Nextbase 612GW Elite Dashcam review

[Mtz]

OK, but users are judging videos about what they see they don't care about physics. I know this is an old story about small CMOS vs. big CMOS and many MP vs. less MP.

 

[jokiin]

it has less pixels, the photos are interpolated

 

[Paul Iddon]

David - does all this apply to all apps and such?

You seem to be finding a lot of problems that nobody else is either aware of or is overly concerned about (i.e. so far it's only your good self).

There are some dashcams that rely on WiFi alone - do they not require the same as the 612 do you think? If so, then we are all on the CIA, FBI, or MI5's books by now...

 

[kamkar]

Smaller pixels i think are the prime reason dashcams have not moved to 4K resolutions yet, if 4K sensors was as light sensitive as current 1080p sensors that's good there it would be a no brainer to move on, cuz really 4K are much better in all aspects but low light performance.

 

[Paul Iddon]

My 4k footage looks duller and less dwfined on my monitor which is only a 1080p screen.

On my Pano 4k telly it leaps into life and looks fantastic.

 

[Nextbase Support]

Hello @David Blackburn

Please accept my apologies for the delay in my response here David, I wanted to ensure I had all the information to hand before getting back to you.

The firmware is currently in development to change the root password for the extremely unlikely event that someone other than the customer wanted to access the device and its files. This update will also change the number of users that can be connected to the DVR at any one time, after the update it will only allow one user to be connected; the customer themselves. This measure will safeguard customers’ cameras and mobile devices. Whilst this is our main focus the update should be available within a week and can be loaded onto the unit either through the Replay 3 program or via the SD card (any customers wanting assistance should get in touch with us, we’re able to help). Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention enabling us to resolve it.

Moving forward I do want to strongly reassure you and other customers who look to these forums for help and advice that the accessible Wi-Fi signal is only active and able to take connections whilst the Wi-Fi screen is on as pictured above. Each customer has to manually stop recording then turn on the Wi-Fi when they want to access their images, then connect and start transferring the images to their mobile device. Once the file transfer has been completed the unit is then switched off or placed back into recording mode, the device is no longer able to accept connection from any other device as the Wi-Fi is OFF as soon as the Wi-Fi screen has gone and it is disabled.

The general Wi-Fi connection password will remain as it is; as mentioned above only one person can be connected at any one time, therefore in the extremely unlikely event that there was someone in the immediate vicinity who knew that the Wi-Fi had just been activated on the Dash Cam were to try and connect they wouldn’t be able to.

The Application itself – The 612GW (along with the 512GW and 412GW) have high and low-resolution files to improve the streaming over Wi-Fi. If you’re experiencing jittering/buffering I agree that is frustrating, I’m so sorry about that! Have you tried downloading them to your device and playing them directly? Alternatively, please ensure you’re streaming the low-resolution files.

We can absolutely reassure you and others that as part of the Android development, changes were made to Android 6 (API Level 23) which disabled the ability to scan for Wi-Fi networks from within APPs without specific user permission. A Google decision to protect users privacy and ensure a user was aware of any Wi-Fi scanning ability within APPs. This amendment made by Google is a widely documented change within the Android platform and was again heightened within Android 7. The Cam Viewer APP must work with Android 6 & 7 and was therefore updated with the fix, which requires location services to be turned ON, to scan for the Camera from within the APP, clearly a user requirement. This also allowed the binding of the APP to the Cameras Wi-Fi network, whilst other known networks around may also be available. The location of the Android device is neither used nor saved whatsoever.
The Cam Viewer APP is communicating with the Nextbase server to check for updates to the camera Firmware and download any updates available, when connected to an unmetered connection. As mentioned above, the location of the Android device is not saved and therefore nothing of this nature can be sent to the Nextbase server.
At the Nextbase server, there is an APP download counter, but no customer data is stored whatsoever, not even the IP address.
Cam Viewer is definitely NOT Spyware.

I would always encourage customers to make contact with us if they are ever concerned or wanted clarification. That can be done here or by calling 02920 866 429, emailing support@nextbase.co.uk or LiveChatting at www.nextbase.co.uk .

 

[Paul Iddon]

Thanks all for your considered replies - it's all fascinating

David, as for sending anyone any dashcams, I only have those of my own - I won't become a vendor - to many pitfalls it seems, lol...

 

[Nextbase Support]

Hello @David Blackburn

Let me put your mind at rest in the fact that there has been no failure of communication within our APP development team. The APP is required to load Location Services in order to make the necessary connection for the Android phone, after the recent releases. You seem like a person who understands the technical element, so here goes.. When programming an Android App, developers must set 2 variables concerning the App compatibility. There is a minSdk (what is the minimum API level the Android App needs?), targetSdk (what is the App currently targeting, in terms of optimizations - this is usually the currently available SDK developers computer?). Another entry maxSdk is not widely used.

