DIYnot 1707 - Blink Wireless Security Cameras

[@jackrburns]

Hey, I like your style. No BS just right to the point. Very clear speech, no mumbling and clear instructions. Just an all round good review of a product. Thank You.

[@shawnpahl]

Best review ever. Clear, concise and accurate

[@ANGELA-nt5jx]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for sharing this video. You have made this Blink setup so easy peasy for me. I like that you are coming from your own personal experience with this. Because I have made two separate purchases, I do have 2 sync modules and now I'm setting one up for inside and the other for outside. That way I can shutoff inside when I choose to. Now as far as zoom quality, BLINK should create a PTZ Camera (Pan- Tilt-Zoom) a camera that is capable zooming in on an image. You don't and won't get this with their current cameras. But I'm so glad that I made this purchase.

[@rafffe]

Very informative, thank you. I have read a lot about secutity cameras, and watched a lot of reviews. This is one of the best so far. + 1 sub

[@richca2004]

Great review and thank you. Exactly what I was looking for and will order today. Receive my package and set up 3 XT cameras in a half hour outside. I have 5 full bars on the Sync Module and 4 full bars on each of the camera to WIFI and Camera to Sync Module so there technically are no signal issues to report. Now the bad news. Everything works except: There are no thumbnail pictures, only video is operational. With the motion sensitivity on the highest setting there are no recorded videos saved and there are no notification are received when motion is detected. One and a half hours on the phone with helpful tech support and not resolved yet. Proceed with caution!

[@corbett3457]

I need a camera to automatically display on a screen (preferably TV but I'll take anything, Echo Show, etc.) when motion is detected. It's for my grandmother so must be very hands off. I've come up with nothing from hours of browsing. If you have any suggestions I'd really appreciate them!

[@geekmangreg1677]

Actually, no, blink does not say that you will get up to two years of life off of a pair of AA batteries. If you read the fine print and look at what you took out of the box, those are AA *LITHIUM* batteries, which are not the same as regular AA batteries. Regular batteries at best will get you a couple of months use in a low active area. AA lithium batteries such as those that are included, will get you up to 2 years. AA lithium batteries from Energizer can be bought on Amazon or in some Sam's Club stores among other places.

[@kathleenbabcock9009]

Very good review, thank you. I never heard of this product until a neighborhood watch issue came up and found many of my neighbors were using this system. If you need infrared, why don't you use the external cameras indoors? Do you know how many cameras the one module will support and can it support more than 1 cell phone. Three adults live in a house with young children, and it would be a good thing if more than one phone could access the system. We all use the same wifi feeder, so that would not be a problem. This would be a great help on keeping track of elder parents by their adult children, it would also be great if you had a small ranch and needed to keep track of the animals in the barn or other place. There are a lot of uses for it, wow

[@Vgp-rp4iu]

10 cameras can be used on 1 sync module and I'm not sure how many devices. Me and my wife both have the app on our phones and can both access the cameras. I would assume more could as well. I really like this system. I picked up a 4 camera system for 275 bucks and think it was well worth the money. Longer battery life would be better but only 1 of the 4 are using batteries. The other 3 are in areas where directly behind the wall is an outlet so I picked up some 15 foot usb cables and power supply, drilled a small hole from outside into the garage and ran the cable. Wires kinda suck but I think it's the better way to go if you have a plug that you can use without having tacky wires visable

[@TheBrian62584]

You can use as many devices as you want to view the cameras . All you have to do is sign Into the app

[@JustAnotherPersonHere]

Excellent video! Well thought out and arranged, thank you. You've just earned a subscriber.

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Thanks for the compliment and subscription - more videos are in the works.

[@scdigger]

would you suggest using the outdoor cameras, indoors simply for the infrared?

[@TumaTime]

Great review I have 2 best cameras at home looking for some at my warehouse going to give these a try.

[@dallaspilotcar9293]

Yeah, but it's too bad that if you upgrade your router or have some reason to reinstall a camera that was working before, that it is not possible to get hooked up. One issue is that when app cannot find your 2.4 ghz network and it tells you to join BLINK-6343 or whatever that is, even if that network shows up, it is not a network that has a connection, I have deleted the module, powered off and on router all devices even deleted account. It does not matter, cannot reinstall camera to network.

[@michaelpost7352]

I came to see recording information. To the cloud? How many clips, how long are the recordings? etc.

[@DozerbobTV]

On the site says 7000 seconds and the it records over old clips . Does not have local storage just in case the power goes out . Depends on how much of a clip you want 5seconds to 60 seconds .

