SG9665GC firmware updates and pre release access

[DONUSA]

You mi

the details are in the release notes as to which cameras they correspond to

You missed my point. You're selling a consumer product. Do you expect the average Joe to download each of the firmware packages, unpack them, read the release note to figure out which one to use? Make life easier for your customers. Don't use version numbers for the camera models, call them models and firmware gets versions. Then before I download, be clear on the download page which package I need. I see there is even serial number ranges that matter. If a customer needs to call the help desk or check a forum just to use the product, it is already considered a fail in the consumer products business.

Just some customer feedback.

Better yet. If you really want to make this a consumer product, write a little Windows app that I can install. Let me plug the camera into the USB port and it will check for firmware updates and install them automatically. By the way, that app could also be a video viewer/organizer and allow me to adjust the camera menu settings. (I know the USB does not have enough power, so add a wall power adapter to the product. Adds less than $5 to your cost or make it optional). Just a suggestion for the product manager.

 

[jokiin]

You missed my point. You're selling a consumer product. Do you expect the average Joe to download each of the firmware packages, unpack them, read the release note to figure out which one to use? Make life easier for your customers. Don't use version numbers for the camera models, call them models and firmware gets versions. Then before I download, be clear on the download page which package I need. I see there is even serial number ranges that matter. If a customer needs to call the help desk or check a forum just to use the product, it is already considered a fail in the consumer products business.

you have a V1 camera but that was never promoted as such so I appreciate for you it makes less sense, when we released the V2 and V3 versions of the product they were labeled, advertised and sold as such so it would be much clearer to V2 and V3 owners

Better yet. If you really want to make this a consumer product, write a little Windows app that I can install. Let me plug the camera into the USB port and it will check for firmware updates and install them automatically. By the way, that app could also be a video viewer/organizer and allow me to adjust the camera menu settings. (I know the USB does not have enough power, so add a wall power adapter to the product. Adds less than $5 to your cost or make it optional). Just a suggestion for the product manager.

not about the money but this is not something the hardware can support so couldn't happen anyway

 

[Feitelijk]

Just some customer feedback.

I can see the confusion: version V1, V2, V3.
If I was not aware of the hardware models I would be tempted to go for the latest firmware version and 3 is the biggest number.

A better description explaining the files would be good!

 

[daniel_bel]

To me Version and Release # are usually associated with software, while I understand using the word Type, Rev, Model or Mark (Mk) for hardware iterations.

To this old man, V1 and V2 are associated with WWII german rockets.

 

[wozzzzza]

To this old man, V1 and V2 are associated with WWII german rockets.

well I guess everyone sees thing differently and the English language is ambiguous in many ways.

 

[Feitelijk]

There was speculation that I got the blues more because of the yellow in the green bonnet of my car.
Today rain, so different car: (CENTER, CONTRAST -1, EV -2/3)

Ten minutes later: another yellow truck but no blue:

It's intensity based

 

[jokiin]

There was speculation that I got the blues more because of the yellow in the green bonnet of my car.
Today rain, so different car: (CENTER, CONTRAST -1, EV -2/3)

Ten minutes later: another yellow truck but no blue:

It's intensity based

I suspect in the first video the trigger is a combination of the reaction/compensation to the yellow right as you drive under the bridge where the change in lighting triggered a white balance adjustment, similar to what you get when coming out of the tunnel where there is a yellow cast to the lighting and a change in ambient light happening at the same time, I'll be running this by our engineer that works on the IQ related stuff and see what he thinks

 

[DT MI]

There was speculation that I got the blues more because of the yellow in the green bonnet of my car.
Today rain, so different car:...

I've noticed that my GC's (V1 and V2) have a much greater tendency to 'blue shift' when it's overcast versus clear sky. I've had instances where the blue shift was present at startup and never normalized as in this example where the entire trip was about 15 minutes and the condition never corrected.

 

[Sutton]

I've noticed that my GC's (V1 and V2) have a much greater tendency to 'blue shift' when it's overcast versus clear sky. I've had instances where the blue shift was present at startup and never normalized as in this example where the entire trip was about 15 minutes and the condition never corrected.

I get the blue all the time, more so on a very overcast day. But I look at it this way.... If I ever needed footage to show a collision it really doesn't matter of the blueish tint because it is still sharp and clear and the accident will show just as good. I really don't expect the same performance as my 50 inch flat screen tv. And its only on a dull day so I accept it.

 

[Dashmellow]

I've noticed that my GC's (V1 and V2) have a much greater tendency to 'blue shift' when it's overcast versus clear sky. I've had instances where the blue shift was present at startup and never normalized as in this example where the entire trip was about 15 minutes and the condition never corrected.

I think what you are describing is more of a color cast rather than a color "shift". There is a distinction. When the camera's AWB suddenly overreacts to a threshold level of a particular RGB color entering the FOV and then slowly returns to normal it is different than how the camera reacts to ambient atmospheric lighting such as overcast skies. At dawn or dusk air molecules and airborne particles scatter white sunlight as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere at a steeper angle and so a certain amount of blue (or red) light is normal and is generally visible to the human eye. Scattered light is the reason the sky is blue and why distant terrain can appear as if covered by a blue haze.

