Almost EVERYONE is Wasting Money on Dash Cams.
Dipublikasikan tanggal 22 Sep 2023
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It’s been YEARS since dash cams hit the market, but it feels like we’ve been stuck at a standstill. Why is it that camera quality is so lacking? Are there really no good options when shopping for a dash cam to attach to the windshield of your car? (The second half of this video is pretty stunning!)
Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com/topic/14494...
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Outro: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High
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This video has been dubbed using an artificial voice via aloud.area120.google.com to increase accessibility. You can change the audio track language in the Settings menu.
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CHAPTERS
---------------------------------------------------
0:00 Intro
1:07 The Back-story
2:37 Thinkware F70
3:26 Biuone A20
3:55 Chortau B-T13
5:00 Iiwey T1 and Pruveeo D30H
6:16 Rexing V1-4K
6:57 Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2
7:34 Rove R2-4K
8:05 Viofo A119 V3
9:12 BlackVue DR750X and Thinkware U1000
10:30 THE REASON THEY'RE SO BAD
15:04 tldr;
17:04 outro
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It’s been YEARS since dash cams hit the market, but it feels like we’ve been stuck at a standstill. Why is it that camera quality is so lacking? Are there really no good options when shopping for a dash cam to attach to the windshield of your car? (The second half of this video is pretty stunning!)
Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com/topic/14494...
Buy a Thinkware F70: geni.us/ORAo
Buy a Biuone A20: geni.us/PK2Ch
Buy a Chortau B-T13: geni.us/oiFwAUr
Buy an Iiwey T1: geni.us/1QZkry
Buy a Pruveeo D30H: geni.us/sl2dqAc
Buy a Rexing V1-4K: geni.us/sOG6
Buy a Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2: geni.us/TN9q
Buy a Rove R2-4K: geni.us/n8xqqeE
Buy a BlackVue DR750X Plus: geni.us/L83rlR
Buy a Thinkware U1000: geni.us/Qwk85TK
Buy a Viofo A119 V3: geni.us/eNBHc
Buy a Viofo A129 Plus Duo: geni.us/yPJli
Buy a Viofo A129 Pro Duo: geni.us/ygAAc
Buy a BlackVue External 4G/LTE Module: geni.us/AIIy2
Buy a Thinkware Multiplexer Box: geni.us/P0bzYvN
Buy a Thinkware Multiplexer Kit: geni.us/IZGz
Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group.
► GET MERCH: lttstore.com
► SUPPORT US ON FLOATPLANE: www.floatplane.com/ltt
► AFFILIATES, SPONSORS & REFERRALS: lmg.gg/sponsors
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MUSIC CREDIT
---------------------------------------------------
Intro: Laszlo - Supernova
Video Link: • [Electro] - Laszlo - S...
iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com/us/album/sup...
Artist Link: soundcloud.com/laszlomusic
Outro: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High
Video Link: • Sugar High - Approachi...
Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi/UxWkUw
Artist Link: / approachingnirvana
Intro animation by MBarek Abdelwassaa mbarek_abdel
Monitor And Keyboard by vadimmihalkevich / CC BY 4.0 geni.us/PgGWp
Mechanical RGB Keyboard by BigBrotherECE / CC BY 4.0 geni.us/mj6pHk4
Mouse Gamer free Model By Oscar Creativo / CC BY 4.0 geni.us/Ps3XfE
English
This video has been dubbed using an artificial voice via aloud.area120.google.com to increase accessibility. You can change the audio track language in the Settings menu.
Spanish
Este video ha sido doblado al español con voz artificial con aloud.area120.google.com para aumentar la accesibilidad. Puede cambiar el idioma de la pista de audio en el menú Configuración.
CHAPTERS
---------------------------------------------------
0:00 Intro
1:07 The Back-story
2:37 Thinkware F70
3:26 Biuone A20
3:55 Chortau B-T13
5:00 Iiwey T1 and Pruveeo D30H
6:16 Rexing V1-4K
6:57 Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2
7:34 Rove R2-4K
8:05 Viofo A119 V3
9:12 BlackVue DR750X and Thinkware U1000
10:30 THE REASON THEY'RE SO BAD
15:04 tldr;
17:04 outro
21:41
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Komentar
I spent hours researching dash cams a year or so ago and it’s almost maddening how awful, sparse and misrepresented information on dash cams is. I was totally surprised how under developed they are. This is a video that is really necessary.
I feel the same when searching for anything now a days. It's so overwhelming to find something you want and can enjoy.
What did you end up with?
@J C A a Tesla 😂
I have a Rexing 1080p. it works just fine and the video is just that: clear, crisp 1080p. Everyone is reacting in the comments like just because LTT called them out a little that they are shit and nothing here is worthy of purchase because they all use the same chip. I don't need to spend 400$ on a camera solution for my car.
Exactly the same for me. My parents wanted one for their car. And after a lot of research I ended up getting them the VIOFO A129 Pro Duo it has a 4K front camera (IMX317) and a 1080p rear camera. I'm kinda happy this video came to pretty much the same conclusion (even if they used a cheaper camera)
It’s been about a year since this video came out. I think we’d all appreciate an update on new products that have hit the market and good options since last year.
YES PLEASE
Came here to say the same thing
It's all the same players and same games
@Johndeere167 TV Yes, but it might be nice to get new recommendations on which dashcams are the best value and quality now, even if it’s still the same players and the same game.
