The Blink doorbell is one of the best video doorbells and is available with a lot of features at a very reasonable price range. However, one common question that users have is whether the Blink doorbell supports live video streaming. Let’s look at the features of Blink doorbells and the ability to watch the live view.
What is Live View?
Live view is a feature that allows you to obtain a live video feed from the doorbell camera. This also enables you to identify who is at your door at any given time by simply opening an application on your phone and watching the real-time events. This is particularly helpful to you as the homeowner in that you can easily identify the visitors even if you are not within the house.
Some of the similar video doorbells that Ring Doorbell has competitors include live view as one of the features offered. Thus, it is quite natural that many people ask themselves if they can also have live streaming from the Blink doorbell.
Live View on Blink Doorbells
Standard Blink doorbells do not support live streaming of events in real-time or for an extended period. Instead, the doorbells only capture short videos when motion is sensed in the vicinity of the door. It is not just a matter of having an application that you can open and watch a live feed of your Blink doorbell at any one time you wish.
Nonetheless, live view support is available in the new Blink Video Doorbell version. This was released in late 2021 and allows you to live view on-demand through the Blink Home Monitor application.
Therefore, if the live feed is crucial to you, opt for the Blink Video Doorbell which is the latest generation. However, it should be noted that live view service does come with a requirement which is the Blink Premium subscription plan.
Why Is Live View Missing From All Blink Models?
You might be asking, why is there no live view as a standard feature with every Blink doorbell? This may be the best explanation – live streaming indeed puts more burden on the network and WiFi in particular. This causes battery depletion even when transmitting a continuous feed.
The first-generation Blink doorbells were developed primarily as low-cost, long-lasting battery-operated products. Doing away with live view contributed to cost-cutting and also allowed extended use from a single battery charge.
However, the new wired Blink Video Doorbell does not have battery life issues. This model can utilize an uninterrupted power source on the doorbell wires as a means of power. It is also worth knowing that enhancements in camera and WiFi technology make it easy to provide live view functionality.
This is because, in the next few years, Blink is likely to release more of its smart home devices that will incorporate some form of live viewing. However, for the previous battery-operated models, the company decided to do away with live view to meet emerging market demands for affordable, low-maintenance video doorbells.
How to Use Blink Without Live View?
This is to tell you that there is no way you will miss a lot of benefits of having a Blink doorbell camera once you install it. Here are some tips for maximizing convenience even without real-time viewing:
● Get alerted when motion is detected - Even though you are not able to watch the Blink in real-time, you will be alerted as soon as the Blink registers motion. Take a glance at the clip to see who paid a visit.
● Change motion sensitivity – Make the sensitivity level higher so that more clips of the visitors will be recorded. Expand the motion zone also at the same time.
● Exclude some videos – There are instances where the application will automatically remove videos after a certain amount of time, so one can bookmark videos they do not want to be deleted.
● Enable Preview Clips – This feature will allow the recording of 4 seconds of video before the main motion detection by the doorbell. Just wanted to provide a little more background for you.
● Integrate an additional Blink camera – It is recommended to install a Blink camera outside the house in case you need an alternative angle of view.
Although live view stays only with the newest product, the rest of the Blink doorbells offer basic features for keeping an eye on your entryways. And the above tips will assist you overcome the shortcoming of not being able to view the events live.
Conclusion
Live streaming is not supported across all Blink video doorbell products in its line. The new Blink Video Doorbell released in 2021 only allows on-demand live viewing through the Blink Home Monitor app.
This absence of a live-streaming video feature is not a shortcoming on the part of Blink; it is a deliberate omission with the previous Blink doorbell models. The removal of this highly intensive function also contributed to the enhancement of battery utilization and the affordability of costs. However, both of these budget picks offer reliable motion-based recording, even if the live view isn’t included in the package.
If continuous live viewing is necessary, the latest Blink Video Doorbell is suggested to be purchased. However, the other Blink smart doorbells may help improve entryway security through features like motion trigger recordings, notifications, and two-way talk. Additional cameras can also be used to offer more viewing options while using only several extra cameras.
Thus, the live view feature is not available in devices to the same extent, but Blink sells doorbell models that are appropriate for various requirements and costs. Determine what capabilities are important to you and choose the most suitable Blink model.
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