Reviews: All new Blink Outdoor Security included

As Bonkers Bill said Zero Stars - Motion detectors miss cars, no way to quickly retrigger, limited clip length..

* Watching my driveway, foyer, and garage, the motion detector often does not pick up things that aren't small and hot - for example it completely misses the UPS and FedEx trucks that stop in my driveway.
* When it does trigger, it has a limited clip length and won't retrigger quickly, so it often misses key action. When guests pull into the driveway, it usually registers the car, but has run out of recording time by the time somebody gets out, and if they were up to no good, they'd be totally missed.
* Poor signal strength - it was difficult to find a place to for the 'sensor hub' that provided good coverage. All of the cameras are within 50' of the sensor, yet I can't find a place in the house for the hub where all get satisfactory signal.
* System is busy - often when I manually request capture the application reports 'System is Busy'

Not suitable for purpose as a security device - the system regularly fails to record critical events.

I'm not going to throw these away, but I would not buy them again.

This a word from Gary H said Updated review - Very poor distance.

Update 7/22/19 - Changing back to 1 star. They sent me replacement cameras that supposedly have better range due to a firmware update. Nothing changed, still can't connect to the one outside. I bought a $60 range extender and now get 4 out of 5 bars on that camera but it still won't connect. I thought this would be a great solution but apparently not.
Update 6/1/19 - I am changing my review from 1 star to 3 stars. Why? I got an email from the founder of Blink letting me know they are working on the unexpected issues and are very willing to work with me to get this figured out. They haven't actually done anything other than email me to let me know this, but their willingness to jump in so quickly and work on a solution speaks volumes to their desire to provide good customer service. I'll update again after I hear more from them and if we make any progress.
Original review:
I worked with support for almost 2 hours trying to get these to work but couldn't get any farther than 25' from my router. It's a straight shot from the router to the front door and a typical 6" wood framed wall next to the front door. Inside the door they worked fine, but as soon as I put them outside they quite working. Considering this is a "2" version you would think it would have better range. Very disappointed with Amazon and this product.

Another customer S. Burklin said Where to begin? - UPDATED 6-7-19.

UPDATE: I absolutely must commend the team at Blink. For me, their recent flurry of software updates have resolved pretty much every issue I have had. I still wish that, overall, the ranges were greater, but my signal strength is now rock-solid (even without using my range extender). Live view works exactly as I expected and motion detection seems much more dialed in. It really feels like the system I expected.

In addition, I can't say enough about their customer service. Though the experience was initially frustrating, having both Efrain, (from customer service) as well as Peter, (their founder and GM) reach out to me to ensure that the software updates were working and to offer support on any other issues has really impressed me. Several years back, I went through a similar issue with a 1st generation coffee bean grinding coffee maker. The company that made the machine responded similarly to Blink and I have always said I would buy from them again in a heartbeat as long as they remain committed to that level of support. I can now say the same thing of Blink.

So, in summation, still wish wi-fi was a tad more powerful, but thanks to Blink's persistence and impressive customer support, I feel like I now have the system I was expecting.

UPDATE: Like a few others, I have revised my review because the founder of Blink has reached out to me, as has the Blink support team, which has left me very impressed with their customer service when it comes to dealing with the launch challenges. In addition, while there are still challenges, (like erratic live connection and motion tracking), the system has stabilized significantly for me. I DID end up purchasing a range extender, which left me a little chaffed at the added cost to obtain functionality, but the company's response to my issues has left me legitimately "wowed" and willing to continue to take this journey with them.

I will post additional updates as things continue to develop.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Really wanted to like the XT2 based on price, ease of use, no ongoing fees, etc., but it's mostly been a dud so far. Live view almost never works, motion detection seems to not pick up on things when armed, and it can barely get two bars on internet connection when my phone (and any other device I've tried) gets almost full bars in the same area. I should also add that there's very little that makes it clear in advance that the cameras need to not only have good reception with the sync module, but also your wi-fi (Which makes the point of the sync module what, again?). I have ordered a range extender (additional cost) to see if I can resolve it, but I'm not hopeful based on other devices doing just fine in that area. Makes it particularly doubtful that this thing could handle additional cameras, when it can't seem to deal with one. Unless there are some firmware updates coming that make any of this better, I cannot recommend the Blink XT2 and am considering this a $100 lesson learned.

Another customer Blake B. experience Definitely Improving.

