I’ve been patiently waiting for the Thinkware F800 dashcam to make it to the US market since Thinkware announced their latest flagship @CES 2017, hopeful they would send one my way to review. The F800 is similar to the Thinkware F750 Julie reviewed last year in many ways. Though Thinkware has added polish and features to its latest flagship dashcam making it even more tech-worthy in the process. Let’s see if my patience has been worth the wait . 

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Like Thinkware’s previous F-series flagships, the F800 is screen-less, shaped more or less like a thick deck of cards with a growth on its side to house the lens assembly. I’m not saying that is a bad thing. I love the minimalistic, non-distracting form factor of the F800. Other than verbal/audio notifications, you can hardly tell it’s installed in my fast car being tucked behind my SLK’s rearview mirror. In addition to just looking sweet, the F800 is packed full of the latest tech, features, and Sony’s 2.13MP Exmor CMOS camera.

Specifications:

Package Contents:

• Main Dash Cam Unit
• Mount with 3M tape (1ea)
• Cigar Jack Adaptor
• Adhesive Cable Holders
• MicroSD memory card with adapter(consumable)
• Quick Start Guide/Warranty Card

F800 Hardware:

The F800 is one of Thinkware’s latest dashcams featuring full HD resolution, GPS, WiFi, 3-Axis Accelerometer G-Sensor, Night Mode 2.0, dual channel recording, etc. As I said, I really like the F800’s form factor…preferring screen-less dashcams, finding them less distracting or intrusive.

The top of the F800 has four slots that slide onto the mounting plate which allows for easy installation and removal of the device. The mounting plate is securely held to the windshield by a 3M adhesive strip (vs suction cup mount). The dashcam locks into place with a secure, wiggle-free connection.

The main face of the F800 has the mute, SD card format, WiFi, and power buttons in addition to the GPS, recording, and WiFi status LEDs located on the left. The F800’s speaker is also located on the front of the device. I have to say the speaker impressed me, definitely the clearest and loudest dashcam sound I have experienced to date.

The bottom, front facing edge of the dashcam has LED security lights that are managed via the Thinkware smartphone app.

The F800’s camera is on the left side of the device, engineered to sit very close to the windshield to reduce distortion and glare. The camera housing is able to rotate vertically approximately 90 degrees to accommodate nearly any windshield angle and vehicle design.

The right side of the F800 has its video-in, power, and external GPS ports.

The top of the F800 has the recessed reset button, microSD card slot, and microphone.

Other than the mute, format, WiFi, and the power buttons, configuring, managing and viewing/downloading video is all done via the Thinkware app available for iOS and Android devices.

Setup and Management:

To customize the F800’s multitude of settings, you have to connect to the dashcam via WiFi and use the mobile app to tweak things as you like. The process requires you to press the WiFi button on the front of the dashcam, directly connect to the its WiFi (for me it is Thinkware53), then start up the app.

In addition to accessing the F800’s camera (memory card/camera/recording/road safety/system) settings, the app also provides a listing of recordings and enables you to download these files from the microSD card to your smartphone wirelessly. Each 85mb file takes approximately a minute to download. Viewing videos are definitely easier by removing the microSD card and watching them on the Thinkware viewer on your computer.

Noteworthy Features:

• Built-in GPS sensor  – the F800 has absolutely the FASTEST built-in GPS I have ever tested.
• Driver assistance – Includes lane departure, forward collision avoidance, and forward vehicle departure warning.
• Speed camera alerts – the F800 has an internal database that warns you when you’re coming up to an intersection or location with a known speed camera standing watch.
• High-temperature protection system – a built-in thermal sensor protects the F800 hardware and data against intense heat by automatically turning it off to prevent overheating.
• Dual channel capable (aka second camera) – Thinkware also offers a rear camera that captures HD video @30fps.
• Optional Parking Mode with permanent installation – Thinkware has an optional wiring kit that allows you to hardwire their dashcams directly into your cars electrical system. This enables you to use the F800’s Parking Mode with time-lapse recording to capture video when you leave your car or regular video if it detects an impact.

