Need: Reviews on Rear View Mirror Cameras?

ImpliedConsent

ImpliedConsent

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Blackvue DR970X-2CH
I recently purchased and installed the WolfBox G900 (ie 4K front, 2.4K rear, smart touch screen with WDR, night vision, GPS, 65GB SD card) mirror dash cam that you are considering. The unit is very well made. The display is bright and crisp and the 25fps rate is sufficient to maintain the illusion of realtime video. As for using it as a rear view mirror, it takes some mental gymnastics, at least initially. The 1st thing is the field of view is SO much wider (150 degrees) than a normal rear view mirror. This is wonderful for eliminating blind spots caused by the rear C-pillars but it also throws off your distance judgement honed from years of a regular rear view mirror. The G900 functioning as a REAL rear view mirror (ie display off or in screen saver mode) work far better than I expected, but that defeats the field of view improvement. One unexpected mental adjustment was that with a real rear view mirror, your eyes are basically focused at infinity much the same as looking forward with driving but when using the G900 in rear view cam mode, your focus has to change to the distance to the mirror. It is not that massive an adjustment but it took some getting used to. I also found that when using the G900 in rear cam mode, the semi-mirrored surface caused undesired ghost rear reflections that were confusing as they were at the infinity focus. I wound up buying the WolfBox anti-glare film which resolves that issue at a very slight loss of display image crispness. I chose to hardwire the unit so as to gain the park monitoring functionality as well as making for a more professional installation. I upgraded to a Samsung 256GB C10 U3 SD card which is fully support despite some confusion in the documentation. I did discover that the GPS puck was perfectly happy tucked between the headliner and the roof making its installation a bit easier. Lastly I ordered the direct mount kit (ie remove OEM mirror, install G900) but then discovered that Honda uses a twist mount while the WolfBox mount expects a wedge mount. I was able to locate an adapter but with shipping it was over twice the cost of the WolfBox mount. The front cam with its 170 degree FOV makes the slightly adjustable physical aiming of the front cam somewhat superfluous.
The recorded image quality is top notch even when viewed directly on the G900. Removing the SD card and viewing the images on a laptop/desktop provides a superior experience which leads to one of my gripes about the G900. Getting the SD card out the top is a bit of a PITA. I so wish they had located it at the bottom or side. The front cam is a full 8mp Sony chip while the rear is a 3mp Sony chip, but the rear delivers outstanding image quality and both cams handle nighttime recording glare with ease.
While I have only had my unit for a fairly short time, I am very pleased and no regrets with my decision.

david
 
Wow! Thank you!

What an excellent review. So, based on your review, I can see me replacing rather than stick on. Good to see "at least" 256GB and good tip on placement.

I'm going to do some research on various replacement options and adapters (probably, Mercedes). This might work out; however, I do not see any "buttons" for a garage door opener. Am I missing something? It seems very well optioned out.
 
There are NO options for HomeLink (ie garage door opener) capability with this unit. I found that NO car cam checks ALL the boxes, so it is matter of finding one that checks most of the boxes that matter to you. I was not overly concerned with Homelink as I have a Liftmaster opener with myQ bridged to Apple's Homekit. I run Apple's Carlink software wireless to my car stereo (10.5" screen aftermarket) and when I get within roughly 2000ft of my house, Carlink automatically displays a button to activate the opener just like having a real button. I like this approach as if the car is stolen, NO garage opener is in the car as that functionality actually resides within my iPhone which is the heart of the Carlink tech. Granted, setting up a Homekit environment along with sorting out how to connect your garage opener to HomeKit can be a challenge. I just happened to have the right opener and had already moved to HomeKit as my home automation solution, so when I added CarPlay seeing how it handled the opener was pure magic.

david
 
I've got a Linear garage door opener with app; however, I can't get it on my HU without replacing the HU. I've also got MyQ for Amazon Key, but yet, another app I can't install on HU.

Using my phone? Yeah. I guess. I've got my eye on some Android 12.3" replacement HU screens, but support is suspect. If I do the replacement, I'll get those apps on as well.

TY!
 
I assume you are referring to the display unit in your car. I went with an XTRONS unit which is Android (10.3" screen). The installation was plug and play. The fit is OEM perfect. I have been running mine for over two years and no issues. At the time I installed mine, wireless CarPlay required a separate dongle that connected via USB and the requirement to install the associated .apk file into Android. Not a big deal. The newer XTRONS now have wireless CarPlay integrated into the unit.
MyQ offered a bridge device that allowed it to connect to Apple's HomeKit, but I believe they have dropped it as they are transitioning over to matter/threads which is also now native to HomeKit, so no need to have a bridge. That said, the myQ/HomeKit bridge has been rock solid. You might be able to find one of the bridge devices if you searched around on eBay. When myQ will release native matter/threads is an open question presently.

