Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2023
Just received this today, and it does show an improvement on the quality. Feels and looks beefier. When updating your activity zones, there are more squares to select than the previous versions of these cameras, which I like, to fine tune the areas I want. ** And, I think the inactive zones you set up, are ‘actually’ enforced and work as expected than the older generation cameras.
TIP **25 September 2023 - For those having issues about wifi signal strength, you may need to mess with the router’s settings to increase signal power. If your router is between walls, behind the tv, etc. you will see degradation in performance and responsiveness in live view. I have a gaming router set on a high shelf, because routers work best when they’re in a high spot. My cameras that are outside have no issues with Wi-Fi strength and are responsive when live-viewing.
Field of view has improved significantly and you can see a large difference between versions of cameras.
Good thing is that the mounts for the previous cameras WILL work on this camera. The mount it came with is an improvement to previous versions. Flat base, not cone-shaped.
I’m currently trying the person detection from the trial with this camera, and will update over time on the performance.**Person Detection since having BO4 as the trial, has been great! It has significantly cut down on the amount of unwanted notifications caused by wind, car/sensor lights, animals, etc. I do feel that you can save battery life significantly, even when the sensitively is set higher. Having too many notifications does get annoying at times, but I think Blink is definitely making an initiative to make these camera a gamer-changer, while still maintaining ease of setup.
Price is a tad high, but you may consider the monthly payments, which I did.
**28 August 2023 - Taking a snapshot/photo capture from these cameras, at night, non-night vision, pointing in a lighted area is sharp(er), than any previous version. No images included due to security. Haven’t tried night vision alone, but I’m confident the same sharpness is applied.
**29 August 2023 - The Motion Recording Types cover Person Detection and All Motion. I have one camera set with Person Detection enabled with sensitivity level at 8, and it didn’t detect me driving my car in/out of the garage. I would’ve thought Person Detection would encompass ‘some’ normal motions, but I think we must take it at face value that when set to Person Detection, it will ONLY detect persons, you don’t get the best of both worlds unless selecting All Motion. Sounds dumb to say, but though I’d make it aware. Update** On a ‘very few’ instances, this camera did detect my car entering and exiting our garage. So my thoughts originally have shifted, but I think over time with continued firmware updates, it will hone in on its accuracy.
1 September 2023 - One camera fell offline/unresponsive. Suspicion is on firmware updates being applied, or, weather factors since it’s low 60° outside. No issues with home network or signal strength to camera. Will continue to monitor/self troubleshoot. **I took out the batteries, and tested them, showing still a full charge/health, and placed them back in, bringing the camera back online.
4 September 2023 - One of my BO4 cameras with Person Detection enabled was at level 8 sensitivity, and on a windy day, did alert that there was a person at (insert camera name). It alerted a few times during the day (under 5 instances), but not a big deal. My guess would be that as BO4 continues to develop, the accuracy will improve in its detection.
8 September 2023 - Setup of 3rd BO4 camera set in an area where there is minimal/no lights. Due to security, no images. Taking Live Photo with the IR intensity set at LOW. Some haziness/fuzziness but the area is lit up, and provides better detail than previous versions of Blink cameras. As you increase in IR sensitivity, the Live Photo (in HIGH IR setting) increased in sharpness and reduces glare and fuzziness significantly. **I placed some solar floodlights in the area of this BO4, and with low IR sensitivity and once the lights are triggered, the video capture was much sharper than previous versions of Blink cameras. I only have video quality set at normal, so I’m impressed with BO4 so far!
28 September 2023 Another BO4 fell offline around 11pm. Last occurrence was due to a firmware update being deployed, so this may be due to the same thing.
1 October 2023 - Installed my 4th BO4, as I’m looking at all the point of views both in the live shot and live view, it feels that it elongates everything. I know my driveway isn’t that long, but comparing it to previous generation cameras, BO4 view appears to add like 20ft+ to my driveway. I can understand the other reviews concerned about the range detection, as I do notice some times it will not catch movement, especially if I’m moving slowly or based on camera positioning, but at sensitivity level 8-9, I would like to catch movement at a farther range. As I continue to implement BO4, I will continue to observe performance.
