by 4 reviews.
Keep Your Home Secure with the Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera
In today's world, ensuring the safety and security of our homes is paramount. The Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera offers a modern solution to this age-old concern. This wire-free, smart security device is packed with features like HD live view, 700 lumens of motion-triggered LED lighting, enhanced motion detection, and an impressive two-year battery life. Designed for ease of use, this camera system integrates seamlessly with Alexa for voice control and promises quick installation without needing to drill holes in your walls. But how does it stack up in the real world? Let's dive into an in-depth review, analyzing customer experiences to highlight the pros and cons of this promising safety companion.
Quality and Performance
The Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera has been praised for its bright and effective floodlights, which are particularly beneficial for nighttime visibility. Users describe the lights as being bright enough to offer a clear color picture at night, although opinions vary on just how "daylight-like" they truly are. One user noted, "The lights are bright and provide plenty of light so the camera has a nice color picture at night," emphasizing the enhanced night vision the device offers.
However, some users have pointed out inconsistencies. One review stated that while initially, the floodlights do their job, they experienced issues with the lights going off repeatedly without any motion detection, which was eventually resolved through support's intervention. Another user detailed, "After less than a year of use, this device has stopped functioning well. The lights don't turn on after detecting motion."
Usability and Installation
Easy installation is one of the highlights of the Blink Outdoor 4. The wire-free setup means you won't need extensive technical skills or drilling, which many users appreciate. The Blink app further simplifies camera operation, offering a user-friendly interface to monitor and manage your security system directly from your phone.
Despite the ease of installation, some users reported that the included mounting screws were inferior in quality. "Use your own screws to mount because the screws in the package are cheap," advised one user, reflecting a common sentiment among buyers.
Both positive and negative experiences regarding the camera's interaction with Alexa were noted. Some found that using Alexa to manage the camera’s activities helped overcome the brief delay in motion detection notifications experienced with solely app-based alerts. "I set up a routine for it to notify me via push and to announce motion detection, don't ask me why, but that lag is gone," a review joyfully proclaimed.
Features and Functionality
Featuring enhanced motion detection, the Blink Outdoor 4 is designed to alert users swiftly when motion occurs. It uses dual-zone motion detection to help narrow down false alerts, although users have reported a notable delay when relying on the app alone. The optional Blink Subscription Plan introduces even more advanced features like person detection, offering tailored notifications when human presence is detected.
Some reviews have expressed dissatisfaction with battery life, contrary to Blink's impressive two-year claim. "Unless you limit your lights and cameras to almost useless, you will not get two years," shared a user, cautioning others about the realistic battery performance under normal use conditions.
Moreover, users have expressed their views on customer support, a vital aspect of any tech device. Most experiences were positive, praising prompt and effective service that has included replacing faulty devices: "Customer service for me has been very good, they have even replaced one of my cameras," one user noted.
Durability and Longevity
Durability is where the Blink Outdoor 4 shines for some, with users reporting robust performance even in extreme weather conditions. One happy customer stated, "I have had Blink cameras and lights out in pretty extreme weather here in Michigan, rain, snow, cold and hot, a few of them are 5 years old and still going." Such testimonials suggest that, with proper maintenance and care, the product offers longevity that withstands varying climates.
Nevertheless, some users ran into persistent issues despite device replacements and technical support, leaving them with functioning but unreliable units. One review poignantly captures this dichotomy by stating that though they have loved previous Blink models, the floodlight iteration was underwhelming without a clear resolution.
Conclusion
The Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera offers a robust package of features that, when functioning correctly, deliver on the promise of enhanced home security. Its integration with smart home systems like Alexa, vibrant night vision aided by strong floodlighting, and simple installation offer a serviceable experience for many users. However, the product's drawbacks, largely centered on battery performance, initial installation accessories, and occasional device malfunctions, highlight areas for potential improvement.
