A139 Pro recording in h.265

[Dashmellow]

Thank you for sharing. Just curious - When was this experience?

I'll also point out that as of the release of iOS 11 (September 19, 2017), iPhone 8 and later take videos in HEVC format by default (a standard released in 2013). I guess that most public offices these days can play HEVC or else know how to transcode, or accept transcoded, videos down to formats like H.264. Otherwise all those nifty iPhone-recorded videos also become inadmissible these days. Google said in 2021 that more Android phone OEMs will adopt HEVC as the default video recording format in Android 12 (Android 13 is the latest and was released in the summer of 2022).

I personally am using HEVC not to save space on my way-larger-than-I-need SD card, but because I would like to use modern formats. HEVC also produces higher-quality video at a lower bitrate (smaller file size), so it's possible our A139-saved videos can be higher quality when recorded in HEVC vs. H.264. Others should clearly make their own choices.

EDIT: Another datapoint - I don't own a Tesla, but it seems their dashcam video clips also use HEVC. It's very prevalent these days so it's not difficult to believe that there is mainstream support for it.

This is classic! I'm always amazed at how often this sort of thing happens here on the forum. Someone asks a question soliciting feedback about something they have in mind to do with their dash cam, basically hoping for confirmation that what they have in mind to do is a really good idea but when they get an answer they don't like that may not support their thinking, they start arguing with the messenger. It makes one wonder why the poster bothered to ask the question in the first place.

Mikey, you asked a question seeking opinions about whether using H.265 has any drawbacks.

What are the downsides, if any, with h.265?

So, I provided you with a thorough answer where I explained in detail why I believe using H.265 is unwise at this time because there is the possibility that you could be required to submit the file to someone who might not be able to open it or even know how to troubleshoot opening the file even if they were willing to take the time to try. I also pointed out that the fact that since the roll out of H.265 has been slower than expected and is not yet universally available to everyone, this is the reason that it is a hidden feature on most dash cams that offer it rather than the default.

And here you are arguing about Telsas, and iPhones and Android phones and all sorts of other extraneous stuff that has nothing actually to do with dash cams per se, which are a whole different category of consumer product.

Look, if you want to use HEVC go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you. It's your privilege to use H.265 if you so desire. More power to you.

But my thinking is that using HEVC is not such a good idea at this time.

With dash cams we are dealing with potentially mission critical legal evidence here, especially if it is more than a fender bender.

So at the risk of repeating myself, my advice for anyone who cares to listen is simple and it doesn't necessarily apply only to HEVC. It is more a general but critical rule of thumb based in part on prior personal experience.

When submitting dash cam video evidence to any entity make sure that it is as easy and idiot-proof for literally anyone to view easily and without hassle or glitches if you want your case to be adjudicated promptly, smoothly and in your favor. (or at all)

The fact is that once you hand off your evidence to anyone whether that is law enforcement, attorneys, prosecutors, insurance companies, or anyone else, it is out of your hands. You have no idea where it will ultimately end up and you have no control over what happens to it once you hand it off. You have no idea who's desk it is going to land on, (often multiple parties) what sort of computer equipment or software they may have at their disposal, what their knowledge and skill level may be, how dedicated they may be to getting the video to play or how big a case load they may be having to handle. They don't care any more or less about your particular matter than the one they dealt with before or the one they'll deal with after yours.

It's a bit like sending your resume in for a job you might be seeking. You want YOUR resume to get the attention because it is clear, concise, well written, effective and to the point. If it is not a good presentation it will end up in the waste basket.

For these reasons it is best to stick with the tried and true and avoid the esoteric leading edge if there is even a slight chance that this will monkey up the works! The modest compression benefit from H.265 may just be the thing to bollix up your evidence submission even if the possibility seems remote.

 

[Dashmellow]

Well in the H.264 / 265 matter i firmly feel that if the police / courts / lawyers and what not can not handle H.265, well it is their problem,

I guess I have to disagree with you kamar. It's really your problem if you submit a file they can't open. I mean, even if it's actually the fault of the police department, lawyer or court official who can't get your file to open, it's your problem when that happens because you are then SOOL.

