor..so it can be a secondary camera plus have an option to Ring you...so, that is a good option for lower traffic areas like in your backyard and backdoor.
I Find my blink system more reliable then my ring set up . I get to many false notifications from ring . Mostly a bug or a spider .. and yes it’s on lowest setting possible lol. My blink is local storage only and is very fast retrieving play back .
I have a NVR system that records locally, can store over 6 months of recordings, and backs up to an off-site server. I never have a pay a dime for cloud services. Nobody should have to pay for basic home security.
You right have to do same way. All of them,wink, Ring, Blink,……SUBSCRIPTION PLANS, why why they do that s/;()&$. IFCC don’t say NOTHING ABOUT THIS ABUSE.
The reason most of us when with Blink is because it uses batteries and there are no wires to run. Because of the layout of my house I would need an electrician install the wiring for the camera power if I went with an NVR system and that raises the price up much higher.
Thanks for the info. Was going to buy a couple other Bink Cameras to add to the one I installed in 2019. I agree Blink is no longer the way to go. Happy Thanksgiving
I am sooo thankful to have found your post about blink and the awful decision by blink crippling the customers who PURCHASED the module 2 w/ flash drive storage. I have been so frustrated by it and the blink team seems to dodge my comments requesting support to fix the issue. I don't even have a local storage option at the top of my screen in the app where I use to be able to manage my storage. Not even when I plug in my flash drive do I have an option to manage them . It's as if they are holding my clips hostage. My name is Christopher Davidson
We have both of these cameras hardwired with spotlights on them and the best thing about Ring is the app features in our opinion.They are more expensive but both wifi and motion range is much shorter.Blinks sync module gives it further wifi range and the motion sensors are infront of the camera rather than underneath it so motion detection is also further in our experience.We have a few Blink cameras also on battery power and they last 2 years arming them only in the evenings.Have not tried Ring on battery power so could not say
Another straight up tell the truth critique by LifeHackster. If you're not grandfathered in, the Blink system is old technology. Other brands have better options, higher resolution, AI, more camera models, siren, built in spotlight, longer recording times, pre motion recording, some with limited free cloud storage etc. Before buying Blink consider Ring, Reolink, Wyze, Arlo, Eufy and so on.
Any company is here to make money, if customer service and being useful is a good, that's a good thing! the only company that does not prefer profit is call charity! but many charities is actually there to make money for "somebody"! This is call life!
Thanks..that's good that at least it is there...and it does solidify my "cripple" claim because it will just be a few lines of code that they have to do to place this on the events tab.
We almost had a home invasion, our blink system failed and did not catch the situation my husband and I were confronted with. Im overall disappointed with blink. Had I known better or understood blink does not record on demand I would have made a better educated decision.
I paid $19.58 USD for the mini….you’re nitpicking nonsense. You get what you pay for and they are giving people an inexpensive and solid entry point into home security.
You can like what you like but there are objective benefits and drawbacks to certain systems. This isn't like a piece of art and it's a subjective matter.
I knew I should have rechecked with your videos before buying more into Blink. I got a Sync Module off eBay for like 23ish? but the seller didn't delink it so I ended up getting refunded since it's useless locked. I figured ok. Amazon threw it on sale like the day after that with the doorbell at pretty much the price of the sync module alone like 49. The way I set up my blink mini is to act as basically a quick look at who's at the door for FAM, a routine calls live view when motion is detected. Since that happens basically I assume that it'll never record unless I set a delay and because the routine usually never stops after live view is called, chances are it won't ever record because live view is in use and system is busy. Only keeping it because of that small extension of use for Alexa. Oh well 30 day free trial again before I can play with local storage again. XD Should have used it for more reolink cams lol.
I guess I was lucky being grandfathered into to my Blink system. I have since added to the original three I originally bought, and now have seven cameras. I just added the battery-powered "floodlight" system that was on sale for $79. Since it connects to the blink camera, the floodlights (actually bright LEDs) come on when it detects motion. It has EXCELLENT color pictures at night, something the original (non-floodlight) blink cameras do not have. Regarding you comment on thinking that the subscription is not worth it because of the battery life, I disagree. I am still on my original Lithium batteries that came with each camera. I have yet to replace any of them, and I bought the original 3 in Nov. of 2019. That is longer than two years ago. To make a camera that runs on batteries that lasts that long is amazing! I still have a hard time believing it! As long as you use the default camera settings when it comes to timing, the batteries will last. And I have one of my cameras on my front door (along with my Nest doorbell), for backup. One question: when the Blink specs on their cloud recording say "per device", do they mean "per sync module", or "per camera"? Thanks for your review!
I have a grandfathered system too but needed to replace a camera that was pulled off at one point and got lost The new camera is a newer version and Blink only gave me free views for a short period of time and then said I need to buy a subscription. I'm not happy! Then I heard about the local storage available with Sync Module 2 but found it's not compatible with older cameras. Even more unhappy!
I have an older Blink camera systems and added a new camera. Blink gave me access to video on the new camera for a limited amount of time and then said I had to pay for a subscription for it. If I got a Sync Module 2 it doesn't work with the older cameras. I originally had plans to increase my Blink family but an so disappointed in their subscription requirements that I am not planning to do any updates to my system. Now thinking about going with a wired system with local storage on my network for any future security camera needs.
Excellent, honest review. Quick question, I have the door bell camera only that I got few weeks ago, no cloud recording. Would it make sense to buy the local recording option now in end of 2023? Thanks
So what are the better systems that's better than blink?. I'm looking for something that's wireless, has a longer battery life than blink since wired wouldn't work for me. I live in a building
@@LifeHackster what about view quality between the two? Which is better? Cause blink outdoor can also be modified to be wired. So what if blink outdoor can be wired, what is your opinion
Good video spot on . I am grandfathered in and I still have some blinks that I use but most of them have been replaced with Eufy , I won't buy anymore blinks ever and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. Yes you will have to replace the batteries periodically but One good thing about them is you will not have to replace the whole camera when batteries deteriorate so far they won't work like some others , the alternative to that is something like the Arlo's with replaceable batteries. As far as the blink minis go , I bought one when they came out to try out and they are a piece of crap
Good review but what's your favorite non-subscription option among all brands considering the main basic features that you consider important? Have you made that video?
