Connected doorbells provide security and ease of use, at the expense of a sometimes high price. Blink tries to solve the problem by offering an affordable product that promises on paper. We tested it for several weeks, see what this Video Doorbell is worth on a daily basis and if it keeps its promises.
Our homes are becoming more and more connected, thanks to the increasing accessibility of home automation products, such as connected light bulbs or speakers with voice assistants. They offer increased practicality, while allowing you to stay connected with your interior even when you are at a distance.
It is in this philosophy that connected doorbells are becoming more popular, since they not only offer deep integration with the rest of your home automation system, but also allow you to know who is at the door even when you are away.
Most of these products, however, have a major drawback, since most of them cost more than a hundred euros. With its subsidiary Blink, Amazon is seeking to democratize the success of its Ring brand, by offering a connected doorbell for less than 60 euros, which is significantly lower than the prices charged by the competition. At this price, what is the Blink Video Doorbell really worth and does it miss out on certain features?
Design
The Blink Video Doorbell is quite inconspicuous and fits neatly with a fence, gate or wall. The choice of colors is limited to black or white, which are however universal colors that can easily be combined with most shades.
The doorbell must be installed vertically, since it is not possible to rotate the image. On the upper part, we find the photo and infrared module, gathered in a black square, regardless of the color chosen.
Source: Hagop Kavafian for Frandroid
Source: Hagop Kavafian for Frandroid
Source: Hagop Kavafian for Frandroid
Below, Blink has discreetly placed the microphone, and lower, the doorbell button. This is surrounded by a blue light band which flashes when the button is pressed and lights up when communication is established. Finally, the loudspeaker is hidden under the bell, on the lower edge, which prevents it from being too visible, but complicates listening to the person you are talking to.
Facility
Like many connected doorbells, the Blink Video Doorbell installs securely, preventing it from being easily ripped off by a passerby. A tray is fixed to the wall using the screws and dowels provided, but above all the guide allowing you to know exactly where to make the holes. The doorbell then attaches to the tray with a simple gesture. To detach it, a specific tool is provided, which allows it to be unclipped to change the batteries for example.
Speaking of batteries, the Blink Video Doorbell comes with two AA batteries that are supposed to last up to two years. It is however possible to connect it electrically if you have an arrival, which avoids having to change the batteries, but also to benefit from additional functionalities, as we will see below.
Source: Hagop Kavafian for Frandroid
Source: Hagop Kavafian for Frandroid
Source: Hagop Kavafian for Frandroid
If you want to install your camera in a corner or an angle, Blink offers additional accessories for sale, but it’s a shame that these are not included directly in the box.
Luckily, you won’t have to worry too much about where the doorbell is placed, since it’s IP65 certified, which means it’s resistant to water and dust, but also to your extreme temperatures, since it can operate between -20 and 45°C.
Application
To set up the camera, just use the Blink app to scan a QR code on the back and put the batteries in. The rest of the process is fully guided, whether connecting it to the Wi-Fi network or fixing it.
The Blink app isn’t the most modern there is, since its design is a bit dated and the interface isn’t very intuitive. That said, it offers plenty of features to customize your doorbell and other brand cameras.
Unlike them, the Video Doorbell does not require the use of a synchronization module and can work directly using the Wi-Fi network. On the other hand, without it, the doorbell will only work if the button is pressed, but will not cannot act as a security camera.
A synchronization module is therefore strongly recommended, since it allows you to arm the doorbell and let it film and even record videos locally, while saving battery power. We will see it later, but this one improves the performance of the doorbell very strongly, which makes it almost indispensable. However, let’s qualify these remarks, since the fact of electrically connecting the Blink Video Doorbell makes it possible to do without a synchronization module and to benefit from these functionalities.
When all functions are available, the application allows you to control the doorbell at any time in order to watch the live stream, but also to arm it instantly or according to a predefined schedule. Similarly, it is possible to define detection zones in order to be notified if movement is perceived in this particular zone. Similarly, an option allows you to capture a snapshot every hour, which allows you to trace what happened during the day.
