OEM car manufacturers and dash cams

[Paul Schmehl]

Is there any rumblings about OEM car manufacturers including dash cams and even rear cams in their options in the future? My ideal dash cam would be one built in to the vehicle, using the dash touch screen for settings, etc. It seems like a natural transition from the current backup camera systems, dash touch screen systems and collision avoidance, lane departure warnings, etc., etc.

Is this is the near future?

 

[jokiin]

Corvette have a system of sorts now, aimed at track day users but the basics are all there

 

[Paul Schmehl]

One of the things I looked for, when looking at dash cams, was the ability to plug in to the existing video system of the car. Obviously it wasn't a deal breaker, because I ordered the M6+, but it would be nice to connect the dash cam video to the touch screen. That way, if I wanted to, I could navigate to the A/V section and select external video input and view the camera.

I really don't like the dash cams that have screens. It makes them too bulky and hard to hide, and the need to view realtime video just isn't there. Review is what interests me. If I could do that through the screen, it would be more easily viewed than through my smartphone or a tiny 3 inch screen.

 

[DocEmmerich]

What I want to see is the vehicles like new F150s that have 4 cameras to give a birds eye view to have a parking or surveillance mode. Anybody approach it from any angle and see it.

 

[Mike007]

Eager to see this, because hopefully the OEM dash cams won't be so unreliable and I can buy one for my vehicles!

Could you imagine the incessant repeated trips back and forth to the dealer if OEM dash cams were as bad as what we have now??!

 

[SawMaster]

It's happening now. Some are using the car's existing sensor-cams (Tesla) and others offer a 'white-label' rebranded cam (IIRC some Citroen models), but it only seem popular with Tesla owners because it is so easily implemented there. Neither approach gets you the kind of dashcam coverage, functionality, and image quality that most seek from a dashcam. And TBH the average dashcam owner doesn't check their cam or footage much if at all unless they need it for a crash they're involved with which doesn't happen very much, so there's little risk to a car dealer in warranty work.

There are very reliable dashcams made now, but same as always not every cam fits this category and there's still no cam made that doesn't benefit from having a new card when the old one gets worn out. The cams with reliability problems are usually newer models which aren't yet completely sorted out, or are certain brands who are known for unreliability. And generally, this kind of optional equipment doesn't carry the same warranty as the car itself does, so most cams will get the dealer past the warranty period on them.

Something to remember is that people rarely mention anything unless they are having problems- that's why most of the content on this forum and others seems like always and only bad news For each person here reporting problems there are big numbers of people not having problems. And too the kind of people you find here are what the computer world used to call "power-users" who want to use every function to it's fullest which is beyond what the average user does, so we're naturally going to find more issues. Most people are unaware of what dashcams are capable of doing today, and most of those people buy on price which wil;l always be cheaper as an aftermarket buy that one bought from a car dealer. I think we will see more of the Tesla approach as more and more cars are getting optical sensors for the purpose of various driving aids, but until there is more motivation for them like car insurance discounts, they're not going to be hugely popular whether optional equipment or aftermarket

Phil

 

[Mike007]

I went through 4 different cams including two Rexing models before landing with the original Mobius which has lasted several years now with HOT summers. Battery is long gone but it still works, although still not well enough for me to feel comfortable. Every few minutes I'm glancing for that red blinking light. Its pickiness with cards and power supplies is just almost too much to deal with.

I just want a cam that I can depend on.

 

[kamkar1]

My mobius lasted many years, but in the end i had to retire it, but after a life of service i can not complain one bit about.

If you want a dependable dashcam you dont want to jump on the first bandwagon passing thru town, and any "smart" features you probably have to forget about.
When people encounter problems, street guardian seem to be the most active in handling those situations, and if you register your camera you even get +1 year warrenty, and notifications if there are issues with your model and new firmware's.

And most times you can reach the boss here, no other dashcam maker boss come here as far as i am aware.

 

[SawMaster]

Put supercaps in the Mobius and you're good-to-go. It's a simple plug-in job with only a small Phillips screwdriver needed to open the case. If you're having reliability problems because of a bad battery that's the fix, and once the fix became known Mobius began offering cams with caps on the market for those who wanted them. In fact they were the first cam manufacturer to do this- and now almost everybody does.

The only time I've noticed an original Mobius to be picky about cards is with the largest ones (128GB and 512GB) and even then it more a question of using the correct type of card than the brand. There is a minimum performance requirement for sd cards in dashcams which can't be met by the cheapest cards; these are write-intensive devices and the card has to be able to deal with that. Mobius will even work with old slow Class 6 cards. Just the same as you would not try to break a land speed record on cheap car tires not meant for high speeds, a cam's card has to be able to handle what it's being put to. It's part of the game.

High heat is always an issue with dashcams, yet here again the old Mobius is probably the best there is for that. There is a limit to any technology and short of using active cooling we've reached that limit with dashcams. The size, complexity, and cost of active cooling makes it a no-go for a cam manufacturer as such things would not sell in enough numbers to make the venture profitable. That too is just something we have to live with. And personally, I like seeing a blinking LED on my cams to reassure me that they're still on the job doing what I want. I have had cam failures too; no fun at all wanting footage which is not there. And I also have a cam which has no indication of functioning after the start-up and screen-saver go dark- that worries me but I'm not relying only on that cam alone.

Rexing hasn't been noted as being either good or reliable cams in the past, so your experiences with them shouldn't be allowed to influence your thoughts about the good cams. Rexing has actually improved some in the last year, but they are still not a very good choice IMHO. They sell a lot of cams to less knowledgeable people because of pricing, hype, and review manipulation on certain selling platforms. TBH I'd like to see them keep improving their products which would benefit everyone. They're definitely better than a lot of their competition but they're still in the minor leagues as far as goodness and value.

Phil