Have 2 outdoor cameras connected to a sync module 2 with videos saved locally on a USB( I never subscribed to their subscription plan). It was working saving all motion activated videos until just recently. It stopped working so I called Blink support services. Bottom line, they told me it's because of my internet connection. My internet connections are: Download: up to 2.5gbps and upload: up to 75mbps. Plus, I have different brand wireless outdoor security camera and they all work perfectly fine saving motion videos locally. Like every other company out there pushing subscription plan model, it's all about helping their bottom line.
Glad I saw this before I pulled the trigger on a few cameras. I’ve been watching you’re reviews for solid week now. I drive truck, have an RV I full time in but desperately need a good, low cost yet dependable camera system to link up with my Echo. I really didn’t want to drill holes in my RV but if I did, light weight is a must. Would I be looking in the right direction at the Reolink Argus 3 Pro? I have high speed set up there as well so it’s set up for anything I choose to get, it’s what to choose that’s difficult. Choices, choices….
I'm not sure what local recording you are referring to but the local storage on a wyze Cam is on the SD card in the camera and it is not crippled and has never been crippled
The local recording on the Wyze is on the micro SD card and it is not crippled but Wyze did make their video doorbell and I think even the new Pro one without the micro SD card option which will make you need to subscribe to their Cam Plus.
That was dumb to stop recording after you go live view. I've had multiple instances where I saw someone try to steal a package and answered it to tell them to go away. I have both Ring and Blink but love my Ring cameras more and willing to pay the subscription fee because having the Ring cameras plugged in I can take snapshots every 30 seconds to 1 minute. This is useful when UPS/FedEX says they delivered a package and you can show within those minute timestamp that there was no one at your front yard. Blink would be uninstalled in my house if it wasn't for being grandfathered in and I'm assuming it will go away once their 3rd gen modules/cameras make it to market.
Big Question... Great video very informative. I'm using my blink system without the cloud or subscrtiption. Is there A way to have the cameras record contioniously motion is detected.
Good review. I'm using local storage and the two things that irritate me most are the lack of thumbnails on the video clips and the fact that I can't just select a bunch of them and press delete. I think they have deliberately made the user interface clunky when local storage is in use. I see no reason why I should have to start watching a clip to delete it. I'm in two minds whether to buy more cameras or not. In the UK, the Ring cloud subscription is a third of the price of the Blink cloud subscription, although with Ring it is mandatory as there is no local storage.
You CAN click a bunch and delete in bulk , select clips and then in the bottom left you’ll see the word “edit” appear and circles next to the videos , from there you can select what videos you want to delete, if you have multiple cameras you can filter the clips by the camera to make it more easier , which the word “filter” is on the bottom right within clips
@@bradw0 I'm pretty sure I can't select the clips. I can only pick one and start watching it, then delete it. With Cloud storage you can definitely select as many as you want then click delete, but they have prevented this with local storage I think.
@@philzvids3577 then the only way be just to “safely eject” the usb from your sync module via the app , put the usb storage into a laptop/pc and bulk deleting it that way
my trial just ran out and now like you i have no thumbnails, i find this really irritating and also i cant delete in block, looking back i dont think i would have bought this system if i had known these facts. trouble is i bought the spotlight and camera for the back garden the doorbell and a camera for the front of the house and having to buy a plan for 3 seperate cameras would have proved too expensive.
Thank you for your reviews. I am looking to buy outdoor cameras during this Black Friday. I need one in front of the garage and two in the backyard. Which wireless battery operated cameras do you recommend? Thank you in advance.
Came to watch this video because I just purchased the Amazon bundle they have on sale right now, 3 outdoor cameras with the sync module and an Echo show 5 for $149.99. But Amazon offered me a $100 gift card if I got approved for their credit card, which I did and only ended up paying $49.99 plus tax for the bundle. I think that’s a pretty good deal.
WARNING: Be careful about those Amazon credit cards, I did that a couple of years ago to get $50 off my purchase.....Unbeknownst to me,the card was for an online book club (NOTHING was mentioned about that) with automatic monthly books & charges. Seeing that I KNEW I had not used it to make purchases, I never opened their monthly letters (my mistake), I thought they were deals they were promoting. To make a long story short.....a year and a half later, ( and $150 charges) I was still trying to clear up that mess. The only reason I wasn't sued by them, I'm on Social Security.
My free subscription just ended and so I put a flash drive in. It looks like the system recognized the drive too. But now nothing gets recorded. I’ll get an update that motion was detected but when I go to my library not a single thing is recorded. I can only watch via live view. What’s up with this?
if you have an older system and you have to replace a camera or you add one you have to get a subscription just for that camera even if your system is grand fathered in.
Blink cameras and even the flood light kit is on sale at a lot of retailers. $99 for a battery operated flood light with a camera beats Wyze's V3 with that tiny LED if you factor in the wiring needed to reach spots a flood light would hang from. My outdated flood light is in a bad spot and extending the wiring properly is a headache for me. $50 for the Wyze v3 with LED light, + $15 for a 40ft Micro USB cable = $65. And I think running a micro usb cable outdoors is against some code. Think Blink wins in my situation.
One note, if you add a flash drive and don’t have wifi in the area, the camera will always blink with a red led making it very obvious and not stealthy. Really a shame and it will use up batteries faster. I tried to use it on my RV which is stored in an area with no internet or wifi.
Hello, I have a Blink system XT2 when I bought it and a Sync Module (NOT 2). The Sync module has a USB port. The app doesn't show a function to use it (like the one with Sync M 2) . How can this USB be useful. Again its before Sync Module 2. Many thanks
You mentioned about the devices saving battery power as a priority. Apparently, california has a law (maybe a new one) that energy usage needs to be top priority, if not first, on all devices made. I just bought a new monitor, and even it has built in functionality (I don't know what yet) that's supposed to meet the california requirement. It even says when the monitor comes on that it's california compliant regarding energy.
