Poor quality video?

[WillL84]

Hey guys,
I just scored a deal on an open box DR750S-2CH. Got it all set up and installed this past weekend.

I have a YT channel and I've been using a GoPro Hero 4 Session and it's worked for but I've been wanting a dual can setup and something that I can use for more than an hour before the battery dies.

I had my normal commute and when I got home I pulled the SD and plugged it into my PC and used the blackvue software to find the clips I wanted to save and exported them to the PC.

I use Adobe After Effects for video editing. I've never had problems stitching, clipping etc video from the GoPro. Now the GoPro was 1080/60 (actual 59.96) and video quality was great. I have the 750 set to 1080/60 and the video looks like it's 720 at best. It's horrible (don't get me started on searching through all the stupid 1 minute clips to find what I want).

I edited my first video from the 750 tonight. When I played the video the video is fine - the cuts start and stop seamlessly as they should. However the audio gets all messed up after I do something like pause the clip to add text then resume it. It's like the audio skips a few seconds (or seems to mute instead). I'm thinking it's got something to do with the odd 62.5 FPS frame rate that Blackvue decided on.

I haven't seen anything in the software to make it export full quality video, it's just "export" and that's it. Anyone have any ideas? I'm amazed the quality is as poor as it is. Pretty disappointed honestly.

 

[jokiin]

do the videos look the same when just copy off the card and play with whatever media player you use rather than using their software, or do they look different/better when you do that?

 

[WillL84]

do the videos look the same when just copy off the card and play with whatever media player you use rather than using their software, or do they look different/better when you do that?

Honestly I haven't tried that. I'll try that after work today and let you know. Thanks for the suggestion - I didn't even think of that.

 

[jokiin]

Honestly I haven't tried that. I'll try that after work today and let you know. Thanks for the suggestion - I didn't even think of that.

something to check in case the export function is doing some sort of re-encoding

 

[M8TJT]

And call me silly, but what IS this export function that is being referred to?
I have always used explorer (that opened when I stick the card in) and copy/paste the files. Is there an easier method (that doesn't screw up quality).
I wonder if this is meant to be a method to get a lo res copy by wifi onto your phone reasonably quickly.

 

[jokiin]

Check their player software

 

[Dashcammad]

I am not sure of the full functions of the export option. It's main use appears to be to copy a portion of a clip and you can also mute the sound on the new section of video. It does not appear to have any other editing functions and for merging clips the standard windows software works well. You can use the export funtion to remove the 5 seconds overlap. You can't add audio with the export function. I think recording resolution is set from the firmware and think that the 750S only records in 1080p. Software to change resolution would have to be a purchased option, but this would be likely to change the encoding and probably disrupt the audio and gps information embedded in the mp4 file. However, I am not particulary interested in video editing and just use built in options on the particular thing I am using. I apologise if this information is wrong, but it is currently how I understand things. Always happy to change the way I think.

 

[WillL84]

Well it made no difference using export or just copying from the SD to the PC. Seeing other threads here saying to turn off the 60fps and set the brightness to 3/3 helped a ton but it's still very "pixelated" I guess. Maybe oversharpened is a better description.

Here's two shots of the same area. First from my GoPro Hero 4 Session at 1080/60 and the second is from is from the DR750S-2CH on 1080/30 (I like the 3-minute recording length at 30 as well over the 1 minute length at 60). Notice how the GoPro footage is overall just smoother and better looking. You can see how smooth the signage is in the GP footage and how over sharpened it seems on the DR750S footage.





Still not sold. I might just sell this and try to find a better dual cam setup that I can actually use at 60FPS with decent quality.

 

[kamkar]

Korean makers seem to be favoring a image with a higher sharpness and contrast level, but the same are also the case with other brands as that's how the firmware's come, and they dont have the skill set to tweak it.
If a more cinematic look are important to you, your best bet are probably the few cameras that have a active modding scene, like some of the viofo models.
With the right tools you can also modify firmwares yourself, but it is not something you just load uop and tweak a few dials, when you get to there your nerd level must be substantial.

