pre-buffering - really dumb question.

[Bruce45]

The most common definition I read about pre-buffered parking mode is that the camera starts recording BEFORE the motion detector is set off. How can this be possible? How can a camera record before any motion has occurred, otherwise it must recording all the time, no? In which case, what's the point of the motion detector?

Thanks for answering my dumb question

 

[jokiin]

it records all the time but does not write to memory, if something happens it releases what it has buffered which will be up to about 5 seconds before the event and continues to record for a bit after

 

[Bruce45]

Thank you for the reply. But if it records all the time it's using power all the time, so won't that drain the hardwired car battery if there is no external battery used?

And also, why not just get one that records all the time and keeps everything? Memory is pretty cheap nowadays, no?

 

[jokiin]

it needs to be powered all the time to work, it's a bit less work/heat/wear than recording constantly

the main advantage of sorts I guess is less recordings of nothing so going through the footage to find something that happened could be quicker

 

[Bruce45]

Ahh ok, I see what you mean. Even if it doesn't have pre-buffering, but has a parking mode, it has to be powered all the time anyways. But not having to record all the time as required for pre-buffering is at least a bit less wear. Got it.

 

[jokiin]

Ahh ok, I see what you mean. Even if it doesn't have pre-buffering, but has a parking mode, it has to be powered all the time anyways. But not having to record all the time as required for pre-buffering is at least a bit less wear. Got it.

in a nutshell

 

[kamkar]

Allso if you allways record, then you dont know if some one have dented your car while you was shopping.
Unless offcourse you see that yourself before you set off for home, or notice that the day after / before the event is overwritten.
The event files are saved from automatic overwriting, allways recording are not.

I think circumstances will be forcing me to try out that parking guard thingamajig sooner or later, but thats okay im ready for that, so bring it on.

 

[Bruce45]

Another dumb question. What is the point of getting a camera with a screen when it is hidden behind your review mirror anyways? Does the camera unmount so easily so you can look through it on the small screen? What about cams that don't have a slide in mount but stick directly to the windshield?

 

[kamkar]

valid question.

The screen is more or less just there to set up the camera that first time, and line it up.

After that you might allso use it for a in camera format of the memory card once in a while to keep the FAT fresh, and depending on where you are maybe set the daylights savings BS.

But other than that there is little reason to have a screen on a dashcam, you can allso playback footage offcourse but on that little screen or for that matter the little screen of a smartphone its of little use unless you live in a place where a cop on site can be judge too.

Many new cars you cant even have the camera in front of the RVM due to the large sensor array many car makers now put there
No matter what i would allways go for a camera that is as stealthy as possible, and aside for cameras on wire that mean no screen, at least if its supposed to be a good allround camera.

I would never mount / dismount a dashcam, it go in the car untill it die or get replaced, allso a good reason to go for a stealthy camera thought my little Suzuki is of little intrest for thives.

 

[jokiin]

Another dumb question. What is the point of getting a camera with a screen when it is hidden behind your review mirror anyways? Does the camera unmount so easily so you can look through it on the small screen? What about cams that don't have a slide in mount but stick directly to the windshield?

a screen probably seems pretty useless a lot of the time, get a screenless camera and try and troubleshoot it though, it can be very frustrating trying to work out what's going on at times with cameras that have no display, some have wifi which kind of helps but can also have their frustrations, wifi is another can of worms, ask anyone that sells a product with wifi how many support calls they get, then there's the models with nothing but status lights, trying to remember what flash means what at some time down the track can be like trying to crack the davinci code on some products

no screen is the cheapest way and the most hassle, on most models adding a screen adds about 5% to the cost and saves a heap of grief, adding wifi just to go without a screen is the most costly and not always that easy, in short a screen is a cheap way to make the product very simple to operate at minimal cost

 

[Bruce45]

a screen probably seems pretty useless a lot of the time, get a screenless camera and try and troubleshoot it though, it can be very frustrating trying to work out what's going on at times with cameras that have no display, some have wifi which kind of helps but can also have their frustrations, wifi is another can of worms, ask anyone that sells a product with wifi how many support calls they get, then there's the models with nothing but status lights, trying to remember what flash means what at some time down the track can be like trying to crack the davinci code on some products

no screen is the cheapest way and the most hassle, on most models adding a screen adds about 5% to the cost and saves a heap of grief, adding wifi just to go without a screen is the most costly and not always that easy, in short a screen is a cheap way to make the product very simple to operate at minimal cost

Thanks. With the camera in your avatar, I like the wedge shape - do they plan to make one like this with pre-buffered?

 

[jokiin]

Thanks. With the camera in your avatar, I like the wedge shape - do they plan to make one like this with pre-buffered?

we are working on updated models but still quite a while away at this stage, it takes some time to realise the full potential as a lot is SDK dependent, pre buffer won't be possible at release, not based on our current SDK at least, have to wait and see so not something we could promise at this stage