Reviewing and Testing the new Vantrue N4S Dashcam

EricSan said:
@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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Ah of course, N for Normal! Thanks for pointing that out.
So now I'm really wondering why are those files shorter? I have never seen a shortened file on my N4S unless it's the last file of the drive cycle.
The biggest difference between me and @jsmith is I'm running only 2 channels, we are both using Vantrue 128 GB SD cards
 
Hack_man said:
@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.

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Inspected those files and everything was normal. I believe the camera entered parking mode as you'll notice there's a 5 minute gap. So those files ended and the actual files between the gap is in Parking Folder.

I'd have to double check the exact reason (guessing above) but I had no gaps or issues with any smaller files. Everything was accounted for between recording and Parking Files.
 
Files are no longer on Memory Card... But I am 100% positive those files were accounted for as I checked all smaller files and compared to parking mode for any gaps. I found none.
 
Hack_man said:
@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.

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The files don't line up timewise to parking mode when sorted by modified, but the actual files match up perfectly when you open them.

Here's an example;

Normal Recording of the N4S:
Notice 11:44 time

Vantrue.Normal.webp

Last time stamp on file thats 104MB

N4S.Normal.Before.Parking.webp



Parking Mode Files
Notice it says 11:48 last modified

N4S.parking.webp


Yet parking mode starts at 1145:01 so it loses about 6 seconds transitioning from Normal ---> Parking. Note: This is normal as camera pauses to transition from ONE MODE to NEXT.

N4S.Entering.Parking.webp
 
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Losing 6 seconds of video in transition? That's not right.
Is this consistent?
There should be ZERO gap time when transitioning D to P, and P to D
 
Hack_man said:
Losing 6 seconds of video in transition? That's not right.
Is this consistent?
There should be ZERO gap time when transitioning D to P, and P to D
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@Hack_man

That is normal. The camera has to pause in order to switch modes. I lose 6 seconds on my Viofo A139 Pro switching from Regular to HDR. The camera is transitioning so this isn't anything of concern that can be avoided.
 
jsmith said:
@Hack_man

That is normal. The camera has to pause in order to switch modes. I lose 6 seconds on my Viofo A139 Pro switching from Regular to HDR. The camera is transitioning so this isn't anything of concern that can be avoided.
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You are correct, I checked my A229 Pro and there is a 6 to 8 second gap D to P and P to D.
 
Yep, just a rear camera replacement for the N4S. Wendy indicated it would ship from China, so it might take a few more days…. I’ll provide some updates when it arrives,
 
you guys think this unit is worth it? I was going to get one, now im starting to look elsewhere
 
BeerMonster said:
you guys think this unit is worth it? I was going to get one, now im starting to look elsewhere
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Recently, I tested the n4S and compared it with the A229Pro. Whether it's day or night, the clarity of the front camera of the n4S is slightly worse than that of the A229Pro due to resolution issues. However, compared to other 2.5k or 2k dash cams, it is already very good. I think this is a cost-effective product. What I am most dissatisfied with is that at the highest resolution, the video will appear distorted。
 
All dash cams are a tradeoff of features (predominantly number of cameras, camera resolution, and how quickly you’ll fill a memory card). You need to decide which features are a priority for you.

A three camera setup is likely best for rideshare use or if you want to keep track of a new driver’s habits because of the cabin camera and IR LEDs that can see in the dark. The N4S is great for this purpose and offers 2.5k cameras all around. I’m certain the issues that I’ve reported have already or will soon be solved. Given my interactions with the Vantrue team, I would purchase their products with full confidence that any issues will be resolved. The N4 Pro S is similar to the N4S, but uses a higher resolution 4k front camera and a lower resolution cabin camera. The horizontal form factor of the Nexus series will install neatly behind a rear view mirror for older cars that don't have a huge housing behind the mirror.

If you are looking for ultimate image quality, the E1 Pro is the obvious choice with its 4k camera and highest bitrate of the bunch, but it’s a single channel system. It's also exceptionally small and is very unobtrusive when installed.

If you drive in a congested area and/or are concerned about parking, the E360 is an awesome choice for its 360 degree field of view where nothing can escape being captured by the camera. This camera needs to be mounted a little lower on the window so the 360 degree recording works well without obstructions from a rear view mirror.

The S1 Pro Max is presently the closest thing to a dual 4k channel E1 Pro (in terms of image quality) and it offers extra AI safety features for those with a car that lacks these features. Its wedge shape form factor fits neatly next to or behind a rear view mirror, and even fits behind my sun visor without interfering with its movement, so installation is also pretty unobtrusive.

I'd be happy with any of these cameras, and would pick the one that provides the coverage and resolution that fit my driving circumstances.
 
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haiou_f said:
Recently, I tested the n4S and compared it with the A229Pro. Whether it's day or night, the clarity of the front camera of the n4S is slightly worse than that of the A229Pro due to resolution issues. However, compared to other 2.5k or 2k dash cams, it is already very good. I think this is a cost-effective product. What I am most dissatisfied with is that at the highest resolution, the video will appear distorted。
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A229 Pro has overheating issues and design flaws. People looking for Viofo should move on to the A329 series.
 
haiou_f said:
Recently, I tested the n4S and compared it with the A229Pro. Whether it's day or night, the clarity of the front camera of the n4S is slightly worse than that of the A229Pro due to resolution issues. However, compared to other 2.5k or 2k dash cams, it is already very good. I think this is a cost-effective product. What I am most dissatisfied with is that at the highest resolution, the video will appear distorted。
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The S1 Pro Max is a 4K front + 4K Rear camera. It also supports 15 FPS parkng mode under low bitrate.
 
haiou_f said:
The S1 Pro Max is indeed a high-performance dash cam
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This is another option, although I just received today. It's a 3 channel 4K front 1080P Interior and 2.5K rear. I've been using the N4 Pro happily but will be swapping it out with this one.

Vantrue cameras are a solid choice.
 
A few weeks ago, Wendy sent me a replacement rear camera for the N4S dashcam. After a few weeks of using it, I'm happy to report that I'm not seeing any more dropped files. I'm guessing that I received an early sample and that subsequent production is using an updated rear camera.
 
I received a replacement N4 Pro S which corrected a slight out of focus condition I experienced on the first unit (which I believe was a pre-production unit).
 
I just posted a comparison of the interior cameras between the N4S (1440p) and the N4 Pro S (1080p). You can find them in my N4 Pro S thread:

EricSan

Post in thread 'Reviewing and Testing the Vantrue N4 Pro S'

haiou_f said:
You have ever tested two dashcams, n4ProS and n4S， May I ask if there is a difference in the actual clarity of the internal camera between the two dashcams, even though the image sensors are different.thanks！
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Here are some screen caps comparing the internal cabin cameras for the N4S and the N4 Pro S. I used exactly the same windshield mount for each camera, thus the vantage point is exactly identical. Overall, there appears to be very little difference between the 1080p (N4 Pros S) and the 1440p (N4S) images from each.

Drive mode for the N4S has 2560x1440 resolution at 14.3Mb/s...
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