Benchmark Premium from South Korea: a review of the new line of BlackVue DVRs
Greetings dear readers Geektimes! With you again, Alexander Shub is the presenter (and very modest :) Russian expert in the subject of car DVRs. Now in my "piggy bank" over two hundred models studied in more than five years. In 2012, I was just beginning to comprehend the wisdom of automobile "black boxes". And one of the first brands of recorders with which I had a chance to work closely was the South Korean BlackVue. The company was at the very beginning of the path to enter the domestic market, where it subsequently essentially opened and formed a whole segment - a segment of expensive luxury video recorders. Yes, so successfully that it still controls about 80% of the total sales of premium cameras - those that are more expensive than 18-20 thousand rubles.
Nearly five years after the first acquaintance of Russian consumers with the products of the South Korean manufacturer, BlackVue had many reasons for me to take a closer look at their current line. And he told you what a new-generation BlackVue camera is, what the best quality of night-time shooting of everything that the market offers looks like. And why a dual-channel 720p recorder can cost 16,500 rubles. A single-channel 1080p - as much as 29,000 rubles.
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In the near future, I will tell you in separate materials about both the most expensive and available BlackVue models. In the meantime, let me remind you in general what this South Korean brand is.
I think the readers of Geektimes, like no one else, associate South Korea with high-quality premium electronics. In particular, if we are talking about recorders, the origin from this country automatically implies a competent, top-level product without any Chinese. BlackVue cameras were definitely the first to implant the South Korea = quality and advanced portable car electronics technology onto Russian car owners. The last point, about technology, is an important component of Korean BlackVue devices. After all, BlackVue became the first manufacturer to develop a recorder in a cylindrical case, and then - which looked quite fantastic - for the first time among all manufacturers of recorders, it provided a Wi-Fi device and the ability to control from a smartphone or tablet.
There are many examples of companies that opened up a fresh promising niche, but over time they lost their leadership in a new area under the onslaught of competitors. In my opinion, the most significant moment of BlackVue's strong position is the fact that the manufacturer still ranks first in South Korea in registrar sales. This is despite the fact that BlackVue focuses primarily on international channels, the company's models are sold almost in 170 (CTA FAMILY!) Countries. That is, even if you get a tiny island of St. Lucia on the open by Columbus, you can still officially buy a BlackVue recorder and get a branded after-sales service.
As for Russia, as I said earlier, BlackVue devices appeared in our country in 2012, quickly and successfully formed a segment of premium recorders (more expensive than 18-20 thousand rubles) and to this day hold about 80% of this part of the market. An indicative moment - almost from the first days of its presence in Russia, BlackVue models were put into service by car dealers with luxury models of brands such as BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
The BlackVue championship in South Korea is particularly noteworthy in light of the strong competition among registrar manufacturers in this Asian country - and not only from resellers of Chinese “slag”, but hardly less ambitious companies with their own R & D centers. Take at least the Thinkware brand, which is in the TOP-3 registrar sales at home. And, by the way, with might and main comes on the heels of BlackVue now in Russia.
Recently comrade autogeek told here that Thinkware is, albeit an unconditional premium, but still not with an eye on maxims, but rather with an emphasis on excellent price / quality / capability ratio. This is a slightly different strategy than professing BlackVue. In the case of BlackVue, the best practices and technologies come first. I emphasize that we are talking about exclusive features that are difficult to estimate in terms of price - when competitors, in principle, do not offer anything of the kind. The price tag for the company is secondary. Those who are looking for budget solutions, BlackVue do not buy and never will be.
In 2016, BlackVue released a whole line of the world's first registrars with a permanent Internet connection, as well as with "cloud" and security functions. The user can connect to the recorder from anywhere in the world and see in real time what is happening in front of the camera. At the same time, under certain scenarios, the model instantly sends notifications to the user's smartphone, which can quite effectively prevent car theft or evacuation. And if such an event, unfortunately, happened, the registrar will show the current location of the machine on Google maps again, in real time, to within a few meters.
I mentioned earlier that car dealers with luxury models offer customers an option to install BlackVue recorders. So, this kind of attraction attracts similar ¬¬– recently, all advanced Tesla cars in the Elektromobili, the only electric car salon in Russia, are equipped with the “cloud” line. By the way, the prices for Tesla cars start at 7.6 million rubles and end at around 14 million rubles for an almost 600-strong Tesla Model S 90D.
Let me remind you that in the article about Thinkware devices, the models of the brand were called super-reliable - the marriage is a meager 0.2%. How are things with BlackVue? According to international statistics of service centers of the company, the level of marriage does not exceed 1.5%. I agree with the data of autogeek that when ordering devices in Chinese factories, Russian brands get output at 15-20%. Not many Russian brand customers understand how to track a marriage, and ideally control the production process so as to minimize the occurrence of a marriage by up to 10%. So whatever one may say, but against the background of Russian-Chinese gadgets, BlackVue devices with a lower level of defective products almost six times look more preferable. And such reliability is one of the components of the answer to the question “Why is it so expensive?”
