Integrated Dash Cam

[MickC]

Very interesting! Are you saying the Audi A5 comes with this camera standard and this Audi unit is a drop-in replacement for a MS?

No, in the audi A5 there is the high beam assist camera on the same location.

 

[Master One]

Most Tesla owners have installed the Blackvue 650. It has its drawbacks but works pretty well. There is good documentation on doing a clean install into the Tesla for both cameras.

You don't happen to have a link to install documentation specifically for a Tesla Model S at hands?

And can you summarize the drawbacks of the BlackVue please?

That Tesla DashCam / Tesla DVR would be ideal, especially since it's really stealthy, but feature-wise I'd really prefer the BlackVue. I wonder if your local Tesla Store / Service Center can install a BlackVue before they hand over your new vehicle.

 

[WannabeOwner]

link to install documentation specifically for a Tesla Model S

This perhaps:

Tesla Model S BlackVue HD Dashcam Installation Guide

 

[SteveW25561]

I really like the Tesla DVRs appearance. I already have a Blackvue 2ch but I can see the appeal of this for sure. That said, I don't really even think about or see my Blackvue and passengers usually don't comment on it. Tucked behind the rear view mirror, it's relatively inconspicuous. Since the Blackvue is visible from the outside, it could be an attractant to thieves, although I've not really heard of people getting their cars broken into to steal a dashcam.

Any sample video of the Tesla DVR? Especially night view? You can get these from Aliexpress for $300 USD.

 

[anxman]

This perhaps:

Tesla Model S BlackVue HD Dashcam Installation Guide

That's the jist of it but at step (5), the wire can be threaded/fished through the cabling duct so no wires are visible at all. I think wk057 has a thread posted on how he did it. It's the same method that my installer used also.

The major drawback of the Blackvue is the iPhone software. Loading videos (even thumbnails) is painfully slow and can take a while when I really want to pull a video off it. It's so slow that it makes it hard to review videos casually to see if anything fishy's been going on.

Beyond that, the hardware features are all excellent. It's reliable. The image quality is excellent. Has front and back cameras and is discrete enough that nobody even knows it's there except for me.

 

[Master One]

Well, I'm not using an iPhone, but Android instead, so that would not be an issue. I have looked at that Tesla Model S installation guide, but it looks reasonably complicated, and I really would want to have it installed professionally. What are usual costs to have a such a BlackVue installed by a company? Though I would not even know any company around here to ask for such a job, if the Tesla Service Center is not willing to do it before delivery.

 

[Whitmarsh]

I really like the Tesla DVRs appearance. I already have a Blackvue 2ch but I can see the appeal of this for sure. That said, I don't really even think about or see my Blackvue and passengers usually don't comment on it. Tucked behind the rear view mirror, it's relatively inconspicuous. Since the Blackvue is visible from the outside, it could be an attractant to thieves, although I've not really heard of people getting their cars broken into to steal a dashcam.

Any sample video of the Tesla DVR? Especially night view? You can get these from Aliexpress for $300 USD.

The tesladashcam.com site has at least one sample and here's a sample of its night view.

 

[Whitmarsh]

You're spot on. It's $449 AU so about $330 US. Shipping is another $26 AU so total comes to $350 US.

I will say it is a slick package. Just wish they had more info on the site.

Just ask them for more info - they are very responsive. But I can tell you that it does not support GPS, which means that it does not record speed or location.

 

[MickC]

On the website of the chinese manufacturer there are more pictures and videos

 

[Whitmarsh]

Missing features in my opinion are parking mode, incident log and gps log. Also no possibility for rear view camera if wanted.
Maybe it is possible to create parking mode if you take constant power somewhere.

No GPS, so no record of speed or location.

 

[Bruiserbob]

I thought I read the blackVue GPS can't go through the windshield anyway...am I mistaken? That would make somewhat of a difference for me as well...

 

[Jeff65]

I have been using a Thinkware 750 for 8 months and love it. I get HD front and rear feeds with incident and parking recording. GPS does NOT work through the windshield (but this is a good thing ). I wrote up my install experience at:

Installation of a Radar Detector and Dashcam - I found switched power!!!

Jeff

 

[Master One]

Missing GPS would not be an issue for me, but missing parking mode and 2ch would. Since a dash cam is kind of illegal here where I live, it should be stealthy and better not have a screen, which is why the BlackVue pretty much would be perfect, except the effort for installing it.

 

[alexdav]

I thought I read the blackVue GPS can't go through the windshield anyway...am I mistaken? That would make somewhat of a difference for me as well...

It does and it doesn't. Sometimes it can find the signal (maybe bouncing in another way)? But it does sometimes pick it up.

I have mine installed in same location as a lot of the others around here, just behind the rear view mirror.

 

[liuping]

I have been using a Thinkware 750 for 8 months and love it. I get HD front and rear feeds with incident and parking recording. GPS does NOT work through the windshield (but this is a good thing ).

For anyone who wants GPS, it works fine through the windshield on my Thinkware 750. You have to place it fairly carefully to the right of the mirror (where Tesla recommends transponders be place), but it looks fine there.

 

[209California]

BlackVue 650 was in the running but after looking at the quality of the Garmin and Kenwood, anyone have any experience with those?