useless as an accident dashcam ( only 30 seconds protected on button push )

[Kremmen]

I do the same. I just let the Dashcam run in time order and if necessary I'll hunt down the time frame I need.

I've got all sensors off or minimum as allowed and I'd never attempt any fancy button presses and mess with the recording/saving sequences.

 

[woodbar]

I do make a mental or physical note of the time of an incident I want to keep, then easily take dashcam to laptop later, find and download the clip(s) needed, and assemble, if necessary, using a free video editor, sufficient time before and after the incident to make a useful video.

I rest my case, m'lud

 

[Decking]

I rest my case, m'lud

I was wondering which dashcam you use? Maybe you could recommend one that records or saves 2 mins of video before and after the pressing of a save button

 

[StreetF117]

Only just noticed this thread and I see there are lots of arguments and alternatives.

I agree with the OP - I expect a sensibly designed dashcam and OS to protect a pertinent amount of footage both before and after the use of the emergency situation caused by a correctly calibrated and sensitivity adjusted G sensor or the manually activated button.

After all, the relevant authorities require a 2 minute before and after clip to validate the occurrence so surely any UK based manufacturer or distributor would include this in the specification or at least explain this in the marketing material rather than hiding it away in the small print?

To say that the user should carry a shed load of pre-formatted cards or use WiFi to transfer clips to your phone is, quite frankly, ridiculous! A dashcam is an automated, micro-processor controlled electronic device that, once set up via the menu to your requirements, should quietly sit in the background until an emergency occurs and then make sure that at some later time you can reliably access the particular time frame either side of that occurrence?

In any case, as a former user of a Nextbase WiFi enabled camera, I agree with the previous poster that this function is so slow and unreliable that your phone and possibly the car battery would run flat before you accomplished it!

If you have just been involved in an accident or suffered a road rage incident you hopefully might have the presence of mind to jab the button BUT you are unlikely to want to look for a "picnic spot" to play around with spare SD cards or painfully slow WiFi!

Hi Woodbar,


2mins before and after may be the case for many relevant authorities but I am from England and occasionally send dash cam footage to the police re observed alleged traffic offences etc and all the ones I have sent footage too all only require 1 min before and after, except one.

The only one I have noted so far, that requires 2mins before and after is Bedfordshire police.

Regards

StrreefF17

 

[kamkar]

I used mental notes for things i wanted to save for years, but i also lost a lot on that account as the memory failed me, now that cameras have a better working event button i use that, but granted on many systems that could only act as a flag / marker for a event where it or parts of it would be outside the saved / locked part, which are also okay as long as you do not have a small memory card, and retrieve your event ASAP as you should if it was something you cared about.
My SG camera save 2 X 3 minutes,,,, from each camera, so that is 12 minutes of footage or 6 X 350 / 400 MB in storage terms, so with that i always get the event locked, the Viofo cameras i am testing, well they only save the current file ( 3 minutes i use ) so if you are at the very start or end of a file that might still leave with stuff outside of the locked file, but as i said that file are still a good marker as to where to look for the rest.

Also the SG camera also snap a picture,,,, which i use a lot cuz a event 1 month or even older, TBH i cant recall why i pressed the button, but the photo let me know when, and i have also made it a habbit to say out loud why i pressed the button a short while after i have done that.
And so with that routine i loose nothing, even weeks - + month old stuff as i use 256GB memory cards.

The dashcam are not a solution to all problems, they still have their drawbacks, and TBH i still look upon them as infants, with a long way to go before they will actually be able to take care of all things for me.
Until then like a child you have to work with it, not against it, to have some level of enjoyment at least.

 

[woodbar]

I was wondering which dashcam you use? Maybe you could recommend one that records or saves 2 mins of video before and after the pressing of a save button

I have a couple of different Viofo models on the go at the moment and unfortunately some of their items do not do the before and/or after trick either!

It can even depend on the firmware version per model so I am always very careful with updates as on occasion you can find you have gained a facility which is useless and lost something critical (for me).

Some use the 15 sec rule - if the incident is within 15 sec from the start of the clip then the preceding file is also marked RO as well as the current file - similarly if the incident is within 15 secs from the end of the clip then the current file and the next file are marked RO.

However, as a minimum they all at least just mark the current file as RO and the length depends on your clip setting - 1,2,3,5 or 10 mins etc.

The only one I have noted so far, that requires 2mins before and after is Bedfordshire police.

I was not aware of that but another to add to your list - Avon & Somerset require 2 min before and after.

It is a shame that there are obviously no standards and in any case if something happens almost immediately after starting the car it will be impossible to have the 1 or 2 min preceding footage anyway.

