Vortex Radar
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- Mar 26, 2014
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So it's the end of the year and so it's that time where we get to do our "best of" compilations for different things. I'm mentally planning out my upcoming "best dashcams" video and I figured instead of using my computer's notepad, I'd chat it over and brainstorm with you all. There's always more nuances and details to cover, but here's what I'm thinking so far.
Big picture, the trend this year has been the migration to Starvis 2 for lots of companies. There's differences in terms of image processing, if they're using HDR, and so on, and so while there are some differences in terms of video quality, it's really the other aspects that make more of a difference. Also every single dashcam has imperfections and bugs. For that reason I'm gonna recommend people grab the latest firmware and I'll also mention some tips and tricks with apps, installation, etc. to help people have a better experience.
As far as the lineup, here's what I'm thinking:
Cheap: A119 v3 (Been around for ages, but I still haven't found something better in the <$100 price range. WM1 adds WiFi, but I don't like the smaller aperture lens and switch from HDR to WDR. There's a lot of competition in this price range, and a ton of garbage. The formula they have for this one I think is pretty hard to beat, but I hope that changes in time.)
Best inexpensive'ish 1CH: A119 Mini 2
2CH bang for the buck: A229 Plus Duo. I'm kinda hesitant to recommend the new A229's given the launch issues, but as long as people grab the latest firmware, I think it should help address most issues, especially in time. Anyways, Starvis 2 front and rear, LCD, buffered parking mode, HDR, etc... good option. I know there's lots of cheaper options out there, but I'm not a fan of cheaping out too much.
4K:
Best all-around: A229 Pro. I like it over the A139 Pro for the improved night time video, LCD, voice commands, 2K rear cam, and Starvis 2 for the rear. The 3CH is better too with an upgraded interior cam and better 3CH configuration. Again I'm hesitant about this one given the issues we've been seeing at launch, but I'm hopeful everything gets buttoned down. @rcg530 @Panzer Platform
@viofo & @VIOFO-Support could you please address the issue on the iOS app with streaming video from the dashcam being broken unless people first disable cellular connectivity for the Viofo app? Also adding firmware updates via the app the way Vantrue is doing would be very welcomed too.
Long term parking recording: Thinkware U3000. I like the Starvis 2 front cam and the radar stuff going on. I'm hesitant here given that lots of people have issues getting the rear cam working so I'm going to give tips on how to optimize that, but I'm not confident it'll work for everyone. The video quality doesn't seem to be a dramatic improvement over the U1000 with a Starvis sensor and I'm kinda bummed about the lack of HDR, but for long term parking recording, this thing has been a beast. Cloud features are a bonus, but still kinda meh. @Thinkware Dash Cam
Cloud: Blackvue DR970X Plus series. Not available until early next year, but I should be getting some sample units next week so I'll have a chance to do some preliminary driving and quick testing in time for the video. I'm not a huge fan of the video quality from the DR970X series, but with Blackvue's switch to Starvis 2, I think it should help address my biggest complaints with their dashcams. Blackvue could use some work in terms of security and privacy with their cloud functionality, but feature-wise I like their setup far more than other cloud-based options. @BlackVue_Pittasoft
Rideshare: VanTrue N4 Pro. I'm liking mine more than I thought I would. Excellent build quality and design, noticeably better than their previous gen models. I also like being able to update the firmware from the app. The Starvis 2 for the front cam is a nice upgrade, but the main appeal is the integrated interior cam for easier installs for rideshare drivers, plus the LCD to make it obvious to passengers that there's a dashcam rolling. VanTrues seem to be exceedingly common in Uber/Lyft vehicles. @Jeff_Vantrue
Big picture those are my thoughts so far. In the back of my head, there's really nothing I'm 100% confident on given they all have some issues and room for improvement. I feel like no matter what I recommend, there's always going to be people who have a bad experience, get angry with the dashcam, and complain about their purchase, but I think that's gonna be true with anything. It's not limited to dashcams. In my mind these are some of the "best" options, but in no way does that imply they're perfect.
I'm also thinking about something like the Nextbase iQ since it has a lot of cool stuff on paper, but I'm a bit wary given previous experiences with their products, not to mention I still haven't gotten to test one out. I've also seen a fair number of complaints from early adopters.
