We have purchased these a couple times. The first time, we went on vacation and used them to be able to peek in at our dog, who was being cared for by family members... just because we loved and missed him. They worked great! Then, we reset the cameras to use them at home. That's when it all went bad. The Wifi Hub just wouldn't pair to the app, no matter how many times we unplugged and reset the hub, the cameras, uninstalled and reinstalled the app. It just wasn't working anymore, so we returned them. At that time, I would have given them two stars... but I was not so good at rating things.
This is the second time we have purchased these, to keep an eye on our home when we are away. One cool thing about these cameras is that you can remotely arm and disarm them from the companion app, regardless of where you are, as long as you have an internet connection. Additionally, the updated Blink app allows you to adjust a multitude of different settings: clip length, re-trigger time, motion detector sensitivity... there's even a Beta functionality for Temperature, which can give you a push notification if the temperature in a room falls outside of a range you get to specify. In our specific situation, we were using one camera to keep an eye on our aging dog, and it really helped knowing the temperature in a specific room (which was air-conditioned), so we could tell if there were brown-outs happening in the summer heat and come home to bring our dog to our local air-conditioned beer bar.
These cameras are extremely cool and versatile, and unlike other competitor options, these cameras do not require a monthly subscription to use and record video (looking at you Logitech Circle Wireless 1080p Video Battery Powered Security Camera with Person Detection, Motion Zones and Custom Alerts (Black) ... a 90 day free trial, followed by a monthly subscription to record video clips). There are even IFTT scripts you can run that allow you to automate the arming and disarming of cameras, based on your phone's geolocation.
These cameras are extremely cool and extremely simple to setup, I'm glad we gave them another shot. I didn't even talk about the fact that they are very compact and battery operated, but that's just an added bonus.
I've had this for about 4 months now. I have nothing negative to say. I love how easy it is to set up when it arrives. Since there are no wires, it's easy to move, if needed. The picture is great in light or dark.
If I could change anything, I do wish alexa was more understanding of the disarm command. I wish the blue light didn't come on when I'm viewing it from my cell. But that's more because I want to be able to spy on the babysitters, without them knowing.
I've recommended this system to many people. The ones that have bought it all have positive things to say. No monthly fees, no wires, fair pricing, great picture, recorded video, live stream, what more do you want?
I must warn you, if you're somewhat obsessed with your dog's happiness, like I am, this will make you feel bad because you'll suddenly realize how much time they spend doing nothing/waiting for you to come home. My dog looks so bored most days. Poor thing!
When I bought mine, the system was cheaper to buy it on amazon than direct from blink. Of couse, I also had free 2 day shipping with amazon. So, I bought it here.
I would and do recommend this system. I plan to continue to expand it. I wish they would have had a package with 3 indoor and 1 outdoor camera but they didn't have the outdoor cameras when I bought mine. My friend was one of the first to get the outdoor camera and it does a great job also. I'm going to get one soon.
I will get right to the point why I feel these cameras are amazing and especially at this price point wth the ease and simplicity of installation. I bought this 5 camera system on Black Friday deals and paid $299 which was a savings of $50 plus free shipping! In less than 20 minutes using the Blink app (which is flawless and allows adjustments of everything!) I had all 5 cameras unboxed, installed batteries which come with it, had them all scanned and named and everything up and running! No wires to run, no IP addresses to sync, no app failures, just a perfect working system!
