The Blink Outdoor 4 (4th Gen) camera system is a robust and user-friendly solution for those seeking dependable outdoor security. Its design and features are well-suited to both tech-savvy users and those new to smart home technology. Here’s a detailed look at what makes this system a solid choice and where it could use some refinement. Installation and Setup: The installation process for the Blink Outdoor 4 is remarkably straightforward. With its wire-free design, setting up the camera requires no drilling or complex wiring, making it accessible even for those who are not particularly handy. Simply attach the mount using the provided screws, snap the camera into place, and follow the intuitive steps in the Blink app to connect the camera to your network. Within minutes, your camera is up and running, providing instant peace of mind. Picture Quality and Performance: The Blink Outdoor 4 impresses with its picture quality. The HD video captures crisp, clear images both day and night, aided by its infrared night vision capabilities. This clarity is crucial for effective security monitoring, ensuring that you can easily identify faces and details in recorded footage. The enhanced motion detection is sensitive and responsive, alerting you promptly to any activity within its field of view. Key Features: Extended Battery Life: One of the standout features of the Blink Outdoor 4 is its impressive battery life. With typical use, the camera can operate for up to two years on a pair of AA lithium batteries, significantly reducing the need for frequent battery changes. Two-Way Audio: The two-way audio feature allows you to communicate directly through the camera via the Blink app. This is particularly useful for interacting with visitors or deterring potential intruders. HD Live View: Accessing live footage in high definition from your smartphone or tablet gives you real-time monitoring capabilities, allowing you to check on your property anytime, anywhere. Alexa Integration: The Blink Outdoor 4 integrates seamlessly with Alexa, enabling voice-controlled live viewing on compatible Echo devices and simplifying your smart home experience. App Experience and Limitations: While the camera hardware excels, the accompanying Blink app falls slightly short in terms of functionality. The app is generally easy to navigate, but it lacks robust sharing capabilities that some other security systems offer. For instance, sharing access to live feeds or recorded footage with family members or friends is not as intuitive or flexible as it could be. This limitation may be a consideration for users who prioritize extensive sharing options in their security system. Additionally, the app’s interface, while user-friendly, sometimes feels a bit basic and could benefit from more advanced customization options. For example, setting up motion detection zones or adjusting sensitivity requires navigating through several menus, which might be streamlined in future updates. Reliability and Overall Value: Despite these minor app drawbacks, the Blink Outdoor 4 stands out as a reliable and cost-effective choice for outdoor security. Its robust features, like extended battery life and HD live view, provide comprehensive surveillance without the hassle of wires or frequent maintenance. The integration with Alexa adds an extra layer of convenience, making it easy to monitor and control your system through voice commands. Pros: Effortless, wire-free installation High-quality HD video with clear night vision Long-lasting battery life Two-way audio for direct communication Seamless Alexa integration for voice control Cons: Limited sharing capabilities in the app App interface could be more intuitive and customizable Conclusion: In summary, the Blink Outdoor 4 (4th Gen) camera system offers a balanced blend of ease-of-use, reliable performance, and essential security features. While there’s room for improvement in the app’s sharing functionalities and user interface, the system’s overall value and effectiveness make it a strong contender for anyone looking to enhance their home security without breaking the bank. Its combination of quality hardware and convenient features ensures that you can monitor your property confidently and conveniently.

Last year we were heading out for an extended family vacation so we decided to purchase some exterior cameras so we at least had a way to keep an eye on our home while we were gone. We opted to purchase these Blink Outdoor battery-operated cameras, and I’ve got to say, these little gadgets are seriously impressive! Set up was a breeze—no complicated wiring and easy to sync with the Blink app on your phone or iPad. We had them up and running in a matter of minutes, which was a big win in my book. The video quality is crystal clear, even at night and the best part? You can access live view anytime through the app, so you always know what’s happening around your home. We especially love the two-way audio feature which is perfect for interacting with someone unknown on your porch without having to open your front door—adding a whole new level of security. And for messing with your dogs when they're in the backyard…that's always a good time. These cameras are built tough and they’re weather-resistant, so rain or shine, they keep working. Whether you’re keeping an eye on your front door, backyard, or just want to check in on things, these cameras deliver. We just bought a pair for my brother and so far he's impressed as well. If you’re in the market for home security that’s effective, versatile, and affordable without being a hassle these Blink Outdoor cameras are a solid choice.

