Smallest Ambarella Car DVR a.k.a. Mini 0801

jokiin said:
or is it telling you that encoding video is ok but encoding audio and video is a struggle, is it tripping up in the write process, or earlier than that?

just been thinking about it and I'm wondering if variable bit rate encoding is part of their problem
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This sounds possible, maybe tomorrow I'll run some tests to find out the actual difference in bitrate between audio + no audio, and video full hd + video 720p.

If the difference between the latter two is bigger, than what you sare suggesting sounds likely.

What's strange though is that after the camera is turned on and produces the errors, I can manually start it recording again and there will be no errors.

Therefore it might be a combination of what you suggested + the initial powering up stage (for some unknown reason!)

Hopefully the camera doesn't error overnight/in the morning when it fills up and I have to retract my last few essays :confused:
 
jokiin said:
or is it telling you that encoding video is ok but encoding audio and video is a struggle, is it tripping up in the write process, or earlier than that?

just been thinking about it and I'm wondering if variable bit rate encoding is part of their problem
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That's a possibility, suggesting firmware, or in Jez' s case could even be a camera hardware issue thats affecting write speeds.
IOW though we can check a cards speed on a PC , we have no way of knowing how efficiently and at what speeds the camera itself can write to the card. These issues could even be limited to just one factory source, as lots of users don't have any problems.
The fact however that Jaz's problem only occurs at power on, also leaves me a little reluctant to rule out the power supply or a poor mini USB connection. I don't have his camera on my workbench so its all guesswork. :-((
 
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Jez said:
What's strange though is that after the camera is turned on and produces the errors, I can manually start it recording again and there will be no errors.

Therefore it might be a combination of what you suggested + the initial powering up stage (for some unknown reason!)
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there are some other things that happen when the camera first boots (file system check etc) which don't need to happen if you're powered on already, adding a short delay before recording commences may help this, don't know if the engineers have looked at doing this or not, if even possible, the product has some (self inflicted) hardware limitations which makes their job harder and does limit what is possible somewhat
 
jokiin said:
there are some other things that happen when the camera first boots (file system check etc) which don't need to happen if you're powered on already, adding a short delay before recording commences may help this, don't know if the engineers have looked at doing this or not, if even possible, the product has some (self inflicted) hardware limitations which makes their job harder and does limit what is possible somewhat
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Seems strange that many users don't get any issues at all, unless its only affecting camera's coming from one certain factory. With a few exceptions we must remember that people only tend to come on forums like this when they have issues, and I assume they must sell a lot of them.
 
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I do think the problem with mine is start up related as well. Like Jez, mine usually stops recording within the first 10-30 seconds. If I pay close attention to the screen when it's turning on I can see the camera "struggling." The animated red dot on the screen that indicates when it's recording blinks very inconsistently during this start up period and you can tell it's struggling to do everything it needs to do.
 
jokiin said:
keep in mind not all are identical hardware spec
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That's exactly what I was suggesting. :) One things certain, not having a single standard hardware version from one factory source does not help. :-(
 
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Jez said:
I feel like I'm coming to the end of the road to getting this dash cam working, and it really frustrates me that JazJon has his working on 20130924!

Just a reminder:

-No GPS, no internal memory, bought from "eprance" on ebay, not "e-prance"
-Using a 32gb Class 4 Sandisk card (definitely not fake)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B004G606Q2-Factory shipped with 20130924, produced "low speed card" and "storage io error"
-Updated firmware to 20130924 provided on this website, updated successfully
-Still gives "low speed card" and "storage io error"
-Also tried on a class 10 ultra sandisk card and it produces the same errors

I could try a class 6 card, but don't have one so would have to just buy another and there are of course no guarantees that it would work.

I have emailed the ebay seller and he has not replied.

Has anyone got any other ideas? Otherwise I'm going to file a Paypal dispute with the seller :(
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I have no GPS no Internal storage 0801, running FW0902 :( BUT IT WORKS !

I was using a Kingston 32GB C4 card, which worked with no issues at all, perfect, up until I bricked it! the SD card that is.
I had out of the packet a Sandisk 32GB C10 card, this again worked with no issuse for a few days with the 0801 connected to the PC. Put it in the car again worked with no issues, until one journey home it came back with "LOW SPEED CARD ERROR" and shut down. I rebooted only for it to happen again.

I got another Kingston 32GB C4 card, and again this has been working with no issues. No errors and looping. All appears to be OK, I check the files ever so often all of them can be seen and read.

I found the following article:

http://www.phonearena.com/news/SanDisk-says-it-produced-some-bad-32GB-and-64GB-microSD-cards_id40986

So perhaps we should compile a list of known card types that are known to work with spec of camera. Not sure if this has been discussed in this novel of a thread.
 
JazJon said:
Interesting! That could be it!
"you can contact the company and receive a replacement."

