The first line of defence for your home security system can be a video doorbell. They can show you who’s at the door, any packages that have been delivered, and even let you greet visitors if you have the right doorbell. However, they’re expensive, with most starting in the three-digit range and requiring a subscription to be worth it.
On the other hand, the Blink Video Doorbell is not like that. Even if you live in an apartment, the Blink Video Doorbell is a good way to protect your home without having to pay for a subscription. It doesn’t do anything new, but it’s a great way to know when someone is at the door.
Specifications
- Video Resolution: 1080p
- Field of View: 135 degrees horizontal, 80 degrees vertical
- Works with: Alexa
- Size: 5.1 x 1.7 x 1.1 inches
- Wired/Battery: Yes/Yes
- Package Detection: No
Where to get Blink Video Doorbell?
At every step, the Blink Video Doorbell was easy to set up and put in place. I’ve set up a lot of these things, and many of them have weird requirements that make the process more complicated than it needs to be. One strange thing about the Blink Video Doorbell is that it has a “key” to take off the backplate and get to the battery.
This key is about an inch long and a few millimetres wide. You’ll lose it if you don’t put it somewhere safe, but a butter knife will do the same job. It’s not really a key; it’s more like a tiny pry bar.
The Blink Video Doorbell works with two AA batteries and is supposed to last up to two years. It can, of course, also be wired in. You can use the backplate to screw it into the door, or you can use an adhesive strip. If you want to use glue, Command Strips aren’t the best choice because the doorbell will fall off after you close the door a few times. You’ll get better results if you use a thin strip that holds it tight against the door.
If you buy the Blink Sync Module 2, which Blink recommends, especially if your video doorbell runs on batteries, you can plug a USB stick into the module and save videos locally. It’s a feature that neither the Wyze nor the Ring video doorbells have, and it’s useful if your internet connection goes down. And because the storage isn’t in the video doorbell itself, you don’t have to worry about losing the recordings if someone steals your device.
The Blink app is pretty easy to use, even for first-timers. The home screen shows a recent still image from the video doorbell. Icons in the bottom corners of the thumbnail let you change the photo or watch live video from the camera.