Vantrue S2 3 Channel Dashcam
The information contained in this review may seem critical at times, but I want any potential purchasers to know what to expect, so I want to be honest and helpful in my review.
Shipping Box -
That’s a plus for not wasting cardboard on another box to ship the product in. The minus is that everyone knows exactly what is being delivered and there is no additional protection for the product inside should the package handlers not be the most careful. I am sure we’ve all gotten that one box where you had to wonder if it went through a war zone before it arrived at your front door.
Stick On Mounting vs. Suction Cup Mounting -
This dashcam is larger/heavier than some of the other brands/models out there. As a result, I believe Vantrue may have decided to apply a more sturdy application to the windshield for this particular model. There are pluses and minuses to that. The plus is that it will stay in place for an extended period of time compared to a suction cup. As I've learned, suction cups lose their "suction" over time, and it's just a matter of when, not if, you find your dashcam dangling by its power cord, requiring an impromptu remount. Another problem that can arise with a suction cup mount is the degradation of the cup material enough to develop a crack. There is no chance that remounting or repairing the cup will seal the crack sufficiently to be a lasting solution. In order to resolve that issue, you will most likely have to get a new suction mount from your dashcam's manufacturer.
Let's now move on to the downside of having a more sturdy dash cam mounting option. For starters, it makes the initial mounting more deliberate. You don’t really have an easy option to remount the cam if you find out the in-cabin camera picture is obscured by the rearview mirror. You will have to experiment moving the cam to different positions while the camera is on before applying the electrostatic sheet and adhesive strip. Then you'll more or less have an idea of where the camera needs to be mounted to record optimally.
Secondly, the stick on mounting makes this camera unsuitable if you switch vehicles frequently. Maybe you rented a car for vacation and you wanted to put your Vantrue S2 dashcam in the rental for added security/insurance should the unexpected happen. No real good way to make that happen.
It would be great if Vantrue would consider making an optional suction cup mount so moving the dashcam between vehicles is easier.
Third Channel - Rear Facing Camera -
It is great that now you have the option of having a camera that faces out of the cabin through the rear window. The cable provided for the rear camera is a significant length that should allow mounting in even the longest of vehicles. The dashcam will allow you to change the recording quality for all of the cameras (Front, In-Cabin, and Rear), as well as let you run the unit without the third channel camera in operation. Since the rear camera mounts in the same way as the front, base unit, I am bringing up the mounting option again. From a manufacturer perspective, they have to make this useful for the most number of users. If this camera was to be mounted on a window attached to an SUV tailgate, a suction cup is probably not the best way to have that camera secured to the window. However, if you are someone who has aftermarket window tint on your rear windshield, chances are that you are careful on what you stick on that tinted glass. Putting an electrostatic sheet on the tint may not be something you are comfortable with. Heaven forbid you have to replace that window tint for any tint failures in the future, you’ll be left with quite the process to remount again.
Power Supply -
The power supply is well thought out. The USB-C plug that goes in the mounting bracket is at a right angle, allowing the cable to be routed right up to the headliner from the mount and then to your nearest 12v outlet. That being said, the cable length does leave a little to be desired if you have a vehicle with an inconvenient 12v outlet, or you like to completely hide cables, or have a dedicated USB power supply for all your mobile electronics where everything gets plugged into. It’s a delicate balance for the manufacturer to manage the expectations of customer needs and not make a cable too long or expensive to manufacture. Having said that, it is neither a positive or a negative. Just know that if you are picky, you will probably end up having to buy a longer (or shorter cable) to fit your preference.
Touch Screen -
What a welcome addition! This camera does have a significant amount of customizable settings and the touch screen makes them easy to get to. Especially since the camera is more or less semi-permanently mounted. The screen is responsive with an audible confirmation that can be attenuated or completely muted if the user so chooses. Sometimes it is not pleasant or necessary to have an audible confirmation every time the screen is touched.
The menu is fairly well laid out without having too much difficulty in locating the particular setting you want to change.