Daytime Video:

Like the X550, the F800’s daytime video is good with solid resolution, excellent color, and better than usable image quality. Even though the F800 has a 2.13MP Sony Exmor CMOS image sensor, some details are lost at HD (1920 x 1080) quality video.

The F800 uses the Ambarella A12 Chipset able to record 1080p simultaneously on both channels. The lens has 140 degrees of viewing angle with little fish-eye effect.

Here is a screen capture from this video where you can make out the street sign but not the vehicle’s license plate passing by.

As I have stated in past Thinkware reviews, I firmly believe Thinkware needs to up its game in this department, bumping its higher-end dashcams up to 4MP – 2K (2560 x 1440 @30 fps) HDR video.

Nighttime Video:

Thinkware’s Super Night Vision 2.0 and Sony Exmor CMOS image sensor are very good at capturing light, producing excellent nighttime video. The example shows excellent control of glare and exposure while producing well lit, very usable video.

Thinkware Viewer:

The Thinkware PC viewer is one of the best features of using their dashcams, very well polished and intuitive. Other dashcam manufactures either create a half-baked viewer or do not offer one at all.  The Thinkware viewer is an excellent integrated tool for viewing not only your driving video but speed, lat/long, Google map location, and three-dimensional G-forces the car is experiencing at any particular moment. These G-forces are illustrated in the bar graph under the video and the dial with a car in it with X- Y- and Z- axis in the lower left corner of the window. Like the X550, the F800 records in 1:00 minute blocks that are approximately 85mb in size. The only issue I had with the viewer was the Google mapping integration was a bit hit or miss but I believe it might be the security settings on my Mac and/or iPhone.

F800 vs F800 Pro:

Thinkware also creates a F800 Pro version of its flagship dashcam. Other than its very cool all black casing, I have not been able to find any significant difference between the two. The Pro version is available on Thinkware’s worldwide website but not in the US.

Bottomline:

I really like the F800’s screen-less, minimalistic form factor. This feature rich, WiFi enabled dashcam is without a doubt a keeper. I would prefer a high resolution sensor but Thinkware’s flagship device has solid video quality and definitely gets the job done. Many of the Road Safety Warning System features may not be for some users but can be disabled in the Thinkware app. The hardware, smartphone app, and viewer are all well thought out and very nicely done. If you’re in the market for a high end dashcam the Thinkware F800 is definitely worthy your consideration.

Source:  The samples for this review were provided by Thinkware. Please visit their site for more information and visit Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, dash cam

Thinkware F800 dashcam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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I have never had a dash camera before so you are getting my review of the TaoTronics 2K Car Dash Cam (TT-CD06) as a total neophyte. The camera comes well packaged and includes:

• A camera that supports 2K video recording at 30 fps and 1080P footage at 45 fps for high-quality captures even in low light conditions and a 160° Wide Angle Lens
• Dual- port USB 12V adaptor
• 11.8’ and 5.9” USB cables
• Suction cup and 3M adhesive window mounts
• Installation kit includes cable guides, extra adhesive pad, and spudger for putting the cable around the windshield
• 32GB Class 10 Micro SD card (Samsung)
• User Guide and offer card

Setup was easy and included installing the card, attaching the mount and cable, and powering up. The TT-CD06 starts automatically on power being applied via the USB cable and starts a rolling record. A blinking red led in the upper right corner indicates the record mode and a blue light indicates power.  Connectors include USB and HDMI out. The display (backlight) turns off automatically after three minutes. The rolling record time is selectable between 1, 3, and 5 minutes. Other settings exist for date and time, mic on/off, video resolution, exposure, white balance, and file management. The unit does not have a GPS. In case of a collision, the latest recording is locked (did not test…!). Recording and microphone can be triggered manually as well for things like traffic stops, etc.