Came here to find the good one and order it 🙃
I hope Linus does a Hepa filter video. Researching those things is an absolute nightmare. There really needs to be some regulation that makes companies state the grades, qualities, sizes, and what they filter. Also have them list both ratings as Europe and elsewhere have different standards.
if a sponsor comes along I'm sure you will see a video. Heck, I'd do one if I was getting paid for it. Wouldn't you?
I slapped a 20x20 furnace filter on a box fan and taped it so the air had to be pulled through it.
I love my Winix 5300-2 with the PlasmaWave hydroxyl generator. Works wonderfully to keep the bedroom air clean. I noticed an IMMEDIATE difference after getting it. I dusted the TV and then we plugged it in. It's been 6 months and that TV still doesn't have the amount of dust buildup on it that it would have accumulated in 1 month before the air purifier's arrival. The prefilter grows a fur coat after a month. The HEPA filter was brilliant white when I bought the thing new and it's now a dingey brown color with darker black spots at the pleats. I have vacuumed fine white/grey dust off the carbon filter mesh 3 times now. There is some increased dust fallout in the surrounding 2 foot radius of the thing because of that hydroxyl generator (the groups attach to dust particulate and makes it too heavy to stay afloat in the air, so they fall down to the desk and floor nearby to be vacuumed up). I love it. I'm going to buy another as soon as I can comfortably afford to throw that money at Amazon.
I agree, so far the ORECK electrostatic filter and the huge Honeywell are my choices after 20 years of various crap.
Theres already people 1000x more qualified that made those vids. Same with this horrible Dashcam vid linus made.
Love it! Finally…someone actually explains WHY we are experiencing what we are experiencing, when we are trying to find the best dashcam, but they all appear to have the same image quality. Why isn’t this type of review more common??!! Bravo Linus!! 👏
because most of dashcam reviews are sponsered by their manufacturers
Dashcams are there to record for evidence not to make a Hollywood movie
It's been almost a year since the review. Anyone got some dashcam recommendations? Or nothing has changed?
When I was looking at the images and they looked the same I was suspecting this bs with same components different box.
@SwissWildPics SWP Viofo A119 V3 or the Viofo Mini 2 are good options.
I’m glad you touched on the monopoly issue. People thing they have options with any product. Yet 90% is someone else’s product sold in bulk to multiple companies with different names.
Electric bikes
Two important aspects of a dashcam I did not see you mention is HDR (high dynamic range) and FPS (frames per second). I have found a license plate in motion is easier to read with a 720p dashcam recording at 60 FPS than a 1080p dashcam recording a 30 FPS. Also, for dashcams that support it, enabling HDR might help with the overexposure of the license plates at night.
what cams did you test and which would you recommend?
If that's true, then it sounds likely that there's something fishing going on with the specs of those cameras. When it comes to actually well made, good video cameras where the manufacturers don't outright lie about the specs, a higher resolution will make it easier to read a license plate, all else being equal. There are, of course, many other factors to be considered, such as the actual resolution of the internal sensor, the ability of the sensor to capture frames with minimal motion blur (which can change even on one camera with different settings), the ability of the camera's auto-focus to actually focus on what you want it to focus on (in this case, the rear ends of different vehicles), etc..
@D4tC0m I use VIOFO brand. I have a 4k, 30 FPS camera that I set to 1080p so I can record at 60FPS for my front facing camera. And I have a 1080p, 30 FPS that I set to 720p at 60 FPS that I have mounted on my rear window and plugged into an accessory port in the trunk. I make sure I only use microSD cards rated at High Endurance (SanDisk and Samsung brands). Another thing I don't do is get cameras with built-in batteries, which allows cameras to record bumps when the car is off. The reason I avoid models with batteries is because the car gets so hot in the summer and I have heard of some people having their batteries explode as the camera bakes parked in the sun of the windshield.
@Googlar There is no auto-focus on VIOFO cameras. Actually I have never seen a dashcam with auto focus. They are simply fixed to record at infinity. No need for autofocus.
@Googlar all else isn't equal though. Their point isn't that FHD isn't better than 720p but that 60 vs 30 is a bigger difference in legibility than 1080 vs 720 for reading text
My #1 rule with dashcams: go off the assumption that it didn't capture the license plate so leave the audio recording on and say the license plate.
Nice tip!
That's actually very good advice 👌🏻
This!
In practice you will fail due to adrenaline.
@MiGujack3 nope
I got the Viofo A129+ Duo a couple years back, and it's been pretty good. Have had no issues with recording, saving, or pulling footage. The duo means it's front and back, which I find important as a Canadian who drives stateside often. I did spend a little extra for the UV shield, which I find does assist with night vision and sun glare. I did also go for the hardwire kit, which was an interesting experience, but ultimately quite a doable DIY project.
By UV shiled do you mean the CPL filter or do I need to buy something else?
@gm4r1n The little lens that clips over the camera. Maybe it's called that? Idk
@Liam Fox yuo. It's a Circular Polarized Filter. It reduces glare
Like others have already mentioned, it would be nice to get an update. Especially with some other websites as shopping sources as well, such as aliexpress and, more specifically, Xiaomi brand, which is also a phone manufacturer, so their image processing algorithms might be slightly better 😅
Good review. I did come with the same conclusion when I purchased my first Viofo a119 a long time ago and spent a little bit of time choosing the Viofo A119 v3 to upgrade vs all the other highly priced dash cams that had a pretty bad imagine quality. Price was reasonable for the Viofo and quality is great. Their online support is awesome too.