All things considered, the Blink indoor camera costs only $20. The Ring indoor camera costs $60. Doing the math real quick...that's THREE TIMES as much. I would certainly hope you get more for your money with Ring. Do you get 3x performance and functionality for the orice?
I'm looking for something that will record without wifi and has a battery back up for both or just the cam. What is the cheapest option and what should i get?
I was thinking to upgrade to the new module for local storage, but I can see that it really don't worth it base on theses limitation. so I will continuer with my old XT out door. I have a solar panel connected to it and it in the back yard where the is very low to no motion actives, so it is adequate until I get another 1 or 2 wire camera(s) to connect to my NVR.
I just got it with black friday pricing. Should i return it? I wanted a cheap option that is wireless because i dont have a lot of external outlet that i can plug camera in. Where else should i look
I just bought these and am struggling to understand what the plan actually gives you. What kinds of system would you recommend that is better than this?
I could not access my vids on the Sync Module 2 until I deleted the free Cloud trial. Then the option o watch them appeared. The Sync Module 2 was shown to have backed up the Cloud vids for the past two days, but they do not appear now. I only see vids since I cancelled the free trial. Maybe they are on the Thumb drive if I eject it from the Sync Module 2 and checked on my computer, but I'm too lazy to check.
So during my 30 day free trial everything worked great, when that expired it all went down hill, they only work sometimes, they tried to tell me it was my wifi REALLY, because everything wore fine before.
i agree ! these cameras seem to be garbage ... i've run the course of my free cloud trial over a year ago.. now i've put in a 256gb memory stick. They will not record to the stick for more than few hours. In other words, they record after i unplug and re plug the sync module 2 for about 3- 6 hours. The cameras still light up as if they are recording the motion but nothing is there in the app under the events nor on the stick .. the cameras stop and never restart unless i unplug and replug the sync module 2.. Both cameras are inside my house next to the sync module 2 in the same room with the wifi router ... what gives !? the cameras recorded to the cloud with out issue while i had the free trial !!!!
I bought 2 blink outdoor cameras. I'm not happy they want to charge to store videos. I'm using blink for animals in my backyard, I have two other cameras that take micro SD cards and there's no fees. I'll purchase two more cameras from the other company and get rid of the blinks.
I just bought 5 cameras because of the Black Friday Sale. After watching this video, it makes me want to return it. The cut off of the recording when you try and look at the live view seems like a waste. Do you think Blink is aware and will fix this issue as a software update?? Seems like a no brainer issue to fix!
They're most certainly aware since they warn you about it on their website. It looks to be either an artificial limitation to force you to buy a subscription, or a limitation on the hardware itself being unable to process both the live feed and the recording on the sync module at the same time.
I have a momentum cam which gives you 5 days cloud storage free, and also you can have local storage, but I found it is not very reliable. Ring is backed by Amazon so their cloud service seems to work better than many competitors which are just startups so the cloud service isn't very good.
@@LifeHackster I didn’t know. I was gonna switch out my blinks for arlo pro 4 but seen reviews of bad battery life. So if I have the ring on person detection it won’t alert me of bushes blowing or stray cats? Thanks for the reply btw.
Question WHY HAVE TO PAY ANY SUBSCRIPTION for my CAMERAS PROPERTY ( paid for the device and pay for internet service battery or electricity AND MONTHLY CLOUD SERVICE, WHATS GOING ON ) They do something because you not use their cloud service, yes like APPLE with the iphone. What are doing ISNOT FEAR
Help! I’m grandfathered into the blink subscription and I just purchased more sync modules and cameras. I set 3 different systems up with different cameras and modules, but it says on the new ones. One month free! Hopefully I don’t have to get a subscription for adding new equipment!!
So confused by this video. I bought blink doorbell back in January and another in February. After watching this video I gave them a poor review thinking my service would degrade even with the local storage model. They reached out to me and said this wasn't true. So I let my cloud expire, and seen no difference in how the cameras operated or detected motion, alerts etc. Changed my review on Amazon. Now I bought some outdoor cameras for hard to wire areas, they aren't that great quality but are accurate for notifications and again I am wondering if I'm going to lose the motion alerts or something. It is not that I don't believe you, but so far I haven’t experienced what this video states. Maybe different where I'm in Canada? no idea. I may return the Outdoor blinks anyway as I don't believe in subscription based nonsense and if they do go that route, they are essentially useless to me. I like my blueiris setup much better, but some places are hard to get cameras to.
Perhaps they changed some stuff based on this video....but the thing about Blink is that they decided to go the subscription based model route and to sell that.... they have to cripple some features if you decided not to subscribe... just to entice people to subscribe to their monthly subscription. Now, you can be grandfathered in if you have an account with them prior to April of 2020, then you will have free cloud recordings. Also check their FAQs -> support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/f-a-q/subscription-faq
This video helped big time. I don't have a subscription and my local storage motion recording stopped. I figured out the issue thankfully. I recently adjusted the length of the recording past 25s on each camera to at least 35s to 60s. After doing this the recording stopped loading to my USB, until I switched back to a shorter time. I think disabling the early notification helped also. However I placed that back on and now my system is working perfect subscription free. Thanks for sparking an idea to fix the problem.
Blink is really interesting system, I bought it to my mom so she feel more safe at home but in the same time no one around her feels to be watched. Tbh, I like it, I like the idea. I just wish The Blink let users to access those cameras directly without a cloud. Just disconnect it from the internet and connect it directly to Home Assistant, that would be really great.
Blink may be "outdated", but it's far from useless. It's more accurate to view the Blink Outdoor subscription as optional backup of the video files to offsite cloud storage. This IS a benefit in the event the sync module is stolen or destroyed in a fire before the video files can be backed up to other local storage. The USB doesn't need to be moved to a PC or similar to download to local storage back up. Each video file can be downloaded to the mobile device's own storage by pressing the download symbol (down pointing arrow) while viewing each video. Then the video files can be shared (uploaded) from the mobile device to other device storage via email, text, NFC, etc. Or simply share the video files immediately while viewing them.