Surely it would be far safer and reliable to just always mark 3 files as RO per incident - preceding, current and next - then the user could just adjust the setting for clip length and could be absolutely sure that they have whatever "before & after" frames they desire whilst keeping the memory used by the RO files to a reasonable size?

 

[Kremmen]

I must be missing a trick here.

I've just driven a 30 mile journey in 40 minutes. I have 13 by 3 minute consecutive files, with no gaps, and a final 1 minute file, also consecutive.

If I'd have needed to send an incident, I've got many more minutes available both sides than the consecutive ~5 minutes some forces want. No pressing buttons whilst driving, etc.

 

[woodbar]

If I'd have needed to send an incident, I've got many more minutes available both sides than the consecutive ~5 minutes some forces want. No pressing buttons whilst driving, etc.

Yes, that's fine if you want to have to search through 40 minutes of files (or even longer on a bigger trip) to find the point of interest?

Whereas, if you undertook the arduous task of pressing a button somewhere near the time of the incident then you should (would, if designed properly) have only 2 or 3 files to download instead of 13 or more!

 

[Kremmen]

No I don't need to search through 40 minutes of files. If I'd trapped an incident about, say, half way through a journey, why would I start from the first file ?

There are a number of easy options:

If I know roughly where I am then, after downloading to PC, I can use Dashcam Viewer and use the integrated Google Maps display and click on any part of the highlighted route and I will be taken to exactly that place amongst the files.

Or, I could make a mental note of the time and head to that file via the filename that includes date and time.

Or, If I was say roughly half way through the journey I could home in midway through the files.

Or, I could use the PC large icon display to see the image start of each file.

I use the options regularly because I verify speed cameras for another website. As I'm driving I make mental notes of where a new camera(s) is/are and when passing the exact location I shout "Mark" into the dashcam microphone to confirm the exact location. Then when I get home I use one of the above methods to identify that 3 minute clip and I'm rarely more than 1 file out.

I think trying to press buttons is making a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[woodbar]

Well, that is perfect for you then because you are a regular user and have a specific task for which you have formulated a system that works well for you - great.

I would suggest, however, that your average "Joe" (or Jill) that goes into Halfrauds to get a dashcam, because he (she) has been watching "Catching Britain's Speeders" etc., is probably not going to frequent forums such as this, to find out what the marketeers have glossed over and might well believe the hype about "just press the button to save any incident that occurs".

When they download a file on Saturday of an incident they "saved" on Wednesday it is of no use, as it is too short and does not show the relevant info. The supporting files from either side have now been over-written.

So I am afraid I still think the thread title and the first OP post is accurate and pertinent.

Also, please don't shout at Mark, you could just politely ask him to press the button

 

[Hey Hoser]

I guess when dashcams are integrated into new cars, with internal storage to keep video clips long enough, or when dashcam technology matures a little more, this discussion will become irrelevant

 

[woodbar]

I guess when dashcams are integrated into new cars, with internal storage to keep video clips long enough, or when dashcam technology matures a little more, this discussion will become irrelevant

Yes, that is very true, the sooner the better.

Trouble is I believe that dashcams are illegal in some countries (don't know how Google Street View works there?) but no doubt it will be a "value added" option on most makes anyway although I think there are one or two available now?

As for maturing technology, in some instances they seem to be concentrating on higher resolutions and frame rates rather some of the more basic UI requirements to make them simple and fool proof to operate - a bit like flat panel TVs really!

 

[Decking]

I guess when dashcams are integrated into new cars, with internal storage to keep video clips long enough, or when dashcam technology matures a little more, this discussion will become irrelevant

The conversation will then be Hey, the car hasn’t informed the police to start a prosecution, or it hasn’t informed the lawyer to start hunting for damages or it hasn’t informed the body shop to order parts. I’m sure as a specie we will never be satisfied with what we have. Just as some appear not to be satisfied today.

 

[Meljoy]

Hi everyone. I've just got a 522gw bundle in December and 4 weeks later it froze. Took it back to halfords and they replaced the 128 card . Its now done it 4th times in 2 weeks and they want me back to replace head unit . Going by these comments it's either card, rear cam , software or just bad camera. After reading what I've seen i think my hour slot i have with halfords now week should be not to replace head unit but remove the whole thing. So can any of you recommend a good front and rear camera with parking mode that will cover the full footage of any impact. My last car was hit and run but going on what I've read I've no faith in this camera. And to be honest i can't believe this as these come near top of the class with Google search. How and why ? But I'm changing mine so please any recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you .