UPDATE: I feel like I owe it to this company to update my review. They have without question, been improving the product - across the board. Video quality, trigger time...not there yet with distance but with how fast they are improving - I suspect they will get there soon. Also, the CEO sent emails around to connect with his patrons to let them know they are working on it AND sent me an additional Blink as a courtesy. They are mindful and I sincerely appreciate that. I hope to update this again from 3 stars to 5.

OLD Review Below:

Adding some more disappointing tips...the app is so busy, it can be disorienting. Not designed very intuitive, you can't control the storage. But the MOST annoying factor is the trigger - there is a 10 second pause after it stops. So if someone activates it by throwing something at it, they know they have a 10 second window minimally to then pass the camera without being caught. I got this to watch my cat while I'm at work to make sure he's safe coming and going and literally can't see him because of this delay. Below is my initial experience:

POS. The serial numbers don’t register, you sit on hold for customer service for what says one minute then jumps to 17 mins, then it looks like it connects only to get radio silence. Then I get someone - and they use a POS phone system that you can’t hear anything.

Do yourself a favor and get NEST. This is an amateur product. Ugh. 👎👎👎

My friend clb experience Good value for the money, not sure about the 2way audio.

 I have been using Blink since it was a kickstarter company. The evolution of the product has been really solid. However, if your expecting to have real time surveillance this is not your product. First off let say setup is a snap as long as you follow the direction, something to remember the cameras connect to the WiFi and the sync module, the sync module placement is important. I recognize the camera now supports 2 way audio but I don’t see how that will work since typically you are notified after the video is made. The only way I see the 2 way working is if you had the app open and you were actively looking at the video when the event happened. That said for what it does do in recording events is excellent. The video looks good, and the night time infrared is good. Also, you can’t beat the free storage, and as for battery life they sure have come a long way that said remember to always use the lithium-ion batteries, they recommend by blink also remember that batteries are at there weakest when it is cold out. So to be clear about battery life, I have yet to have a camera’s batteries last 2 years. I now have a total of 3 cameras working all XT or XT2 and work they well for for my expectation. I have 3 more XT2 cameras coming I’ll update this review once those have been configured and and if things improve or go bad. I hope that with the 2 way Blink/amazon will have the app notify you as soon as motion is directed so you can take advantage of the mic.

While Chris B. say TRIED XT2 TWICE - TOTAL PIECE OF JUNK!.

I don't know what the saying is about fool me once and fool me twice but I and the victim of whatever that saying is.

I ordered this system for myself about a week ago. The Blink XT2 three camera system. I am not allowed to post two seperate reviews for both the 2 and 3 camera Blink XT2 systems so this review will apply to both.

With the first 3 camera system I purchased last week for myself, I had SO many problems that I processed a return literally about 4 hours after I receive it. I decided a couple days later to order a two camera system for my mom. Why you ask? Because where she lives is a medium sized apartment that would require only minimal technology for a security camera. I thought perhaps this inferior syetem would suffice. Well I couldnt have been more wrong. This Blink XT2 junk of product was just as bad if not worse when I received it and hooked it up at my my own place. Only the 2 camera system I purchased for my mom has a MAJOR major delay in live mode. A full 17 seconds when using live view. Both cameras and the transmitter are all within 10 feet of each other. Sometimes the microphone worked sometimes it didn't. But the video lagged each and every time for 15 to 17 seconds. I'm talking about in live view. I'm not even talking about using the sensor. I even tried the camera system and the Blink app on my mom's phone as well as my personal phone which is a Samsung S9 plus. Problems on both So it has nothing to do with phone processors, memory or anything else. I've been seeing people post comments on here saying that the owner or someone claiming to be the owner of Blink XT2 has reached out to them. Let me tell you something, if you are the owner reading this message. I don't know how you swindled Amazon to represent this product but kudos to your sales technique. Because this is truly a waste of every single dollar spent. The system that I received for my mom, I received about two hours ago. I am processing f return immediately after I complete this review. Every attempt to use both the 2 camera and the 3 camera system has been a waste of time. I'm going to guess that the owner or inventor or whoever of This Blink xt2, did whatever they needed to do to manufacture the cheapest product possible. I am disgusted with the performance of these cameras. There is nothing redeeming about them. I cannot express to anyone who reads this review enough. Absolutely, DO NOT BUY the Blink Xt2. It is less than garbage.

While doctor don experience Quality camera and image.