[@highlyfavored4595]

Can I view footage on my PC?

[@niniyen1362]

Very good review, to the point. I've been looking for outdoor security cameras, but the infrared beam on them troubles me, how bright is the IR at night on Blink XT? thank you.

[@jinisteffani8035]

I can't seem to find any info on how exactly does the system plugs into the wifi….all the video seem to gloss over this part...and I can't find any tutorials either....I have a router but there is only one usb port on it....which is being used for my computer....should I get a new rounter.?..I do not have a house phone....

[@DavidLaubner]

Great overview, thank you!

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Thanks David... and you're welcome.

[@laurafuhrman4791]

David Laubner juju

[@jmcafee6564]

Thanks for the honest review. I want to be notified when a car pulls into my driveway, but I don't need to talk to them or have a siren go off. So my needs are pretty simple. Is this a good use for this camera? Thanks!

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Sure, that would be easy enough. Just setup the camera with a motion alert and you will get notified on your phone when the camera detects any motion... so if a cat walks through your driveway for example, you will get that too.

[@zerohedge9642]

I picked these because there is no monthly fee (I can't stand those!) and because of the battery life. I have a question, how do I attach the metal mounting bar? I don't understand how to put it together.

[@DIYnotPodcast]

The mounting bracket just snaps onto the back of the camera. For the exterior (black) camera, you can just push the bracket into place. The interior (white) cameras have a circle blank that needs to be popped out before popping the mounting bracket on - I demonstrate that in the video around 5:52. Hope that helps. Good luck.

[@iKevin_22]

Hey, so im planning on installing a Blinx XT Camera on my mothers house ( at Garage to be exact) and one in my house. Can I watch the footage from the camera thats in my mothers house while I am at my place? Like will I have access to both cameras even tho there are connected to different receivers?

[@alyseavins]

Can more than 1 person have the app and watch the cameras? Very informative video. Thanks!

[@DIYnotPodcast]

You bet - just sign in with the same account credentials.

[@izazagac]

Hey there! Great video! I am planning to use at least one of these cameras through a window. Do you know if motion detection works?

[@DIYnotPodcast]

No, sorry I do not know. I am using the external cameras outside and the interior cameras are monitoring the inside. Nothing looking out a window.

[@SpecterCheats]

can i get an app for pc

[@l4jmusic]

how can I install on Mac?

[@estpaul3132]

This seems like the best set up, but the 60second record time? So if someone's burglarizing your house it only records one minute?

[@groove269]

EstPaul you can set it up to record 60 sec every motion so you’ll get many 60 sec videos

[@fastboricua]

I've been looking into the blink system as well as the Arlo pro system. What's you're opinion between the two. Great review by the way.

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Thanks for checking out the podcast and for the nice compliment! The Arlo cameras are great; they've been around for longer so have really figured out the whole security camera thing in regards to features. I personally haven't used them, but know some who have (and they love them). For me, it came down to price mostly - the Blink cameras, while newer and admittedly shorter on features, were considerably less expensive. Also, the hub for the Arlo system is huge compared to sync module that is used for Blink. Really, it all comes down to what your needs and budget are.

[@mdr6294]

I have Arlo Cameras outside and now have Blink Cameras inside.

[@jross9800]

MDR 17 i hear the arlo cámaras have a delay in recording after they sense motion. That’s pretty much the main reason why I’m inclined towards the blink. Although I wish I could store more than two hours of footage on the blink cloud. Unless someone knows how to store more footage with out using a wire.

[@jackrburns]

The delay is why I gave up on the Arlo Cameras even though I liked them overall.

[@paveldiaz4926]

seems i find a nice review. sure i suscribe

[@cmscms123456]

Can the security camera captures be down loaded locally and kept on a home device/computer? 2. Are the camera captures "Time and date" stamped? or is there an option/software to do that?

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Yes, the footage can be downloaded. There is no time/date stamp on the footage, but I suspect the meta data on the file will have that information.

[@preshitamalhotra1267]

Blink Camera System

[@NathanThePrezPretlow]

I Install two blink XT camera one in the front of the house and one in the back of the house. Why do the is my camera image so dark and have shadows ?

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Not sure what your problem may be. You may want to check with Blink support for further assistance: support.blinkforhome.com/

[@jona8537]

Bad about this product is if u have two or more cameras u can’t disarm individually. If u turn on disarm, all cameras are off. Blink please fix this problem.