 

[kamkar]

Well the government branches here upgrade as soon as Apple release a new model, nothing less with do for the "beast"

Last time i turned in material of a crash i filmed, the cops just plugged the thumb drive right into their computer, absolutely 0 data security or due diligence.
That was just H.264 from the Blackvue B2W

 

[Dashmellow]

Well the government branches here upgrade as soon as Apple release a new model, nothing less with do for the "beast"

Last time i turned in material of a crash i filmed, the cops just plugged the thumb drive right into their computer, absolutely 0 data security or due diligence.
That was just H.264 from the Blackvue B2W

When I dealt with the state police about the situation I mentioned earlier in the thread they were very particular about how you can submit files to them. They refuse to look at any links you send to them for security reasons and they only accepted certain types of media. The USA is a huge country and we have so many states, cities, towns and local jurisdictions, each with their own budgets and priorities so you never know how up to date their IT departments are or what systems they may have in place. And maybe the State Police might have one flavor of Windows and the Sheriffs Department has another and the local town Police Department may have something else. The courthouses may have other systems with different stuff and all the cops are carrying around different laptops in their cruisers. Any different entity may have a mix of different vintage computers depending on their budgets and update schedules. I used to hear about all this stuff from my girlfriend who was the IT professional in charge of the Sheriff's Department's systems. (Boy, did she have some stories to tell...like regularly removing porn from the deputies laptops. )

 

[kamkar]

Yeah the US are a whole other cup of tea than my neck of the woods.
Here they have just gotten to ( in the last few days ) to recommend that politicians and various research institutions do not have tik tok installed on work computers and phones.
I swear for being one of the foremost countries on having things digital, we sure are monumental bad at Data security.
In my perspective my country with all the many things on digital and even paper records here, well we should be forerunners on digital security and encryption.

As there are so much data here on just about anything, researchers from around the world come here to dig in our archives.

No wonder that between 1850 and 1920 350,000 Danes headed west to a more sane and prosperous place in America.

 

[LateralNW]

My two cents worth.
Use .TS file as the recording format for Dashcam as the fall back to reliable readable format.

The TS format is often utilized for saving video on a DVD disc but may also be used to store streamed or broadcast video.
You can rename the extension to .mpeg (mpeg-2) which might help some other players play them.

The .TS format won't corrupt a file that didn't close correctly which could make a Hugh difference when you need to supply evidence.

I personally use mp4 and take that risk.
But I want the option in every Dashcam I use if the unit starts to behave unreliably.

HEVC I've read requires more processing power so in some circumstances this may be a problem for some Dashcams.

 

[mikey94025]

This is classic! I'm always amazed at how often this sort of thing happens here on the forum. Someone asks a question soliciting feedback about something they have in mind to do with their dash cam, basically hoping for confirmation that what they have in mind to do is a really good idea but when they get an answer they don't like that may not support their thinking, they start arguing with the messenger. It makes one wonder why the poster bothered to ask the question in the first place.

Mikey, you asked a question seeking opinions about whether using H.265 has any drawbacks.

I was asking about the reality of whether today's courts are really as backwards as they were back when you had an issue. But no matter, we aren't allowed to discuss or debate things you brought up. Understood now. Thank you for your opinion.

 

[Dashmellow]

I was asking about the reality of whether today's courts are really as backwards as they were back when you had an issue. But no matter, we aren't allowed to discuss or debate things you brought up. Understood now. Thank you for your opinion.

Really? How did you arrive at such a twisted answer to this?, especially considering your exact post that I responded to about the downsides of H.265? A classic indeed! You are apparently moving the goal posts.

What are the downsides, if any, with h.265?

My comments about the specific details in relation to the state police and the courts regarding my criminal harassment matter are irrelevant here. My point - repeatedly - has been that regardless of your situation it is best to make sure your dash cam evidence files are as easy as possible for anyone to open, compression schemes or otherwise.

Either you are intentionally ignoring what I've been actually been saying all along here or your reading comprehension is rather poor.

 

[acters]

I use H.265, I'll be dam_ed if my videos are disqualified/thrown out of court because of incompetence and old AF hardware. Afterall it is up to me to present the evidence, If I so desired to show video footage, it is up to me to provide the footage in court.(or defendant I provide the video to) If they need my videos, then I can provide them a different format or way to view the file(youtube). An 11% decrease in file size is great for long term storage. I don't see HVEC being not viewable for some as a downside, because I can just upload a different format, or youtube.