The Wifi Analyzer App you refer to has a targetSdk of 22 (Android 5.1) and minSdk of 9.
It's important to note that the behaviour of an App on Android is not rooted alone in the operation system version on the phone, but also in the targetSdk level setting in the App; the basic idea being compatibility. You build an App for a targetSdk, test it - and release it. When Google releases a new operating system version, you should update the targetSdk to get new features, some new optimizations, new UI capabilities etc - but you don't have to.

As we can see in the WiFi Analyzer App, as it has not been updated past Android 5.1
If anything, that WiFi Analyzer App should be used carefully.

Here are a few references for you to take a look at in order to satisfy yourself all is well with Cam Viewer. https://medium.com/google-developer...n-minsdkversion-targetsdkversion-a098a0341ebd
https://developer.android.com/about...android-6.0-changes.html#behavior-hardware-id

Photo mode is always set at Full HD 1920 x 1080 on all Nextbase models (except the 112) by design.
This is an excellent size for a still photograph and is really a secondary function of the dash cam. The menu options were Photo Mode were removed on products a long time ago. Customer feedback over years indicated that having two sets of resolution options (one for Video and one for photographs) was just causing confusion and could be simplified.

4K photographs are also very large and not subject to the autodeletion (looping) process, this means precious video capacity would be lost upon the SD card.
Thanks however for the document properties images, we missed that one and will get it sorted by Firmware update.
We are great advocates of these forums, as we value comments on the products and do operate a continuous improvement program, as you would expect.


To reiterate to all those reading this post, the location of the Android device running Cam Viewer is neither used nor saved whatsoever.
I would always encourage customers to make contact with us if they are ever concerned or wanted clarification.

That can be done here or by calling 02920 866 429, emailing support@nextbase.co.uk or LiveChatting at www.nextbase.co.uk .

 

[Nextbase Support]

Good morning,

No that isn't correct unfortunately @David Blackburn the minimum Android level on our Cam Viewer App is correct at 5.1

When we design/test our App we make sure it is forward compatible. This ensures that when customers update their software from say Android 6 to Android 7 they experience no bugs or issues and the App works seamlessly with any additional features.

 

[DashcamDPR]

I'd like to ask, who is the actual manufacturer of the "nextbase own" 64gb U3 memory card that's recommended for sale with this cam?

And, is it really necessary to get an alternative memory card like the Sandisk Extreme? (reliability-wise, ignoring the obvious cost difference)

 

[Nextbase Support]

In Halfords the Nextbase branded packaging can either contain a Nextbase branded SD card or a San Disk Extreme....

It MUST be a U3 card there ins't a particular brand that is required, we do our own cards because not everyone knows/wants to know what is compatible.

 

[DashcamDPR]

We do our own cards because not everyone knows/wants to know what is compatible.

So your own cards are actually manufactured by Nextbase and not just rebranded? I just don't see how Halfords justify the £80 price tag

 

[Agie]

To be honest, then all the gadgets on the A12 shoot the video about equally.
And errors in contrast, black level and gamma for all gadgets on the A12 platform are also the same...

My opinion is not the only true, but it is as it is...

Shots fired! xD

 

[Falsificator]

hots fired! xD

Alas, but this is the truth. Stock settings Ambarella are not the best.
Contrast, gamma, sharpness, noise reduction require further development.
My experience of studying the firmware of ambarella and the experience
of other enthusiasts just and says about it.

 

[jokiin]

Alas, but this is the truth. Stock settings Ambarella are not the best.
Contrast, gamma, sharpness, noise reduction require further development.

and the majority don't even make any changes and just use it how it comes

 

[Agie]

and the majority don't even make any changes and just use it how it comes

In a race to the bottom with pricing , this holds true. Public don't care about image video quality as much as they do on a mobile phone camera.

 

[Agie]

Alas, but this is the truth. Stock settings Ambarella are not the best.
Contrast, gamma, sharpness, noise reduction require further development.
My experience of studying the firmware of ambarella and the experience
of other enthusiasts just and says about it.

I know haha, I was just mucking around. But sadly yes that is the truth. Cheaper to buy an off the shelf system , shove it in the camera and be done with it

 

[jokiin]

In a race to the bottom with pricing , this holds true. Public don't care about image video quality as much as they do on a mobile phone camera.

it's quite true that the majority are just built to a price, there is no margin for after sales service with a lot of them let alone things like improving on results obtained on the SDK defaults, they've improved over the past few years based on the defaults getting better, but there's still a lot more room beyond what you see from a lot of models