For those weighing cost against the need for comprehensive indoor and outdoor security solutions, the Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera remains a competitive choice—especially with reliable customer support often stepping in to resolve issues. While it may not offer 4K recording or continuous vigilance, it does provide a dependable security solution within its price range for many users.
{summary} Overall, the Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera is a commendable product that meets essential home security needs with an array of smart features. However, prospective buyers should remain aware of some reported issues and conduct maintenance periodically to ensure optimum performance.
Specification Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera (newest model), Wire-free smart security camera, 700 lumens, two-year battery life, HD live view, enhanced motion detection, Works with Alexa- 1 camera system:
Comments from Amazon:
Lights go off again and again all night with no motion detection. Tried resetting and new batteries but it keeps happening. Burns through a new set of D cell batteries in a week. Waiting to see if blink support has any ideas but as is the light hardware is pointless garbage. Update 12/14/24: Blink support worked with me by first replacing the light then replacing the camera itself. Once the camera was replaced the system works perfectly. Lights go off only when the camera detects motion. The lights are bright and provide plenty of light so the camera has a nice color picture at night.
Okay, right out of the gate this is not some 24/7 recording with high def 4k, if you want that, move up a few hundred dollars. But this does record with a pretty good picture, as far as motion detection I have noticed Blink wired stuff is a lot more responsive, in my case with this battery ran device, yes there seems to be a few seconds delay, but I have found a work around, if you have an Alexa device and understand routines, I set up a routine for it to notify me via push and to announce motion detection, don't ask me why, but that lag is gone, I sent my wife out to trigger it and immediately Alexa was saying motion at your floodlight, so quite happy with that, the Blink app was 3 almost 4 seconds behind with its notification of motion. But when you think of Blink devices dollar for dollar, you can't go wrong, customer service for me has been very good, they have even replaced one of my cameras and they didn't hesitate to do so after running a few tests, so another good thing is Blink will stand behind the products, Battery life, I will call Blink out, unless you limit your lights and cameras to almost useless, you will not get two years, not even close and I really like Blink but they should quit advertising that because it's not true, unless again, you set it to lowest settings and extremely slow traffic area, well Blink, that's not why we bought them, the lights are pretty bright, a little bit exaggerated by some, but it's adequate, I have had Blink cameras and lights out in pretty extreme weather here in Michigan, rain, snow, cold and hot, a few of them are 5 years old and still going, so when we discuss prices of Blink compared to others, Blink is tremendous value, just remember it's not high def 4k, it's speaker and sound are not Bose quality, lol, so for me, it records pretty good, it alerts me and has lasted some years in kinda nasty weather, if you are expecting something else, roll out another 3 to 6 hundred and you can get that, for me Blink isn't perfect, but it certainly does what it is supposed to do, and quite often when I read, oh mine misses events, or mine missed motion, I don't doubt this, but quite often it's low battery, low wifi signal etc, I keep my batteries up and I make sure it's getting a good wifi signal, and I don't have these problems,
After less than a year of use, this device has stopped functioning well. The lights doesn't turn on after detecting motion, it is intermittent. Blink customer support replaced this device 2 times but the issue still remains. They finally acknowledged ongoing issue with the functionality but declined to comment when the issue will be resolved, and closed my support ticket without resolution. I have loved blink cameras, but the floodlight mount doesn't seem good. Since no resolution was provided to my issue, I am hesitant on recommending blink product. Update: I was contacted by Blink Support immediately after the review and the sent a replacement camera (not the mount), not sure why the support people I contacted before didn't think of it. The motion light functionality has been working well with the new camera.
Good camera.. great night vision with spot light.. intuitive connection with Blink camera system and app. Things to know… (1) fog lights take 4 DD batteries so not sure how long that will last. (2) regular camera takes 2 AA batteries that last pretty long. (3) use your own screws to mount because the screws in package are cheap. (4) fog lights are not extremely powerful, just enough light to look around or bother an intruder. But not like daylight bright.