My experiences with the camera were generally positive. The display is bright even in the southwest sun as was the suction cup mount.  Night vision is good as well.  I did have a problem with the unit powering off but this was fixed by the firmware update on the TaoTronics web site. The update is performed by loading the firmware on a formatted SD card. It would have been nice to have it available over the USB cable. Another minor gotcha for me was the unit itself says “connecting USB” even when it is already connected.

I kept the unit in the 1920×1080 HDR. This also looked quite good at night. My biggest complaint about the whole experience is the poor translation of the manual. There are two features mentioned in the manual – G-Sensor and Park mode. The unit will automatically lock the video in case of a shock but there is an additional mode. The manual also recommends that this mode be OFF during normal driving. The unit also has a high power capacitor supporting park mode with power removed. When the unit is in park mode, it will recode a bump to the car, however, this mode is also recommended to be OFF in normal operation. I found it annoying to turn on every time I stopped the car. A better feature would for this mode to enable automatically upon power being removed. I asked support and the marketing manager and never got a good explanation of how to use these TT-CD06 features effectively.

Overall, I think the unit is well made and operated flawlessly after the firmware update. It is small and discrete and was almost unnoticeable behind my rear view menu. The user interface is fast and responsive. Video quality is quite good. As for features, there are a couple I would like but they do drive the cost up for dash cams. The first would be GPS or a GPS interface, be that wired or wireless, to stamp the location of a video. The second would be both front and rear-facing cameras, esp. if I were a Lyft or Uber driver. Though the driver in the front car of a rear end collision is rarely at fault, it would be nice to have a record if that occurred. As for Lyft/Uber drivers, sometimes passengers are not always well behaved and I will leave it at that… For an entry-level unit, I was pleased with the TaoTronics 2K Car Dash Cam and think it is fairly priced.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by TaoTronics.  For more info visit their site and Amazon to order one.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, dash cam

TaoTronics 2K car dash cam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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Last year I reviewed Thinkware’s F50, a minimalistic, plug & play dashcam that does a great job capturing video while motoring down the road…quick to setup and easy/simple to use. For this review, Thinkware sent me their new upper end X550, a more feature-rich, GPS-enabled dashcam with 2.7″ LCD screen and driver assist that fills the gap between the F50 and their flagship, the F800. The X550 definitely has more bells & whistles than the F50 that should only add to the dashcam experience. But we shall see… 

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

The Thinkware X550 is an upgraded version of their X500 dashcam. Its overall design is similar to a high quality digital point & shoot from back in the day. The X550’s metal and dark plastic construction give it a premium look and feel. The X550 is a relatively feature rich device even in the crowded dashcam world, including built-in GPS, SONY CMOS image sensor, (optional) dual-channel recording, driver assist notifications, backup/dual-save, etc.

Package Contents:

• X550 Dashcam
• Mount with 3M tape (1ea)
• Car Charger
• Adhesive Cable Holder (5ea)
• microSD memory card with adapter (consumable)
• USB Micro SD card reader
• Quick Start Guide / Warranty / User Manual (stored in the Micro SD card)

Specifications:

Hardware:

Like I said, the X550 is pretty and looks just like a digital camera from a decade ago. Its dark textured plastic and brushed metal housing give it a polished, stealthy look. The X550 records in standard/full HD (1920X1080 @30fps) and is dual channel capable, enabling you to record front and back views with Thinkware’s optional rear facing camera. The X550 uses the A7 processor instead of the latest and greatest A12 that is in their new flagship the F800 but that does not seem to be an issue with overall performance.

The back of the X550 sports a 320 x 240 resolution 2.7″ color LCD display that can be easily seen in daylight. Left of the display are four buttons for managing the user interface and manual recording option. The display enables you to tweak the X550’s settings whenever you like without the need for your smartphone. The screen also allows you to view video footage without taking the microSD card out or need for a computer. All of Thinkware’s X-series dashcams have this form factor featuring a display.

The top of the X550 has the mounting hard point, propitiatory power port, micro USB for Video-IN (rearview camera), and micro HDMI port. I find it interesting Thinkware uses a micro USB port for connecting the rear camera but not to power the device (which is pretty standard these days).

