Is there any way to view Blackvue dashcam files without using their viewer

[N2rock]

Their viewer is quite frankly garbage!

I extracted a file to my computer and tried to play with VLC, but it won't play it properly. The file type is MP4, which VLC normally plays just fine. But this file won't. So I downloaded their crappy viewer, it plays the file, but it's not a good player by any stretch of the imagination. So I figure that maybe they have other things stuffed into the file (IE: GPS info) which might be why VLC doesn't understand that file. The viewer itself has an "export", so I think that maybe that will output a file that I can playback with other player. Nope, it simply pulls the file from the mini SD, and then copies it to where you tell it. It doesn't change anything in the process, so VLC still won't play it.
The only way I have successfully gotten a playable file is to use the Blackvue app on my phone, copy the file directly from the dashcam to the app (via it's internal wifi), then from the app save the file to my videos (on my phone), send that video to my dropbox, then access my dropbox from my PC. That's way too many steps!!! There's gotta be a better way to get videos from the dashcam to a computer.

 

[Nath]

VLC plays files from my DR900S just fine. Couldn't be a problem that you have enabled(means weak GPU or some software issue)/disabled(means weak CPU) hardware acceleration?

Btw: "Dashcam Viewer" works for me pretty well (but it's not specificaly optimized for DR900S now, so could be buggy). It uses external codecs - after instalation it'll ask you to instal CCCP or K-Lite(not sure now, something similar) but with "my" Shark007 pack it works as well (set to LAV splitter).

 

[N2rock]

VLC plays files from my DR900S just fine. Couldn't be a problem that you have enabled(means weak GPU or some software issue)/disabled(means weak CPU) hardware acceleration?

Btw: "Dashcam Viewer" works for me pretty well (but it's not specificaly optimized for DR900S now, so could be buggy). It uses external codecs - after instalation it'll ask you to instal CCCP or K-Lite(not sure now, something similar) but with "my" Shark007 pack it works as well (set to LAV splitter).

Thanks for the reply.

I have no issues with VLC playing any other files. I work in a audio/video studio and am viewing massive file size videos all day with no issues. These files are tiny, and yet VLC won't play... Well, it will play but it glitches out every 2 seconds and flashes the scene.

And when I saved from the app, to my phone, to my dropbox, the file plays just fine. So apparently the app (or my phone) is changing something to the file.

The viewer works fine. It didn't ask me to install anything extra. It plays back just fine. I just dislike it as a player (personal preference).

 

[kamkar]

I mainly use the player in windows for viewing my video, don't have much need for a dedicated dashcam viewer, but as i am in bed with street guardian i do have their version of dashcam viewer.
But i am not sure if "DV" work with blackvue files, but there are a trial version you can give a spin.

you can get problems trying to play directly from the memory card or if you use the camera in mass storage mode, coping files to PC should take care of that problem.

 

[N2rock]

I mainly use the player in windows for viewing my video, don't have much need for a dedicated dashcam viewer, but as i am in bed with street guardian i do have their version of dashcam viewer.
But i am not sure if "DV" work with blackvue files, but there are a trial version you can give a spin.

you can get problems trying to play directly from the memory card or if you use the camera in mass storage mode, coping files to PC should take care of that problem.

Thanks

I'm not playing direct from the card. Originally I just opened up the card and copied the file to my PC. When that didn't play properly, I then downloaded the viewer, and played it in the viewer (played fine), then did the "export" function in the player, which saved the file to my PC. Then tried to play the exported file with the same results.

 

[Nath]

By "DashcamViewer" i haven't meant the BlackvueViewer. It's another windows app.

https://dashcamviewer.com/

 

[N2rock]

By "DashcamViewer" i haven't meant the BlackvueViewer. It's another windows app.

https://dashcamviewer.com/

Thanks for the link.

I think I've found the problem. From searching online it seems that many people have issues with VLC not playing h.265 video files properly on Windows machines. Pretty sure that is what is happening, since it plays in VLC but the video glitches constantly (while the audio portion plays perfectly).

 

[pkincy]

I think it is the H265 codec that is the problem. There are add ins that you can download to enable Windows Media Player to play the H265 files. So I expect VLC has the same situation.

