Vantrue N4 Pro Testing/Review - RCG

[rcg530]

I know this testing/review is far behind many others that have reviewed this dash camera. Recently, a different Vantrue representative than I had worked with in the past reached out to me to see if I wanted to test/review the N4 Pro. At first I declined because of the problems with accessing Vantrue support/reps last year during my testing of the N5 and S1 Pro dash camera. That multi-month absence of support from Vantrue in late 2023 caused me to abandon my reviews due to rear camera focus issues an many unanswered or very delayed responses (4 to 6 weeks each email if any response). The Vantrue rep that I'm currently interacting with promised to not let that happen again!

Yesterday, I started my unboxing and testing of the N4 Pro in my filming studio. I found that the Vantrue app (Android and iOS) did not detect an updated firmware for the N4 Pro front camera when there has been one available since February 2024.

The firmware versions installed in the N4 Pro cameras as it was taken out of the box and the app's claim that they are the latest version (Android app v1.0.43) when you click on "Firmware OTA update for dash cam":



iOS app v1.0.29 also stating that there is no firmware update for the N4 Pro:



I exited the app and killed the app instance and restarted the app again (both platforms) to see if it detected the firmware update for the N4 Pro front camera. The apps did not detect that the update was available.

I manually installed the EDB181 front camera firmware update and the "System Info" screen now reports:



Next, I'm going to perform my out of vehicle focus check. I hope all three cameras are in focus. This afternoon, I'll begin my power consumption testing. A very quick look at the power consumption from last night shows that in 3-channel normal recording mode (2160p+1080p+1080p / screen off) the N4 Pro was consuming approximately 740 mA @ 12.6. That power consumption is similar to the N5 dash camera operating in 3-channel mode. The low bitrate 1080p 15fps (1080p+1080p+1080p) parking mode was consuming approximately 510 mA @ 12.6V.

 

[Vortex Radar]

Ah cool, glad to see you tackling this one! I'm particularly curious on your thoughts regarding its HDR capabilities (especially compared to the A229 Pro), and its various buffered parking recording features.

Hopefully the new VanTrue reps keep up with the communication!

 

[rcg530]

I gathered my focus check footage for the N4 Pro 3-channel dash camera. I ran one test with HDR on for all three cameras and a second test with HDR off for all three cameras. The "HDR" feature setting is noted in the video status line.

Front HDR On vs HDR Off



The front camera looks like it's in focus across the entire field of view.

Rear HDR On vs HDR Off



The rear camera looks a bit out of focus (to me). I realize it's a lower resolution 1080p camera, but it still looks too blurry to me (especially with HDR on).

Center (Interior) HDR On vs HDR Off



You can see the replica license plate's content a bit better with HDR on. The focus quality looks a but blurry, but I'll have to see what the video content from inside of the car looks like. The distance between the center (interior) camera and the license plate was 1.2 M/3.94 ft.

 

[Julian23]

You can see the replica license plate's content a bit better with HDR on. The focus quality looks a but blurry, but I'll have to see what the video content from inside of the car looks like.

When was your camera delivered?

The N4 Pro rear camera I received had bad focus issues.
The new rear camera is better but still could be improved.
I might do a comparison with the E3 rear camera again.

 

[rcg530]

When was your camera delivered?

The N4 Pro rear camera I received had bad focus issues.
The new rear camera is better but still could be improved.
I might do a comparison with the E3 rear camera again.

It was delivered on 23-May-2024 directly from Amazon per an internal order from Vantrue.

 

[LateralNW]

The rear camera looks a bit out of focus (to me)

I thought the same.
Do you think the rear camera has the over sharpening/ white halo effect?

problems with accessing Vantrue support/reps

I was given an email address but this didn't improve access.

What's your thoughts on Vantrue releasing a 4K Nexus 5?

Thanks for the review.

 

[runtohell121]

I reported the focus issue when they sent me a new rear camera that was supposedly upgraded to solve the focus issue a while back... But after reporting the issue, they never replied back

 

[rcg530]

My Vantrue contact replied to me regarding the rear/center camera focus issue. I provided them with my raw video files to check out. They will let me know their thoughts on that topic after they review the videos.

