AZDOME M550

The AZDOME M550 is a Chinese three channel dash camera released in May 2021. This dash cam is identical to the 2 channel WonVon W4K but the M550 adds an interior camera to make it a 3-channel dash cam. The M550 is currently one of the lowest priced 3-channel dash cams available.

The AZDOME M550 is based on the Novatek NT96670 processor and uses 3 different CMOS sensors:

• Galaxycore GC4653 (4 MP) for the front camera
• Sony STARVIS IMX307 (2MP) for the interior camera
• Galaxycore GC2053 (2MP) for the rear camera

Note that while it is advertised as a 4K front camera when used without the rear and interior camera, this is not true. The GC4653 4 MP CMOS sensor only supports a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440p (Quad HD). The 4K video (called UHD in the resolution settings) is interpolated.

When using all 3 cameras, the supported resolutions are 1440p for the front, 1080p for the interior and 1080p for the rear.

Video Quality

The front camera records 1440p (Quad HD) video at 30fps with an average bitrate of 14.5 Mbps. Video quality for the front camera during the day is good with some motion blur at higher speeds. At night video quality is average and has some graininess.

The rear camera records 1080p video at 30fps with an average bitrate of 10 Mbps. This camera performs worse than the front but is adequate in the day. At night video quality is not the best and can be considered average.

The interior camera also records 1080p video at 30fps with an average bitrate of 10 Mbps. This camera does a good job of recording what is going on in the cabin both day and night.

Features

The camera has a 3.19″ screen, g-sensor and has built in GPS. The camera comes with WiFi and has free apps for Android and iOS, however the apps are relatively basic. There are also PC and macOS apps available to view video recordings with GPS information. The M550 provides timelapse parking mode if you hardwire the dash cam to your vehicle (optional hardwire kit required).

The camera comes with an adhesive mount. The camera cannot swivel to record interactions at the driver or passenger windows.The M550 is a medium sized camera at 139 x 30 x 33mm and build quality is average, with the rear camera not being the .

Unfortunately the M550 does not come with audio error notifications. It does provide error notifications on the screen but these can easily be missed by the driver.

Support

AZDOME appears to be responsive to questions and has basic support. They also provide firmware updates which is a positive as well. AZDOME provides a 12 month warranty, which is standard for most dash cams.

Known Problems

Broken GPS Mounts

There have been numerous reports of GPS mounts breaking preventing the camera from powering on. The only resolution is to replace the GPS mount.

Fails to record during Accidents

Numerous owners have indicated that after an accident the M550 did not record the accident or the videos of the accident were corrupted. Given the importance of having videos of any accidents, if an impact corrupts the recording, the camera is not ideal. While not widespread, the issue has been raised numerous times.

App Connectivity

One of the most common complaints regarding the M550 is the app. While the app is simple, connectivity complaints and lost connections are common. Overall an average app but depending on your phone, the user experience may not be great due to the disconnects.

Sample Videos

There are a lot of videos and reviews on Youtube for this camera. While not a bad performing camera, especially since it has 3 channels, night videos are not the best and capturing details can be a problem. You can see a review on our forum here.

Should I Purchase

The AZDOME M550 is one of the most affordable 3-channel dash cams available making it an interesting choice for rideshare drivers. Video quality, while not 4k, is acceptable especially given 3 channels are recorded.

The bigger concern is reliability. The problematic base, potential for lost video files and app connectivity problems for some are the biggest drawbacks. If you want a budget 3-channel camera and don’t care about the app, you may consider this as not everyone has had reliability problems.

User Manual

The English User Manual can be downloaded here.

Specifications

Published: June 05, 2022