recommended dash cam for reading license plates

[Lothar]

So I think the main use for cloud functionality is to deal with USA cops, who seem to have a reputation for stealing video evidence stored on memory cards. Outside of the USA this isn't an issue.

In the US, this really isn't an issue either. Not sure where you're getting this idea from.

 

[Nigel]

In the US, this really isn't an issue either. Not sure where you're getting this idea from.

While I suspect you are correct, there have been quite a few people asking about dashcams with cloud features because they are worried that their cops will steal the evidence. There also seem to be a few worried about getting shot on USA roads and the gunmen stealing the evidence, again, not an issue nearly everywhere else, and I doubt that it is a real issue in USA, but for some it clearly is.

 

[Nigel]

The only thing I really need from "cloud" is for a dashcam to be connected to my Google Drive/Google account and auto-upload video at original maximum quality without having to resort to removing the memory card.

But do you "really need" all your maximum quality video on your Google Drive? Or is it just a desire?

Even Google Drive has storage limits, and if uploading an 8K stream (4K+2K+2xFHD) 24 hours a day, those limits are going to be reached fairly quickly, so I think for most people this isn't really practical even if the functionality was there.

If it is really something that many people want, and if it is practical, I'm sure Viofo could get it implemented. I doubt they would provide a cloud server themselves, but there is nothing stopping their cameras uploading to a Google Drive account, other than having a data link with sufficient bandwidth. Having said that, the amount of data may be sufficient that Google would take action to stop it, unless the uploads can be reduced to something more manageable, such as locked files only.

 

[Lothar]

While I suspect you are correct, there have been quite a few people asking about dashcams with cloud features because they are worried that their cops will steal the evidence. There also seem to be a few worried about getting shot on USA roads and the gunmen stealing the evidence, again, not an issue nearly everywhere else, and I doubt that it is a real issue in USA, but for some it clearly is.

I've only been on DCT for a year, and you've been here much longer.
Link to such posts?

Just trying to deduce whether these individuals have an irrational fear based on the wording of their post/request, or if this is a figment of your imagination.

What you're describing sounds like something that happens in Soviet Russia.
Let the "In Soviet Russia..." jokes commence!

 

[DT MI]

or if this is a figment of your imagination.

Congratulations, you've figured him out. If you take (waste?) some time reviewing his posts you'll quickly realize that he has a decidedly anti-USA, anti-Australian, anti-'anything not British' bias in everything he says. Also, he's convinced that the entire world is no different than the little corner he happens to inhabit

He's also prone to spouting what I like to refer to as "Nigel Knowledge" which is nothing more than his myopic view of the world presented as universal fact. Once challenged to prove his 'facts', or presented with real facts countering what he says, he becomes strangely silent or will just change the subject - even to the point of refusing to answer a direct question.

 

[kamkar]

I think it is fair to say of all the smart cameras, none of then will be the very best for image quality.
Personally i would never go for a smart camera unless it was for a paramount feature, i would prefer a simple "dumb" camera with the best possible image quality.
Actually should i be forced in a way i cant even imagine to go for a smart camera, i wouldn't run that alone, which if of course easy for me to say already having a slew of cameras in my car.
I would prefer if someone made a dedicated guard camera for a car, maybe paried with alerm functions, and then have dashcams beside that to do that kind of work.

 

[Dashmellow]

So I think the main use for cloud functionality is to deal with USA cops, who seem to have a reputation for stealing video evidence stored on memory cards. Outside of the USA this isn't an issue.

There also seem to be a few worried about getting shot on USA roads and the gunmen stealing the evidence, again, not an issue nearly everywhere else,

In the US, this really isn't an issue either. Not sure where you're getting this idea from.

Just trying to deduce whether these individuals have an irrational fear based on the wording of their post/request, or if this is a figment of your imagination.

@Lothar, Nigel has a long and chronic history of disparaging the U.S.A, its citizens, its laws, cultural, academic and medical institutions, media and entertainment industries, its roads and infrastructure, its products and manufacturing, etc., etc. etc, even going so far as to cast false, insulting aspersions on our national anthem *. Other nations are not beyond his disdain either. Pretty much anything that is not inside the British "bubble" he resides in is a potential target regardless of the actual facts.

So, THAT'S where he's getting this from. Basically, he is violating Forum Rule #9 (nation bashing) yet he keeps doing it again and again anyway.

