I hope I covered everything I wanted, if I forgot something or you have any questions feel free to comment. I try to answer all comments that I can. I might have sounded harsher than I meant on the video quality, I think this camera is up there with the Blackvue DR750S-2CH and DR900S-2CH for my top 3 favorite dual channel cameras since I prefer to have advanced parking modes. I don't really want to put those 3 in any order though because each has its pros and cons (yes the DR900 has some cons, such as overheating) and they are all great. Don't forget if you do buy from Blackboxmycar use coupon code "USDASH30" for $30 off orders over $300, or "USDASH10" for $10 off orders over $100. Alex from Blackboxmycar really supported me and my channel back when I was only 100 subscribers so I love to help him out too.
it is awhile ago what is your opinion of the new q850 Pro thinkware I'm thinking about getting it mainly because even though I already have the q800 Pro the problem is it's not compatible with the infrared exterior weatherproof camera that I want to use since I have a truck and it would be nice because I could put it on the bumper
Tried everything, spent many hours over several weeks, couldn't get Q800pro connected to Thinkware Cloud. Sometime last week someone keyed my new vehicle tail light to head light. Q800pro just sitting in it's box at home. No wonder they get dozens of 1 star reviews
Good review John. Blackboxmycar was kind enough to let me swap my f800pro for a q800pro. They already shipped my q800pro and once it gets here I’ll send my f800pro back to them. I wanted the slightly better video quality of the q800pro. And when the 4K Thinkware comes to market, I’ll definitely be buying one once the reviews are out. I still have my dr750s over the 900s just because of the overheating issues and the poor night quality.
Thanks! I have had the DR900 overheat once when it was in the 90s. But my DR650 dash cams were even worse. I used two of them as a "4 channel" system back then, and my black civic in the summer sun got to them 4-5 times when parked outside all day long running parking mode. but they do shut off from being too hot so thats nice. So from my personal experience the DR900 is an improvement in that respect. I didn't personally run the DR750 series other than while I reviewed it so I don't have long term experience with that. The night quality is worse but I still think its "good enough". I run the DR900 in my prius.
Thanks for the great review. I just bought the Q800 Pro from Best Buy on the "Deal of the Day" For $199.00. I already have a Rexing in my work vehicle. But, needed one in my personal vehicle. Ironically, I grew up in Eden Prairie. It was great watching the footage of the roads I drive everyday, while doing HVAC service. I actually picked mine up at the Shakopee store last week.
I baught this camera because I don't want to miss any minute while I'm away from my car, the parking mood is very good and especially if you have the rear camera, in my city I get alert for the speed and red light camera.
This is a few years old review but I wanted to say it’s one of my favorites covering a lot in depth. One question since there’s no screen can I view it on my mounted cell phone screen in real time while say backing up? My 7 year old car is probably never going to have a back up camera in the radio screen unless I decide to spend more money on that? Thanks 😊
you could but to be honest i don't think it would be a good idea. there is a noticeable delay in the video. possibly as much as a few seconds. Personally I would rather buy an aftermarket backup camera and LCD screen.
I would like to share something I found out. Yesterday I decided to change my card out I have a thinkware F800 I was told I think we're 800 will only take a 64GB card. As it turns out I accidentally put 128 GB card in the thinkware F800 and guess what? It records just like the F800 Pro which cost $100 more
if your port is always on even if your car is off it will keep recording in normal mode but that is not recommended. the parking mode requires hardwiring to your fuse box. I personally would not buy a thinkware camera unless you intend on hardwiring it as you will lose some of the most important features you are paying a premium for. There might be some OBDII hardwire kits available tho which are easier than hardwiring.
@@integralcam thanks for the reply! My issue with hardwiring is I have an EV, and no idea how to hardwire it. What camera would you recommend, that is sleek (no screen), and takes good video?
