Asking For Too Much? 360 Auto-Start Action / Dash Cam

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9-R

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I have been searching for way too long and don't want to waste money trying everything out but can't seem to get the answers I need.

Looking for the same solution in all of our 5 family vehicles.

Am trying to find a camera whether it's a proper Dash Cam or Action Camera that can do the following;
- Start recording as soon as it receives power from the USB port.
- Loop recording, set it and forget it.
- 360 degree recording at the windshield mounted unit only. Able to capture interior, front and sides.
- Easy to dismount / disconnect and take with you.

The reason for the 360 record is that my daughter was in a side collision where a typical 130 - 170 degree dash cam would not have been of much help. Same happened to a co-worker. His camera did not not have his side impact in it's field of view.

I've checked with GoPro Support and they said they don't have the auto-record feature, you have to push the shutter button.

I'm not sure about the following as I can't find enough info;
- Insta360 X3 or ONE X2
- Vuze 4K 3D 360
- Kodak PIXPRO SP360 4K
- Samsung Gear 360

Am I asking too much of what is available out there? Any dash cams that would satisfy these requirements?

Your assistance is greatly appreciated!
 
Auto start / stop that is a default dashcam feature
Loop recording are also a default feature, your segment size ( if you can choose and you moist often can ) are 1-2-3-5-10 minutes, 3 i think are the most popular segment size, and so often the default setting.
360 recording are another matter, you can get cameras that also film the car interior and what ever might be seen out the windows, these interior cameras will also most often have IR light to aid the camera in the night time.
The 360 cameras i have seen do not have IR light for night time so chance are they will see very little inside the car cabin at night.

The systems with interior camera generally have the front and interior camera in one unit, which can be somewhat of a issue installing it, at least if you want it stealthy.
The times i have tested 2 in 1 systems i have had to take the mirror out of my car while testing CUZ otherwise the interior camera would just film the mach side of my mirror ( when installed in front of it and up high on the windscreen )
A few systems have the interior camera as remote like a rear camera would be, but just a shorter wire, still long enough that you can put it anywhere along the top of the windscreen, i prefer to put interior cameras on the stalk of my mirror, as this put it right in the middle of the car and up high so front seats and passengers there do not block as much of the view to the rear seat.

Most cameras are easy to mount / dismount, but there will always be at least a power wire to disconnect and or one or more remote cameras,,,,,,,, really if the system are installed correct ( as stealthy as possible ) removing the system should not be needed.

You can browse the how did you install your camera thread, it is loaded with pictures of various systems installed in various of cars,,,,,, CUZ cars are not alike when it come to install cameras, some are very good and effortless, others require more thought or even compromise due to sensor arrays and what not there might be on the windscreen. https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/where-did-you-mount-the-camera-post-your-pictures.502/page-65

There are also action cameras and 360 cameras, but again they might not have a dashcam mode and they will not have IR aid for interior part of the car, so really in my perspective not a viable solution, anso they record in much higher quality / bitrate so footage take more room on mamory card and camera generate more heat to process it, with the chance of overheating.
 
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A "ride share camera " 3 channel dashcam could be Viofo A139, it have front & rear camera + a remote interior camera that will see in the dark ( do not count on any camera seeing much out of the windows.

 
Please be advised, you do not need a full 360 coverage to prove what ever happened was not your fault, actually most often claims against you can be handled by the front camera footage alone,,,,,, but i do recommend rear camera too, not least to Americans living in 1 plate states, CUZ if that plate are on the back of the oncoming car, well only your rear camera will get a chance of capturing that plate then.

In 10 years of dashcams and uploading to youtube, well 99% of my footage have been from front cameras, and rear or side cameras have only been there as B-roll footage.

The car that rear end you out of nowhere, and the 3-4 people in it all claiming that you changed lane and they could not avoid you, well your front camera will have you driving along in your lane / side of the road right until BAM !
So clearly everyone in that car are lying.

Granted it is nice to have things like that on glorious HD video, but ! it is not a absolute must.
The best part of a dashcam is it log everything you do, and pretty much 100 % all the time, night or day, summer or winter.
When our talk or my rant fall on things like plate capture, then its a whole other matter, and for sure not something you should bet your house on, CUZ then a lot of things come into play.

Many of us dashcam addicts have 360 coverage as we also have a camera installed on the side of the car, but this is DIY stuff as no one really made a system for that kind of use, so we get by installing a single channel camera in each side ( in my case on fixed glass on my rear doors )
Others have used a 2 channel system to do this / or two 2 channel systems, so the front camera of one system are on windscreen and its rear camera are out on the R side of the car instead, and then another similar system its front camera are instead placed on the rear window and its rear camera placed in the L side of the car.
My personal side system was a dual remote system, meaning both of the cameras are on a wire, and so i could place them on the rear door fixed glass and then have the main unit / recorder under the driver seat.

But this is addiction speaking, it make little sense for general traffic liability purpose.
 
Panzer Platform said:
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The technology behind these cameras is impressive but for a dash cam it is problematic. Time and time I see posts on this forum from members seeking some sort of esoteric technology like this. The longer I've been a member on DCT the more it has become apparent that most members have never been in the actual position of having to submit dash cam evidence to law enforcement, insurance companies, law offices, courts of law or prosecutors offices. People seem to forget that we are striving to capture legally actionable video and photographic evidence with our dash cams. Having been through this personally I find myself having to repeatedly pound the table to point out that it is vital to produce dash cam video that can be viewed as easily as possible by anyone who needs to see it.