The base of the dashcam has the reset button, microphone, and serial number/production date sticker.

The right side has the microSD memory card slot and power button. The X550 supports up to a 64gb microSD card. Which seems a bit small by today’s standards especially considering the dashcam’s dual-channel recording ability. Thinkware also considers the microSD card to be a “consumable”, stating “it will need to be replaced periodically”. They also suggest reformatting the card every 2 weeks to reduce recording issues and to get greater life out of it. The X550 actually reminds you to reformat the card and continues to nag until you do. That said, reformatting is an easy one button click process that doesn’t take long at all.

Noteworthy Features:

• GPS sensor with GLONASS – the X550 has built-in GPS, and is able to track both US and Russian positioning networks, for faster lock-ons and greater accuracy. I found the X550 ability to get a solid GPS lock one of the fastest I have ever tested.
• Driver assistance – Includes lane departure, forward collision avoidance, and forward vehicle departure warning.
• Speed camera alerts – the X550 has an internal database that warns you when you’re coming up to an intersection or location with a known speed camera standing watch.
• Dual Save Mode – The dual save technology enables the dashcam to save the video to the camera’s internal flash memory when an incident is detected (via the G-sensor). Giving you an internal backup copy in case the SD card is lost or damaged.
• Optional second camera – Thinkware also offers a rear camera that captures HD video @30fps.
• Optional Parking Mode with permanent installation – Thinkware has an optional wiring kit that allows you to hardwire their dashcams directly into your cars electrical system. This enables you to use the X550’s Parking Mode with time-lapse recording to capture video when you leave your car or regular video if it detects an impact.

Installation:

While not the smallest dashcam I have ever used, the X550 mounts nicely behind my rearview mirror with the power cable tucking away so you can barely tell the system is there, especially when sitting in the driver’s seat. The mount itself adheres to the windshield via 3M double sided adhesive pad. The X550 slides onto the mount from the left and clicks into place. The mount does a good job of reducing vibration but my little roadster is pretty unforgiving when it comes to bumps and rough roads. It would be nice if Thinkware integrated active image stabilization into their higher end devices.

Daytime Video:

The X550’s daytime video is good with average resolution and better than usable image quality. Even though the X550 sports a 2.4MP SONY CMOS image sensor some details are lost at HD (1920X1080) quality video. I firmly believe Thinkware needs to up its game in this department, bumping its higher end dashcams up to 4MP – 2K (2560 x 1440 @30 fps) HDR video. The lens has 140 degrees of viewing angle with little fish-eye effect.

Nighttime Video:

Thinkware’s Super Night Vision and 2.4MP SONY CMOS image sensor are very good at capturing light, producing excellent nighttime video when it is dark.

Thinkware Viewer:

I found the Thinkware PC viewer one of the best perks of using their dashcams. It is an excellent integrated tool for viewing not only your driving video but speed, lat/long, Google map location, and three-dimensional G-forces the car is experiencing at any particular moment. These G-forces are illustrated in the bar graph under the video and the dial with a car in it with X- Y- and Z- axis in the lower left corner of the window. The X550 records in 1:00 minute chunks that are approximately 85mb in size. The only issue I had with the viewer was the Google mapping integration was a bit hit or miss.

Screen Capture:

Even under perfect conditions (sunny, no glare, little to no movement, vehicle distance), you can barely make out the license plates of the vehicles directly in front of me (picture captured from the viewer).

Overall the X550 dashcam’s HD video quality is good but far from the best I have seen. I hate to say it, but there are definitely a few specs and features Thinkware needs to raise the bar on for their upper end devices. The lack of SuperHD or 2K video capture is the X550’s biggest limitation followed closely by image stabilization.Itss overall feature-set is very good especially if you’re in the market for a dual-channel/camera set-up. Bottom line is that the Thinkware X550 is a solid middle tier dashcam with excellent higher end features, viewer, and overall product support.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Thinkware. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, dash cam

Thinkware X550 dashcam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 10, 2017 at 8:19 am.

