Are Dash Cams Lying to Us? | BlackboxMyCar

Customers often ask why our dash cams cost hundreds of dollars when Amazon offers options for $50 to $80. There's a vast range of dash cams with varying prices and features on platforms like Amazon and eBay. Many have high ratings, but are these reviews genuine?
In this video, we're exploring the modern differences between high-end vs budget dash cams.
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[ SKIP FORWARD ]
00:00 Introduction
01:24 High-End vs Budget Dash Cans
02:58 The Design
05:13 The Resolution
08:05 The Image Sensors
09:13 Parking Mode
10:43 Temperature Tolerance
12:02 Dash Cam Wifi
12:51 Built-in Bluetooth
13:56 Cloud Connectivity
15:12 Brand Reputation
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[@aussie8114]

I’m not paying more than about $250 for a dashcam. They are too problematic to pay any more than that. Throw away a $250 camera ok, throw away a $800 camera not ok.

[@lizbethvaladez2251]

You don’t necessarily have to throw away either one. I had a $250 Vantrue that ended up dying 2 1/2 years in but since I bought the 3 yr insurance on it I was reimbursed the full value of it which I then used towards a new Blackvue + insurance.

[@VortexRadar]

Wow, awesome job running through the differences between high end and low end dashcams!

[@integralcamerasolutions]

I know a genuine Panaphonics when I see it. And look, there's Magnetbox and Sorny!

[@einyv]

My first Dashcam was TAO and it was like 50 bucks, i used that for years. No bells or whistles, lucky if it kept time but i have to tell you the video for 1080P was crystal clear and it did what i needed to do, record video. I still have it in a drawer for business trips for rent a cars, better than nothing.

[@blackboxmycar]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm glad to hear this unit got the job done, and could be a stepping stone into more advanced models.

[@einyv]

@@blackboxmycar oh I upgraded back in 2019 to the Q800 Pro front and rear with cellink neo. I even have have the f200 pro set up as well in the same car because I wanted the multiplexer which I have and have front, rear, sides and IR inside set up. Also sliced it to run from the cellink as well. Just ordered the extender to get a full day of running both units in parking mode Right now I only get 8 hours if running both, I wanted at least 16. (10 if only running the f200 pro and multiplexer)

[@blackboxmycar]

​@@einyv Pretty crazy setup there! I'm glad to hear the Q800 Pro is still running strong for 4 years, that series has always been insanely reliable.

[@utbigpapa]

I purchased a Thinkware F770 from you back in the day and it still works like new. Recent footage settled an argument for a crash I witnessed for the officer on scene. 😂 Top notch customer service back then and only improving today. This is a great video to share with others asking about dashcams.

[@blackboxmycar]

That's awesome that your Thinkware F770 is still putting in work! What a blast from the past. Thanks for the positive vibes and drive safe out there.

[@Gam3rC4m]

Great video going over a legit question! Covered a lot of great points!

[@blackboxmycar]

Glad it was helpful!

[@CaptainCJ97]

Great vid you guys went in good detail. I always find it interesting how these low budgets or random dashcams always have the most crazy names. While owning both top of line models from blackvue & thinkware gotta say they still need work their cloud features especially

[@blackboxmycar]

Agreed! Some of these names are pretty crazy. We included so many names purely out of our own amusement at trying to pronounce them. The hands-on feedback for the cloud is valuable, and we hope these brands stay dedicated to improving them as they have so far.

[@mrjohnson338]

I just purchased the Vantrue N4 Pro on Amazon and with tax it's 356.00. Then I realized I need a micro SD card, another 50.00 if I want the 512gb option and I do, then I found out this hunk of overpriced junk doesn't hold a charge!! Part of the reason I purchased this was to have overnight monitoring, but sorry, it's going to have to stay plugged into your battery all night, which will only drain it. THEN I found out this thing is so ridiculous to install!! I haven't even opened it all the way up and I'm already disappointed beyond belief and ready to send it back!!!

[@jfs1988]

My first dashcam was the G1W-C. While the recording quality was great, the plastic was not as it quickly warped and discolored in the California sun. I replaced with a Thinkware F50 and later FA200 2ch and you definetly the see difference in built quality.

[@blackboxmycar]

Agreed! It's sometimes difficult to really show it over a video, but when you have hands-on it's night and day for these reliable models.

[@chauffeurmarco]

If they are cheap it is mainly because they don't have very high resolution or/and not LTE or 5G connected. I have one of yours (DR750 LTE 2ch) and happy with it. although there are some cons like the wire plug format which are obsolete to me, Like cigar plug. Come on guys, that is why I haven'gt buy any battery yet. I will not put more money if they stick to this archaic setups. What Blackvue is waiting for. We are in the 21 first century.

[@blackboxmycar]

Glad to hear you like the model. While the barrel power connectors of these units can be a pain, and these cables being so model specific does leave us drowning in cables, they do have some advantages. Barrel connections are generally more stable and less prone to being broken, while also allowing manufacturers to customize the voltage and amperage, which is more difficult to enforce with USB.

