Blink doorbell Sync Module 2 versus Subscription

sand_hun

Hi folks, does anyone here have a Blink doorbell? If so, would you recommend the annual subscription plan or saving to a local USB via the sync module? I'm currently in a 30-day free trial with the subscription and it's not entirely clear what functionality will be lost if I do not subscribe.

One thing I heard is that you lose the thumbnail icons when viewing clips in the Blink App. Apart from that are there any other negative consequences if you don't subscribe?

I think the annual fee is only about £25 so I don't mind paying it, but just wanted to get some opinions from others. Thanks.

knightstyle

We got a Blink doorbell two months ago and like you were unsure about this, I paid for a years subscription and am so pleased with it.
We are often out so the remote function is especially useful, not sure if this is available without the subscription.  Haven't needed the recording function yet but can see it would be useful if there is a disputed delivery.

moneysaver1978

sand_hun said:

Hi folks, does anyone here have a Blink doorbell? If so, would you recommend the annual subscription plan or saving to a local USB via the sync module? I'm currently in a 30-day free trial with the subscription and it's not entirely clear what functionality will be lost if I do not subscribe.

One thing I heard is that you lose the thumbnail icons when viewing clips in the Blink App. Apart from that are there any other negative consequences if you don't subscribe?

I think the annual fee is only about £25 so I don't mind paying it, but just wanted to get some opinions from others. Thanks.

When we moved to our new house, I got a Blink doorbell+Blink Outdoor cameras set in 2023 which came with a 1 month free subscription. The alternative was Ring which required subscription for recording (Eufy, Tapo, etc. weren't available if I recall).

My experience of a paid plan were generally positive:

• Ability to view live and record
• Clip capture thumbnails

I decided to try the Sync Module 2 with USB thumb drive and my experience:

• Would have been nice to have the ability to view live and record at the same time but in the end we don't really need the live feature if we are recording.
• Clip capture thumbnails again would have been nice. I think this was a bit mean on Amazon to omit this basic feature but not the end of the world.

We are still using Sync Module 2 and it's been fine for us. It might be "only" £80 a year but it all adds up and I don't like being stuck to something where prices will only go up (as we have seen with Ring).

Checking the latest plan features on Amazon, I see things like which to me doesn't seem worth it:

• Live view streaming (90 minutes instead of 5 minutes. Are you going to watch the doorbell video for 90 minutes?)
• 30-day unlimited video history (you get that on your USB anyway)
• Photo capture (if I understand this correctly, you just need to update your video thumbnail)
• Video sharing (you can save it to your phone and share)
• 10% off Blink devices (how many do you need? No thanks haha)

So the following are what the subscription is really for:

• Rapid video access
• Live view recording

Are they worth £80/year (or £25 for a single device)? Not for us and I would rather throw that into the savings belonging to our nieces and nephews.

knightstyle

For me it is worth the £25 to answer calls remotely.  I don't use anything else.

jonnydeppiwish!

I don’t pay for the the subscription- I can still speak to people at the door when the ring the doorbell

sand_hun

Thanks everyone for the info and especially to @moneysaver1978 for that comprehensive reply. We only have one Blink device (the doorbell). We generally use it to see who comes to the front door and to keep track of parcel deliveries. We are not overly fussed about the live view, although I guess it could be useful in some instances.

bob_a_builder

I have Blink app with normal Blink cameras with USB sync module rather than doorbell type

One of the main limitations of not having the subscription (expired after 12 months for me) is that you lose the picture thumbnails in the Clips history 
so could be more tricky to find what you are looking for, although of course they are still timestamped

Not sure if this is same for doorbell, but might want to check