How Much Would You Spend On a Multi-Channel Dashcam That No One Can Find

How much would you pay for a high-end multi-chan dashcam? (see features in-post)


  • Total voters
    56

kandrey89

Active Member
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Location
San Ramon, CA
Country
United States
Dash Cam
Panorama X2, GoPro 3/3+ Black
Please vote (2 votes, one vote per 2CH and one per 4CH version) on how much MAX you'd be willing to spend for a 2CH and 4CH system if it was defect, hassle and bug free.

Proposed System Specs:
  • Reliable, non-descript, all black, stealthy, quality feel, nothing fancy, mostly function
  • 2CH or 4CH remote processing system
    • ~15-18 Mbps per channel, minimum spec
    • metal body
    • normal/event/parking modes
  • 2/4 camera head, waterproof:
    • discrete all black metal body remote camera head
    • 1080p30
    • low light
    • USB shielded cables
    • mounts:
      • default: 360 degree swivel, metal, black, adhesive mount
      • optional: metal side door mount with user painted plastic cover to match car paint
  • 5" Remote Touchscreen Display
    • universal clip mount or similar to take advantage of existing in-car mounting solutions
  • Parking Mode
  • GPS
  • External Microphone
  • G-Sensor & Motion Detect All Channels
  • User-Defined Low Voltage Shutoff and Over-Current Protection
  • 2.5" SSD/HDD user supplied
    • remove disk from unit, download data via SATA to USB adaptor, not supplied (amazon $20)
  • Li-Ion Battery Backup (small)
  • Optional: large Li-Ion battery bank, alternative to a 2nd car battery
  • Power: up to 2x power consumption per channel compared to standalone dashcams
  • Firmware:
    • user upgradeable
    • open source interface project
    • support for day/night driving modes
      • auto-detect, user select, or time of day setting

Suggestions and clarification questions are welcomed.
 
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we have similar discussions high-end dream multichannel DVR solution HERE

about your proposal of "how much would you spend", - of course every consumer would be interested in "as less as possible", but need to think realistically and I would be ready to pay highest option of 1500usd, but I am afraid realistic price is not listed here. If some one would come out with such fully loaded high-end DVR system by the end of this year, I am afraid price would be between 3-5K$ and I can say this would be fair price for it.
 
$400 is taking the proverbial.
I have a perfectly acceptable 2ch solution using 2 Mobius cams, both connected via USB to an easy accessible hub tucked away in my boot (trunk). If I wish, footage from both cams can be downloaded onto a tablet or laptop simply by connecting the USB lead. However, I tend to choose to remove either/both cams as they are ever so easy to slide out of their cradles. I use this opportunity to update/synch.
I like the simplicity of the Mobius. It does exactly the job that it is supposed to do. I don't need fads (bells and whistles) that I have found to be pretty much useless on previous cams, I, and my insurance, just need to see who was doing what. They can SEE I was hit, they don't need G-sensor fancy graphs. The 128GB SD card will provide well over 20hrs' recording at maximum bitrate.
It would be nice if Mobius gave us an easy plug in/out bullet cam rather than the existing extension lens and improved low light recording.
 
Yeah, and how many times does your cam overheat because the processor is in direct sunlight, thus failing to record?
Nothing fancy about a GPS, only a mobius like cam owner would complain about it. I find speed indicator and shock event activation useful.

The purpose of this thread is to gauge interest in a permanent hassle free, discrete, all around, reliable dashcam with features like day/night mode, GPS, parking that you've come to expect from regular dashcams.
NOTHING IS RELIABLE IF IT IS IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. (image sensors can tolerate the heat more than processing units, hence why it makes sense to separate camera and body, in addition to stealth)
 
Yeah, and how many times does your cam overheat because the processor is in direct sunlight, thus failing to record?
Nothing fancy about a GPS, only a mobius like cam owner would complain about it. I find speed indicator and shock event activation useful.

The purpose of this thread is to gauge interest in a permanent hassle free, discrete, all around, reliable dashcam with features like day/night mode, GPS, parking that you've come to expect from regular dashcams.
NOTHING IS RELIABLE IF IT IS IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. (image sensors can tolerate the heat more than processing units, hence why it makes sense to separate camera and body, in addition to stealth)

I've been using Mobius cameras since they were first introduced, including each PCB iteration and each and every lens/sensor module version. Using them with super-capacitors in a midnight blue vehicle that gets extraordinarily hot in the summer sun there has never been a single time when any Mobius camera overheated and failed to record regardless of how hot the camera can become. This included using the cameras while parked and away from the vehicle while it sits in the hot summer sun with the windows closed.
 