@@aaronfixesstuff If you don't mind the price, I think the Thinkware U1000 or IROAD X10 would be the best. I think Thinkware has a slightly better parking mode though. I use the U1000 in my personal truck. I would reach out to blackboxmycar about your specific model EV and see if theres anything unusual about it. I know they get a lot of Tesla owners buy from them. If you use my links in the description you also get 5% off from them. They are super knowledgeable as they are the largest North American distributer of dash cams and they also do installations at their main store in Vancouver.
I included a link in the description to blackboxmycar's guide. I use to have a video but it was hard to film where my fuse box was. Check their comprehensive guide here: www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/dash-cam-installation-guide
Good review....ya when I saw the footage online it didn't look considerably better than 1080p. Does the footage look better on your computer? I noticed when I got my DR900s that the footage looks better than the TH-cam videos
I feel dumb for forgetting to say in the video that youtube will only upload in 1080p or 4k (or at least I don't remember saying it) so the 1440p video from the Q800 is being downscaled for youtube. TH-cam also compresses it so it will look slightly worse than the raw footage. I have the DR900S-2CH in my other car too and I agree it looks noticeably better when you watch the raw footage.
@@integralcam also for me when I download footage to my phone I forgot to change the quality to "original format" instead of having to downscaled to 1080p
Somehow the safety feature or ADAS is not working on my device. I had everything enabled in mid. No warning when changing lanes on a freeway. I bought this specifically for that because my wife is always going out of lane
Doesn’t help much, it literally sounds like a single knock on a piece of wood. Or that noise your iPhone makes when you press the backspace button on the keyboard
I had my old F800 installed by best buy and lately having issue where parking mode is on and will just randomly shut off.... they say he thinks it could be truck battery but idk about that So far I have reset the dash cam reduced the voltage from 12 volts to 11.8 and it still at times is shutting it self off in parking mode.... So either it's 4 or 5 years old and done and there is a hard ware issue or my truck battery is diping to low in voltage when off which would seem rare I just bought the truck only 4 years old but you never know Or maybe when they had to use extra wire for the standard hard wiring kit since I didn't know I needed the longer one but they used more wire and all seems good when voltage testing the wires. Or maybe it's the SD card bug.... but doesn't say error or anything... So now I am here wondering if I should go ahead and since it is F800 and old try and grab this Q800 upgrade and it's 100 dollars cheaper right now and see if this works and parking mode does not shut off and then I will know for sure that it is either the wiring or the battery..... but yeah any advice would be helpful thanks man
If i were you I would get your battery tested, or grab a volt meter and check the batteries voltage. I am not an electrical expert but i bought one from walmart and youtubed some tutorials on how to do it years ago. I have a big 92ah dual purpose battery in my truck and my DR900X was cutting off super quick and turned out because I didn't drive very much each day, about 10 min to and from work, and all my errands are only 5 or 10 min away, i wasn't keeping my battery charged up enough for the high load of a dash cam running parking mode all the time, especially with the 4g lte module draining more power. I simply did not drive enough to keep my battery charged up all the time and through out the week it would get low enough to eventually cut off. If you determine the battery is actually getting low, you might have to reduce your timer. when i used the thinkware cams in my truck i had a 12 hour timer. now that i use the blackvue with the 4g lte module that uses more power, i had to drop the timer to 6 hours. now the new model allows you to set it to any hour, not just 6,12,24 and so on. I have set it to 9 and after about 4 weeks I have been getting some low voltage warnings too. years ago when i tried running a "4 channel" system with two 2CH blackvue systems, it drained my battery so much that parking mode would cut off within seconds of shutting my car off because it was just never fully charged. so it could very well be your battery, how much do you drive everyday?