All the more reasons to try the Samsung Class 6 card instead.
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I did contact Sandisk, it was more hassle than it was worth, so sent it back to the seller I purchased it from. Sandisk were asking all sorts of questions:

Regarding your reported issue we would need to check:-
Which software/utility you use to bench mark the speed. -
What reader or USB port do you use to read the card. -
What is the speed of your USB Connection, 1.0, 2.0 or 3.0 etc. -
What is your operating system?-
What is the make and the model of the device that you use the card?In order to test your card please download and run ATTO Benchmark Utility – which is a free application – from the direct download link below: http://www.attotech.com/products/product.php?sku=Disk_Benchmark

As soon as testing is over please provide a screen shot of the result. If the write performance is lower than the expected range then we will give you further instructions.

Additionally we would like to ask you the following regarding the microSd card:-

What was the last thing you were doing when the card failed (video, picture, recording voice, music, running a specific app, nothing)?-
Did you try to format the card on a computer?
Please provide the below information so that we can verify the authenticity of your memory card and register it for warranty purposes:-
Serial number (take note of all the numbers that you can find on the card)-
Information printed on the front of the card-
Place of purchase-
Date of purchase (MM/DD/YYYY)-
Do you see the letter "R" or the word "Refurb/Refurbished" at the back of the card?-
How was the product packaged at the time of purchase?- Phone number

I can understand the questions......but I don't have time for all of that....busy boy you know
 
DDP said:
I found the following article:

http://www.phonearena.com/news/SanDisk-says-it-produced-some-bad-32GB-and-64GB-microSD-cards_id40986

So perhaps we should compile a list of known card types that are known to work with spec of camera. Not sure if this has been discussed in this novel of a thread.
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This was mentioned in quite a few computer mags a little time ago, and I believe someone did mention it quite a while ago way back in this thread, think it was around 35 pages when I started reading it so somewhere round that area or a few pages later. I tend to avoid Sandisk cards anyway, as I had a couple SD cards last year go down on my DSLR camera which happened to be Sandisk Ultra's.

It's become a Novel of a thread because users with issues are adding to it...LOL instead of starting their own thread under http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/forums/mini-0801.37/ which would be much easier for new users to find information, much better than having to look through 85 pages. ;-) It was a little awkward to do this before we had our own section on the forum, and I'm as guilty as the next person, but no excuses..now. ;-) It would also help to reduce any confusion that can occur when a few people are posting on different issues at the same time in the same thread. (and I get confused easily...lol)

** CAN NEW USERS WITH ISSUES PLEASE CONSIDER STARTING YOUR OWN NEW THREAD IN THE MAIN SECTION ** (and don't worry they WILL get read)

http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/forums/mini-0801.37/

As more solid information is established it will be added to the Mini 0801 FAQ Here http://dashcamtalk.com/mini-0801/
 
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JazJon said:
Interesting! That could be it!
"you can contact the company and receive a replacement."

All the more reasons to try the Samsung Class 6 card instead.
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Not sure though. I have experienced loop recording error in both my Samsung 32Gb class 10 and Samsung 8Gb class 4 cards. To me I highly doubt a Samsung class 6 card is going to solve this problem :/
 
efoo said:
Not sure though. I have experienced loop recording error in both my Samsung 32Gb class 10 and Samsung 8Gb class 4 cards. To me I highly doubt a Samsung class 6 card is going to solve this problem :/
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It likely will not help you at all efoo. However, if the user intends buying some new cards, then opting for class 6 is probably a wise move. We are not saying go out and buy new class 6 cards and it will cure it, as we simply don't know, but if you need to buy new cards then yes it may be prudent to buy class 6 for this camera or similar camera's for that matter, and just because my first 2 camera's have been running for 4 weeks, 1 almost non stop without major issues with Samsung C6 cards doesn't mean everyone will have the same good result. I likely have camera's with hardware versions that work properly. ;-)

I will reiteriate though that the USB sockets on these camera's can be a bit iffy (on my 1st camera anyway) and can momentarily drop connection if the plugs a little loose... something to bear in mind, as I did experience one of them continually stopping shortly after powering on. A quick blast of isopropyl and making the mini-usb plug a little firmer cured it. Thats the only running issue I've really had, that was on the first camera I received. Incidently that 1st camera is run almost constantly 24/7 as it's used as a home security cam. (Yes I know it likely wont last long..lol, though it's still going strong after 2 weeks abuse.)

The 2nd and 3rd cameras from E-Prance have worked brilliantly without a glitch at all. The first 2 have just the GPS and have 0913 firmware, the 3rd has both GPS and 8GB and it's on 0922 firmware, which e-prance say is the latest versions for those cameras. As joklin suggests, it's possible we are not all receiving the same internal hardware, as sellers source from different factories, which may explain why many don't get any issues while others do.. but purely conjecture. I can only state that my own experiences buying from E-Prance have been good.
 
