Dashcam requirements

[Wizard]

Hi all.

I need some advice on which is the best dashcam suited to my needs.

My requirements are quite simple.

1. Available in UK
2. 2 channel
3. MUST be able to turn GPS off. I never want to the able to record my speed
4. MUST be able of turn of audio
5. High quality recording.
6. Be able to delete footage on the dashcam without having to put memory card in the computer


Optional
1. Parking mode
2. Encrypted/password protected

I was looking to purchase the blackvue DR650GW but if I understand correctly I can't turn the GPS off.

P.S I know the reasons for and against GPS but for my personal needs I can't have this feature on my dash cam.

Any thought/advice is much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

 

[niko]

5. High quality recording.

HQ recording is qestionable on most present 2ch daschams. There are many 2 x 1080p, but all of them have low bot-rate. Driving within city ( 40-50 km/h ) they will do the job. However on higher speeds they struggle to read licenseplates ( if this is important for you ).

Me personally would go with 2 x single daschams at the moment. Probably at some stage this year we will see HQ 2Ch dashcam system, but as for now we have to chose between what is out there.

 

[Wizard]

Niko,

Thank you for the prompt reply. 1080p for the front cam is great, I am happy with a slightly lower quality for the rear camera.

I note your comments about having two single dashcam, but I would prefer for both camera to record on a single card so if I need to remove the card in a hurry I wouldn't need to get out of the car and climb into the back to get to the card. Hope this makes senses.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Welcome to DCT

 

[dash riposki]

You drive in a manner you worry about what shows up on your dash cam?

What are you going to do when the other drivers have dash cams?

 

[kamkar]

You do know your speed can be ascertained by the footage, and pretty accurate too, all you need is the time it take to travle between 2 points in the footage and then mesure the distance between those 2 points.

It is what the cops use here when mesuring ppl from helicopters ( at least thet used to do that in the old days ) dotted around the rural highways you will see a yellow T like marking on the road, and then another one further down the road, then they mesure how long time you use to cover the distance between those markings.

 

[dash riposki]

The GPS 'thing'. Not that I speed much, but, I really doubt I'd attempt to use the embedded GPS data on a dash cam video to prove I was not speeding, unless the cop was claiming I was doing 200 mph in a 35 zone, and I was doing 45.

Likewise, I don't think a cop could write a ticket that stuck using dash cam GPS data, only. GPS speed data and exact location are kind of murky.
I drove a commercial vehicle with extensive 'driver monitoring' CRAP that was not accurate. The GPS data would say I was speeding on a certain road, but it was actually reporting me being on an adjacent road, with a lower speed limit.
(Service road alongside a major highway)
Took a while for me to figure that out.

If a cop seized my dash cam card and wanted to use the GPS data SOLELY as proof I was speeding, I'd probably be able to demonstrate it was not accurate.

Likewise, I doubt you could prove your GPS data on the card was accurate enough to get you out of a ticket.

I do like it when people record themselves doing stupid things, though, (usually posting it on facebook) then are confused and angry when they are held accountable.



If you worry about having too much incriminating video on your cam, you can always use a smaller card.

 

[kamkar]

usually posting it on facebook

Isent that where ppl like that hang out

I like GPS speed, and prefer it stamped in the video too, got nothing to hide compared to the general Danish drivers.
And i think i have finally learned to not follow ppl that overtake me doing insane speeds, both cuz its stupid, and allso most often my little car cant keep up with those speeds, or rather get up to those speeds before ppl are long ahead of me.

Last time i did that i was overtaken on a 80 km/h road by a taxa that i was not able to catch up to though i ended up doing 120 km/h the taxi just dissapeared in the distance.

BTW in relation to that this was during the annual party week here in Randers, and it was on the highway out south, the cops really should set up a speed trap at least every 2 day in that week.
I am sure they could make a lot of money and get a fjew DUI dumbasses off the raod.

 

[Wizard]

Thank you for all your time to read and tosh to my post.

Sorry I really don't mean to be rude or offend but I do not want this post to be about GPS. I am aware of the ways the law enforcement can use time / distance to calculate a speed with a resonable range limit. I just prefer not to have GPS on my system.

I respectfully ask for a dashcam that you can recommend that would fit my criteria.