GPS -
The built-in GPS is great. Some manufacturers only have GPS capabilities if you purchase a separate mounting bracket that contains the GPS receiver. The plus side to the built-in GPS is that the camera can use this data to automatically set the time and date. While most cameras have the ability to set the time and date manually, they may not accurately hold that time. Plus during the time change, you might have to manually adjust the time instead of it being automatically updated.
WiFi -
This is an expected feature. The built-in WiFi allows you complete access to the camera through the Vantrue app. Settings, download clips, everything. From a security perspective, having WiFi on the camera can be a concern. From what I can tell, the WiFi must be deliberately turned on at the camera in order for the app to connect. After a time of inactivity, the camera will shut off the WiFi, therefore not allowing anyone else to connect to it. The WiFi on the camera is password protected as well to help thwart unauthorized access.
App -
The app is fairly well thought out. There are some quirks to be expected with a new interface. One of them is the responsiveness of the app, it can be challenging at times. When taping on a setting, it may take a few taps to get that particular setting to open up. Error popups are in a foreign language, so that may need to be looked at by Vantrue and their app developer. Otherwise, for a first run app, it’s not too bad.
Battery vs Capacitor -
Let's start by saying this camera is powered by the included power supply. The capacitor is there for the dashcam to operate in a few different modes when the vehicle's ignition may not be in the “On” position. The dashcam is not designed to run solely off the capacitor.
There’s not a lot that I can say about the capacitor, other than I am glad this camera has a capacitor instead of a built-in battery. Other manufacturers and cameras on the market that use batteries of varying chemical makeups will have some environmental limitations,mostly heat exposure. In my experience, the near constant direct sun and heat that accumulates in your vehicle will kill the battery sooner rather than later. It’s just a matter of time when that battery will no longer function. Only time will tell how well the capacitor in this dashcam will hold up.
Overview -
This is a great camera with great options and features. Is a little pricey, yes, but you are getting a lot of features with that price. In an accident or other unforeseen circumstance, you will almost certainly forget how much your dashcam costs and be grateful that the footage it recorded helped you out.
A guide for installing the VANTRUE S2 with electrostatic stickers.
The information contained in this review may seem critical at times, but I want any potential purchasers to know what to expect, so I want to be honest and helpful in my review.
Shipping Box -
That’s a plus for not wasting cardboard on another box to ship the product in. The minus is that everyone knows exactly what is being delivered and there is no additional protection for the product inside should the package handlers not be the most careful. I am sure we’ve all gotten that one box where you had to wonder if it went through a war zone before it arrived at your front door.
Stick On Mounting vs. Suction Cup Mounting -
This dashcam is larger/heavier than some of the other brands/models out there. As a result, I believe Vantrue may have decided to apply a more sturdy application to the windshield for this particular model. There are pluses and minuses to that. The plus is that it will stay in place for an extended period of time compared to a suction cup. As I've learned, suction cups lose their "suction" over time, and it's just a matter of when, not if, you find your dashcam dangling by its power cord, requiring an impromptu remount. Another problem that can arise with a suction cup mount is the degradation of the cup material enough to develop a crack. There is no chance that remounting or repairing the cup will seal the crack sufficiently to be a lasting solution. In order to resolve that issue, you will most likely have to get a new suction mount from your dashcam's manufacturer.
Let's now move on to the downside of having a more sturdy dash cam mounting option. For starters, it makes the initial mounting more deliberate. You don’t really have an easy option to remount the cam if you find out the in-cabin camera picture is obscured by the rearview mirror. You will have to experiment moving the cam to different positions while the camera is on before applying the electrostatic sheet and adhesive strip. Then you'll more or less have an idea of where the camera needs to be mounted to record optimally.
Secondly, the stick on mounting makes this camera unsuitable if you switch vehicles frequently. Maybe you rented a car for vacation and you wanted to put your Vantrue S2 dashcam in the rental for added security/insurance should the unexpected happen. No real good way to make that happen.
It would be great if Vantrue would consider making an optional suction cup mount so moving the dashcam between vehicles is easier.