Continuously delete unnecessary videos (pretty much all of them) to save on cloud and thumb drive storage. More importantly, in the event of intrusion, much easier to find the pertinent videos if very few of them to rummage through.
After a recent burglary, I needed a cam system that would be fast and easy to set up, affordable, and I definitely wanted and gladly paid for the cloud backup (subscription). After a quick study of the tresspass and burglary laws, I set the Blink cams up so they would be somewhat easy to steal.
About a week later, while playing tennis about 10 miles from home, I was rewarded with the usual QUICK notification on my Samsung S20. This time though of teen tresspassers instead of the usual local wildlife. I was still giving descriptions to the 911 dispatcher when she suddenly interrupted me with a, "never mind, they (cops) just apprehended them." A quick live view of some of the cams revealed the swimming pool cam not working anymore. After arriving home, one of the cops handed me a smashed Blink camera he removed from one of the teen's pocket. I was able to find and see the videos on my S20 of the pool camera recording it's own theft and demise, the smiling faces and hands of the theives filling the entire screen. The teens apparently thought destroying the camera would also destroy the video recording. After I showed the videos to the cops, I was rewarded with a nice bonus. The theft and recording of the easy to steal camera resulted in the teens arrested for felony burglary instead of just misdemeanor tresspass...BOOM!
As alluded to before, Blink's market niche is affordability, fast easy install, ease of use, but rough around the edges. Blink simply needs to be effective, not perfect. I've watched and learned much from LH's videos. Fortunately for me though, well thought out real world success trumps mostly accurate but theoretical reviews. With my local Costco unloading Blink 5 kits for only $200 each, I'll soon be up to about 15 Blink cams and a Blink doorbell. My indoors early warning system is SimpliSafe sensors and sirens. Probably summer 2022, I'm going to SUPPLEMENT the existing setup with my original choice, a wired 4K NVR system.
To clarify, Blink Outdoor camera video files via Sync Module 2, wirh cloud "subscription", are IMMEDIATELY uploaded to Blink servers within seconds of motion detection or Live View Save. The "backup" occurs later in the day when they are sent back to the sync module's thumb drive for archiving. So, it's ass backwards from traditional backup which is usually from local storage to cloud.
Not always do you realize a piece of footage is needed until a couple months later. The idea of deleting footage almost immediately after the date seems shortsighted.
@@OptimusSatanasFeel free to keep all video footage of buzzing insects, rain, snow, leaves and trees moved by the wind, cats, possums, raccoons, etc. you feel may be needed in the future. However, deleting a video via the app removes it only from the playback list in the app. ALL the videos files, including the "deleted" ones are still backed up daily from cloud back to the sync module's thumb drive. At least that's how it's supposed to work. I've noticed a small number of files don't make the backup, most likely due to some kind of data transfer or network error. If a crime was recorded by a Blink sync module 2, don't wait hours later for backup to provide a local copy of the files. Instead, right from video playback, you can immediately download a copy of the video file(s) to your phone and/or share with the cops via SSM and email.
@@Fearless-1 You seem to not realize my point that crimes are not always instantly apparent. I do like how you trivialized my point to make it about things I didnt mention. Its totally not intellectually dishonest at all.
Also, deleting videos from the Blink apps's playlist does not delete them from Blink's cloud. So, ALL the video files recorded by your system including the "deleted" ones, are backed up daily to the SM2 flash drive.
Thank you so much for all your videos. Have Blink and am grandfathered with free cloud storage. My original cameras are going on three yrs battery life. With your advice, added motion security lights and turned off night vision. I was able to clearly identify a potential home invaders distinctive clothing recently. The cameras and the Blink app have been flawless. For the price point, hassle free reliability and performance we are extremely pleased.
You are stuck with what you have because if you buy another camera, new camera, if for some reason you need to, the new camera is not grandfathered in and you would have to pay a subscription after a short free time.
As always an excellent, information packed and honest review. Thank you! (I anticipate, however, that there’ll be no perks coming from Blink in the near future due to your unquestionable integrity).
After reviewing videos for two years I still believe that Blink cameras are the best. The clarity, notifications, battery life, and price point are the best out there. I was disappointed with their new storage pricing but since I was grandfathered in that’s not a problem for me.
What other systems have you used?
You can't buy a new camera or replace an old camera with a new camera and still get free storage. They give you a time limit of free storage on the new camera and then tell you to get a subscription. :( Also if you can use an old camera with a totally new system.
Yeah for you, what about new customers jerk
@@piman2boek364 Not true. You absolutely can replace an old camera with a new one and still get the free storage (If grandfathered in). As long as you use that grandfathered account paired with the module(s) then you are fine.
@@Patricksauerland when I registered the new camera using my original grandfathered account it indicated I needed to pay after a short period of time. It is a newer and current version of the original cameras covered in the grandfathered account.
A quick heads-up, the Doorbell *can* run entirely on battery, but if your doorbell system is wired and is able to provide sufficient power (you'll be informed during the setup) then the doorbell runs off of your doorbell's transformer. The battery still needs to be installed, but the drain is minimal. All of the other cameras can run on external power too, if you want, but being able to live entirely on battery is amazing in situations where power just isn't a thing.
I'm lucky enough to be grandfathered, so I don't have any experience with the local storage limitations. I do have a drive installed anyway to give me local copy in case I need it.
Got 2 blinks from Amazon warehouse (used) at $70 something. Deal price for new ones will be $99 for two. Sometimes, deal even includes a free echo show. For the price, can’t complain much.