Great video! One of the important aspects for image quality that wasn't mentioned is the optics and the size of the aperture for each camera. Likely the compact optical path, low cost components and small apertures means lots of abberations and a poor strehl ratio, aka bad images.
Thank you for the video. After much procrastination, I went for the VIOFO A119 V3. It was going for a good price on Amazon and was bundled with the optional GPS module which saved some money. I think the GPS mount is the way to go as the power cable plugs into it instead of the dashcam itself, meaning it is easier to remove it from the vehicle. There are lots of support articles on their website and it appears they care about their products.
I think the problem here is that people run Dashcams for liability purposes, not to read things like license plates. People just need to see what happened. Almost every car accident devolves into a he said she said issue, and having video proof to back up that you're not at fault is worth a million words.
Exacly
True dat, but what about hit and run? Somebody may have hit you and quickly disappears. You think, no biggie, got the camera running. Only then to find out, that the plate was not readable in any frame. Just an example, but one thing is definately true: Even a bad dashcam is better than no dashcam.
@Marc Fuchs yeah but you can get the description of the vehicle, color, make and model for sure
Yep as a motor insurance claims adjuster it’s an invaluable tool. Personally think it should be made a requirement of most insurance policies.
It's still a very useful video letting us know that image quality doesn't increase with price. He's saving us $$$
Also a tip, just skip the shake to start parking feature all together. And because of that just wire it to the cars ignition source. Every time someone shuts the door it’ll trigger the camera and you’ll have a full memory card sooner than you think.
256GB lasts a while.
Great way to kill a battery.
Not really. Set the system to cut off after half an hour, then only start up again after a triggering impact occurs. Works for me, anyway.
This is why you set it to overwrite
I went with the Rove R2-4K Pro version (not the same one he tested). It has the 670 chipset instead of the 660. It also has GPS and a super capacitor instead of a lithium battery. Its parking mode is pretty cool, too. Not to mention it has an IPS display, WiFi, and an F1.5 aperture instead of the non pro's F1.8 aperture. It's been my favorite dashcam so far. Still nowhere near the video quality of a GoPro, but for the money, it's my favorite. I've owned 6 different dashcam over the last 10 years. I use the Rove R2-4K Pro in my commercial vehicle.
What an excellent video. The detailed component research and pragmatic commentary was very useful. Thank you Linus!
This video was super important and informative. One single 16 minute video is all that you want to know about dash cams, thanks LTT team for this.
"One single 16 minute video is all that you want to know about dash cams, thanks LTT team for this." No it isn't. Your comment is so wrong! One needs to research properly not go to your fave vlogger and believe all that is said on by one single person who may well be sponsored. Seriously people, think for yourselves. That's half the problem with America today.
@Jed Well buddy I don't know who you are or what you know about dash cams or tech in general, but as per my research there wasn't much difference in many dash cams, the reason this video was helpful, is because of the fact Linus explained in detail about the sensors and and the cameras used in making these dash cams. I as a tech info consumer would care less about what else is there outside in the world and would focus more on what information I am getting at that time from the video, post which I would use that knowledge to explore more options. #StopSpreadingHate. P.S. Not from America
I have the Vantrue N2 Pro. It was $170, but as an Uber driver it was well worth the expense. Dual 1080p cameras. Infrared night vision. Clarity is pretty great. I like it.
Glad I saw this comment. I literally ordered this exact one yesterday. I'm also using it for Uber and also a long road trip coming up and it's jist time to invest in a camera.
If there was ever a reason for LTT labs it's this kind of in depth content that I think justifies it. It's a damn awesome public service.
Damn right it is. I’ve been thinking about getting the blackvue dashcams since a lot of people worship this dashcam but I trust Linus on this one.
Seriously, this is one thing that it's better to go to someone in a shop who does this all day everyday..you won't find the good ones on Amazon.. we don't even touch ones people bring from Amazon...all garbage
LTT is not a public service, it is a business that is the business of making money. They are not PBS seeking donations from the public so they can continue making content.
They cold have saved a fortune by just asking Techmoan!
I think this video is totally miss on what is important. It seems main criteria was number plate which is useful for cops and nobody else. So if the labs pick wrong criteria not much use out of them. From the audio talks it seems they will go Sony/Bose headphones best already when it seems it's more mainstream approach than comparing sound.
There's always a tradeoff between wide angle view (so you catch everything on the recording) and good resolution so you can see detail. It's always a compromise between these. 4k should help in theory, but only slightly.
I’m
Some action cameras(eg: SJCAM) also support loop recording, and likely give better quality, though powering them/battery over-use may be an issue, likewise overheating in some cases.
Bought the F70 based off of your advice. Simple, portable and comes with a card. Easy transfer between my car and motorcycle. Thanks for the great review!
This is the first dashcam review I've seen that actually goes in depth about the differrent cameras and why they are all basically the same. Great video that goes way beyond other reviews with useless surface commentary.
Thank you for taking the time to make such an in-depth video. You guys always go above and beyond. Shout out from Vancouver island.
THIS is the kind of content that we need. Calling out trash markets and helping people find honest answers, doing the side-by-side comparisons they can't do. Thanks for this! Glad to know the Rove R2-4K I got as a gift is not far from really the peak in the market and is "good enough" if not overpriced a bit.