Why 1.5%, not 0.2%, like Thinkware? Such a trivial thing interferes with the statistics as the number of potentially problematic nodes. I repeat, BlackVue devices are the very best-built and functional devices on the market. Therefore, one or another hardware solution introduces bit by bit fractions of marriage percent. The more features, the greater the likelihood of marriage and failures. If the company had focused on the production of "regular premium" models, like Thinkware, the result would be comparable, within the notorious 0.2-0.5%.
Numbers and beautiful words - this is all good, but how clearly can BlackVue confirm the high quality of the products and the focus on stable, trouble-free functioning of the models? In my opinion, the best way for an average person to use is to look inside the case and carefully see what the company is doing. From what and how the registrar is assembled. Inside! And not just fluently assess the external design of the device and the location of the controls, as most "reviewers" do.
During my career I was present at the analysis (or even personally dismantled!) About three dozen registrars, I closely followed the “autopsies” on dashcamtalk.com, the largest foreign resource on the subject of DVRs.
As a result, I can say with confidence that there is a direct connection between what you see inside the registrar and how it will show itself in the work. And especially with how long your purchased device will last. The more disgusting at first the engineers and then the assemblers approached their work, the higher the likelihood of getting a problem device with a high failure rate. Unfortunately, even the price is not always the guarantor of high-quality assembly; terrible examples have even occurred to me in registrars for 15,000 rubles.
In the detailed single reviews of BlackVue devices, I will provide pictures and comments on the new “cloud” line devices that I have disassembled. In the meantime, I note that all without exception - both the most affordable and the most expensive models of the company are assembled according to uniform standards. “Here we stick the GPS antenna anyway, instead of the connector, we attach the speaker cable to the curve soldering board” - this is not in principle. Right now, even now, create an International Bureau of reference assembly and hand over BlackVue devices there as samples. Everything is extremely neat and beautiful!
Representatives of the BlackVue DR650S lineup are the first and currently the only DVRs in the world (essentially a new generation) with support for a permanent Internet connection and cloud technologies. And at the same time - the functions of car alarms and security anti-theft system.
The lineup is represented by three flagship models: BlackVue DR650S-1CH, BlackVue DR650S-2CH and BlackVue DR650-2CH IR. By and large, the difference between the devices is only in the number of cameras. As you might guess from the name, in the second and third cases we have two-channel models. The BlackVue DR650-2CH IR rear module is also equipped with an infrared light for high-quality recording in the cabin in complete darkness. This is useful, for example, if you work in a VIP taxi service and wish to record what is happening not only in front of the car, but also inside it.
To begin with, I propose to become familiar with the table of comparison of prices and characteristics of models of the BlackVue DR650 line:
All three BlackVue DR650S models are made in the brand's corporate design. The devices are compact horizontally oriented cylinders. This design allows you to hide the recorder for the salon rearview mirror - and does not attract views, and the driver does not block the review.
The case is notable for the presence of a microSD memory card compartment under a protective cover. This cover cannot be removed until you unplug the power plug. It turns out the most effective protection against accidental removal of the flash drive and loss of shooting in the event of an accident or other stressful situation.
First of all, it is worth clarifying that to enable Internet connection and full use of cloud services, you need to purchase a set of additional accessories BlackVue Over The Cloud, which is estimated at 8,500 rubles. This includes the Power Magic Pro uninterruptible power supply controller (prevents discharging the car battery), an LTE modem with a USB interface, and a cigarette lighter splitter (one standard jack and one USB connector). You will also need a SIM-card of any operator with 3G or 4G-Internet. However, no one forbids you to independently assemble a set from another modem, adapter and power controller.
After connecting, install the BlackVue Over The Cloud application on your smartphone or tablet, register a new account and connect your BlackVue DR650S to it. The latter is possible in two ways: by driving the serial number manually in the application or by scanning the QR code on the device case.
And, of course, do not forget to specify in the settings one or more Wi-Fi access points of the registrar to the Internet.
Or you can look at the extremely detailed video of the complete process of setting up Cloud-functions:
After these manipulations, you can use cloud services from anywhere in the world. So, select the following available functions:
• remote copying of videos from the recorder's memory card to the memory of your smartphone or tablet;
• online video broadcasting. At any time from anywhere you can see what is happening in front of the car or in its cabin (depending on where you turned the camera recorder). Useful option if you went to distant lands and worried about your car. Or, being on vacation on the other side of the planet, you want to check whether everything is in order with the car parked or in the garage;
• notifications on the smartphone. So, through the BlackVue mobile app, you will receive notifications to your smartphone if the recorder leaves the parking mode and goes into normal mode (therefore, the car engine is turned on), when a G-sensor or a motion sensor is triggered (for example, the tow truck took away or it was attempted to steal exceeding a predetermined speed threshold (you can control your wife, or, say, a friend who asked for a car), etc .;
• by the way, about control. BlackVue DR650S cloud services also provide two-way voice communication. Thus, you can frighten the thief or tell your wife / friend that you are not so actively pressing the gas pedal;
• GPS tracking is another monitoring feature. At any time, you can find out where your car is and the speed of its movement;
• upload video to the cloud. This function is useful, for example, in the case of an accident. You never know, what else will happen with the smartphone - and you can place a backup copy of the video in the cloud storage right at the scene of the accident and give the inspector the memory card of the registrar.