I even shut off the circuit breaker to simulate a power failure on the sync module, I waited 10 minutes and turned it back on, guess what? IT CONNECTED FLAWLESSLY!!! You can't beat the image quality, the audio picks up everything, but the amazing thing for me was the image quality using the built in LED lights. SO MUCH DETAIL!!! I have uploaded a screen shot of my basement in total darkness using only the LED lights on the camera, it looks like day time! Another photo shows my dining room in natural light leaking in from 2 sets of vertical blinds which are closed about 90 %. These camera allow you to place them anywhere, you decide if you want motion detection or not, you decide how long to record the clip, you decide if you want to use LED lights or not and a whole bunch more options are available!! And when the camera detects motion the alerts come super fast! There is zero hassle to install, in my basement I installed one on the ceiling so I can check my boiler and hot water heater when I travel. Every camera comes with a multi angle mounting bracket. I am SOOOOOO happy I bought these cameras! I am planning on getting more! Look at all my photos, that is the real selling point. They work beautifully! I have been reading reviews and watching videos on you tube for months, I finally pulled the trigger and ordered them and I'm so glad I did! I have not had one issue or complaint! Lastly, I placed the sync module on the main floor of my home ( I have a split level) all 5 cameras have a 3-5 bar connection and work great. I think that is important when placing the module, my home is 36 feet wide and the farthest camera is 27 feet away and the closest one is 9 feet. I hope this helps everyone, if you have questions please ask. You can't put a price on piece of mind, but if you do why spend hundreds more than you have to? BLINK ROCKS!
NOTE: I uploaded 8 photos, 1 showing real light and the other total darkness using built in LED light from camera. They are nowhere to be found!
My home was just burglarized about 2 hours ago and luckily with these cameras I got the motion alert as soon as they came through the door. I was able to call the police and to watch in real time as the stole everything but could give descriptions over the phone. The police were impressed with the clarity of the video. They were in and out in just a few minutes so the police didn't make a it in time. It they were pretty certain with that video they could get them. We thought for awhile it was an expensive cat cam, but hopefully it helps the investigation.
Feature Product
- MOTION DETECTOR: Built-in motion sensor alarm, when motion detector is triggered, WIFI cameras send an alert to your smartphone and record a short clip of the event to the cloud
- BATTERY POWERED SECURITY SYSTEM: Wireless home camera with 2-year battery life, powered by 2 Lithium AA 1.5v non-rechargeable Lithium batteries (included), data is sent from IP cameras over Wi-Fi
- SMART HOME SECURITY: Simple self-install home monitoring in minutes; easy control wireless cameras with the included iOS & Android apps or via voice through our Amazon Alexa Skill!
- ADVANCED HOME SURVEILLANCE: Home and pet monitoring in real time with video camera "Live View" streaming mode
- FREE CLOUD STORAGE: Totally wire-free, with no monthly fees or service contract required. (Requires iOS 10.3 or Android 5 Lollipop or higher)
Description
Meet Blink, the one-of-a-kind, battery-powered remote home monitoring system that's simple to set up and equally perfect for renters or homeowners. Its stylish, totally wire-free design houses innovative HD video technology, plus motion and temperature sensors, to deliver instant home insight through the Blink app for your iOS or Android device.
Place it Anywhere
Blink is battery-powered and truly wire-free, so it's simple to place and move within any indoor environment. Create a system that covers your entryways and windows, monitors the garage, or keeps a watchful eye over the kids' rooms (or even the cookie jar). Unique technology which delivers up-to 2 year battery life for extended, no-hassle peace of mind.
Visual Verification
Blink is thoughtfully designed to make peace of mind easy and accessible. As soon as motion is detected, video starts recording and an alert is sent to your smartphone or tablet, so you can see exactly what caused the alert and decide how to respond. Simply want to check in and see what's happening at home? Live View mode lets you take a look through the Blink app.
Easy to Expand
Blink's unique design makes it simple to create the system that's just right for your apartment, home or business. Expand and customize quickly and easily with extra cameras.
Ultra Affordable
Peace of mind shouldn't cost a fortune: cover your entire home or apartment at a fraction of the cost of other home monitoring systems, with no monthly fees.
Key Features
HD video
Built-in motion detection
Instant alerts to iOS and Android devices
Live View mode
Low-Light Illumination
Free Cloud storage for up to two hours of clips
No monthly fees
What's in the box
Blink Camera (x1), Sync Module (x1), Mounting Kit
6/26/3016 Update: I increased the score after implementing two critical features (scheduling and automation). The first was done by the company, and the second I purchased from RBoy, a member of the SmartThings community. I've also increased my camera count to six, adding one for our dog area and bedroom door. Anxious for an outdoor rated one. Still waiting on local storage, temperature and the alarm that was promised.
