Gabe: Hey, folks.
This is Gabe with Security Baron.
Today I'm reviewing the sequel to the Blink XT, the Blink XT2.
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Gabe: In today's review of the Blink XT2, we're going to check out some of the more
alluring elements of this refresh by putting it to the Security Baron necessary features
test and diving into its mobile application, the Blink Home Monitor app, to make sure you
have all the information you need to make the right decision.
If you'd love to see a list of our favorite home security cameras?
Google "Security Baron best home security cameras."
You have a question about today's review?
Leave us a comment, and I'll get back to you.
Let's put the Blink XT2 to the Security Baron necessary features test.
Here at Security Baron, we think that every home security camera should have stellar video
quality, two-way audio, night vision, local and cloud storage, smart platform integration,
artificial intelligence, convenience, and value.
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Gabe: Stellar video quality is a Security Baron necessary feature.
By that we mean we like to see a video quality of at least 1080p high-definition video and
a field of view of 120 degrees.
Now the Blink XT2 does well with this 1080p high definition crisp, clear vision, but it
only has 110 degree field of view, about 10 degrees fewer than we like to see.
It's going to be a little bit narrower than what we like to see with our home security
cameras.
That being said, it does have a digital zoom and while there are a few hiccups depending
on your connection, we do feel that it has a nice view that you can capture what's going
on in any particular room or even outside.
When it comes to the Security Baron necessary feature of stellar video quality, we're giving
the Blink XT2 half marks.
A two-way audio is a Security Baron necessary feature.
It allows you to speak to whoever's in the vicinity of your camera and hear what they
have to say back.
Now this is a tremendous upgrade from the predecessor the Blink XT2, the Blink XT, because
it actually comes with two-way audio.
When it comes to Security Baron necessary feature of two-way audio, we have to give
the Blink XT2 full marks.
Night vision is a Security Baron necessary feature.
The night vision on the Blink XT2 is actually pretty good.
Now we do want to note a couple of things.
One is that there's a pretty significant variants for us when it came to the live viewing versus
the recorded clips.
We even felt that we had a pretty strong connection for most of that period.
Once you looked at that recorded clip, the night vision is actually clear, it's using
infrared LEDs to give you that nice, clear night vision.
Another thing you want to note is that when you are recording with the Blink XT2, a little
blue indicator light does come on which could tip anyone out to the fact that there is a
camera there.
That's one thing to keep in mind when you are thinking of night vision with the Blink
XT2.
Overall the Blink XT2 has plenty excellent night vision and for that we give it full
marks.
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Gabe: Whoa, hold on, I hope you're enjoying today's review of the Blink XT2.
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Let's get back to the video.
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Gabe: Local and cloud storage is a Security Baron necessary feature.
We like the ability to throw thing up in the cloud so it access them from anywhere or it
just had them locally on something like a hard drive and a hub or the camera itself.
Unfortunately, with the Blink XT2 you only get 7,200 seconds up in the cloud or two hours
in the cloud but that lasts up to a year.
I think I should mention that it's free.
With Blink once you buy your camera everything else is already built in.
We would love for there to be an ability to save to the sync module or the camera itself,
but that is just not an option.
Of course you can take those 7,200 seconds up in the cloud and download them to a local
hard drive that you have but it's just not an option directly into either the Blink XT2
itself or its sync module.
When it come to the Security Baron necessary feature of local and cloud storage, we have
to give the Blink XT2 half marks.
Smart platform integration is a Security Baron necessary feature.
Amazon owns Blink XT2 so it does integrate with Amazon Alexa.
For instance, you can ask it to arm your camera or you can say, "Hey, send it to Amazon Echo
show," for example, on my Amazon Fire TV and then you can actually check out the live stream
of your Blink XT2.
When it comes to smart platform integration and the Security Baron necessary features
test, we have to give the Blink XE2 full marks.
Artificial intelligence is a Security Baron necessary feature.
It typically relates to a camera's ability to either recognize people's faces or at least
people in general or vehicle or even package detection.
That allows you to get smarter, more specific notifications and distance doesn't ring your
phone anytime something goes by and it detects motion.
Unfortunately, the Blink XT2 lacks any of these features.
When it comes to artificial intelligence, we have to give it zero marks.
Convenience is a Security Baron necessary feature.
When we're speaking convenience, we're talking about the installation and everyday use of
your home security camera.
Now, with the Blink XT2 you have to use it in conjunction with a sync module.
That's really straightforward.