Thank you for this review you have answered some of my concerns a lot faster than the blink support house two of my four blank minis are offline and will not let me register them to my account cuz they say they're already registered I've been working on this for over a month now leaning towards going towards ring instead watching your video has help me decide to go with the ring cameras you really do get what you pay for
You are SO RIGHT !!!!!!!. People should watch your video before buying a Blink system to see what they are (not) getting. I am going to add the following. This only backs up much of what you are saying. BEWARE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Blink does NOT tell you up front that if you want to see motion detected clips you MUST SUBSCRIBE at a fee of $120.00 per year or $100.00 in advance per year. You get the first few days to experience cloud storage which IS nice but then that ends after a couple of weeks and you NO LONGER CAN SEE THE CLIPS. ( who triggered it? ) which basically makes it useless. Next bad revelation was the fact that if you have a blink xt or xt 2 model camera(s) THEY DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO STORE THE RECORDED CLIPS ONTO A USB DRIVE ATTACHED TO THE SYNC MODULE 2. That's nice. So now you can not record what triggered the notification NOR can you use it as evidence UNLESS for the nominal fee of $120.00 per year that you pay Amazon/Blink to make video clips available to you. So my system is obsolete because of two older cameras. I have 2 gen 3 but none of this stuff is working. BTW, try to talk to someone at Blink Support. Good Luck. They have no live humans there. It's all AI. And it basically makes you want to reach through the phone line and rip the wires right out of the AI's socket. I It will notify you of motion and supposedly you can stream video to your phone but there is no recording. Goodbye, Blink.
Looking into new cameras and might just go for Ring after watchign this. thanks for all the details
Thank you.
I agree Blink cameras have become obsolete. If they are going to charge a subscription make the cameras competitive with other brands on the market.
I will start off. I am grandfathered in. So the doorbell is a bonus for me.
You can hard wire the XT2 with a after market cable. I did that with my front door. As it gets the most action. It then plugs into a USB plug. I think the doorbell is a delayed covid release. And I think over the holidays they are clearing it out. And you will see a new model that can be hard wired similar in the new year.
Also, I think the doorbell is still useful. As a secondary camera. Not as the front door. But as a side doorbell. Either on a garage when you are in their working. Or On a back gate. In a lower traffic area. Say, you are in your back yard. And order pizza. When you order you give instructions where to go. And they ring that doorbell.
Similar, people in town house style condos. With fenced back yards. Again, as a way for people to contact you without yelling up.
And even people in apartments. You can turn the motion sensitivity off. Have it mounted to your side of your door. And view who is there.
In all these cases. At the low price. I think it's a win. It's not just home owners that want to view who's at their door.
I agree. They actually priced the doorbell lower than their Blink Outdoor..so it can be a secondary camera plus have an option to Ring you...so, that is a good option for lower traffic areas like in your backyard and backdoor.
I have an old system, no subscription. Can I add cameras and continue with no subscription? I have asked Blink but could not get a straight answer?
@@debbiemckinnon5304 my understanding is yes. As many as one module will allow.
Holy jesus son, your recording is actually in a great quality i can see your crow’s feet.
I Find my blink system more reliable then my ring set up . I get to many false notifications from ring . Mostly a bug or a spider .. and yes it’s on lowest setting possible lol. My blink is local storage only and is very fast retrieving play back .
I have a NVR system that records locally, can store over 6 months of recordings, and backs up to an off-site server. I never have a pay a dime for cloud services. Nobody should have to pay for basic home security.
Hi what is the name of the nvr you have
What is the name of the NVR?
You right have to do same way. All of them,wink, Ring, Blink,……SUBSCRIPTION PLANS, why why they do that s/;()&$. IFCC don’t say NOTHING ABOUT THIS ABUSE.
The reason most of us when with Blink is because it uses batteries and there are no wires to run. Because of the layout of my house I would need an electrician install the wiring for the camera power if I went with an NVR system and that raises the price up much higher.
@@piman2boek364 an NVR system uses Power over Ethernet which is low voltage. Run it yourself, no electrician needed.
Thanks for the info. Was going to buy a couple other Bink Cameras to add to the one I installed in 2019. I agree Blink is no longer the way to go.
Happy Thanksgiving
Excellent review! I think I’ll stay with the Ring Doorbell Pro!
Maraming salamat sa video, Bossing. Balik ako sa Wyze. Mabuhay ka!
Thank you.
I am sooo thankful to have found your post about blink and the awful decision by blink crippling the customers who PURCHASED the module 2 w/ flash drive storage. I have been so frustrated by it and the blink team seems to dodge my comments requesting support to fix the issue. I don't even have a local storage option at the top of my screen in the app where I use to be able to manage my storage. Not even when I plug in my flash drive do I have an option to manage them . It's as if they are holding my clips hostage. My name is Christopher Davidson
Thanks for creating the video, really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question 👍
We have both of these cameras hardwired with spotlights on them and the best thing about Ring is the app features in our opinion.They are more expensive but both wifi and motion range is much shorter.Blinks sync module gives it further wifi range and the motion sensors are infront of the camera rather than underneath it so motion detection is also further in our experience.We have a few Blink cameras also on battery power and they last 2 years arming them only in the evenings.Have not tried Ring on battery power so could not say
Same .
But a thief can just steal your Blink Sync Module and all your footage is gone
@@estusflask982 Negative.The recordings are stored online the moment they are recorded
@@estusflask982 they would have to find the module first lol and it can be plugged into any outlet so thats a non-issue honestly
Another straight up tell the truth critique by LifeHackster. If you're not grandfathered in, the Blink system is old technology. Other brands have better options, higher resolution, AI, more camera models, siren, built in spotlight, longer recording times, pre motion recording, some with limited free cloud storage etc. Before buying Blink consider Ring, Reolink, Wyze, Arlo, Eufy and so on.
I agee.. Blink is really outdated and now they want a subscription.
This was very useful information. Thank you for sharing these limitations of the Blink ecosystem local storage. Does Ring have any shortcomings?
good review man, thanks
Thanks for watching!
It's a shame that companies always prefer profit over customer service
Any company is here to make money, if customer service and being useful is a good, that's a good thing! the only company that does not prefer profit is call charity! but many charities is actually there to make money for "somebody"! This is call life!
Scroll down at the home button, then click on the sync module tab > local storage, then you'll see storage bar.
Thanks..that's good that at least it is there...and it does solidify my "cripple" claim because it will just be a few lines of code that they have to do to place this on the events tab.
very useful information on this cameras. thanks.
My pleasure!
