yes yes yes this is what i want! here are features i like or would want:
i should be able to hide a DVR under the dash and not have the entire unit on the window.
i went with the blackvue because i liked the overall design the best. i dont want a screen on the unit because ideally you should hardly ever need to use it. ideally using your phone or a laptop/pc on occasion to change settings is enough for me. having a screen just makes it bigger then necessary.
A nice compromise would be to have multi channel video outs on the blackbox, which just stream the same data that is getting recorded by the DVR (basically a passthrough). Then users have the option of purchasing a separate display system, whether that be a rearview mirror LCD, a dash mounted LCD, a headunit with video in, a wifi video repeater, etc. Since those kinds of displays rarely exceed vga, you could probably just provide SVideo out for the greatest compatibility. Or, allow a passthrough that is exactly what is sent from the cameras (so the black box doesn't have to do any downconversion to SVideo), and let the user be responsible for converting to an appropriate resolution.
I'm impressed by the small size of some of the HDMI cables that are out now. I wonder if that could be the standard video interconnect that connects cameras to the blackbox, and possibly the passthrough. It would be easy to order the appropriate length cables from other providers, and the manufacturer could sell cameras of varying quality to appeal to all customers. Plus, we all know that modern HDMI has no problems with 1080P and below.
How about a modular design:
- A single video module has one hdmi in, one hdmi out (passthrough for a screen or wifi video repeater), one sd card for that channel, and usb input/output (and maybe power if not through USB)
- On the module, there are contacts that allow multiple modules to snap together on the top and bottom, like toy plastic bricks. (maybe just use inexpensive USB) The contacts allow signals like GPS and timing to be sent to each connected module. Note that video is not transferred over this link.
- A control module supplies GPS, timing, G-shock/accelerometer, etc. Any connected video module receives this data and uses it to control recording and writing the gps/timing data to the video files.
- The control module can be sold separately with different features (GPS/No GPS, wifi controls of settings, Battery size, etc)
- The video modules can be sold separately with different features (resolution/data processing capability, wifi viewing, video output, etc) The wifi viewing could even be just a dongle that attaches to the video output, no need to build it into the module itself.
- The cameras can be sold separately with different features (resolution, low light capabilities, lens angle and size)
- A consumer can buy as many video modules as they want, for however many cameras they want. The video modules should a little bit less than a Mobius, since it has no camera or lens but has hdmi input/output.
- The control module should be about $100USD, since it has no video recording of it's own. The control module just tells the video modules when a shock has happened and synchronizes the GPS and timing data between modules. Possibly, the control module could supply power to all the video modules through the USB connection. The standard version control module would use Mobius style USB control setup. A version with wifi controls (for setup, not for video viewing) would be more.
- Any remote video viewing would be live-stream only, and from each individual video control unit.
- One control module can be stacked with any number of video control modules.
I originally thought each video module should have one male and female USB connector built in, so that they can be stacked without the need for USB cables. The USB cables are only for the control signals (shock trigger, clock and GPS), and possibly power or power turn on. The video modules would not need a battery for themselves, they would get power through hard wired 12V input or through the control module's USB
A use case is that I would get a control module that has GPS and wifi or bluetooth controls that I can access through my phone.
Then I would buy 4 1080P video control modules, two of them (front and back) would have wifi remote viewing.
Then I would buy 4 1080P cameras, two of them (front and back) would have a wider viewing angle and upgraded low light capability.
Then I would buy a two input rear view mirror LCD display, which I would hook up to the front and rear HDMI passthroughs (possibly needing an SVideo converter at my own cost)
I'd also have to buy 6 off the shelf HDMI cables at a length I need from Monoprice.com (4 to go from cameras to video modules, and two to go from the front/rear video modules to the LCD display)