* Nigel made the spurious claim that the famous line, "And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there" was essentially a celebration of our "violent gun culture" and implied that the anthem dates back to the founding of the country. Seems Nigel doesn't know his American or British history as the "rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air" were fired by the British on SEPTEMBER 13, 1814 during the failed bombardment of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. (speaking of figments of one's imagination)

 

[Lothar]

But do you "really need" all your maximum quality video on your Google Drive? Or is it just a desire?

Even Google Drive has storage limits, and if uploading an 8K stream (4K+2K+2xFHD) 24 hours a day, those limits are going to be reached fairly quickly, so I think for most people this isn't really practical even if the functionality was there.

If it is really something that many people want, and if it is practical, I'm sure Viofo could get it implemented. I doubt they would provide a cloud server themselves, but there is nothing stopping their cameras uploading to a Google Drive account, other than having a data link with sufficient bandwidth. Having said that, the amount of data may be sufficient that Google would take action to stop it, unless the uploads can be reduced to something more manageable, such as locked files only.

Yes. A few days worth at least, just in case I miss anything to serve as redundancy. Should add that Google Drive is always synced with a folder of my computer without me having to manually click or do anything, so I can always simply copy/move whatever video somewhere else without having to fumble with the microSD card.

There is already going to be limits. Highly unlikely that someone would be recording for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 4K+2K+2xFHD...Your car battery plus any extended battery will be long dead by then. You seem to be grasping at straws here.
There is no point in enabling "parking mode" while my car is parked at my home in my garage or driveway. That's what a Nest or Ring camera is for, if I care to have such surveillance.
In practice, it would only be my driving + whatever the dashcam recorded in low bitrate mode while parked at my job, grocery store, restaurant, or somewhere similar that will be uploaded to Google.

The data link can be your home or whatever WiFi connection, so those who have sufficient bandwidth are fine regardless.
Google does not care as about the amount of data (or the frequency) as you will always be limited by whatever your Google account storage limit is.
Having it limited to locked files is certainly an option as well and will help those who have the entry level 15GB Google storage.

 

[Lothar]

@DT MI and @Dashmellow
I kinda suspected the later, but wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Lets see if he will supply link to such posts/requests for me to analyze and if not, then I will assume the later.

I think it is fair to say of all the smart cameras, none of then will be the very best for image quality.
Personally i would never go for a smart camera unless it was for a paramount feature, i would prefer a simple "dumb" camera with the best possible image quality.
Actually should i be forced in a way i cant even imagine to go for a smart camera, i wouldn't run that alone, which if of course easy for me to say already having a slew of cameras in my car.
I would prefer if someone made a dedicated guard camera for a car, maybe paried with alerm functions, and then have dashcams beside that to do that kind of work.

This is more for me about having the original best quality video at my finger tips and on my computer/device without having to manually fumble with the microSD card on the dashcam or remembering to manually download the video every night via connecting to the dashcam's WiFi via smartphone app.
If this can be done in a smartphone with a recorded video saved at original quality to Google/iCloud, or a Nest or Ring camera, why not a dashcam?
I wouldn't really call what I'm asking for to be a "smart" feature as I don't really care about the other cloud benefits(remote live view, GPS tracking, etc...)that BlackVue or Thinkware offers.

There are TV's that advertise their smartness. I don't care, nor do I use their smartness because I can connect an even smarter device(Chromecast, ShieldTV, Apple TV) via HDMI that is better and more capable than the smart feature that any TV ships with.
I already have a Google/Apple account. I don't care to create a separate Samsung, LG, Sony, OnePlus, BlackVue, Thinkware, Viofo, or Street Guardian account, nor use their cloud server or services.

 

[kamkar]

I got my first TV when i was 45, this year i turn 56 and have not had a TV for 2 years
I think in general i have outgrown TV or streaming ( i have looked ) content, sooner or later i probably outgrow breathing / waking up.
I do have my first smart dashcam ordered, i wonder if this will disrupt my take on them or just be a train wreck, either way it is a 250 USD learning experience. ( not counting the price for the SIM card for that camera )
At leas i can claim i have tried it then VS Now where i have to say " never been there" if i urge caution.

 

[Dashmellow]

This is more for me about having the original best quality video at my finger tips and on my computer/device without having to manually fumble with the microSD card on the dashcam or remembering to manually download the video every night via connecting to the dashcam's WiFi via smartphone app.
If this can be done in a smartphone with a recorded video saved at original quality to Google/iCloud, or a Nest or Ring camera, why not a dashcam?