Anyway, I think the abrupt color shifting issue vs a constant blue cast under certain lighting conditions are essentially two different things. Many times I've noticed bluer looking dash cam videos early in the morning or in the evening. With snow on the ground or foggy conditions this effect can be more exaggerated at dusk because light is being further scattered. One impression I've had over time is that some cameras seem more prone to having an overall bluish color cast at dawn or dusk or under overcast lighting than others and that Novatek DSP based cameras seem to be more sensitive to these conditions than other platforms.

My trusty old (Novatek) GT300W always had excellent color balance and overall image quality and never experienced any kind of sudden color shifts like are being discussed here but under certain lighting conditions such as dusk, especially in overcast foggy conditions and then even more so with snow on the ground you'd always get a strong bluish cast. One time, I even save a cropped screen shot from driving home one winter evening in a foggy light rain because it made for an interesting moody photograph.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

^That is a beautiful photo!

 

[DT MI]

I think what you are describing is more of a color cast rather than a color "shift". There is a distinction....

I'm familiar with the difference. This just happened to be an example of where the 'blue shift' was in effect immediately on camera start up, and in this case never corrected itself. I have others where the start up was the same as this example but normalized within seconds or minutes - and others where the shift occurred sometime later and then corrected.

This particular example was 'uniquely' unique in that it never changed for the entire trip. I just posted it as being the worst case scenario I've experienced, or at least noticed. I'll hunt around and find similar clips where it corrects.

Agree that even with the 'shift' or 'cast' the image is still sharp and useful if needed.

 

[Dashmellow]

I'm familiar with the difference. This just happened to be an example of where the 'blue shift' was in effect immediately on camera start up, and in this case never corrected itself. I have others where the start up was the same as this example but normalized within seconds or minutes - and others where the shift occurred sometime later and then corrected.

This particular example was 'uniquely' unique in that it never changed for the entire trip. I just posted it as being the worst case scenario I've experienced, or at least noticed. I'll hunt around and find similar clips where it corrects.

Agree that even with the 'shift' or 'cast' the image is still sharp and useful if needed.

It is common for many dash cams to have a color cast at boot-up that resolves quickly. What I am suggesting is that in your video the blue cast seems to have more to do with the time of day it was captured which might explain why it never corrected itself for the remainder of your trip. For example, the blue GT300W screen shot I posted above was from a video where the entire trip home was quite bluish due to the weather conditions and the cooler color temperature lighting as night is descending. I'll bet this doesn't happen during the day unless the weather happens to be overcast.

Also, your remark that "the 'blue shift' was in effect immediately on camera start up, and in this case never corrected itself" suggests that whatever is causing the blue cast is not a "shift" per se, in the same manner @Feitelijk has been trying to convey. Actually, I have experienced the same issue you are presenting here at times but I think it is a different phenomenon, even if something "is" indeed wrong with the way the AWB is functioning in the camera. Again, FWIW, I've mostly ever noticed this kind of thing with Novatek based cameras. Other platforms seem more neutral in overcast or foggy lighting and otherwise more stable when it comes to white balance.

 

[Feitelijk]

I can do this every day!

 

[Feitelijk]

As promised: every day!

 

[Feitelijk]

Let's not wait till tomorrow:
This one is funny, no switch after the yellow tunnel, but the bridge triggers the blue

 

[jokiin]

link to the latest beta in the first post

 

[Stump]

OK guys need some help. I am new to Dash Cams and have just purchased SG9665GC-V3 in March 17. I have been reading this thread and wanted to see what version my model is at. Serial number 185101289 and Version SG20161128.V3. Can somebody please explain in laymans terms the procedure to do firmware upgrade. I have read the Firmware Update Process and cant get past extract firmware file.I have been to Street Guardian info/support and double clicked on SG9665GC - V3 - Firmware update latest » and it dowloaded. What do I do next, I have tried opening download but get message "The file SG9665GC-V2 Firmware Update latest cannot be opened because there are problems with the contents. Word found unreadable content. Do I in fact have to open download.

Stump

 

[normm]

OK guys need some help. I am new to Dash Cams and have just purchased SG9665GC-V3 in March 17. I have been reading this thread and wanted to see what version my model is at. Serial number 185101289 and Version SG20161128.V3. Can somebody please explain in laymans terms the procedure to do firmware upgrade. I have read the Firmware Update Process and cant get past extract firmware file.I have been to Street Guardian info/support and double clicked on SG9665GC - V3 - Firmware update latest » and it dowloaded. What do I do next, I have tried opening download but get message "The file SG9665GC-V2 Firmware Update latest cannot be opened because there are problems with the contents. Word found unreadable content. Do I in fact have to open download.

Stump

You basically just need to download the new firmware and place the files within the zip (just the *.bin file really) into the root of your micro sd card. Place the card back in your dashcam and on startup it will see the bin file and preform the update

There are actually instructions within the zip file along with the bin file.

 

[jokiin]

you need to unzip the file first, right click and extract first if you don't have another app to do this, later versions will allow you to look at these files without extracting but they won't work like that

your camera will already have the most current release version installed, we're working on further updates if you'd rather wait for the next release version, could be a few weeks away still