The Smarti 3500HD DVR is a dual channel Korean built dash cam manufactured by Innotek. The picture quality is good during the day and average at night. This camera has a 3.5″ touch screen display. Korean manufacturers have released many large touch screen dash cams this year, a bizarre trend for 2013. We are not big fans of this trend since it is our belief that small, discreet dash cams in black are best. The 3500HD is not discreet. It is glossy, has an orange square around the lens, the lens has a silver border and there is a big blue LED.
The camera claims to record at 720p but this does not appear to be the case. When using the front camera only, it records 1216 x 688p at 30fps with a bitrate of 6,550 kbps. When using both the front and rear cameras, the front camera records 1216x688p at 12fps with a bitrate of 5,700 kbps. The rear camera records at 640x480p at 800kbps. Unfortunately the low frame rate coupled with the 688p resolution is disappointing.
This dash camera also has a G-sensor and parking mode. A separate GPS module is optional and this camera uses micro SD cards. This DVR also comes with a battery discharge prevention feature built-in with a low voltage cut-off (11.5v to 12.1v) and time cut-off (5 to 48 hours). You can read more about Battery Discharge Prevention Devices and some of the limitations of low voltage cut-offs.
We would like to thank our member Mtz, who provided the information for this review. You can read his original thread in our forum.
Known problems
This camera has not been too popular so we haven`t heard of many reliability problems. However there are some items to be aware of before purchasing this camera.
Uploading to Youtube
Sine the front camera video resolution is 1216x688p, Youtube will reduce the quality to 480p. To get Youtube to show a better quality video, you will need to resize the video to 1280x720p.
Also note that the dual channel video consists of one AVI file which contains 2 video streams, one audio stream and the text data for the G-Sensor. When uploading this dual channel video to Youtube, only 1 channel is recognized and encoded. Uploading both videos as a picture and picture requires extracting the videos and encoding them. Unfortunately this requires quite a bit of editing work.
Flickering Image
The image appears to flicker during night videos due to artificial lights. This might be due to the white balance setting or due to the utility frequency of the lights (50 Hz vs 60 Hz)
Event and mute
To use Event or Mute, the display must be on. There is no way to access these features with the display off.
Gaps between clips
There is a 1 to 2 second gap between video clips. There is no known resolution to this problem.
Audio issues
Audio quality sometimes is crackling or is missing a few seconds of audio. There is no known resolution to this problem.
Mounting the Camera
This front camera is relatively large and heavy. The mount system does not appear to be too stable given the size. Also be aware that the rear camera cannot be mounted on vertical rear windows.
Front Camera
Rear Camera
PC Player
The English version of Smart-i PC Viewer is included on the provided SD Card. After installing, when launching the program you will see Google warning regarding an API key. This is not an issue if you don`t have the GPS module, but could be a problem if you do.
Once the program starts, you must press the SD Card icon and to wait approximately 5 minutes until the PC Viewer finds the SD Card connected to the PC.
Unfortunately the Innotek website currently does not have a Download section for the PC player, firmware or manual.
Sample Videos
Unboxing
Day Video (Picture in Picture created manually using PC software)
Night Video (Picture in Picture created manually using PC software)
You can read Mtz’s original thread in our forum, where he describes the method to extract both video streams and create a PIP video.
Should I Purchase?
Unfortunately the large size, average video quality, non-standard 688p resolution and other quirks make this camera a poor choice. While there are not many good dual channel cameras on the market, you can find better ones for less money.
SD Card Contents
You can download the SD card contents here.
User Manual
You can download the manual Smart-i 3500HD manual here.
Specifications
Data Sheet No specs match that search. Hardware Layout ScoresTechnical Specs
Spec Innotek Smart-I 3500HD Brand Innotek Model Smart-I 3500HD Channels 2 Channel Setup Front, Rear Form Factor Hanging Release Date Dec 2012 Country Korea Warranty 12 months Spec Innotek Smart-I 3500HD Processor Unknown Video Format AVI Compression H.264 Screen Size 3.5" Touchscreen No Mount Adhesive Power Supply 12V Battery Type Battery – Unknown mAh Spec Innotek Smart-I 3500HD Parking Mode Non-Buffered Wi-Fi No GPS Yes Apps Windows Cloud Connectivity No Voice Commands No Spec Innotek Smart-I 3500HD SD Card Type MicroSD Max Card Size 32GB Operating Temperature -20°C to 70°C Swivel No Error Notification No Camera Units
CMOS Unknown Max Resolution 1216 x 688p FPS 12 Bitrate 6.5 Mbps Viewing Angle 120° Dimensions 96 x 62 x 18 HDR No CMOS Unknown Max Resolution 720 x 480p FPS 12 Bitrate 0.8 Mbps Viewing Angle 120° Dimensions 46 x 25 x 27 HDR No Ratings
Last Updated: May 8, 2013