The problem is..he should look what people use across the pond...and believe me...non of this hardware he show in the video.
@Deadzio in the UK viofo is pretty popular still
@Deadzio 11:03 ??
Yeah more of this please
Wish they would review the camera quality on tesla''s
I’m curious how implementing an insta360 as a dashcam would work. It it was added essentially on the roof of every car then it should be able to capture information everywhere at all times
I went with the vantru n4 with gps mount after doing research like this. My findings were identical to yours. The market is drowned with blatant lies. The one i found that lied the least was the vantru models. What i didn't expect was how much it stopped road ragers from doing something stupid once they saw a rear and front camera. Ive had it for two years and im reasonably happy with it.
Thank you. I am considering the Vantrue N4. Is is performing as you had hoped? Is it clear? Can you read license plates? I like the feature of the 3 channel which includes the cabin camera. I don't want the wifi and gps features r even the display. Also, is it still on while parked and then records when motion detected? Thank you,
Maybe it just made you more conscious of your own driving, so less people around you felt the need to rage.
Super informative review and quite entertaining. I appreciated the deeper dive into performance specs and image quality comparisons. Mostly, it was just a hoot to watch! 😂 Thanks!
That's a real eye-opener. Thanks for all your work. Great job. This arena is a prime example of how marketing ads separate you from your money. They most likely are using a much different camera so we'll have to be on the lookout for license plate readability in the ads. If it sounds too good to be true...only now it looks!
Every time I watch videos to see if there is anything better than Viofo I always get confirmation that Viofo offers the best spec and best bang for the buck. They have multiple options to fit your budget and provide constant firmware updates. I gave up on the whole license plate thing, American License plates are very difficult to capture. I typically keep my camera mic on and will yell out the license plate number if ever needed. Thanks for confirming Viofo. I currently run A129 Plus Duo for over 2 years with a fuse tap hardwire kit. I've never had an issue. Park mode works great too by going to motion detection as soon as I turn my car off.
We need more vids like this, the lack of reliable info about consumer electronics outside the "tech space" is maddening. Well done LMG and shout-out to the writer that helped do all the research.
There is a website that does this in depth. The big problem here is Amazon. They need to stop putting "Amazon's choice" next to obvious garbage.
agreed! Dash cams, drawing tablets, budget phones, headphones, etc. Stuff like this helps us decide, making it something very important for those who are looking to buy that product. These videos are things we can always count on!
@Vanquished yeah, the problem really is amazon's feedback system that sometimes makes bad reviews 5 stars, lets sellers merge good feedbacks with products that are obviously garbage
@Vanquished what's the website?
Absolutely, if you try to find legitimate technical info or reviews on consumer electronics or home appliances, it's maddening how hard to find anything for products that are not from huge global brands or are not in the high-end price bracket.
I personally use the 70mai 1S cameras. They are usually always on sale for like $40. Easy App w/ WiFi, voice commanded, there is only 1 single button on the whole camera. With like a $12 SD card, for basically $60 after tax you have easy audio/video coverage.
The purpose of cloud storage isn't just so that you have a backup in case the camera is destroyed in a crash (in fact, the video wouldn't be uploaded in time). I believe the primary reason is so that you have the video in case of theft or intentional tampering (of either just the camera or the whole car)
Gracias Linus también me estoy rompiendo la cabeza con este problema y no quiero seguir tirando plata en malos productos
My first time watching your videos. I see exactly why you have over 15million subscribers. Your attention to detail,information & research that went into this video. Great job
I've had my Garmin 47 for 5 years now. Pretty much no issues. I have the parking mode cable which taps off a fuse on the fuse box so it records when it detects motion. I highly recommend this over their constant power cable that plugs into the cars OBD2 port. The only issue I've had with it is the antenna or something broke inside the dashcam so it no longer connects to a satellite and gives me my speed and coordinates. It was a nice feature but at least it still records. The app works pretty well, the SD card needs to be replace about every 2 years because it degrades which it will alert you when. I'm definitely buying another one for my other cars.
This is not only reviews. This is Public service. You guys rock.
My £40 Apeman dashcam has been great. I haven't installed the rear camera but have reported several dangerous drivers with footage from it...clear plates, high-quality footage, perfect length cords. I know the company also does action cams
After seeing the image quality available I went with the GoPro option. Purchased a second hand 5 model and the image quality is great.
Loved your review! Your understanding of the frustrations a non techie purchaser has about tech purchases is spot on and background information makes me feel like I’m really learning something. I guess I’ll have to keep watching your helpful videos to guaranty it, lol! Thank you! I’m subscribing!
My dashcam has paid for itself. Sometimes it's just the story that it tells. The motion detection recording, even why the car is off, instills a better feeling of security when you are in view of the camera. Helps calm down anyway with road rage. I use Vantrue cameras. Although a little pricey, it has held up well. Security for those in my vehicle and those around me is more then worth what I paid.
Hello Linus Yes I am one of your new subscribers and I am very happy to have found your website. I really enjoyed your analytical review of the topic, thus I have a question for you. I own a car with a very low front spoiler and I am looking to find a front view spoiler camera. I was thinking of installing a rear view camera in the front grill for this purpose even if I had to have it constant on. So, what is your recommendation? Looking forward to your savy Idea. Thanks Frank
This is the kind of vids the world needs. Amazon reviews and specs are almost useless, something that applies to a growing number of categories of products
agree. even the non-paid reviews are often written by idiots who don't know the technical details of why a product is good or bad. it's exhausting reading half a review just to figure out the writer is clueless. then going on and on. i almost always search for professional reviews instead.