 

[WillL84]

Maybe I'm best to just stick with GoPro then. Maybe just buy a full-size one that does loop recording and that I can leave plugged in instead of using the Session. The Session was bought for motorcycle duty so maybe I'll relegate it back to just that lol. It'd be nice if I could daisy-chain two GoPro's together into a dual-cam setup with a single SD.

 

[kamkar]

Dashcams are a bit different, they are not ideal for say capturing cinematic drive videos, for that you are better off with a camera with a little less wide angle.
At least in my car i have both the bottom of the A pillars and the dashboard in frame, and its annoying in a "drive" video where your focus should be on the scenery.
Also dashcams have fairly modest bitrates so in areas with a lot of stuff going on it will struggle VS a action camera with 3-4 X higher bitrate.

A dashcam are just a accident recorder, and so it dont need stunning footage as such though too high sharpness and contrast settings can make a plate capture more problematic

There is one of the Russian guys modding on the SGGCX2PRO plus, he is making good progress with that particular model, and i do hope his findings make its way into factory firmwares.
He posted some examples ( video / photo ) of his work so far.

Street Guardian SGGCX2PROPlus, new firmware MOD

Finally, it was the turn of this device-the first mod from our master of Kaliningrad! This is just the beginning, the work is underway, everything will be brought to mind. Link to the original video in the description.

dashcamtalk.com

 

[HonestReview]

Hey guys,
I just scored a deal on an open box DR750S-2CH. Got it all set up and installed this past weekend.

I have a YT channel and I've been using a GoPro Hero 4 Session and it's worked for but I've been wanting a dual can setup and something that I can use for more than an hour before the battery dies.

I had my normal commute and when I got home I pulled the SD and plugged it into my PC and used the blackvue software to find the clips I wanted to save and exported them to the PC.

I use Adobe After Effects for video editing. I've never had problems stitching, clipping etc video from the GoPro. Now the GoPro was 1080/60 (actual 59.96) and video quality was great. I have the 750 set to 1080/60 and the video looks like it's 720 at best. It's horrible (don't get me started on searching through all the stupid 1 minute clips to find what I want).

I edited my first video from the 750 tonight. When I played the video the video is fine - the cuts start and stop seamlessly as they should. However the audio gets all messed up after I do something like pause the clip to add text then resume it. It's like the audio skips a few seconds (or seems to mute instead). I'm thinking it's got something to do with the odd 62.5 FPS frame rate that Blackvue decided on.

I haven't seen anything in the software to make it export full quality video, it's just "export" and that's it. Anyone have any ideas? I'm amazed the quality is as poor as it is. Pretty disappointed honestly.

Play the videos in VLC player and compare the quality to that of Adobe After Affects. You could have an incorrect setting somewhere affecting the reencoded video.

Also, the 750 seems to have a darker contrast. Try playing with settings to brighten the video. Not sure the settings available in the 750 but scroll through menu and see what you can produce.

 

[kamkar]

Indeed the build in windows player are not that good compared to other players, i have VLC in the backhand and use POT player as default.

 

[kamkar]

O and 60 FPS that you can not do on both cameras in current dual channel systems, pretty much only with the front camera alone.
But it is my understanding new 1080p cameras that can do 1080/60 & 1080/30 are on the way to the market, mind you with 60 FPS you also need a higher bitrate, if you use the same bitrate for it as you use for 30 FPS footage, the 60 FPS will suffer as it have less bitrate to resolve 60 FPS VS the same using 30 FPS.

You could say bitrate are a combined quality and detail multiplicator for video footage, having 4K video but at 10 mbit will do nothing good for footage with "fast" action in it, but for a CCTV camera filming a side walk and the people walking there it will be much better.
My 1080p CCTV cameras often hover around a measly 4 mbit, which is fine filming a back yard with no traffic and my parked car, but if 30 people came in there and ran around i would want to use a much higher bitrate to get anything out of the footage.
So my CCTV camera use VBR thats short for Variable Bit Rate, so it throttle up in bitrate as soon as there is more for it to resolve, but VBR are not a good idea for dashcams which you want maxed out all the time.

