Blink 4 Is a Decent Entry-Level Wireless Security Camera

I’m a big fan of the Blink Mini’s indoor cameras; I use them less for surveillance and more for laziness . Even when I thought about outdoor cameras, I thought they were for remote monitoring of the progress of my garden and not for security, but on the very day my Blink Outdoor 4 arrived, someone on the street broke in at night their home, and I had to admit, I was shocked by the irony.

I’ve always been skeptical about the usefulness of security cameras. I’ve had a Ring doorbell for years and its main purpose is to alert me when mail is arriving. I never thought that the video quality provided by these consumer cameras would be useful if my car was stolen. Since I only had one outdoor Blink camera, I had to make a strategic decision about where to place it, so I chose the very end of the driveway, just before people enter my backyard. This gave me a clear view of about thirty feet of my driveway that was less limited by the camera’s viewing distance than by obstructions in my yard.

What I like about Blink 4

Almost immediately I felt a tickle as I looked into the camera, despite my previous lack of interest in being watched. The fact that it is in this corner that the activities of cats, squirrels and birds are most often observed made me even more pleased. The camera’s resolution is surprisingly good, both during the day with color lighting and in the dark with night vision. The audio synced quite well with the video and was about as clear as it was on my Ring. It picks up noise within an eight-foot radius of the camera, meaning you only hear a snippet of any conversation as people walk by. When my friends left the party the night after I set up the camera, I realized that I would be happier not having to hear the entire conversation. Although I mentioned the camera at dinner and heard nothing untoward, it felt like eavesdropping because it was.

From a functional standpoint, I liked that the entire camera can be installed using two screws (included). In fact, as I struggled to reach the overhead garage, I realized that even one screw would do in a pinch.

Blink offers solid control over cameras, especially regarding sensitivity. Not only can you set overall sensitivity to motion and activity, but you can also select parts of the camera image to exclude from motion alerts. Other cameras offer this too, but the Blink’s reticle was so detailed that it had to be tested. I eliminated the tiny corner of the field where squirrels usually climb the fence, and the constant activity alerts I was getting disappeared. Once I added the area again, the sensitivity returned. It was impressive.

Blink comes with a 30-day trial of Blink Plus . With it, you can store clips from your cameras in the cloud. One Blink device will cost me $3 per month, and multiple cameras will cost me $10. That’s about a dollar cheaper than similar plans from Ring, as well as other security camera offerings.

What would I change about Blink 4?

I use a lot of technology, so I can confidently tinker with the settings, but if you’re a newbie, a quick tutorial would be helpful. Namely, I was confused by the fact that the device was not armed by default. Since the main purpose of a street camera is to capture motion, it should be enabled from the very beginning. However, the app is intuitive and has a decent user interface that allows you to easily jump into settings and change them on the fly.

I also wish Blink would add a battery indicator here. Replacing the battery on such devices is a painful task as it requires removing them, and although this does not happen often, it is easier to predict with a battery life indicator. Camera battery life monitoring becomes less accurate if you simply suggest “OK” or “Low,” as Blink does, rather than a graph of how charged the battery is. However, it’s not a deal breaker.

While the hub that was required for the outdoor camera installed flawlessly (it’s not required for my home mini cameras), it’s worth noting that I struggled to connect the outdoor camera to my existing home on the Blink app. To fix the situation, I simply created a new house called “outside” and was able to easily switch between it and my original “home” where my indoor cameras are located. If I had insisted, I might have eventually been able to connect it to my original home, but since the cameras don’t communicate with each other, it seemed unnecessary.

Finally, although this is a common problem with CCTV cameras, I have never been able to find that sweet spot of sensitivity where the camera captures a person and not a bird. Of course, these days people pay a lot of money for cameras just to photograph birds, but it would be nice to only receive an alert when a person walks through my property.

What I didn’t like about Blink 4

Blink comes in parts, first having to be taken apart to insert batteries, then reassembled and physically connected. There were no instructions on this matter. I was able to figure it out, but with the instructions it would have only taken a minute and I wouldn’t have spent ten minutes trying to figure out where one of the plastic pieces should go. (It turned out to be a handy modern plastic screwdriver, but by the time I realized this, I was using a quarter to unscrew the battery door instead.)

This is a problem with many security cameras, but the little black camera stuck out like a sore thumb no matter where I tried to place it. It would be nice to offer it in a more neutral or white version for homes with lighter paint. Everyone will notice this camera in my house whether they’re looking for it or not, which begs the question of how effective any of these cameras really are. Held in place by two small screws, it shouldn’t be too difficult to simply knock it off the wall.

Even installing the camera on the base wasn’t intuitive: I snapped it into place and then had to remove it when I realized it had to be detached to install the camera. This also meant that I had to struggle to secure the camera head to the base while balancing on a ladder after I got the base where I wanted it. I asked other people who had a camera if they had instructions, but they didn’t. Of course, there are videos showing how to put it all together , so if you take a minute to Google and don’t get confused, you’ll be fine.

My biggest issue with Blink 4, however, is its responsiveness. When my ring alerts me that someone is at my door, I immediately switch to the live video feed on my phone in case I want to chat with that person. (I rarely do this.) However, every time Blink alerted me, it was unable to play the live video, even though it showed that both my Wi-Fi connection and the connection to my Blink hub were excellent. Thirty seconds later I was able to access the clip from my library, but it wasn’t the same. I could always trigger live video outside of an alert with a slight delay, but this isn’t a case where it matters. If it is to keep me safe, I would like to see this delay removed.

Is it worth buying a Blink 4 security camera?

For $119, you get crisp, clear video and decent enough audio. You can at any time get an idea of ​​who is in your yard and what is happening in that yard. If you set your expectations at this level, the camera is amazing and I could see myself getting a few of these just to be able to keep an eye on all corners of the yard for a pet or just to keep an eye on the yard. For those with serious security concerns, the latency of the live video and the ease with which this camera can be seen and turned off may give one pause. For the hobbyist, a little more attention could be paid to the instructions and quick start guide, but ultimately this security camera is a great buy.