Very nice cameras. Easy installation. The lighting at night is great. Sound quality is very good. Nice broad view. Easy to set up and run on the app. Great value for the money. My first thought was " these cameras are awful small." But the work great and do a nice job. Picks up movement about 150 into our yard.

Reading the reviews on this thing made me a little uneasy, but I’ve been using it for about four months now and, with the right accessories, it’s been perfect! I got it so I could check in on my dog in her outside kennel while I’m at work in the day, so of course I was looking for something wireless. I got a pole mount for it so I didn’t use the mount it came with but it works perfectly with the setup I have. There are really only three cons that I’ve found since setting it up. One is that it is indeed a couple seconds delayed as others have mentioned, but that hasn’t caused any problems whatsoever, just something I noticed. Second is the “person detection” feature is not accurate at all. When I have it turned on it triggers notifications every time my dog moves or a bird flys into the kennel, so if you’re going to put it in an area where that’s going to cause problems just be warned. Third, the battery life is horrific if you have the motion detection on or if you look at the live feed too often throughout the day. This is a problem that’s easily solved by getting a solar panel for it, I’ve been using it with the solar panel for about three months with no issues and no low battery notifications, but without the solar panel I was changing the batteries every 1.5-2 weeks which is not fun. In all, even though there are a couple work arounds to make it perfect, this is a pretty low cost, easy to use and effective product if you’re in need of a wireless camera.

Overall, I’m very happy with the Blink camera system (and I’m not paying for the subscription). One of the reasons I decided to buy into this system was because I didn’t need a subscription for: 1) Live view option, which means, see the live video from the cameras any time I want via the app, from anywhere. 2) Save videos that were triggered by motion to a USB flash drive (memory stick) inside my house (not cloud only and not stored in the camera itself). Keep in mind, most of my comments here will be related to using the system without a subscription, but I’ll comment on the differences where possible. Also, my comments may be a little more technical than most people would like, but for anyone interested, I’m being as detailed as possible :-) These comments are relevant as of Feb 2024 (the date I wrote this review). Viewing/Storing Your Videos: During the trial subscription period when I could view my motion-triggered saved videos in the cloud, I noticed the videos load/play quicker than if you’re accessing the videos stored on the USB flash drive in the Sync Module 2. Anyway, not a big deal, but it’s a difference. You need to provide a USB flash drive to plug in to the Sync Module, but those are very cheap these days and a 128GB drive will give you TONS of storage for videos since the file size of the videos is not very big. Also, with the cloud subscription there’s a thumbnail for each video saved, which can be helpful in finding important videos if you’re trying to find one with people in it, rather than a video triggered by a dog. Without a subscription, there’s no thumbnail on the saved videos which you view in your app, and it takes several seconds for them to load/play in your app, but it’s bearable. The nice thing is, if you don’t have a subscription, the videos save to your flash drive/memory stick in the Sync Module 2 immediately after the recording is finished. If you have a subscription, the videos only download to your Sync Module’s USB flash drive once per day, at night (as I understand it). Sync Module 2 & Wireless Signals to Wi-Fi & Cameras: The Sync Module is required for the cameras, but you get one of those if you buy a package, like I did. I bought the bundle that included two Outdoor 4 cameras, one video doorbell and the Sync Module 2. It’s important to know the Sync Module and the cameras have TWO wireless signals. One that needs to connect to your home (or business) 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network and one that is only for use by the Sync Module and cameras and that signal is a ‘Low-Frequency Radio’ (LFR) signal. It does not have 5GHz, but you don’t want that anyway because the 5GHz signal is weaker than 2.4GHz signal. The Sync Module is where you connect a USB flash drive (memory stick) to save your videos if you’re not paying for a subscription (and also for once-daily backups of your videos if you ARE paying for a subscription). PLACEMENT OF THE SYNC MODULE IS IMPORTANT! Remember, it has TWO signals. It needs to be placed in an area that has a good signal to your home/business Wi-Fi AND so that it also has a good signal to all your cameras (if you have them spread out in different areas around your home or outside your home). To give you some perspective, my house is a single-story ranch style house (around 1,700 sq ft) and I have a camera outside on each wall (each wall is brick). I was able to place the Sync Module and my Wi-Fi access point in the center of my house. Even in this central location, I have one camera (the video doorbell, about 38’ away from sync module and Wi-Fi access point) that has only 2 to 3 bars (out of 4) for the Wi-Fi connection but usually 4 bars for the Sync Module connection. Long story short, make sure you place the sync module, your Wi-Fi access point and the cameras so they all connect to each other with as strong a signal as possible for best performance/reliability. It worked out well for my house, especially since I have flexibility on where I can place my sync module and home Wi-Fi access point and the technical knowledge and tools to move it wherever I needed it. Outdoor 4 Camera: The image quality/exposure for these cameras is very good. The nighttime IR (infrared) view is very good also (it will appear like black and white footage). The coverage of the IR light when it’s dark is also very good and has better