Getting tech to talk and function cohesively is a challenge and HomeKit does have its rough edges for sure, but it is getting better with each release.
David
 
So I'm taking a closer look at this now since I wanna get a RVM backup cam for my mom. I've been thinking about doing a NexiGo D90 or something, but I see that Wolfbox has released a model, the G910, that offers pedestrian detection which sounds like a welcome extra feature when using a backup camera. I've got something similar built into my Audi and I think my mom would enjoy that too. I have no idea how well the feature works and there don't seem to be many reviews on it yet since it still seems pretty new. The dashcam itself seems a bit meh and I believe Wolfbox is one of the companies that does the whole fake 4K thing which is a red flag in general This is advertised as a 1296p dashcam for the front cam (not sure what sensor they're using) and 1080p for the rear. I can't find any mention on their Amazon listing or website regarding what sensor they're using for this model. Does anyone know much about this model? Any suggestions for other dashcams that are specifically geared towards serving as a backup camera?
 
@Vortex Radar I was hoping one of you professional reviewers might pick this up. Anxiously waiting on your YouTube.
 
From the research I've done and reviews that I've seen, there's nothing that's really impressed or interested me in terms of RVM-style dashcams and so I haven't bothered to test one out. However adding a backup cam is something that I find particularly interesting so if I were to review one, I'd touch on the dashcam part, but the focus would be more on the backup cam side.
 
I have been trying to find a rear view mirror camera system for the company. However I just want a reliable system that can have either an exterior camera or an interior camera option. Wolfbox i have installed a few and customers seem happy with it. Just not sure on longevity of the product
 
Firstly, I don't highly recommend purchasing products that don't clearly specify the image sensor because in most cases, products labeled as 4K are often interpolated from 2K sensors, resulting in little actual difference in clarity compared to 2K, while increasing file sizes. Additionally, for this particular device, even though it claims a 2.5K resolution, judging from the appearance and dimensions of the lens, achieving a true 2.5K resolution seems difficult. This is because currently, there are only two methods capable of achieving a true 2.5K resolution for rear cameras: coaxial signal and Ethernet signal transmission. Both of these transmission methods are relatively costly, which is unlikely within this price range, and they would also lead to larger lens sizes.

However, judging from the appearance of the rear camera on this device, it seems to be manufactured by a mature mirror dash cam factory in mainland China, indicating that its stability should be reasonably reliable. As for the specifications, it's better not to set high expectations; there's a high probability that they are exaggerated claims. LOL....
 
Miastar said:
Firstly, I don't highly recommend purchasing products that don't clearly specify the image sensor because in most cases, products labeled as 4K are often interpolated from 2K sensors, resulting in little actual difference in clarity compared to 2K, while increasing file sizes. Additionally, for this particular device, even though it claims a 2.5K resolution, judging from the appearance and dimensions of the lens, achieving a true 2.5K resolution seems difficult. This is because currently, there are only two methods capable of achieving a true 2.5K resolution for rear cameras: coaxial signal and Ethernet signal transmission. Both of these transmission methods are relatively costly, which is unlikely within this price range, and they would also lead to larger lens sizes.

However, judging from the appearance of the rear camera on this device, it seems to be manufactured by a mature mirror dash cam factory in mainland China, indicating that its stability should be reasonably reliable. As for the specifications, it's better not to set high expectations; there's a high probability that they are exaggerated claims. LOL....
Click to expand...
Are you a Retailer, or Manufacturer?
If so, @DashCamMan will upgrade your status.
-Chuck
 
Miastar said:
I don't belong to any manufacturer now
Click to expand...
Based on your other post;

Something about how to choose a dashcam

Reliability: Brand reliability is a pivotal factor influencing the quality of a dash cam. Established brands usually excel in reliability due to their higher research and development standards and more stringent supply chain requirements. Recommended brands include Japanese and Korean ones, such...
dashcamtalk.com dashcamtalk.com

You may want to read Rule #6, and #7 here;

Forum Rules

1. Treat other members with respect. While debating and heated discussion is fine, we will not tolerate personal attacks, rudeness or inflammatory posts. 2. The site is a PG-13. Please keep your language clean and do not post or link to offensive material. 3. The location field is now...
dashcamtalk.com dashcamtalk.com

-Chuck
 
Panzer Platform said:
Based on your other post;

Something about how to choose a dashcam

Reliability: Brand reliability is a pivotal factor influencing the quality of a dash cam. Established brands usually excel in reliability due to their higher research and development standards and more stringent supply chain requirements. Recommended brands include Japanese and Korean ones, such...
dashcamtalk.com dashcamtalk.com

You may want to read Rule #6, and #7 here;

Forum Rules

1. Treat other members with respect. While debating and heated discussion is fine, we will not tolerate personal attacks, rudeness or inflammatory posts. 2. The site is a PG-13. Please keep your language clean and do not post or link to offensive material. 3. The location field is now...
dashcamtalk.com dashcamtalk.com

-Chuck
Click to expand...
Thank you for your notice, Panzer.
 