N4 Pro - Time Zone & ST/WT Auto Switch & Sync phone time = enabled

I reported a problem with firmware EBD181 regarding the N4 Pro's time zone setting getting messed up when you connect the Vantrue app to the N4 Pro.

My N4 Pro was configured with time zone GMT-08:00 Los Angeles and the date/time value was correct ("GPS Automatic Update" feature to adjust the time from the GPS date/time was also enabled [default setting]). When I would get a Wi-Fi connection established with the N4 Pro and the live view is displayed in the Vantrue app, I could see the date/time in the live view status line was correct. Within a few seconds, the live view would go blank for a second and when the live view returned, the date/time value was now one hour into the future. After disconnecting from the N4 Pro within the Vantrue app, I checked the time zone setting on the N4 Pro (cannot see/set the time zone in the app). The time zone was now set to GMT-07:00 Arizona,Denver.

I reconfigured the N4 Pro with the correct time zone for my location "GMT-08:00 Los Angeles" and I ran through the same steps mentioned above. The same time jump and time zone reset would take place.

I reported this issue to Vantrue. My Vantrue contact replied stating that the Vantrue engineers are working on resolving this issue. There is a bug in the N4 Pro firmware when the "ST/WT Auto Switch" setting is set to "United States" this problem will occur. I was advised to turn the "ST/WT Auto Switch" feature off for now until the firmware bug is resolved. I just tested that suggested change and it does seem to avoid the issue.

 

[rcg530]

N4 Pro Power Consumption Test Results

Today, I spent about six hours running through the various 3-channel recording modes and parking modes gathering power consumption data, video bitrate and transition times entering and exiting the supported parking modes. I found most of the N4 Pro behavior similar to the N5 data I gathered last year, but reduced a bit since there are only three cameras for the N4 Pro vs four cameras for the N5.

I used a 3-wire Vantrue hardwire kit (unit with toggle switches for low voltage cutoff and time cutoff settings). My parking mode time estimates are based on being able to fully utilize the dash camera battery pack's stored charge. The low voltage cutoff feature in the hardwire kit has a minimum value of 11.6V which will leave a small amount of the battery pack stored charge unused since most battery packs can run down to 11.0V (or even lower for some).

General Thoughts

The power consumption of the N4 Pro 3-channel dash camera is somewhat typical in normal (driving) recording mode. I did not test all of the 2-channel and 1-channel configurations / resolutions since that would take a couple of days to run all of the tests for all of those configurations. I tested the N4 Pro which is sold as a 3-channel dash camera in that configuration.

Parking Mode Support

The N4 Pro 3-channel dash camera consumes a large amount of power in each of its four different parking modes. The "Collision Detection - Power Saving" configuration initially looks like a good option because it only consumes 16 mA @ 12.6V / 0.2 Watts while waiting for an impact event to take place. The problem is how long it takes to start recording after the impact event is detected by the N4 Pro - 13 seconds. That is not acceptable!

I also tested the collision detection parking mode with the "Collision Detection in Parking Mode" setting set to "Quick Start Mode". That configuration causes the N4 Pro to consume 124 mA @ 12.6V / 1.56 Watts while waiting for an impact event. It still takes the N4 Pro six (6) seconds to start recording in "Quick Start Mode". That's much better than the 13 seconds in "Power Saving" mode, but still far too slow (IMO).

 

[rcg530]

Yesterday, I installed the N4 Pro front/center/rear cameras in my car. My next test is to gather footage looking for dropped/duplicated frames. Today, I gathered some driving footage for this test and found a location that contains a lot of visual queues (moving objects that could be observed in all three camera views). Just like I observed in the N5 video footage, the N4 Pro front and center (interior) camera videos have a large number of dropped/duplicated frames. The rear camera video file only had two duplicated frames in a 1-minute video file. Detecting a duplicated frame is very obvious. Detecting a dropped frame is a bit more difficult since I have to note the amount of movement of the objects between frames to detect the "visual jump" of a dropped frame. The number of dropped frames may be slightly under reported if my old eyes didn't detect the extra amount of motion between frames.