Probably, someone has mentioned this previously but I think the real problem comes down to what kind of data plan one has as well as what kind of connectivity. Transferring full resolution videos to the cloud is like trying to move a side of beef! Unless, you have an unlimited data plan that is fast and affordable, this could get pretty expensive. A dash cam with sim card connectivity transferring that much data on a continuous basic could also get pretty warm (or hot even!) and that's the last thing a dash cam needs on top of the heat it already generates.

For some of us there would be other challenges. For example, I live in a mountainous rural area where you can be driving along and suddenly you drop down into a valley where you have little or no signal, or maybe you drive into a location where there is no cell tower coverage. This has improved dramatically over the years but it is still a problem around here. Our local Sheriff's department is notorious for having terrible, practically non-existent cell coverage and some small towns are the same. The county Sheriff's Department recently announced that they are moving to a new more urban location after having been in the same small rural town for over 100 years.

5G would make video transfer a whole lot easier and faster. We do have 5G in some locations but it is still pretty spotty around here, especially out in the boonies where I live.

Sometimes people park not far from my house which is half way up a small mountain but not where they can see the 100 mile view which puzzled me for a while. I finally realized these people were driving over from the other side of the mountain so they can get cell coverage. I have line of sight to a cell tower several miles away from my house, out in the view, so I get 5 bars at all times for most networks. (but not T-Mobile though) When I leave my house and drive into town down in the valley I experience a few weak signal spots and two dead zones.

I think what you seek is doable but perhaps more challenging than it seems at first glance.

 

[Nigel]

the War of 1812

100,000 casualties, not far from where similar numbers are occurring this year, although it is taking longer this time!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1812_Overture

 

[Lothar]

I got my first TV when i was 45, this year i turn 56 and have not had a TV for 2 years
I think in general i have outgrown TV or streaming ( i have looked ) content, sooner or later i probably outgrow breathing / waking up.
I do have my first smart dashcam ordered, i wonder if this will disrupt my take on them or just be a train wreck, either way it is a 250 USD learning experience. ( not counting the price for the SIM card for that camera )
At leas i can claim i have tried it then VS Now where i have to say " never been there" if i urge caution.

So between 1966-2011, and 2020-2022 you did not have TV in the house? or are you saying that you had access to TV somewhere in the house but it's not your personal own?
If it is the later, then that is understandable especially if you live with a roommate or family members. I only have a TV in the living room upstairs and downstairs. I don't have a TV in my bedroom because my bedroom is for sleeping. My mom and brother have TV in their bedrooms...not sure how they do it.
Your avatar has a picture of Brian from Family Guy. I would expect you to have watched most of (or all) the seasons.
What do you do for fun and in your free time besides testing dashcams?

What dashcam is this?

 

[Nigel]

Google does not care as about the amount of data

I don't think that is true, I think their data link into and out of their servers costs them more than the storage, so the amount of data is important to them. They expect most of what you store in your 15GB to be static over years, not be replaced several times a day! Of course replacing it several times a day would not be of any use anyway, you would want a 256GB or larger store if you really want to keep 24 hours of decent quality 3 channel video.

 

[kamkar]

Hehe dont misunderstand me, there have always been a lot of TV in my life, it is mainly where i learned languages at a early age ( we just had 1 channel back then in the 70ties )
We also had a TV in the house me and my mon shared in the late 90ties and 00s, but that was all my mothers deal and i dident watch it much CUZ if i was not out of the country working, or just working then i was with my mates, doing all kinds of waste of our life.
But i only personally owned that one TV, and i also got it before we sold our house after my mothers brain aneurysm in 2010 or so, so for a while we was a 2 TV home.
But i think the norm is everyone get a TV as soon as they are kicked out of their parents house, could also be they take their TV from their room with them as that seem to be the norm kids have their own TV in their room these days.
But for many years i made do with the TV blaring at the places i was visiting, to my friends frustration, CUZ when i an into something, you have a hard time getting in contact with me, my friend resorted to throwing things at me.
And this even applied to "important " things like it was my turn to smoke on the joint ASO, if it is good TV or a book for that matter i am so in there.
Probably also why i feel like i am extra bad at multi tasking.

 

[Nigel]

I've only been on DCT for a year, and you've been here much longer.
Link to such posts?

Always difficult to find old threads, especially on this site!

The core purpose of a Hotspot is access while away from the vehicle. What if someone hits my parked vehicle, then steals the dashcam? Worse, hits me while I am driving then attacks me and steals my dashcam?

