Not happy with camera footage quality.

[NKato]

"This is the first true 4K UHD dash camera!"

No the **** it ain't. If it was, I'd be seeing this oncoming truck's license plate crystal-clear. It ain't crystal-clear.



Ultimately, it "works", but not for $500. The fact that the quality is this shoddy, incapable of delivering the clarity I need to be able to see license plates even at freaking TWENTY FEET IN FRONT OF ME, makes this thing completely inadmissible in court in the event of a legal case where positive identification is required.

If anyone wants to tell me if there is a way to get this camera to actually deliver on its quality claims, let me know, 'cause this is unacceptable.
For reference, this is the full 4k "UHD" image:

Utter garbage.

P.S. This gives me the impression that BlackVue is basically the Samsung of dash cameras -- pack in a lot of features, then skimp on the quality of some aspects, and then overprice it!

P.P.S. Before you start doubting my claims, consider this -- a DSLR camera for the same price is able to capture better quality footage with zero grain.

 

[SR14626]

I had the same issues with mine with clarity, but just recently when I took the microSD card out of the camera and put it directly into my computer, not viewing it on YouTube or transferring by way of Wi-Fi to my iPhone/iPad, the clarity cleared up a bit more. How are you viewing your footage?

 

[NKato]

I had the same issues with mine with clarity, but just recently when I took the microSD card out of the camera and put it directly into my computer, not viewing it on YouTube or transferring by way of Wi-Fi to my iPhone/iPad, the clarity cleared up a bit more. How are you viewing your footage?

The images are direct grabs off of the BlackVue Viewer on my desktop rig. The problem seems to have a lot more to do with the video compression codec, or the sensor itself.

Take a look at this motorcycle license plate taken at half a car length in front of me...can you see the problem?




The license plate holder frame has words on it that are COMPLETELY pixelated and blurry. This is infuriating.

 

[jokiin]

Check the files copied directly from the memory card and see if any different

 

[NKato]

Check the files copied directly from the memory card and see if any different

I did. No appreciable improvement. This is viewed through MPC-HC:


You can see that the license plate holder is still quite blurry, just like the original viewed in BlackVue Viewer on Windows.

Are we done with the whole "it must be the viewing method" aspect of troubleshooting yet?

 

[Nigel]

Utter garbage.

P.S. This gives me the impression that BlackVue is basically the Samsung of dash cameras -- pack in a lot of features, then skimp on the quality of some aspects, and then overprice it!

P.P.S. Before you start doubting my claims, consider this -- a DSLR camera for the same price is able to capture better quality footage with zero grain.

Can't expect a dashcam to compete with DSLRs for quality!

Better to compare with a real 4K dashcam, this is about the readability limit for mine, ... when set for reduced bitrate! :

 

[jokiin]

Checking from the card directly was just to rule out any reduced quality files being a result of other software processing the files

Blackvue have nice build quality, but they have never been known for great video quality

 

[Nath]

There isn’t anything wrong with the footage. Basicaly the bitrate is too low for such dynamic scene, therefore a DR900S isn’t able to “catch” upcomming traffic even in “normal” speed(with good light conditions).

 

[SR14626]

And this is why I am seriously considering the Viofo A129 pro when it’s released

 

[NKato]

Can't expect a dashcam to compete with DSLRs for quality!

Better to compare with a real 4K dashcam, this is about the readability limit for mine, ... when set for reduced bitrate! :

Yeah, I'm very interested in that 4k camera you've got... It's a prototype, isn't it?

 

[Nigel]

Yeah, I'm very interested in that 4k camera you've got... It's a prototype, isn't it?

Yes, but I can't talk about it in the Blackvue sub-forum, not even going to mention what it is in here!

 

[NKato]

Yes, but I can't talk about it in the Blackvue sub-forum, not even going to mention what it is in here!

It's in the screenshot. we're already talking in the other thread anyway.

 

[Nigel]

It's in the screenshot. we're already talking in the other thread anyway.

Oops

 

[NKato]

So it seems nobody has any real idea why my supposed 4K UHD Dash Cam is doing this?

I'm going to be trying the other non-extreme codec settings, but I am not holding out a lot of hope for improvement. I also have a 128GB Samsung SD card waiting for me at the apartment office to pick up later today.

 

[jokiin]

So it seems nobody has any real idea why my supposed 4K UHD Dash Cam is doing this?
.

That's how they are, check footage from others with this model and you'll see that the results you're getting aren't much different from the others

 

[Nath]

So it seems nobody has any real idea why my supposed 4K UHD Dash Cam is doing this?

I had three units of the DR900S and all of them did the same thing. As i’ve said before, it’s normal, highly likely due to the limitation of a bitrate - used chipset without heatsink probably isn’t able to handle higher bitrate.

 

[Nigel]

So it seems nobody has any real idea why my supposed 4K UHD Dash Cam is doing this?

I'm going to be trying the other non-extreme codec settings, but I am not holding out a lot of hope for improvement. I also have a 128GB Samsung SD card waiting for me at the apartment office to pick up later today.

To be fair to your camera, in your first image of the truck, most cameras will have difficulty when the vehicle gets that close to the camera and that close to the edge of the image, especially at speed.

My 4K camera when traveling at the same speed as in your photo wants to be around this distance to get the best plate readability:

As Nath points out, bitrate is also a big factor, my camera in the image above was using 2.4x the bitrate that your camera calls "Extreme", and even then does not call it "Extreme"! Not convinced it is the most important factor though, if I set mine to your "extreme" bitrate then it will still do a much better job than yours. I'm a bit puzzled about how they got yours so bad, can't even see your truck's driver let alone recognise him in court!

 

[TonyM]

To be fair to your camera, in your first image of the truck, most cameras will have difficulty when the vehicle gets that close to the camera and that close to the edge of the image, especially at speed.

@NKato have you tried looking at the truck a few frames earlier? 4K cameras sometimes resolve details better when the subject is further away than with a 1080p camera.

As Nigel points out, sometimes it can be harder to capture number plates at the edge of the frame, when relative movement across the sensor is higher and your windscreen curvature can cause distortion.

 

[Nath]

... My 4K camera when traveling at the same speed as in your photo wants to be around this distance to get the best plate readability:

As Nath points out, bitrate is also a big factor, my camera in the image above was using 2.4x the bitrate that your camera calls "Extreme", and even then does not call it "Extreme"! Not convinced it is the most important factor though, if I set mine to your "extreme" bitrate then it will still do a much better job than yours. I'm a bit puzzled about how they got yours so bad, can't even see your truck's driver let alone recognise him in court!

It also depended on the speed of the truck.

I think part of the problem is also "HDR" which according to my experience produces lower IQ than without it (unfortunately/thankfully i don't have a second DR900S to test it side-by-side). Not to mention Blackvue's weird h265/h264 implementation. AND heat is also a nice cause of image artefacts.

Even i don't like my DR900S now, your image is kinda unfair because part of the result of the A129-Pro is caused by a lower FOV, means more narrow lens, more px/°. And OP's dashcam has captured the car more on an edge of the image.

 

[Nigel]

It also depended on the speed of the truck.

True, but I can see that it is not going excessively fast from the lack of motion blur at the top of the wheels.

I think part of the problem is also "HDR"

Quite possibly, my camera doesn't use it.

your image is kinda unfair

Well, there is a trade off to be made, and going a little wider does use up a lot of resolution. If you think mine has made a better compromise than yours then maybe that is good design rather than unfairness. Not sure how the FOVs actually compare?