Dashcam Viewer for Mac and Windows

Hello John. When I copy a video file from SD to PC and open from PC- the problem exists, duration 00m-1s.
I need to rename the file, just add a few letters in the file name and this solves the issue. You can see the screenshot in post #794
I can rename the file directly on the SD card, no need to copy on PC - this also fixes duration and shows correct 3:00.
And when I rename the file again to its original file name - the duration again is shown as 00m-1s. On PC and on SD card.
May be something related to current VIOFO firmware I am using and 128GB card.
Hello @traveler John,
I've continued my tests and found that disabling GPS CACHE option FIXES the duration problem immediately.

1613922588946.png

Now I can read all video files directly from my SD card and time duration is correct!

The loading time increases, but duration fix is worth it.
No need to copy files on the PC and rename them.
 
FYI, mine is enabled and no issue.

Good find though.
 
FYI, mine is enabled and no issue.

Good find though.
I pushed the test on this direction when I realized that renaming the file forces Dashcam Viewer to read its data again when I load the renamed file.
And when I restore the file's original file name - when loading Dashcam Viewer sees this original name inside GPS cache and duration is shown again as 00m-1.
So for my PC - GPS cache is not working (or building) OK, only John could find what is the possible problem.
 
So for my PC - GPS cache is not working (or building) OK, only John could find what is the possible problem.

OK, that explains it. What happened was that the cache became "poisoned" when the videos were loaded for the first time. Somehow, the video durations, which are cached, were stored in the cache as 00m-1s. That means every time you tried to reload the video file, Dashcam Viewer went to the cache instead of reprocessing the video. By changing the filename of the video, you created a new cache entry, which had the correct data.

So the fix for you would be to:

1. Open Preferences (Advanced) window
2. Click the Clear Cache button. This will delete all the cache files allowing you to start over again. Alternatively, you could click Reveal Cache and find the cache file names corresponding to the problem files, and delete them individually.
3. Enable caching by clicking the Enabled checkbox.

The cache is a good thing because it speeds up loading of GPS data by 100x or more (depending on the camera). The problem is that once bad data gets into the cache, it must be deleted or else it keeps popping up.

John
 
Cant remember if it is there, but maybe a FAQ self help in the program where the cure for these issues could be listed.

First item should be.

1: Q : My camera / cameras are are not displayed properly.
A: your camera are probably not supported yet, please make a couple of consequtive files availebel for DL, and mail DL link to XXX@XXXXX.com
 
Hi John. Currently running the SG DCV at v3.2.8 and run into the following problem - when I try and export a movie clip the whole program just freezes and then the icon in the task bar just starts flashing but the export window never actually opens.
I'm in Windows 10.
Any help please?

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk
 
@Tom899 I just tried switch between Fill and Maintain aspect modes with the latest version of Dashcam Viewer and had no issues (Win10 i7 ASUS laptop).

I suggest trying the hard reset procedure (it tends to fix strange issues):
  1. Quit Dashcam Viewer
  2. Hold down the Shift key
  3. Start Dashcam Viewer
  4. You will see a dialog box come up asking if you’d like to Reset All Settings. Click “Yes”.

Note that you'll need to re-enter your registration code after you click Yes.

John
John, Nvidia came out with a new driver Version 461.72 on 02/25/2021. My "Fill and Maintain" now works!
Tom
 
Hi John. Currently running the SG DCV at v3.2.8 and run into the following problem - when I try and export a movie clip the whole program just freezes and then the icon in the task bar just starts flashing but the export window never actually opens.
I'm in Windows 10.
Any help please?

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk
My guess is that the Export Video window is actually appearing, but it's offscreen somewhere. Please try the hard reset procedure to clear the window positions:
  1. Quit Dashcam Viewer
  2. Hold down the Shift key
  3. Start Dashcam Viewer
  4. You will see a dialog box come up asking if you’d like to Reset All Settings. Click “Yes”.

In Dashcam Viewer v3.4.2 and later I added a simple shortcut to force a window to appear in the center of the main monitor:

  1. Hold down the Shift key
  2. Click the Export Video toolbar button
  3. You should see the Export Video window now

This trick works for all ancillary windows too, BTW (Map, Graphs, etc).

John
 
My guess is that the Export Video window is actually appearing, but it's offscreen somewhere. Please try the hard reset procedure to clear the window positions:
  1. Quit Dashcam Viewer
  2. Hold down the Shift key
  3. Start Dashcam Viewer
  4. You will see a dialog box come up asking if you’d like to Reset All Settings. Click “Yes”.