[@DIYnotPodcast]

What I do in this case is turn motion detection on for the camera(s) I want "armed" and off for the cameras I want "disarmed." It's not ideal, but it is a good work-around.

[@annasmith2405]

I love it

[@davekirkey8269]

Thanks for the review and information, first, My concern is mounting the unit outdoors, it looks like someone can just reach up and snatch it off the mount with no tools. I am going to look at the XT units with the infrared vs the led it just seems better idea. The video quality when you get close seems a bit distorted compared to others. I am looking at the Arlo Pro 2 vs the Blink xt... and the merits of both... sometimes paying a little more is worth the cost overall. One comment you did not make is the distance from the base unit? I have all my modem, router and connections in one central place in our home... I've not seen any real data on how far I can really get when placing the cameras... I'd want to place one in our Breeze way, and One on the front porch as well as one outside pointing to our barn area if you know of any more sturdy outdoor mounts for the camera I'd appreciate hearing that and some information on distance from base. What happens if I am further away does the camera just not get picked up? Finally, is the max recording time the same weather you have one or 5 cameras, that makes a bit difference in a home security system.

[@bostonsirish1]

Do they connect to phone like a Bluetooth device ?

[@DIYnotPodcast]

They don't connect directly via Bluetooth. Rather, the cameras talk to the system hub, which is in turn connected to your home wifi network. The cameras are "online," allowing for your phone to connect to them remotely (via the Blink app).

[@rachael9372]

I ordered a 3 camera kit and can I use rechargeable batteries?

[@DIYnotPodcast]

You bet. My cameras all came with batteries included, so you could always use those until they die, then replace with rechargeables.

[@ThresaJones]

Very important to make sure that you use the correct batteries when you do replace them. Do NOT just put in alkaline batteries or you can void your warranty plus really damage your cameras... I am 59 years old and very intelligent or so I thought about batteries until I purchased these cameras I always bought alkaline batteries thinking well they cost more and last longer. I was wrong so please pay attention and buy the exact type of battery that the instructions tell you to use or you may have a few issues. Great video but on QVC shopping channel they kept making it Crystal Clear about the types of batteries that can be so so easily confused. I just want everybody to be aware of the right type if batteries so you are not disappointed. I just received my cameras from QVC today haven't even opened the box yet but most of the reviews are positive and running on 2 AA batteries and no wiring sounds awesome to me. I also bought the MR BEAMS battery powered floodlights that you can mount even on a tree and LOVE them and the ratings are amazing as well... Sad that we now have to consider these cameras as must have items instead of a choice but that is our new reality I am sorry to say... I never ever write any comments so thank you for taking the time to read this... 😊

[@metalmusic2813]

Will the system go out if the internet is down?? And does it record even if no motion is detected. Please help

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Communication from the system is dependent upon internet access - that being said, I really don't know if it will still record if there is no internet access. I suspect not, since video is stored in the cloud somewhere for access via your smart device. As for recording - it is triggered by motion (per the settings in the app). If you don't have motion detection set, it will not record unless you manually ask it to.

[@ror-ys3qp]

It will not work without Internet

[@johnsonbrandon807]

Does blink work with Google drive?

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Not directly, but there is IFTTT integration, so you may be able to do something that way.

[@richardyoung1237]

I do not have an IPhone, I have an android phone. How can I install Blink?

[@DIYnotPodcast]

The Blink app is available on both iOS and Android - so installation would be the same. Good luck. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.immediasemi.android.blink

[@jpcyphers]

You look like Al Bundy from married with children. lol... good review though,

[@talisman4you]

Can one view from your PC?

[@DIYnotPodcast]

The only option I am aware of is to use a smart phone to setup and view live feeds. Recordings can always be saved then viewed later on a PC.

[@bkuczyns1]

what has the battery life been for the outdoor camera ?

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Actually, it's hard to say. I have had my exterior cameras installed since July and the app says that the batteries are "OK" - it doesn't actually show a percentage or anything like that. My interior cameras have been going for well over a year now on the original batteries though - if that helps answer your question at all.

[@bkuczyns1]

Thanks for the help

[@cluelessinky]

Just bought and installed an interior security system. I will not recommend it. The light should be infrared and the picture quality leaves a lot to be desired. I’ve had several security systems and liked the idea that this system wasn’t tethered but the trade offs may be more than I wish to pay. I suggest you review as many systems as possible before you buy.