In the video you can see an example of how "cloud" technology will prevent the evacuation of your car:
We now turn to the stuffing and recording video. All models of the BlackVue DR650S line use the top Japanese 2.4-megapixel Sony Exmor matrix with a large physical size. The size of each pixel is 3x3 µm versus 2x2 µs in the bulk of the matrices of other recorders. As a result, each pixel receives more light, which is especially important in conditions of poor lighting - the video is clearer and more saturated. Also in the commercials of the BlackVue DR650S, the signature feature of the Japanese sensor is fully visible - rich, natural color reproduction, even at night there are no faded colors.
On the BlackVue processor, the DR650S also did not save. And this is not the seventh Ambarella, as in the top models of most other brands, but the powerful HiSilicon Hi3516. The developer of the latter is a division of Huawei, which since 1991 has been developing integrated circuits, has a staff of 2,000 people and 500 patents. Taking into account the image quality achieved in BlackVue DR650S, I can say with confidence that Chinese HiSilicon is not inferior to American Ambarella in image processing technologies.
Here I will say about high-quality glass optics with an coated coating. Although it is rather a “must have” - it would be strange to see a lens with glass lenses, which over time can crack from the temperature drop, as well as lose transparency. Nevertheless, such plastic lenses are still found in the most inexpensive Chinese (or Sino-Russian ones - whatever you like!) Models. The viewing angle of the lenses of the models of the BlackVue DR650S range is 129 degrees diagonally. By and large, this is the "golden mean" - and a sufficient amount of information gets into the frame (for example, the video shows what happens before the hood and the roadside), and there is no so-called "fish eye effect" when the picture is bent over the edges.
The use of high-quality top-end components, as well as competent and properly “doped” software allowed recording video of the highest quality. In fact, the BlackVue DR650S demonstrates the best of the filming among all the recorders of any manufacturer - both day and night. And, what is more remarkable, at dusk and in bad weather - that is, in conditions of "jumping" illumination.
Even on an overcast day, the picture remains clear and sharp, the white balance is correct, and the color rendition is natural. Small details are visible, such as road signs, road signs. Car numbers are clearly distinguishable even in neighboring lanes. In a straight line in front of the hood of license plate cars are perfectly distinguishable from a distance of up to 25 meters. Today it is an absolute record among all DVRs of any manufacturer.
By the way, in comparison with the flagship of the previous generation BlackVue DR500GW HD, the new product shows itself noticeably better in clarity and image clarity:
With a night shot, the BlackVue DR650S is also no problem. There are no unnecessarily dark areas in the video, at the same time the picture is “not overexposed”. Detailed image, excellent color reproduction.
I will also give you "solo" examples of shooting the front and rear cameras of the BlackVue DR650S.
As you can see, the rear module is still more likely to be present for an overall assessment of what is happening behind the wheel - depending on the lighting, state numbers can be viewed from a distance of up to five meters. However, if BlackVue had achieved the same level of shooting as that of the main camera, the price of the model would probably have risen to transcendental heights.
In the event of an accident, the G-sensor will work and record a separate erasure-protected file. So, it takes about 5 seconds before the incident and is added to the video for 1, 2 or 3 minutes (you can choose in the settings). As a result, almost the entire incident will be captured, not just its consequences. I will add that if the G-sensor triggers in the normal mode (for example, an accident), this fragment is automatically protected from cyclic rewriting. And it will also be added to the 5-second segment preceding the operation.
The BlackVue DR650S works fine with the default settings. However, you can always change something by customizing the recorder for yourself. This can be done in two ways. The first is with a memory card. When you first launch Avtorega, the BlackVue Viewer application is automatically copied to the USB flash drive. Thus, you need to remove the card from the recorder, insert it into the complete USB-card reader and install the latter in the port of a computer or laptop. It's nice that the developers have taken care of and made this program for both Windows and Mac OS. For some reason, usually the recorders software is designed only for Windows. Here, none of the users will not be left out.
The second way to control the BlackVue DR650S is through the corresponding application for mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). I note that the utility is also available for both Android and iOS. In my opinion, the key here is the ability to remotely change settings.Accessing and copying files via Wi-Fi is also available in medium price segment recorders like the Mio MiVue 688. However, to adjust the settings, you still have to climb the inconvenient menu through the small camera display. In the case of the BlackVue DR650S, you can see the parameters on the big screen of a smartphone or tablet. And quickly expose the required settings.
The list of settings in the applications for computers and mobile devices is the same. Unless, in the case of a computer, you can also edit / trim the video. Otherwise, everything is identical.
Owners of registrars with lithium-ion batteries must have repeatedly encountered the situation when the registrar left in the car in the winter does not want to turn on before the cabin warms up. With BlackVue DR650S and other models of this brand there are no such problems and can not be. Instead of the battery, the device uses a supercapacitor, which allows you to turn on the recorder without any problems even at -20 degrees. The undoubted additional plus is a super-reliable element, the number of calls for the output of spercapacitors tends to zero. But!You will not get a full-fledged autonomous shooting, the camera will shut down immediately after the external power supply is cut off.
Now we will briefly go through some current BlackVue models that are not included in the top-end “cloud” line of the BlackVue DR650S. Let me remind you that in the coming weeks I will post here some reviews of BlackVue DR650S models. In the meantime, I will tell you briefly about current models of the manufacturer. Those in which there is no "cloud" frills.
The BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS model is positioned by the manufacturer as the most affordable premium video recorder with GPS support in the BlackVue lineup. Simply put, this is a high-quality Full HD recorder with a GPS module, but without Wi-Fi and no cloud services.
This unit will be interesting to those who want for a relatively modest amount to get a premium quality of shooting and assembly. As in the previous case, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the visual table of the main characteristics of the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS:
Like almost all models of the brand, the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS is made in a cylindrical shape. By and large, outwardly, it practically does not differ from the top-end "cloud" line of BlackVue DR650S autoregs, except for one moment - the presence of a special ring on the cover hiding the memory card. If in the case of “cloudy” recorders a memory card can be removed only by unplugging the power cable, here you can additionally protect the USB flash drive with a small lock. Or another way of sealing. What is it for?For example, if a company wants to fully control the work of its drivers and couriers and does not want hired personnel to have unauthorized access to a memory card with records of their movements.
Another feature of the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS is an external GPS receiver. Such an engineering course was used to simplify the internal design of the registrar itself (and, as a consequence, to reduce the cost of the final cost). Also, an external antenna is installed anywhere on the windshield, which is important for heated windows and only one or two satellite signal transmission zones. Finally, installation outside the body limits eliminates pickups from recorder elements and allows the antenna to receive a signal more confidently.
The GPS receiver in the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS is used to determine the speed, as well as recording the driving route, which can later be overlaid on Google maps.
Regarding the "stuffing" BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS little is known. For example, the fact that the Sony Exmor 2-megapixel matrix is ​​used here, and the viewing angle is relatively small - 118 degrees diagonally. Why so little data about the "gland"? Apparently, the developers decided not to bother the users with unnecessary information. Like, look at the final result (high quality recording), and all questions about the components will disappear by themselves.
Indeed, the quality of the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS video deserves all praise. The picture is bright, clear and with high details. Moreover, this applies to both daily and night recordings. In general, I will not be sprayed, but just give a few examples.
It feels like the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS is truly a premium brand DVR. This is not some kind of Chinese autregue, designed “on the knee” and assembled on it. Curved Chinese little hands. Full HD on the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS and Full HD on a typical Chinese recorder are two big differences.
The BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS does not have a Wi-Fi module, so remote control via a smartphone is not possible. The recorder can be configured only from a computer on Windows or Mac OS using the BlackVue Viewer program (available on the complete memory card).
The BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS bundle differs little from that of the top-end BlackVue DR650S cloud-based model - even a 16 GB memory card is present. And the manufacturer warns that in the case of using third-party cards, it is not responsible for the consequences of the kind of unstable video recording and other problems.
The last in line in this material was the BlackVue DR430-2CH model. This device is an affordable dual-channel GPS recorder. This is the most inexpensive model with two cameras in the BlackVue autoregion line; it is estimated at 13,250 rubles.
The main difference of this device from the previous one is the recording of video in HD-resolution and the presence of the rear module. But do not be scared, HD from BlackVue is superior in quality to the vast majority of average Chinese Full HD recorders. Again, the numbers in tech inspections and real-quality video are slightly different things.
The characteristics of the BlackVue DR430-2CH can be found in the table below:
The design of the BlackVue DR430-2CH is no different from other BlackVue models. In this case, here, as in the BlackVue DR450-1CH, a ring is provided for installing a lock on the cover that covers the memory card slot.
As in the case of the previous model, the manufacturer does not cover the “stuffing” of the BlackVue DR430-2CH. We only know that this is a Sony Exmor matrix with a large physical size and low resolution, which provides a clear image in bad weather or at night. The viewing angle is 120 degrees diagonally.
Both cameras of the BlackVue DR430-2CH model record video at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels with a frequency of 30 frames per second. See examples of shooting.
The video quality is slightly worse than the models of the top-end "cloud" line of BlackVue DR650S and the model of BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS. Nevertheless, it can be called high. Moreover, even the top Chinese Full HD car registers are mostly inferior to the BlackVue DR430-2CH, especially in night shooting. It is all about well-chosen components and high-quality "software", which is responsible for processing the resulting image. By and large, this is the manifestation of the “premiumness” of the brand’s devices - everything is thought out in any aspect.
The current line of BlackVue devices includes various models: the simplest, writing video in HD-resolution, and two-channel, and the most sophisticated devices of the new generation with unsurpassed, record-high recording quality and completely new technological "chips" - a permanent Internet connection, support for cloud services, security system functions and the ability to remote control.
Every motorist will be able to pick up the recorder for themselves. Unless, of course, the purchase budget is not particularly limited - after all, even the most affordable BlackVue DVRs are significantly more expensive than the average Chinese models on our market. And BlackVue devices are far from being the most limited in motor vehicles.
To summarize, I’ll add that if you have ever tried BlackVue, it’s unlikely that you will ever return to the Chinese autoreg. This is how to transfer from the new BMW to the Chinese Chery. It seems to be, and it looks tolerable, and the equipment is rich, but in reality the difference in quality and implementation of functions is simply enormous.
PS I remind the readers about the choice of registrars or other points on this topic, do not hesitate to contact me personally at schub.alexandr@yandex.ru.