 

[WillL84]

I've tried playback in both the windows player and vlc, no difference in either. Also the 62.5 FPS recording screws with the audio when editing in after effects. Haven't tried editing the 30 yet to see what the actual frame rate is. The GoPro is like 59.96 or something but there's no audio problems when trimming or doing pause/resume editing. I do editing for my own YT channel.

Like I said I'm not overwhelmed by this for skiing that kinda thing. If I wasn't doing YT it'd be fine. Might just sell this and try the Rexing V1P Pro. Looks to be decent from the clips I've seen around

 

[kamkar]

I saw a video about the rexing V1P PRO, it said 1080p X 2 or 1 X 4K, but that camera can not do true 4K, the front sensor is the OV4689 and it is only a 4 mpix sensor and you need 8 mpix to do true 4K.
So it do what so many other "4K" cameras do, and that is to upscale the 2K footage to 4K, and doing that you dont get any of the 4K delight.

There are very few true 4K dashcams on the market right now, all with issues of their own.

Youtube do downsample / recode all footage, so even perfect footage loose a lot, but worse footage with little blemishes in it, youtube will amplify those.
So i often upscale my 1080p footage to 4K as youtube seem to be less harsh on that.
For instance my 9 hour drive around Jutland i captured with my SJ6 legend camera.

Still you can see, every time i get in a place with more to resolve the sky get minecraft blocky

 

[SawMaster]

If it's image quality you're after, then Viofo's top cams are worth a look. IMHO they're today's best for this, but some have a few issues yet so research into that is needed. With SG cams IQ may be a small step lower, but they work well in every regard- essentially trouble free. Korean cams are more about advanced features. All dashcams are at least slightly 'oversharp' as that gets better results when you want plate numbers and vehicle details (other than exact perfect color). Korean cams tend to over-do this, but so do some other cams.

Something worth thinking about is low-light performance which many action cam's don't do well with. Also they usually don't handle heat as well, which is why most dashcams now use supercaps instead of a battery. Very similar in many ways, each is meant for a different job and tuned accordingly, so use the tool designed for the job.

Phil

 

[WillL84]

If it's image quality you're after, then Viofo's top cams are worth a look. IMHO they're today's best for this, but some have a few issues yet so research into that is needed. With SG cams IQ may be a small step lower, but they work well in every regard- essentially trouble free. Korean cams are more about advanced features. All dashcams are at least slightly 'oversharp' as that gets better results when you want plate numbers and vehicle details (other than exact perfect color). Korean cams tend to over-do this, but so do some other cams.

Something worth thinking about is low-light performance which many action cam's don't do well with. Also they usually don't handle heat as well, which is why most dashcams now use supercaps instead of a battery. Very similar in many ways, each is meant for a different job and tuned accordingly, so use the tool designed for the job.

Phil

Funny - I just watched a video and it looks like I'll probably sell the DR750 (or put it in the wife's Yukon) and pick up the A129 Pro Dual. Video quality is excellent.

 

[HonestReview]

I saw a video about the rexing V1P PRO, it said 1080p X 2 or 1 X 4K, but that camera can not do true 4K, the front sensor is the OV4689 and it is only a 4 mpix sensor and you need 8 mpix to do true 4K.
So it do what so many other "4K" cameras do, and that is to upscale the 2K footage to 4K, and doing that you dont get any of the 4K delight.

There are very few true 4K dashcams on the market right now, all with issues of their own.

Youtube do downsample / recode all footage, so even perfect footage loose a lot, but worse footage with little blemishes in it, youtube will amplify those.
So i often upscale my 1080p footage to 4K as youtube seem to be less harsh on that.
For instance my 9 hour drive around Jutland i captured with my SJ6 legend camera.

Still you can see, every time i get in a place with more to resolve the sky get minecraft blocky

Upscaling....Never understood the point, because it really isn't true 4K

 

[kamkar]

No in most cases it is ruined 1440p, and thats not nice to treat 1440p that way, only someone evil would treat a free - honest - hard working - tax paying resolution like that.