I use the "Marker" feature of Adobe Premiere Pro to mark where each duplicated (green marker) and dropped (red marker) frame is located. The "N_B" file (center/interior) video file's markers look mostly green (duplicated), but there's a dropped frame just before it. I'll include a text spoiler section with a list of the marker positions. The marker positions are in second:frame (zero based) format. The center video has a very predictable pattern to problem frames. Every 2 seconds, there's a dropped frame and then within 1 to 3 frames there's a duplicated frame.

N4 Pro Firmware:
Front EDB181
Center ECD191
Rear: ECK301

HDR:
Front: On
Center: On
Rear: On

I'm reporting this info to Vantrue along with providing the original video files.

Spoiler: Dropped / Duplicated Frame List

Second:Frame Problem

Front Video

03:06 Duplicated
10:17 Dropped
11:04 Duplicated
21:05 Duplicated
28:07 Dropped
29:05 Duplicated
30:06 Dropped
31:07 Duplicated
32:05 Dropped
37:02 Dropped
37:03 Duplicated
38:06 Dropped
39:06 Duplicated
40:06 Dropped
41:08 Duplicated
42:05 Dropped
47:05 Duplicated
48:06 Dropped
49:07 Duplicated
50:05 Dropped
55:03 Duplicated
56:06 Dropped
57:06 Duplicated
58:06 Dropped
59:08 Duplicated

Center / Interior Video

01:04 Dropped
01:05 Duplicated
03:05 Duplicated
05:03 Dropped
05:05 Duplicated
07:05 Duplicated
07:23 Duplicated
09:03 Dropped
09:27 Duplicated
11:03 Dropped
11:05 Duplicated
13:03 Dropped
13:05 Duplicated
15:03 Dropped
15:05 Duplicated
17:03 Dropped
19:03 Dropped
19:18 Duplicated
21:03 Dropped
21:05 Duplicated
23:03 Dropped
23:04 Duplicated
25:03 Dropped
25:06 Duplicated
27:03 Dropped
27:06 Duplicated
29:03 Dropped
29:06 Duplicated
31:03 Dropped
31:06 Duplicated
33:03 Dropped
33:06 Duplicated
35:03 Dropped
35:06 Duplicated
37:03 Dropped
37:06 Duplicated
39:03 Dropped
39:07 Duplicated
41:03 Dropped
41:07 Duplicated
43:03 Dropped
43:06 Duplicated
45:03 Dropped
45:07 Duplicated
47:03 Dropped
47:06 Duplicated
49:03 Dropped
49:06 Duplicated
51:03 Dropped
51:06 Duplicated
53:03 Dropped
53:08 Duplicated
55:03 Dropped
55:06 Duplicated
57:03 Dropped
57:06 Duplicated
59:03 Dropped
59:06 Duplicated

Rear Video

17:13 Duplicated
55:26 Duplicated

 

[rcg530]

For now, I have the RC04 rear camera that was in the N4 Pro box. I'm waiting on the "upgraded" N4 Pro RC04 rear camera to be delivered that should improve focus quality (or so I'm told). Here are two examples of rear camera frame grabs from Friday. The first four are from about 40 minutes into my drive with my car stationary at a stop light. The last four are from 3 hours 20 minutes into my trip (more heat exposure) while stopped at a stop light to make a turn.

The BlackVue DR970X RC110F 1080p rear camera is just a blurry mess no matter how warm/cold the camera is. The Thinkware U3000 1440p rear camera footage has a minimally acceptable focus quality. The VIOFO A229 Pro 1440p rear camera footage with HDR disabled also has a minimally acceptable focus quality. The N4 Pro RC04 1080p rear camera footage with HDR enabled is out of focus, not as bad as the RC110F, but still it's out of focus.