Your channel is great for those, at least for flashlights. I only wish your reviews covered bicycle lights. But I think bike lights are more legit.. at least I hope.
Sounds like brick and mortar stores aren’t so useless after all lol. Even videos can be faked or reviews can take years to update by a reliable channel (cause you know, other topics to cover). Want quality now? Show up in person.
@CN e Brick and mortar stores are even worse. There you get even worse suggestions by the staff who know nothing, and then you get the privilege of paying more because you have to pay the wages for the unhelpful staff. And most brick and mortar places won't let you return an item unless its broken, unlike amazon where if the video quality is crap you can just return the item, no questions asked.
Wow didn’t think I’d see TTC comment on an LTT video. Love your channel
Thanks! This is a surprisingly in-depth review! I generally avoid large channels but this is well researched. Though at 6:44, the Rexing V1-4K zoom in shows that it's significantly sharper. The Viofo A119 coming in very close behind. The A119 has the ideal mount, no need to unplug an outdated mini USB everytime you want to take it off.
Yeah, it also clearly looks sharper and more detailed than the F70 he was comparing it to as 'slightly' sharper.
Just based on IOS (brightness exposer) they will need to make a self adjusting camera to get something clear. Just like a GoPro we have to adjust IOS depending on if were in our shop, outside in direct sun, etc etc
excited to updates for when the SOC or sensors start to see upgrades and actual competition!!
thank you so much for this video! I wanted a dashcam, but didn't wanted to break the bank or get an unusable model. thanks for explaining how to choose one. also, I was confused by how many different models of similar product there are. for example, there are also like a thousand projector brands. after this video, I know why.
I'm on my 5th dashcam now. Every single previous one the battery has expanded to the point it destroyed the camera not to mention become dangerous AF. PS I lived in phoenix where the temps would reach 115-120F but I feel a camera should be rated for that temp at least! Been running the Vantrue N4 and at $284 (ouch) it is significantly better in the 2 years I've had it but I was just sick of getting scammed. If you want another good topic, webcams for computers suffer very similar scams. I actually left a bad review on one that detailed how they were actually upscaling 480p footage and claiming it was 1080p! Turns out I got basically blackmailed to leave a good amazon review for a gift card as they would bombard my primary email I use for work and for amazon with unfilterable scam mail and I never gave my email to the seller. After six months of more than half my emails being from this BS I gave in and told them I'd take a $40 gift card to change my review (twice the offering at the time and 4x the initial $10 offer). They surprisingly accepted. I took their gift card and deleted my good* review 2 days later after changing it. I reported this to amazon over 10 times and they never took action. Unbelievable...
The real question is why are car manufacturers putting so many cameras on cars but don't give people the option to use them as a dashcam
They want to sell it to you as a subscription in the future
@hrmny ikr lol 😑
@hrmny they already do sadly enough, welcome to the Future ....
Tesla and Cadillac does.
Mercedes as well
One gripe I have about this video is your last two choices: why did you pair the blackvue dr750x with the thinkware u1000? They are 1080p vs 4k respectively. At that point, I would have rather seen the Dr900x, which is blackvues 4k version flagship, and still cheaper than Thinkwares flagship. I have heard people praise Blackvue, specifically their 4k models at license plate reading, so I was really hoping to see that on here. Maybe do an update with the most high end dash cams and see if this all still holds true?
Idk I can just recommand the Vantrue N4. Run it for about 2 Years and it was good in most situations with easy handling, also front, rear and inside camera. For best results at night you should go for 1080p and 30fps, that is like a rule for every dashcam
I paid £30 for one just over a year ago with an SD card. Watching this, I felt like it was pretty comparable to them all in image quality. Then you played the start up sounds and I heard the noise I hear every time I start my car XD
Bought last year a Xiaomi A500S, same sensor (imx335) with the novatek xxxxx80. Superior image quality to the $100 cams here, not muuuuuch better, but certainly an upgrade, im overall happy with it!
Since it seems everyone is using the same stuff and simply charging more or less due to a different case, maybe a good comparison is the Walmart 1080p cheap dash cams from $30 and up to see if there is any reason to pay more. Clearly, most can't buy a half dozen cameras and compare side by side, so that would be extremely helpful. It might shame some of the manufacturers to improve, if their $100 or $200 camera gives no improvement over the $30 special. Walmart has camera at $29 and $59 from Yada and Omm and of course, like most, reviews are "Great and fantastic!" to "Piece of junk, didn't work out of package." reviews like yours with side by side video tell more than a page and a half of specifications that really mean nothing that 90% of the people can't decipher or haven't experienced.
We need more videos like this. There's so much repackaged crap from China with a "brand name" stuck on it that there needs to be more widespread information showing not only what this stuff is, but how it usually isn't worth the cost either. Excellent research on this one.
But he linked back to cheap Chinese crap he did this for the affiliate links otherwise he would have suggested Vantrue. It's what rideshare drivers use it's what I use after going through all these cheap Chinese cameras.
@Steven GiraldoThis. I never buy through the affiliate link, they will shill whatever shit they think people will buy anyway just to make a buck.