[@chauffeurmarco]

@@blackboxmycar Ok but I wasn't refering to USB connection. I am talking about one single wire from the Power Magic Battery outlet to the dashcam. Not from the battery to a barrel as you call it and a second wire to the dashcam. The thing with those cigar lighter format, is that you have to put tape arround because in the long run, it get loose and stop making contact. And beside, The plug on the battery for the dashcam connection is not USB. Three years now with it. If I could get one wire that goes from the battery plug with the other end to the DR750 2ch LTE, I would buy it right now so no more stopping in the middle of the night with the Power Magic EZ that I bought Three years ago.

[@blackboxmycar]

Ah, gotcha, apologies for the misunderstanding. Yes, you are correct that connecting the battery outlet to the camera is normally the cigar lighter format, and even in-house, we always tape these connectors together for the long-term. We have had more technical people who do manually cut both these wires and solder them together instead, but that shouldn't be expected for everyone. Thank you for the feedback.

[@chauffeurmarco]

@@blackboxmycar yeah, I forgot to say about the taping🤣 to me it is archaic. If some day they’d have the new connector that goes from de Dashcam and directly to the battery, I’d buy the that battery. Three years now and still stand still.

[@Derpy1969]

They lie. Upscaled garbage. Cheap lenses. Many can’t read a license plate at 1080p.

[@tomohawkingenius]

Facts

[@SupraManG]

Now here is a video that I will send to multiple friends of mine. This is very informative and answers so many questions for others who have them. Thanks, BBMC for this informative video! YOU GUYS ROCK! Take that, Linus

[@blackboxmycar]

Very glad to hear it proved useful😊! We'll look into generating more content like this, and if your friends have any questions we're more than happy to answer them.

[@K03sport]

awesome. Just looking for the smallest footprint 2ch camera setup.... 2k is plenty....

[@blackboxmycar]

Hm, smallest footprint would probably be the new A229 Plus Duo, which records 2k/2k front/rear.

[@Galaxy10008]

Kindly give your opinion on Wolfbox brand, and give your suggestion for a model from the same brand... If any.

[@blackboxmycar]

We aren't the biggest fans of wolfbox mirror cams. I'd recommend taking a look at the Vantrue M3 mirror cam.

[@404notfound.....]

We have izeeker dash cameras. 📷 And find them to perform great!! Video footage is crystal clear 4k. Great video content!! Cheers from Canada. 🇨🇦

[@blackboxmycar]

Thanks for sharing your experience and your well wishes! Drive safe!

[@brichard9485]

Costs a few extra bucks = 3 to 4 times the price. What is with the thinkware F70 still using the power cord available when they started in 1997. Completely takes up the real estate of your charging Point without allowing space to charge your phone or GPS unit. A complete non-starter, full stop! Neither yours nor any other review seem to mention that

[@blackboxmycar]

While the barrel power connectors of these units can be a pain, they do have some advantages. With other brands, upgrading or replacing a faulty model is always a tough topic, but with Thinkware, since their power cables are the exact same, it's often a simple swap. Barrel connections are also generally more stable and less prone to being broken. Thank you for the feedback.

[@darek9754]

Only UltraDash Z3 (Standard Edition) Dual Lens Dash Cam is worth buying.

[@lilmario0]

3:33 why foes that look exactly like my Rove R2-4K Pro 😢. I bought a rebranded Chinesecmass produced knock off? 😢... 😂😂

[@blackboxmycar]

It's quite possible that you did buy a knockoff! You may be surprised to hear that the Rove 4K isn't even 4K, it's only 2K. There's more info here if you're curious: dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/the-list-of-shame-fake-4k-dash-cameras-ultra-hd.33196/

[@lilmario0]

@@blackboxmycar I read this all the way though. Thank you. I became aware that the normal R2-4K is definitely not real 4k even before I bought the Pro version. BUT what I don't understand is that the Pro version clearly records at 3840 x 2160 at 30 fps with a bit rate of 36.9mbs unlike the regular R2-4k. Is it using an actual 8mp sensor this time compared to the regular version which clearly wasn't? If not, how are the specs mimicking 4k? I used the MediaInfo app and I compared the details to the 4k 30 on my Pixel 7 pro and all the info matches back.. the codec and everything. So if the pro version is still fake 4k, how are they even doing that? Thanks in advance.

[@blackboxmycar]

@@lilmario0 No problem, I hope it was helpful. According to my own research, the Rove R2-4K Pro uses a Sony IMX335 image sensor, which is 5MP and, therefore, not capable of 4k. Ultimately, I'm unable to verify exactly what's going on with the camera's footage, given I don't have the unit here to verify, unfortunately. It's possible they've changed to a better sensor, but I've pulled this info directly from the product page on their own website. What I can say is that I've seen other brands cut corners on resolution by upscaling, lowering the frame rate, or clipping the video.