coverage than I would have expected. I have motion-triggered flood lights outside my house anyway, so if my lights are triggered, the camera may not use IR because it sees enough light (at that point it will record normal video in color just like it does during daylight). I bought 25 ft long third-party USB-C cords with a power supply to use as the power source for my Outdoor 4 cameras so I never have to replace batteries and so I can view live video from the cameras as much as I want and also have the infrared light set to High without impacting battery life, because there are no batteries to worry about :-). I don’t know if it’s different WITH a subscription, but the longest period you can record when the camera is triggered by motion is 60 seconds. For the video doorbell the max record time per motion trigger is 30 seconds, just so you know. Regarding the power, I drilled a hole in the bricks of my house (in the mortar actually) to feed power to my Outdoor 4 cameras. One camera is directly under a soffit, so there’s no danger of rain getting in there where the power cord connects (but the cord I bought is weather sealed anyway, not a normal USB-C cord). The other camera is mounted under a third-party security camera cover to keep the sun from beating down on it all summer (it’s on a south wall) and to keep rain off it, just in case…because again, I decided to power this one by a cord that plugs into the back of the camera instead of using the batteries). The included mount is very nice and flexible. If you mount an Outdoor 4 camera under a white security camera cover like I did, you may need to paint the underside of that cover with flat black paint because at night (in my case) the infrared light reflected off the underside of the cover/shield I’m using over my outdoor 4 camera and that made the video made difficult to see clearly. Daylight videos were unaffected, it was just at night in low light when the IR light was active for video recording that was a problem with that aftermarket cover I bought. Doorbell Camera: For the video doorbell the max record time per motion trigger is 30 seconds. Why, I don’t know. Technical limitations? The Outdoor 4 cameras can record 60 seconds of motion triggered video. The wireless signals for the doorbell camera seem to be a little weaker than the outdoor 4 cameras. One big disappointment is that the video doorbell camera can NOT be powered by your existing doorbell power wire. My old Skybell brand video doorbell CAN be powered by the doorbell wires, so it’s a bummer that Blink can’t do the same. You can connect your existing doorbell wires to trigger your indoor doorbell, so that’s good…but like I said, you can’t use that wire to power the video doorbell. I confirmed this with Blink tech support. I hope they have a new version in the future that is able to be powered solely by the doorbell power wires, but for now, I have to keep batteries in it. The video doorbell device has a weaker infrared (IR) light than the Outdoor 4 cameras and lesser quality video than the Outdoor 4 cameras, but overall, it’s good (especially during daylight hours). The included mount is very nice and easy to install. Motion Triggering of Videos + Privacy: The settings/customization for when motion triggers video recording is very good. You have the option to block out as much of the scene as you need to to prevent unwanted triggering of video recordings, such an area of the scene where tree limbs often blow around or something like that. For privacy, you have the option to block out 2 custom size areas in the scene you select for privacy reasons so that area in the video is grayed out. The selected privacy area does not trigger when motion happens in that privacy section and also, when other sections in the scene that you allow to be seen trigger video, the video that's recorded has a gray box in the privacy section (all you see is a gray box). That's pretty powerful and useful, if you need it. Regarding motion triggered video recording in general, I've noticed the cameras can accidentally trigger (record) when it's really misty/foggy outside. If there's a lot of mist in the air floating by the motion sensor, it can trigger a recording. Just something to keep in mind because you may need to adjust the motion sensitivity and/or 'disarm' the cameras for a while until the mist clears because you may be getting lots of unwanted/accidental recordings. I have mine adjusted to the point where the cameras almost never accidentally record unless it's very misty outside, which isn't too often where I am. Audio Quality: The microphones on the Outdoor 4 and video doorbell camera pick up sound very well. I can clearly hear anyone speaking. The closer they are, the better of course, but it's very good. The speaker volume for the cameras is very good as well. It's plenty loud and if anyone is nearby when you activate the camera and start speaking, they'll hear it clearly :-) Blink App for Phone: The app you can download on your phone for managing the cameras/sync module is very nice and has plenty of options to configure/customize the cameras (motion settings, video quality, audio settings, check status, etc). The app is where you view your videos, but of course if you’re storing videos on the flash drive connected to the sync module, you can remove that flash drive and plug it in to your computer to see the video files there or make copies of the files for long-term storage…but of course you can also use the app to save a video file to your phone if you want to keep a copy of share it with someone, like the cops :-). I wish they had an app for Windows so I could view the cameras live and see saved videos on the sync module’s flash drive right from my computer, but at this point there’s no PC app. I think there used to be one?...but if there was, there isn’t one now (Feb 2024). Price: I compared the price of this system and what it can do with other systems like Ring, Nest and Skybell and at this time, the price difference is significant, in my opinion. The Blink system (and what it offers even without a subscription) is better than the other systems I checked out.