@Steven Giraldo hey, stop slapping "chinese" to everything you dont like. Vantrue is chinese, and actually all good dashcams are. The Chinese market is the most developed and they have really good gems. Its just hard to get them imported.
@Astroch my words were cheap Chinese cams I have nothing against good quality Chinese.
I got the 70mai 4K and honestly it kicks ass.. the quality is super good, you can read license plates while moving or stationary. The day and night quality is absolutely the best. I’ve had it for 2yrs and I recommend it to everyone. I have a Class 10 128gb SD Card in it. The app sucks, is the only downside.
70mai is AMAZING, but not sure if it's available in US market?
When it comes to technical review, I like this video. Fair enough. He spent a lot of hours reviewing, researching, and reading manuals to come up with a 17 min video. Thanks a lot.
So I found myself looking for a Dashcam, and As I was researching I stumbled onto this year old video confirming my thoughts that most of these has the same chip manufacturers and most were pure trash... Thanks for doing the legwork and the research for us!
Creo que es un excelente video, sobretodo para no perderte en las miles de opciones qué hay en el mercado. Gracias.
I'm fairly disappointed the two dashcams I was actively looking at are not even mentioned here. There is Wirecutters best option the Vantrue N2 and the Redtiger which is currently the "Amazon Choice" Camera. They were shown in the Amazon's best sellers briefly but not reviewed.
I would absolutely LOVE if you would do something similar to this for HOME CAMERA'S!! There are so many and image quality, security, privacy, etc are all so important and make it difficult to decide! Thanks for such an informative video!
I personally like Ubiquities 4k lineup. Easy, good to great quality, many reviews out there.
Or Wyze as a cheaper and simpler alternative. Ubiquity is definitely better, but you have to be willing to get your hands dirty and pay a bunch.
I've tried them all and Eufy is the best by far!
They're good, but way overpriced for what they do (and what they should but don't do). I do security cameras and access control systems for a living...and while I'm all in with unifi equipment for my network, I refuse to pay $450 for a 4k camera with some of the issues they have. For just a few buck more, I could get a 4k Avigilon with advanced analytics that would put the G4 Pro to shame. The unifi 4MP ones are actually pretty sharp and work well...and the G3 flex (1080) is actually really good for only $80. But 4k? nah....absolutely not worth it.
@R3Z3N too bad you'd need thousands in disk space to store all that 4k footage
Awesome video. My cellphone with a dashcam app has been the best thing I used when it comes to image quality. The biggest problem with that is the phone can't withstand the heat build-up in my car and FL weather. And it becomes annoying having to take the phohe in and out and setting it up to be used as a dashcam.
Great video. Wondering if there will be an update at some point. I don't know how fast, if at all, the dashcam market has moved, but it has been over a year now.
I use my Sony A1 with the Gmaster 14mm f1.8 in 8k and can see the retinas of other drivers through their mirrors. Would really recommend this to anyone in the $9k+ price range.
I think one think to note is if the bulk of the camera is on a hinge, stay away from it. I had one similar to the Biuone A20, and I was in an accident where the camera lifted up and captured the sky. It was a cheap one from Amazon and all the video files from the accident were corrupted as well, I managed to recover some all of which only showed the sky making the footage absolutely useless to me.
For the Rexing, turn the exposure to -(1/3) and it really helps out clarity.
Pro tip: get a piece of polarization filter foil and stick it in front of the lens. Removes glare from your own windshield, general reflections (you see the drives behind the windshield) and it helps with contrast.
Good tip! Going to use this for my diy setup
Yes, but what type of polarisation? Circular?
@Its_Jipz definitely linear. Linearly polarized light is going to be the main source of “noise” (bright light unrelated to what you’re interested in, throwing off auto-exposure) in a driving situation.
I wondered for a while if this sort of speed camera dodge could work: Step 1: Attach some horizontal polarized film to the front of the speed camera. Go when it's dark or wear a mask if you're worried about being caught. Step 2: Attach some vertical polarized film to your car's license plate. Then when you drive past the speed camera, it wouldn't be able to read your license plate? But to any bystanders or police, you'd still appear to have a regular plate. Would this work?
Along with the Viofo camera, I bought a polarizing filter that attaches directly to the camera. Great thing.
So I've been investigating this and it's just as frustrating as you say it is. However, I'm hoping (crossing fingers) that my research is coming to an end. It seems that the new line of Element camera's from Vantrue are pretty decent in terms of their image quality. Could you do an update to this video and maybe see what you think?
My dashcam was only 100 on newegg and you can easily read license plates. the second camera that it connects to isnt as good but its good enough. I watched tons of reviews before i found one that was really good.
Care to say which one you went with?
My first one was a V1 Viofo A119, and my second was the V3 about 4 years later. The V1 developed a weird glitch: at some point during recording, it got stuck and stopped recording, and I had to either start it manualy or format the card. And the cards I'm using are not cheap ones: 128GB U3 Class 10, Toshiba or Patriot. But that V1 keeps recording as good as the first day, whenever it's not hit by that glitch. I keep it as portable. The V3 still works fine, probably having that glitch with the first version ironed out. (Both with GPS sensor, never had a single problem)
Our Nextbase dashcams are excellent. Both have forward and rear facing cameras and already been invaluable. Also, here in the UK, we are so surveillanced, that chances are, your accident will be caught on a CCTV camera too!