[@azgunguy4870]

Blink is an inexpensive entry level camera system. It’s bare bones base model. Why do people expect the features of a Rolls Royce while buying a Honda? So stupid. I like it for its simple use in my apartment. For my business I have a hardwired system that records 24/7. Y’all need to be realistic.

[@Assocemail]

Assuming all camera are transmitting/received perfectly…I need installation information on “Blink XT2” Camera system connected to 3 tablets with 4 perimeter 24/7 cameras…4 interior, on/off home/away cameras…3 on/off temporary locations around property cameras. How many sink modules can be used on a tablet? Please advise what I need

[@OOO-pc3nb]

Mr DIYnot 7 months later Feb 2018 do you still like the cameras? Are the original batteries still working? Does Blink provide a cord to plug in cameras? I am debating between Blink or Argus Reolink both have there pros N cons.

[@DIYnotPodcast]

I still like the cameras for what they are and what they cost. Still running on the same batteries on all of them, haven't had to switch yet. There were some changes recently, namely Blink was purchased by Amazon. It will be interesting to see what they do with these in the future.

[@OOO-pc3nb]

Swann has a new wireless rechargeable smart cam 1080p. There is a comparison video swann vs arlo. The swann picture quality looks awesome. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5-ulIN9ZtGebNE

[@Resist4]

Blink should just drop their interior line of cameras, a security camera should have night vision not a light.

[@DIYnotPodcast]

Honestly, I agree and disagree... While I think the light is a bad idea, I can see how it may keep the cost of the unit down (and maybe even extend battery life). What I would like to see them do is just update the interior line by eliminating the light and incorporating infrared, but don't worry so much about water-proofing. A little compromise that may keep costs from getting too high and provide a better indoor product.

[@Resist4]

The only reason the XT cost more, is because it's newer. It doesn't cost them much to water-proof using a silicone seal. Blink's idea to use a light for night vision is just ridiculous. I still think they need to drop the interior camera and use the XT platform. I'd also like to see a couple more batteries in it as well, because even though it probably has a better battery life than say the Netgear Arlo or Reolink Argus, there still is no way anyone will get 2 years use. Maybe if you turn off the motion sensor and never record anything, you could get 2 years. I get tired of companies exaggerating the specs. I would like to try the Blink XT but it cost more than I'm willing to pay right now, plus I don't like having to use a sync module as it's one more thing I have to plug in and connect to my router.

[@amaxlite]

@joann robinson u usin lithium?

[@thomascollier4913]

This is a surveillance system not a security system.

[@hutisputis1]

this system is 100% junk, they fail in 60 days, I am in the IT field and should have done more research, plus Blink customer service is a joke.

[@KevinKeplar]

Weird that you have had such trouble, I have been using them for some time now with little problems (I purchased my first cameras in December 2016). Sure, I have the occasional "sync module disconnected" error, but that could be due to problems with my ISP as much as the Blink system. In my experience, no system is perfect, but this one has been pretty good for me.

[@hutisputis1]

Then you are very lucky, Mine fail after two weeks outside the amazon return windows, Lets put it this way Blink doesn't have customer service. Last week at the Local Computer company I work for our Cameras fail. The failure corresponded to my failure. If you go to Amazon there are ratings of 1 and 2 stars about 19% or 15 pages of complaints similar to mine; Failed product , none nonexistent customer service. For me these cameras were essential because I was able to work at the local computer firm and watch my 90 year old mother at home which is about 6 minutes drive from work. Again, you are very lucky, BTW as of this post Blink has not reach out to any of the aforementioned customers.

[@jross9800]

Mark Stevens i hear good reviews for the most part. The thing about reviews is that you are more likely to have an angry customer write a review than a satisfied customer who is fine with not writing a review. That’s how it works. I am actually planning on buying several blink xt cámaras after comparing not only reviews on Amazon, but after researching the web, reviewing probably dozens of KZbin comparisons to other cámaras like the nest, arlo... I will get the 4 year warranty which costs about $10-$15 in case I am not satisfied. Just in case.

[@hutisputis1]

J ross, I will sale you my blink 2 camera system for $75 included S/H

[@jross9800]

Mark Stevens if your product failed after 60 days I don’t want it thanks. When you mass produce a product you will get some defect on some items. You were unlucky enough to end up with the defected item.why not return it and get your money back instead of just $75?

[@6977warrior1]

Thanks for convincing me to NOT buy a Blink system.

[@amaxlite]

what convinced u not to get

[@groove269]

Can’t beat the price. Want better? Pay 2-3x more for 2 cameras

[@amaxlite]

Arlo Pros are good if you want to pay double the price