[SOLVED] Cannot get into the main menu anymore (initially worked)

drm

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My 4 month old cameras would not get into the main menu.
This worked for about 1 week since bought new if I held the ^ (up) button for > 3 seconds.
I have a feeling that this must be a firmware issue, as there is no way in hell the button would fail in this manner. It still works for navigation in the other menu and turns on and off the microphone just fine.

This absolutely drives me nuts as I have to pull the cameras to delete the files when the cards are about full. Coupled with total lack of looping (where the camera would erase the oldest videos) this is insane.

Did anyone else have the same issue? Is there a solution or an updated firmware?

I got the cameras from Gearbest but they do not seem to have a phone# and their chat function only offers to resolve pre-sale issues, so I have no choice other than to ask here.

Thanks, all!
 
What firmware version are your cameras? I'm going to go check what my 2 are right now. I haven't had this occur yet..
 
They still have the original firmware I bought them with 4 months ago (actually, end of Dec 2016). But as I cannot get into the menu, I can't tell the exact version.

For about a month I could fiddle with the power button and if I pressed ^ button in the right split second during the splash screen when the cameras were just turned on, they would bring up the main menu fine. But for about 2 months or so even that method does not work anymore.

There must be some memory error, like a leak or similar, in the firmware which could cause this issue with ignored button press event. I am a software developer so this sounds like the most likely root cause. Unless of course something un-set an event handler, but that would not explain gradual worsening of the symptom.

I am contemplating letting the battery completely discharge for the cameras to re-set themselves, maybe that might fix the issue?

EDIT: Just tried it again, and if I do the following actions in this sequence:
1. Power off the camera.
2. Power on
3. Immediately press and release the ^ button
4. Press and hold the ^ button

Then the main menu would appear and disappear after a split second.

Another issue is that I cannot stop the video. When I press OK it spins the circle of dots, then returns to normal recording operation. This is sounding more and more like a memory leak of some sort.
 
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I'm on 20151201 V1.0. Not sure if that is what came on yours since you got them in December. Might be.

I hope draining the battery works. Let me know if you are able to upgrade the firmware.
 
It just occurred to me, that motion detection could be interfering with turning off recording, and that was true!!!
I put the lens against the mouse pad and in complete darkness turned off recording.
Then I was able to go into the main menu.

This issue should be addressed by the developers of firmware - motion detection should not prevent turning off recording or entering into the main menu.
Ideally, it should not be required to stop recording. If the owner wants to enter the main menu, it is more important than recording.

Are the devs visiting this forum at all?

And the firmware version is 20150821 v1.0
 
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you can't enter the menu while there is a recording in progress, that's the expected behavior, if you have motion detect turned on (not really advisable to use it on this model) you need to cover the sensor to stop it recording first
 
This behaviour is bizarre and it is not documented in the manual!
How are we expected to do this kind of acrobatics in the confines of a vehicle?
You should address this in the next firmware: if recording was stopped by pressing the Ok button, motion detection must not re-start recording until power is cycled. If the user stopped recording, the camera should automatically re-start only when it is powered on again or when the main menu is closed. Doing otherwise makes no sense whatsoever.

There is no warning anywhere that motion detection is not recommended either. If motion detection is an available advertized funtion, it must work. I bought the cameras based on the advertized functions and you are backing out of the deal retroactively now.

But also what you said is not totally true! When the camera is not recording anymore due to a write error on the card, I still cannot enter the menu. So you have some debugging to do to make the program no longer think it is recording when it is not.
 
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This behaviour is bizarre and it is not documented in the manual!
How are we expected to do this kind of acrobatics in the confines of a vehicle?
You should address this in the next firmware: if recording was stopped by pressing the Ok button, motion detection must not re-start recording until power is cycled. If the user stopped recording, the camera should automatically re-start only when it is powered on again or when the main menu is closed. Doing otherwise makes no sense whatsoever.

There is no warning anywhere that motion detection is not recommended either. If motion detection is an available advertized funtion, it must work. I bought the cameras based on the advertized functions and you are backing out of the deal retroactively now.

But also what you said is not totally true! When the camera is not recording anymore due to a write error on the card, I still cannot enter the menu. So you have some debugging to do to make the program no longer think it is recording when it is not.

you seem to be a little bit confused, I'm not backing out of anything and there's nothing for me to fix, this is not one of our products, I was just explaining to you why things are the way they are
 
Then what was your source of information about "motion detect turned on (not really advisable to use it on this model)"? That sounded like manufacturer's recommendation and you sure managed to confuse me.
 
Then what was your source of information about "motion detect turned on (not really advisable to use it on this model)"? That sounded like manufacturer's recommendation and you sure managed to confuse me.

I don't make this model but I'm still aware of the problems with motion detect so I mentioned it, would you prefer I didn't say something?
 
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