UPDATE (8/4/2019):
After some recent system updates, I have found that the 5 sec video may not be accessible until after someone has left the area. It was not that snappy before, but now it seems to be slower in accessing the video from my phone.
Additionally, I have had packages put on my front deck / steps that is 10 feet away from my front door and the Blink XT2 camera, but the video was never triggered. The Blink is aimed in that direction. So I have changed the sensitivity from 5 to 9, the highest. Also, I have changed the clip length to 10 seconds. We shall see how this functions.

Since I have had the Blink XT2 less than a week, I will update when I know more about how long the batteries last.

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE BEGINNING INSTALLATION.

Download the app first. Once the app is downloaded, it will prompt you as to what has to be done. Use the device to take a photo of (read) the camera’s ID (QR code) OR enter the Serial Number manually.

Open the camera - Remove the back cover by holding down the gray ‘button’ while pulling the bottom of the back cover away from the camera body. It has a rubber or silicone gasket in the groove around the cover. Because it has a friction fit, it can be difficult to pry off the cover. I could put a little lube on the sealing gasket, but it might cause problems if it reacts with either the plastic or the gasket.

All synching has to be done while the camera is open, then it is put together before mounting it. The Sync module has to remain plugged into an AC outlet, so find a convenient place for the module to rest or hang.

The back cover is replaced by pressing it firmly where the posts are located until a ‘click’ is heard near each corner.

I used the base of the mount to locate and drill 2 small holes in the wood. Then I put the screws into the mount and the base and attached the mount to the house. After the base is attached, the cam is pressed onto the mount. That was the hard part.

The mount attaches to the hole in the back cover by pressing the assembled camera onto the mount. This should be done after the mount is attached to the desired location using the two screws included.

I had installed the camera as high as I could above my front door. Most of the videos showed the top of my head, nothing as to identifying me from my face. So I thought I would move it a little lower, still above the door; and as I turned the camera so I could use a long screwdriver to remove the screws, it came off the mount and fell onto the floor. Apparently, it suffered no ill effects. Perhaps the very warm temperatures made the plastic loose enough for it to come off easily. I would like to have a more secure mounting system. I have ordered a mount that has a cover to hold Blink XT2 securely.

At bottom of the Home screen of the app, be sure to slide the switch so that it says Armed.
Had to go into settings (not labeled as that) and ENABLE motion sensor. On the Home screen of the app, the serial number of the camera is printed less than halfway down and on the left. On the right side, a symbol of three lines appears. Press this and it opens Camera Settings. This is where Enable is located for MOTION DETECTION.

The video length can be set but the default is 5 seconds. It can be turned on for Live View which is almost continuous recording. 

In the next week, I will attempt to “see” what is happening at my front door. I am hoping there will be no problem getting notifications when someone comes to my front door.

UPDATED AFTER USING A FEW DAYS:
In a location that has no Wi-Fi access and spotty cell coverage, I was able to view the delivery person bringing my package to my door.

The mount I ordered is a two-piece plastic enclosure that is attached to an aluminum base that is attached to the wall using 3 screws. First I drilled 3 pilot holes (5/64" drill bit) for the screws. They were tightened using a manual screwdriver so the aluminum would not crack. I plugged the hole on the bottom of the case where the USB cable could be used to charge rechargeable batteries. The foam that is used to package the Blink is too dense and stiff, so I used some closed-cell foam that came with another product.

My friend Woodbill Talk Not Impressive - second update.

Original review after 5 days (May 28):
One out of two cameras has a small problem - the rubber piece in the center of back cover is broken out of the box. A call to customer service solve the problem - they sent me a replacement. Used the two cameras for five days so far, I will give it 3 stars at the moment. The set up was pretty easy, took me about 15 mins to get both working. The connection to WiFi is not very strong although close to a range extender but the cameras seem working fine. The quality of the videos are OK, cannot identify car plate numbers easily if the car is moving. My wife drove her car from street into garage at 2-3 miles per hour, the plate is not readable. Still need to see the battery life, but I don't really care about 2 years or 6 months as long as I don't have to change battery every month like my Ring door bell.

Updated review after 4 weeks (June 20):
Range issue: Each individual camera needs to connect to both the Sync Module and WiFi and each camera gets WiFi SSID and password from the Sync Module, which means Sync Module and each individual camera have to connect to the same WiFi or at least WiFis with same SSID and password. In my case, I have a 2-camera set, one in the front of my house and one in the back of the house. I have to put my Sync Module in the middle of my house so that both cameras can connect to it with reasonable signal strength. The Sync Module connect to my router with good signal, but not the cameras. Then I put in two WiFi extenders with one close to each camera and both extenders use same SSID and password. Now both cameras have good connections to both Sync Module and WiFi, but what a complicated setup!

