Innovv amazing feature: Auto Bright Night

[Mtz]

People which are searching for a dashcam before buying are learning that a big difference between dashcams is because of low light recordings. From my experience until now the best dashcams for night recordings were the korean and taiwanese, but the price is high, most over $200.

The Innovv is testing and preparing to release an unique feature which will offer more brightness for night time recordings and I called it as ABN = Auto Bright Night. I don't know if their official feature name will be the same but I hope the users will understand from its name about what is this feature.

It is not full automatic because the brightness is added between some hours, for example between 6PM and 6AM and not when outside of the car is low light or dark. In the next GIF image I will show you how is working





The ON, OFF and Innovv words are added by me over the picture but the brightness changing is real, applied by the camera firmware during its recording. As you can see from the hour, at 17:59:59 the camera was recording with its normal settings and when time is 18:00:00, more brightness is added to the image.

So it is not full automatic because during a year the night duration is different so at least 4 times a year the user need to change the hours for the ABN.
It is not so crucial to have exactly the correct hours because even in Night Mode, the camera will record during day almost correct images, of course more brighter than reality.

I expect the firmware which will add this new feature to be released this weekend.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[RockThinking]

Thanks for Mtz, He is doing the good job to the best introduce how this function works.
Actually he is the father of this function.

The auto-switch setting allow people do not worry how to get balance on setting for the best video quality in day and night.

The new version of FW will be released on these days, the GUI upgrading still takes time.
So this function in GUI still has the name- Video High Dynamic Range.
The default setting is Normal, this function actives.

If select day version, the setting is optimized for the best result in day time.
If select night version, the setting is set for the best video quality in night.

Once select day or night version, it will run for a full day no change.
RC people may like day version, the people who are most driving in night, for sure night version is needed.

Regarding he function name, we are discussed to be ABN, may people have other good idea, Just tell us, so we can make the change on next GUI upgrading.

PS. the GUI is attached for reference.

 

[niko]

Great feature, something like Vicovation "Vico Scedule" many have been waiting for long time.
My English grammar is not perfect, lets ask native english speaking persons will it be more grammar correct: Night Auto Bright ?
No big deal for me, everybody still understand what Auto Bright Night would mean, just want to know correctness because for me english is not native language and some time I need help from others.

 

[kuoh]

Is there a character limit? Auto Night Enhancement, Auto Night Gain, Low Light Enhancement, Low Light Adjust?

KuoH

My English grammar is not perfect, lets ask native english speaking persons will it be more grammar correct: Night Auto Bright ? No big deal for me, everybody still understand what Auto Bright Night would mean, just want to know correctness because for me english is not native language and some time I need help from others.

 

[Dashmellow]

This seems like a very appealing feature. Glad to see Innovv's developer putting time and effort into something like this.

As far as what to name this feature, the fact is that it is really "Semi Auto" Night Bright since it must be engaged manually.

How about calling it something like Time Enhanced WDR or Night Enhanced WDR?

 

[kuoh]

Putting WDR in the name might be misleading.

KuoH

How about calling it something like Time Enhanced WDR or Night Enhanced WDR?

 

[niko]

Is there a character limit? Auto Night Enhancement, Auto Night Gain, Low Light Enhancement, Low Light Adjust?

KuoH

No characyer limits, bu the shorter - the better to remember

 

[Dashmellow]

Putting WDR in the name might be misleading.

KuoH

Perhaps you are right. It should really be referred to as High Dynamic Range, so it could be called Night Enhanced HDR.

 

[niko]

Putting WDR in the name might be misleading.

KuoH

Agree, this misleading WDR-thing I discussed long time ago and good that DashCamMan made conclusive thread about this myth. HDR is more appropriate.
so maybe
- AutoHDR ?
- HDR timer ?

 

[niko]

Perhaps you are right. It should really be referred to as High Dynamic Range, so it could be called Night Enhanced HDR.

Hehe, same thoughts - same time

 

[niko]

This seems like a very appealing feature. Glad to see Innovv's developer putting time and effort into something like this.

As far as what to name this feature, the fact is that it is really "Semi Auto" Night Bright since it must be engaged manually.

How about calling it something like Time Enhanced WDR or Night Enhanced WDR?

Good point with "semi"

- SANB ( semi-automatic-night-brightness )?

Still switching goes automatically on pre-programmed times so i guess Auto can be appropriate as well.

 

[Dashmellow]

So it's settled....."Timed Semi Automatic Night Enhanced High Dynamic Range".....TSANEHDR

 

[kuoh]

Maybe Auto HDR or HDR Schedule? Also, it should allow the user to set the start/stop times, not hardcoded to 18:00 due to different timezone rules and local conditions.

I must say though, the enhancement seems very minimal in the example image. Is that the most that can be achieved or is it a compromise so the image doesn't wash out in the city lights? Can a "Gain Adjust: Low/Med/Hi" field be added so the user can select the amount of enhancement?


KuoH

Perhaps you are right. It should really be referred to as High Dynamic Range, so it could be called Night Enhanced HDR.

 

[kuoh]

When will the firmware be released to widen the screen to 7 inches?

KuoH

So it's settled....."Timed Semi Automatic Night Enhanced High Dynamic Range".....TSANEHDR

 

[niko]

Maybe Auto HDR or HDR Schedule? Also, it should allow the user to set the start/stop times, not hardcoded to 18:00 due to different timezone rules and local conditions.

I must say though, the enhancement seems very minimal in the example image. Is that the most that can be achieved or is it a compromise so the image doesn't wash out in the city lights? Can a "Gain Adjust: Low/Med/Hi" field be added so the user can select the amount of enhancement?


KuoH

Agree, at the moment enchancement is small. This was quick beta release to test functionality. Developer making fine tunings at the moment. Your gain adjust low / med / high is also interesting idea to control how much Auto Night brightness will be adjusted. Maybe developer can look into this?

 

[Mtz]

Regarding the function name in my mind was this:

Bright Night = a night which is bright
Auto = something automatic which is creating that night which is bright.

HDR in function name is not OK because HDR is not adding brightness.
Gain is OK, but the schedule is dedicated for the night time. Gain can be added also during day. But Gain is more correct than HDR.

First time I was thinking the Night HDR setting from the GUI is adding some brightness to the video but it doesn't at least in the first FW version. I think is only affecting the colors and how the light is filtered.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[RockThinking]

The new FW has been released and far improved the result for this function.

People can have a test, will see it is an amazing idea that get implemented.

 

[jokiin]

The new FW has been released and far improved the result for this function.

People can have a test, will see it is an amazing idea that get implemented.

is there a setting for it, no change in the GUI?

 

[Mtz]

Until now is not any new option in the GUI.

The actual ABN from this firmware is like this:



Less light in the area, more brightness added at 6 PM, the actual FW hour default setting.

My full automatic idea about this is that the firmware have some algorithm which knows when to increase and decrease the brightness just based on the Time Zones. For a good programmer is not hard, but I don't know if Novatek firmware can accept such things.
For example it should have 12 pairs of switching times, based on sunrise and sunset on GMT time zone.
The user will set his timezone in the GUI.
Based on that timezone the firmware will add or subtract hour(s) to the default time zone.

I explained this so simple just to understand. Is not my job to enter in details like summer time.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[ursamajor]

I called it as ABN = Auto Bright Night.

I think that only the programmers who write the firmware can tell what this feature is really. I believe that in reality it's just a Gamma (or Brightness) increasing. Same for the famous/pretentious WDR or HDR, because I doubt that those sensors have capabilities to delivery HDR images. Real HDR combines at least 2 different exposures to deliver a high dynamic range image.