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Yeah, and how many times does your cam overheat because the processor is in direct sunlight, thus failing to record? Never happened
Nothing fancy about a GPS, only a mobius like cam owner would complain about it. I find speed indicator and shock event activation useful. Had it on previous cams, turned it off

The purpose of this thread is to gauge interest in a permanent hassle free, discrete, all around, reliable dashcam with features like day/night mode, GPS, parking that you've come to expect from regular dashcams. Why are you trying to run before you can walk? Start with a 2ch system where both cams are remote. Get that right before trying to ask more of the processors.
NOTHING IS RELIABLE IF IT IS IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. (image sensors can tolerate the heat more than processing units, hence why it makes sense to separate camera and body, in addition to stealth)
From my sig..."31st July 2015. Mobius has now recorded 5200hours' footage & today's is as good as ever.:)
SD card (unbranded) consigned to the bin after approx 2000hrs, Power adapter binned after 2600hrs"
I've also got to admit that the mobius I use at work has been dropped at least twice from a height of around 6feet.
The mobius that has recorded 5200 hours footage is mounted to the screen on a helmet mount, the base of which is firmly stuck to the black, dimpled, sunshade - so it has a degree of protection.
The mobius in my car's windscreen is mounted above the screen to a parcel shelf so is only partly in direct sunlight.
As for gps and shock sensor, I've had them in other cams and turned them off. Our main roads are riddled with potholes & even at lowest setting, I found the shock sensor was filling up with pothole shocks, leaving no room on the card.

I've been using dashcams for over 15 years, starting with a small camcorder. I've been through a great many cameras ranging from £250 down to £15 & the mobius is the only one that has lasted.
It has one job to do & it does it well
 
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From my sig..."31st July 2015. Mobius has now recorded 5200hours' footage & today's is as good as ever.:)
SD card (unbranded) consigned to the bin after approx 2000hrs, Power adapter binned after 2600hrs"
I've also got to admit that the mobius I use at work has been dropped at least twice from a height of around 6feet.
The mobius that has recorded 5200 hours footage is mounted to the screen on a helmet mount, the base of which is firmly stuck to the black, dimpled, sunshade - so it has a degree of protection.
The mobius in my car's windscreen is mounted above the screen to a parcel shelf so is only partly in direct sunlight.
As for gps and shock sensor, I've had them in other cams and turned them off. Our main roads are riddled with potholes & even at lowest setting, I found the shock sensor was filling up with pothole shocks, leaving no room on the card.

I've been using dashcams for over 15 years, starting with a small camcorder. I've been through a great many cameras ranging from £250 down to £15 & the mobius is the only one that has lasted.
It has one job to do & it does it well

I too started out with a small camcorder some years back (six years) and have burned through my share of failed cameras. There is very good reason some of us hold the Mobius in such high regard and it would be a bargain even at a much higher price.

I run multiple cameras in my vehicle and a 4 channel Mobius system would cost less than 300 dollars USD. Four separate Mobius cameras provides for a stealthy set-up with no chance of having them fail all at once like a 2 or 4 channel camera might.
 
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There is very good reason some of us hold the Mobius in such high regard and it would be a bargain even at a much higher price.

Only their business model keeps it cheap, if it was a retail product you wouldn't get much change out of $200
 
Only their business model keeps it cheap, if it was a retail product you wouldn't get much change out of $200

Agreed. I think it is one of the amazing things about the camera that the success of their business model is based entirely upon word of mouth.
 
Right now I have two Itronics ITB500HDs, one in each of my cars. These are old units and back then (2012-2013?) they were the first 720p dual car DVRs.
The main unit is remote so the cameras are just cameras. Recording never fails, the parking mode both motion and shock works flawlessly, no annoying sounds, voice messages, beeps, or anything. It just works anytime, anywhere.
The pixelation, recording rate and night recording quality make the recordings look very bad compared to what we have today on this market. 720p at 15fps/camera isn't great, it wasn't that good not even when these were released.

So having something like this with better recording quality and performing flawlessly like the old Itronics is what I'm waiting for for quite a while now and absolutely no car DVR manufacturer did anything. the Koonlung was close but they managed to come up with an absolutely hysterical operating software and some glitches and misses that even a student could have addressed properly in a weekend of work.

So make it reliable, work flawlessly, boot decently fast (<15s), with reliable and high resolution cameras with high operating temperature (60+C) and I can tell you will sell quite a few.
 
Small profile HD DVR unit with removable HD caddy and with four good quality but discreet 1080p cameras, definitely looking at £1,500+ I reckon.

But this is the ideal setup especially for commercial. SSD drives better value than sd cards for big storage, probably more reliable also, easy to upgrade cameras also.
 
Only their business model keeps it cheap, if it was a retail product you wouldn't get much change out of $200

It's a Direct-to-Consumer product, like the V1 radar detector, Tesla, Dell Computer (for many years), electricity. Shoot, IIRC, the Nest thermostat started as Direct only.

