Nextbase 512GW with Rear Camera - recording quality

[danlat1415]

The Nextbase 512GW has a 1440p recording quality - but this drops to 1080p when the rear camera is connected.

Are there any plans for future firmware updates for this to change?
It would be great if we could get back the 1440p that was advertised with the product (and one of the reasons why I replaced my previous 1080p dash cam) - whilst the rear camera still does 1080p?

It's a very poor situation when a camera is advertised as 1440p with an additional rear camera coming soon - only to find out when the rear camera is released, that it reduces your main unit down to 1080p - with no option for this to change.

If this is going to come in a future update, then I will stick with it, if not I may return it and get separate units.
Thanks

 

[Techifan]

I have to agree with you on this, I also purchased on the assumption that there would be no reduction in the resolution of the front camera.

My fear is that it’s a hardware limitation rather than firmware fixable but I hope to be proved wrong on that assumption.

I think the very least that Nextbase should do is make it clear on future packaging of the front and rear cameras that when used together that the resolution will drop to 1080p on the front camera.

Customers could then make an informed decision as to whether they purchase the products or not.

Of course some customers may be happy to live with this limitation but it should be brought to their attention before purchase.

By the way, I have to say that in fairness the customer support is top notch and certainly they go the extra mile in trying to solve customer problems.

 

[Simcor]

The processor in the 512GW can't handle higher resolution than 1080p with both camera connected.

This has been confirmed by Tiffany and no firmware upgrade will be able to make this happen.

So if you want 1140p front then remove rear camera and install a separate rear camera.

 

[danlat1415]

Maybe, but they could potentially add a feature to choose the resolution you want - ie, 1440p for front and 720p for rear, as well as turning off the lower resolution extra videos used for WiFi.

This then keeps the original 512GW at their claimed resolution without removing spec when the customer spends more money on extras.

 

[Simcor]

Maybe, but they could potentially add a feature to choose the resolution you want - ie, 1440p for front and 720p for rear.

This then keeps the original 512GW at their claimed resolution without removing spec when the customer spends more money on extras.

I'm only passing on the info given.

The processor is not capable of different and higher resolutions. As I understood it.

1080p for most situations is plenty high enough for what most people require.

Newer versions will likely be even better.

I suggested much better night time footage would be better in the new range which Tiffany confirmed they are already looking at a new sensor for better night time quality in the new range feedback thread.

There will never be a camera that is 100 percent perfect as it would be so expensive and not everyone wants all the features so sometimes it's a Co promise situation.

 

[Antoeknee]

Seem to recall that when this was first raised someone mentioned that there are very few 2 channel setups that operate at more that 1080p. And those that do are considerably more expensive.

 

[Techifan]

Actually, I have just seen this in the description of the 512GW rear cam on the Halfords web site.

Quote “This will record simultaneously, with both cams recording at full 1080p HD when connected onto a single micro SD card”

So to be fair you are informed of the lower resolution prior to your purchase of the rear cam if you look hard enough.

Personally, I will probably consider getting the rear camera later only because it provides a neater and hassle free option.

 

[jokiin]

Seem to recall that when this was first raised someone mentioned that there are very few 2 channel setups that operate at more that 1080p. And those that do are considerably more expensive.

more expensive and a lower quality end result, double whammy

 

[Mike J]

So the only alternative is to buy two seperate cameras and two high performance SD cards.
Personally Im happy to run with the dual 1080s.
At the same time I will make a comparison check with the 1440 front images.

Thinks - can the rear cam run at 1440 on its own?

 

[DashcamDPR]

quite sure the rear cam doesn't do1440 at all, added to the fact I'm not sure it's capable of running on its own

 

[danlat1415]

No, the rear is 1080p only and does not work on its own.
It's an add-on to the 512GW front. It draws power and processing from the front camera. It's basically a lens on an extension lead.

 

[Mike J]

Just reviewed footage from the last two days and the picture quality of both front and rear cams is superb.

Is it normal to have to wait 40mins for Replay 3 to download?

Decided to telephone N'Base, Ryan answered and tslked me through a few checks while trying the download on the office Mac, he advised reloading Replay 3, and it download in a few seconds as we cleared up other matters.
Brilliant service what more can I say, many thanks to the whole NB team.

 

[Drogobroadband]

Hi, only had this a week. Front camera on its own is great, 1440p hi res, sharp and several resolutions and FPS to choose from. But add a rear camera and that all goes out the window. You can only have 1080p for front and rear video. Not even 1080 60fps either, just the normal 30fps. First thing I noticed was the image quality on the front was poor compared to the rear camera. Rear was sharp and clear at 1080 but front was soft and fuzzy at 1080. Near impossible to read a plate. I spoke to nextbase support to see if it was a fault and they admitted it is a known problem and were working on a firmware upgrade to fix it, so no point taking it back to Halfords as it will probably the same problem on another camera. So great, I bought this camera to have a hi res clear sharp video and now have something that resembles a £5 webcam. If you are considering adding a rear camera to yours....don’t! Buy something else instead. Anyone else noticed this?

 

[danlat1415]

Everyone has noticed this unfortunately

 

[Drogobroadband]

Everyone has noticed this unfortunately

I mean the fact that even at the same resolution (1080) the front camera is not as sharp as the rear. They should be identical in image quality.

 

[jokiin]

I mean the fact that even at the same resolution (1080) the front camera is not as sharp as the rear. They should be identical in image quality.

do they use the same sensor and lens front and rear?

 

[danlat1415]

Yes, the image quality drop is currently know.
The front image drops to 1080p 30fps, but the bitrate also drops, meaning the file size is smaller than a standard 1080p 30fps video.
So the quality gets a double hit on quality. Resolution and bitrate.

Nextbase are trying to improve this with a firmware update, but the system is limited in processing power so not too much they can improve it by.

 

[Drogobroadband]

Nothing to do with lens or sensor size I think. Looks like the same sensor but if anything a cheaper lens is used on the rear. It is more likely down to image compression on the movie frames during recording that causes the image quality issue on the front.

 

[Drogobroadband]

Yes, the image quality drop is currently know.
The front image drops to 1080p 30fps, but the bitrate also drops, meaning the file size is smaller than a standard 1080p 30fps video.
So the quality gets a double hit on quality. Resolution and bitrate.

Nextbase are trying to improve this with a firmware update, but the system is limited in processing power so not too much they can improve it by.

It’s pretty much unusable and sounds like they have made a real botch up with this add on camera since the hardware can’t cope with it and they are struggling to fix it. I’m taking it back to Halfords for a refund and get something that works like it should.

 

[danlat1415]

The rear was delayed for almost a year, so this may be connected with the delays.