Unveiling the Pros and Cons: A Comprehensive Review of the Blink Video Doorbell
The Blink Video Doorbell is a wireless video doorbell that offers a solid deal for its price. However, it does come with a few limitations that might affect potential buyers. Let’s delve deeper into its features, setup process, and overall performance to give you a comprehensive understanding of this product.
Overview
Blink Video Doorbell is a compact buzzer that is smaller than competitors such as Wyze and Arlo. It offers two-way talk, 1080p HD color, night vision, motion sensing, and weather resistance. The doorbell operates on lithium AAs, eliminating the need for lengthy charging. Once set up, it sends a notification whenever someone rings it or walks past, allowing you to chat with the visitor or delivery person.
Setup
Setting up the Blink Video Doorbell is straightforward. You simply affix a plastic plate to your door frame with two screws, then clip the doorbell to it. The setup process takes about five minutes from unboxing to being ready to use. However, finding the right angle to clip on the doorbell can be tricky.
Notifications and Live View
Notifications from the doorbell are prompt and accurate. However, the latency from when it first detects motion to when you can see the live feed on your phone can sometimes be slow. This means that you might not always have enough time to intervene if someone is trying to steal a package.
The unique limitation of Blink’s video doorbell is that you can’t pull up a live feed of your entryway without first receiving a motion alert or a buzzer press. This feature is less of a drain on the battery, which Blink claims can last up to two years. To overcome this limitation, Blink offers two options. First, the doorbell snaps a mid-resolution photo once every hour so you can see what your entryway looks like in a still image. Second, if you buy a separate device, the $35 Blink Sync Module 2, you can view the live feed and get some other perks including local storage.
Features and Storage
The Blink Video Doorbell offers custom motion zones like other Blink cameras, but it does not have person, package, or vehicle detection, which are features offered by many competitors. Package detection is particularly important as deliveries become increasingly more frequent, leading to porch theft.
The doorbell can store video clips in two main ways: a Blink subscription plan or local storage. If you purchase a new Blink Video Doorbell, you’ll receive a 30-day free trial of the Blink Subscription Plus Plan that includes all of your Blink devices. After that, Blink’s paid subscription plans cost $3 per month per device or $10 per month for unlimited Blink devices and cameras on your account.
App and Smart Home Compatibility
The Blink Video Doorbell app home screen will show a recent static picture taken from the video doorbell camera. From there, you can toggle to look through other images or view the live video feed. To customize the doorbell, you can toggle to the Settings icon and choose from a wide variety of customizations and features, including custom motion zones, camera sensitivity, motion detection, clip length, night vision sensitivity, and doorbell ringer volume along with several other options. As for smart home compatibility, the Blink Video Doorbell works well with Alexa, but it is not compatible with Google Home or Apple HomeKit devices.
Conclusion
While the Blink Video Doorbell offers a solid deal for its price, it does have a few limitations that might affect potential buyers. It lacks person, package, or vehicle detection, and you can’t pull up a live feed of your entryway without first receiving a motion alert or a buzzer press. However, it does offer custom motion zones and two-way talk, making it a viable option for those on a budget.