In this case, with these 360º cams you'll need a special app to properly avail yourself of the impressive and unique features offered by these very expensive cameras. I can tell you with certainty that very few if ANY police departments, insurance companies, law offices, courts of law or prosecutors offices are going to be willing to download and install specialized tablet apps so they can watch and manipulate your video. Not only that, but in almost all circumstances, when you submit original video to law enforcement or an insurance company or a law firm, the video needs to be viewed by multiple parties within (and without) the organization and all these people will not be willing (or able) to download a special app or try to find a suitable device to watch it on. This will only become a worse problem if you have a case that has to go into a courtroom so the video could be viewed by a jury. I'll say this again, you need to submit video that literally ANYONE can view as EASILY as possible! This means we need common everyday video footage in a format that is already available on even somewhat out of date computers, video cards and monitors.

The last time I gave my little rant here was in a recent thread where some members are seeking ways to use H.265 video compression which is still not universally in common use rather than the currently ubiquitous H.264 standard which means that many people or organizations that would need to view the video would not be able to. The people who will not be able to view H.265 video likely won't even know what the term "H.265" video even means or why their older computer and software won't play the video. Many of these busy LEOs, bureaucrats, insurance adjusters, attorney's or whomever will probably just move on to their next case.
 
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Dashmellow said:
I find myself having to repeatedly pound the table
Click to expand...
I 100% agree, and endorse your table pounding rant. Lol
After reading OP’s post it seemed like his mind was already dead set on buying a 360° camera, and learning by process of elimination a traditional dash cam set up in 4-channel configuration may work better.
 
I am glad i have a substantial "PRO" grade computer table, with a 1" thick MDF plate on it, I can do the fandango on it and operate the actuators at the same time, and mind you i am 120 kg / 264 lb
 
9-R said:
The reason for the 360 record is that my daughter was in a side collision where a typical 130 - 170 degree dash cam would not have been of much help. Same happened to a co-worker. His camera did not not have his side impact in it's field of view.
Click to expand...
After you try the 360, here is another option;
 
kamkar said:
I am glad i have a substantial "PRO" grade computer table, with a 1" thick MDF plate on it
Click to expand...
My computer table was $4 from IKEA.
I will not be inviting Mellow for any table pounding discussions. lol
 
9-R said:
I have been searching for way too long and don't want to waste money
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Here is my failed attempt at a "homemade 360 cop cam".
Sometimes you have to experiment, and learn from your failures.
These experiences can be more valuable than simple research.
This failure cost me $27. lol
 
Panzer Platform said:
I 100% agree, and endorse your table pounding rant. Lol
After reading OP’s post it seemed like his mind was already dead set on buying a 360° camera, and learning by process of elimination a traditional dash cam set up in 4-channel configuration may work better.
Click to expand...

New technologies can be very appealing and it is hard to dissuade some DCT members or convince them that it might not be very practical. I think these 360º cameras are pretty cool and would love to have one, but it would be an ancillary camera and really more of a toy than anything else.

If I had one of these cams, I wouldn't even be able to post a video on DCT showing off what it could really do. You can upload 180º and 360º video to Youtube but I believe you need a VR headset or an App to view properly.
 
Panzer Platform said:
Here is my failed attempt at a "homemade 360 cop cam".
Sometimes you have to experiment, and learn from your failures.
These experiences can be more valuable than simple research.
This failure cost me $27. lol
Click to expand...

I like it! Maybe it could be on a little motor with a joystick on the center console? :happy:
 
I got my table in exchange for my old Denon car amp ( 6 channel ) it is made at the company i once worked for, and moving / installing these tables ASO it was always lawyer offices ASO,,,, they did not sell retail, to order only.
But i think the price for these tables started at 7 - 800 USD
 
Panzer Platform said:
[MEDIA]
Click to expand...

Dashmellow said:
New technologies can be very appealing and it is hard to dissuade some DCT members or convince them that it might not be very practical. I think these 360º cameras are pretty cool and would love to have one, but it would be an ancillary camera and really more of a toy than anything else.

If I had one of these cams, I wouldn't even be able to post a video on DCT showing off what it could really do. You can upload 180º and 360º video to Youtube but I believe you need a VR headset or an App to view properly.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I appreciate the suggestion of the d'Action 360. I'm currently reviewing it and am leaning towards it.

This isn't something I thought of on a whim, I've researched it as much as I can over the past several years because I've had a unique application. Technology just hasn't gotten to the dash cam market at all. Cameras have remained the same since about '17 and they only add on features you don't need. No real improvements since everyone wants a cheap <$200 camera that does everything. See the exact same crap in the CCTV monitoring market. You have to get a <=1080p sensor if you want any type of low-level light capabilities and still it's pathetic.

At first it was for 1 vehicle that always remains open without security ( no door or top '85 Jeep CJ7 ) but now I have a fleet of 5 with my children driving. Not everyone's life situations are the same. 3-4 channel setups in my kids and wife's vehicles, with wiring running all around, just isn't practical right now. It's obvious that 360 in a single unit will never equal having 4 strategic cams but it's the next best thing for my particular circumstance. Instead of pounding desks, and trying to get everyone to bow to your elite setup, it would be better served to understand the reasoning behind the request. We see it all the time even like the mountain bike forum I below to. Members pounding their desks dictating that you have to use their trail-type carbon fiber frame with 29" wheels, drop seat-post, and 4 piston brakes for ALL types of riding even if you're doing bike park downhill otherwise you're an idiot.

My cousin is a lawyer and I've also reviewed this with her. In our municipality, I can edit the goofy 360 video so that it appears normal on anyone's PC. Heck, even post it on Youtube for them to see with their cell phone. It will uphold in court as long as I supply the original video file showing I didn't DeepFake something on it.

I'm editing video all the time and it's not that big of deal.

I'd just get the GoPro 360 for all of us if I didn't have to rely on my kids to start and stop the recording every time they went for a drive.
 
Kinda hard to do a 4 chan on this guy, not look stupid and have it easily removable;
DSC02794_1920.jpg
 
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