Questions related to adding a Hotspot plus powering it

I just joined the forum, if this belongs in a different section I understand if it gets moved. I installed a Thinkware u1000 and am powering it via a recommended OBD kit. I am trying to establish the best way to keep the dashcam connected to the Cloud. I have a Sprint family plan which...

dashcamtalk.com

Also, some of you may have seen the recent attacks on drivers earlier this year...

Need dash cam advice to record the interior -- Ride Sharing

As a part-time gig, I do ride-sharing on the side. It's well known in the driver community that Uber tends to side with the passengers story most of the time for PR reasons. And with the various sexual assault cases on the news recently by ride sharing drivers, everyone is on alert. Thus, I...

dashcamtalk.com

Yet 2 years later, Mayland police were still trying to pull the same trick. No telling when a really bad cop might just rip the dashcam off the windshield and throw it into the woods. Jokiin, when is your new multichannel remote DVR going to hit the market? Perhaps talk to your engineers about a wifi remote storage option as well, since flash memory is relatively cheap nowadays.

http://wecopwatch.org/copwatchers-charges-dropped-in-maryland-case/

KuoH

US dashcam legality

I had a few questions regarding whether dashcams are legal in Maryland. I heard that there was a law that you couldn't record other peoples conversations without their permission. So if a cop pulled you over would you be required to tell them that they are being recorded? Also, is there any...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[Dashmellow]

100,000 casualties, not far from where similar numbers are occurring this year, although it is taking longer this time!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1812_Overture

We are all well aware of your tendency to desperately change the subject when you have no argument on any given subject but are you REALLY this clueless??!!!

Maybe you think nobody is paying attention or doesn't know their history? As I said before however, you obviously don't know your American or British history".

Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture was written to commemorate the successful defense against Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812. The 1812 Overture has literally NOTHING to do with the Battle of Baltimore during the "War of 1812" or the U.S.A national anthem you disparaged. Let me say that again, NOTHING !

Why link to something so obviously unrelated to the subject at hand?? Distraction? Well, if that is the case, it has backfired.

We are talking about the Star Spangled Banner, our American national anthem. It's lyrics come from the "Defense of Fort McHenry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the British bombardment of the fort during Battle of Baltimore. The Star Spangled Banner's lyrics have nothing to do with the founders of our nation or gun ownership in the U.S., as you alleged.

The failed bombardment of Fort McHenry forced the British to abandon their land assault on the crucial port city of Baltimore, Maryland. This British defeat at the Battle of Fort McHenry was a turning point in the War of 1812, leading both sides to reach a peace agreement later that year.

The Americans had 1000 soldiers at Fort McHenry. They suffered 28 casualties - 24 wounded and 4 killed, 0 missing & captured.

Your 100,000 casualties remark is a red herring falsity which is referring to the casualties suffered among the French and Russian troops during a different battle on a different continent. Why post such nonsense?

 

[Lothar]

I don't think that is true, I think their data link into and out of their servers costs them more than the storage, so the amount of data is important to them. They expect most of what you store in your 15GB to be static over years, not be replaced several times a day! Of course replacing it several times a day would not be of any use anyway, you would want a 256GB or larger store if you really want to keep 24 hours of decent quality 3 channel video.

I have 2TB storage with Google and never had any issues. I move lots of things in and out all the time. I've also had Gigabit fiber since 2008 with my internet company. Again, I have no issues on that front.
Similarly, lots of people subscribe to Office 365 which comes with free 1TB storage. I'm not sure what Microsoft's policies are, but I know Google is pretty liberal.

Lets bring your numbers back down to earth.
So assuming an A139 dashcam (2K front + 1080P rear):
1 hour driving daily at maximum bitrate + whatever the dashcam recorded in low bitrate mode for 8 hours while parked at my job, grocery store, restaurant, or somewhere similar. How much storage is that daily that will be generated by this dashcam under this scenario and therefore uploaded to Google? I doubt that it will be anywhere near 750GB...

Google's official storage policy:

Upload files to Google Drive - Google Workspace Admin Help

Users can upload any type of file to Google Drive and convert certain types of files to web-based Google document formats such as Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. See Manual upload settings&n

support.google.com

Individual users can only upload 750 GB each day between My Drive and all shared drives. Users who reach the 750-GB limit or upload a file larger than 750 GB cannot upload additional files that day. Uploads that are in progress will complete. The maximum individual file size that you can upload or synchronize is 5 TB.