Good video. I spent ages looking for a good dashcam and eventually determined none of them are reliable enough yet. Still useful for accidents where you got the license plate from the other driver and need evidence, but in every other scenario they are wank
In a society where even reviews and ratings are fake, we need more videos like this
and there are a lot of videos that are fake tooo...
@Vaisakh K M Heu ... its not the same at all A texte and a known personality talking to us every week is REALLY MUCH different ! How can you base a value of an opinion of a suposed random personne somewhere that most likely doenst even know how to write a review and is just mad or what ever else or its fake. bit or created by the seller ... (a text and a username) what about a youtuber you are following for many years what about a youtuber having an expertise in what he is showing to us etcetc we see there faces behaviour there smiles and there expression and all you can say easely if someone is bullshiying just yhere for youtube money or like here someone with a passion or a good interest huh ... what about that lol !!!
That's one of the MAJOR reasons I quit buying from amazon. It was one of their best selling points early on. Seeing honest reviews from users and also gaining their knowledge of what to expect and things that might happen with the product. Once they became fake it took away a big reason I even spent money there. Oh and amazon will also remove hundreds or even thousands of real reviews of books for political motivations, so yeah there is that too.
A Cobra SC 200D would have beat any of those cameras in features and image quality at only $140 in 1080p mode. It can do up to 1600p without the optional back camera. I guess that's Canada redtape. I got mine as a gift purchased from the local BestBuy
@tt ww you paid by dashcam companies?
Purchased the new Rove R3 for $199/open box for another upcoming toad trip. I figured it was beyond the time for one and it has numerous features I use/will use in various situations. It also takes up a 512 GB micro SD.
Pretty happy about the A129 Duo I got. Seemed it was the best balance of features/budget. The issue with 4K cams Linus doesn’t touch on is they overheat in hotter climates. It simply isn’t worth it, especially considering the image quality isn’t actually there.
Another thing he didn't touch on is crappy batteries in these things. Putting a cheap lithium battery in a dark housing that tends to sit in direct sunlight seems like a recipe for disaster. I've had two dashcams break open because the heat caused a distended battery. I just don't trust them anymore, one of the reasons i got the Viofo. They uses a capacitors instead of a battery and have a quick release mount so i can store it in my center console when my car is sitting in my driveway.
You forgot to mention the huge benefit of Viofo being a capacitor based camera - means there is no battery - which is number 1 component to fail or possibly even burn your car. I've had Viofos for the last 5 or 6 years - all of them are still running like new - I only change micro SD cards every other year just to be safe, using 32Gb high endurance cards - which is dirt cheap these days.
Maybe that's what I need. I'm in a hot area and the batteries have a very short life, even with me taking the camera down when I have to park in the sun.
Is the 32GB sd card enough for few hrs recording? Thx
@BJJpanda For the Viofo A119 mini 2 2k dashcam I got only weeks ago, 3 minutes recording on default setting is roughly 550MB during the day, less during darker hours (~480MB) with audio. A 32GB microSD is roughly 3 hours of recording. Since microSD durability is directly proportion to the writing cycles, it makes a larger card equally durable than a 32GB card on video looping (if a 32GB card last 1 year, a 128GB card should last 4 years.) So you should go straight to the price comparison, plus the consideration of a larger card holding more and less likely to delete a video when you look back at it.
Great video! This is pretty much what I expected after shopping for one. Still, have a look at the many ID-tv channels that feature videos from these cams. There is a huge difference in the quality of the video, especially at night! I think that I might do well with your info and looking at these videos to get the best of them for a decent price.
A redline parked next to my coworker one week at my store, she wanted to check the dashcam footage to match his plate, but "there wasn't enough motion to activate the recording". Hopefully this video will learn me a good option for my MGM! 🦓💚
This might be the best video LTT has made in years. More of this please. Like actually a whole series just on "everything in this category in online retail is garbage, but this one is the least garbage" would be excellent.
I just wish Go-Pro could make the Insurance-PRO likeup that could include up to tesla like alarm system with 4 cameras, 2x normal angle of 90-100 degrees 1440p front and back , and 2x ultra wide 180 degrees cameras for the sides that have ultra ultra wide 1440p that is equivalent to 4k) that have smart compression of 3 decent frames followed by one picture perfect frame that is the equivalent of 6 decent frames for one singular frame , having a total of 60fps with 45fps decent + 15fps of picture perfect images. And also a console screen that acts as the tesla screen with cameras, that you can also press a button to focus on 1 or 2 or 4 cameras at once, while the screen can also have a backup ssd/SD card with the combined image of all the cameras and other usefull information/metadata.
For the entrepreneurs out there, it sounds like the dashcam market is ripe for disruption by somebody who can provide a truly high quality dashcam that captures license plates in day and night.
I bought a pair of "dashcams" that come with 2 cameras that connect to a central monitor/dvr, so you can be covered both front and rear, with enough cable for you to run the rear one all the way to a license plate frame.
Always state the license plate number of any vehicle involved for your dash cams audio, never assume the camera caught it. Edit: this is mostly pertaining to hit and runs, as often the other car doesn't stick around long enough to get the plate on camera.
Thank you I never thought of that!
This was so informative and enlightening. So glad I haven’t bought one yet. Outstanding. 💯
Wow. Best comparative analysis I've ever seen. I hope you have moved on to compare other consumer products. I would like to resource you The way you are able to compare live footage with different models simultaneously is awesome . I was wondering if it wasn't such a bad thing that your dashcam can't read the license plate of the vehicle in front of you 😀. Unless, of course, the vehicle in front of you backs into you. Is it possible to tell the difference if a vehicle is backing into you or you are running into the vehicle? Lol.