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Is it wrong every time I receive a new dashcam to review I hope and pray for something crazy/insane to happen in front of me while driving? I firmly believe in the benefits of dashcams and recording the world zipping by while motoring down the road. You never know when something bad is going to happen; when it is your word vs the person who hit you and a picture or in this case video proof could be priceless. For this review I’ll be looking at the X2 Pro, ddpai’s latest and most ambiguous dashcam to date, packed full of high-tech features and is the first duel channel dashcam I have ever tried.

The ddpai X2 Pro features dual cameras/channels enabling one camera facing forward through the front windscreen and one pointed behind. In addition to featuring dual cameras, the X2 Pro is a high resolution, GPS/WiFi enabled, social media capable dashcam. I really like the X2 Pro’s form factor…preferring screen-less dashcams, finding them less distracting or intrusive.

Package Contents:

• ddpai X2 Pro dashcam
• xX2 Pro rear dashcam
• Connection/extension wire for rear dashcam
• microUSB 12v power cord
• Remote Snapshot button
• 32gb microSD card
• Spare 3M adhesive pads and wire stays
• Wire shim tool

Specifications:

• HUAWEI HiSilicon processor; Format H.264 HD video coding
• OmniVision Image Sensor
• 6-class glass lens and 1 infrared filter with zero distortion; Front cam – 140°wide angel & F1.8 aperture; Rear cam – 120°wide angel & F2.2 aperture
• Front cam – 2592×1520P image; Rear cam – 1440×896P image;
• Digital image stabilization
• New generation GPS system; High speed positioning
• 3 axis acceleration sensor
• High sensitivity microphone; high power loudspeaker (1w)
• Front cam – 12V@1A~2.1A; Rear cam – 5V@1A~2.1A
• Built-in super capacitor allows video shooting when electricity is turn off

The top of the X2 Pro dashcam has its mounting hard point which allows for easy installation and removal of the device. The bottom of the X2 has a speaker, microphone, and convenient LED-lit mute button. Even though I installed the X2 Pro in my truck, I find being able to quickly unplug and remove any device a convenient/important security feature so I can lock it in my glovebox vs closing the top of my convertible or if I’m in the wrong part of town.

The front facing camera takes a very respectable 2592 x 1520 resolution for still images and 2560 x 1440 for videos. The front camera has a 6-class glass lens with a 140° wide viewing angle & F1.8 aperture.  The X2 uses an OmniVision Image Sensor that provides “excellent video monitoring performance under low light & WDR”. The front camera is able to be rotated for best line of sight based on the angle of your car’s windshield.

The smaller rear camera’s resolution is 1280 x 720 for both still images and video. Like the front camera, the rear also has a 6-class glass lens but a more narrow 120° wide viewing angle & F2.2 aperture. It can rotate in its mount as well.

The back of the X2 Pro has one microUSB port for power and a port for connecting the rear camera. There is also an indicator LED on the far side. I did find it interesting the camera would not work with my Macgyver’d USB power outlet I mounted behind my rearview mirror or any other microUSB cable I tried. My best guess why neither worked is that the X2 Pro is more power hungry due to the built-in GPS, capacitor, rear camera, etc.

The right side of the dashcam has the microSD card slot. The X2 Pro is compatible with up to 128gb class 10 microSD cards. The left side has a speaker that is loud enough to hear 99% of the time. The X2 Pro has built-in NAND flash memory (D² Save technology), that acts as a backup should your microSD card fail.

The windshield mount installed as you would expect, quick and easy. ddpai includes an adhesive mount but no suction cup option. There is little to no movement or shaking/vibration in the video when driving on a smooth roadway. Though the X2 Pro has digital image stabilization for bumpy roads.

The rear camera is small and does not interfere with your view. Running the wires to the back of your vehicle may take a bit of trial and error but overall it is a simple enough project depending on the interior of your car. I’m pretty AR and I was relatively pleased with my efforts. Total setup time was less than an hour.

