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I had the Joying....there were things I really liked about it....speed sensitive volume being one, but I listen to the radio.....and the reception of the Joying was terrible. Sold it to somebody here, replaced it with a Pioneer 4200NEX....still miss the speed sensitive volume though.
You have described succinctly, and with experience, the caveats inherent with more features replacing basic functions.
Anyone messed around with the front camera/DVR feature of the ATOTO A6/S8?
I had the thought this morning that if I could use the front camera DVR feature of the ATOTO head unit, I could move my dashcam from the truck to the Subaru. I look forward to reading thoughts on the DVR feature while I use some Google-Fu to see if this is a viable solution.
The ATOTO A6 Pro may end up saving me money in the end. If I can get FORScan, live Google Maps, dash camera DVR and YouTube for audio books and podcasts going, that would be great!
I have started delving into the DVR camera function of the ATOTO A6/S8. The camera below is the ATOTO camera they sell for $45 on Amazon. I am not very keen on the 1080p resolution, but this is not a deal breaker either. The camera would only be used in the event there is an incident that I needed to show the video to an LEO or a court official. Once I figure out if the DVR camera is a viable option I will see if a 2.7K or 4K camera is available since the interface is via USB.
*1080P Video Recording. The AC-44P2 On dash camera records video by itself, and the ATOTO Android Car stereo acts as the operation interface - It does not require store space from Android car stereo, as itself has Micro SD slot. It has specified app "HD DVR" for operation management
*Micro SD storage card is not included, and is up to 256GB. Compatible with Selected ATOTO Car Android Stereo models (ATOTO A6 & S8 series)
*The camera has Auto Recording option,and is enabled by default. As long as it is powered by Android car stereo via USB, it will start recording automatically when you start the engine. Even if "HD DVR" app is not running, the automatic recording function will not be affected or interrupted.
*Important video can be locked, avoid being deleted by recurring recording. You can click "take photo" button to let the camera take a picture; In addition, this camera has microphone inside and allows users to disable it if necessary.
*Easy to view recording files via a larger HD touchscreen anytime, better than dash cameras that has small screen and difficult buttons operations.
Notice:
1. Source installation file of HD DVR app has been put in the AC-44P2. Once you connect the camera to an Andriod car stereo, you will find a special USB storage (only 4M space in total) from Android file manager, and there is an APK file named "YF_SA_Release" in this special storage, just click and install it if your ATOTO Anroid car stereo does not have it preinstalled;
2.When you put a Micro SD storage into the AC-44P2, please format it via HD DVR app. This is the required step for the on dash camera to start recording properly!
My head unit is due here on Tuesday and I have a 12v power supply that I plan to use on my kitchen table in order to familiarize myself with the ATOTO A6 Pro. I have a couple of "winter" projects lined up and this is one of them. Finalizing things and getting the truck (and 5th wheel) finished up so that we can get up to Fairbanks AK where I lived many years ago. Almost there!
I am not very keen on the 1080p resolution. The camera would only be used in the event there is an incident that I needed to show the video to an LEO or a court official. Once I figure out if the DVR camera is a viable option I will see if a 2.7K or 4K camera is available since the interface is via USB.!
If the camera is only for evidence, why would you want it to be 4K?
4K seems as if it might present an excessive amount of data that would only fill up the memory allocated in the unit for video recording 4 times faster. I'd rather have the recording history 4 times longer prior to rewriting. I'd also rather be able to copy the evidence to a portable device (thumbdrive, for example) 4 times faster to give to the officer, rather than give up my original (or worse, the officer "confiscate" the only copy for evidence, in the event that there are fatal injuries).
It would seem to me that the smaller the data burden for the recording of relevance, the quicker the copying of the data to a second device to hand to the officer would be. Also, the easier to email the recording to insurance, as the file size would be manageable.
The easier also for officers to spool up and scroll around in within their devices, for purposes of review while they are writing their report. The more likely that insurance adjusters will review all of the video, as the rendering time is less.
It just seems that for the evidentiary purposes the camera is used for, a 4K camera would be excessive image data that would not be as immediately accessible.
If the camera is only for evidence, why would you want it to be 4K?
4K seems as if it might present an excessive amount of data that would only fill up the memory allocated in the unit for video recording 4 times faster. I'd rather have the recording history 4 times longer prior to rewriting. I'd also rather be able to copy the evidence to a portable device (thumbdrive, for example) 4 times faster to give to the officer, rather than give up my original (or worse, the officer "confiscate" the only copy for evidence, in the event that there are fatal injuries).
It would seem to me that the smaller the data burden for the recording of relevance, the quicker the copying of the data to a second device to hand to the officer would be. Also, the easier to email the recording to insurance, as the file size would be manageable.
