Buying My 3rd Dashcam

[oo7ml]

Hi,

I've bought a dashcam for my last 2 cars, and left them in each car when I sold them.

I am not looking to buy a new dashcam for another car.

My 2 previous Dashcams were always the latest 2 Channel Blackvue dashcams.

Is it worth looking at any other brand or is the latest Blackvue DR900S 2 Channel up there with the best?

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[Nigel]

Best Dash Cams of 2020 - DashCamTalk

The best dash cams available to purchase in 2020.

dashcamtalk.com

 

[niko]

Hi,

I've bought a dashcam for my last 2 cars, and left them in each car when I sold them.

I am not looking to buy a new dashcam for another car.

My 2 previous Dashcams were always the latest 2 Channel Blackvue dashcams.

Is it worth looking at any other brand or is the latest Blackvue DR900S 2 Channel up there with the best?

Thank you in advance for your help.

What is your requirements / priorities in regards to functionality, design, price etc.?

 

[Kicker0927]

Hi,

I've bought a dashcam for my last 2 cars, and left them in each car when I sold them.

I am not looking to buy a new dashcam for another car.

My 2 previous Dashcams were always the latest 2 Channel Blackvue dashcams.

Is it worth looking at any other brand or is the latest Blackvue DR900S 2 Channel up there with the best?

Thank you in advance for your help.

U1000

 

[SawMaster]

The DR900S is OK overall, but other cams beat it hands down for video quality. Check out the Viofo A129Duo.

Phil

 

[oo7ml]

Thank you all.

My overall requirements are from a security point of view more than anything else. I'll need a good power pack for Parking Mode too.

Niko, I see you are based in Dublin too? Do you supply?

 

[Kicker0927]

Thank you all.

My overall requirements are from a security point of view more than anything else. I'll need a good power pack for Parking Mode too.

Niko, I see you are based in Dublin too? Do you supply?

The A129 Pro is a great cam, but if your buying for security purposes keep in mind it has a small viewpoint at 130 degrees and the read camera is crap. If money is no issue, go with the U1000...viewpoint is 150 degrees and rear cam is WAY better. Get a Cellink Neo battery pack to power it.

 

[SawMaster]

The A129 DUO (not "Pro") has a claimed 140 degree fov with both cams 1080P. The A129 DUO Pro has the same rear cam but the front is 4K and 130 degree claimed FOV. The rear cam is not crap, but it's not 4K. Many people feel the Blackvue DR750s is a better cam overall than the DR900s. Street Guardian makes a couple very good 2-channel cams and while not specced at 4K they have great 1080P vids and are top quality cams.

When assessing and comparing FOV numbers it's important to realize that the number is usually determined diagonally, not horizontally, and that most claims are inflated. Compare actual videos to see for yourself what to expect. Something else to keep in mind is that 4K cams run hot and may overheat and shut down or fail during parking use in the summer. The Thinkware U1000 seems like a very good cam in many ways but being very new it hasn't seen a solstice yet so nobody knows for certain how it will endure heat. Their F800 is no slouch but both of these cams have some issues which aren't worked out yet; the same goes for the Viofo cams. Whether those issues matter to you or not is something you'll have to look into yourself.

The Cellink Neo may not provide all the parking time you desire, especially if you have only shorter infrequent drives. You can use two larger discrete powerbanks instead, but they will require swapping around to allow for home charging. Still no really good consumer-friendly solutions for longer-term parking usage.

Phil

 

[DT MI]

it's important to realize that the number is usually determined diagonally, not horizontally, and that most claims are inflated.

Along this line some manufacturers/retailers publish the FOV of the lens (keeps the claims honest) versus what's captured on the sensor.

Some time back I had a camera that touted a 170° FOV but when comparing the actual videos it was no wider than a camera with a 135° FOV.

 

[Kicker0927]

The claimed FOV specs on the Viofo A129 and the Thinkware U1000 are as stated. If you’re looking for parking mode surveillance the U1000 paired with a Cellink NEO is hands-down the best option on the market at this time (unless you want to spend your time rigging up some homemade battery contraption). Personally, I’d rather pay for what’s best, use it as it’s intended, and go on with my day...but that’s just me.

 

[SawMaster]

@Kicker0927 you are not differentiating between the "DUO" and the "DUO Pro"- they have different FOV's. Go look at Viofo's website like I did if you want to appear knowledgeable about what you're saying here The Cellink is the best of it's type, but may not work for the OP as I noted.

In giving answers and recommendations one must take into account the exact needs and requirements because there is not and never will be one cam or powering method which is best for everyone. Those of us who've been in the dashcam game for many years understand these things rather well. There have already been a few people here on DCT who have returned their U1000 over issues they've had with it. IMHO it still needs longer-term testing and more development before I can fully recommend it in good conscience, but of all the newest cams it is the most impressive to me in a number of ways. If it matures well it will be one of the best cams around but Thinkware has a history of not adequately updating and developing their cams after their initial release onto the market, so I feel waiting to see what happens is in order.

Phil

 

[Kicker0927]

@Kicker0927 you are not differentiating between the "DUO" and the "DUO Pro"- they have different FOV's. Go look at Viofo's website like I did if you want to appear knowledgeable about what you're saying here The Cellink is the best of it's type, but may not work for the OP as I noted.

In giving answers and recommendations one must take into account the exact needs and requirements because there is not and never will be one cam or powering method which is best for everyone. Those of us who've been in the dashcam game for many years understand these things rather well. There have already been a few people here on DCT who have returned their U1000 over issues they've had with it. IMHO it still needs longer-term testing and more development before I can fully recommend it in good conscience, but of all the newest cams it is the most impressive to me in a number of ways. If it matures well it will be one of the best cams around but Thinkware has a history of not adequately updating and developing their cams after their initial release onto the market, so I feel waiting to see what happens is in order.

Phil

im aware of the A129 vs. Pro and the difference in FOV. With the development of 4K and the advancement of parking mode features, I’m not sure why he would want something that isn’t a new well-supported model and 4k. Also, the majority of my statement was information provided to me by the pros at BBMC which is ultimately where I would recommend the OP direct his questions

 

[2000rpm]

With the development of 4K and the advancement of parking mode features, I’m not sure why he would want something that isn’t a new well-supported model and 4k.

In general, with high quality image sensors, the higher the resolution the smaller the pixels on the sensor and the less light they gather, therefore more motion blur at high speed, in poor weather or at night.

 

[Butterfly]

Hi,

I've bought a dashcam for my last 2 cars, and left them in each car when I sold them.

I am not looking to buy a new dashcam for another car.

My 2 previous Dashcams were always the latest 2 Channel Blackvue dashcams.

Is it worth looking at any other brand or is the latest Blackvue DR900S 2 Channel up there with the best?

Thank you in advance for your help.

If you going to keep selling your vehicles, I don't see why not try different brands from time to time. For the current ones: Viofo excels in image quality and better budget. Blackvue excels in cloud functions. Thinkware excels in parking mode features. They are pretty similar, just depends on your preference (like design, functions, etc.). If we are talking about image quality, honestly it gets to the point where it depends on your own eyes. Not everyone's eyeballs are the same. Some like X better then Y. That is completely up to you, there's youtube videos for you to see which ones you prefer.