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JazJon said:
Maybe but I think YouTube in General has that pretty well covered. I plan on doing more exciting tours in the near future.
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Thanks for considering it. I'll be looking forward to the more exciting tours!!
 
smitty69 said:
One thing is certain - it is not resolved to the point where this product should be widely available - I have seen no firm logic from any vendors which says "this now works - we solved it - it was x,y,z - and we solved it by doing a,b,c........" - instead all there seems to be is "try this" or "have a go with that" or "change the firmware"

Trying different cards and different loop settings is a task of the manufacturer - not a task to pass onto us consumers. All this should be resolved in testing before release.

I wouldnt want a camera which I had to "change the firmware" on it - I would expect a stable version of the firmware to be present on my purchase.

Or is it just me?

I bought a camcorder once - if I had to change the firmware on it - or fiddle around with one brand and one class of memory card (with no clear direction on that either) - I would send it back - period.

Its a shame - because it looks like a great unit. I would pay more for it if it worked.

Out of all the people who took the plunge - I wonder how many got a good one? It would be interesting to know the stat on that.
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Smitty, I did get a "good one". The factory installed version has been stable, and like you I am reluctant to mess with the firmware, unless the vendor recommends it, or the current firmware just does not work.
 
OldGoat said:
I used e-prance from Amazon. That person's name was "Nancy", maybe she took the handle from the Beatles Rocky Raccoon lyrics:p .
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I bought mine from E-Prance on Amazon too, no issues at all on last 2, and although my 1st one had a faulty down button in that it would only work if pressed with sideways pressure applied, which I decided to open it up and repair myself, E-Prance did cover my time for the repair (one side of the SM switch had not been soldered) Obviously I no longer have any warranty on that 1st camera, but it was my choice. I've been in the electronics repair business for many years so not a difficult task, though I wouldn't advise anyone to do the same..lol. The procedure was covered some 30 pages back in this thread. ;-) The person I dealt with whose name I won't mention here (but none of those already mentioned) was very nice to deal with and resolved the issue to my full satisfaction, and considering my initial annoyance she handled it extremely well IMO. AIS I've since purchased 2 more from them, and they both worked great out of the box.

I'm currently awaiting a Mio 368 WDR cam + anti glare filter, but thats from a seller in Taiwan, so when it arrives I'll fit one of the 0801's in the wifes car. I'm just a mug for gadgets..lol at least these are dirt cheap, not like the small fortunes I've spent on other toys.. but thats what us daft men do, and more so when you retire, and lets face it, if you haven't got a few pennies by the time your've retired your'll likely never have any...lol
 
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I bought my cam from e-prance (exchanged a message or two with Demi). I have the 0903 firmware and I'm using a Kingston Class 4 card. I've only had it for a few days now but no error messages have popped up on the screen and it seems to be looping just fine. Should I be looking for any other errors? I haven't noticed any start-up or shutdown errors either.

I'm so glad I bought this. Just yesterday a guy blew a yield sign which could have caused me to get rear ended. The cam captured his plates perfectly.

I'm now thinking about switching this to the rear and upgrading to either a Vicovation cam or a Lukas for the front. The WF1 features seem nice but then again I'm not sure that I really need all of them.
 
walt007 said:
I bought my cam from e-prance (exchanged a message or two with Demi). I have the 0903 firmware and I'm using a Kingston Class 4 card. I've only had it for a few days now but no error messages have popped up on the screen and it seems to be looping just fine. Should I be looking for any other errors? I haven't noticed any start-up or shutdown errors either.

I'm so glad I bought this. Just yesterday a guy blew a yield sign which could have caused me to get rear ended. The cam captured his plates perfectly.

I'm now thinking about switching this to the rear and upgrading to either a Vicovation cam or a Lukas for the front. The WF1 features seem nice but then again I'm not sure that I really need all of them.
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NO.. your cam sounds like its fine which the majority are, don't go looking for issues where there isn't any..lol. Yes these cams can be very handy in the event something unfortunate occurs while driving.. Fortunately I've never had an accident in over 45yrs driving but with roads being busier than ever and drivers getting less considerate with many turning into total idiots when they get behind the wheel, having camera's in the car can be useful if the worst were to happen. We can only hope the footage captured will never be needed. (I think of it as being a bit like insurance..lol)
 
JazJon said:
so worth a try! go for it
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you can try to use the w/ GPS firmware on your no GPS device, there is no problem if the hardware is same.
but, please do not upgrade a NO GPS firmware to your w/ GPS device, you will lose the GPS function.
you can try NO internal storage firmware on your W/ storage device, that may works properly;
NEVER upgrade w/ internal storage firmware to a NO storage device, it will be damaged, confidently.

Jez said:
Yes, my g sensor apparently calibrates, whether it works or not I don't know.
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Jez, i am not sure where you got your 0801; there are too much posts in the past days which will take a long long time to find out....
if necessary, you can try the 20130913 we are using on NO internal storage W/ GPS devices. Wish you a good luck.
www.megcn.com/cn/upload/product/dvr/X24/20130913-NO1-SPIF-TB15.bin
other guys, please remember my warning before you download:
Firmware only works stable on specified hardware!
you'd better prepare a backup of your current firmware on PC, before you copy a different version to your TF
 
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