The Pittasoft BlackVue DR550GW-2CH is a new dual channel dash cam with WiFi capabilities that was released in mid 2013. This is the first dual lens camera manufactured by Pittasoft. The front camera records at 1080p, 30fps at a low bit rate of 6 Mbps. The rear camera records at 720p, 30fps at an extremely low bit rate of 2 Mbps. Like the related 1 channel model, DR500GW-HD, this dash cam comes with GPS, G-sensor and parking mode. The camera is based on the HiSense Hi3516 processor and Sony Exmor CMOS sensor. Both cameras are small with the front camera measuring 118.5 x 36mm and the rear camera measuring 67mm x 28mm.
While the size and features are very attractive, the biggest drawback is the video quality. The front camera has good video quality during the day and average video quality at night. Rear camera is worse during day and night as expected. The low bit rate causes blockiness / pixelation in situations requiring processing a lot of information (i.e. trees). It is believed that the low bit rates were used to allow video to be transmitted via Wi-Fi at a reasonable speed.
The 1 channel DR500GW-HD had a claimed viewing angle of 156° which caused many users to complain it was difficult to read details like license plates. Pittasoft seems to have listened to customers and have reduced the viewing angle. The DR550GW-2CH has a viewing angle of 137° for the front and 139° for the rear.
Russian owners are currently developing a custom firmware to address some of the issues with this camera such as low bit rate and the ability to use micro SD cards larger than 32GB.
Known problems
Not many problems have been identified since this camera has been recently released.
Macroblocking / Pixelation
The main problem is macroblocking or pixelation. This is due to the very low bit bate for the cameras 6Mbps front 2Mbps rear. Future firmware updates or custom firmware may rectify this problem in the future.
Mounting the Camera
Sample Videos
Day Video – Front
Day Video – Rear
Night Video – Front
Night Video – Rear
Should I Purchase?
The design and features for the BlackVue DR550GW-2CH are excellent. However the main problem is the macroblocking / pixelation issue. With a price tag of $370 to $450 depending on where you purchase from, this camera is difficult to recommend. Unfortunately there are very few good multi-channel cameras available at the moment.
Firmware
Recently Pittasoft has started putting firmware updates on their site, a positive change from their previous policy of only sharing to dealers. The latest English firmware can be downloaded from the BlackVue site.
Converting to English Firmware
If you have a camera that does not have English firmware and you would like to convert it, please follow the instructions in this forum topic.
User Manual
You can download the manual here.
Specifications
| Field | BlackVue DR550GW-2CH |
|---|---|
| Price | $410 |
| Overall Rating | 5.8/10 |
| Price Rating | 5 |
| Brand | BlackVue |
| Channels | 2 |
| Channel Setup | Front, Rear |
| Form Factor | Cylindrical |
| Front Resolution | 1080p |
| Field | BlackVue DR550GW-2CH |
|---|---|
| Parking Mode | Buffered |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| GPS | Yes |
| Apps | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| Cloud Connectivity | No |
| Voice Commands | No |
| Field | BlackVue DR550GW-2CH |
|---|---|
| Processor | HiSilicon Hi3516 |
| Video Format | MP4 |
| Compression | H.264 |
| Screen Size | No |
| Touchscreen | No |
| Mount | Adhesive |
| Power Supply | 12V |
| Battery Type | Capacitor |
| Field | BlackVue DR550GW-2CH |
|---|---|
| SD Card Type | MicroSD |
| Max Card Size | 64GB |
| Operating Temperature | -20°C to 60°C |
| Swivel | No |
| Country | Korea |
| Warranty | 12 months |
| Release Date | Jun 2013 |
| Field | BlackVue DR550GW-2CH |
|---|---|
| Day Video | 7 |
| Night Video | 6 |
| Reliability | 6 |
| Discreetness | 7 |
| Support | 4 |
| Field | BlackVue DR550GW-2CH |
|---|---|
| CMOS | Sony Exmor |
| Max Resolution | 1920 x 1080p |
| FPS | 30 |
| Bitrate | 6.0 Mbps |
| Viewing Angle | 137° |
| Dimensions | 119 x 36 |
| HDR | No |
| Field | BlackVue DR550GW-2CH |
|---|---|
| CMOS | Unknown |
| Max Resolution | 1280 x 720p |
| FPS | 30 |
| Bitrate | 2.0 Mbps |
| Viewing Angle | 139° |
| Dimensions | 67 x 28 |
| HDR | No |
Published: October 2, 2013
Blackvue DR550GW-2CH
The Blackvue DR550GW-2CH is a feature packed camera but low bit rate is disappointing for the high price.
Product SKU: Blackvue DR550GW-2CH
Product Brand: Blackvue
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 330
Price Valid Until: 2023-01-01
Product In-Stock: SoldOut
5.8