 

[Decking]

Hi everyone. I've just got a 522gw bundle in December and 4 weeks later it froze. Took it back to halfords and they replaced the 128 card . Its now done it 4th times in 2 weeks and they want me back to replace head unit . Going by these comments it's either card, rear cam , software or just bad camera. After reading what I've seen i think my hour slot i have with halfords now week should be not to replace head unit but remove the whole thing. So can any of you recommend a good front and rear camera with parking mode that will cover the full footage of any impact. My last car was hit and run but going on what I've read I've no faith in this camera. And to be honest i can't believe this as these come near top of the class with Google search. How and why ? But I'm changing mine so please any recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you .

I think that most dash cams will work in pretty much the same way. There will be no recording until the actual moment of impact. The cameras then have to switch on etc. 30 secs is a long time but it will only record the incident after the event. It will only see front and back, not the sides.
I have used a number of nextbase units over a lot of years and never had a real problem, you may just have a rogue unit but see what they offer, a replacement head could well fix the problem.

 

[Dan Orrells]

Hi DundeeLad,

Welcome to DashCamTalk, I'm very sorry to hear that you only signed up for this particular post, DashCamTalk a brilliant space to source and share information and I hope that you'll continue to use it to educate yourself about Dash Cam functionalities.

Firstly, you changed your chosen recorded clip length to 3 minutes, however that would not change the protected Clip length.
Our Protected Clip Length (30 seconds) is non-adjustable. Once a user presses the Protect button, 10 seconds of footage prior to manual triggering has to be buffered in RAM. It is not possible for us to configure more than 10 seconds prior to manual triggering. The camera then stores the following 20 seconds of footage (sufficient quantity of time to neatly capture the incident and outcome) together building a 30 second clip.

You stated above that you had a 64GB SD card. I will happily provide you with a manual for the 522GW which shows the above information, as well as methods save the footage you require after an incident, which I will describe for you here;

https://cdn.nextbase.co.uk/manuals/6816DF25-2052-4398-A0C9-044C00AD1ADA/NBDVR522GW%20User%20Manual%20(English%20R8)_compressed.pdf

1) The first of course is to protect the file using the File Protect button as you did. This will record the timings I have stated above.
2) You can also manually protect files using the Dash Cam itself, which will prevent the files from being deleted. You could have manually selected as many files as you chose prior to the event to be Protected, ensuring that they would not be over-written.
3) If you were not driving far, you could have driven home and then accessed all the files via a PC. If you hadn't driven for a number of hours, the likelihood of them being overwritten on a 64GB card is very slim.
4) You could have downloaded 'MyNextbase Connect', the mobile phone app. You could then have viewed the incident footage on your phone, and saved the footage directly to your phone. You could even have shared them with the police and your insurer directly from there.
5) If you were not in a safe place to operate a Dash Cam or use a mobile Device, we would recommend to drive to the nearest off road parking spot and then initiate any of the 4 above points.

The other forum users above have also provided some interesting and correct solutions.

Finally, in regards to Firmware Updates for the Dash Cams, obviously we're going to recommend updating to the latest firmware. We are constantly reviewing and improving our Dash Cam firmware, so to provide the user with the best experience we release Firmware updates for the Dash Cams. This is completely normal for any intelligent electronic device.

I'm sorry that you were not fully aware of the Dash Cam's functionality prior to use but I am pleased that you were unharmed in the incident.

Regards,
Millie- Nextbase

Your response is utter nonsense. On your older models and any other dashcam I have used and I've used a fair few in my time (lorry driver) when the save button is pressed it saves the entirety of the specific clip either 1,2,3,5 whatever the increment is set to. Your comments about buffering is not valid. If you had an accident and were unable to offload the saved clip on your app the 30 second clip length becomes pointless.

How is it possible for much older versions of your dashcam to save the entirety of a clip? If during a 3 minute segment you pressed the save. Utton at 2 minutes it would save all the previous two minutes and the remaining minute. However with the 512 model you're unable?

It is clearly an oversight from nextbase and as the gent above says, as a dashcam it is utterly useless

 

[Dan Orrells]

So tomorrow i'm heading back to my local halfords store to return this 522GW .

The absolutely useless "30 seconds protected" has meant I may as well have had no dash cam installed for the accident i was involved in ( was tboned on a roundabout ).

After the impacted, i looked around for any other dangers, then drove to the side of the road on the nearest exit so I could assess the situation & damage, this may have taken 10 or 20 seconds...
As soon as i parked, i hit the protect button.
What was saved, was a totally useless video, the "protected" video starts, of me being stopped on a roundabout, swearing a little.. then driving to where I had parked. A video lasting exactly 30 seconds, with no useful content.
The 522GW Nextbase camera chose only to save a 30 second clip ( not the 3mins i had set in the settings ).
I am absulutly livid and just had to make an account here at dashcamtalk.com just to post my absolute dismay at nextbase, how they could get wrong such a basic function of a dash cam... utterly unbelievable.

