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Blink Outdoor | Wireless HD smart security camera with two-year battery life, motion detection, Alexa enabled, Blink Subscription Plan Free Trial | 2-Camera System

£9.9£99Clearance
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At the risk of rehashing old grievances, night vision was pretty weak in my hands-on Blink Outdoor camera experience. In an outdoor camera, this is a bit of a letdown.

Blink Outdoor (3rd Gen) - Review 2023 - PCMag UK

The Blink Outdoor uses the Blink Home Monitor mobile app for Android, Fire OS, and iOS devices. It opens to a home screen with panels for each installed camera. Each panel contains a still image of the camera’s field of view and has a button for taking a snapshot and a button for launching a live stream. You can view the live stream in full-screen mode by turning your phone sideways, and initiate two-way talk by pressing the Talk button. A motion icon appears in the upper right corner when motion detection is enabled, and next to that is a settings button. Another option if you prefer a wireless configuration is the Blink Outdoor floodlight mount. This one uses the Blink Outdoor for the camera part, while the mount itself provides two bright battery-powered floodlights. Smart Home LimitationsThe Sync Module is powered by a mini USB AC adapter and contains a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio for connecting to your home network and an RF radio for communicating with the camera. It has Wi-Fi and power status LEDs on the front, and a USB port on the side that can be used to connect to a USB storage device, such as a thumb drive (not included), to store event-triggered video clips. On that note, Blink does have other options if you prefer brighter and better night vision. One is the newly released Blink Floodlight Cam Wired, which comes with powerful floodlights, hence the name. It offers much of the same features as the Blink Outdoor, but it needs to be wired to an outdoor junction box to work. I’d like to note that since my last testing of the Blink Outdoor, Blink has come out with a newer version called the Blink Outdoor 4. The one I tested was the third generation, which replaced the Blink XT2 (2nd generation) and the Blink XT (first generation).

Blink Camera System Blink Camera System

Then wait for the green light to turn on and the blue light to start blinking. The bottom light should be solid green, while the top light should flash blue – just like you see in the app. Note: If you don’t see the lights blinking properly, use a paperclip to press the reset button on the side of the Sync Module above the USB-A port. Then insert two AA batteries. To make your smart cameras last as long as possible, it is best to use lithium-ion batteries. You can also change your motion detection settings by tapping the gear icon at the bottom of your screen. Then go to Notification Options and select what type of notifications you want to receive. How to View Your Recorded Videos Note: If your system didn’t come with a Sync Module, or you are setting up a Blink Mini smart camera, you can skip to the next section.Then wait for your camera to update and tap Next. You will see this appear in the top-right corner of your screen when your camera is finished updating. The camera itself feels sturdy and well-made, while its weatherproof design promises to fend off downpours (though it’s not rated for underwater submersion). During our few weeks’ worth of testing, the Blink Outdoor comfortably shrugged off some of the biggest British summer downpours we’ve ever seen, filling us with confidence in its outdoor durability. The one thing we will add though is that the plastic can get scratched quite easily, not that you’ll need to worry about that once it’s mounted. That’s where the Blink Mini lags behind compared to its closest competitor, the Wyze Cam v3. Although priced similarly to the Blink Mini, I’ve found the Wyze Cam v3 much better at ignoring less important motion events thanks to its built-in person detection. Next, plug the Sync Module into a wall outlet. You can use the provided USB cable to plug the sync module into the provided power adapter. The micro-USB port is used for power, while the bigger USB-A port is used to record video onto a thumb drive.

Blink Camera Review 2023: Tested by Security Experts Blink Camera Review 2023: Tested by Security Experts

Now, as helpful as such an upgrade might be, I do want to point out that a wider field of view isn’t always better. You’re more likely to find pros and cons for each configuration. Since Blink uses narrow-angle lenses in their cameras, they’re best suited for monitoring specific targets, such as doorways and entrances, because objects will appear larger and more detailed within the image. In cameras with wide-angle lenses, 3 objects appear smaller, and you might see some occasional distortions along the edges of the frame during recording. Then verify your phone number. First, enter your phone number and then enter the verification code in the text message you receive. You can also receive a code over the phone if you tap the Voice Call option.The only cameras I can recall that had an easier setup were from Wyze Cams. If you’re into simple wireless tech, you’ll appreciate Blink and Wyze. Not only do they resemble each other somewhat in appearance, the cameras also cost less than much of the competition. You can find much more on Wyze in my hands-on Wyze Cam review. To view the videos recorded by your Blink cameras, open the Blink Home Monitor app and tap the Clip Roll icon at the bottom of your screen. Then select a clip that you want to watch. These extra features offer plenty of different ways to tweak things to your liking. The most basic thing you can and should do is rename the camera itself to something like ‘garden’, which also makes it easier when asking your Echo Show device to bring up a live feed. You can also play around with the activity zones for motion detection, selecting rectangular segments from a grid overlay where motion will be ignored. This is particularly useful for ignoring notification from, for example, a swaying tree, or the area where your cat prefers to nap out and stretch. Okay, maybe that’s oversimplifying it, but the setup process doesn’t really require much expertise. All instructions were provided by the app – even my teenager could do it. Overall, it took me less than 10 minutes to get each camera up and running. That’s 30 minutes of my lazy Tuesday afternoon well spent, don’t you think?

Blink devices — Blink Support Setting up your Blink devices — Blink Support

From here, you can set up motion “Zones” to disable motion detection alerts in certain areas. You can also scroll down to change other settings, such as your camera’s motion sensitivity, how long it takes your camera to send you an alert after it just detected motion, and more. That said, if a wide-angle lens camera sounds appealing to you, take a peek at my Amcrest camera review, where you’ll learn about a pair of solid devices with wider viewing angles, and better night vision, too. Managing Recordings With Blink Indoor Not really a DIYer? Don’t worry — like many “DIY” cameras on the market today, if you can turn a screwdriver, you can nail the install. The setup for Blink cameras in particular is especially easy. It consists of scanning a QR code with your phone, giving the cameras a name, and following the in-app instructions to sync everything up.The Blink Outdoor provides Full HD colour video which serves up a crisp, clear picture, with more than enough detail to clearly identify individuals. Things automatically switch to infrared vision in low light, which obviously provides a monochrome picture that’s less clear than that found in daylight.

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