Nearly five years after the first acquaintance of Russian consumers with the products of the South Korean manufacturer, BlackVue had many reasons for me to take a closer look at their current line. And he told you what a new-generation BlackVue camera is, what the best quality of night-time shooting of everything that the market offers looks like. And why a dual-channel 720p recorder can cost 16,500 rubles. A single-channel 1080p - as much as 29,000 rubles.
')
BlackVue - premium legend
In the near future, I will tell you in separate materials about both the most expensive and available BlackVue models. In the meantime, let me remind you in general what this South Korean brand is.
I think the readers of Geektimes, like no one else, associate South Korea with high-quality premium electronics. In particular, if we are talking about recorders, the origin from this country automatically implies a competent, top-level product without any Chinese. BlackVue cameras were definitely the first to implant the South Korea = quality and advanced portable car electronics technology onto Russian car owners. The last point, about technology, is an important component of Korean BlackVue devices. After all, BlackVue became the first manufacturer to develop a recorder in a cylindrical case, and then - which looked quite fantastic - for the first time among all manufacturers of recorders, it provided a Wi-Fi device and the ability to control from a smartphone or tablet.
There are many examples of companies that opened up a fresh promising niche, but over time they lost their leadership in a new area under the onslaught of competitors. In my opinion, the most significant moment of BlackVue's strong position is the fact that the manufacturer still ranks first in South Korea in registrar sales. This is despite the fact that BlackVue focuses primarily on international channels, the company's models are sold almost in 170 (CTA FAMILY!) Countries. That is, even if you get a tiny island of St. Lucia on the open by Columbus, you can still officially buy a BlackVue recorder and get a branded after-sales service.
As for Russia, as I said earlier, BlackVue devices appeared in our country in 2012, quickly and successfully formed a segment of premium recorders (more expensive than 18-20 thousand rubles) and to this day hold about 80% of this part of the market. An indicative moment - almost from the first days of its presence in Russia, BlackVue models were put into service by car dealers with luxury models of brands such as BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
The BlackVue championship in South Korea is particularly noteworthy in light of the strong competition among registrar manufacturers in this Asian country - and not only from resellers of Chinese “slag”, but hardly less ambitious companies with their own R & D centers. Take at least the Thinkware brand, which is in the TOP-3 registrar sales at home. And, by the way, with might and main comes on the heels of BlackVue now in Russia.
Recently comrade autogeek told here that Thinkware is, albeit an unconditional premium, but still not with an eye on maxims, but rather with an emphasis on excellent price / quality / capability ratio. This is a slightly different strategy than professing BlackVue. In the case of BlackVue, the best practices and technologies come first. I emphasize that we are talking about exclusive features that are difficult to estimate in terms of price - when competitors, in principle, do not offer anything of the kind. The price tag for the company is secondary. Those who are looking for budget solutions, BlackVue do not buy and never will be.
In 2016, BlackVue released a whole line of the world's first registrars with a permanent Internet connection, as well as with "cloud" and security functions. The user can connect to the recorder from anywhere in the world and see in real time what is happening in front of the camera. At the same time, under certain scenarios, the model instantly sends notifications to the user's smartphone, which can quite effectively prevent car theft or evacuation. And if such an event, unfortunately, happened, the registrar will show the current location of the machine on Google maps again, in real time, to within a few meters.
I mentioned earlier that car dealers with luxury models offer customers an option to install BlackVue recorders. So, this kind of attraction attracts similar ¬¬– recently, all advanced Tesla cars in the Elektromobili, the only electric car salon in Russia, are equipped with the “cloud” line. By the way, the prices for Tesla cars start at 7.6 million rubles and end at around 14 million rubles for an almost 600-strong Tesla Model S 90D.
Reliability and assembly
Let me remind you that in the article about Thinkware devices, the models of the brand were called super-reliable - the marriage is a meager 0.2%. How are things with BlackVue? According to international statistics of service centers of the company, the level of marriage does not exceed 1.5%. I agree with the data of autogeek that when ordering devices in Chinese factories, Russian brands get output at 15-20%. Not many Russian brand customers understand how to track a marriage, and ideally control the production process so as to minimize the occurrence of a marriage by up to 10%. So whatever one may say, but against the background of Russian-Chinese gadgets, BlackVue devices with a lower level of defective products almost six times look more preferable. And such reliability is one of the components of the answer to the question “Why is it so expensive?”
Why 1.5%, not 0.2%, like Thinkware? Such a trivial thing interferes with the statistics as the number of potentially problematic nodes. I repeat, BlackVue devices are the very best-built and functional devices on the market. Therefore, one or another hardware solution introduces bit by bit fractions of marriage percent. The more features, the greater the likelihood of marriage and failures. If the company had focused on the production of "regular premium" models, like Thinkware, the result would be comparable, within the notorious 0.2-0.5%.
Numbers and beautiful words - this is all good, but how clearly can BlackVue confirm the high quality of the products and the focus on stable, trouble-free functioning of the models? In my opinion, the best way for an average person to use is to look inside the case and carefully see what the company is doing. From what and how the registrar is assembled. Inside! And not just fluently assess the external design of the device and the location of the controls, as most "reviewers" do.
During my career I was present at the analysis (or even personally dismantled!) About three dozen registrars, I closely followed the “autopsies” on dashcamtalk.com, the largest foreign resource on the subject of DVRs.
