Best camera for mass market in North America?

[cdlu]

If you could bring in a single dashcam currently in production anywhere in the world and sell it at Best Buy and Wal-Mart across North America, which camera would it be and why? I'm hoping for a consensus more than a debate.

 

[Mtz]

Take the Itronics ITB-100HD or ITB-250HD from Korea and make it in China. And then sell it under $80.
Many people from here will be happy.
But try to make a quick release mount, not permanent even using 3M tape and not suction cup.
Why Itronics? Because the ebay sellers offered the best price of a rare camera which is good recording in low light conditions. So low light is very important for smart people and the main differences between cameras are in low light. When daylight all cameras can record a decent image.

But of course we can talk about the ideal camera, so:
- some peple want GPS, some no. So the best is to have optional GPS.
- some people want display, some no. Display will make the camera larger and expensive.

Make it full black, no bling-bling or crazy lightning LEDs.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[cdlu]

Mtz, that's an interesting choice. It is low resolution and does not have GPS as an option. What makes it the best for this purpose?

 

[Mtz]

ITB-100HD is not low resolution and GPS is built in. Start looking from here.
I don't think a Best Buy and Wal-Mart dashcam needs GPS. GPS is for more sophisticated people. I can say after 1 year from now people will be not so very interested about GPS for a normal camera because is possible to accuse you, not to help you the GPS coordinates if some event will happen.
I don't want GPS on my camera. I can read the speed on my dashboard and I don't want it printed on my recordings. Also I am using the roads, I know where I go so I don't need a GPS track to show me... where I was? And for GPS is needed more software, more firmware, and possible some more bugs and a thing that is possible to not work and people be sad because of something not working.
Also 1080p is not important. You are recording a traffic which is not important to you 99.9999% from the recording time, not making some Avatar 2. And 1080p just eat more space and the difference between 720p and 1080p is not so big. You can imagine a good 1080p coming from such a small lens? 1080p is not quality, is just a resolution and quality cannot be provided by small lens, but maybe just a little more detail than 720p.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[DashCamMan]

Hi cdlu,

The camera that would be the best candidate for sale in Walmart or Best Buy is probably something like the Garmin GDR35D. They could sell the single unit (GRD35) or the dual unit (GRD35D). Video quality is not as good as some of the Korean cameras but it is a known, reputable brand name which I think would matter more in the North American market.

 

[cdlu]

Hi cdlu,

The camera that would be the best candidate for sale in Walmart or Best Buy is probably something like the Garmin GDR35D. They could sell the single unit (GRD35) or the dual unit (GRD35D). Video quality is not as good as some of the Korean cameras but it is a known, reputable brand name which I think would matter more in the North American market.

The GDR-35D looks like exactly what I'd have in mind in an ideal world, although a bit more expensive than I was thinking. Thanks!

Any idea what Garmin is not already selling this into the western market?

 

[DashCamMan]

Hi cdlu,

I think the demand in the Western market is not there yet. Really only early adopters are using them in Western countries. This is changing though and it is just a matter of time until Garmin starts marketing dash cams outside of Taiwan.

 

[CheckYourLights]

it is a known, reputable brand name which I think would matter more in the North American market.

Unfortunately that rings true. A lot of people on this side of the ocean seem to buy things based on brand name alone, or stick to something they are used to and i could see it being hard for a Dash Cam to show up and sale well from a Big Box Retail prospective. If people are not used to with the brand or what the product is it will have a hard time selling.

Slightly off topic but look at the computer operating system Ubuntu Linux. BestBuy was selling it on CD with support for 20 dollars in store around July 2008. You got a great full functioning operating system that does what most people need a computer for just fine and was quite cheaper then any version of Windows. Walmart also stocked a gPC that was around 200 dollars. From what i read they flew off the shelves, but it was something new and instead of taking the time to learn something new people just returned the machines to Walmart so it was cheap and good, but they were so used to Windows that they did not give it a chance.

 

[cdlu]

For what it's worth I sent Garmin a message on their features suggestion form saying my only suggestion is sell this product in the North American market. Up to them now!

And you guys are right about brand name being important. But it seems to me that if we pick the best cheap (ideally <$100) dashcam -- ideally one with GPS, 1080i, and SDXC support -- and sell it as the store brand in a place like Radio Shack or Wal-Mart, it'll fly off the shelves.

If I could figure out how to do it myself, I would.

 

[Mtz]

Also I think a must is the display for the mass market. For mass market is not so important if the low light recording is good (like the ITB-100HD or Finevu) or not. They want something cheap and if possible with some brand name.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[lkwan78]

For what it's worth I sent Garmin a message on their features suggestion form saying my only suggestion is sell this product in the North American market. Up to them now!

And you guys are right about brand name being important. But it seems to me that if we pick the best cheap (ideally <$100) dashcam -- ideally one with GPS, 1080i, and SDXC support -- and sell it as the store brand in a place like Radio Shack or Wal-Mart, it'll fly off the shelves.

If I could figure out how to do it myself, I would.

Radio shack wouldn't every sell it because there isn't a cell phone in it.... That is ll they are interested in these days! I would know, I spent 13 years working for them!

I saw the video of gdr35 on YouTube, and if I could every find it for a good price on eBay I would buy it. Looks awesome...

 

[cdlu]

Ya, Radio Shack was once a pretty cool store. Up here it became The Source by Circuit City and hasn't been worth entering since.

But Wal-Mart, Staples, Future Shop/Best Buy, Canadian Tire, and other large retailers might see a market in an inexpensive store-branded consumer dashcam. I'm just not sure how to bring them to the water's edge to give them a chance to drink.

For me, I'm not interested in mail-ordering hit-and-miss cameras from overseas if I can avoid it.

 

[JasonRain]

It is low resolution and does not have GPS as an option.