While the lady who TBoned my admitted fault and I got the details from a car behind me witnessing the entire thing, the dash cam that I paid a reasonable £140 for did not play a part.


I've read other threads on this form and the internet, Nextbase needs to get their act together and push out a firmware update!

Simply put, if the protect key/button is pushed, mark the current video file as protected,
IF the current video file is less than 60 seconds? Save the previous one also.
FFS.
This is how my old dash cam worked, it would save the current file, no matter what and if the file was short ? It would protect the previous one also.

Nextbase, I'm returning your POS dashcam and I will be choosing another brand,

I truley hope any other 522GW owners read this and fully understand, if your involved in an incident, dont bother hitting the protect button, just unplug the dash cam, keep it in your glove box till you have a chance to download the videos.


- Seriously unhappy ( yet lucky in this incident ) custom -

DundeeLad You are absolutely correct, it is useless. All of their previous dashcams save the whole clip whenever the save button is pressed during a clip segment. The reply from nextbase below is quite frankly absolute jargon and an attempt to blind users with science to cover up their oversight when designing this dashca

 

[Privateer]

When they download a file on Saturday of an incident they "saved" on Wednesday it is of no use, as it is too short and does not show the relevant info. The supporting files from either side have now been over-written.

This is where experience comes to play. I've had different makes of dashcams since at least 2013, if not before. In the early days I'd pull the memory card to find that audio and video weren't synchronised (this and other problems can be reduced by regularly fully formatting the memory card).

I've also learnt to keep spare memory cards (and a case for them) in the glove box and if necessary I will swap cards at a convenient time to keep the details of the incident.

Please re-read Kremmen's words;

No I don't need to search through 40 minutes of files. If I'd trapped an incident about, say, half way through a journey, why would I start from the first file ?

There are a number of easy options:

If I know roughly where I am then, after downloading to PC, I can use Dashcam Viewer and use the integrated Google Maps display and click on any part of the highlighted route and I will be taken to exactly that place amongst the files.

Or, I could make a mental note of the time and head to that file via the filename that includes date and time.

Or, If I was say roughly half way through the journey I could home in midway through the files.

Or, I could use the PC large icon display to see the image start of each file.

I use the options regularly because I verify speed cameras for another website. As I'm driving I make mental notes of where a new camera(s) is/are and when passing the exact location I shout "Mark" into the dashcam microphone to confirm the exact location. Then when I get home I use one of the above methods to identify that 3 minute clip and I'm rarely more than 1 file out.

I think trying to press buttons is making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Regards,

 

[woodbar]

This is where experience comes to play. I've had different makes of dashcams since at least 2013, if not before. In the early days I'd pull the memory card to find that audio and video weren't synchronised (this and other problems can be reduced by regularly fully formatting the memory card).

I've also learnt to keep spare memory cards (and a case for them) in the glove box and if necessary I will swap cards at a convenient time to keep the details of the incident.

Please re-read Kremmen's words;

Well your system works for you - great! Might be a bit difficult changing the SD if you are hanging upside down in a ditch - you might just manage to jab the big button on the camera though but by then you would lock the wrong file I expect?

Don't forget these are marketed for Joe public as well as experienced users and they, like me, probably want a fit and forget device which will lock the relevant footage on demand - which this device does not do necessarily.

I have re-read and have not changed my opinion at all as to the unsuitability of the OS on the device which I believe to be not fit for purpose.

 

[Privateer]

Well your system works for you - great! Might be a bit difficult changing the SD if you are hanging upside down in a ditch - you might just manage to jab the big button on the camera though but by then you would lock the wrong file I expect?

I was talking about a minor collision that you can drive away from or something that you saw which happened to third parties that didn't directly involve you.

If I were hanging upside down in a ditch then I'm afraid that I wouldn't even think about the dashcam - I would be thinking about survival and getting safely out of the vehicle or at least getting out of the seatbelt first.

In any serious RTC where it's obvious that the car is damaged that it can't be driven then there is no need to press the button as your insurance company and possibly the police will want to see not only the incident via the dashcam but your driving for the previous few minutes to build up an idea as to what caused the RTC.

Don't forget these are marketed for Joe public as well as experienced users and they, like me, probably want a fit and forget device which will lock the relevant footage on demand - which this device does not do necessarily.

even if you don't RTFM then nobody should expect any dashcam to be fit and forget! Constant rewriting of video to a memory card can cause problems. If you want to rely on your dashcam then you need to check its data occasionally.

Regards,