Hello there!
I'm looking for a reliable dual-channel dashcam setup with good video quality and reliable parking mode (from the external battery).
Please help me to pick one.
I've built a shortlist with prices I'm likely to get here:
Note: I put the cheapest available versions cause I'll buy an SD card separately - e.g. Samsung PRO Endurance 128GB is 60 Euros tops - it's cheaper than buying a 128GB version of the dashcam.
My thoughts and concerns so far:
A list of what I'm looking for in a dashcam:
- Dual-channel
- Good video-quality in both day and night conditions from both front and rear units
- Reliability: "set and forget" kind of setup, as installation of the rear one will require significant time and effort, and I also want to be sure if something happened I have it on video
- Operating in a wide temperature ranges: where I am the lows are down to -10C (14F ; although typically higher - this winter had -2/-3C as the lowest mark thus far) and the highs are up to +36C (97F)
- Parking mode: buffered and with motion detection (on top of the impact detection): most of the time I'm parked on the underground parking where not much is going on, so I think I'd rely on this approach.
I'm planning to hook it up to a battery (like Cellink Neo 6), and the car is parked more time than it's actually being driven, so the lower the power consumption figures - the better.
- GPS with coordinates and speed to be overlaid on the video
- Preferably stealthy: no need to attract unnecessary attention
- Wi-Fi and iOS app reliable enough to quickly download the file to the phone to send it somewhere else
For example, if the event was detected during parking mode, I want to be able to check the corresponding video via the phone right away
- Lack of unnecessary annoyances, like unreasonably chatty voice announcements etc. - I don't really wanna know the thing exists until something happens
- Adequate customer service
- Not too ugly (this one is quite subjective)
What I don't care about:
- Cloud (I'm not gonna pay for the subscription and I won't have an always-on Wi-Fi hotspot with the data plan in my car).
However, if right after it detected an event (that was enough to trigger the write-protect of the file) it could automagically push it to the cloud (with a free plan) through the hotspot on my iPhone, that would be nice to have.
- Built-in display
- Other additional features
Please help me to pick based on your knowledge and experiences.
I'm looking for a reliable dual-channel dashcam setup with good video quality and reliable parking mode (from the external battery).
Please help me to pick one.
I've built a shortlist with prices I'm likely to get here:
- Thinkware F800 Pro (293 Euros for 32G hardwire option)
- Blackvue DR750S-2CH (347 Euros for 16G option)
- Blackvue DR900S-2CH (465 Euros for 16G version)
- Viofo A129 Pro Duo (190 Euros)
Note: I put the cheapest available versions cause I'll buy an SD card separately - e.g. Samsung PRO Endurance 128GB is 60 Euros tops - it's cheaper than buying a 128GB version of the dashcam.
My thoughts and concerns so far:
- Thinkware F800 Pro:
- good video-quality for day and night
- good parking features with reliable transition into parking mode and low power consumption when in it
- in some youtube reviews I heard that Thinkware has some annoying chatty voice announcements when going out of the parking mode, which can't really adjust to your taste. Knowing myself this is gonna get old rather quickly. Did they fix it through FW or ...?
- In general I like the design - it's not too ugly, materials seem alright, the look is discreet enough
- Wi-Fi is only 2.4G, so I believe it's on older .11g standard and can be rather slow
- Blackvue DR750S-2CH
- looks to be same sensor as Thinkware (Sony Starvis)
- The hardwiring kit has to be bought separately
- Wi-Fi is only 2.4G, so I believe it's on older .11g standard and can be rather slow. Although, based on one review it's actually pretty fast for this model.
- swithcing to parking is based on the g-sensor and GPS and not based on the connection to the car like Thinkware does, which is likely a less reliable approach
- Viofo A129 Pro Duo
- The hardwiring kit has to be bought separately
- A bargain for 4k and all the features. Considering a price for the battery I can do the whole setup for < 500 Euros.
- Great video quality
- Higher max SD-card capacity than other options
- Very new product so it's impossible to talk about reliability. Also, a bunch of child diseases like skipping frames b/w the files and intermittent beeps. Dunno if they were fixed in the latest FWs or not.
- Reports from this forum that it's running hot in hot environment (up to 77C in 31C env), which is asking for overheat shutoff
- Cheap-looking plastic
- Blackvue DR900S-2CH
- The hardwiring kit has to be bought separately
- Read that it can overheat and shutdown in hot climate
- 5G Wi-Fi is broadcasting on the channel 157 so some (most?) EU phones can't see it
- I don't need 4K that much to pay that much extra for it, although video quality is impressive
- This is the least favorable option so far (but maybe I'm wrong?)
A list of what I'm looking for in a dashcam:
- Dual-channel
- Good video-quality in both day and night conditions from both front and rear units
- Reliability: "set and forget" kind of setup, as installation of the rear one will require significant time and effort, and I also want to be sure if something happened I have it on video
- Operating in a wide temperature ranges: where I am the lows are down to -10C (14F ; although typically higher - this winter had -2/-3C as the lowest mark thus far) and the highs are up to +36C (97F)
- Parking mode: buffered and with motion detection (on top of the impact detection): most of the time I'm parked on the underground parking where not much is going on, so I think I'd rely on this approach.
I'm planning to hook it up to a battery (like Cellink Neo 6), and the car is parked more time than it's actually being driven, so the lower the power consumption figures - the better.
- GPS with coordinates and speed to be overlaid on the video
- Preferably stealthy: no need to attract unnecessary attention
- Wi-Fi and iOS app reliable enough to quickly download the file to the phone to send it somewhere else
For example, if the event was detected during parking mode, I want to be able to check the corresponding video via the phone right away
- Lack of unnecessary annoyances, like unreasonably chatty voice announcements etc. - I don't really wanna know the thing exists until something happens
- Adequate customer service
- Not too ugly (this one is quite subjective)
What I don't care about:
- Cloud (I'm not gonna pay for the subscription and I won't have an always-on Wi-Fi hotspot with the data plan in my car).
However, if right after it detected an event (that was enough to trigger the write-protect of the file) it could automagically push it to the cloud (with a free plan) through the hotspot on my iPhone, that would be nice to have.
- Built-in display
- Other additional features
Please help me to pick based on your knowledge and experiences.
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