This is a huge plus if you’re not into having unsightly power cords running down the side of your house. For example, Ring’s cloud storage starts at $3 per month or $30 per year, while Arlo’s premium plans start at $99 per year. Not having to pay for access to your own video footage is a great perk for an inexpensive camera. The Blink website says you receive 7,200 seconds of storage before new footage records over the old stuff. Yep, free – though it’s not unlimited storage. Not having to pay for access to your own video footage is a great perk.Ĭloud storage is free. You don’t have to pay extra for cloud storage You can always view live action through the app, but you can’t record live action while watching it. You can customize how long you want the clips to be once motion is detected, and it will continue to record if it continues to detect movement. Those recordings are called “Motion Clips,” and are viewable via the app. It’s good the motion detection was reliable, because the device only records when it detects movement. We tried to trick the camera by hiding in front of the porch and waving just a hand, but the camera reliably caught the movement each time and sent us a notification. One thing we noticed that had nothing to do with the camera is how often a UPS or FedEx delivery person would leave a package on our porch without bothering to ring the doorbell (thanks a lot, UPS guy!). We received notifications every time motion was detected, although sometimes we’d be notified right away and sometimes there was a delay of up to 15 seconds. We found that we could rely on it to record motion pretty reliably. The camera works well– if you’re in the market for a basic model Here are a few other things we liked about the device. It’s got a decent app, looks simple, and works as promised. Once we got the device up and running and connected to the app, we found that there’s a lot to appreciate about this camera. We had it in a covered area where rain flew in sideways from time to time, and temperatures dropped into the 20s, yet the camera worked without issue. The camera is built for the outdoors, so it’s supposed to withstand rain, snow, and temperatures ranging from -4 degrees to 113 degree Fahrenheit.
Be sure to connect your camera to the app before you mount it, as you need to input the serial number located on the device before you can connect. In all, set-up was about as easy as it gets, as it took about 10 minutes to mount and position the camera, and get it connected to the Sync Module. We quickly and easily mounted it above our front door facing the porch, our driveway, and the street. You can also watch live footage and customize your configurations in the app, such as how sensitive you want the motion activation to be, or how long you want your video clips to be. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you can name your camera, receive alerts of movement detected, watch videos, and more.
The Blink XT works with the Blink app for either Android or iOS.
It has a resolution of 720p and can capture 7.5 frames per second in low lighting, and up to 35 frames per second in good lighting. The camera is a small square, measuring about three inches by three inches, with the lenses in the middle. Rain flew in sideways, and temperatures dropped into the 20s, yet the camera worked without issue. In the box you’ll find the camera, a cloud storage hub called the Sync Module, a USB cable and power adapter for the Sync Module, two AA lithium batteries to power the camera, a security sticker, a user guide, and hardware that includes a mount, screws, and adhesive strips. The Blink XT comes in a simple box with simple packaging.
So how does it measure up against the Arlo Pro 2s of the world? Read on to find out. The Blink XT camera ( $130 on Amazon for a single camera and cloud storage) is Blink’s battery operated outdoor camera. They have their limitations, but depending on what you’re looking for, their cameras could be a great fit for your home, especially if you’re just getting started with home security products. These days, you can buy everything from a basic no-frills security camera to one with lots of bells and whistles, including a floodlight, siren, and high-resolution video, all rolled into one.īlink, founded in 2008 and now under the umbrella of Amazon, has carved out space in the home security category with small, battery-operated cameras that you can put indoors or outdoors. From Nest’s line of indoor and outdoor cameras to Ring’s series of floodlight cams, it’s definitely a crowded market. There’s no shortage of home security cameras.