6 October 2023 - It appears one of my BO4s point toward the road at max sensitivity IS NOT catching cars passing by anymore. Seems that v13.34 that was pushed out, affected the range despite any setting changes. Not a concern (yet), but I’m hoping newer updates will fix range issues and sensitivity. **Update - camera seems to be capturing movement now at a lower sensitivity set at 6-7. May’ve been a change in traffic flow by the house, in which there may be less cars, however, will continue to observe BO4 performance.
4 November 2023 - Installed another BO4 camera while also upgrading one camera with a battery expansion kit. This is specifically for BO4 cameras, not previous versions. The expansion makes this camera much heavier, however, the mounts they come with (and previous) will support the weight without the mount drooping/moving. I’m not a fan of adding more bulk to the camera. Also, this battery expansion will not use camera’s battery slots, and instead uses the expansion for 4 batteries. I would’ve preferred an integration that would’ve retained the two onboard batteries + two for expansion. Other than that, the BO4 cameras have been wonderful to use, with overall quality/sharpness. I do hope that future updates will improve motion detection and range, respectively. Nonetheless, these are worth an upgrade from previous versions.
15 November 2023 - I’ve noticed recently that BO4 will notify of Motion/person and it will not record that instance. It happens sporadically, so it is a slight concern, but not enough deter me from purchasing another BO4. Over time as more updates are pushed to these cameras, I expect the overall effectiveness will improve.
6 December 2023 - BO4 has been a great upgrade for my system. There are still occasions where I’ll receive a notification of movement, but does not record that moment. It’s very rare now with the update to v13.41. I still see issues regarding the sensitivity not working as expected. One camera is set at 9, toward the road, and it does not always catch cars driving by. Not a showstopper, but I can see now it’s range detection could be an issue for others. With recent Blink app updates, you now can adjust the length of video recording (previously it was adjusted by every 5 seconds), which is great! Allows for better customization for your needs. I wish this was the same for the sensitivity (0-99 vs 1-9). Overall BO4 has been accurate with Person Detection, and the subscription for Blink Plus for $10/mon, is very reasonable for any household to use to expand features.
27 January 2024 - BO4 has been working exceptionally well. I still have the Blink Plus subscription to allow the Person Detection feature, and it’s accurate. There were certain instances that BO4 cameras did not record movement such as my neighbor chopping his tree down. I also noticed there were connectivity issues during that time that left a large gap in my list of recordings. Not a showstopper, but concerning for those security moments. Range also plays a factor in detection, so I continue to hope that future updates will improve this. Overall, upgrading to this camera is well worth it. Wait for the sales to get these at a cheaper price.
16 February 2024 - Decided to update the Blink Sync Module because I realized I was still using the 1st generation sync module. I updated to the 2nd generation sync module, and I noticed there’s more of a delay when live streaming my cameras. I did a reboot of the sync module a few times, but I still receive a slight delay. One camera I have at a longer distance is unable to be live viewed despite Wi-Fi and sync module connection have full bars/strong connectivity. Still attempting to troubleshoot but I think something about the firmware I updated to since it’s the first time connecting. Further investigation is needed. Overall, the cameras are working as expected!
18 February 2024 - Identified that the issue was NOT the Sync Module 2, and rather my own internet. Reboot modem, router and network switch, and saw significant improvement in BO4 camera responsiveness. Additionally, I will take into factor that weather was not great at the time of incident. Since this, the Blink cameras are working as intended!
22 April 2024 - I’ve bumped up to the yearly Blink Plus subscription as the Person Detection feature has been wonderful! Eliminated unnecessary notifications caused by wind, sun/shadows, or other movement. It does save your batteries!
There are occasions where there is a notification of movement, however, it does not record/save the video. Not sure if there are delays, but I continue to have confidence as new firmware is pushed to BO4, it will improve overall performance. Since having these cameras, I haven’t had major issues, and Blink support have been helpful and receptive.
Other things I’ve noticed as far as delays in live streaming, are caused by your upload speeds. The higher your upload speeds are, the quicker the response is. Additionally, consider adjusting your Wi-Fi strength from your router/wireless access point, as this also contributes to the responsiveness.
Overall, I am pleased with Blink Outdoor 4 cameras.