The easier also for officers to spool up and scroll around in within their devices, for purposes of review while they are writing their report. The more likely that insurance adjusters will review all of the video, as the rendering time is less.
It just seems that for the evidentiary purposes the camera is used for, a 4K camera would be excessive image data that would not be as immediately accessible.
It is interesting that you bring this up. It seems this is exactly the scenario that is playing out for Blackvue, a prominent player in the dashcam arena. Their most recent release is the DR750S-2CH which is a 1080p model. This came about shortly after the release of their DR900S-2CH which is a 4k model. Both record to the cloud but it would appear that the lag induced by 4k video has caused much dissatisfaction amongst consumers.
I can see the desire for 4k video though. When images are shaky as they typically are on a dashcam, the extra resolution can mean the difference between being able to read a license plate or not.
Roughly 8 hours of 4K video can be stored on a 256GB MicroSD card and roughly 4 hours of 4K can be stored on a 128GB MicroSD card. This figure can vary based on the bitrate of the recording and the total storage capacity of the card.
I can pick up a reputable (I have used in the past many times) brand MicroSD card with a storage capacity of 128GB (not all useable of course) for $16.99. I can pick up a reputable (I have used in the past many times) brand MicroSD card with a storage capacity of 256GB (not all useable of course) for $49.99. I would probably option for the 128GB due to price and the amount of pennies in my piggybank for truck upgrades.
Although, from the reviews I read and the videos I viewed, the 1080p resolution would probably more than suit my needs. After all, the dashcam I currrently have in the truck now is 1080p because I installed it many years ago before 2.7K or 4K were saturating the market.
Speaking of USB drives, those are a dime a dozen now with ridiculous storage capacities. I have 2 in my key drawer that are 512GB just waiting to be used and they do get used from time to time for miscellaneous tasks. When speaking about emailing or uploading a snip of the video, that is easy for me since I have video editing software and can take any video format and upscale, downscale or chip and cut it as I need to reduce the size. Then, programs like WinZip or WinRAR can be utilized to make the file size even smaller. The transferring and documentation of the video is not my concern, just the clarity and speed of the video. Although, as I mentioned yesterday, 1080p is not a deal breaker by any means and as you will see below what I currently have and have been using for years is a 1080p resolution camera with local storage. I am exploring all of the options for this device and camera just as I do with anything else.
Remember my turbo decision took me over a year... Nothing is off the table until the elimination process begins, which can be very rigorous and detailed to the point of disbelief.
I would not attempt to store 2.7K/4K video to the cloud as Leonard has described by the Blackvue models. I am not familiar with them at all though, so perhaps I am misunderstanding their storage strategy and means of getting that large amount of data up to the cloud. The ATOTO or even another model of dashcam that may be compatible with the ATOTO A6/S8 would need to store the data locally so that I could secure the device or card if necessary.
Being completely honest, we had intentions of using the 1080p dashcam we currently have to document our adventures through the wilderness, crossing rivers, climbing grades, etc, but none of that has come to fruition. Turns out we are lazy and don't feel like downloading (even locally) the footage from the dashcam. As a matter of fact, the only time I can recall I did that was immediately after installing the T4 system and I pulled the video and audio off to insert into the video. Other than that, it has been there to document our journeys and then be erased by newer journeys. It records in 5 minute blocks and can section off "protected" footage.
Originally Posted by Y2KW57
It just seems that for the evidentiary purposes the camera is used for, a 4K camera would be excessive image data that would not be as immediately accessible.
Your right, and this is a big consideration that will be taken into account when the elimination process begins. Our guests are leaving this morning, so I have not even had a chance to line up the participants in the "great dashcam games of 2020".
Originally Posted by FordTruckNoBigVideos
Their most recent release is the DR750S-2CH which is a 1080p model.
This is the sort of information that I make little footnotes about and I appreciate your input, as usual.
Our other researcher extraordinaire, @Tugly , investigated dash cams quite thoroughly for Stinky (RIP), and in fact shared a video from his final choice of camera, of his final ride in Stinky. Tugly has also pursued the Android head unit search. Twice now, IIRC. Might be a good time to swap notes.
Agreed, and I have referred to Tugly via PM and the open forum many times and his threads/posts many, many more times.
Sometimes we all need a "relook" at our research and to be checked when findings appear to deviate from the norm, or what is considered the norm. My EGT vs FUELPW vs ICP vs IPR DC... is a good example of that, at least in my opinion. Although, there are many, many paragraphs to work through on that one...