Sensitivity Issue: The cameras seem to be anywhere between way-too-sensitive to way-too-insensitivity randomly. They can be triggered by flies or be triggered 10 times within 3 minutes by some not-in-the-active-zone activities; or they may decide not to see anything for several hours to anything even just right in front of them.

Second update on July 5:
Using multiple extenders with same SSIDs and passwords is not a good solution which makes the entire WiFi at my home unstable. Now I had to invest a whole new mesh WiFi system. Everything works great now, but Blink XT2 is not impressive.

Another customer B Media experience Decent Cameras, Limited Range, Buggy Alexa Integration and Zone Mapping.

Overall: Good cameras for the price, relatively easy setup, practical wireless distance is well under 50 feet.

Info that wasn't clear:
- The cameras connect to the sync module AND wifi and need good connections to both.
- Camera wifi and sync module wifi connections are one setting (must be on the same network).
- In the blink App, camera settings, at the bottom is "Status" which shows connection strength to wifi and sync module
- The range is nowhere near 100 feet for sync module
- Camera Wifi receiving ability is weak

Pros -
- Ability to add zones a nice upgrade from the first generation (however, seems to only work part of the time - see cons).
- Decent arm/disarm ability to turn on motion sensors and alerts through Alexa (Can't add skill to routine, though - so you can't turn on Amazon Guard, lock all the doors, and turn on the Blink cameras with one command.)
- Pretty good image quality, especially for wireless color cameras
- Price point for what it does, even with its faults. With some improvements it would be an amazing deal, as-is it's an OK deal.
- Relatively fast activation onto new firestick/tv using Alexa. If firestick/tv is on, "Show me the front porch" comes on in less than 10 seconds. (problems with app disconnecting - see cons)
- Blink app is easy to use, intuitive.
- Setup is easy (unless you want to experiment with different routers, sync module placement)

Cons -
- Range to connect to wifi and sync module extremely lacking. (see Sync Distance below)
- Zone mapping is unreliable, often triggering based on movement in 'inactive' zones.
- Blink for home app disconnects from Alexa. About every 24 hours, you have to completely re-enable the Alexa skill "blink for home". After 24 hours, it's like you never set it up to begin with. Want to see the cameras on your fire tv or arm the system? Better find the skill, login to blink, wait to sync, enable the skill, etc. Every. Day. This makes Alexa integration practically worthless.
- No ability to save still images to camera roll in Blink App. You can record videos, save them to the cloud, and download to your phone. And, you can take still photos, but it's just a small snapshot. You can't save to the cloud, your phone, etc. It's essentially a thumbnail update feature but should be a still-image option.
- Blink system does not work with older Firestick models.
- No easy way to monitor cameras via pc/computer. Blink says no capability, but there is a chrome plugin that spoofs an android phone and you can install the app (allegedly - I haven't tried)
- Changing wifi settings for the cameras (to try different networks) you need to have the back off the camera and scan a QR code or type in a long serial number.
- Updating motion zones takes a few minutes to work. A few recordings may be triggered even after you update zones, but it eventually stops after a few minutes.
- Additional sync module is $50. To put the cameras where I really want (and within 100 feet) I would need three total. Instead, I had to compromise to closer locations.

Sync Distance
- I have a router and the sync module in a window, and max reception is about 35 feet. You practically need to have the router and the sync module in the room just inside where you want to mount the camera.
- Through a window, sync module and wifi at 65 feet could not connect.
- 100 feet is a fantasy for these 'wireless outdoor' cameras. If your wifi and sync module is indoors (most applications), even a single wall or window limits connection distance.
- Camera wifi receiving: Three bars and solid download speed on my iPhone or laptop, but at the same distance, the camera wifi is rated a 2 of 5 and shows 'red' low signal.

Wishlist
- Eliminate the need for a sync module, build into the camera - even at the expense of battery life. Boosting wifi signal throughout home and property is much easier, especially considering the limited range of the sync console.
- Offer white case outdoor version. Covers work OK but not ideal and could still be less conspicuous around white trim.

Review Amazon Customer tell us Cameras great customer service is the worst from blank.

These cameras are excellent but customer service from blink is the worst I had one defective camera to send it back I was on the phone over an hour trying to explain the defect