So the main takeaway is we need to start a petition for GoPro to start making decent dashcams? 😅
sounds like a good idea
@Steven Fitzgerald is that the loop recording?
Go Pros are $400-500... so I feel like they're technically in a different league
Sounds like a job for custom firmware.
I just wish Go-Pro could make the Insurance-PRO likeup that could include up to tesla like alarm system with 4 cameras, 2x normal angle of 90-100 degrees 1440p front and back , and 2x ultra wide 180 degrees cameras for the sides that have ultra ultra wide 1440p that is equivalent to 4k) that have smart compression of 3 decent frames followed by one picture perfect frame that is the equivalent of 6 decent frames for one singular frame , having a total of 60fps with 45fps decent + 15fps of picture perfect images. And also a console screen that acts as the tesla screen with cameras, that you can also press a button to focus on 1 or 2 or 4 cameras at once, while the screen can also have a backup ssd/SD card with the combined image of all the cameras and other usefull information/metadata.
You rock. Thank you for the research, info, and help. 🙏🏻
I have had Viovo A119 dash cams in my Jeep, Motorhome and SUV for a few years now. They have been very reliable and capture everything I need. Especially off-roading. I have had no problems with any of them, but that's not to say I haven't had a a couple of crappy ones before finding these. One thing to avoid are the ones that use suction cuds to attach to the windshield.
Totally agree about avoiding the dash cams with suction cup mounts. While very happy with my cameras the front one has fallen during hot days parked in the sun, and even a couple of times while driving.
I’ve used the Viofo A119 for 4 years now. Rock solid. The best dashcam is the one that is working when you need it to
A lot of Amazon's doorbell cameras suck too. I'm on my 2nd one. And they seemed to work well at first. After a while, they stopped detecting motion when someone was at the door.
I got a 720p dashcam from Ross for $10. It has night mode, 50fps recording, and is super discreet (and kinda cute ngl). Camera quality is obviously meh but it's not that much worse than the expensive ones on here.
GoPro not entering the dashcam market will forever be the most perplexing thing about that company. They already have pretty much everything they need.
Any action camera manufacturers for that matter. Not just gopro. I think it will be easier to market the action cams too if people know they can double as dashcams. They should just add a dashcam mode on their softwares
It won't matter they went bankrupt so go pro camera's will be a thing of the past once stock runs out.
Plus SONY! Its sad that amazon allows china to flood the market with a million rebranded e-waste crap dashcams (!)
@Bigdog1787 no they haven't. What are you talking about?
@Bigdog1787 They are selling 2.5M+ cameras per year. They arent bankrupt.
I think you also have to take into account the vibrations of windshield due the car running and moving, having to record through the glass windshield and also how dirty the windshield is. I wonder how much more image quality would improve if there was a way to mount one outside the car.
It would get dirty really fast out there
Us the glare from a dirty Dash reflecting in the glass. I literally had to clear and clean my dash so it doesn't reflect in the windshield with reflection. The lighter color stuff like paper etc.
Go Pro Labs has motion detection. Not sure if you could charge or if you still need to enable recording for it to find motion detection but could be an option 🤷🏻♂
The problem also attributed from having white background + thin fonts as standardize plate format Take a look at countries with black background + thick white fonts as contrast, any cams can easily capture those plates
Great video and I really like this category of aggregate product reviews. I really love them, reminds me of the "How Amazon is Allowing Flashlights to Get Out of Hand" video as well. Anyone know of any other cool ones?
Best video I’ve seen on ID-tv this year. Thanks for the research. Def subscribed for more content. I hope to be educated like this on everything I buy 😂
I’m a car insurance claim adjuster and I can say that the quality of the camera has never been an issue for me. Even a really grainy low quality video will show me what this person was doing when the impact occurred - stopped or moving, staying in their lane or changing lanes etc. of course if you spend the time to get a camera you might as well protect yourself from the hit and run idiot if you can but it happens less than you think and half the time someone does a hit and run they don’t even have insurance anyway.
This is all people should be talking about. Proving fault. Even if one had a passenger catch a photo of a vehicle while using a 50MP professional camera and telephoto lens, it doesn't usually prove that the vehicle wasn't stolen, or who was driving. A low resolution analog camera from 20 years ago will prove fault just the same.
Yeah, I just got a camera to protect myself, not to post content online to show shitty driving. The camera does the job.
Exactly. Hell, it's not even so much about what the other vehicle is doing as showing what my car was doing at the time, whether I had a green light, etc.
No insurance Bad or no license Warrants Are usually the reasons I find most people take off although the occasional stolen or being used without the owners permission does pop up from time to time too
@Marc G Best accident that ever happened to me was when I hit someone, my fault, and they took off. Lol.
Thank you for these reviews. I am most interested in two things: 1) automatic uploading of data in realtime to the cloud so my data can't be stolen and 2) a camera I can focus with sound at my side window in the event of a traffic stop. Can you help?
I wish all car manufacturers would have dashcams installed from the factory like they do with backup cameras. I have sentry mode with my Tesla but it seems Tesla so far is the only company that comes with a dashcam built in.
weirdly this is what the Labs content should be like. it takes all the tests and makes it understandable without all the graphs