My experience of using DR400G-HD2 for 1.5 years.

Merkury

Merkury

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Great camera but it needs service sometimes.
First I upgraded it to Russian firmware with avserver.sh file option to change bit rate. I played a lot with bit rate and now can say 8 000 000 gives me optimum result.
Sound. This camera has so poor sound quality. Unfortunately if you try to change voice recording bit rate it freeze or no sound at all. I found solution - drilled 1 mm hole front of microphone.
Video quality. First 6 month it was Ok. After that I realized "fog issue" - image not clear especially in the night time. Solution: cleaned lens inside the camera. To do this you have to open camera and disconnect lens from main board( two screws) clan lens and image sensor with small amount of Windex. Now original image quality is back!
Turn off incorrectly, last video file damaged. When I power off my car camera should turn off 3-4 seconds after that. A few days ago I realized that it shut off immediately. Solution: open camera and unplug Li-ion battery for 10-15 sec and connect it back.
 
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Nice post. I bet a lot of this would apply to all the Blackvue cameras. How did the sound improve when you drilled the hole by the microphone?
 
You are right. All BlackVue cameras have similar design. Sound now is louder and more clear.

More information about video bit rate. I made a lot of day and night tests with bit rate from 4 000 000 to 18 000 000 on a road and in my garage. I used KLM player to test picture quality and video parameters. I couldn't find any difference in video quality with bit rates over 8 000 000. I believe that small lens is a barrier for this camera. Of course, 4 000 000 ( DR400g-HD2 factory settings) not enough especially in the dark time.
 
Here BlackVue dashboard camera DR380 vs DR500 test



If you look at DR380 side you can see "Fog issue" symptoms on this video! This video can show how old camera works! Just dirty lens!!! I had exactly same issue!

All BlackVue camersas(DR380/DR400/DR500) use same SONY Exmor 2.0 MpCMOS sensor!
 
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Ok I can describe my test method. I printed visual test table http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Snellen_chart.svg/200px-Snellen_chart.svg.png hung it on a back side of my garage. Car left on a driveway front of garage door with headlight on( evening time) and recorded 2 min files for each bit rate. Unfortunately, no remarkable changes between 8 000 000 and 15 000 000 bit rate but it noticeable between 4 000 000 and 8 000 000. I can recognize same letters line with 8, 10,12,15 million. To be honest it recorded a little bit brighter picture with high bit rate but it dramatically increase file size and load camera processor(overheating problem).
 
recording a static image isn't going to show a lot of change, go for a drive and you'll see 8mbit isn't that great
 
I did. I drove same road same day. Day and night time - no noticeable difference. Even more! I asked my friend witch video is better! His verdict - same.

all camera tests include static pictures with different light! Especially in low light area you can see all defects. Motion capture 30 fps it means 30 static pictures in 1 second made one by one
 
less obvious on smaller monitors but 8mbit is ok but not great, 12mbit is a good trade off between file size and quality, anything over 15mbit is a waste
 
I would like to add some information. I never ever formatted my CD card. It works perfect since first day. I keep one card in my camera and one as a spare, just in case. Both of them works fine without formatting.
 
Ha ha was just making a point that someone obviously didn't know LOL
 
Of course it was formatted and it had soft on it! As a computer programmer I know it very well.
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If you read topics on this forum you know that some camera owners format their CD cards so often. I just gave information that it not necessary if your camera works correctly.
 
I wrote a lot of the advice in the threads including the ones that say to format your card about once a month and to check your SD adapter if you are having problems formatting , amongst other solutions so perhaps its not me who hasn't read the threads.

I was taught long ago to keep all types of drives tidy and do a cleanup and defrag regularly to keep them running good and with SD cards to format them regularly to prevent corruption for which they are rather susceptible. Had a camera compact flash card do that a while ago and had to drive 200km to retake the photos.

I may not be a programmer but have built and maintained more than my fair share of computers over the last 15 years. Also have installed and look after 6 Blackvue cameras.

You said, Quote "Both of them works fine without formatting."

My reply was that they are ALREADY FORMATTED.

You are preaching to the already converted

Also the card that comes with the camera is usually blank and the camera initializes the card and installs the required files on the first use.
So if you buy a camera and put a different card in it for the FIRST USE it would do the same
 
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Hillbilly said:
I wrote a lot of the advice in the threads including the ones that say to format your card about once a month and to check your SD adapter if you are having problems formatting , amongst other solutions so perhaps its not me who hasn't read the threads.

I was taught long ago to keep all types of drives tidy and do a cleanup and defrag regularly to keep them running good and with SD cards to format them regularly to prevent corruption for which they are rather susceptible. Had a camera compact flash card do that a while ago and had to drive 200km to retake the photos.

I may not be a programmer but have built and maintained more than my fair share of computers over the last 15 years. Also have installed and look after 6 Blackvue cameras.

You said, Quote "Both of them works fine without formatting."

My reply was that they are ALREADY FORMATTED.

You are preaching to the already converted

Also the card that comes with the camera is usually blank and the camera initializes the card and installs the required files on the first use.
So if you buy a camera and put a different card in it for the FIRST USE it would do the same
Click to expand...


"Both of them works fine without formatting" I mean REGULAR formatting. It's my fault! I have to explain more clearly what I mean.

You said "defrag regularly to keep them running good". Flash drive (SD card) has no moving parts. The purpose of defragmentation HD is to minimize the disc head movements across the disc while it is reading the data. Less movements - faster data reading. I hope you know that regular formatting and defrag SD cards reduce their life.
 
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