Blink Video Doorbell Review

The Blink Video Doorbell is a battery-powered camera that captures 1080p HD video and allows you to see and speak to visitors at your door using two-way audio through the Blink app or even through Alexa-compatible devices. This unit is very weather resistant, with a rating of IP-54, meaning it is designed to operate in rain, dust, heat, and cold, within typical limits.

Video Quality

In our evaluation of video quality, we perform a series of tests in both day and nighttime circumstances, referencing various charts we've placed within view and grading the overall image quality for clarity and color accuracy. Cameras with large fields of view will score well in this assessment, but I've found that if the field of view is larger than most, it can cause distortion.

The Blink Battery Doorbell struggled to produce high-quality and detailed images in our video quality testing. In daytime conditions, the clarity up close allowed me to read the first two lines of the Snellen Chart , with the third line being somewhat legible. The color accuracy comes across as flat and faded, and that, mixed with the clarity quality, results in lots of distortion of the overall image quality. Anything that appeared much further away than our test charts was blown out, and the overexposure caused a lot of detail to be lost. Nighttime video capture is tough sledding for the Blink Battery Doorbell, and trying to grade the image for clarity felt like taking an eye exam after polishing off a bottle of tequila.

Monitoring Performance

We grade cameras for monitoring performance based on how well they capture and recognize motion. For those that feature facial recognition, we note how consistently they are able to successfully recognize a person at varying distances. Unfortunately, the Blink Battery Doorbell does not support either of these features.

We also investigate how cameras create and manage motion zones and note any other features they have. I found the Blink Battery Doorbell lacking in features, only being capable of recognizing motion and having two-way audio. For motion zones, the Blink app allows users to create motion zones using a grid system where they select squares to define the zone space. This is a common method many apps use, but within the Blink app, you have to select each square individually, and it can be quite tedious.

Ease of Use

We dive deep into each camera's app interface in our ease-of-use testing. This part of our testing also involves reviewing how each camera is powered and if they feature the capability to use more than one power source.

The Blink Battery Doorbell is powered by AA lithium batteries but can also be powered by a hard-wired connection. Blink claims that when paired with a Blink Sync Module, the Battery Doorbell can achieve up to two years of battery life on default settings and normal use. Blink cameras do not provide a battery percentage, so I measured the starting and ending voltages to test their battery life. The only indication in the app is “battery okay” or “battery low,” which is disappointing. Testing revealed a voltage loss of approximately 3% per day, so I think it's probably more realistic to expect a little over a month's battery life from the Blink Battery Doorbell, nowhere near Blink's claim and worse than most other battery-powered cameras I tested.

The Blink app is simple to use and intuitive, albeit quite basic compared to others I tested. My main gripe is that when you enter the home screen, you are presented with a thumbnail view of the camera, not a live view, and it isn't updated very often. The Battery Doorbell is usable without a Blink Sync Module or a monthly subscription, but you'll be limited to only using the live view and two-way audio capability within 60 seconds of receiving a notification on your phone.

Should You Buy the Blink Video Doorbell?

The Blink Video Doorbell can grant you peace of mind on a tight budget. It has basic features that allow it to recognize motion and will enable you to use two-way audio. It can be used without a monthly subscription but has limited capabilities and captures footage in 1080p HD. I was less than impressed with both its daytime and nighttime image quality, which lacked the clarity required to capture important details. All told, I wouldn't recommend Blink's doorbell camera.

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