@@integralcam well I just bought this truck and so I don't drive a ton yet but when the best buy tech did use the voltage yesterday he said it was like 12.15 12.8 12.6 ish and then I put the dash cam too 11.8 and it helped but it did again and shut off so I reset dash cam same thing so now I either get a new battery or think best buy wired it wrong or... the dash cam is shot and I need a new one
@@MyShapeofmyHeart what you could do is buy one of those cheap light up voltage checkers. they look like a screw driver with a pointy tip, lights up when it detects voltage. they sell them at walmart for under $10. You would need to make sure that the hardwiring kit wires are correct. There should be a battery wire that goes to a fuse that will have voltage even when your truck is off. You use the voltage tool to touch one of the metal tips of the fuse to see if it has power all the time. Then the other wire should be an ACC fuse so it should NOT light up when your truck is off. I will say from my experience some trucks do not have any fuses that are off when the truck is off, seems like all the fuses are always on. If that is the case, you would need to install some sort of relay/ignitition power source to power the ACC wire only when your truck is on. And to be honest that is above my knowledge level, but my coworker with a GMC Sierra had to do that with his dash cam. So its possible that your dash camera thinks its always on, infinitely. one way you could test it is drive around for about 30 min, actually drive around don't just idle, and then see if the parking mode lasts longer. if it does, its likely your battery just is low and you aren't driving enough most days.
@@integralcam for sure I will check it it seemed like only one was lighting when he did it infront of me he said it is worth getting new battery or at least a deep cycle battery then if my battery is going low?
These cameras need at least two k at 60 frames per second in order to capture moving license plates I'm surprised you don't know that it's the frames per second that is just as important as the resolution
According to my manual, the big button is a manual record button -- it's record for a minute (from 10 seconds before the button press until 50 seconds after). I haven't installed mine yet, so I can't verify this.
Yes that is correct sorry if I misspoke in the video, some cams call it the emergency record button. Basically if you see something and want to lock it you can have it set to lock and never delete those files, or you can have it eventually erase but it will be located in the manual record folder on the memory card making it easier to find.
How well does the advance driver systems (lane departure, forward collision warning) work? There is not a lot of information out there about these features if it's more useful or just a gimmick
I actually had a longer part in my review explaining my opinion but I cut it to keep the review shorter so I am glad you asked. I have tested thinkwares ADAS features and it works fine, but I see it as a gimmick. Say I am falling asleep at the wheel, the forward collision system just beeps to alert you that you are getting too close. IMO I don't feel its going to save me from a crash. The lane departure warning system is annoying too because unlike cars with this feature built in, it doesn't know if you are purposely changing lanes. so everytime you change lanes it beeps. The one sorta useful one IMO is the one that beeps when the car stopped in front of you starts driving, in case you were distrated by the radio or something. Maybe ill make a video about it, I just ended up cutting this portion because a lot of people don't seem to use the feature because they think the beeping is annoying so i just cut it to save time.
@@integralcam Can each feature of ADAS be separately switched off/on? I can see how the lane departure warning would be annoying but interested in the unit if the other features worked well, understandable if all it does is just beep but I think the better to have a second set of eyes monitoring things if it does work without too many false beeps. I would be interested seeing a video of your take on the ADAS if you release it
Any idea what’s wrong with the F750 and F770 I purchased those cameras and both stop working after 2 and 3 years , I contacted Thinkware , not repair option so waste of money , the weird thing is the rear camera still working
LOL I laugh because I have the same camera and it is the opposite, My rear stopped working so I am back in the market now. I am hardwired so I am stuck with Thinkware or rewiring everything again. I assume they can only bake and freeze in the summer / winter for so many years Mine crapped out at about 3-4 as well. If I leave the rear disconnected, the front works fine. But it is extremely slow to copy videos.