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I want to love this product.
This is not just because I backed it on Kickstarter, bought four-cameras, a sync and alarm module (not delivered yet). The promise of a consumer-grade, simple security system that is cloud-enabled, was too enticing to pass up.
I've had these at home, installed and configured, since the minute I received them. After moving them around a bit, I finally found a configuration that I like and ended up permanently installing them to avoid some issues. If you manually arm it (if you remember to), it works as promised. I've found I prefer to leave the LED lights off to not alert the intruder that I'm capturing them. As a passive system to monitor and alert -- it fails drastically due to the LED (lighting the scene) and LED (indicator when recording).
What needs improved to make this a competitor in this field. These FOUR items can happen outside of the context of any hardware changes (down the wire + application upgrades).
(fixed)1. Automation for some type of workflow -- RELEASED ON JUNE 1, 2016
Right now you have to manually turn on and off (Arm/Disarm) the system in order for it to work.
There is no ability schedule turn-on, to trigger it off of events (IFFFT, loss of phone, leaving, time, whatever). What was promised in the Kickstarter to "automatically schedule arm/disarm" was not included in the application released.
(fixed) 2. Connect it to a central home automation hub -- INSTRUMENTED MYSELF INTO SMARTTHINGS
This stand-alone product is completely stand-alone. It doesn't talk to any best-in-class solutions. It can't work as a complete unit for home automation and security.
3. Ability to switch between photo and video capture.
There are no switches today to instead of recording a video to capture photos (time-based) instead of video, to extend the capture time frame.
4. Improve the notification system to include an image.
Being able to rapidly analyze without logging in and watching a video, would close the gap if I'm without a strong wifi or cellular signal. Just text me an image of the motion so I can tell if it is the dog or an intruder.
5. Give me the option to turn off any LED indicator.
I don't want an intruder (or home visitor) to know I'm recording them. This is my home, my installation, give me the ability to turn off the blue-LED indicator. It also lets me save battery. You sold this as a "Privacy Assurance" feature, however, it is my home and I dictate what is private and what is not. I can put tape on this to prevent it or hack the system to remove the LED if need be.
6. Optimize the app; improve live-view
I hate that it only shows TWO images on the screen with no choices on tiling or sizing them smaller. Your Kickstarter app shows FOUR. I have four cameras and really need five, but without seeing them all, I can't say this has value. Additionally, improve this for use on tablets, so I could use that in a live-view, all images, at the same time. Not being to see this has drawbacks.
Other problems with the hardware, that was not clear when I was backing it.
7. No true night-vision.
It requires a blinding LED light to illuminate the scene in order to capture a good picture/video.
8. The promised TEMPERATURE indicator, does not seem to be implemented
(UPDATE: This seems to have been removed from the Features List when I looked on June 30)
Adopting something like openHAB, allowing for connection to home automation systems, is key to success here. There are cameras on the market with full HD, night-vision and the items I mentioned about, at only a slightly higher price point.
I recommend you create a list of what you want to do and then do a comparison. For reference on what was promised: [...]
I want to like this product because of its design and picture quality but its performance is not as reliable as I hoped. Let me start with that I have used this system for over a month now and waited to write this review to give it a fair chance. The pros are the picture is crystal clear, great wide angle coverage, and I prefer the battery concept versus plug-in as it’s a great feature for flexibility in where you can place the cameras. Set-up was a breeze! Customer service is through email only and when they answer, they are great, but again, inconsistent. Consistency/reliability in the performance of the system is the challenge/frustration. When it works, it’s great. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work. Even today if you check the in-app customer support (which is a great idea rather than having to log into a website) it still has the server issue notice from 9/21 and today is 9/27. I can log in for days without any problems and then one day it will not load and the wheel spins with no connection to their servers. It’s not my Wi-Fi as I check the signal strength with a meter and my Vue Zone cameras are working. Waiting seems to be the key, as it usually resolves itself, but it’s very inconsistent and they usually don’t tell you when they have a brief issue. I want to buy a third camera but I’m reluctant until the system is more reliable. This is a potentially a great camera and a real competitor to Vue Zone/Arlo if Blink can improve its reliability. I will update this review and the number of stars if these concerns improve. I’m a potential big fan of Blink, so please guys make this product all it can be! I want to increase to 5 stars
First off, yes this is an actual wireless security system. Yes it runs off of batteries, yes you have the option to power it via USB, no it will not charge rechargeable batteries while in the unit.
