Am I the only guy with a Blackvue DR650GW-2CH that works perfectly ?

[Ralph2]

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f1lhtdog5ei3wr6/AABNRkpaOJhj8RiE1xsPCtZta?dl=0

some raw footage. The night videos look even worse on this one which may be caused by the torrential rain we are having at the moment

I notice that in the night video your speed is not showing.. did you turn it off or is this another sporadic GPS on / off situation.

 

[Anno655321]

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f1lhtdog5ei3wr6/AABNRkpaOJhj8RiE1xsPCtZta?dl=0

some raw footage. The night videos look even worse on this one which may be caused by the torrential rain we are having at the moment

The front day quality actually didn't look too bad. The night not so good. More blurred than pixilated (although that could be the lovely British weather we are having ) What brightness setting did you have the setting on?

 

[SixNineFourSixSeven]

That's how it looks like when I am on firmware 1.007. Are you on 1.009?

1.009

 

[SixNineFourSixSeven]

The front day quality actually didn't look too bad. The night not so good. More blurred than pixilated (although that could be the lovely British weather we are having ) What brightness setting did you have the setting on?

Yes the weather isn't helping.
I'll try to post some other night footage without the bad weather.
Brightness setting 2 (i think)
1 gives dark black but my street is not well lit and this just causes the pavement to be black with no detail, which would be of no use if someone was to attempt to steal/steal from my car or commit criminal damage as they wouldn't be seen.
The higher it goes the more grain appears.

 

[SixNineFourSixSeven]

I notice that in the night video your speed is not showing.. did you turn it off or is this another sporadic GPS on / off situation.

That was footage right from setting off. Mine always takes a while to get a hit but i have seen in footage where it does disappear now and again whilst driving.
Normally only last seconds though.

 

[basshead]

Some have probably already read my posts in this forum with my issues. To summarise, I have had the same "fuzzy focus" lens issue with two DR650GW in the right side of the image. I am disappointed because I thoroughly researched prior to purchasing and expected much higher quality image than what I am getting. The main issue I found from researching was the need to often format the SD card, but I've not had to do that at all (even with after-market SD cards). The other issue I have had with the second unit is the intermittent GPS. Firmware is standard 1.009. As I received the second unit after April last year, I'm not sure if it will accept the new firmware - but it might be old stock and/or a refurbished unit, as it came with 1.009 firmware; same as my first one.

I've got one more test to do before I return it again, but this is something I don't believe I should have to do; I expect something to do what it's meant to do, and do it properly (especially for such a premium price).

FWIW, Blackvue Australia have been very understanding and helpful with my problems.

If I had the choice of buying again, I'd buy another Lukas (as I have in my other vehicle, and the reason I didn't buy a second Blackvue was because of the image focus issue I identified some time (months) after owning it).

 

[Chuck13]

@basshead I am having the same issue as yours, ditto on GPS. I also posted screen cap of the DR650 compared to my cheapo G1W. Not worth the $360+ I paid.

Which Lukas do you have and did you get it from LukasDirect? I am looking at either the 9350 or the 9370.

 

[basshead]

9350... https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/lk-9350.12820/

The only hiccup I still have with the Lukas is the daylight savings time.

 

[SixNineFourSixSeven]

I've added some newer videos. (night/dusk/afternoon)
This time i've tried to create a more 60/40 regarding ground and sky.
Personally, my dashboard has a very fine raised texture across it and (maybe I'm wrong and please correct me if i am) i think that a lot of bitrate is being wasted trying to define that in more definition thus causing the rest of the footage to be not as good as it could be.

Still experimenting but found today one video (afternoon) with the winter sun behind the vehicle, as i pulled up to a vehicle at traffic lights, the reg plate was completely over exposed. Not sure if this is down to the sun or having moved my camera down the exposure levels are different?

Might drop the 60/40 and start it at bottom of the windscreen in view.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f1lhtdog5ei3wr6/AABNRkpaOJhj8RiE1xsPCtZta?dl=0

 

[SixNineFourSixSeven]

Blackvue really do need to increase the bitrate on these cameras. For any developers or members in the known that are reading, what could be the reason that Blackvue are skimping on bitrates ?

 

[jokiin]

They keep the bitrate down to prevent overheating and keep file handling workable for WiFi

 

[SixNineFourSixSeven]

They keep the bitrate down to prevent overheating and keep file handling workable for WiFi

So i take R&D has shown the bitrate they are using at the moment is the magic number ?