In Dashcam Viewer v3.4.2 and later I added a simple shortcut to force a window to appear in the center of the main monitor:

  1. Hold down the Shift key
  2. Click the Export Video toolbar button
  3. You should see the Export Video window now

This trick works for all ancillary windows too, BTW (Map, Graphs, etc).

John
Worked a treat - thanks!

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk
 
John, any progress on adding support for the Blackvue DR900X cams?
 
I have BlackVue DR900X compatibility on my ToDo list. Currently working on Innovv K5, Viofo A119G V3 TS, and BlueSkySea B4K TS. :whistle:

Decoding the embedded GPS data within a TS file is a bit of a learning curve for me but I'm making progress.
 
In order to better plan and prioritize future DCV development and features, I'd like to hear what use cases you all use programs like Dashcam Viewer for. For example, do you use it for commercial applications, traffic accident investigation, forensic analysis of videos, uber/lyft route tracking, recreational purposes, fun/curiosity, or something else? Knowing what people use the software for (or what they would like to use it for), will help me plan for the future. Thanks!

John
 
I'm a UK speed camera verifier for a website (PGPSW) that provides camera locations and a downloadable file for most SatNavs.

I use the viewer to help zoom into the area, via the linked maps, to verify the user submitted camera location and direction.
 
In order to better plan and prioritize future DCV development and features, I'd like to hear what use cases you all use programs like Dashcam Viewer for. For example, do you use it for commercial applications, traffic accident investigation, forensic analysis of videos, uber/lyft route tracking, recreational purposes, fun/curiosity, or something else? Knowing what people use the software for (or what they would like to use it for), will help me plan for the future. Thanks!

John
John, I'm a rather new paid user of DCV, maybe a month on my first Dash Cam. Currently I use it for fun/curiosity. If there's ever an accident I'm sure I will use it for that too.
Tom
 
- Private, non-commercial use
- Evidence in the event anything happens
- Analysis of driving habits
- Entertainment / curiosity / trip review
 
Mostly simple personal video viewing but would also use for crash evidence portrayal if necessary. My main issue is I want one single 'player' for all cams and file types, which you do now.

Phil
 
Hello John,
Thank you for a really great player/viewer.

I pretty much use the program for similar reasons to what "DT MI", ^ ^, stated.

- Private use only. (I've mentioned your program to a few of my colleges but they apparently (aren't interested) don't run GPS type dash cameras.....so ?)
- Collecting & saving personal & general evidence in the event of anything happening to me or others.
- Mainly for my enjoyment/entertainment/observing other drivers "bad" habits & stupidity etc., etc. & checking on my journeys.

That's about all, at present.
------------------------------------------
ps. Is it "normal" after loading the program, that after hitting the "Load files" button, all the other screens disappear
& only re-appear after the files have loaded?

I can't remember if this occurred when 1st installed.
I did an un-re-install a few months ago but am not sure about the above ^ function.

Many thanks.

Stay safe.

Regards, Mike..
 
Last edited:
Hi John,

I use DCV for private use. I use the Mac version of DCV

I will occasionally remove the SD card from my dashcam and examine it with DCV if I need to check something that has happened during my recent journey.

Most of the time (i.e. 99%) I do short journeys and may have several (10 to 14) days worth of journeys in less than eight hours of footage on a single SD card. I copy all of the footage from the SD card to an external hard drive. I then examine the copied footage on the external drive with DCV as this ensures that the copy worked. I skip through all of the footage checking that the video, audio, and GPS are all correctly synchronised. If they are not synchronised then that is an indication that something (often the SD card) is wrong and allows me to fix it before I have a situation where I desperately need the footage.

I have quite a few external hard drives worth of all of my front-facing footage going back 5+ years. I use the footage for reference. If I make a video of a vacation then I can use some of the footage from the dashcam as B Roll. I have in the past, thought that I've gone over the speed limit or through a red light at the point of change when there is a speed/red light camera and I use the dashcam footage to check whether I did and therefore see whether I'd get a letter in the post (fortunately I have been within the law).

If you've read the above and are thinking to yourself that this guy's paranoid, then you're probably right! :ROFLMAO:(y)

I use the dashcam footage to record the location of my own custom SatNav Points of Interest (POIs).

Also, like Kremmen, I'm a UK speed camera verifier for PocketGPSWorld (PGPSW).

A feature that I'd like to see in DCV is to be able to import a .csv file with longitude, latitude, and POI name (i.e. Speed camera id or my own custom POIs) to overlay it on the DCV map and get DCV to jump to all locations that that .csv file occurs on my dashcam's recorded journey.

Regards,
 
Same as DT MI Above:

- Private, non-commercial use
- Evidence in the event anything happens
- Analysis of driving habits
- Entertainment / curiosity / trip review
 
Back
Top