You plug in your sync module, you put it onto your WiFi using your mobile application, Blink
Home Monitor app and the sync module's ready to go.
That's the first element, the first facet of the process.
The second one is just as easy.
You're going to take your Blink XT2, take two AA lithium batteries, put them inside
and voila.
Once you sync it with your sync module, you're ready to go.
Now remember, with those two AA lithium batteries, Blink is purporting that it's going to last
for up to two years.
That's a really set it and forget it type system because you can basically place this
directly on a shelf, a mantle or use the swivel mount.
Screw it in anywhere you'd like in indoor or outdoors of your home and you're ready
to go.
That is the quintessential, simple and convenient process for installation and everyday use
with the home security camera and for that we give the Blink XT2 full marks.
A Security Baron necessary feature is value.
Honestly, we think the Blink XT2 brings tremendous value.
It comes in at $99.99.
This is an indoor/outdoor camera, but that outdoor element with the IP65 weather-proofing
is pretty impressive.
That means is completely dust-tight and it can definitely handle some rain.
The Blink XT2 is the only camera in that pricing range that brings that element.
Any other camera on the market with that type of IP rating is definitely going to cost you
probably upwards of $300 or so.
The Blink XT2 with its Activity Zones, its temperature monitoring, its ability to withstand
the elements -- it's bringing something really special to the market.
When it comes to value, we're going to give the Blink XT2 full marks.
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Gabe: Now that we've put the Blink XT2 through the Security Baron necessary features test,
let's go ahead and check out its mobile application, the Blink Home Monitor app.
Now, we're going to be doing mostly with interfacing with your Blink XT2, watching live streams,
setting up activity zones, just generally going through the processes of making sure
your home is secure.
It has a pretty decent score in the Apple App Store with a 3.5 out of 5 star rating
and does a little bit better in the Google Play Store with a 3.7 out of 5 star rating.
Let's go ahead and check it out on my iPhone 7 Plus.
Here I am checking out the Blink XT2 on the Blink Home Monitor mobile application.
You'll see here as soon as you jump in, we've not renamed this, it's called the Blink XT2.
This space is called the Baron Blink.
There's just a shot of me lying on the couch.
Now, if I want to go look at a Live View, I would just hit the video camera icon on
the bottom left-hand corner.
Voila, now we've got a live view of the outside, you can see what's going on down below.
If I wanted to speak to someone, I would just hold this talk button in the bottom and I'd
be able to hear what they're saying.
If you note in the top right-hand corner, there's an icon for the microphone, which
I have turned off because I actually don't want to hear.
If you note right now at the bottom it says Continue.
I tapped on Continue because the way that the Blink always tends to work is that every
30 seconds you need to say, "I'd like to keep watching," otherwise, it'll turn off that
Live View in order to conserve the battery life.
This is how that Blink XT2 lasts for two years.
You'll also note right inside of the Live View, you get the opportunity to decide to
save or discard this particular thing.
Once again, I'm going to tap on continue.
This time, I'm going to hit Save.
Now it'll save this Live View of the past few seconds.
That's just one thing to note about jumping into the Live View on your Blink XT2.
There are hosts of other features right inside the app.
Let's click out of here.
In the top left-hand corner, I tap close.
Of course, the first thing you note is the screen.
Once again, I can hit Add a Blink device.
I can decide to arm or disarm in the bottom right-hand corner.
Now disarm the device.
Let me arm it again.
I can go into the upper right-hand corner, see that folder, tap on the folder.
You'll see all of the different videos that I have saved.
One is just from motion detection.
You see that from the person running icon right there in the middle.
Then these are when I had live screens that I wanted to look at.
Let's go ahead and check out what we were just seeing.
Now, I'm just in the clip role, checking out the live footage, person walking by and that's
useful.
If I want to click out, tap on the upper left hand corner.
Let's go look at some night footage.
You can see here, this is a night vision.
Get a nice wave from me.
I'm pretty close to the Blink XT2 in that perspective.
Now, you see me walk to the back and give you an idea of what it's like from about 10
feet away.
You see here, it's pretty easy to use, and its clips are pretty solid.
It definitely seemed to improve in quality once you're looking at a viewed clip versus
an actual live streaming.
If I go and tap right above the actual image itself, I can go into settings.
I can change the name here.
If I want to call it Blink X, if I want to say "Blink Action," change the name.
I can look at the battery.
I can look at the temperature, 85 degrees.
I can enable motion detection, disable motion detection.
Look at the re-trigger time, the sensitivity.