40 minutes into drive


3 hours 20 minutes into drive

 

[rcg530]

As a follow up to the N4 Pro dropped/duplicated frame test, I was reviewing various video files created during my 07-June-2024 trip. There are a few front camera video files that I cannot view in VLC or MPC-BE video players while they are viewable in Windows 11 "Movies & TV" player. In VLC and MPC-BE video players, you will see a blank/black screen when trying to view those video files. The center and rear video files from the same time are viewable in all video players.

These video files were created just after the last parking mode session of my three-hour trip (multiple driving and parking mode sessions during the trip). A BlackVue DR970X-2CH dash camera was experiencing a ‘HT’ (high temperature) event at the same time these video files were created by the N4 Pro. The Thinkware U3000 2CH, VIOFO A229 Pro 2CH and VIOFO VS1 dash cameras all worked correctly and created video that is viewable in all video players. The temperature in the passenger compartment was 112F/44C when I returned to the car and started the engine and AC. The outside temp was 86F/30C.

In the VLC video player, an error panel is presented when you try to play one of these “bad” video files:


VLC will play the audio track from the front (“A”) video files, but it will not show any video. The MPC-BE video player will struggle to play any audio or video.

The rear camera video files looked okay except I found a glitch in the video in at least one rear video file during the period the front videos were having a problem. The 122_N_C has a major glitch in the video at the 3 second mark in the video in the upper right corner.

Before glitch:


During glitch: red outlined area is shift to the right


I’ve uploaded the video files in the next screenshot to a Google Drive folder for Vantrue to review.

The video file sets 116, 117 and 123 are viewable in all video players (outlined in green). Video file sets 118, 119, 120, 121 and 122 have a front video file that cannot be viewed in VLC nor MPC-BE video players (outlined in red).

The 120_N_A video file when viewed in the Windows 11 “Movies & TV” player will display video, but there are massive frame drops (jump in the visual scene being recorded around the 5 second mark).

 

[rcg530]

Vantrue wanted me to verify the 256 GB Vantrue memory card to make sure it wasn't the root cause to the duplicated/dropped video frame issue and the unplayable video file issue. I ran a full test with h2testw and no errors were detected. The read/write performance was decent at 61.6 MB/sec write and 61.8 MB/sec read.



Today, I pulled three video files from just a few minutes into my weekly drive so there should be no "heat factor" involved in the issue. Unfortunately, the same general pattern of duplicated/dropped video frames was still present in all three video files. The markers (at the top of Adobe Premiere Pro timeline - green = duplicated frame, red = dropped frame) show that the front video still has several duplicated/dropped video frames. The center (interior) video has a large number of duplicated/dropped video frames (much like last week's example). The rear video file only had one duplicated video frame.



I've created a duplicated/dropped frame list and uploaded the three video files so Vantrue can take a look at this issue.

Vantrue also implied the "tools" I am using are "not professional" tools which may be contributing to the issues I'm seeing. They wanted me to use PotPlayer and their Vantrue player (mainly for the corrupted video issue). PotPlayer does have a frame-by-frame mode. PotPlayer shows the same duplicated/dropped video frames that MPC-BE and Adobe Premiere Pro v24.4.1 (definitely a "professional video tool"). PotPlayer and the Vantrue player also had problems playing the "bad" files from last week.

Spoiler: 2024-06-14 Duplicated/Dropped Frame List

Second:Frame Problem

* Second (0-59) and Frame (0-29) are zero based numbers

Front Video:

03:06 Dropped
03:22 Duplicated
04:06 Dropped
13:12 Duplicated
21:24 Duplicated
22:06 Dropped
31:06 Dropped
31:19 Duplicated
32:06 Dropped
40:10 Dropped
50:05 Dropped
57:11 Dropped
57:22 Duplicated
59:06 Dropped

Center Video:

