BlackVue DR970X Plus Firmware

rcg530

rcg530

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Dash Cam
BlackVue, Thinkware, VIOFO, Vantrue, Blueskysea, FineVu
Version 1.001 (2024-02-07):
  1. Bug fixes and stability improvements.
  2. Front camera video quality optimization.
※ Compatible software versions:
BlackVue App: Android v3.54 / iOS v3.50 and up.
BlackVue Viewer: Windows v3.16 / Mac v3.16 and up.
BlackVue Web Viewer (Cloud)

DR970X Plus Firmware - Multilanguage
 
So I spent a little time testing this and did an A/B test with a pair of 970X Plus', one on 1.000 and another on 1.001.

Video quality-wise, there's definitely an improvement. It’s not amazing, but I do see a little less grain/noise, reduced articulating on contrasty areas like edges or lines on cars, plus the vertical lines on the video footage at night seem to be gone too. Overall this does look like an improvement over 1.000.

That said, I've been experiencing a number of bugs. Most of my parking mode footage is unusable with purple lines and heavy distortion across the screen in motion detection mode. I've also had the dashcam reset settings on its own back to factory defaults. It can happen even after being parked for just a few min. When I go in and redo my settings, including setting my time zone, it then formats the card and I lose all the footage I've been collecting. I'm not sure if this is a hardware or software issue so I'm swapping out for another DR970X Plus now and I'm gonna run that with 1.001 for a few days. Hopefully this one works properly.
 
Vortex Radar said:
So I spent a little time testing this and did an A/B test with a pair of 970X Plus', one on 1.000 and another on 1.001.

Video quality-wise, there's definitely an improvement. It’s not amazing, but I do see a little less grain/noise, reduced articulating on contrasty areas like edges or lines on cars, plus the vertical lines on the video footage at night seem to be gone too. Overall this does look like an improvement over 1.000.

That said, I've been experiencing a number of bugs. Most of my parking mode footage is unusable with purple lines and heavy distortion across the screen in motion detection mode. I've also had the dashcam reset settings on its own back to factory defaults. It can happen even after being parked for just a few min. When I go in and redo my settings, including setting my time zone, it then formats the card and I lose all the footage I've been collecting. I'm not sure if this is a hardware or software issue so I'm swapping out for another DR970X Plus now and I'm gonna run that with 1.001 for a few days. Hopefully this one works properly.
Click to expand...
I haven't tried the v1.001 firmware yet. I use time-lapse parking mode and usually only during my daytime drives. I'll have to test motion & impact parking mode.

The "factory reset" of settings is a new behavior. There is no user method of defaulting the dash camera settings back to factory default. Pittasoft kept telling me that installing a firmware update using the method of loading it from the downloaded zip file was going to reset the settings. I had to spend a few days proving that was not the case. The only way for the user to reset to factory settings was to use the BlackVue SD Card viewer app and on each page of the firmware settings select the default settings option and then save to the memory card. The camera would pickup the "reset" settings during the next power up. If the settings are being wiped by the camera, that sounds like a big problem. That would mean it's changing the settings in memory and changing the settings stored on the memory card as well.
 
rcg530 said:
I haven't tried the v1.001 firmware yet. I use time-lapse parking mode and usually only during my daytime drives. I'll have to test motion & impact parking mode.

The "factory reset" of settings is a new behavior. There is no user method of defaulting the dash camera settings back to factory default. Pittasoft kept telling me that installing a firmware update using the method of loading it from the downloaded zip file was going to reset the settings.
Click to expand...
To avoid a settings reset, the trick is to not copy the Blackvue/Config/config.ini file. That's where all your settings are stored and if you replace the one in your dashcam with the factory default one, it can reset your settings.
rcg530 said:
I had to spend a few days proving that was not the case. The only way for the user to reset to factory settings was to use the BlackVue SD Card viewer app and on each page of the firmware settings select the default settings option and then save to the memory card. The camera would pickup the "reset" settings during the next power up. If the settings are being wiped by the camera, that sounds like a big problem. That would mean it's changing the settings in memory and changing the settings stored on the memory card as well.
Click to expand...
Yeah it's annoying when settings get changed. I can understand the desire for that from a manufacturer's side, especially when there's new settings added, but it's still very annoying as a user.
 
After the firmware update I was able to get my file transfer script running on the 970X Plus. Now when it connects to my garage AP, my server runs a CRON that will auto move all new footage to the NAS. This did not work prior.

Have either of you heard back from Blackvue RE: focus issues/HDR?
 
Vortex Radar said:
To avoid a settings reset, the trick is to not copy the Blackvue/Config/config.ini file. That's where all your settings are stored and if you replace the one in your dashcam with the factory default one, it can reset your settings.

Yeah it's annoying when settings get changed. I can understand the desire for that from a manufacturer's side, especially when there's new settings added, but it's still very annoying as a user.
Click to expand...
I guess I didn't state my case correctly. I was trying to achieve a factory reset of the dash camera settings. Pittasoft stated that if I formatted a memory card and only extracted the contents of the firmware zip file onto the memory card it would reset the dash camera settings as well as upgrade the firmware version. What I found is that is not the case. The camera settings persist even though they were not on the memory card used to upgrade the firmware. I spent several days of testing and emails with Pittasoft for them to finally admit it did not work the way they stated it would.

