Blink XT2: Setup
Blink XT2: Setup
Similar to Arlo's security cameras, the Blink XT does not connect directly to your home Wi-Fi network. Rather, it communicates via a proprietary wireless link to the Blink Sync module, which connects to your Wi-Fi. That way, the Blink XT camera can run on battery power; the Sync module needs to be plugged into an outlet.
Blink says that the XT2, which runs on two AA batteries, can last up to two years without replacement batteries. This estimate assumes that you use the camera for roughly 900 minutes of video events, including Live View, motion-activated recording and two-way talk. The more the camera records video, and the more you use two-way talk and live video, the less uptime the camera will have.
Fortunately, the Blink XT2 kit comes with both the camera and the sync module; extra cameras cost $89 each.
MORE: Best Home Security Systems
Setup takes about 20 minutes. You have to first connect the sync module to your Wi-Fi and then connect the camera to the sync module. Blink makes this easy. From within the Blink app (Android and iOS), you scan a QR code on the back of each device to link it to your account.
The biggest decision you'll have to make is where to mount the camera, which you can do with the included mounting bracket and two screws.
Blink XT2 : Video and audio quality
The XT2's 1080p camera has a 110-degree field of view, the same as the Wyze Cam but narrower than the 145-degree FOV of the Samsung SmartThings Cam and the 130 degrees for the Arlo Q. Still, neither of those cameras is designed to be used outdoors, and when I mounted the XT2 on the side of my house, its view was wide enough that I could see most of my backyard.
While not as crisp as Arlo's cameras, the XT2's had good enough quality that I could make out individual faces and details in both day and night videos. While the yellow fur of a Labrador retriever looked blotchy, the colors of a green shirt and red dog bowl were accurate.
Also, the Blink XT2's microphone was sensitive enough to pick up the sounds of crickets chirping at night. In fact, they were surprisingly loud when I reviewed the video.
Blink XT2: App
https://www.tomsguide.com/
Comments
Post a Comment