As a result, I can say with confidence that there is a direct connection between what you see inside the registrar and how it will show itself in the work. And especially with how long your purchased device will last. The more disgusting at first the engineers and then the assemblers approached their work, the higher the likelihood of getting a problem device with a high failure rate. Unfortunately, even the price is not always the guarantor of high-quality assembly; terrible examples have even occurred to me in registrars for 15,000 rubles.
Sometimes inside the top Russian-Chinese registrar you can even find a hair picker!
In the detailed single reviews of BlackVue devices, I will provide pictures and comments on the new “cloud” line devices that I have disassembled. In the meantime, I note that all without exception - both the most affordable and the most expensive models of the company are assembled according to uniform standards. “Here we stick the GPS antenna anyway, instead of the connector, we attach the speaker cable to the curve soldering board” - this is not in principle. Right now, even now, create an International Bureau of reference assembly and hand over BlackVue devices there as samples. Everything is extremely neat and beautiful!
BlackVue DR650S-1CH, BlackVue DR650S-2CH and BlackVue DR650-2CH IR (from 20 990 rubles)
Representatives of the BlackVue DR650S lineup are the first and currently the only DVRs in the world (essentially a new generation) with support for a permanent Internet connection and cloud technologies. And at the same time - the functions of car alarms and security anti-theft system.
The lineup is represented by three flagship models: BlackVue DR650S-1CH, BlackVue DR650S-2CH and BlackVue DR650-2CH IR. By and large, the difference between the devices is only in the number of cameras. As you might guess from the name, in the second and third cases we have two-channel models. The BlackVue DR650-2CH IR rear module is also equipped with an infrared light for high-quality recording in the cabin in complete darkness. This is useful, for example, if you work in a VIP taxi service and wish to record what is happening not only in front of the car, but also inside it.
To begin with, I propose to become familiar with the table of comparison of prices and characteristics of models of the BlackVue DR650 line:
All three BlackVue DR650S models are made in the brand's corporate design. The devices are compact horizontally oriented cylinders. This design allows you to hide the recorder for the salon rearview mirror - and does not attract views, and the driver does not block the review.
The case is notable for the presence of a microSD memory card compartment under a protective cover. This cover cannot be removed until you unplug the power plug. It turns out the most effective protection against accidental removal of the flash drive and loss of shooting in the event of an accident or other stressful situation.
First of all, it is worth clarifying that to enable Internet connection and full use of cloud services, you need to purchase a set of additional accessories BlackVue Over The Cloud, which is estimated at 8,500 rubles. This includes the Power Magic Pro uninterruptible power supply controller (prevents discharging the car battery), an LTE modem with a USB interface, and a cigarette lighter splitter (one standard jack and one USB connector). You will also need a SIM-card of any operator with 3G or 4G-Internet. However, no one forbids you to independently assemble a set from another modem, adapter and power controller.
After connecting, install the BlackVue Over The Cloud application on your smartphone or tablet, register a new account and connect your BlackVue DR650S to it. The latter is possible in two ways: by driving the serial number manually in the application or by scanning the QR code on the device case.
And, of course, do not forget to specify in the settings one or more Wi-Fi access points of the registrar to the Internet.
Or you can look at the extremely detailed video of the complete process of setting up Cloud-functions:
After these manipulations, you can use cloud services from anywhere in the world. So, select the following available functions:
• remote copying of videos from the recorder's memory card to the memory of your smartphone or tablet;
• online video broadcasting. At any time from anywhere you can see what is happening in front of the car or in its cabin (depending on where you turned the camera recorder). Useful option if you went to distant lands and worried about your car. Or, being on vacation on the other side of the planet, you want to check whether everything is in order with the car parked or in the garage;
• notifications on the smartphone. So, through the BlackVue mobile app, you will receive notifications to your smartphone if the recorder leaves the parking mode and goes into normal mode (therefore, the car engine is turned on), when a G-sensor or a motion sensor is triggered (for example, the tow truck took away or it was attempted to steal exceeding a predetermined speed threshold (you can control your wife, or, say, a friend who asked for a car), etc .;
• by the way, about control. BlackVue DR650S cloud services also provide two-way voice communication. Thus, you can frighten the thief or tell your wife / friend that you are not so actively pressing the gas pedal;
• GPS tracking is another monitoring feature. At any time, you can find out where your car is and the speed of its movement;
• upload video to the cloud. This function is useful, for example, in the case of an accident. You never know, what else will happen with the smartphone - and you can place a backup copy of the video in the cloud storage right at the scene of the accident and give the inspector the memory card of the registrar.
In the video you can see an example of how "cloud" technology will prevent the evacuation of your car:
We now turn to the stuffing and recording video. All models of the BlackVue DR650S line use the top Japanese 2.4-megapixel Sony Exmor matrix with a large physical size. The size of each pixel is 3x3 µm versus 2x2 µs in the bulk of the matrices of other recorders. As a result, each pixel receives more light, which is especially important in conditions of poor lighting - the video is clearer and more saturated. Also in the commercials of the BlackVue DR650S, the signature feature of the Japanese sensor is fully visible - rich, natural color reproduction, even at night there are no faded colors.
