Want high res/fps front and back - 2ch or 2x 1ch?

kuchars22

New Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Location
Hemel, UK
Country
United Kingdom
Hi,

Currently using Blackvue DR650GW-2CH on both our cars. Fronts set to 1080p 30fps and rear 720 30fps. Reading number plates at any distance unless stationary is absolutely pants! I envy those YouTube videos where plates are read so clearly, so I'm on the look out for a replacement camera. I'm looking at DR900s(x), U1000 or 622GW. Number plate recognition clearly at decent distances is a must.

I appreciate that 2-Ch setups may have to split processing power across both cameras, so I'm wondering if it's more economical and better to get two front cameras at 1080 60fps or better to maintain quality? I fortunately have a BMW F31 Touring, so I have access to a rear power source, so wiring is not an issue. I don't mind having split SD cards, I just don't want compromised quality and performance.

Has anyone used this kind of setup? Which model would you recommend for my objectives?

Thanks
 
Also, I saw a post recently of what the 622GW frame rates are with and without rear cameras attached. Does anyone have this, and the same for the other cameras
 
What is it that creates clear quality number plate recognition - resolution, frame rate or bitrate? As you can see from my stills, it's rubbish both front and back, so I'm not inclined to use 2x DR650GW cameras
 

Attachments

  • Capture.JPG
    Capture.JPG
    85.1 KB · Views: 8
  • Capture2.JPG
    Capture2.JPG
    121.2 KB · Views: 8
'm looking at DR900s(x), U1000 or 622GW.
Unless you want the cloud features of those then I suggest a Viofo A129 Pro Duo.
Or if you are happy with separate cameras then 2x Viofo A119 V3 gives very good plate reading with 2K (1440) resolution front and back. Maybe even A129 Pro (single) for the front + A119V3 for the back since you seem to want to see in the far distance at the front and the 4K will help.

Forget about 60fps, that does not help readability, especially at distance.
 
What is it that creates clear quality number plate recognition - resolution, frame rate or bitrate?
Fast exposure time, a good quality lens, decent bitrate (especially if traveling quickly), solid (non wobbly, vibration free) mount, resolution.
Those are roughly in order of importance, frame rate does not affect clarity.
 
Last edited:
I'm looking at DR900s(x), U1000 or 622GW.
The first two of those have a maximum bitrate of 25Mb/s, the Viofo A129 Pro manages nearly 70Mb/s, and that is reflected in the image quality.

Don't know what the 622 is? But I saw that if you plug in the rear camera then you lose the 4K front resolution, plus it uses a lithium battery so I'm not going to recommend it anyway.
 

The first two of those have a maximum bitrate of 25Mb/s, the Viofo A129 Pro manages nearly 70Mb/s, and that is reflected in the image quality.

Don't know what the 622 is? But I saw that if you plug in the rear camera then you lose the 4K front resolution, plus it uses a lithium battery so I'm not going to recommend it anyway.

Isn't the lithium battery purely for the parking mode?
 
Isn't the lithium battery purely for the parking mode?
I don't have that camera so can't answer the question, but the Nextbase sub-forum has a stream of battery problems being posted where batteries either don't survive the summer heat or don't survive freezing in the winter, some cameras only surviving a few months, others managing a year. Other brands use super capacitors instead and generally have no problems for many years.
 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293432835773
Prices look reasonable! Just out of interest, how does the rear cam fair - I know I said I'd rather have 2x front cams, but who knows...
Rear camera is a good quality 1080 resolution, enough for most people but not quite what you asked for in the title.

For the UK, normally recommend buying Viofo from Amazon, less chance of problems via the official importer, and note your link is for a single channel version, which is actually cheaper on Amazon. The dual version on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B07RZP8K3Y

Or the A119 V3, would give you 2x 2K resolution for less and probably has better chance of reading plates in return for slight inconvenience and lack of wifi/Bluetooth remote:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B07RXQLV5C
 
At this time there are almost no 4K cameras without some kind of issue- you need to find what those are for each camera and decide if you can live with them. Personally I hold reliability as the foremost need, and in that regard I think the best you can do right now is the A119V3 even though it's a single-channel non-4K cam which means needing two of them. There isn't much difference in vid quality between it and the 4K cams, and fewer known issues too. Check out the raw vids and I think you'll agree ;)

Once the bugs all get worked out maybe one of the 4K or dual-channel cams will be better but it hasn't happened yet and nobody is promising that it will happen either :cautious:

Phil
 
I just had a thought - my rear windows are factory tinted and are quite dark - I’m not sure how this affects which model rear camera I need. I’m leaning towards A129 Pro at the front and A119 at the rear, as I want to maintain 4K at the front.
 
with tinted windows you can usually compensate by adjusting the EV vale on that camera / channel
 
Back
Top