Terribly disappointed so far. Unbelievably disappointed. Cameras were easy to set up I bought an extra sync module so that I could 2 networks, 1 for my house, 1 for a vacant family home My wi-fi systems are 300mbps, or better 6 month old routers Sync module positioned about 10’ from my routers at most. system 1 cameras are both within 30’ of the sync module System 2 cameras are max 10’ from the sync module System 1 installed at my house and operates normally for 3 days. There are 3 wireless outdoor cameras and 1 mini camera on this system. All seems okay, except 1 camera will not reliably display live video and will not update thumbnail images, but detects motion and records. Then I go on vacation OVERSEAS, and a second camera at the front door goes offline. Fantastic. Instructions say I just need to cycle power. But I cannot remove and reinstall the batteries here in the USA when I’m in Germany. So this system has 4 cameras: 1 doesn’t open live video feed or update thumbnails, and a second drops offline 1 day after starting a vacation. I install the second system at in-laws house a few days in advance of leaving. This system has only 2 cameras, wireless outdoor gen 4 cameras, and as a precaution I buy and install new batteries. The system is performing normally for a couple days, but when I return home to the USA, camera 2 drops offline. A half-day later it returns online. On day 4, both cameras drop offline. They do not reappear online. During all failures, the sync modules appeared to be connected with a full strength signal. And when the cameras all showed that their batteries were full, and all showed a full strength connection to the sync modules. When I returned home, I was able to remove and replace the batteries in the offline camera, and it has been working normally, so far. The camera with the live video issue was also power cycled, and still not functioning properly. It will be 2 months before I can power cycle the cameras on Germany. At this time, I have no faith in this system. They have dropped connectivity at random, and there is no easy option to troubleshoot remotely. A lot of folks seem to have good systems, and I was impressed at first, setup was easy, settings were pretty good, day and night video was good, motion detection was good. But if they don’t stay connected reliably then they are not good. And mine have not been good. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 23 Dec 2023 - Improving my review from 1 Star to 2 Stars Trying to organize this so it's easy to follow. Home Cameras - Camera 1 - This camera (Outdoor 4) still not reliably responding to Live Video or Thumbnail Update requests, but detecting motion okay, and sending alerts okay, when the system is armed - Camera 2 - This camera (Outdoor 4) fell offline after its 1st 3 days of service, and stayed offline while on vacation. I cycled power when I returned, and it has stayed online for 9 days now. It is sometimes slow to show Live Video or Thumbnails, but has generally responded. - Camera 3 - This camera (Outdoor 4) has worked 100% good, without issue. - Camera 4 - This camera (Mini) has worked 100% good, without issue. In-Law's Cameras (Overseas) Camera 1 went offline and came back online a day later. Then Camera 2 went offline, then both cameras went offline. I tried to "jiggle the handle" on this system, by removing the cameras and reinstalling them remotely (I know the camera serial numbers) - Camera 1 - This camera got disassociated from the Sync Module, and it's gone until I can return Overseas and cycle the power again. - Camera 2 - I removed and reinstalled remotely, and this camera has remained online without issue. Don't know why. Some cameras have been good all the time, some have been unreliable. On a good note, Blink Customer Service reached out to me based on my initial review, and has so far been very responsive. Based on the Customer Service guy's help, I am improving this review to 2 stars. The cameras still need to be better than this, but Blink seems to be trying, and I appreciate that. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 17 Mar 2024 - Reducing my review to 1 Star again DO NOT TRUST THE OUTDOOR WIRELESS CAMERAS TO STAY CONNECTED RELIABLY. 5 DAYS INTO A MONTH LONG TRIP AND ONE OF MY CAMERAS GOES OFFLINE. IT HAS DROPPED OFFLINE 2 TIMES IN JANUARY, BUT HAS BEEN OKAY, UNTIL I NEED IT. A SECOND OUTDOOR CAMERA ON MY NETWORK DROPPED OFFLINE AT LEAST 3 TIMES IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, BUT IS CURRENTLY FUNCTIONING. I NOW HAVE 2 BLINK MINI CAMERAS AND THEY HAVE BEEN 100% GOOD THESE OUTDOOR CAMERAS ARE GREAT WHEN THEY WORK, WHICH IS 95% OF THE TIME, AND THEY WORK AGAIN AS SOON AS I REMOVE AND REINSTALL THE BATTERIES, BUT YA CAN’T JUST RETURN HOME FROM VACATION, RIGHT?!? BECAUSE OF THIS,THE OUTDOOR CAMERAS ARE FRUSTRATING AND MISERABLE. IT’S TIME FOR BLINK TO REPLACE THESE.

