Expensive dashcams worth it?

I used the B1W for a 3 hour round trip and whilst the video is passable, the audio is not. It's awful. I read about audio issues but these were meant to have been addressed.

So far, my cheap dashcam experiment has failed....... I'm going to return it.
 
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It's on the main review on this site. Quote "The manufacturer has corrected this problem in later batches by replacing the microphone". I must have got one from an old batch as it was useless. I've returned it and I'm going to look at other options.
 
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Blink982 said:
It's on the main review on this site. Quote "The manufacturer has corrected this problem in later batches by replacing the microphone". I must have got one from an old batch as it was useless. I've returned it and I'm going to look at other options.
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It is odd, could you mind to PM me this video footage for checking? Thanks!
 
Blink982 said:
I used the B1W for a 3 hour round trip and whilst the video is passable, the audio is not. It's awful. I read about audio issues but these were meant to have been addressed.

So far, my cheap dashcam experiment has failed....... I'm going to return it.
Click to expand...

Culprit: Bumpy/loud cars LOL.

How’s the audio with windows up, minimal music, on smooth roads? Next, how’s it with the windows down haha...

Sometimes, you gotta pay to play ;)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Mine are a gen 1, and the audio was not good at first but MIC sensitivity seem to have been dialed back with later firmwares.
Still not the best audio out there, but got to remember i am on gen 1 and it is a cheap camera, + i dont really use audio though i do have it on in most of my cameras in the car.

The Audio was one of the first things testers pointed out, and i think the maker responded to that just fine.
 
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There's no perfect cam- even the expensive ones have issues of their own. IMHO, what you need a dashcam for most is it's video; rarely will audio recording be crucial in a road incident. The B1W does great video for it's price, has the lowest current draw of any dashcam, and has a G-sensor that works well for most people which is why I still think it's the best budget cam you can buy right now.

Like GPS speed data, audio can work against you if like me you have a few choice words for the idiots driving around you. That's why I keep my audio turned off ;)

Phil
 
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SawMaster said:
There's no perfect cam- even the expensive ones have issues of their own. IMHO, what you need a dashcam for most is it's video; rarely will audio recording be crucial in a road incident. The B1W does great video for it's price, has the lowest current draw of any dashcam, and has a G-sensor that works well for most people which is why I still think it's the best budget cam you can buy right now.

Like GPS speed data, audio can work against you if like me you have a few choice words for the idiots driving around you. That's why I keep my audio turned off ;)

Phil
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Haha audio can always be removed from video before shown in court. But I totally am guilty of word choice at times ;)

Audio has helped me with my various encounters with police officers... it’s definitely useful in court. Oh, the look on the judge’s face and then the officer being speechless lmao...






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My Off reason are my foul language,,, well foul for many people not so much for Danes, and copyright issues from youtube in the regard to music you can hear in the background.
 
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It can work both ways, same as GPS or even your videos. Removing the audio or GPS track is considered tampering with evidence here, and besides the courts will want the most pure evidence- the card itself- which will have the audio or GPS on it. There can be many reasons to have or not have audio; it's up to each of us to decide how important it is. If it's on a separate device like a cheap digital recorder then unless it's discovered as evidence you can simply not mention it if if isn't going to help you or might hurt you.

Here in the US, anything which is going to be entered as direct evidence in a trial must be given to all involved parties (the principle of "discovery") before the trial- it is the first step in the legal process. It ain't like the old "Perry Mason" TV show where there are surprise witnesses or evidence showing up in the courtroom during the trial. Because of "discovery" the outcome is usually so predictable that having a trial is almost meaningless now. It has enticed defense Lawyers to become complacent and try to get you a plea bargain instead of working to get you acquitted. IMHO it's made a mockery of our legal system and of those whose work is in that field :( But at least having that unknown separate audio recorder gives you the option of exposing it or not as may best work for you. If the audio is embedded in your dashcam recording you lose that option.

Phil
 
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Well only if you remove it in post, it cant be tampering if you dont have it enabled in the first place.
That said GPS and the sped it can tell, well if thats a concern then you should not record video either, hell i assume even from just a audio recording you could potentially figure out where it was and the speed, though you will have to go hardcore CSI on the footage.
 
I'm sure the B1W is a fine camera but it did not work for me. The DAB interference and poor audio (buzzing at low speeds and garbled audio at higher speeds) made me return it and I've opted for a Blackvue DR590W 2ch (only front cam fitted so far). The installation was easier as the cable was thinner than the B1W. There is zero interference with DAB so, so far so good.
 
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