As I mentioned above, the X2 Pro needs the dual USB charger (Front cam 12V@1A / 12V@2.1A; Rear cam5V@1A / 5V@2.1A) ddpai includes in the package. The X2 has IPS (Intelligent Protection System) technology that protects vehicles against extremely low voltage and intense heat by cutting off the power to the dashcam automatically. The X2 Pro has a built-in “super capacitor” that holds a charge and enables it to function in Parking Mode video capture that records even when electricity is turned off.

ddpai also includes a wireless, one-click physical button that when pushed captures a still image and automatically downloads it to your smartphone. It attaches nearly anywhere in your vehicle with a double sided sticky pad. The button is a surprisingly convenient and useful.

The internal GPS acquires the satellites fast enough. It’s not the quickest dashcam in this respect but not the slowest either. The GPS tracks not only location but calculates speed as well. The X2 Pro also has a built-in G-sensor to monitor your acceleration in three-dimensional space and collisions, that will lockdown that video/moment for future review.

Since the X2 Pro does not have a screen, setting up the camera, viewing live video & driving telemetry, watching past recordings, and downloading pictures and video is all done via your smartphone. The X2 Pro is the most complex and capable dashcam I have ever used. It is definitely not a plug & play, beginners dashcam setup by any stretch of the imagination. It’s smartphone control and management app is complicated and does take a bit of time to get used to. It also takes time to understand all the features of the X2 that you can tweak and/or manage via app as well.

The ddpai X2 Pro supports photos, videos, and driving stories sharing via the app linked to multiple social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and etc.).

The I mentioned above, your connection to the X2 Pro is 100% via your smart device. The interface is well designed and thought out. It provides you not only 2k front facing video but a PIP with the rear view/video plus: date, time, speed, temp, power (I believe), G-forces, compass direction, GPS connection, elevation, time and distance traveled. The vertical orientation of the app also adds a map with your location superimposed on it. Though you have to toggle between two screens to get all the telemetry.

It is a shame you do not get all of this data and rear view PIP captured in the video you download from the dashcam. Worse yet, ddpai has not created any desktop software to view all of your driving perimeters holistically from the microSD card.

The X2 Pro records video in H.264 / .mp4 format in 5-minute segments. When the microSD card is full, the dashcam continuously overwrites the oldest video with new. You can tweak the video resolution, various video, and card management settings via the ddpai smartphone app.

Daytime Video:

The 2K video is very clear with more detail than the standard 1080p resolution that a majority of dashcams record at. The 140-degree viewing angle has nearly no fish-eye effect towards the edges. The camera does a great job blocking out glare.

Skipping Video:

Occasionally the video would record with hiccups/skips happening every few seconds for no apparent reason.

In addition to skipping, I did have my fair share of other issues with the X2 Pro as well.

These included:

• The dashcam occasionally failed to begin recording when I started my vehicle, often never turning on until I unplugged it for a few seconds then reinserting the power plug.
• When in parking surveillance mode, it occasionally didn’t record or did but in normal time for the whole duration (aka hours). It does have a smart shutdown mode when power is low, but this happened right after driving long distances.
• Occasionally after sitting in a cool garage all night, it immediately shuts down due to overheating and doesn’t start back up again until I reset the power. Sometimes continuing to shut down over and over again.
• The rear facing camera does not work every now and then. Turning the X2 Pro on & off occasionally fixes the connections other times not.

I worked with ddpai and some of the issues were fixed with a firmware update. Though I am still working thru many lingering sporadic glitches.

I really wanted to like the ddpai X2 Pro, its screen-less form factor and a long list of high-end features definitely appeal to me. But its poor performance and sporadic reliability are more frustrating than anything…never knowing when it will operate as advertised. Sadly the X2 feels like a beta product still in development. Bottom line — I plan on uninstalling it ASAP and replace it with a more dependable dashcam.

Source:  The sample for this review was provided by ddpai. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, dash cam

ddpai X2 Pro dual channel dashcam review originally appeared on on July 11, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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