Blink questions

Configuration
1

Hey all, new to the forums and new to HA. I have been working on my HA server for a few days now, i will post pics to help with potential questions. I have searched google and these forums, found lots of instructions and tried them all. I am not having much luck with what I want to do though. My goal is to have blink save a video file locally and then have lovelace update a card on the home page when it can (i have read alot thats its slow to update). If this option is not possible, I would like to at least get a motion trigger to save a snapshot to a folder then have the lovelace card auto update to the most recent picture saved.

Few questions I have.
I know with the polling, it seems impossible for blink to update in a timely manner that when motion is triggered, it could possibly not show that trigger for 5 minutes later in HA and then the motion detected may not be in the state of on.

I have tried testing save video call in HA developer and it does not save, I have tried different locations.

Below is what I have tried in my automation.yaml

- id: '1643917170154'
  alias: Back Yard Motion Triggered
  description: ''
  use_blueprint:
    path: timmo001/camera-snapshot-and-additional-actions-when-binary-sensor-is-triggered.yaml
    input:
      binary_sensor: binary_sensor.blink_backyard_hottub_motion_detected
      camera: camera.blink_backyard_hottub
      delay: 2
      additional_actions:
      - service: camera.snapshot
        target:
          entity_id: camera.blink_backyard_hottub
          device_id: 
        data:
          filename: back_yard

also this code

- id: save_blink_video_on_motion_backyard_test
  alias: Save Blink Video on Motion Backyard test
  trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: binary_sensor.blink_backyard_hottub_motion_detected
    to: 'on'
    for:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 0
      seconds: 5
  action:
  - service: blink.save_video
    data:
      name: backyard_hotTub
      filename: /config/www/tmp/videos/blink_video_{{ now().strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S')
        }}.mp4

Out of all the different config files I have come across that works is this script

blinkkitchencamsnap1564782119078:
  alias: Blink BackYard Cam Snap
  sequence:
  - service: blink.trigger_camera
    target:
      entity_id: camera.blink_backyard_hottub
    data: {}
  - delay: 00:00:05
  - service: blink.blink_update
    data: {}
  - data:
      entity_id: camera.blink_backyard_hottub
      filename: /config/www/blink/backyard.jpg
    service: camera.snapshot
  mode: single

I am using HA supervisor that is updated to the latest version as of today.
Im not a coder, trying to learn some of this has been staggering. I am looking for help (if possible) from someone that has a current working setup like I am trying to achieve and can share their code and where it goes.

Thanks in advance for any assistance

2

Disregard my questions, from what it appears, you have to pay for a blink cloud plan to get some of the api calls to work.

3 Likes
3

Yes I am finding that investing in Blink was a bad idea. So now I’m looking at Hikvision cameras, which are really expensive but you can do so much with them in HA.

1 Like
4

Hi, is there a list of API or function what’s possible without the Abo? Without the Abo it is possible to store videos on a local plugged USB-Stick to the blink sync module. My hope is to download the files from the USB-Stick via some API.

5

I’m not really sure to be honest. I have stopped using Blink.

6

is it possible to know which one?