Reviewing and Testing the new Vantrue N4S Dashcam

I've been exclusively using Vantrue provided SD cards with the N4S. I've reformatted the cards multiple times. I'm still seeing random video captures missing. The rear camera drops out first, then the others follow. The recordings seem to eventually start back up again on their own. I haven't been able to detect any pattern to when the video drops out or when it returns. Sometimes during parking mode, sometime during drive mode.

EDIT: The only consistency that I'm seeing is that the video file from the rear camera is one that is missing first if you compare time stamps. Sometimes it's only the rear camera that stops. Other times, all cameras stop recording. But the first missing file is always from the rear camera.
 
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It's really strange that this situation has occurred. I think the dashcam needs to be returned to the manufacturer and replaced with a new one for testing
 
I made a nearly 400 mile round trip yesterday with the rear camera disconnected. The front and cabin cameras were running and the camera successfully made 268 videos that are 3mins long on a 128G Vantrue card. There are no truncated files, nor are there any files missing. I'm repeating this trip on Saturday, I'll have the rear camera connected then to see how things go as a comparison.

Based on this data, a 128G card will hold about 1060 mins of video at its maximum resolution. Here is how that shakes out with different cameras running:

1 camera: 17.6 hrs
2 cameras: 8.8 hrs
3 cameras: 5.8 hrs
 
EricSan said:
I've been exclusively using Vantrue provided SD cards with the N4S. I've reformatted the cards multiple times. I'm still seeing random video captures missing. The rear camera drops out first, then the others follow. The recordings seem to eventually start back up again on their own. I haven't been able to detect any pattern to when the video drops out or when it returns. Sometimes during parking mode, sometime during drive mode.

EDIT: The only consistency that I'm seeing is that the video file from the rear camera is one that is missing first if you compare time stamps. Sometimes it's only the rear camera that stops. Other times, all cameras stop recording. But the first missing file is always from the rear camera.
Click to expand...

I assume this to be true and am running tests as well. The Sandisk card didn't play nice with the N4S, creating irregular file sizes, so I've swapped over to a Vantrue 128GB. Once I notice dropping (which I assume will happen), I'll also disconnect the rear camera as Vantrue suggested, to see if the feed interrupts.

End game is to get as much data to Vantrue in order to correct the issue.
 
If you want to turn off Rear Cam, do you need to unplug the power plug from the host or can you turn it off from the settings options?
 
You can do either: there is a menu setting for which cameras you want to use.
 
haiou_f said:
If you want to turn off Rear Cam, do you need to unplug the power plug from the host or can you turn it off from the settings options?
Click to expand...
You can go into the "Resolution" menu and select the camera configuration you want (Front, Front+ Rear, etc)
It's not completely obvious until you play around with it, at least for me.
 
EricSan said:
You can do either: there is a menu setting for which cameras you want to use.
Click to expand...
This is more user-friendly than Viofo, which requires unplugging the Rear Cam power cord from the host to turn off the rear camera。
 
I made nearly 18 hours of videos yesterday from the N4S camera. Here are some interesting findings after reviewing the files:

Parking Mode:
All videos are fine. No truncated files, no skipped files.

Drive Mode:
Everything was working great until I was sitting in traffic and noticed this fun truck in front of me. I thought it was funny, so I told the camera to "Take Photo."
20250712_150404_00001_N_A.webp


The camera did make an image, but ONLY from the front and cabin cameras. The rear facing camera did NOT make an image. It was also at this point that the rear camera stopped recording - 3:03:04pm is the timestamp of the last frame from the rear camera video.

15 seconds later, at 3:04:18pm, both the front and cabin cameras stopped recording - these files were only 1m 30s in length when the loop recording was set to 3mins.

At 3:04:39pm, only the front and cabin cameras started recording again and each made a full 3min video. There was no corresponding video from the rear camera.