 

[Skybird]

Many programs don't support Blackvue's H.265. I use Power Director 16 and it can't even play H.264 files.

However Microsoft Movie Maker and Windows Movie Maker can play and edit both H.265 and H.264 formats from your dash cam. You can even upload your files direct to YouTube via youtube.com and YouTube will be able to play those file formats easy. It's a problem on the software side. Also with H.265, you need a good computer to play that format since your average laptop for school or work will struggle. Lucky I have a desktop custom PC with an Intel Core i7-6700k processor that can handle H.265 format easy as pie.

 

[Nath]

Don't get how much issues with h265 others have. (i don't mean exactly in this case, but so many claim one needs really powerful PC even to play a video) Look at this poor old guy (sure, 100% CPU load but 10 years old):

I think it is the H265 codec that is the problem. There are add ins that you can download to enable Windows Media Player to play the H265 files. So I expect VLC has the same situation.

Nope, VLC has own codecs integrated. You just have to download the version which supports the h265 (so the latest one should work).

 

[N2rock]

I think it is the H265 codec that is the problem. There are add ins that you can download to enable Windows Media Player to play the H265 files. So I expect VLC has the same situation.

Many programs don't support Blackvue's H.265. I use Power Director 16 and it can't even play H.264 files.

However Microsoft Movie Maker and Windows Movie Maker can play and edit both H.265 and H.264 formats from your dash cam. You can even upload your files direct to YouTube via youtube.com and YouTube will be able to play those file formats easy. It's a problem on the software side. Also with H.265, you need a good computer to play that format since your average laptop for school or work will struggle. Lucky I have a desktop custom PC with an Intel Core i7-6700k processor that can handle H.265 format easy as pie.

You both are correct, it is an h.265 issue. I found that out yesterday when I posted here and other members said that they had no problem. So when I heard others saying they had no issues, I dug around a bit and discovered the h.265 issue. I was able to get Windows Media Player updated to run h.265. As far as VLC, I found/installed some new codecs that are supposed to fix that (though some users have said it still doesn't play properly). But it requires a reboot after installing them, and I just haven't had time to reboot my PC to find out if it works. But since I got Windows Media Player working with h.265, I'm not too concerned at this point. Windows Media Player is playing them full screen and smooth. So I'm cool.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Skybird]

My primary editing software is Power Director 16. But since H.265 isn't widely adopted, I have to use Microsoft Movie Maker to edit it to an MP4 file format that my Power Director can understand. Otherwise my videos just show up as a black screen when I try to play them in Power Director 16. YouTube can play your H.265 files directly, tested and tried. But since Blackvue only records in 1 minute segments (4k 30fps, 1080p 30fps rear, 25bit/12bit rear) and I want to add my watermark. There is a work around on how to produce your videos in 4k using Microsoft Movie Maker.

Well that's one thing good about all the monthly big updates Microsoft spams us with. At least Microsoft has patched Microsoft Movie Maker and Windows Movie Maker to play 'out of the box' and easily, Blackvue's H.265 format.

I choose to stick with H.264 format. As it's more supported file format for Police, Court and Insurance companies. Otherwise if you give them an H.265 file, they get Error Code: 34ut343rf file not supported or their computer crashes lol.

 

[alexander3133]

I am using VLC 3.0.6 on Windows, this player is able to play footage from DR900S, but the video output is somehow in "damaged" state most of the time, as shown below.
Blackvue player also gave me the same "damaged" video output.




Later on I remembered that I have a video player that comes with converter tool that I previously downloaded from Hikvision website, called VSPlayer.
https://www.hikvision.com/en/Support/Downloads/Tools

I fired up the VSPlayer with the DR900S footage, and to my surprise, the video output from VSPlayer is not in "damaged" state, although the video is not so smooth.
My computer is around 4 years old with i5-4210U CPU and Geforce 840M graphic card, which most likely does not have full support on hardware playback for 4K H.265.

 

[M8TJT]

have full support on hardware playback for 4K H.265.

Most likely, but I was under the understanding that VLC played pretty much anything. Try the alternative encoding on the cam and try that.