Yes, their business model allows them to set a lower retail price. If the business model works for them, it works for their customers.

And as someone new to dash cams, I'm intrigued by the Mobius offering. Seems to offer a lot of value for the money. I'm looking at outfitting three cars with front/rear cameras, and my criteria include a small form factor and reasonable price. Not much out on the market that allows me to do three cars for under $600, including a roll of velcro.
 
Don't waste time with regular Velcro in a car. It allows the camera to shake too much. Look for 3M dual-lock or Velcro extreme instead.
+1. I've used Velcro extreme (industrial strength) and it allows a bit of vibration as well. No so much that it's really noticeable unless you're looking for it but it is there. Definitely recommend the dual-lock if you decide against VHB tape.
 
funny, when i wrote that, i was thinking that the package i'd bought at wal-mart this weekend was velcro extreme. turns out it's "Scotch Extreme" by 3M. looks like dual lock, but says it's 3x stronger than velcro industrial strength.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Scotch-Extreme-Fasteners-1-in-x-10-ft-Black-1-Set-Pack/32801527

and in reading the instructions on the back, it says it's good for up to 1000 closures. doesn't sound like much, but that's over 3 years if you're taking the camera down once a day.
 
Exactly, I too am holding onto my ITB-500HD. It is the right combo of small camera and a main unit that is tucked in the trunk. All the dual camera stuff now, has a massive front camera/lcd combo. I will never put that **** up on my dash.

Right now I have two Itronics ITB500HDs, one in each of my cars. These are old units and back then (2012-2013?) they were the first 720p dual car DVRs.
The main unit is remote so the cameras are just cameras. Recording never fails, the parking mode both motion and shock works flawlessly, no annoying sounds, voice messages, beeps, or anything. It just works anytime, anywhere.
The pixelation, recording rate and night recording quality make the recordings look very bad compared to what we have today on this market. 720p at 15fps/camera isn't great, it wasn't that good not even when these were released.

So having something like this with better recording quality and performing flawlessly like the old Itronics is what I'm waiting for for quite a while now and absolutely no car DVR manufacturer did anything. the Koonlung was close but they managed to come up with an absolutely hysterical operating software and some glitches and misses that even a student could have addressed properly in a weekend of work.

So make it reliable, work flawlessly, boot decently fast (<15s), with reliable and high resolution cameras with high operating temperature (60+C) and I can tell you will sell quite a few.
 
Please vote (2 votes, one vote per 2CH and one per 4CH version) on how much MAX you'd be willing to spend for a 2CH and 4CH system if it was defect, hassle and bug free.

Proposed System Specs:
Suggestions and clarification questions are welcomed.

I've been looking into it as well and here is my list of specs:

Id Requirement
  1. Dual recording of video from front and rear mirror simultaneously into different files
  2. Front 1080P, rear min 720P (ideally 1080P as well)
  3. Cyclical recording (overwrites oldest file when at storage capacity) on the removable SD card, up to 32GB from both front and rear camera
  4. Front and rear recording starts automatically when ignition is turned ON
  5. Camera gives visual or audio warning when memory card is absent when ignition is turned ON
  6. Camera gives visual or audio warning when recording does NOT start automatically when ignition is turned ON
  7. Rear camera view displayed when car switched to reverse gear
  8. Configurable delay to control how quickly a picture from a rear-view camera will switch off after switching OFF reverse gear
  9. Adjustable parking guidelines for rear view camera (this can be feature of the camera itself)
  10. Night vision mode - clear picture in night conditions for both recorded video and reverse camera
  11. Date and Time display in the recorded video from front and rear camera
  12. Data and time are set once and do not have to be set again after complete power loss (mirror uses internal battery to store date and time for at least one day)
  13. Parking mode with Motion Detection, front and rear camera starts recording when motion is detected behind or in front of the car while car is parked (ignition off)
  14. Parking mode with G-shock detection, front and rear camera starts recording when shock is detected while car is parked (ignition off)
  15. Parking mode for Motion Detection and G-shock detection (car shakes or moves) activates automatically when ignition is turned off, no need to manually turn camera ON again
  16. Car battery discharge protection by Voltage in parking mode, mirror auto-switches off when car battery voltage drops (ajustable threshold)
  17. Car battery discharge protection by Time in parking mode, mirror auto-switches off when configurable time passes, e.g. 3, 6, 12, 24 hours
  18. Can be installed on the car with light bulb failure control feature such as VW without any additional voltage filters or stabilizers
  19. GPS logger - GPS position of the card recorded in the mirror and can displayed on the PC on the google maps (other app: www.car-matrix.com)
  20. Data and time automatically set and adjusted from GPS device
  21. G sensor in case of accident automatically records and locks records against deletion
  22. Mirror configuration is stored in flash memory (e.g. SD card), so that mirror does NOT have to be reconfigured after power loss
  23. Mirror has auto-dimming (electrochromic) option which detects and eliminates dangerous rear view mirror glare (via rear glare sensor) making nighttime (detected via front ambient light sensor) safer for driver
  24. Mirror firmware can be downloaded from seller's web site and upgraded by user from either SD card or via USB from PC
  25. Changeable Mounting. Bracket is NOT integrated so that any bracket mounting can be ordered separately for different car (from seller catalog) and replaced by user
 