Similarly if we use your 4K+2K+2xFHD assumption (I'm not even sure if operating 4 different dashcams at those different resolutions will even last for the entire 8 hours mind you, and the number of people operating such in a car is probably almost one in a million):
Using the same 1 hour driving daily at maximum bitrate above + whatever the dashcams recorded in low bitrate mode for 8 hours while parked. How much storage is that daily that will be generated by this dashcam under this scenario and therefore uploaded to Google?

 

[Lothar]

Probably, someone has mentioned this previously but I think the real problem comes down to what kind of data plan one has as well as what kind of connectivity. Transferring full resolution videos to the cloud is like trying to move a side of beef! Unless, you have an unlimited data plan that is fast and affordable, this could get pretty expensive. A dash cam with sim card connectivity transferring that much data on a continuous basic could also get pretty warm (or hot even!) and that's the last thing a dash cam needs on top of the heat it already generates.

For some of us there would be other challenges. For example, I live in a mountainous rural area where you can be driving along and suddenly you drop down into a valley where you have little or no signal, or maybe you drive into a location where there is no cell tower coverage. This has improved dramatically over the years but it is still a problem around here. Our local Sheriff's department is notorious for having terrible, practically non-existent cell coverage and some small towns are the same. The county Sheriff's Department recently announced that they are moving to a new more urban location after having been in the same small rural town for over 100 years.

5G would make video transfer a whole lot easier and faster. We do have 5G in some locations but it is still pretty spotty around here, especially out in the boonies where I live.

Sometimes people park not far from my house which is half way up a small mountain but not where they can see the 100 mile view which puzzled me for a while. I finally realized these people were driving over from the other side of the mountain so they can get cell coverage. I have line of sight to a cell tower several miles away from my house, out in the view, so I get 5 bars at all times for most networks. (but not T-Mobile though) When I leave my house and drive into town down in the valley I experience a few weak signal spots and two dead zones.

I think what you seek is doable but perhaps more challenging than it seems at first glance.

Great point about heat.
Maybe something like this can start over WiFi instead of LTE and SIMs? It's not really a must that the video must upload within minutes of being recorded.
Just like you can set Google Photos/Drive to only backup when connected to "WiFi only" or "WiFi/Mobile data"? Any picture or video I take on my smartphone is automatically uploaded when I get home at night when it is less hot and connected to WiFi.
I do have T-Mobile Magenta Max which is very fast and affordable, and currently has no data limits. Verizon FiOS likewise is also fast and affordable with no data limits that I'm aware of?

Those in rural areas will usually always have data connection problems. The connection will always be the weak point which is why I'm proposing someone implement this with WiFi first rather than 5G LTE/Sim to bypass any bandwidth/speed/connection issues that people may have?

 

[Dashmellow]

Great point about heat.
Maybe something like this can start over WiFi instead of LTE and SIMs? It's not really a must that the video must upload within minutes of being recorded.
Just like you can set Google Photos/Drive to only backup when connected to "WiFi only" or "WiFi/Mobile data"? Any picture or video I take on my smartphone is automatically uploaded when I get home at night when it is less hot and connected to WiFi.
I do have T-Mobile Magenta Max which is very fast and affordable, and currently has no data limits. Verizon FiOS likewise is also fast and affordable with no data limits that I'm aware of?

Those in rural areas will usually always have data connection problems. The connection will always be the weak point which is why I'm proposing someone implement this with WiFi first rather than 5G LTE/Sim to bypass any bandwidth/speed/connection issues that people may have?

Yeah, a Wifi/Mobile Data system makes sense.

You mention that you upload smartphone photos and video when you get home at night and that makes sense too but there is a difference between some smartphone videos and photos and what could be potentially be hundreds of gigabytes of dash cam video, which could be a problem for some.

I think what you propose is more viable for some and thanr others. So, I'm very envious of your Verizon FiOS. You have no idea! It's a long story but up here on my little mountain the very fastest internet service available to me is 3 Megabit DSL !. It really sucks! I could get high speed cable two houses down the road which is about a half a mile away. Basically, despite promises made to get their foot in the door here in Vermont the major internet providers in the area won't spend the money to bring in the connections because they claim the housing density is too low. This is a statewide problem for many out in the countryside. So, many small towns like mine are banding together into what are called CUDS (Communications Union Districts) and by combining resources we will be building and operating our own fiber networks. The recent good news has been the Biden administration's infrastructure bill is providing major funding for projects like this and this will make the whole thing come together better and sooner. Eventually, we will get high speed fiber but it is still maybe two or three years away from coming to fruition; possibly less with the new funding.