My windshield is getting really full of dashcams right now, lol, but again these are my thoughts so far.
What do you all think? Agree? Disagree?
Big picture, the trend this year has been the migration to Starvis 2 for lots of companies. There's differences in terms of image processing, if they're using HDR, and so on, and so while there are some differences in terms of video quality, it's really the other aspects that make more of a difference. Also every single dashcam has imperfections and bugs. For that reason I'm gonna recommend people grab the latest firmware and I'll also mention some tips and tricks with apps, installation, etc. to help people have a better experience.
As far as the lineup, here's what I'm thinking:
Cheap: A119 v3 (Been around for ages, but I still haven't found something better in the <$100 price range. WM1 adds WiFi, but I don't like the smaller aperture lens and switch from HDR to WDR. There's a lot of competition in this price range, and a ton of garbage. The formula they have for this one I think is pretty hard to beat, but I hope that changes in time.)
Best inexpensive'ish 1CH: A119 Mini 2
2CH bang for the buck: A229 Plus Duo. I'm kinda hesitant to recommend the new A229's given the launch issues, but as long as people grab the latest firmware, I think it should help address most issues, especially in time. Anyways, Starvis 2 front and rear, LCD, buffered parking mode, HDR, etc... good option. I know there's lots of cheaper options out there, but I'm not a fan of cheaping out too much.
4K:
Best all-around: A229 Pro. I like it over the A139 Pro for the improved night time video, LCD, voice commands, 2K rear cam, and Starvis 2 for the rear. The 3CH is better too with an upgraded interior cam and better 3CH configuration. Again I'm hesitant about this one given the issues we've been seeing at launch, but I'm hopeful everything gets buttoned down. @rcg530 @Panzer Platform
@viofo & @VIOFO-Support could you please address the issue on the iOS app with streaming video from the dashcam being broken unless people first disable cellular connectivity for the Viofo app? Also adding firmware updates via the app the way Vantrue is doing would be very welcomed too.
Long term parking recording: Thinkware U3000. I like the Starvis 2 front cam and the radar stuff going on. I'm hesitant here given that lots of people have issues getting the rear cam working so I'm going to give tips on how to optimize that, but I'm not confident it'll work for everyone. The video quality doesn't seem to be a dramatic improvement over the U1000 with a Starvis sensor and I'm kinda bummed about the lack of HDR, but for long term parking recording, this thing has been a beast. Cloud features are a bonus, but still kinda meh. @Thinkware Dash Cam
Cloud: Blackvue DR970X Plus series. Not available until early next year, but I should be getting some sample units next week so I'll have a chance to do some preliminary driving and quick testing in time for the video. I'm not a huge fan of the video quality from the DR970X series, but with Blackvue's switch to Starvis 2, I think it should help address my biggest complaints with their dashcams. Blackvue could use some work in terms of security and privacy with their cloud functionality, but feature-wise I like their setup far more than other cloud-based options. @BlackVue_Pittasoft
Rideshare: VanTrue N4 Pro. I'm liking mine more than I thought I would. Excellent build quality and design, noticeably better than their previous gen models. I also like being able to update the firmware from the app. The Starvis 2 for the front cam is a nice upgrade, but the main appeal is the integrated interior cam for easier installs for rideshare drivers, plus the LCD to make it obvious to passengers that there's a dashcam rolling. VanTrues seem to be exceedingly common in Uber/Lyft vehicles. @Jeff_Vantrue
Big picture those are my thoughts so far. In the back of my head, there's really nothing I'm 100% confident on given they all have some issues and room for improvement. I feel like no matter what I recommend, there's always going to be people who have a bad experience, get angry with the dashcam, and complain about their purchase, but I think that's gonna be true with anything. It's not limited to dashcams. In my mind these are some of the "best" options, but in no way does that imply they're perfect.
I'm also thinking about something like the Nextbase iQ since it has a lot of cool stuff on paper, but I'm a bit wary given previous experiences with their products, not to mention I still haven't gotten to test one out. I've also seen a fair number of complaints from early adopters.
My windshield is getting really full of dashcams right now, lol, but again these are my thoughts so far.
What do you all think? Agree? Disagree?
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