On the BlackVue processor, the DR650S also did not save. And this is not the seventh Ambarella, as in the top models of most other brands, but the powerful HiSilicon Hi3516. The developer of the latter is a division of Huawei, which since 1991 has been developing integrated circuits, has a staff of 2,000 people and 500 patents. Taking into account the image quality achieved in BlackVue DR650S, I can say with confidence that Chinese HiSilicon is not inferior to American Ambarella in image processing technologies.
Here I will say about high-quality glass optics with an coated coating. Although it is rather a “must have” - it would be strange to see a lens with glass lenses, which over time can crack from the temperature drop, as well as lose transparency. Nevertheless, such plastic lenses are still found in the most inexpensive Chinese (or Sino-Russian ones - whatever you like!) Models. The viewing angle of the lenses of the models of the BlackVue DR650S range is 129 degrees diagonally. By and large, this is the "golden mean" - and a sufficient amount of information gets into the frame (for example, the video shows what happens before the hood and the roadside), and there is no so-called "fish eye effect" when the picture is bent over the edges.
The use of high-quality top-end components, as well as competent and properly “doped” software allowed recording video of the highest quality. In fact, the BlackVue DR650S demonstrates the best of the filming among all the recorders of any manufacturer - both day and night. And, what is more remarkable, at dusk and in bad weather - that is, in conditions of "jumping" illumination.
Even on an overcast day, the picture remains clear and sharp, the white balance is correct, and the color rendition is natural. Small details are visible, such as road signs, road signs. Car numbers are clearly distinguishable even in neighboring lanes. In a straight line in front of the hood of license plate cars are perfectly distinguishable from a distance of up to 25 meters. Today it is an absolute record among all DVRs of any manufacturer.
By the way, in comparison with the flagship of the previous generation BlackVue DR500GW HD, the new product shows itself noticeably better in clarity and image clarity:
With a night shot, the BlackVue DR650S is also no problem. There are no unnecessarily dark areas in the video, at the same time the picture is “not overexposed”. Detailed image, excellent color reproduction.
I will also give you "solo" examples of shooting the front and rear cameras of the BlackVue DR650S.
An example of a daily video of the BlackVue DR650S-2CH (main camera):
An example of a daily video of the BlackVue DR650S-2CH (rear camera):
An example of a night video BlackVue DR650S-2CH (main camera):
Example of a night video of the BlackVue DR650S-2CH (rear camera):
As you can see, the rear module is still more likely to be present for an overall assessment of what is happening behind the wheel - depending on the lighting, state numbers can be viewed from a distance of up to five meters. However, if BlackVue had achieved the same level of shooting as that of the main camera, the price of the model would probably have risen to transcendental heights.
In the event of an accident, the G-sensor will work and record a separate erasure-protected file. So, it takes about 5 seconds before the incident and is added to the video for 1, 2 or 3 minutes (you can choose in the settings). As a result, almost the entire incident will be captured, not just its consequences. I will add that if the G-sensor triggers in the normal mode (for example, an accident), this fragment is automatically protected from cyclic rewriting. And it will also be added to the 5-second segment preceding the operation.
The BlackVue DR650S works fine with the default settings. However, you can always change something by customizing the recorder for yourself. This can be done in two ways. The first is with a memory card. When you first launch Avtorega, the BlackVue Viewer application is automatically copied to the USB flash drive. Thus, you need to remove the card from the recorder, insert it into the complete USB-card reader and install the latter in the port of a computer or laptop. It's nice that the developers have taken care of and made this program for both Windows and Mac OS. For some reason, usually the recorders software is designed only for Windows. Here, none of the users will not be left out.
The second way to control the BlackVue DR650S is through the corresponding application for mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). I note that the utility is also available for both Android and iOS. In my opinion, the key here is the ability to remotely change settings.Accessing and copying files via Wi-Fi is also available in medium price segment recorders like the Mio MiVue 688. However, to adjust the settings, you still have to climb the inconvenient menu through the small camera display. In the case of the BlackVue DR650S, you can see the parameters on the big screen of a smartphone or tablet. And quickly expose the required settings.
The list of settings in the applications for computers and mobile devices is the same. Unless, in the case of a computer, you can also edit / trim the video. Otherwise, everything is identical.
Owners of registrars with lithium-ion batteries must have repeatedly encountered the situation when the registrar left in the car in the winter does not want to turn on before the cabin warms up. With BlackVue DR650S and other models of this brand there are no such problems and can not be. Instead of the battery, the device uses a supercapacitor, which allows you to turn on the recorder without any problems even at -20 degrees. The undoubted additional plus is a super-reliable element, the number of calls for the output of spercapacitors tends to zero. But!You will not get a full-fledged autonomous shooting, the camera will shut down immediately after the external power supply is cut off.
Now we will briefly go through some current BlackVue models that are not included in the top-end “cloud” line of the BlackVue DR650S. Let me remind you that in the coming weeks I will post here some reviews of BlackVue DR650S models. In the meantime, I will tell you briefly about current models of the manufacturer. Those in which there is no "cloud" frills.
BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS (13,250 rubles)
The BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS model is positioned by the manufacturer as the most affordable premium video recorder with GPS support in the BlackVue lineup. Simply put, this is a high-quality Full HD recorder with a GPS module, but without Wi-Fi and no cloud services.