 

[tchavei]

I read about this in another forum:


This also worked on my A139 Pro - I switched to h.265 (hevc) tonight and my 4K 2160P 30fps bitrate=max 1-minute video files went from 437MB to 389MB (11% smaller). Nice! What are the downsides, if any, with h.265? I can still play them on my iPhone and Windows laptop but might there be some platforms or people who don't have access to the codec?

Can someone tell me if this change is permanent until you repeat the procedure or will it switch back on power cycle?

 

[kamkar]

It should stick until you change it again.

 

[Dashmellow]

To repeat what I have said previously in this thread, if you submit H.265 video to law enforcement, an insurance company, a law office, prosecutors office, court of law or whomever you could jeopardize your whole case or claim as there are still a lot of older computers and software in use out there, especially in municipal settings such as courts and police departments. And in most situations the person who is unable to view your video will not know what the terms H.264 or H.265 even mean so they will have no clue about what is wrong. For dash cam footage the best practice is to submit original footage that is as idiot-proof as possible for ANYONE within the chain of custody of your video to view it. There are still just too many devices and computers out there that are not compatible with H.265, so use it at your own peril as your matter could be rejected depending on the nature of your situation. Despite what some folks have said here it is not their problem if they can't view the footage, it is yours.

published August 26, 2022:

H.264 vs. H.265: Which Video Codec Is Better

H.264 and H.265 are the most common video codec standards used today. But what is the difference between the two and which one is better?

www.brid.tv

 

[tchavei]

Thx but in my country dashcams are illegal so 264 vs 265 doesn't really matter, neither will be accepted in court

 

[Dashmellow]

Thx but in my country dashcams are illegal so 264 vs 265 doesn't really matter, neither will be accepted in court

Totally illegal? Oh great!

 

[tchavei]

Totally illegal? Oh great!

Yeah. I'm only gonna use it to tip off my insurance company under the table. Can't "officially" say anything. And law enforcement doesn't pronounce on car accidents anyway. They just fill the paperwork of physical evidence. The insurance companies decide based on the police report and what the involved present / say.

In case of a hit and run while parked, I'll have to show the video to the insurance and basically say 'hey, this is what happen. Either you gonna cover it from my policy or you gonna go after the guy that ran. What u gonna do?

 

[Dashmellow]

Yeah. I'm only gonna use it to tip off my insurance company under the table. Can't "officially" say anything. And law enforcement doesn't pronounce on car accidents anyway. They just fill the paperwork of physical evidence. The insurance companies decide based on the police report and what the involved present / say.

Make sure they can watch H.265 video.

 

[tchavei]

Make sure they can watch H.265 video.

Lol yeah but probably not activating it because of the added heat. Fine during driving but in parking mode, it's gonna shut down for sure. It already feels wonky just out on the sun. Imagine inside a closed car in our summers (35C+)

 

[Dashmellow]

Lol yeah but probably not activating it because of the added heat. Fine during driving but in parking mode, it's gonna shut down for sure. It already feels wonky just out on the sun. Imagine inside a closed car in our summers (35C+)

Yeah, H.265 uses more CPU power, so more heat. This seems like it could especially be a problem with a 4K camera.

 

[kamkar]

You be amazed how in established civilized countries, truth are not accepted or at least discreetly diverted into oblivion.

Really for any chance of parking guard to work / have a higher degree chance of working VS not, we really got to have remote cameras, and a main unit with proper cooling solution ( heat pipe or vapor chamber )and probably also active cooling while parked.
Which are then fine CUZ when the electronics do not have to be on the glass, you can put them in a 120 x 120 x 120 mm box, and so accommodate all kinds of good things within that.

If we talk regular on glass cameras, well you have to live Denmark north on the globe or maybe even further even if way up in Finland above the arctic circle they also some times see +30 deg C temperatures.

 

[Vortex Radar]

I wonder how big of a deal the h.265 playback concerns are in practice. I understand the potential issues in theory, but it’s 2023. Maybe some police officers here and there are using old computers, but if people are dealing with videos on a regular basis as a profession, they should be able to play back most any modern codec and video format.

There’s been some examples shared in this thread of where it has been an issue before and those are good examples. Knowing that you could submit the original h.265, a YouTube link, and a transcoded h.264 video if you like too.

In my experience I’ve been fine sending unlisted YouTube links to insurance companies, but obviously different people will want different things.

It’s good to have a frank discussion of the potential pros and cons for all the possibilities.