Note also that the Blink Video Doorbell does not require a subscription to benefit from these features, nor even to save the snapshots if you connect a USB storage to your synchronization module, which is quite rare and deserves to be highlighted. On the other hand, doorbell does not offer advanced features, namely the detection of people or packages, like some competitors, which are certainly more expensive.
When someone rings the doorbell, the Blink Video Doorbell notifies you via a simple vibration on the app, unlike Ring which vibrates continuously. This makes it very easy to miss a delivery unless you are using smart speakers or other cameras as chimes.
The most annoying thing, however, is the delay, since you have to wait a good 5 seconds before being notified, then the same duration for the video stream to be displayed. This delay is far too long and will encourage more than one delivery person to leave. Worse still, the Blink Video Doorbell didn’t notify us at all when the doorbell was pressed. Fortunately, we tried again with a synchronization module, which greatly solved these problems with a latency reduced to 3 seconds when someone rings and no missed notifications.
Let’s finish this section with integration with third-party services, including voice assistants. Because Blink is an Amazon subsidiary, the Video Doorbell only works with Alexa-enabled products, including Echo speakers and displays. This is reliable, in the sense that all the speakers ring at the same time to announce the arrival of a visitor. Unfortunately, you have to ask Alexa to show who’s at the door, whereas Nest products automatically show the live stream as soon as someone rings the doorbell.
Also, the Blink Video Doorbell doesn’t really integrate with other Blink cameras, in that you can’t automatically start recording on another camera when someone rings the doorbell. However, it is possible to arm the entire system simultaneously, i.e. to activate recording and motion detection on all the devices in it. If you have a Blink Mini camera at home, it can also be used as a chime, knowing that Blink does not offer one.
Finally, Blink does not natively offer integration with connected lock suppliers in order to open the door to a delivery person. An IFTTT applet is certainly available, but can only be triggered when motion is detected, which is not useful for a doorbell.
Image quality
The Blink Video Doorbell boasts Full HD 1080p video quality, which is in line with industry standards. As such, the picture is decent, particularly in the daytime, assuming that most visitors will be standing close to the doorbell.
Colors aren’t the most accurate, and images often tend to be overexposed and burnt out, especially on cloudy days with skies turning white. However, the details are precise enough to recognize a visitor or read a license plate.
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At night, things get more complicated since the infrared beam is either too strong or not strong enough, which sometimes makes it difficult to identify a visitor, especially if the person is looking directly at the camera, since their face then becomes too bright. . The best thing is to install the camera with a corner bracket, sold separately.
Fortunately, the application also allows you to play with the infrared parameters in order to adjust them according to your needs.
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The sound quality on the other hand is very questionable, as is the case with other Blink products. Indeed, a persistent buzzing is heard, regardless of the ambient noise, which complicates understanding. Conversations are certainly audible, but with background noise and sometimes even an echo, which is really questionable for a doorbell.
Things get tricky for visitors, since the loudspeaker is not powerful enough, even at the maximum volume, and does not allow them to hear you properly. The conversation becomes almost inaudible if a car passes and it is really complicated for the two interlocutors to understand each other.
Autonomy
Blink promises up to two years of battery life, which is pretty impressive. In fact, this can vary greatly, but we must recognize that the batteries only rarely need to be changed, which ensures good peace of mind.
Also, unlike other competing products, you only need to change the batteries and not to charge a removable battery or even the doorbell, which avoids having to put it out of service for long hours.
Price and availability
The Blink Video Doorbell is available alone for 59.99 euros or in a pack with a synchronization module for 94.98 euros. In view of our test, we strongly recommend that you buy the version with a synchronization module at least to connect it electrically. Be aware, however, that if you already have Blink products at home, you can use the same synchronization module without having to buy another one.
Finally, it is important to take into consideration that these prices are very often discounted, and it is wise to wait for a promotion to acquire one. Indeed, the price of the pack with synchronization module not discounted is not attractive compared to the Ring Video Doorbell, which offers better features.