We've purchased 22 Blink cameras and 2 Blink doorbells since 2018. We have bought them for friends and family to help them keep an eye on their homes and pets... PROS: Easy to purchase Easy to setup Uses batteries - no need to be near an outlet Works indoors and outdoors Doorbell can be use indoors as well - Ive set this up as emergency button for a senior Sound and Video is more than sufficient. CONS: Battery life does not last 2 years as advertise. If you have one setup at your house and you have people coming and going, there is no way it lasts 2 years. From my experience 1-3 months depend on traffic. Thats still ok with me since its just a quick 2 AA battery switch out. Slight delay in getting the video or seeing the live view. I think its because the camera is busy recording. But its not a show stopper.

Just received this today, and it does show an improvement on the quality. Feels and looks beefier. When updating your activity zones, there are more squares to select than the previous versions of these cameras, which I like, to fine tune the areas I want. ** And, I think the inactive zones you set up, are ‘actually’ enforced and work as expected than the older generation cameras. TIP **25 September 2023 - For those having issues about wifi signal strength, you may need to mess with the router’s settings to increase signal power. If your router is between walls, behind the tv, etc. you will see degradation in performance and responsiveness in live view. I have a gaming router set on a high shelf, because routers work best when they’re in a high spot. My cameras that are outside have no issues with Wi-Fi strength and are responsive when live-viewing. Field of view has improved significantly and you can see a large difference between versions of cameras. Good thing is that the mounts for the previous cameras WILL work on this camera. The mount it came with is an improvement to previous versions. Flat base, not cone-shaped. I’m currently trying the person detection from the trial with this camera, and will update over time on the performance.**Person Detection since having BO4 as the trial, has been great! It has significantly cut down on the amount of unwanted notifications caused by wind, car/sensor lights, animals, etc. I do feel that you can save battery life significantly, even when the sensitively is set higher. Having too many notifications does get annoying at times, but I think Blink is definitely making an initiative to make these camera a gamer-changer, while still maintaining ease of setup. Price is a tad high, but you may consider the monthly payments, which I did. **28 August 2023 - Taking a snapshot/photo capture from these cameras, at night, non-night vision, pointing in a lighted area is sharp(er), than any previous version. No images included due to security. Haven’t tried night vision alone, but I’m confident the same sharpness is applied. **29 August 2023 - The Motion Recording Types cover Person Detection and All Motion. I have one camera set with Person Detection enabled with sensitivity level at 8, and it didn’t detect me driving my car in/out of the garage. I would’ve thought Person Detection would encompass ‘some’ normal motions, but I think we must take it at face value that when set to Person Detection, it will ONLY detect persons, you don’t get the best of both worlds unless selecting All Motion. Sounds dumb to say, but though I’d make it aware. Update** On a ‘very few’ instances, this camera did detect my car entering and exiting our garage. So my thoughts originally have shifted, but I think over time with continued firmware updates, it will hone in on its accuracy. 1 September 2023 - One camera fell offline/unresponsive. Suspicion is on firmware updates being applied, or, weather factors since it’s low 60° outside. No issues with home network or signal strength to camera. Will continue to monitor/self troubleshoot. **I took out the batteries, and tested them, showing still a full charge/health, and placed them back in, bringing the camera back online. 4 September 2023 - One of my BO4 cameras with Person Detection enabled was at level 8 sensitivity, and on a windy day, did alert that there was a person at (insert camera name). It alerted a few times during the day (under 5 instances), but not a big deal. My guess would be that as BO4 continues to develop, the accuracy will improve in its detection. 8 September 2023 - Setup of 3rd BO4 camera set in an area where there is minimal/no lights. Due to security, no images. Taking Live Photo with the IR intensity set at LOW. Some haziness/fuzziness but the area is lit up, and provides better detail than previous versions of Blink cameras. As you increase in IR sensitivity, the Live Photo (in HIGH IR setting) increased in sharpness and reduces glare and fuzziness significantly. **I placed some solar floodlights in the area of this BO4, and with low IR sensitivity and once the lights are triggered, the video capture was much sharper than previous versions of Blink cameras. I only have video quality set at normal, so I’m impressed with BO4 so far! 28 September 2023 Another BO4 fell offline around 11pm. Last occurrence was due to a firmware update being deployed, so this may be due to the same thing. 