How often do you download your dashcam's video files to your computer?

[SoCalDude]

This poll asks the question, "How often do you download your dashcam's video files to your computer?"

NOTE: I'm aware that many of you regularly format your memory card, and this poll is not about that. It is not about swapping memory cards either.

Also, the context of this question is during your normal dashcam usage. I understand that those that are testing various firmware, lenses, mounting locations, etc., will be downloading the videos much more often.

 

[DT MI]

When I first got a camera it was almost every time I went out (like a kid with a new toy). Once the novelty wore off and sanity returned I now follow the 3rd option.

 

[niko]

I wish to chose 3rd option, but due to constant different tests, I have no choice other than 2 ( some time 1 ).

 

[SawMaster]

Daily for me. My old work van has several dents so I don't need to have someone claiming a hit-and-run which I'd have trouble defending otherwise. Lotsa space on the new laptop but when it gets near full I'll drop the old files in chunks to make more room as any issues should become known in under a week.

Phil

 

[balikbayan]

3rd option

 

[Module 79L]

I went with the first because there's no "every two or three days" option on the poll and sometimes, when I don't drive much in one day, I let the files accumulate.
However, since I use the clips to make videos for my YT channel, the "only download when something of interest has occurred" part of the 3rd option could apply because my footages are always full of interesting things, if you know what I mean.

 

[efoo]

I went with the first because there's no "every two or three days" option on the poll and sometimes, when I don't drive much in one day, I let the files accumulate.
However, since I use the clips to make videos for my YT channel, the "only download when something of interest has occurred" part of the 3rd option could apply because my footages are always full of interesting things, if you know what I mean.

Actually I don't really understand what you mean. Do you mean Portuguese drivers are worse than Russian drivers?

 

[SawMaster]

Actually I don't really understand what you mean. Do you mean Portuguese drivers are worse than Russian drivers?

Is that even possible? But I hear that Abu Dhabi gives them a run for the money.

Phil

 

[Module 79L]

Actually I don't really understand what you mean. Do you mean Portuguese drivers are worse than Russian drivers?

Not that kind of "worse" and surely not as bad as the australians, but bad enough to make compilations using only clips from a single day of driving.

 

[Module 79L]

Is that even possible? But I hear that Abu Dhabi gives them a run for the money.

Phil

When it comes to accidents, no one beats the russians.

 

[sludgeguts]

Daily for me. My old work van has several dents so I don't need to have someone claiming a hit-and-run which I'd have trouble defending otherwise. Lotsa space on the new laptop but when it gets near full I'll drop the old files in chunks to make more room as any issues should become known in under a week.

Phil

Same here. I tend to use a slim post-it note to note down times of 'events' as soon after they happen as possible. The five notes from this week are in front of me, they have anything between 2 and 8 times written on them.
Some of those 'events' won't make it to youtube as they were too far away for the cam to capture or people on their mobiles are shielded by their tinted screens.

 

[SoCalDude]

Now that I've found out how to "mark" a video file to indicate that I don't want it overwritten, whenever I see an "event of interest", I simply push the button on my camera to protect that file from deletion. Then, at my leisure, I will take the memory card and download just the protected ones. It can be later that day or weeks later—I know the file(s) will be there for me. I think this is better than writing notes when driving. However, I still have to scrub through each video's five minutes of footage to find the event, so maybe a combination of protecting the file and making note of the time is a good hybrid solution.

Also, this is usually when I will format the card—whenever I put it back into the camera.

 

[mollydog]

mine doesn’t fit the three options, in the UK (apart from the very rare occasion) the only time I take out the card is if I’m going to format it with SDFormatter or testing out the DVR

But on my holiday when I drive through Europe I do save the files every day, dump most of the files, but there are one or two worth keeping

 

[SoCalDude]

mine doesn’t fit the three options, in the UK (apart from the very rare occasion) the only time I take out the card is if I’m going to format it with SDFormatter or testing out the DVR

But on my holiday when I drive through Europe I do save the files every day, dump most of the files, but there are one or two worth keeping

Thank you for contributing to the poll.

I would say that you fit in the third answer, since the poll is in the context of "normal" usage—not vacations, special transport, testing, etc.

