Blink Video Doorbell w/Sync Module 2 Setup and Review

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In the box you’ll receive the Blink Sync Module 2, video doorbell unit, a wall mounting plate with two screws for wired installation, two packs of mounting screws, two AA Lithium batteries, an angle wedge, microUSB power cable, a camera release tool, and a wall power adapter for the Sync module. There’s also a quick start guide with safety information, but note that it doesn’t actually have any setup instructions in it. The steps for set up are printed on the inside flap of the retail box. If you want to use the doorbell with your existing wired doorbell chime, you’ll need to verify that your doorbell transformer meets the following requirements, 16-20 VAC, 10VA to 40VA, and frequency from 50-60hz.

You will need to download the Blink app to a mobile device and register for or login to a Blink account for setup. This doorbell can work with existing doorbell chimes and can run on battery power only or wired to a transformer for permanent power. In the latter case, the batteries in the unit will be used for backup only. If you already use Blink, you can add the doorbell to an existing Sync module system or setup a new one with the included Sync Module 2. Adding the devices is made simpler by simply scanning in their QR codes using your phone's camera, though you can enter the serial number manually if you need to.

The app guides you through mounting the Blink to your doorframe which is pretty straightforward. A pin tool is required to remove the camera in an effort to deter theft. When you press the doorbell, it will make an audible chime sound through its speaker for the person who pressed it. I also set up push notifications to my phone through the Blink app and my wired chime rings as well. If you connect the Blink app to your Amazon and Alexa accounts, you can play a chime and/or announcements through your Echo devices and use Alexa voice controls to view the camera on an Echo show.

In the mobile app, you have access to the camera's live view with 2-way audio and can adjust the camera’s motion sensitivity, define activity/privacy zones, and customize which notifications the app sends you. One thing about the motion detection feature is that it is very basic and doesn’t distinguish between a person, package, animal, or car with AI. Also, motion detection recording and announcements are only active if the device is in the “armed” state, but doorbell presses are always recorded regardless if the system is armed or not.

You can also set the camera to automatically save the footage any time you access ‘Live’ view. You’ll receive a free 30-day subscription to Blink’s Plus plan when you purchase the device new, which gives you unlimited live view recording and photo capture and cloud storage/access to recorded footage from the doorbell camera within the previous 60 days. However, the Sync 2 module allows you to store video and photos locally to a USB thumb drive (from 1 GB up to 256 GB) plugged directly into the Sync 2 module as well and can connect to up to 10 different Blink cameras. Just note that the recordings do not automatically loop and write over the oldest footage, and you must disconnect and download or delete the files when the drive is full. With a monthly subscription, the module backs up the footage from the cloud once per day rather than immediately saving them to the thumb drive.

The video footage from the camera is 1080p HD (1920x1080) when set to “best quality” and very crisp and clear but somewhat distorted with a fisheye effect. When a person is standing at your door, you should be able to see them from the waist up when they are standing about 2 feet away from the camera. At night, the night vision infrared footage is decent but the IR will wash out any areas with a light source.

Overall, the video and audio quality of the Blink doorbell camera is decent, and the doorbell integrates easily with other Amazon Alexa smart devices. We get notifications on our phones, smart speakers, and can still use our existing door chime. The setup and installation was quick and simple, and it can be used both wired with permanent power or wirelessly on just battery. Just note that even when wired the batteries still need to be installed as backup power, and you’ll need to change them when they go flat for the camera to continue working; they’ll just last longer. The ability to store video files locally with the Sync module 2 is great if you don’t want a monthly subscription or just want to have automatic backups but if you want hassle-free recording history, the monthly subscription isn’t very expensive.

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