1 October 2023 - Installed my 4th BO4, as I’m looking at all the point of views both in the live shot and live view, it feels that it elongates everything. I know my driveway isn’t that long, but comparing it to previous generation cameras, BO4 view appears to add like 20ft+ to my driveway. I can understand the other reviews concerned about the range detection, as I do notice some times it will not catch movement, especially if I’m moving slowly or based on camera positioning, but at sensitivity level 8-9, I would like to catch movement at a farther range. As I continue to implement BO4, I will continue to observe performance. 6 October 2023 - It appears one of my BO4s point toward the road at max sensitivity IS NOT catching cars passing by anymore. Seems that v13.34 that was pushed out, affected the range despite any setting changes. Not a concern (yet), but I’m hoping newer updates will fix range issues and sensitivity. **Update - camera seems to be capturing movement now at a lower sensitivity set at 6-7. May’ve been a change in traffic flow by the house, in which there may be less cars, however, will continue to observe BO4 performance. 4 November 2023 - Installed another BO4 camera while also upgrading one camera with a battery expansion kit. This is specifically for BO4 cameras, not previous versions. The expansion makes this camera much heavier, however, the mounts they come with (and previous) will support the weight without the mount drooping/moving. I’m not a fan of adding more bulk to the camera. Also, this battery expansion will not use camera’s battery slots, and instead uses the expansion for 4 batteries. I would’ve preferred an integration that would’ve retained the two onboard batteries + two for expansion. Other than that, the BO4 cameras have been wonderful to use, with overall quality/sharpness. I do hope that future updates will improve motion detection and range, respectively. Nonetheless, these are worth an upgrade from previous versions. 15 November 2023 - I’ve noticed recently that BO4 will notify of Motion/person and it will not record that instance. It happens sporadically, so it is a slight concern, but not enough deter me from purchasing another BO4. Over time as more updates are pushed to these cameras, I expect the overall effectiveness will improve. 6 December 2023 - BO4 has been a great upgrade for my system. There are still occasions where I’ll receive a notification of movement, but does not record that moment. It’s very rare now with the update to v13.41. I still see issues regarding the sensitivity not working as expected. One camera is set at 9, toward the road, and it does not always catch cars driving by. Not a showstopper, but I can see now it’s range detection could be an issue for others. With recent Blink app updates, you now can adjust the length of video recording (previously it was adjusted by every 5 seconds), which is great! Allows for better customization for your needs. I wish this was the same for the sensitivity (0-99 vs 1-9). Overall BO4 has been accurate with Person Detection, and the subscription for Blink Plus for $10/mon, is very reasonable for any household to use to expand features. 27 January 2024 - BO4 has been working exceptionally well. I still have the Blink Plus subscription to allow the Person Detection feature, and it’s accurate. There were certain instances that BO4 cameras did not record movement such as my neighbor chopping his tree down. I also noticed there were connectivity issues during that time that left a large gap in my list of recordings. Not a showstopper, but concerning for those security moments. Range also plays a factor in detection, so I continue to hope that future updates will improve this. Overall, upgrading to this camera is well worth it. Wait for the sales to get these at a cheaper price. 16 February 2024 - Decided to update the Blink Sync Module because I realized I was still using the 1st generation sync module. I updated to the 2nd generation sync module, and I noticed there’s more of a delay when live streaming my cameras. I did a reboot of the sync module a few times, but I still receive a slight delay. One camera I have at a longer distance is unable to be live viewed despite Wi-Fi and sync module connection have full bars/strong connectivity. Still attempting to troubleshoot but I think something about the firmware I updated to since it’s the first time connecting. Further investigation is needed. Overall, the cameras are working as expected! 18 February 2024 - Identified that the issue was NOT the Sync Module 2, and rather my own internet. Reboot modem, router and network switch, and saw significant improvement in BO4 camera responsiveness. Additionally, I will take into factor that weather was not great at the time of incident. Since this, the Blink cameras are working as intended! 22 April 2024 - I’ve bumped up to the yearly Blink Plus subscription as the Person Detection feature has been wonderful! Eliminated unnecessary notifications caused by wind, sun/shadows, or other movement. It does save your batteries! There are occasions where there is a notification of movement, however, it does not record/save the video. Not sure if there are delays, but I continue to have confidence as new firmware is pushed to BO4, it will improve overall performance. Since having these cameras, I haven’t had major issues, and Blink support have been helpful and receptive. Other things I’ve noticed as far as delays in live streaming, are caused by your upload speeds. The higher your upload speeds are, the quicker the response is. Additionally, consider adjusting your Wi-Fi strength from your router/wireless access point, as this also contributes to the responsiveness. Overall, I am pleased with Blink Outdoor 4 cameras.

