Model X Dash Cam Unboxing and Installation

[arijaycomet]

The reason you want super high resolution is because anything that happens (unless it's you getting into an accident) is going to be somewhat further away, and if you want to upload it to youtube or what not, then you'll need to crop heavily (and the details would be kind of hard to get.

Same thing if you want to read a plate off of that car 3 cars away from you.

Here's a sample for you, it's 1080p BlackVue footage(at increased bitrate even from stock) and still I needed to cut it to 360p and you can barely see anything, certainly cannot read any plates either. Now if this was a 4K footage (still looking for a 4k dashcam, but don't appear to be any) the picture would be a lot better.

Ahh okay that makes sense. I hadn't really thought about the resolution being such for zooming/plate ID. Again, we are prone to think of things in our own little context, that often times it takes others and their experiences to open our eyes to all of the possibilities. Thank you for sharing.

In the instance above, I guess if you pulled over and snapped photos of the cars/places/damage immediately it would be easy to cross ID the vehicles. Obviously the plates on them would match how they (should) be registered. And the video would be some added benefit, even if the resolution was lower, I guess. Maybe?

For the past 25 years of driving, I've never had a dash cam before. I've witnessed my share of accidents (and participated in a few, too, regretfully). There has yet to be an instance where I think the cam would have made a huge difference in the outcome of my own accidents, but of the ones I've seen in front of me, I feel like having the cam might encourage me to stop, help, and provide the footage if needed. I wonder, do you think dash cams creates a higher level of "Good Samaritan" actions in people?

 

[vandacca]

...
For the past 25 years of driving, I've never had a dash cam before. I've witnessed my share of accidents (and participated in a few, too, regretfully). There has yet to be an instance where I think the cam would have made a huge difference in the outcome of my own accidents, but of the ones I've seen in front of me, I feel like having the cam might encourage me to stop, help, and provide the footage if needed. I wonder, do you think dash cams creates a higher level of "Good Samaritan" actions in people?

Maybe I've become too jaded over the years, but IMO the only thing dash cams will create is more YouTube revenue streams.

 

[Saghost]

Maybe I've become too jaded over the years, but IMO the only thing dash cams will create is more YouTube revenue streams.

I've seen a few accidents blamed on the wrong party - and I keep reading about folks who create accidents to get money.

I figure the dash camera is cheap insurance against either of those - especially since the Tesla might make me more of a target.

 

[Ampster]

There has yet to be an instance where I think the cam would have made a huge difference in the outcome of my own accidents

A month ago in another car I had a driver swerve in front of me. I was passing on the right at a higher rate of speed. In my mind it was clearly his fault and a dash cam would have proved it. The insurance companies determined 50% fault and I had to pay the $1000 deductible on my policy because in a no fault accident the collision deductible comes into play.

 

[MBK_BKLYN]

Is there an iOS English language app to access the camera? I'm quite interested, but would want to be able to turn off the voice prompts.

 

[Saghost]

Is there an iOS English language app to access the camera? I'm quite interested, but would want to be able to turn off the voice prompts.

There is. It's not terribly convenient or intuitive, but it is in english (among others?) and does work with the camera - and by changing settings in it I believe I have the voice from the camera turned off - certainly I haven't heard it at all since then.

The printed documentation I got with the device said that this was a temporary app and that a better app would be coming in the future.

 

[arijaycomet]

+1 what @Saghost wrote above. I havent had time but I was going to do a little YouTube video using my wife's phone, recording my using my phone to showcase what the iOS app looked like. Also to maybe show a few snippets so that we get a 2nd example beyond @Saghost videos (Though thanks for sharing, that helped convince me to purchase). But FWIW, the device was worth the small price IMO!

 

[verygreen]

I got an AP2 version of this cam from ebay (still teslafans seller) last week, and it seems to be a dud so far.
Something is stuck and the cam keeps taking still pictures in addition to video (all with super annoying shutter sound).
And the pictures are actually a garbled mess (except the first one).
We'll see how the seller rectifies this (so far they said they need to research it a bit, after all the resets and reformats I've done).

Android app is also not all that great (and crashes frequently), but they do warn you about it.

There's also a silver lining, the thing starts recording in like 2 seconds from power on, much better than the annoying 30+ seconds on my blackvues. I am so hoping the constant pictures being takin thing would get resolved.