We almost had a home invasion, our blink system failed and did not catch the situation my husband and I were confronted with. Im overall disappointed with blink. Had I known better or understood blink does not record on demand I would have made a better educated decision.
I paid $19.58 USD for the mini….you’re nitpicking nonsense. You get what you pay for and they are giving people an inexpensive and solid entry point into home security.
When the components only cost 7 dollars and you just want local storage then yes 20 is too much.
@@wreckingball8881oh no I didn’t know company’s are in the business to make profit 🤔
What other wireless non-subscription systems, with more features and better performance, do you recommend?
It's up to the people what they like.
Everyone has their own opinion.
I love my blink cameras.
You can like what you like but there are objective benefits and drawbacks to certain systems. This isn't like a piece of art and it's a subjective matter.
I knew I should have rechecked with your videos before buying more into Blink. I got a Sync Module off eBay for like 23ish? but the seller didn't delink it so I ended up getting refunded since it's useless locked. I figured ok. Amazon threw it on sale like the day after that with the doorbell at pretty much the price of the sync module alone like 49.
The way I set up my blink mini is to act as basically a quick look at who's at the door for FAM, a routine calls live view when motion is detected.
Since that happens basically I assume that it'll never record unless I set a delay and because the routine usually never stops after live view is called, chances are it won't ever record because live view is in use and system is busy. Only keeping it because of that small extension of use for Alexa.
Oh well 30 day free trial again before I can play with local storage again. XD Should have used it for more reolink cams lol.
I guess I was lucky being grandfathered into to my Blink system. I have since added to the original three I originally bought, and now have seven cameras. I just added the battery-powered "floodlight" system that was on sale for $79. Since it connects to the blink camera, the floodlights (actually bright LEDs) come on when it detects motion. It has EXCELLENT color pictures at night, something the original (non-floodlight) blink cameras do not have. Regarding you comment on thinking that the subscription is not worth it because of the battery life, I disagree. I am still on my original Lithium batteries that came with each camera. I have yet to replace any of them, and I bought the original 3 in Nov. of 2019. That is longer than two years ago. To make a camera that runs on batteries that lasts that long is amazing! I still have a hard time believing it! As long as you use the default camera settings when it comes to timing, the batteries will last. And I have one of my cameras on my front door (along with my Nest doorbell), for backup. One question: when the Blink specs on their cloud recording say "per device", do they mean "per sync module", or "per camera"? Thanks for your review!
I have a grandfathered system too but needed to replace a camera that was pulled off at one point and got lost The new camera is a newer version and Blink only gave me free views for a short period of time and then said I need to buy a subscription. I'm not happy! Then I heard about the local storage available with Sync Module 2 but found it's not compatible with older cameras. Even more unhappy!
Thanks for an honest evaluation.
I have an older Blink camera systems and added a new camera. Blink gave me access to video on the new camera for a limited amount of time and then said I had to pay for a subscription for it. If I got a Sync Module 2 it doesn't work with the older cameras. I originally had plans to increase my Blink family but an so disappointed in their subscription requirements that I am not planning to do any updates to my system. Now thinking about going with a wired system with local storage on my network for any future security camera needs.
Excellent, honest review. Quick question, I have the door bell camera only that I got few weeks ago, no cloud recording. Would it make sense to buy the local recording option now in end of 2023? Thanks
So what are the better systems that's better than blink?. I'm looking for something that's wireless, has a longer battery life than blink since wired wouldn't work for me. I live in a building
Wzye cam v3. Or blink outdoor? Heard the battery don’t last long if there is high traffic areas.
Wyze. Blink is trash
Wired is definitely better than battery..so Wyze cam V3 as long as you can wire and plug it in.
@@LifeHackster what about view quality between the two? Which is better? Cause blink outdoor can also be modified to be wired. So what if blink outdoor can be wired, what is your opinion
@@estusflask982 based on your personal experience?
Maybe tell us about the other better systems too? What are they?
Good video spot on .
I am grandfathered in and I still have some blinks that I use but most of them have been replaced with Eufy , I won't buy anymore blinks ever and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
Yes you will have to replace the batteries periodically but One good thing about them is you will not have to replace the whole camera when batteries deteriorate so far they won't work like some others , the alternative to that is something like the Arlo's with replaceable batteries.
As far as the blink minis go , I bought one when they came out to try out and they are a piece of crap
Thanks.
Looked into Eufy camera systems. Thanks.
Good review but what's your favorite non-subscription option among all brands considering the main basic features that you consider important? Have you made that video?
Have 2 outdoor cameras connected to a sync module 2 with videos saved locally on a USB( I never subscribed to their subscription plan). It was working saving all motion activated videos until just recently. It stopped working so I called Blink support services. Bottom line, they told me it's because of my internet connection. My internet connections are: Download: up to 2.5gbps and upload: up to 75mbps. Plus, I have different brand wireless outdoor security camera and they all work perfectly fine saving motion videos locally. Like every other company out there pushing subscription plan model, it's all about helping their bottom line.
Do you have rankings for cameras?
I would be interested too! But I need a ranking for battery operated only.
@@usables4028 yes and for non subscription as a separate category
I'm going to work on these..Thanks.
Hi there. Which outdoor cameras systems are much better than Blink?
Many thanks
There is a lot out there to choose from but, Eufy cams , doorbells are much better than blink and at decent price
Ring hands down . App is amazing. Alert on point. Blink acts as just a back up to over look the back yard or dog room for example.
Eufy, Ring, Reolink, Wyze
Glad I saw this before I pulled the trigger on a few cameras. I’ve been watching you’re reviews for solid week now. I drive truck, have an RV I full time in but desperately need a good, low cost yet dependable camera system to link up with my Echo. I really didn’t want to drill holes in my RV but if I did, light weight is a must. Would I be looking in the right direction at the Reolink Argus 3 Pro? I have high speed set up there as well so it’s set up for anything I choose to get, it’s what to choose that’s difficult. Choices, choices….
I've recently switched to Ring but after a few weeks of using The Ring spotlight cam plus I've decided I prefer blink so I'm switching back
Useful review, thank you.