Third Channel - Rear Facing Camera -
It is great that now you have the option of having a camera that faces out of the cabin through the rear window. The cable provided for the rear camera is a significant length that should allow mounting in even the longest of vehicles. The dashcam will allow you to change the recording quality for all of the cameras (Front, In-Cabin, and Rear), as well as let you run the unit without the third channel camera in operation. Since the rear camera mounts in the same way as the front, base unit, I am bringing up the mounting option again. From a manufacturer perspective, they have to make this useful for the most number of users. If this camera was to be mounted on a window attached to an SUV tailgate, a suction cup is probably not the best way to have that camera secured to the window. However, if you are someone who has aftermarket window tint on your rear windshield, chances are that you are careful on what you stick on that tinted glass. Putting an electrostatic sheet on the tint may not be something you are comfortable with. Heaven forbid you have to replace that window tint for any tint failures in the future, you’ll be left with quite the process to remount again.
Power Supply -
The power supply is well thought out. The USB-C plug that goes in the mounting bracket is at a right angle, allowing the cable to be routed right up to the headliner from the mount and then to your nearest 12v outlet. That being said, the cable length does leave a little to be desired if you have a vehicle with an inconvenient 12v outlet, or you like to completely hide cables, or have a dedicated USB power supply for all your mobile electronics where everything gets plugged into. It’s a delicate balance for the manufacturer to manage the expectations of customer needs and not make a cable too long or expensive to manufacture. Having said that, it is neither a positive or a negative. Just know that if you are picky, you will probably end up having to buy a longer (or shorter cable) to fit your preference.
Touch Screen -
What a welcome addition! This camera does have a significant amount of customizable settings and the touch screen makes them easy to get to. Especially since the camera is more or less semi-permanently mounted. The screen is responsive with an audible confirmation that can be attenuated or completely muted if the user so chooses. Sometimes it is not pleasant or necessary to have an audible confirmation every time the screen is touched.
The menu is fairly well laid out without having too much difficulty in locating the particular setting you want to change.
GPS -
The built-in GPS is great. Some manufacturers only have GPS capabilities if you purchase a separate mounting bracket that contains the GPS receiver. The plus side to the built-in GPS is that the camera can use this data to automatically set the time and date. While most cameras have the ability to set the time and date manually, they may not accurately hold that time. Plus during the time change, you might have to manually adjust the time instead of it being automatically updated.
WiFi -
This is an expected feature. The built-in WiFi allows you complete access to the camera through the Vantrue app. Settings, download clips, everything. From a security perspective, having WiFi on the camera can be a concern. From what I can tell, the WiFi must be deliberately turned on at the camera in order for the app to connect. After a time of inactivity, the camera will shut off the WiFi, therefore not allowing anyone else to connect to it. The WiFi on the camera is password protected as well to help thwart unauthorized access.
App -
The app is fairly well thought out. There are some quirks to be expected with a new interface. One of them is the responsiveness of the app, it can be challenging at times. When taping on a setting, it may take a few taps to get that particular setting to open up. Error popups are in a foreign language, so that may need to be looked at by Vantrue and their app developer. Otherwise, for a first run app, it’s not too bad.
Battery vs Capacitor -
Let's start by saying this camera is powered by the included power supply. The capacitor is there for the dashcam to operate in a few different modes when the vehicle's ignition may not be in the “On” position. The dashcam is not designed to run solely off the capacitor.
There’s not a lot that I can say about the capacitor, other than I am glad this camera has a capacitor instead of a built-in battery. Other manufacturers and cameras on the market that use batteries of varying chemical makeups will have some environmental limitations,mostly heat exposure. In my experience, the near constant direct sun and heat that accumulates in your vehicle will kill the battery sooner rather than later. It’s just a matter of time when that battery will no longer function. Only time will tell how well the capacitor in this dashcam will hold up.
Overview -
This is a great camera with great options and features. Is a little pricey, yes, but you are getting a lot of features with that price. In an accident or other unforeseen circumstance, you will almost certainly forget how much your dashcam costs and be grateful that the footage it recorded helped you out.
A guide for installing the VANTRUE S2 with electrostatic stickers.