 

[jokiin]

When it comes to accidents, no one beats the russians.

Spent 5 days in Russia a few years ago, I don't recall any day I was there I didn't see accidents, roads are very chaotic

 

[efoo]

Not that kind of "worse" and surely not as bad as the australians, but bad enough to make compilations using only clips from a single day of driving.

Interesting. I do my daily drive back and forth between home and workplace, about 30 minutes each way. 99% of the time the drive is boring and has nothing worth in the video for me to keep. I am wondering how your drive has interesting events every day?

 

[Module 79L]

I think this is better than writing notes when driving.

If you come across so many "events of interest" like I do almost every day, that could be more dangerous than texting or phoning while driving! I don't understand how people even consider doing that in the first place, unless they stop everytime they have to take a note, which is even more absurd.

However, I still have to scrub through each video's five minutes of footage to find the event, so maybe a combination of protecting the file and making note of the time is a good hybrid solution.

I found the perfect solution for that: an amazing piece of video cutting software called Free Video Cutter. It cuts the parts that you want directly from the file and saves the cut segments without modifying the file's format. Some segments even end up with higher bitrates than the whole file! This way you can cut the segments right away as you scrub through the video.
There's only three things to pay attention to:

1st- Have the time stamp on, because it makes it easier to find the parts that you want to cut.

2nd- You have to play the videos on a player because the program doesn't do that, but then again, you have to play them somewhere anyway.

3rd and more important - The program gives one name to the first cut of each file (for example, for a file named 10450001.MOV, the first cut will be named 10450001_cut.MOV) but doesn't change it for the next cuts of the same file. That's not a problem if you only cut one segment of each 5 minute video but if you need to cut more segments you have to change it yourself, otherwise the segments will overwrite each other and you'll end up only with the last one you cut, because the program doesn't warn you that there's already a file with that name.

What I do is save the first one, rename it _cut 1.MOV before saving the next one, then save the second one, rename it _cut 2.MOV and so on. Of course you can rename the files anyway you want.
It saves the segments automatically in the same folder as the whole file but you can change it. The only "problem" is that every time you load a different file it defaults back to the file's folder, so it's better to leave it that way.

Sorry about the off-topic.

 

[Module 79L]

Interesting. I do my daily drive back and forth between home and workplace, about 30 minutes each way. 99% of the time the drive is boring and has nothing worth in the video for me to keep. I am wondering how your drive has interesting events every day?

Check my YT channel and you'll see it. Every video has the date when the events took place in the title.

 

[Prog]

I use Registrator Viewer to view videos from my Mini 0806. I tend to remember where the incident took place rather than when so click on the map to go to the relevant piece of footage. From there it's an easy job to export just the part I need.

 

[sludgeguts]

Now that I've found out how to "mark" a video file to indicate that I don't want it overwritten, whenever I see an "event of interest", I simply push the button on my camera to protect that file from deletion. Then, at my leisure, I will take the memory card and download just the protected ones. It can be later that day or weeks later—I know the file(s) will be there for me. I think this is better than writing notes when driving. However, I still have to scrub through each video's five minutes of footage to find the event, so maybe a combination of protecting the file and making note of the time is a good hybrid solution.

Also, this is usually when I will format the card—whenever I put it back into the camera.

Sod's law dictates that the moment you press the button to lock the file will be just long enough after the event for the locked file to be the next one along.
It wasn't exactly the hard way but I learned this lesson early on when I reviewed files on the card, only to find the locked file started just after the event. Fortunately, these weren't major events.
So I always make sure to use the biggest card I can get away with (64gig in my Mobius covers about a day & a quarter on medium bitrate) & download files regularly.
BTW, I don't write stuff down as I go along, I tend to remember the time & write it down when next I'm stopped - at lights or when picking up/dropping off.
In the case of a major event, I'm sure nobody would hang onto that clip. Almost everyone would want it transferred as soon as is humanly possible.

Forgot to add. I think there are some cams that, when pressing the lock files button, will save xx time before and xx time after the button press. It'd be nice if this feature came in all dashcams as standard - maybe saving 2 mins either side? Also having an emergency button set as a remote option, plugged into the cam so it can be mounted somewhere convenient for the driver.