Wyze also cripples their local recording to try and force you to pay for their cloud subscription
I'm not sure what local recording you are referring to but the local storage on a wyze Cam is on the SD card in the camera and it is not crippled and has never been crippled
The local recording on the Wyze is on the micro SD card and it is not crippled but Wyze did make their video doorbell and I think even the new Pro one without the micro SD card option which will make you need to subscribe to their Cam Plus.
Awesome work.
Thank you!
That was dumb to stop recording after you go live view. I've had multiple instances where I saw someone try to steal a package and answered it to tell them to go away. I have both Ring and Blink but love my Ring cameras more and willing to pay the subscription fee because having the Ring cameras plugged in I can take snapshots every 30 seconds to 1 minute. This is useful when UPS/FedEX says they delivered a package and you can show within those minute timestamp that there was no one at your front yard. Blink would be uninstalled in my house if it wasn't for being grandfathered in and I'm assuming it will go away once their 3rd gen modules/cameras make it to market.
in this video you said you wouldn't recommend this system for new users, what would you recommend instead?
Big Question... Great video very informative. I'm using my blink system without the cloud or subscrtiption. Is there A way to have the cameras record contioniously motion is detected.
How many seconds does it record after detecting movement without having a subscription only the sync 2 module
There is no "grandfatherd in" I bought the system when the cloud was free and now I don't have the cloud because I didn't wanna pay to sub to it
What is a good alternative?
Check out eufy cams.
@@LifeHackster Thanks
Have you checked out the Lorex systems made in Canada? They have some great stuff plus an amazing 2K doorbell camera
Lorex system is owned by Dahua Technology, based in China.
@@oliveryue4076 damn they were sold.... A few times. Well Lorex at least started in Canada. But yeah it was sold to Duhua in 2018 by FLIR
@@oliveryue4076 Yeah but Canada now is called Chinada 😂
Good review. I'm using local storage and the two things that irritate me most are the lack of thumbnails on the video clips and the fact that I can't just select a bunch of them and press delete. I think they have deliberately made the user interface clunky when local storage is in use. I see no reason why I should have to start watching a clip to delete it. I'm in two minds whether to buy more cameras or not. In the UK, the Ring cloud subscription is a third of the price of the Blink cloud subscription, although with Ring it is mandatory as there is no local storage.
You CAN click a bunch and delete in bulk , select clips and then in the bottom left you’ll see the word “edit” appear and circles next to the videos , from there you can select what videos you want to delete, if you have multiple cameras you can filter the clips by the camera to make it more easier , which the word “filter” is on the bottom right within clips
@@bradw0 I'm pretty sure I can't select the clips. I can only pick one and start watching it, then delete it. With Cloud storage you can definitely select as many as you want then click delete, but they have prevented this with local storage I think.
@@philzvids3577 then the only way be just to “safely eject” the usb from your sync module via the app , put the usb storage into a laptop/pc and bulk deleting it that way
@@bradw0 Yes, I think you are right.
my trial just ran out and now like you i have no thumbnails, i find this really irritating and also i cant delete in block, looking back i dont think i would have bought this system if i had known these facts. trouble is i bought the spotlight and camera for the back garden the doorbell and a camera for the front of the house and having to buy a plan for 3 seperate cameras would have proved too expensive.
Thank you for your reviews. I am looking to buy outdoor cameras during this Black Friday. I need one in front of the garage and two in the backyard. Which wireless battery operated cameras do you recommend? Thank you in advance.
I'd like to know as well
@LifeHackster spitting straight fax
:)
Came to watch this video because I just purchased the Amazon bundle they have on sale right now, 3 outdoor cameras with the sync module and an Echo show 5 for $149.99. But Amazon offered me a $100 gift card if I got approved for their credit card, which I did and only ended up paying $49.99 plus tax for the bundle. I think that’s a pretty good deal.
WARNING: Be careful about those Amazon credit cards, I did that a couple of years ago to get $50 off my purchase.....Unbeknownst to me,the card was for an online book club (NOTHING was mentioned about that) with automatic monthly books & charges. Seeing that I KNEW I had not used it to make purchases, I never opened their monthly letters (my mistake), I thought they were deals they were promoting. To make a long story short.....a year and a half later, ( and $150 charges) I was still trying to clear up that mess. The only reason I wasn't sued by them, I'm on Social Security.
Mui bueno su video gracias 🙂
My free subscription just ended and so I put a flash drive in. It looks like the system recognized the drive too. But now nothing gets recorded. I’ll get an update that motion was detected but when I go to my library not a single thing is recorded. I can only watch via live view. What’s up with this?
while ur in live view u havew to hit save and it will save what ur viewing live
Thanks .
if you have an older system and you have to replace a camera or you add one you have to get a subscription just for that camera even if your system is grand fathered in.
No. As long as you were grandfathered in, you don’t need to subscribe.
Blink cameras and even the flood light kit is on sale at a lot of retailers. $99 for a battery operated flood light with a camera beats Wyze's V3 with that tiny LED if you factor in the wiring needed to reach spots a flood light would hang from. My outdated flood light is in a bad spot and extending the wiring properly is a headache for me. $50 for the Wyze v3 with LED light, + $15 for a 40ft Micro USB cable = $65. And I think running a micro usb cable outdoors is against some code. Think Blink wins in my situation.
Wyze has Wyze Floodlight now. $99.
Great video
Thanks!
One note, if you add a flash drive and don’t have wifi in the area, the camera will always blink with a red led making it very obvious and not stealthy. Really a shame and it will use up batteries faster. I tried to use it on my RV which is stored in an area with no internet or wifi.
what other systems do you recommend ?
what reasonably priced outdoor cams do you recommend?
buy chyna crap as most people do just to save a buck and to support Xi!
Hello, I have a Blink system XT2 when I bought it and a Sync Module (NOT 2). The Sync module has a USB port. The app doesn't show a function to use it (like the one with Sync M 2) . How can this USB be useful. Again its before Sync Module 2. Many thanks
You mentioned about the devices saving battery power as a priority. Apparently, california has a law (maybe a new one) that energy usage needs to be top priority, if not first, on all devices made. I just bought a new monitor, and even it has built in functionality (I don't know what yet) that's supposed to meet the california requirement. It even says when the monitor comes on that it's california compliant regarding energy.
