A:Answer Hi Drew! If you're just occasionally dropping in to check on your dog with brief live view sessions (rather than keeping the camera streaming continuously), the battery life should still be quite good, though it won't quite reach the full two-year estimate. The two-year battery life is based on typical usage with motion-activated recording, and occasional live view check-ins will use more power than motion detection alone, but not dramatically so if you're only viewing for a few minutes at a time. Many users report getting well over a year of battery life with normal use, and if you're just checking in on your dog a few times throughout the day for short periods, you should expect somewhere between 12-18 months of battery life depending on how frequently you use live view. Yes, the Blink Outdoor 4 cameras use standard two AA lithium batteries, they're not proprietary to Blink, so you can purchase any brand of AA lithium batteries. The cameras come with lithium batteries included, and lithium batteries are recommended over alkaline because they perform better in extreme temperatures and last longer. When the batteries do run low, the Blink app will notify you, and replacing them is as simple as opening the back of the camera and swapping in fresh AA lithium batteries. Have a great day!