The clip length -- end the clip early if motion stops.
Even do things with my infrared illuminator.
There's a host of different options.
I can do the enhanced option for the video quality.
I can look at the best option or the poorest quality, which, of course, will also help
you extend the life of your battery.
It also will give you updates related to your firmware, how connected you are to the WiFi
and your sync module itself.
One thing I want to note here, I can go and save this.
When I go into activity zones, I can decide where I would like to actually have an active
zone.
I click like this.
These gray zones are inactive.
I know that I'm constantly going to have a bird coming into one particular part of my
camera and I don't want to record that bird each time it comes, let's say the left side.
I'm clicking all of these left-side images.
Now, I shouldn't have to worry about any motion there being activated.
That's a really useful element with the Blink.
You can try to reduce the number of notifications you get to your phone manually.
Because there's no artificial intelligence with the Blink XT2, doing activity zones is
especially useful.
I can just reset the zones by clicking on reset.
Viola, now I am finished.
I can tap on done and it saved that for me.
The final thing I want to note on dealing with your Blink XT2 is you might see beside
the Settings button in the upper left-hand corner, you'll see a icon of three people
and that is just the Ring neighbors' application.
Blink and Ring are both owned by Amazon.
That will take you to the Ring app.
It is not necessary to really get the most out of your Blink camera.
That's our look at the Blink Home Monitor app -- really intuitive, really straightforward,
and really helps you to get the most out of your Blink XT2 home security camera.
Here I am checking out the daytime quality on the Blink XT2.
It looks pretty good.
It can capture everything in this room.
I can do a little zooming.
One thing to note is that it only is capturing 110-degree field of view, which is narrow
in comparison with some of the other cameras that we've seen.
Of course, I have to continue to tap "Continue" at the bottom of the screen in order to keep
that view going.
Let's go ahead and give a little bit of a test here, check that out.
You can see that it looks pretty good.
Let's go ahead and look and got a little Africa, Asia, Middle East action here.
Overall, I'm a pretty big fan of the quality on the video with the Blink XT2.
Here I am checking out the night vision on the Blink XT2.
I'm about six or seven feet away.
She's in that infrared LED, I see the blue indicator light is on.
I honestly can see pretty well.
I can look at the globe.
With my phone, there's a weird sheen on the globe.
Overall, I think does a pretty good job of actually showing me what's happening in this
room, in this space.
My face is easily distinguishable.
You get an idea of what's all around me.
No confusion, no blurriness.
It's actually a clear view on the night vision.
We're of course dealing with a little bit of lag, but that's to be expected in the middle
of the day when that [snaps] connection goes up a bit.
Looking at the Blink XT2's night vision, I am satisfied.
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Gabe: Let's recap how the Blink XT2 score on the Security Baron necessary features test.
Video quality, half marks.
While the Blink XT2 has crisp clear 1080p high-definition video, it only has a 110-degree
field of view.
Two-way audio, full marks.
The Blink XT2 gives you the ability to talk and listen to whoever is in front of your
video device.
Night vision, full marks.
The infrared LED lights on the Blink XT2 really give you a nice shot or whatever's going on
in the dark.
Local and cloud storage, half marks.
While the Blink XT2 does give you cloud storage, it does not give you the ability to hold anything
locally.
Smart platform integration, full marks.
The Blink XT2 does integrate with the Amazon Virtual Assistant.
Artificial intelligence, zero marks.
Unfortunately, the Blink XT2 has no artificial intelligence capabilities.
Convenience, full marks.
The Blink XT2 not only is an easy installation process but the two-year battery life means
you can set it and forget it.
Value, full marks.
The Blink XT2 has an impressive feature set for under $100.
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Gabe: We've come a long way with the Blink XT2 but you want to know, "Gabe, which is
the right home security camera for me?" and I'll say this.
You want an indoor outdoor camera that's IP65 weatherproof, or the set it and forget it
convenience that can only come by being powered with two AA lithium batteries for up to two
years, or the tremendous value from the home security camera that cost less than $100?
Then you want to look at the Blink XT2.
However, if your heart is set on artificial intelligence or you need a super-wide field
of view then you should check out one of its competitors.
That being said, I'm impressed with the improvements that Blink has made with the XT2 over its
predecessor, the Blink XT, and think it's a great option for your next home security
camera.
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Gabe: That concludes our review of the Blink XT2.
If you appreciate today's video, give us a like and hit that subscribe button.
As always, this is Gabe at Security Baron.
[snaps] Be secure.
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