Vantrue N5S - 4x STARVIS 2 - 4 Channel dashcam - Unboxing & First Impressions Europe

[Augustus]

Thanks for providing that answer. @Jeff_Vantrue are there future plans for an N5S Pro with upgraded chipset capable of handling HDR on Front and Rear Camera??

The million dollar question. Depends what Novatek has cooking in the kitchen, but seems doubtful if they are only releasing a chipset every two or three years like they seem to have been. Novatek NT98530 or whatever other brands are also using now

 

[jsmith]

The million dollar question. Depends what Novatek has cooking in the kitchen, but seems doubtful if they are only releasing a chipset every two or three years like they seem to have been. Novatek NT98530 or whatever other brands are also using now

Couldn't another chipset be used to achieve better performance since the Novatek is limited? Viofo A329 utilizes a Quad Core ARM Cortex A53. Sure, utilizing a better chipset will raise the price of the potential N5S (Pro), but it'll make the camera one of the most premium dashcam on the market. 4 Channel. LTE Capable. And front and rear would have HDR support!

 

[jsmith]

After a few months of exploring a number of cameras in depth and spending many hours examining the footage (frame by frame in many cases) with HDR on/off, PlatePix on/off, I'm starting the reach the conclusion that all of these features should be enabled all of the time.

HDR on the rear camera is honestly not of much use. At night, when HDR is most needed, there is almost never sufficient lighting. HDR / WDR works on a front cam because the headlights provide illumination.

 

[TonyM]

I prefer having HDR enabled full time on the rear camera, on any system. It's not just about headlights. It's much better for balancing high contrast scenes.

There is not as much differential movement between cars at the rear camera compared to the front camera (I rarely use my rear camera to get licence plates of passing vehicles) so I don't mind the daytime HDR blur effect so much.

 

[TonyM]

I prefer having HDR enabled full time on the rear camera, on any system. It's not just about headlights. It's much better for balancing high contrast scenes.

This is the rear camera of the S1 Pro Max on a cloudy day, with and without HDR:

 

[Augustus]

Couldn't another chipset be used to achieve better performance since the Novatek is limited? Viofo A329 utilizes a Quad Core ARM Cortex A53. Sure, utilizing a better chipset will raise the price of the potential N5S (Pro), but it'll make the camera one of the most premium dashcam on the market. 4 Channel. LTE Capable. And front and rear would have HDR support!

I think I made posts about this a couple of years back. There may be Hisilicon (don't quote me on exact name) that 70mai was using in some of its products.

But when you think about it, there's no competition in the dashcam space for Novatek , and there's no incentive for them to make anything more efficient because they have a strange hold on the market. I mean it's great that we have a 12nm process and A53 with their latest chipset, but that's at least a decade behind what cellphones have.

 

[Julian23]

This is the rear camera of the S1 Pro Max on a cloudy day, with and without HDR:

View attachment 86661 View attachment 86662

Nice comparison. In that weather, it's a big improvement.

 

[EricSan]

This is the rear camera of the S1 Pro Max on a cloudy day, with and without HDR:

That's a great contrast with and without HDR, Tony.

 

[Jeff_Vantrue]

Thanks for providing that answer. @Jeff_Vantrue are there future plans for an N5S Pro with upgraded chipset capable of handling HDR on Front and Rear Camera??

Thanks for your interest! We’ll consider upgrading the N5S based on market demand, but there are no plans for a Pro version this year.

 

[RulzMD]

I'm considering to change from my N4 Pro S to this one.

 

[jsmith]

I prefer having HDR enabled full time on the rear camera, on any system. It's not just about headlights. It's much better for balancing high contrast scenes.

There is not as much differential movement between cars at the rear camera compared to the front camera (I rarely use my rear camera to get licence plates of passing vehicles) so I don't mind the daytime HDR blur effect so much.

Personally, I don't like motion blur in the daytime. I want HDR disabled until necessary. However that's more of a preference.

 

[jsmith]

I'm considering to change from my N4 Pro S to this one.

If you have a vehicle that lacks a fixed side window, the N5S is your next best option. You can superb coverage of all angles facing inside and outside the window.

 

[RulzMD]

If you have a vehicle that lacks a fixed side window, the N5S is your next best option. You can superb coverage of all angles facing inside and outside the window.

My primary reason for choosing this camera is that it has a wide-angle lens that covers all angles around my wife’s car. However, I’ve noticed that the image quality and clarity decrease as I switch from my current N4 Pro S. Big dilemma.

 

[jsmith]

My primary reason for choosing this camera is that it has a wide-angle lens that covers all angles around my wife’s car. However, I’ve noticed that the image quality and clarity decrease as I switch from my current N4 Pro S. Big dilemma.

It's because there's 4 channels versus 3 so the front camera of the N5S is 2k versus the N4Pro S 4k.

It's a tradeoff on what you feel is most important. 360 view or 3 channel view.

 

[Julian23]

Vantrue released a new firmware for the N5S a couple of days ago:

Front camera:

Release time: 10/11/2025
Version: N5S_VT-EEJ102

1. Fixed an issue where the infrared light settings in the app did not take effect.​

2. Improved the rear camera preview clarity in the app.​

3. Resolved a display issue causing the speed watermark to exceed its intended area.​

4. Fixed an issue where the main unit failed to upload GPS information when connected to the LTE module.​

5. Corrected minor translation issues in Russian, including missing line breaks.​

6. Added an infrared light setting option under the Parking Monitor menu in the app.​

7. Optimized connection prompt messages for Wi-Fi and LTE.​

8. Adjusted the default time format for Czech and Turkish languages.​

9. Fixed an issue where the dash cam failed to connect after some operations in the app's Message Center.​

10. Resolved an issue where the rear camera continued to display GPS information even after GPS was turned off.​

​

Rear camera:

Release time: 10/21/2025
Version: RC10-ETH_VT-EEI191

Fixed an issue where the rear camera watermark still displayed GPS coordinates even after GPS was turned off on the main unit.​

Vantrue N5S | Product Manuals, Firmware Upgrades, and FAQs

Explore comprehensive product manuals, firmware upgrades, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) for Vantrue N5S dash cam. Access detailed instructions, troubleshooting tips, and the latest firmware updates to enhance your experience. Find answers to common queries and optimize your use of...

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[Julian23]

Here are some more random pics.
WDR off, CPL on this time.

Very impressive performance against very low and bright sun:

 

[Julian23]

Some full size images:

Too much motion blur to catch oncoming plates:

More traffic with good capture:

And the very sharp interior camera. Very nice performance.

More to come within the next days, including WDR and CPL comparisons.

 

[Julian23]

Could you please do a night comparison of WDR on and WDR off with and without CPL? Thanks

Here are the 4 different settings at night.

Firmware Front: N5S_VT-EEJ102
Firmware Rear: RC10-ETH_VT-EEI191

The uploaded pictures are labeled with their settings.
1. WDR off, CPL off
2. WDR off, CPL on
3. WDR on, CPL off
4. WDR on, CPL on

With the CPL installed, the image is darker. Other than than I can't really see much of a difference.

 

[Julian23]

Interior during the night with IR LEDs on.

The N5S will illuminate everything nicely. Can't hide from it.
The rear cabin camera does have a visible ring at the corner. This luckily won't cause any issues in my case. All the seats are visible.

 

[Julian23]

Interior cameras during the day:

A very nice view all around in and out of the car.
The only other camera that can see as much around in and out of the car would be the E360.

For city driving and parking mode, this might be the camera that will capture the most views, thanks to the 4 different cameras.