I have used Blink cameras for years. I have been happy with there performance a very well polished product. I recently bought a bird feeder made to accept a blink camera. I had an extra XT2 so I installed it. Everything was good except for the bird feeders mounting straps are a travesty and it allowed the feeder to drop no mater how tight they were. It damaged the brand new never used blink camera, an internal filter broke loose. I ordered this 4th Gen to replace it. I was excited for the new generation and the presumably better quality images. I installed it immediately. Or tried to. Sad to say the 4th Gen doesn't fit the feeder. I modified things to make it work. Now for the performance of the camera. It seems it has the ability to detect people Except it thinks most things are people. This also seems to be a paid feature with a free trail. The camera also has an offset lens and the field of view is slightly different. The deal breaker is that it doesn't focus up close on the birds at the feeder as the older unit did. I see the neighbors house crystal clear and blurry birds. This is a disappointment to say the least, couple that with an inability to replace the original camera mounts of the older cameras on my house (storm damage) and I think I am shopping for a new wireless camera system. I would buy a few of the older generations but they are no where to be found.

I purchased the Blink 4 cameras to replace an older Arlo Pro 2 system at a remote cabin. I use the Blink 4's outside the cabin. I also got two Blink Mini cameras (hardwired so no batteries) for inside the cabin. The old Arlo cameras are now running at my house in the city. A side note about the cabin. It's in rural area on several acres. There's no cell phone service - none whatsoever. On a good day you have to walk a few miles to get one bar. The driveway has a steep section that traps a lot of people. Naturally, they reach for their phones and soon realize they're screwed. No tow truck service will be coming to rescue them. So, I use the cameras to monitor things and call a tow service, or the Sheriff, depending on what the stranded people start getting in to. Sometimes it turns into dinner and a show. Strangely enough, the cabin has blazing fast fiber optic Internet service. I'm sure the government paid for the infrastructure - no private business in it's right mind would ever invest the millions required to serve the 30, but probably less, customers tapped into it. Back to the review... The Arlo cameras had two issues. First, the night vision was terrible, especially where there is little ambient light. At night at the cabin you can barely see your hand in front of your face. Second, Arlo announced the end of free cloud hosting (now extended) which I want. I don't want to buy a device and then be tethered to that company forever, relying on them not going out of business, just to use it. I want to preface my comments with acknowledging that I'm comparing two technologies that are 3 or more years apart. The current Arlo cameras may now have better night vision and clearer video, but Arlo doesn't provide anything but subscription based cloud hosting. There is no local/free cloud hosting option. So, comparing the Arlo Pro 2 to the Blink 4, the Blink 4 night vision seems to be slightly better, but still not great. I can tell if the "intruder" is a deer or racoon, but only when they're close enough to be sniffing at the camera. You can't read a license plate. The quality of the Blink video (day or night) seems clearer and sharper. Blink does give you the option to increase the IR intensity to improve night vision, but I haven't used it. Blink offers a free 30-day trial of their cloud hosting. I cancelled it, but noticed three things that I wish local hosting did that cloud hosting offers. First, there are no video thumbnails in the app when you use local hosting. Second, you can't delete multiple clips at once when using local hosting - you can only delete your clips one at a time. Third, when you play a clip, it's takes a few seconds to load the clip in the app. These are things I'm willing to live with. A few things I think Blink does better than Arlo are the scheduling of times when each system (sync module) is on and off. You can have multiple schedules running unique to each day of the week. Something that the Arlo app lets you do that Blink does not, is to turn off individual cameras. It seems like a pretty basic feature, but for the life of me, I can't find that setting in the Blink app. A few other items. Setting up the Blink system is incredibly easy. The app has a few features that are handy, like pausing an entire system for 2, 4 or 6 hours, or simply overwriting a schedule and turning it off. You can also set the clips to automatically delete after 7, 14 or 30 days. (If you use cloud hosting there are more options). This way your thumb drive for local hosting won't fill up. I never tried to adjust activity zones or use facial recognition. One or both of these may only be