 

[Saghost]

I got an AP2 version of this cam from ebay (still teslafans seller) last week, and it seems to be a dud so far.
Something is stuck and the cam keeps taking still pictures in addition to video (all with super annoying shutter sound).
And the pictures are actually a garbled mess (except the first one).
We'll see how the seller rectifies this (so far they said they need to research it a bit, after all the resets and reformats I've done).

Android app is also not all that great (and crashes frequently), but they do warn you about it.

There's also a silver lining, the thing starts recording in like 2 seconds from power on, much better than the annoying 30+ seconds on my blackvues. I am so hoping the constant pictures being takin thing would get resolved.

The camera has a mode where it takes pictures when it feels acceleration/impacts - really threw me off when I was trying to install it and kept hearing shutter sounds, I tried I bunch of things to make it shut off with little luck and only later realized that's what it must have been.

Assuming your problem is related to that, I think I remember some options related to it in the camera settings from the smartphone - sensitivity and maybe an enable/disable? If they didn't walk you through trying something along that line already, it might be worth trying.

 

[verygreen]

First of all the camera was static (as in, lying on the floor) when I tested it, and then I also tried to disable the accelerometer in the phone app and that did not help either (yes, they asked to try this and also to format the card).

What does seem to help is turning on the video view on the phone - then the shutter goes away as long as the phone screen is showing the picture, once you switch to some other screen that does not display the live picture- shutter sounds resume (possibly it's just the camera cannot do all three - video capture, video transmission and pictures?)

Either way accelerations definitely have no hand in this.

 

[arijaycomet]

@verygreen .. I think it was discussed that when you're in the live view, the camera actually stops recording. That is probably why you're not getting shutter sounds-- because it is view-only mode. At least, I think that was mentioned somewhere (perhaps on the Youtube video of the guy who did the install?)

Bummer that your unit is a dud. I have the AP1 version-- and we have noticed the accelerometer seems to be over-sensitive. Even with it turned all the way down, it was snapping photos every 5-10 minutes. Just one single photo, though-- not like your situation. I just made the unit disable the sound so I dont hear it happening -- but I suspect it still snaps photos when it shouldn't ...

 

[b00st3d]

Is anyone having the issue where the date is always one day ahead?! I am having to constantly resynch the time.

 

[verygreen]

That must be because it defaults to some sort of a Chinese timezone? I noted it certainly was reverting to the original Chinese time every time I power it back on, though it was not important for me to investigate yet due to the other problems.

 

[Stasla]

That must be because it defaults to some sort of a Chinese timezone? I noted it certainly was reverting to the original Chinese time every time I power it back on, though it was not important for me to investigate yet due to the other problems.

Doesn't anyone know where to download firmware updates for this cam?

 

[krouebi]

Hi,

certainly, this dashcam is easier to install than many others, and the integration is fine.

But at ± 300 USD/EUR it's everything but cheap, and unfortunately it doesn't have a GPS sensor or even an input for one - so no speed and position indications on the recordings, rendering it pretty unusable as traffic violation evidence.

I asked the seller/manufacturer, and got a strange answer about interference with the Tesla GPS, which I cannot accept - other GPS dashcams having worked perfectly in other vehicles with GPS.

Too bad.

 

[arijaycomet]

I'm going to make a brand new thread for those interested--- but I just blogged about this dash cam... so for those tracking this thread that want to see MORE videos/photos examples, check it out:
TESTED: TOPFIT Customized Dash Cam for Tesla Model X SUV

 

[Luviza santos]

I have checked the dash cam and also read the reviews very clearly, but so sad most of them say it is chinese language, do they have English version? When will it can be sold on market? I want to have a try , just because it keeps the original looks, I do not like other dash cam with so many complicated wiring, thanks for suggestion!

 

[guipingfang]

Is it possible to change the language to English and/or turn off the voice notifications?

You can buy an English version version dash cam,then the dash cam app you download is in English .However,the voice guidence is in Chinese.If you want to see the how the dash cam it is ,here is a link for you Tesla fans @ Amazon.com:
Any questions you can reply me .

 

[guipingfang]

Brand, specs, price? Nice easy installation, but I wouldn't trust a Chinese dash cam.

Allright,Here is a link for you may be you will change your attitude in Chinese version dash cam . Tesla fans @ Amazon.com:

 

[krouebi]

@bushburner:

Are not all dashcams Chinese?