The Smarti 3500HD DVR is a dual channel Korean built dash cam manufactured by Innotek. The picture quality is good during the day and average at night. This camera has a 3.5″ touch screen display. Korean manufacturers have released many large touch screen dash cams this year, a bizarre trend for 2013. We are not big fans of this trend since it is our belief that small, discreet dash cams in black are best. The 3500HD is not discreet. It is glossy, has an orange square around the lens, the lens has a silver border and there is a big blue LED.
The camera claims to record at 720p but this does not appear to be the case. When using the front camera only, it records 1216 x 688p at 30fps with a bitrate of 6,550 kbps. When using both the front and rear cameras, the front camera records 1216x688p at 12fps with a bitrate of 5,700 kbps. The rear camera records at 640x480p at 800kbps. Unfortunately the low frame rate coupled with the 688p resolution is disappointing.
This dash camera also has a G-sensor and parking mode. A separate GPS module is optional and this camera uses micro SD cards. This DVR also comes with a battery discharge prevention feature built-in with a low voltage cut-off (11.5v to 12.1v) and time cut-off (5 to 48 hours). You can read more about Battery Discharge Prevention Devices and some of the limitations of low voltage cut-offs.
We would like to thank our member Mtz, who provided the information for this review. You can read his original thread in our forum.
Known problems
This camera has not been too popular so we haven`t heard of many reliability problems. However there are some items to be aware of before purchasing this camera.
Uploading to Youtube
Sine the front camera video resolution is 1216x688p, Youtube will reduce the quality to 480p. To get Youtube to show a better quality video, you will need to resize the video to 1280x720p.
Also note that the dual channel video consists of one AVI file which contains 2 video streams, one audio stream and the text data for the G-Sensor. When uploading this dual channel video to Youtube, only 1 channel is recognized and encoded. Uploading both videos as a picture and picture requires extracting the videos and encoding them. Unfortunately this requires quite a bit of editing work.
Flickering Image
The image appears to flicker during night videos due to artificial lights. This might be due to the white balance setting or due to the utility frequency of the lights (50 Hz vs 60 Hz)
Event and mute
To use Event or Mute, the display must be on. There is no way to access these features with the display off.
Gaps between clips
There is a 1 to 2 second gap between video clips. There is no known resolution to this problem.
Audio issues
Audio quality sometimes is crackling or is missing a few seconds of audio. There is no known resolution to this problem.
Mounting the Camera
This front camera is relatively large and heavy. The mount system does not appear to be too stable given the size. Also be aware that the rear camera cannot be mounted on vertical rear windows.
Front Camera
Rear Camera
PC Player
The English version of Smart-i PC Viewer is included on the provided SD Card. After installing, when launching the program you will see Google warning regarding an API key. This is not an issue if you don`t have the GPS module, but could be a problem if you do.
Once the program starts, you must press the SD Card icon and to wait approximately 5 minutes until the PC Viewer finds the SD Card connected to the PC.
Unfortunately the Innotek website currently does not have a Download section for the PC player, firmware or manual.
Sample Videos
Unboxing
Day Video (Picture in Picture created manually using PC software)
Night Video (Picture in Picture created manually using PC software)
You can read Mtz’s original thread in our forum, where he describes the method to extract both video streams and create a PIP video.
Should I Purchase?
Unfortunately the large size, average video quality, non-standard 688p resolution and other quirks make this camera a poor choice. While there are not many good dual channel cameras on the market, you can find better ones for less money.
SD Card Contents
You can download the SD card contents here.
User Manual
You can download the manual Smart-i 3500HD manual here.
Specifications
Detailed Specifications
| Read Review |  |
| Camera Type | Dual Channel |
| Form Factor | Hanging - Rectangular |
| Country | China |
| Processor | Unknown |
| CMOS Front | Unknown |
| CMOS Rear | Unknown |
| Channels | 2 |
| Screen | 3.5" |
| GPS | Yes |
| G-Sensor | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | No |
| Parking Mode | Non-Buffered |
| Lock Files | Auto |
| Max Resolution Front | 1216 x 688p |
| Front Frames Per Second | 12 |
| Max Bitrate Front (Mbps) | 6.5 |
| Max Resolution Rear | 720x480p |
| Rear Frames Per Second | 12 |
| Max Bitrate Rear (Mbps) | 0.8 |
| Video Format | AVI |
| Compression | H.264 |
| Diagonal Viewing Angle Front | 120° |
| Diagonal Viewing Angle Rear | 120° |
| SD Card Type | MicroSD |
| Max Size (Spec) | 32GB |
| Max Size (User) | 32GB |
| Size Front (mm) | 96 x 62 x 18 |
| Size Rear (mm) | 46 x 25 x 27 |
| Mount | Adhesive |
| Power Supply | 12V |
| Operating Temp | -20°C to 70°C |
| Battery | Battery - Unknown mAh |
| Error Notification | No |
| Apps | PC |
| Cloud Connectivity | No |
| Release Date | Dec 2012 |
| Unique Features | None |
| Advantages | None |
| Disadvantages | Large size Average video quality Non-standard 688p resolution Gaps between clips |
| Final Word | This camera is large, has a non-standard resolution, gaps between video clops and is expensive. |
Last Updated: May 8, 2013
Smart-i 3500 HD - DashCamTalk
The Smart-i 3500 HD is large, has a non-standard resolution, has gaps between video clips and is expensive. Avoid.
Product SKU: Smart-i 3500 HD
Product Brand: Smart-i
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 300
Price Valid Until: 2023-01-01
Product In-Stock: SoldOut
3.5