How do dashboard cameras work

We want you to be happy whether you keep our dashcam or not! It's a good idea to change the default password so no one else can access your Dashcam videos or settings. The default password to connect to the newer DRW or DRS models is unique for each individual camera, and the unique password can be found on the serial number label that is located on the camera body itself.

To do this, remove the memory card from the camera and insert it into your computer. On the memory card, inside the "BlackVue" folder, look inside the "Application" folder. Go in to either the "Viewer for Windows" or "Viewer for Mac" folder, depending on your type of computer. You can set a new WiFi password here. Not to worry! All the BlackVue memory cards shipped with cameras are empty, this is normal. No matter what happens with the memory card, the software and files will always be restored to the memory card, from the camera.

This will occur after reformatting the card, or inserting a brand new card into the BlackVue. After a few moments, another message will be heard indicating the BlackVue is rebooting. Once the unit reboots, it will resume normal operations.

It's still a good idea to perform a full format of the memory card periodically click here for the full-format procedure , especially if you begin having performance issues with the dashcam.. In most cases this issue may be resolved by performing an in-dashcam format as described in Question 4 above restart the unit, then hold down the WiFi button for approx. If the message persists, we recommend using a computer PC or Mac to do a full format of the SD card as described in this procedure.

The cause of needing to format the micro SD card occasionally is explained further on that page. A dashcam of this caliber is a pretty high-tech piece of equipment. When you think about it from an engineering perspective, capturing high quality full HD video takes a large amount of computer processing power. Until a few years ago, any camcorder recording in full HD at 30 frames per second would have been at least 5 times the size of these cameras.

Add in all of the other bells and whistles WiFi, GPS tracking, G-sensors, and more , and put them in a tiny package, and heat is the by-product of all that data processing that is going on. But not to worry. Earlier dashcam models from BlackVue did suffer some heat-related problems, but their engineering team took on those issues head first and resolved them before putting out the DR and DR and subsequently the DR and DR That's the beauty of the iterative design process!

The case of the Dashcam itself is actually used as a heat-sink notice the nice vents you see along the top and bottom of these models , so that's why you may notice it is warm or hot to the touch.

Don't worry, this is normal, and your BlackVue is operating as designed. Check your user manual for your particular model's operating temperature. Those are operating temperatures, so most likely the camera will be fine even above and below that range when turned off such as overnight or parked during the day.

This was an extremely rare issue we saw that was easily resolved by cycling power to the unit. To do this, find a safe place to park your vehicle, disconnect the power cord from the camera body, wait 30 seconds, and plug the power cord back in. Alternatively, you may press and hold the WiFi button on the side of the dashcam for 7 seconds, which will reboot the device.

This is normal. The frame rate output over WiFi is reduced somewhat from the full HD for several reasons. For one, this is done in order to work with a variety of phone types, not all of which are able to render HD video at full frame rate. Another reason is that while the BlackVue is streaming the stored video to your phone, it's also still recording video at the same time. Full resolution is always still available of course by copying the video to your computer.

We've found it can take anywhere from hours for the GPS time signal and time zone settings to sync up after changing the time zone setting.

Just make sure your time zone is set correctly, then drive like usual and it should eventually display correctly on the live view and recorded videos.

First of all, don't do anything except concentrate on driving! As long as you take action relatively soon within a few hours to be safe , your video will be safe from being overwritten while you find a safe place to pull over, or until you reach your destination.

Then, when you are safely off the road, you have two options: 1 use the smartphone app to copy the video to your cell phone, or 2 take the microSD card to a computer where the video can be copied over directly.

If you want to use the app to copy the video to your phone for backup purposes, connect to the BlackVue via Wi-Fi, then simply locate the video in the list, and long-press on the video.

A menu will pop up after a few seconds, then you can select "Copy to internal storage" or if your phone has a removable memory card you can also select "Copy to external storage". Once the video is on your phone transfer can take anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute , you may upload the video directly to YouTube! Please see the following image for correct cable insertion locations. Please note incorrect connection can cause damage to the Dashcam unit that is not covered by warranty!

We're not sure what causes this occasional glitch but in almost every case this is resolved by power cycling the BlackVue. The default settings are pretty spot-on for most situations and users.

A setting of less than 10 will help prevent excessive recordings in Parking Mode. Here's what you need to do to set the BlackVue memory card up so that it's readable by your Mac computer. Please bear in mind this procedure involves formatting the memory card you will lose any recordings currently on the card , so be sure to download anything important via the smartphone app or Windows computer if need be, prior to following these steps:.

Now you can put the card back in the BlackVue, it will re-initialize and start recording like usual. From this point on, when you put the BlackVue memory card back in your Mac, it will be recognized and you can view the recordings or run the BlackVue viewer software without issue.

To request additional information, please don't hesitate to contact us. We give our best effort to respond to all inquiries within 1 business day. Dashcam Basic Questions Visual learner? What is a dashcam? Why is it called a "dashcam"? Are there different kinds? Which one is the best? How do I use one? What are they good for? What else are dashcams good for? Anything else? Who uses dashcams? Still wondering how do dash cams work? Please reach out to our support team via phone or email!

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We will go over the basics of dash cams, leaving you ready to understand how do dash cams work. Thinkware U Mounted to Windshield. Search for:. Korean Spanish English. How the device manages data 3. How the camera data is used. The majority of these cameras face forward, but an alternative installation points them toward the inside of the vehicle.

More complex systems may include cameras at the front, sides and rear to capture a degree visual. Some dashboard cameras have a standby setting to record video while the vehicle is parked if activated by an impact or tampering with the vehicle from the outside. High-end dash cameras will have various features that will allow for quality recording in almost any weather condition, at any time of the night or day.

In addition, most dash cams have a wide-angle lens, which allows it to capture more activity on the road. We have lots of recommendations for solid cameras in our guide to the best dashboard cameras. Brett Helling is the owner of Ridester. He has been a rideshare driver since early , having completed hundreds of trips for companies including Uber, Lyft, and Postmates. In he acquired Ridester.