TaoTronics TT-CD05 Dashcam

[HPKA]

I originally did this review in December 2015. It was this review sample that got me into Dashcams. I orignally wrote it for Youtube and Amazon.

My review text + links:

Amazon.ca Title: TaoTronics Car Dashboard Camera HD 1080P Wide Angle with G-Sensor WDR Night Mode 2.7" Screen
Amazon.ca Link: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/B018V8HQ7WAmazon.com Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0119F9EPGManufacturer's website Link: http://www.taotronics.com/taotronics-car-black-box-car-carmera.html

3rd April 2016 Note: There is a firmware update for this camera available: http://www.taotronics.com/downloads-51-36009-021.html

--- My review text ---

I did a video hands on with the TaoTronics Car Dashboard Camera... which I will refer to as a Dashcam for the rest of this review, since that's the popular name for this kind of camera. It's job is simple, turn on and start recording when you start your car, film what it can see out of the windscreen/windshield, loop the recording so you don't have to clear off old files, and turn off automatically when you stop the car.

This dashcam does all of that excellently. I have mine mounted, using it's suction cup mount, behind my rear-view mirror so it does not distract me while driving. It can be set to stamp the time on the lower right of the recording (see the video) and even your license/number plate if you wish. If the camera detects power coming in on it's miniUSB port, it will automatically turn on and start recording (this can be changed in settings if you wish). So, in my case, whenever I turn my car on, the camera starts immediately. It will even pick up audio (again, can be disabled in settings). It records in 1920x1080 .mov files, which can be set to be split however you wish (I have mine creating a new file every 5 minutes of recording, making it easier to find things). Recordings on the default settings with audio capture on will record at about 90MB/min. There is an input socket for a GPS module of some kind, but I've not used this. Also, there is a (settable) delay from when the camera detects the power went off to when it shuts down (I have mine on 30 seconds).

I tried it out during an overcast day at first. The camera's wide field of view did a great job at capturing pretty much the entire front of my car. The flat light didn't seem to bother it at all. I then tested on the highway and in the rain (where I had my first near miss from a driver who didn't look before changing lanes). An important tip is to always mount your camera looking through a part of your windscreen/windshield where the wipers clear away rainfall, otherwise the camera's view will be impaired. I had done this and the camera could see as well as I could. In a city test, it was clear that the camera was picking up license plates nicely if the cars were reasonably close (certainly clear enough that you could zoom in on a screen capture and get the details). It could read a BC License Plate nicely when I was pulled up within a few metres of the car ahead, if you were reading a UK Number Plate, this would be even further as they are bigger. It was also easily picking up street signs and traffic lights. A night test proved that it coped with low light conditions excellently as well, the camera wasn't blinded by oncoming car headlights or overhead lights etc.

In an accident, there is a G force sensor which I believe will set the recording to read only. You can also manually do this using the controls if you wish. Of course I didn't test the accident function with a live test, I like my car too much.

Overall I really like this dashcam and I will be keeping it in my car. I'm even tempted to get one for the rear windscreen as well in case anyone rams me from behind.

Pros:
* Works excellently in all light conditions
* Automatically powers on when it detects power
* Loop recording (deletes old, non-read-only, files when your memory card is full)
* 32GB microSD card included
* Excellent suction mount
* Clever, well thought out settings and options, and easy to use, reasonably large buttons for controls.

Cons:
* None

Tips & Notes:
* Make sure you place this dashcam facing out of an area of your windscreen/windshield that is cleared by your wipers
* A car power adapter with a fixed long cable is included for discrete routing. If you want to use your own adapter, a multiport USB car charger should work fine (mine did) but only a short (approx. 1m/3.3ft) cable is included, so you may need a longer miniUSB to USB-A cable if this bothers you.
* Set the time accurately
* Go through the settings carefully the first time to get this as you like it
* Read the manual on TaoTronics Website
* This review is of the TaoTronics Model TT-CD05 Car Dashboard Camera

I was given a sample in exchange for an honest opinion

Here's an album of screengrabs (taken using VLC) from the source videos.

However, you'll want the actual video, here's the last one used for the review: http://www.mediafire.com/download/7xidw7i6hbcxm2p/2015_1228_144156_077.MOV

And that leads me neatly into the MediaInfo:

General

Complete name                            : \\hfs\HomeVideos\Video Product Reviews\Taotronics Dashcam\2015_1228_144156_077.MOV
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : QuickTime
Codec ID                                 : qt   0000.00 (qt  )
File size                                : 269 MiB
Duration                                 : 2mn 53s
Overall bit rate                         : 13.1 Mbps
Movie_More                               : CarDV-TURNKEY
Encoded date                             : UTC 2015-12-28 14:44:47
Tagged date                              : UTC 2015-12-28 14:44:47
Origin                                   : NVT-IM

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames                : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP                     : M=1, N=15
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 2mn 53s
Bit rate                                 : 11.9 Mbps
Width                                    : 1 920 pixels
Height                                   : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 30.000 fps
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.191
Stream size                              : 245 MiB (91%)
Language                                 : English
Encoded date                             : UTC 2015-12-28 14:44:47
Tagged date                              : UTC 2015-12-28 14:44:47

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : PCM
Format settings, Endianness              : Little
Format settings, Sign                    : Signed
Codec ID                                 : sowt
Duration                                 : 2mn 53s
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 512 Kbps
Channel(s)                               : 1 channel
Sampling rate                            : 32.0 KHz
Bit depth                                : 16 bits
Stream size                              : 10.6 MiB (4%)
Language                                 : English
Encoded date                             : UTC 2015-12-28 14:44:47
Tagged date                              : UTC 2015-12-28 14:44:47

And as for the camera's images ability, well, it appears to take screengrabs too. These were taken using the image capture button.



Album of lots of images from the same drive

I've used it for three months after I shot the review. I still like it. My main tips if you buy it are:

1. Set the screensaver option (which actually turns the screen off) when you set it up
2. Update the firmware (link above) and set your timezone after you do
3. Memorize which button is the lock file button, and which is the take image button... I might draw it on the button myself honestly, I keep forgetting
4. You can use a different USB charger (I'm using a 4 port Aukey one) and/or miniUSB cable, I bought myself a longer one to route through the car.

I'll update you all with a separate review of the GPS dongle soon. TaoTronics just sent it to me and I've been testing it + giving feedback (mainly around needing to use the latest Registrator Viewer for the data to be used). Perhaps this paragraph will be a placeholder.

 

[KyleVic]

I made an account just to ask you some questions.
I had to remove my internal Tao battery due to the fact it buldged and popped everything off. It is still working perfectly fine when plugged into the car when running, however it does not write onto the sd card anymore. Is there a fix for this? Basically how can I make it work?
2nd.. Can I set a timer on how long I want the camera to record after I park?
Thanks.

 

[HPKA]

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.

SD Card issue: My first thought is try a few other SD cards on that.

Battery: Mine mysteriously shut down about a month ago after I pulled it out to use as a travel dashcam. It also became noticeably hot afterwards during charging. I unplugged it, let it cool etc. However, now it won't turn on, although the red charging light is on. Have tried removing the SD card but no noticeable difference.

I'd be curious how you actually got into the dashcam to remove the battery? I think it might be the issue with mine.