I had one a few years back and while it was fun to see the little screen in the corner , it was ultimately useless and with potato camera quality.

Don't know why manufacturers keep making them when they can be clunky to attach. If there is easier solutions then that's a win.
 
k, I've been meaning to tackle this for a little while so I wanna do a little research to narrow down the list on which one(s) to review. My priority is backup camera functionality and RVM clarity since the main reason I want to do this is to give my mom a backup camera. She's already got a Thinkware U1000 2CH so while I'm interested in a reasonably good dashcam, for this specific use case it's somewhat secondary. I'm looking through some that are popular sellers online and/or have solid specs to see what the current lineup looks like.

Wolfbox G910: 10", advertised as 1296p front & 1080p rear, WDR, pedestrian detection for backup cam to visually highlight people, backup cam shows colored lines behind, external GPS, parking recording includes impact detection & timelapse. Front cam sensor is a GC2093 which is a 1080p sensor so I'm not expecting amazing quality or anything, especially at $120. The focus here is the AI pedestrian detection.

Nexigo D90 Gen2: 12", 4K front w/ Starvis IMX415, 1080p rear with Starvis IMX307, HDR, backup cam shows colored lines behind, external GPS, parking mode is timelapse only, $190 on Amazon. This RVM is physically larger, but they use Starvis sensors front and rear and it offers proper 4K up front so video quality should be better.

Wolfbox G840S: 12", advertised 4K front & 1080p rear, mentions Starvis sensor but models unlisted so I'm assuming it's a fake 4K version especially for the price, WDR and HDR, backup cam has reversing lines, parking mode is timelapse only, external GPS, $100. Not a fan of likely fake 4K nonsense.

Wolfbox G850: 12", advertised 4K front & 1080p rear, mentions Starvis sensor but models unlisted so I'm assuming it's a fake 4K version especially for the price, WDR only, backup cam has reversing lines, parking mode is timelapse only, external GPS, $130. Not a fan of likely fake 4K nonsense.

Wolfbox G900: 12", advertised 8MP 4K front and 3mp 2.5k rear, @Agie mentioned they're using an IMX335 for the front which isn't an 8MP/4K sensor, a 3MP sensor for the rear doesn't provide 2.5K, backup cam has reversing lines, parking mode is timelapse, external GPS, $240.

Akaso DL12: 12", 2.5K front Sony Starvis IMX335 and 1080p rear, parking recording is impact detection, backup cam has reversing lines, voice control, external GPS, $100

AZDOME PG17: 12", 2.5K front Sony sensor and 1080p rear, WDR, backup cam has reversing lines, $100

Pelsee P10 Pro: 10", advertised 4K front and 1080p rear, HDR and WDR, backup cam has reversing lines, ADAS, Blind spot monitoring, external GPS, parking mode is timelapse, $90. Based on price, I'm guessing it's a fake 4K model.

Pelsee P12 Pro: Same specs as 10" model, but larger 12" display. Also adds impact detection for parking mode. $110.

I'm curious about things like the clarity of the RVM with the backup cam off, how well the backup cam works as a RVM cam, little things like ease of use of removing the memory card, etc.

Not sure yet about 10" vs 12".

Running through a few options (there's plenty more online of course), a lot of them are pretty similar specs-wise w/ 2K front and 1080p rear, probably lots use the IMX335 up front, there's reversing lines for the backup cam, really basic parking recording, and they're $100'ish.

There's some "specialty" ones like the Wolfbox G10 that tries to notify you of pedestrians behind you by highlighting them on screen which is nice. I'm not sure if there's any audio warnings though and its video quality is likely below average. The Pelsee adds some BSM detection which could be nice and hopefully is more useful than most ADAS features, and the Nexigo seems to prioritize video quality since it actually uses a 4K Starvis sensor up front.

Any other models I should take a look at or features/differences I should note?
 
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Vortex Radar said:
k, I've been meaning to tackle this for a little while so I wanna do a little research to narrow down the list on which one(s) to review. My priority is backup camera functionality and RVM clarity since the main reason I want to do this is to give my mom a backup camera. She's already got a Thinkware U1000 2CH so while I'm interested in a reasonably good dashcam, for this specific use case it's somewhat secondary. I'm looking through some that are popular sellers online and/or have solid specs to see what the current lineup looks like.