 

[Chuck13]

They keep the bitrate down to prevent overheating and keep file handling workable for WiFi

Wait, wasn't there a custom firmware that does increase the bit rate? Are people who using this custom firmware reported any overheating or file handling issue?

 

[jokiin]

Picture quality will suffer when it gets hot but it doesn't seem to crash, the Russian firmware has a lot of mods though, its not just the bitrate that was changed

 

[SixNineFourSixSeven]

I've added another video where my cam is pointed a bit higher up. about 75/25. This means the textured part of my dash is not on show.
Whilst the weather conditions are not the same (bit gloomy) the quality is sooooo much better.

 

[Ralph2]

Picture quality will suffer when it gets hot but it doesn't seem to crash, the Russian firmware has a lot of mods though, its not just the bitrate that was changed

Surely the R&D department has access to the custom firmware.... Why Blackview would deliberately provide less than optimum capabilities for their products is beyond comprehension. It seems.. like they have a "take it or leave" it attitude and the customer be damned.. not a good business model.

 

[SixNineFourSixSeven]

Surely the R&D department has access to the custom firmware.... Why Blackview would deliberately provide less than optimum capabilities for their products is beyond comprehension. It seems.. like they have a "take it or leave" it attitude and the customer be damned.. not a good business model.

Definitely, especially with the Street Guardian Brand making a name for itself.
If i had done my home work properly i probably wouldn't have gone with Blackvue.
The fact that they had slim factor, rear cam & it worked with my phone where the selling points. It had great picture quality, day & night from the reviews on youtube.
I guess i might have to take to youtube with the some of the video quality i have in order for them to act.

 

[samsara]

Definitely, especially with the Street Guardian Brand making a name for itself.
If i had done my home work properly i probably wouldn't have gone with Blackvue.
The fact that they had slim factor, rear cam & it worked with my phone where the selling points. It had great picture quality, day & night from the reviews on youtube.
I guess i might have to take to youtube with the some of the video quality i have in order for them to act.

Have to say that whilst your dropbox vids are characteristic of the BV under the varying conditions you've showed, the glare you're getting is noticeably worse than mine. Possibly, moving the cam down more to the horizontal may help, but something seems not quite right.

Regards the OP's topic, my view of the 650-2 is pretty much the same as most posts here:

- one of the best form factors (top of the list in my considerations, other than it being a 2 cam set up)
- no functionality issues other than the sensitivity of the motion sensors (annoying but not a deal breaker)
- easy connection to wifi, easy to navigate app with the required info (e.g. normal, event, parking stamps) immediately at hand.
- pc app is fine for my needs and works well
- gps works very well, and is displayed well on pc and app

The biggest downside is the disappointing quality of the PQ given the price. However, I want a dash cam for the 'protection' it provides, not to make you tube clips and travelogs, and on this score the BV is capable of capturing information such as licence plates reasonably well and under most conditions.

With the possible exception of the Thinkware (but which PQ seems only on par with the BV), there still isn't another setup out there that I'd go for - which possibly says more about the immaturity of the market than the BV.

 

[SixNineFourSixSeven]

Have to say that whilst your dropbox vids are characteristic of the BV under the varying conditions you've showed, the glare you're getting is noticeably worse than mine. Possibly, moving the cam down more to the horizontal may help, but something seems not quite right.

Regards the OP's topic, my view of the 650-2 is pretty much the same as most posts here:

- one of the best form factors (top of the list in my considerations, other than it being a 2 cam set up)
- no functionality issues other than the sensitivity of the motion sensors (annoying but not a deal breaker)
- easy connection to wifi, easy to navigate app with the required info (e.g. normal, event, parking stamps) immediately at hand.
- pc app is fine for my needs and works well
- gps works very well, and is displayed well on pc and app

The biggest downside is the disappointing quality of the PQ given the price. However, I want a dash cam for the 'protection' it provides, not to make you tube clips and travelogs, and on this score the BV is capable of capturing information such as licence plates reasonably well and under most conditions.

With the possible exception of the Thinkware (but which PQ seems only on par with the BV), there still isn't another setup out there that I'd go for - which possibly says more about the immaturity of the market than the BV.

The form factor and my positioning is for security purposes. whilst it can be seen from outside if you go close up to my car and are actually looking for it, at the moment in its position behind the rearview mirror it is somewhat camouflaged to the passer by.
Moving it further down the windscreen just screams look at my dash cam, please steal it......

 

[jokiin]

which possibly says more about the immaturity of the market than the BV.

the challenge for dual channel cameras is the chipset, nothing in production right now does particularly well in dual channel, they all have their weaknesses, many are very limited by the chipsets they use