Tugly is an "audiophile" if I am remembering correctly and the unit he selected was a good choice for him. I believe he had a Pioneer and now has an Alpine? Tugly also likes the features of Android Auto, which I cannot stand. To each our own though and I am glad he found a viable solution for him that not only provides good sound quality, but provides that mobile device to head unit interface somewhat seamlessly. Tugly and I have dramatically different goals for our head units, and that is OK. I am grateful we live in a place that we have these sort of easy and mundane choices to make.
Please do not take my comments and words as a discredit or refute, I enjoy the back and forth and look for little nuggets of knowledge and information that I would not have known. I am wrong at times and I try to learn from those moments.
Just like when Leonard posted about the latest Blackvue (reputable source for a dashcam in my opinion) being 1080p resolution, I may not have realized this fact if he had not shared it with me. When performing an after action or post mission brief, I would ALWAYS ask for suggestions and ideas from the entire group. I don't care if they were in the unit for 1 week, they may have something to share that would enable the mission to go just a bit more smooth next time.
OFF TOPIC: Our guests just left for the great cold north and I hope to delve into the dashcam options today or tomorrow. With Cyber Monday right around the clock, I also hope to pick up a deal on a camera... Still no deals on the OBDLink MX or MX+ or the OBD extension cable as of yet.
Not digging too deep into the whole discussion here, I did see a couple of things worth providing input.
Resolution, resolution, resolution.
All decent dash cams have a mega-wide-angled lens. This makes objects in the field of view appear very small if it's any farther away than say... a hood ornament.
With great subject shrinkage in the screen comes the need for great digital zoom when performing a BDA (Bozo Driver Assessment).
You can't add pixels after the fact to get a clearer view of what happened - no matter what CSI shows lead you to believe.
Frames Per Second (FPS).
Anybody who watches sports knows the action is much easier to see today than it was in years past. Part of this is improved resolution, but a lot of it is framerate (Frames Per Second).
If you have a car coming into your field of view from the right side (running a light or stop sign - you hope), low FPS shows it as a blurr - where high FPS allows you to read the driver's lips as he mouths "Oh shi..." before his face is pressed against the door window.
FPS can compensate for reduced resolution, but the opposite is rarely true. 2400 pixels of blurr is no improvement over 600 pixels of blurr.
You want the camera to have at least 60 FPS at whatever max resolution it can handle at that framerate.
I saw concerns of file size, number of hours that can be recorded, and being able to upload videos.
I don't save the whole drive - ever. I screen it for save-worthy video after a scenic drive... or an event. Drives to/from work don't qualify - except the aforementioned events during the drive.
I uploaded my 4K crash video to YouTube without issue - after I time cropped only the event I wanted to share. I sent the link to my insurance company and law enforcement - it told the whole story in great detail, including the conditions of the road.
If one wants to upload a longer vid to the cloud than I did, resampling and/or time/frame cropping will greatly reduce the file size and the length of time it takes to upload/download.
Events near roads rarely last more than a few seconds, so as long as you have enough capacity for at least 30 minutes (giving you plenty of time to remember to stop recording) - you're going to have the event saved for later playback.
Frame cropping is cutting off the lower part of the picture (you know... the hood) with editing software.
My Blackvue uses H264 or H265 video compression. Suffice to say the camera got hot when doing all that H265 compression to save disk space. I'm better off not using strong compression, I can always shrink a video I keep.
If you are obsessed with keeping every frame of your drive, get enough for 4 hours - because your bladder won't outlast that, and it's a perfect time to download.
Another issue is cams to tie into head units. You want to match their specs - if the head unit is capable of recording no more than 1080P at 30 FPS, that's your camera spec.
Thank you for your input Rich, it is much appreciated.
Once I sort out the dashcam selection, I will be looking into a wireless charging (not a cradle) that I can set the phone in. I am thinking the little cubby hole just to the right of the steering wheel.
The good news is the USPS contract drivers we have sometimes delivers packages in Sunday to catch up.
Also good news is the ATOTO A6 Pro was due here on Tuesday.
Not so good news is that we had a massive rain storm last night. It rained heavy for hours and hours. Even had a few thunder and lightning sessions. Quite rare for late November.
Not so good news is the ATOTO A6 Pro was delivered to the front of the detached garage sometime before 1600.
Not so good news is the box did not have an outer box or plastic bag over it.
Good news is the contents that are soaked are the manual and warranty paperwork. The cables and what not are wet, but they will dry.
Good news is the head unit is wrapped very well in waterproof padded plastic and is just fine. The wrapping even has the weather resistant logo on it.
The sun is shinning this morning and all is well!
Now on to find a camera and wireless charging solution.
In case you don't already know the trick, placing wet papers flat in a freezer will let them freeze dry in pretty good condition. It takes a while for the ice to sublime but it does happen. And it even works with full size books if you're patient enough. Once the pages are frozen you can tug at them and separate them a little to give them more surface area to dry out.