available with paid cloud hosting. Initially, my biggest concern with the Blink 4 cameras was battery life. Only time will tell, but I doubt if I'll get 2 years out of them. A few camera locations get lots of animals passing by (also insects, birds and blowing leaves) which triggers the cameras every day. Some hardly see any activity. After three years, the Arlo batteries are starting to need replaced and they're expensive. Finally, the Blink 4 cameras are considerably cheaper than Arlos. I had an issue with woodpeckers attacking the Arlos - they don't care for the infrared motion sensors - so replacing them won't be as expensive. It was funny the first time. but not as funny the third time around. Now I protect them all with coated chicken wire set about 3 inches in front of each camera. 3 Month Update: I have ten cameras running around the cabin on two sync modules. One camera (the closest outside camera to its sync module) died after about a week. I suspected a bad battery, and that's exactly what it was....so much for a two-year lifespan. So, be aware that your batteries may not be at 100% charge when you get your camera out of the box and set it up. A few of the cameras show very poor network strength, but perfect (4 bar) connection to the sync module. Not sure exactly how that works, but I suspect it's also a partially discharged battery when I first opened the package. If it's not a battery issue, then there's really no explanation. The furthest camera away (at least 100' away from the its module) shows perfect wifi strength and sync module connectivity. Another camera on the same sync module but only 20' away directly in front of the far camera, shows poor connectivity. It also seems like the cameras with poor wifi strength and sync module connectivity detect motion, and send my phone an alert, but don't record a video. Again, this could be a battery issue. Note that despite my suspicion that the camera performance falls off if batteries are not fully charged, all of my cameras say their batteries are "ok" in the app....except the one that died. It simply went dead and offline with no warning. Another issue I've frequently noticed with the Blink cameras is that if you access the system via the app, and then try a live view on a camera, you get a message that the system is busy. This never happened with the Arlo cameras. This is especially frustrating when you get a motion alert, but no video was recorded, so you try to see a live view...only to be informed that you can't do that either. I'm hoping that replacing a few batteries might alleviate all of these issues. 6 month update A few more months and a few more issues... I get a LOT of what I would term "false alarms", where I get an alert of motion, but no video is recorded. One suggested solution is to reduce the video quality. That didn't help. I also started getting false alarms on the two hard-wired Blink Mini cameras inside the cabin, so it's not a battery issue. I didn't change anything about the cameras prior to getting bombarded with alerts. I started getting about one alert per minute or more. The only solution I could initially find was to DISARM the system/module for the indoor cameras. So, basically the indoor system was completely worthless. Solution number two was to decrease the motion sensitivity. That seems to stop the false alerts temporarily, but 24 hours later they started again. I decreased the motion sensitivity again, but it had no impact. If it wasn't for the remote location of the cabin, I'd wonder if I was missing something that was going on. Possibly a camera reset is in order. At this point, what could it hurt? One issue I've seen others report is that if you have a 2.4 GHz network (required for the Blink 4's) and a 5 GHz network, they should have unique SSID's (network names). I set my network up this way so this wasn't an issue for me. The Arlo cameras used to capture video of a lot more animals. So, I suspect that the Blink motion detection isn't as long-range as the Arlo cameras. Blink does capture a lot of close-up video of bugs, and video of family members when I know they're visiting, so they seem to be working. Getting the perfect placement for the cameras is important. You want traffic crossing in front of the cameras, not coming straight at them. So, I'm still tinkering with placement. Conclusions When the Blink cameras work, they're great. When they go into crazy mode and start bombarding you with false alarms, it's aggravating and makes you regret the purchase. I trust the Arlo cameras more than I currently trust the Blink cameras. It'll take a while for me to get there with Blink, if at all. Hopefully, I'll eventually get the Blink kinks all worked out. Other things on my list to try are (1) reduce the number of cameras per sync module and/or add another sync module, (2) play with camera placement, and (3) move the sync modules around to improve connectivity. I guess I would sum up my review this way: There's a reason why the Blink cameras cost less.