00:04 Dropped
01:05 Duplicated
02:04 Dropped
03:05 Duplicated
03:11 Dropped
03:14 Duplicated
04:04 Dropped
05:05 Duplicated
06:04 Dropped
06:16 Duplicated
06:17 Dropped
07:05 Duplicated
08:04 Dropped
09:05 Duplicated
10:04 Dropped
11:05 Duplicated
13:05 Duplicated
15:13 Duplicated
16:04 Dropped
16:05 Dropped
16:08 Duplicated
17:05 Duplicated
19:05 Duplicated
20:04 Dropped
21:04 Duplicated
22:01 Duplicated
22:04 Dropped
23:05 Duplicated
24:05 Duplicated
25:11 Duplicated
26:20 Dropped
26:21 Duplicated
27:05 Duplicated
28:04 Dropped
29:04 Duplicated
31:04 Duplicated
33:04 Duplicated
34:04 Dropped
35:04 Duplicated
37:04 Duplicated
39:04 Duplicated
40:04 Dropped
41:04 Duplicated
41:10 Duplicated
42:04 Dropped
43:04 Duplicated
44:04 Dropped
45:04 Duplicated
46:04 Dropped
48:04 Dropped
49:04 Duplicated
50:06 Dropped
51:07 Duplicated
53:04 Duplicated
54:04 Dropped
55:04 Duplicated
56:04 Dropped
57:04 Duplicated
58:04 Dropped
59:04 Duplicated

Rear Video:

25:29 Duplicated

 

[rcg530]

Here are my unboxing pics for the Vantrue N4 Pro 3-channel dash camera.

 

[rcg530]

Today, I received the "upgraded" RC04 rear camera. My initial focus check (in the car) looks very promising. I will be checking the focus quality of the upgraded RC04 over the next week or so when I drive the car on a variety of "warm/hot" driving routes.

RC04 (unit 1 = original) / RC04 (unit 2 = upgraded)

 

[rcg530]

I received a reply from Vantrue about the dropped/duplicated frame problem I reported to them. Their R&D group agrees there are "some" duplicated frames, but they cannot detect any dropped frames. I've provided them two documented examples of the front and cabin camera videos having both dropped and duplicated video frames. The cabin camera has a large number of dropped/duplicated video frames.

Reading between the lines, I was told "it is what it is" in their response to me. I reported similar behavior with the N5 front/cabin camera video. To the best of my knowledge, Vantrue never addressed those video quality issues. I stated to Vantrue that if the footage that I gather for the review continues to have the dropped/duplicated frame issue (all footage gathered so far has it), I would present it as a con in my pros/cons section of my review.

 

[Nigel]

Their R&D group agrees there are "some" duplicated frames, but they cannot detect any dropped frames.

It may depend on your definition of dropped and duplicated frames, they may have a different definition.

In my view, the normal error is that a frame doesn't arrive at the codec in time to be encoded, and so to maintain the 30fps, the codec reuses the previous frame, so then the previous frame is duplicated and the correct frame always gets dropped, as in lost. It is unusual to duplicate a frame without also dropping the correct one.

Most of the errors in your examples were of that type, which I assume you are calling "duplicate frames", but there were also some other more unusual errors, which I assume you are calling "dropped frames".

You gave the times for where to find them, so they must have been able to see them, whatever they want to call them!

 

[rcg530]

My definitions for dropped/duplicated frames

• Duplicated Frame
  • Two or more (usually two) consecutive frames with the exact same video content
  • Very easy to detect since the second through 'n'th video frame contents are unchanged from the first frame in the sequence
  • May include the dropping of some object movement within the field of view
• Dropped Frame
  • Consecutive frames in the video stream that contain observable movement that cannot be accounted for based on the fps and the speed of the moving objects within the field of view
  • Usually two consecutive frames will have the visible objects move at a pace that should require two or more frames of movement rather than movement that should occur between consecutive frames

 

[rcg530]

I wanted to see if the "upgraded" RC04 rear camera would stay in focus if exposed to normal sunlight and heat during my weekly three hour drive. When the RC04 is "cool" the focus quality is decent for a 1080p camera. After being exposed to some sunlight/heat, the focus quality drops off.

 

[Julian23]

This is very unfortunate with the rear camera. Except for this issue, the N4 Pro is a very nice dashcam. Just the rear cam could use at least 2k resolution and no focus issues.