Maybe Pittasoft "fixed" something so it will now, but this was back in May 2022 when I was showing them how the DR750X Plus was incorrectly using the parking mode g-sensor settings during the first normal recording session after a power up of the dash camera. Pittasoft was saying the g-sensor settings would get reset to their default values via an firmware upgrade via the memory card (as stated above). I showed them a lot of evidence that was not correct and that the g-sensor problem was "real" and somehow it was fixed with v1.009 for the DR750X Plus.
 
Vortex Radar said:
To avoid a settings reset, the trick is to not copy the Blackvue/Config/config.ini file. That's where all your settings are stored and if you replace the one in your dashcam with the factory default one, it can reset your settings.

Yeah it's annoying when settings get changed. I can understand the desire for that from a manufacturer's side, especially when there's new settings added, but it's still very annoying as a user.
Click to expand...
Not having a “pin hole” reset button on the unit body, or reset button in the smartphone APP is a critical design flaw I discovered February 2023 when I was testing the DR970X.
It’s one reasons I sent the DR900X Plus, DR970X, and a second DR970X (sent as a replacement because the first was out of focus) back to BlackVue.
BlackVue’s are just too complicated for my low level of computer knowledge.
 
Good news. I think I may have resolved the parking mode issue I've been seeing with the DR970X Plus on 1.001. I was using a 256gb Samsung Pro Endurance card when I was seeing the issues. When I switched to a Blackvue card, the issue went away. When I formatted the Samsung card, I was able to resume using that card again and have parking mode work properly. So maybe it is a physical issue with that specific card or maybe it was something corrupted on the card that got wiped out after the format. I'm really not sure. Either way, it's good to get that dashcam working again.

I also tested both LTE units on 1.001 with Blackvue cards this afternoon and those behaved perfectly in parking mode.
 
I checked the contents of the Google Drive version of the dr970x-plus-v1.001-eng.zip file with the file I downloaded when their download page link worked. The contents of the two zip files are the same except for some directory timestamps inside the zip file.

While the v1.001 update file was available via their download page, it was also available via the BlackVue app to perform an OTA firmware update.

Pittasoft will sometimes withdraw a firmware update shortly after it was released if some sort of issue was detected in the firmware update process or behavior after updating the dash camera firmware. I haven't received any response from Pittasoft tech support as to why the firmware update for the DR970X Plus dash camera was withdrawn. I downloaded the v1.001 zip file on 07-Feb-2024 at 10:59 PST which was shortly after the file was made available.
 
I updated mine using the Google Drive link Blackvue sent me and it updated fine without any issues.
(Trying to resolve my GPS not working issue, which it hasn't resolved).
 
When I asked about 1.001 being removed, here's what they shared with me:

We are currently experiencing some issues with our firmware server, which has resulted in delays in the firmware update process.
As a temporary solution, we have provided an alternative link for firmware updates to ensure that our customers receive timely support and assistance.
Please use the following link to access the firmware update for DR970X Plus v1.001 in case you need it (though you mentioned you still have the v.1.001)
Click to expand...
 
Vortex Radar said:
When I asked about 1.001 being removed, here's what they shared with me:
Click to expand...
Thanks. I've asked that question a few times, but Chris has not replied with a response to that question.
 
It appears that BlackVue has released several firmware updates on 01-Apr-2024 along with an update to the BlackVue viewer program for Windows / Mac to v3.17.

BlackVue Blog post:

[Firmware Updates] New Cloud Battery Feature For Most Models Since DR750X Plus​

Dear BlackVue Users,
Firmware updates are available for most models released since the DR750X Plus Series up to the latest DR970X Box Plus models.
This update introduces Cloud Battery support. The new feature lets you pair your B-124X or B-130X with your Cloud-connected BlackVue to view battery levels and receive low-battery alerts.

Models Concerned:​

What’s New:​

  1. Added Cloud Battery support. Pair your B-124X or B-130X with your Cloud-connected BlackVue to view battery levels and receive low-battery alerts.
  2. Bug fixes and stability improvements.
※ Compatible software versions:
BlackVue App: Android v3.56 / iOS v3.51 and up.
BlackVue Viewer: Windows v3.17 / Mac v3.17 and up.
BlackVue Web Viewer (Cloud)

Important:​

Make sure to use the latest versions of the BlackVue Viewer and App for full compatibility with the new firmware.

How to upgrade:​

With the BlackVue App, you can easily update the firmware from the Camera menu. Tap the three-dot icon “⋮” next to your camera’s name, then tap on “Remote firmware update”.
For a manual installation, go to the DOWNLOADS page to access the latest firmware and installation instructions.

Share your feedback and suggestions​

If you have suggestions for new features and improvements, feel free to join our Community hosted in the BlackVue Help Center.
Thank you!
 
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