Thank you all once again for your help

 

[niko]

Niko,

Thank you for the prompt reply. 1080p for the front cam is great, I am happy with a slightly lower quality for the rear camera.

I note your comments about having two single dashcam, but I would prefer for both camera to record on a single card so if I need to remove the card in a hurry I wouldn't need to get out of the car and climb into the back to get to the card. Hope this makes senses.

Does form-factor ( design ) matters ?

 

[kamkar]

No worries M8
As it have been said the current dual systems are not that good, at least not compared to good single cameras.
They lag a little on IQ and for the most they allso have other minor issues like beeing fuzzy about what brand of memory card you put in them and so on.

What i would do it get one single camera for now to have in the windscreen ( should cover most cases of wierdness on the road )
And then at the tail end of this year or start 2017 go for one of the new and good Dual channel systems, and the give your old single camera to a loved one or a friend.

I am not quite sure how all dashcams work, but at least the ones with a external GPS antenna just dont plug it in or dont buy it in case its a optional thing.

You could allso go with somthing like the SGZC12RC niko carry in his shop, it have a small camera on a wire, and would make for a exelent side camera when you get a dual channel system for front & rear.

It have a touch screen in the little main unit, and i think it can handle both full format of the memory card as well as deleting individual video segments if you have time for that slow way of doing it.
And it dont have a GPS and it have exelent parking mode with a good prebuffer.

And another imortant thing both niko and Street Guardian have really good customer care in case you should run into problems.

 

[Wizard]

To be honest it's does within reason. When I looked at the blackvue 650 alot of it was part of the stealth look. I did consider the 750 but it looked far to big for me.

I am looking to buy it for a BMW X6 which is my daily drive.

I would also be powering this via the battery as I want it permanently plugged in and not done as a temporary fix.

 

[Wizard]

Kamkar, thank you for your reply. Sorry I must have missed if before. I understand what u mean about by a single camera but this is what I will do for my second car (it's my special weekend you and too high value to drive daily). It's it's a convertible I can't have a rear camera coz of the way the roof works so i will only have front camera.

I still need a 2ch for my daily drive. I accept I won't get great quality out of the rear but I feel it's better to have low quality and no quality.

Hope this makes sense

 

[kamkar]

Well for current dualchannel dashcams there is the panorama X2, and then there is the Lukas brand that allso have a line of dualchannel cameras, and ther subbrand qvia.
Some of the lukas models are 1080 / 1080 and other only 720p on the rear camera.
There allso is the new finevu solid cameras, but again ther form factor is less desireable for us that prefer a discreete install.

But these are all systems where the front camera / main box is no way discreete at all, Lukas seem to be mainly focusses on the home S Korean marked, and they seem to love big screens over there.
And they are allso all GPS cameras as that seem to be high on the wish list of most ppl, i know from the Lukas Lk-7500 single channel camera i had that the GPS speed can be disabled or at least not appear in the footage, but if it still is embedded in the data in the background i dont know.
The Lk-7500 had the GPS antanna in the foot of the mont and had a little wire to plug into the camera so that could work 100% GPS free by not pluggin that in.

I havent really been keeping up with the dual channel cameras as it is/was evident they still lag behind in some ways, or if not that then all seem to have a unfortunate form factor on the front unit at least.

The reason why i said wait is i know Street Guardian is working hard on ther first dual channel cameras, and they will make 1 model thats with a hidden main unit but have 2 small cameras on a wire like the camera on the single channel SGZC12RC, and these new units should allso support waterproof cameras for outside use ( maybe the rear camera on your little convertible )
Okay i am affiliated a little with SG as i do product testing for them on some models, but this was not a sales speech in any way, there is proberly allso other brands cooking on new better cameras, but i fear they will stick to the know formula of a big front unit and then a small rear camera.

I am really looking forward to the 2 camera on wire and hidden main unit, it is important for me that the cameras are stealthy as i leave them in the car all year.
And as i do testing for a fjew brands i have 6 cameras in my car right now, 3 of them in the front window. ( okay the test cameras are often taken out at night for review of footage and testing on my computer table )

I am not sure how the brands / models i mentioned will do in regard to stop GPS from beeing used, but i suspect ther shape rule them out for you before you get that far.