Then, all three of the cameras stopped recording and did not start again until my car was in the parking deck, nearly 40 minutes later. This is a screen cap from the files in the "Normal" folder.
N4S Missing Files.webp


Here is the directory of combined files from the "normal" and "parking" folders. This camera was attached to my parking battery at the time, so there should have been a continuous set of videos with no time gaps at all. Instead, there is nearly half an hour of missing videos.

N4S Missing Files Combined.webp

In *THIS* instance, it appears that making a photo while recording was the triggering event that knocked out the cameras. The rear camera stopped recording first, and the front and cabin cameras stopped recording 15 seconds later and then stayed off until the parking attendant at the garage needed to move the car and started the engine again.
 
@EricSan

Do you have an LTE modem connected to your Vantrue? I've noticed for a while now that videos don't upload to the cloud, only pictures. I thought it was an issue on my end or temporarily, but I saw where someone else stated the same thing.

Have you noticed this issue if you have your Vantrue Cameras connected to an LTE Modem?
 
No LTE device connected. I’m inspecting files on the SD card.
 
The rear camera is acting up.
@runtohell121 experienced similar rear camera dropouts but I don't think @jsmith has had a problem since using the Vantrue SD card even with all 3 channels.
 
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I'm using a Vantrue 512G card. Three channels running. HDR on for daytime use. All was good until I made a photo via voice command. Wendy from Vantrue offered me a replacement rear camera and cable. I'm hoping that will resolve the issue.
 
EricSan said:
I'm using a Vantrue 512G card. Three channels running. HDR on for daytime use. All was good until I made a photo via voice command. Wendy from Vantrue offered me a replacement rear camera and cable. I'm hoping that will resolve the issue.
Click to expand...
I hope that fixes it but it seems odd the problem is somewhat similar to @runtohell121
 
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I am having Zero issues with a Brand New Vantrue 128GB Micro SD card with the OBDII Hardwire. Here are all my files the last 2days. Not a single camera channel has dropped out unless I am overlooking something.

Really, it's been 3 days, but the 128GB MicroSD Card overwrote the older files.

Note: Normal mode and parking mode files match up where smaller Normal files are properly switching from "Normal" to "Parking" with a few second gap in between (as expected). All Channels A, B, C are present, too.

N4S.webp
 
N4S can be set to a maximum resolution of 2592 * 1944, but the video distortion is too severe, which greatly affects the visual effect. Personally, I think this is a very unreasonable setting option.
 
I questioned Vantrue about the 2592:1944 setting and asked about the distortion. The response was:

The 1944P (2592x1944) resolution setting is mainly provided to maximize the performance of the image sensor and processor. The SONY Starvis 2 IMX675 sensor we’re using has a native resolution of 1944P, so offering this option allows users to take full advantage of the chip’s capabilities without wasting any imaging potential.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> While it’s true that 4:3 aspect ratios may not look as natural on widescreen displays, some users still prefer the higher vertical resolution for capturing more detail — especially for traffic lights, tall vehicles, or overhead signs.
Click to expand...
The 2592x1944 resolution does look better at the expense of visual distortion. Most monitors currently display using an aspect ratio of 16:9 rather than 4:3 which was previously dominant in older TV's and Monitors (like 20 years ago).
 
I still miss my 22" CRT screen, even if my current 32" screen can actually hang with the old CRT when it come to Hz

Use to game at reduced resolution not the full one of the CRT and then of course also lowered in game GFX settings, 200 FPS and 200 Hz
My 32" screen do 160Hz at its 1440p resolution, which i think would work but dont know as no one make a FPS game worth playing today
 
@jsmith Are the red circled files Parking files? They don't seemed timed properly for them to be parking files since they start exactly 3 minutes AFTER the Driving files terminated.
Or maybe I just never noticed that's how parking files work.

screenshot_705.webp



screenshot_703.webp
 
@Hack_man those files you highlighted are all “Normal” files, see the “…N_A.MP4” ending to the filename. Parking mode files end with “…P_A.MP4” so those shorter files should be inspected more carefully - it appears they may be truncated drive mode files.
 
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