This system is easy to install in your home and the app is SUPER easy. The video quality in my opinion is pretty good and I really like the concept. The cameras are really small so they aren't an eye sore.
With the light set to on and intensity set to high these cameras will pic up motion at night and get a good pic or video with its flashlight like feature. Arming it is simple and trust me it works very well.
The audio on it is very clear and I like the option that you can mute the audio when viewing. It's comes with a really solid adhesive and an additional screw just in case you have a non stick surface.
People complain that it isn't two way audio like arlo, but don't want to pay arlo prices. If you want to have two way audio,.... Buy arlo! If you don't want to pay arlo prices then stop complaining!
I wanted something simple to set up, no wires, easy app interface, and small or unnoticeable. Ding Ding Ding, you get that all with blink. Also, no monthly fees for monitoring and free cloud storage.
I don't really like that the longest clip is 10 secs, but for $340.00 for a 5 camera HD security home monitoring system how can I really complain? I even ordered another 5 camera system for my office.
All in all I'm really happy with this truly wireless system. I originally purchased a wireless camera from folsom and it needed to be powered by, yup you guessed it, a wire. Sent that back ASAP.
So there you have it, a real review from a real buyer, who actually uses the product at my personal home, and when it arrives tomorrow, I will install it at my office building.
I Def recommend this, hope you have an awesome experience.
It's a good wireless camera system in general. Not the best cameras out there but I say pretty good for being completely wireless at the price your paying. I got the 2 pack and here is my take on these. Setting up is so quick and easy my 12 yr old son can do it. The first thing I noticed that let me down when setting up is the fact that these only connect to 2.4G wifi (later found out from Blink that 2.4g offers longer range connection than 5g). I have on average 180 Mbps download and 13 Mbps upload internet speeds in home with 5G connection. The video quality is good, at 720p, it's not the best but it's clear enough. The video live streaming is ok. Not great. The video feed and audio FREQUENTLY freezes even with the camera placed a couple feet from the sync module, both with full signal strength. I may be wrong but I can imagine the feed being way smoother if it was able to connect to faster wifi speeds with 5G. When watching live video feed, you only get 20 seconds of continuous viewing unless you keep pressing the "continue?" button that pops up every 15 seconds. This is understandable to save battery life but also annoying. The audio works fairly well (one way only). The night/dark room viewing works pretty good, it will give clear and bright enough picture to see two entire rooms (living + kitchen in tandem setup) in practically complete darkness. However, the "night vision" mode uses a VERY bright LED like a flashlight (located right below the camera lense) when the camera is on (live or motion recording). It's intention was probably also used as an intruder deterent. Motion sensor does NOT work through windows (mine are dual pane glass). There is roughly around a 5 second delay in live video syncing when it's running smoothly. So if you wave your hand in camera it shows up on screen around 5 seconds later, if the feed isn't freezing. When opening the app and selecting live feed, it takes around 6 seconds for the live streaming to kick in. As soon as the camera starts recording from motion or viewing live, a bright blue LED turns on (right of the motion sensor). If you happen to loose power or unplug to move the sync module, it will reconnect to the wifi in around a minute or two. The temperature reading is a pretty cool feature and would be even cooler if these worked with our Nest thermostat to double as room temp sensors and tracking like the Ecobee.
There are a few features I wish this did have. Better live streaming and able to connect to 5G wifi. Option to adjust how long live video feed can be viewed before stopping. Two way talk. 1080p video. Able to zoom in/out. Connect with Nest or other smart tstats. Able to turn off blue LED. Motion detection to work through windows. Privacy setting for when your home. Maybe add less visible night vision LEDs and be able to choose to use the brighter night LED for an intruder deterent if preferred.