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I've been looking into it as well and here is my list of specs:

Id Requirement
  1. Dual recording of video from front and rear mirror simultaneously into different files
  2. Front 1080P, rear min 720P (ideally 1080P as well)
  3. Cyclical recording (overwrites oldest file when at storage capacity) on the removable SD card, up to 32GB from both front and rear camera
  4. Front and rear recording starts automatically when ignition is turned ON
  5. Camera gives visual or audio warning when memory card is absent when ignition is turned ON
  6. Camera gives visual or audio warning when recording does NOT start automatically when ignition is turned ON
  7. Rear camera view displayed when car switched to reverse gear
  8. Configurable delay to control how quckly a picture from a rear-view camera will switch off after switching OFF reverse gear
  9. Adjustable parking guidelines for rear view camera (this can be feature of the camera itself)
  10. Night vision mode - clear picture in night conditions for both recorded video and reverse camera
  11. Date and Time display in the recorded video from front and rear camera
  12. Data and time are set once and do not have to be set again after complete power loss (mirror uses internal battery to store date and time for at least one day)
  13. Parking mode with Motion Detection, front and rear camera starts recording when motion is detected behind or in front of the car while car is parked (ignition off)
  14. Parking mode with G-shock detection, front and rear camera starts recording when shock is detected while car is parked (ignition off)
  15. Parking mode for Motion Detection and G-shock detection (car shakes or moves) activates automatically when ignition is turned off, no need to manually turn camera ON again
  16. Car battery discharge protection by Voltage in parking mode, mirror auto-switches off when car battery discharged to 10%
  17. Car battery discharge protection by Time in parking mode, mirror auto-switches off when configurable time passes, e.g. 3, 6, 12, 24 hours
  18. Can be installed on the car with light bulb failure control feature such as VW without any additional voltage filters or stabilizers
  19. GPS logger - GPS position of the card recorded in the mirror and can displayed on the PC on the google maps (other app: www.car-matrix.com)
  20. Data and time automatically set and adjusted from GPS device
  21. G sensor in case of accident automatically records and locks records against deletion
  22. Mirror configuration is stored in flash memory (e.g. SD card), so that mirror does NOT have to be reconfigured after power loss
  23. Mirror has auto-dimming (electrochromic) option which detects and eliminates dangerous rear view mirror glare (via rear glare sensor) making nighttime (detected via front ambient light sensor) safer for driver
  24. Mirror firmware can be downloaded from seller's web site and upgraded by user from either SD card or via USB from PC
  25. Changeable Mounting. Bracket is NOT integrated so that any bracket mounting can be ordered separately for different car (from seller catalog) and replaced by user

You should be flogged for even thinking 720p.
Dashcam integrated into the rearview mirror? You should be flogged too. People aren't going to replace their rearview mirrors with a dashcam because they could have integrated systems like garage opener and direction indicator.

Adding a reverse gear detection requires the can bus access, which means you have to run additional wires, extra complication to implement by manufacturer and enable for user, not worth it.

There is no 10% battery charge, you measure voltage.

Adjustable parking guidelines. You are laughable. You clearly have no idea how it works. Each car is different and the position where you mount the rear cam is different, there is no way a manufacturer could make parking guidelines, it would also require steering wheel sensor or through can bus.
 
There is no 10% battery charge, you measure voltage.

Voltage requirement updated.
1080P clearly depends on rear-view cam, requirement clearly says 1080P

You should be flogged for even thinking 720p.
Dashcam integrated into the rearview mirror? People aren't going to replace their rearview mirrors with a dashcam because they could have integrated systems like garage opener and direction indicator.You clearly have no idea how it works. Each car is different and the position where you mount the rear cam is different, there is no way a manufacturer could make parking guidelines, it would also require steering wheel sensor or through can bus.

Wake up, most of the people drive non premium, no luxury cars with basic mirrors. Every new honda, toyota etc. has regular mirror with no even auto-dimming function. Replacing one factory mounted mirror with another is a trivial task and any dash cam needs to be wired unless you want wires hanging around...

Each car is different and the position where you mount the rear cam is different.

This is when car is not equipped with factory rear-view cam... which is still majority of the cars... again you need to wake up and look around...
 
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