California is on a different level on everything... but saving battery to security? and they market themselves as smart security cameras...
All things considered, the Blink indoor camera costs only $20. The Ring indoor camera costs $60. Doing the math real quick...that's THREE TIMES as much. I would certainly hope you get more for your money with Ring. Do you get 3x performance and functionality for the orice?
Definitely, Ring is more than 3x better than Blink.
I'm looking for something that will record without wifi and has a battery back up for both or just the cam. What is the cheapest option and what should i get?
I was thinking to upgrade to the new module for local storage, but I can see that it really don't worth it base on theses limitation. so I will continuer with my old XT out door. I have a solar panel connected to it and it in the back yard where the is very low to no motion actives, so it is adequate until I get another 1 or 2 wire camera(s) to connect to my NVR.
I have two places with different wifi networks. Should I have two modules for recording or one will communicate through my account?
I just got it with black friday pricing. Should i return it? I wanted a cheap option that is wireless because i dont have a lot of external outlet that i can plug camera in. Where else should i look
I just bought these and am struggling to understand what the plan actually gives you. What kinds of system would you recommend that is better than this?
A bit unrelated but have you got hold of the new Ring Outdoor Contact Sensor yet?
I could not access my vids on the Sync Module 2 until I deleted the free Cloud trial. Then the option o watch them appeared. The Sync Module 2 was shown to have backed up the Cloud vids for the past two days, but they do not appear now. I only see vids since I cancelled the free trial. Maybe they are on the Thumb drive if I eject it from the Sync Module 2 and checked on my computer, but I'm too lazy to check.
So during my 30 day free trial everything worked great, when that expired it all went down hill, they only work sometimes, they tried to tell me it was my wifi REALLY, because everything wore fine before.
i agree ! these cameras seem to be garbage ... i've run the course of my free cloud trial over a year ago.. now i've put in a 256gb memory stick. They will not record to the stick for more than few hours. In other words, they record after i unplug and re plug the sync module 2 for about 3- 6 hours. The cameras still light up as if they are recording the motion but nothing is there in the app under the events nor on the stick .. the cameras stop and never restart unless i unplug and replug the sync module 2.. Both cameras are inside my house next to the sync module 2 in the same room with the wifi router ... what gives !? the cameras recorded to the cloud with out issue while i had the free trial !!!!
If you dont get the plan can you still live feed them?
I bought 2 blink outdoor cameras. I'm not happy they want to charge to store videos. I'm using blink for animals in my backyard, I have two other cameras that take micro SD cards and there's no fees. I'll purchase two more cameras from the other company and get rid of the blinks.
If I’m using it wirelessly does it have to be connected to WiFi to record?
does the sync module need to be plugged in all the time ?
Yes. It needs to.
Wait a minute, the basic plan only lets ONE camera record? What about the others? I have 3 and I'm considering getting the Basic plan..
I don't see YI home cameras mentioned in this discussion/comparison... is it that bad to mention?
I just bought 5 cameras because of the Black Friday Sale. After watching this video, it makes me want to return it. The cut off of the recording when you try and look at the live view seems like a waste. Do you think Blink is aware and will fix this issue as a software update?? Seems like a no brainer issue to fix!
They're most certainly aware since they warn you about it on their website. It looks to be either an artificial limitation to force you to buy a subscription, or a limitation on the hardware itself being unable to process both the live feed and the recording on the sync module at the same time.
yea but ring is like 2x+ more right?
I have a momentum cam which gives you 5 days cloud storage free, and also you can have local storage, but I found it is not very reliable. Ring is backed by Amazon so their cloud service seems to work better than many competitors which are just startups so the cloud service isn't very good.
Does ring have person detection? Tired of my blinks recording anything and everything
Yes, they do.
@@LifeHackster I didn’t know. I was gonna switch out my blinks for arlo pro 4 but seen reviews of bad battery life. So if I have the ring on person detection it won’t alert me of bushes blowing or stray cats? Thanks for the reply btw.
What camera system do you recommend for a new beginner
get a GoPro
Question WHY HAVE TO PAY ANY SUBSCRIPTION for my CAMERAS PROPERTY ( paid for the device and pay for internet service battery or electricity AND MONTHLY CLOUD SERVICE, WHATS GOING ON ) They do something because you not use their cloud service, yes like APPLE with the iphone. What are doing ISNOT FEAR
Help! I’m grandfathered into the blink subscription and I just purchased more sync modules and cameras. I set 3 different systems up with different cameras and modules, but it says on the new ones. One month free! Hopefully I don’t have to get a subscription for adding new equipment!!
How can you amplify the signal or boost it....
does blink have continuous recording?
If you re away
can you view the localstorage through the app with this system?( if you don't have subscription)
Yes, you can.
So confused by this video. I bought blink doorbell back in January and another in February. After watching this video I gave them a poor review thinking my service would degrade even with the local storage model. They reached out to me and said this wasn't true. So I let my cloud expire, and seen no difference in how the cameras operated or detected motion, alerts etc. Changed my review on Amazon. Now I bought some outdoor cameras for hard to wire areas, they aren't that great quality but are accurate for notifications and again I am wondering if I'm going to lose the motion alerts or something. It is not that I don't believe you, but so far I haven’t experienced what this video states. Maybe different where I'm in Canada? no idea. I may return the Outdoor blinks anyway as I don't believe in subscription based nonsense and if they do go that route, they are essentially useless to me. I like my blueiris setup much better, but some places are hard to get cameras to.
Perhaps they changed some stuff based on this video....but the thing about Blink is that they decided to go the subscription based model route and to sell that.... they have to cripple some features if you decided not to subscribe... just to entice people to subscribe to their monthly subscription. Now, you can be grandfathered in if you have an account with them prior to April of 2020, then you will have free cloud recordings. Also check their FAQs -> support.blinkforhome.com/en_US/f-a-q/subscription-faq