All in all, it's a good system for the price. If I had to choose one thing or the first thing for Blink to improve on, is for smoother live viewing and be able to watch continuos if we choose without having to press continue every 15 seconds.
UPDATE: I just bought the Canary Flex and am testing it to see which I prefer more. Obviously the Canary is more expensive. You get one cam instead of two for the price. I'm not going to get into the Canary much in this review but wanted to point out my 2.4g vs 5g wifi connection findings. I took both cameras outside on my porch no more than two feet outside my porch window on a ledge and the Canary lost connection/went offline (connected to 5g) while the Blink was working completely fine (connected to 2.4g). As for picture, the blink camera has a slightly less viewing angle and seems more "zoomed" in than the Canary. Not a bad thing unless you need the most viewing coverage you can get. I found the Blink (6 seconds) to connect way faster to live viewing than the Canary (15 seconds). Huge difference if your impatient. The Blink also re-connects to the wifi way faster if the cams go offline. Blinks app very simple and less "fancy" than Canary's app but then again Canary offers more than Blink and costs more.
I’ve currently been using the Yi 1080p camera (although needs to be plugged into power) I would highly recommend looking into it. $60 and it has better quality video, motion detection WORKS through windows and a great app with lots of features and it’s free using a micro SD card.
**pictures attached are comparisons (Blink is not labeled on screen, Canary and Yi is labeled) and the Blink in night/dark room mode.
Let me start by saying that I researched cameras for my house for about a year before making a purchase. I wanted something simple, that had sound, that wasn't super expensive, that was completely wireless and easy to install. I read so many reviews that I had a headache. I think it took me so long to purchase these because every camera has so many positive and negative reviews. My choice came down to the Netgear Arlo and the Blink.
I received the set on Saturday, 3/25/17. I took each camera out of the packing and set up the sync module. I had a small issue with setting up the sync module but used the reset button, placed the sync module closer to my router and then it worked perfectly on my V10. I left the sync module on the first floor of my house near my wireless router. I went to my kitchen, on the second floor to set up all of the other cameras. I scanned each QR code on the camera, named it with the room name and then took a snapshot of the room for the home page of the app. I placed each camera where I wanted it, without mounting. I love that the cameras are smaller than the palm of my hand, it made them easy to set up. I did use the mounting brackets as a stand for a couple, so they could sit on a shelf. The setup took about an hour. The longest part was deciding where to put them! I was very impressed.
Some of the reviews said the sound was really bad. I think the sound is great. There is a slight delay but that isn't a concern for me. They is a motion sensor for each camera that you can easily turn on and off from the home page of the app. You can also set the light to be automatically triggered once the motion sensor goes off, which creates enough light to see the entire room. There is a small blue light on the camera when recording or taking a snapshot. I may just use white tape, as another reviewer suggested, so that the light cannot be seen.
I also read a review that said that you could not put the camera in a window facing outside. This is true at night, as the light reflects off the window but in the day time, the sensor works from our second floor and the quality is way better than I expected.
The on demand video is great. I can check in on the hours, our animals and our kids at any time. I did see the "system busy" error in the app a few times but that was because I had made a change in the app and it was still syncing with the camera that I was trying to review. I went back to the main screen then to the live video and was able to see it.
Any clips that are recorded with the motion sensor are saved on the phone. I forgot to shut off the motion sensor this morning and I had so many notifications! They were clear to view and the sound was great.
There are 2 batteries in each, that were shipped with the cameras. I will update you on the life of them once I have them installed a little longer. As long as you monitor the system and turn off the motion and light off when you are home, I can imagine that they last quite awhile.
I may purchase the new outdoor cameras once Blink releases them, as you can sync up to 10 cameras with one sync module. My wife and myself were able to both log in with the same user name and password and monitor from both phones. We may also be getting sets for our parents, so we can monitor them, as they are older. We will just need separate logins for those sync modules.
Overall, I am very surprised at how easy these were to set up and the picture and sound quality are way beyond my expectations. If you are considering a home security system, I would definitely recommend these. I have never had cameras before and must say I am very impressed with the quality and ease of use of this set.
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