Wolfbox G910: 10", advertised as 1296p front & 1080p rear, WDR, pedestrian detection for backup cam to visually highlight people, backup cam shows colored lines behind, external GPS, parking recording includes impact detection & timelapse. Front cam sensor is a GC2093 which is a 1080p sensor so I'm not expecting amazing quality or anything, especially at $120. The focus here is the AI pedestrian detection.

Nexigo D90 Gen2: 12", 4K front w/ Starvis IMX415, 1080p rear with Starvis IMX307, HDR, backup cam shows colored lines behind, external GPS, parking mode is timelapse only, $190 on Amazon. This RVM is physically larger, but they use Starvis sensors front and rear and it offers proper 4K up front so video quality should be better.

Wolfbox G840S: 12", advertised 4K front & 1080p rear, mentions Starvis sensor but models unlisted so I'm assuming it's a fake 4K version especially for the price, WDR and HDR, backup cam has reversing lines, parking mode is timelapse only, external GPS, $100. Not a fan of likely fake 4K nonsense.

Wolfbox G850: 12", advertised 4K front & 1080p rear, mentions Starvis sensor but models unlisted so I'm assuming it's a fake 4K version especially for the price, WDR only, backup cam has reversing lines, parking mode is timelapse only, external GPS, $130. Not a fan of likely fake 4K nonsense.

Akaso DL12: 12", 2.5K front Sony Starvis IMX335 and 1080p rear, parking recording is impact detection, backup cam has reversing lines, voice control, external GPS, $100

AZDOME PG17: 12", 2.5K front Sony sensor and 1080p rear, WDR, backup cam has reversing lines, $100

Pelsee P10 Pro: 10", advertised 4K front and 1080p rear, HDR and WDR, backup cam has reversing lines, ADAS, Blind spot monitoring, external GPS, $90

I'm curious about things like the clarity of the RVM with the backup cam off, how well the backup cam works as a RVM cam, little things like ease of use of removing the memory card, etc.

Not sure yet about 10" vs 12".

Running through a few options (there's plenty more online of course), a lot of them are pretty similar specs-wise w/ 2K front and 1080p rear, probably lots use the IMX335 up front, there's reversing lines for the backup cam, really basic parking recording, and they're $100'ish.

There's some "specialty" ones like the Wolfbox G10 that tries to notify you of pedestrians behind you by highlighting them on screen which is nice. I'm not sure if there's any audio warnings though and its video quality is likely below average. The Pelsee adds some BSM detection which could be nice and hopefully is more useful than most ADAS features, and the Nexigo seems to prioritize video quality since it actually uses a 4K Starvis sensor up front.

Any other models I should take a look at or features/differences I should note?
Click to expand...
Pretty good write up there mate. Remember seeing Wolfbox G900 using IMX335 so fake interpolated 4k of course. There's been some controversy here on DCT cos they're company rep has been snooping around, but didn't wanna play ball and got shut down pretty quickly.

I used one years ago and found the concept of RVMs cool, but with the pricing these days it's way way way more worth it to just get a standalone front camera solution, or a 2-CH solution. Rather than having a crappy rear module sensor that comes bundled with these rear view mirrors. For older cars that don't have any backup cameras as you say, these RVM might be handy. Along with the ADAS features.

For newer ones, na probably not.
 
Thanks for the heads up on the G900. I'm actually reading their Amazon listing now and it says they're using an 8MP sensor for the front cam. I wonder if they've stepped up from the IMX335 with a second gen or something, or if that's a lie. I'll edit my post above and add some notes on that one.

I agree that in terms of quality and features, a traditional dashcam is still likely gonna be the way to go. This is really if you want the backup cam or if it's hard to see behind you with the RVM (maybe you drive a longer vehicle, you often have people sitting behind you whose heads would block your rear visibility, etc.)

I've reached out to all the manufacturers with a few questions regarding specs, features to take note of, the advantages they offer relative to other brands/models, etc.
 
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Vortex Radar said:
Thanks for the heads up on the G900. I'm actually reading their Amazon listing now and it says they're using an 8MP sensor for the front cam. I wonder if they've stepped up from the IMX335 with a second gen or something, or if that's a lie. I'll edit my post above and add some notes on that one.

I agree that in terms of quality and features, a traditional dashcam is still likely gonna be the way to go. This is really if you want the backup cam or if it's hard to see behind you with the RVM (maybe you drive a longer vehicle, you often have people sitting behind you whose heads would block your rear visibility, etc.)

I've reached out to all the manufacturers with a few questions regarding specs, features to take note of, the advantages they offer relative to other brands/models, etc.
Click to expand...
No worries, looking forward to your video on this one :)
 
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