This unit will be interesting to those who want for a relatively modest amount to get a premium quality of shooting and assembly. As in the previous case, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the visual table of the main characteristics of the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS:
Like almost all models of the brand, the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS is made in a cylindrical shape. By and large, outwardly, it practically does not differ from the top-end "cloud" line of BlackVue DR650S autoregs, except for one moment - the presence of a special ring on the cover hiding the memory card. If in the case of “cloudy” recorders a memory card can be removed only by unplugging the power cable, here you can additionally protect the USB flash drive with a small lock. Or another way of sealing. What is it for?For example, if a company wants to fully control the work of its drivers and couriers and does not want hired personnel to have unauthorized access to a memory card with records of their movements.
Another feature of the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS is an external GPS receiver. Such an engineering course was used to simplify the internal design of the registrar itself (and, as a consequence, to reduce the cost of the final cost). Also, an external antenna is installed anywhere on the windshield, which is important for heated windows and only one or two satellite signal transmission zones. Finally, installation outside the body limits eliminates pickups from recorder elements and allows the antenna to receive a signal more confidently.
The GPS receiver in the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS is used to determine the speed, as well as recording the driving route, which can later be overlaid on Google maps.
Regarding the "stuffing" BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS little is known. For example, the fact that the Sony Exmor 2-megapixel matrix is ​​used here, and the viewing angle is relatively small - 118 degrees diagonally. Why so little data about the "gland"? Apparently, the developers decided not to bother the users with unnecessary information. Like, look at the final result (high quality recording), and all questions about the components will disappear by themselves.
Indeed, the quality of the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS video deserves all praise. The picture is bright, clear and with high details. Moreover, this applies to both daily and night recordings. In general, I will not be sprayed, but just give a few examples.
Example of a daily recording of the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS:
Example of a night recording of the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS:
It feels like the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS is truly a premium brand DVR. This is not some kind of Chinese autregue, designed “on the knee” and assembled on it. Curved Chinese little hands. Full HD on the BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS and Full HD on a typical Chinese recorder are two big differences.
The BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS does not have a Wi-Fi module, so remote control via a smartphone is not possible. The recorder can be configured only from a computer on Windows or Mac OS using the BlackVue Viewer program (available on the complete memory card).
The BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS bundle differs little from that of the top-end BlackVue DR650S cloud-based model - even a 16 GB memory card is present. And the manufacturer warns that in the case of using third-party cards, it is not responsible for the consequences of the kind of unstable video recording and other problems.
BlackVue DR430-2CH (16 550 rubles)
The last in line in this material was the BlackVue DR430-2CH model. This device is an affordable dual-channel GPS recorder. This is the most inexpensive model with two cameras in the BlackVue autoregion line; it is estimated at 13,250 rubles.
The main difference of this device from the previous one is the recording of video in HD-resolution and the presence of the rear module. But do not be scared, HD from BlackVue is superior in quality to the vast majority of average Chinese Full HD recorders. Again, the numbers in tech inspections and real-quality video are slightly different things.
The characteristics of the BlackVue DR430-2CH can be found in the table below:
The design of the BlackVue DR430-2CH is no different from other BlackVue models. In this case, here, as in the BlackVue DR450-1CH, a ring is provided for installing a lock on the cover that covers the memory card slot.
As in the case of the previous model, the manufacturer does not cover the “stuffing” of the BlackVue DR430-2CH. We only know that this is a Sony Exmor matrix with a large physical size and low resolution, which provides a clear image in bad weather or at night. The viewing angle is 120 degrees diagonally.
Both cameras of the BlackVue DR430-2CH model record video at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels with a frequency of 30 frames per second. See examples of shooting.
Example of daytime video, front camera:
Example of daytime video, rear camera:
An example of a night video front camera:
An example of a night video rear camera:
The video quality is slightly worse than the models of the top-end "cloud" line of BlackVue DR650S and the model of BlackVue DR450-1CH GPS. Nevertheless, it can be called high. Moreover, even the top Chinese Full HD car registers are mostly inferior to the BlackVue DR430-2CH, especially in night shooting. It is all about well-chosen components and high-quality "software", which is responsible for processing the resulting image. By and large, this is the manifestation of the “premiumness” of the brand’s devices - everything is thought out in any aspect.
Conclusion
The current line of BlackVue devices includes various models: the simplest, writing video in HD-resolution, and two-channel, and the most sophisticated devices of the new generation with unsurpassed, record-high recording quality and completely new technological "chips" - a permanent Internet connection, support for cloud services, security system functions and the ability to remote control.
Every motorist will be able to pick up the recorder for themselves. Unless, of course, the purchase budget is not particularly limited - after all, even the most affordable BlackVue DVRs are significantly more expensive than the average Chinese models on our market. And BlackVue devices are far from being the most limited in motor vehicles.
To summarize, I’ll add that if you have ever tried BlackVue, it’s unlikely that you will ever return to the Chinese autoreg. This is how to transfer from the new BMW to the Chinese Chery. It seems to be, and it looks tolerable, and the equipment is rich, but in reality the difference in quality and implementation of functions is simply enormous.
PS I remind the readers about the choice of registrars or other points on this topic, do not hesitate to contact me personally at schub.alexandr@yandex.ru.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/399267/
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