A42yearoldARAB I think this cameras are expensive and suddenly stop working and might be software , mine stop working after a message saying format sd card for data integrity
128gb is the highest they say is supported. The samsung pro endurance cards just came down in price and my most recommended as many non endurance cards will not warranty the card under dash cam use. These are specifically designed to handle the load of long term recording: amzn.to/2QxrywA
How does video quality front/rear night/day compare to blackvue dr750s? Also what is the best 2 ch dashcam with the best video quality and parking mode? That isn't the dr900s
The DR750S-2CH from blackvue of course would be the next choice besides the DR900S which I know is crazy expensive. I like both thinkware and blackvue, there are some other similar cameras from other companies but thinkware and blackvue seem to always have cameras I prefer. I think the DR750 might have better looking video, it seems like there video looks less pixelated usually but I don't know if that necessarily means you can read license plates better. It could just be some smoothing going on in the video processing, not sure. I don't have one to compare side by side. The blackvue cams definitely have much better cloud support but I know cloud support isn't a big factor for most people. I'd say if you want the ability to turn off the camera when you are parked at home to save battery the thinkware cams are the way to go. But you can always set a timer such as 12 hours on either cameras. One downside with blackvue cams like the DR900 i use in my car connected to a power magic ultra battery, I have to timer ability so when i dont drive for awhile it drains the battery and often times my short commute doesn't charge it up enough to stay on all day at work. But if you plan on just hardwiring to your car battery that isnt an issue since the blackvue hardwire kits have timers.
@@A_guan well i cant really say that for sure i dont have one to compare side by side. i have samples from the dr750 still when i reviewed it. the dr750s does have 60 fps 1080p tho which makes it look smoother. without having side by side comparisons its a bit too hard to say. looking at the night samples it seems the dr750s seems to have more "noise" in some similar samples i found compared to the q800 but the day seems to look better with the 60 fps.
Sooooo if a person only carries around 1 smartphone, how does one get notifications since the camera doesnt have an internet connection on its own? It also does NOT connect to any WiFi networks (like home or work) It seems that without its own dedicated internet connection (like a separate hotspot or jetpack device with its own data plan), the cloud features are useless. Personally I will not be buying another phone or hotspot device PLUS another line of data to my plan, for just this. Also, I know this has special capacitors for heat related problems, but how well will it perform in winter I wonder. Here in Wisconsin we get both ends of the spectrum...some summer days 90+ (not in direct sunlight), and in winter it can get well below 0
I live in minnesota and I have been using thinkware cams for years and havent had an issue in the winter or summer with them, even when parking outside all day during the hottest summer days. I HAVE had blackvue cams shut down when they get too hot. My friend also had his blackvue rear cam quit working on one of the coldest days of the year this winter but I have not heard of anyone with a thinkware cam saying that. this is anecdotal of course though. the cloud feature with thinkware is definitely in early stages. blackvue has better cloud features but it also requires a hotspot connection. some cars have hotspots but can cost $30 a month. Blackvue has a 4G model coming out in the near future, i think if you want cloud features its best to wait for that.
What is the video copy speed over wifi from dashcam to phone? My F770 crap is really slow, it drains my whole battery if I need find or download more recordings at once.
The blackvue cams you can set the motion detection to 0, and they also allow you to select the areas motion detection works on the screen so you can choose to unselect all the layers. I think this basically turns motion detection off. Thinkware seems different. There is no way to set the areas of the screen, and as far as I see, you can just turn the motion detection to low. The F770 from a few years ago allowed you to select parking mode but deselect motion detection. I reached out to thinkware to get a definitive answer on that. When I here back I will reply again.
@@DW_92 i confirmed that thinkware's buffered parking mode always includes motion detection. you can turn it to low but thats it. thinkware only allows impact only detection with the low power parking mdoe which is NOT buffered. So yea blackvue is probably the better choice for you.
You could but honestly I think it would be a waste of money then. Thinwkare and Blackvue cams are much more expensive due to their more advanced features. If you just want a dual channel camera with good video quality for driving I would check out the Viofo A129. amzn.to/2E1lPfe
Why do they not include a circular polarizer when it's obvious that needs it? I ordered one but I'm questioning how well it will work I've seen photos showing rainbows in the picture all this crap might be going back very soon. I wish you review was more honest would have saved me time
As someone who bought Thinkware for the first time (the Q800), is the wifi connection strictly to a hotspot only module (ones you subscribe off your data carrier plan)? Or can it connect to a wifi hotspot infrastructure like a starbucks or home wifi, etc? I work for a company that provides wifi to the entire geographical property. It'd be nice to piggy back off that to get alert notifications when I'm parked at work and such
Thinkware told me it wouldn't work on home wifi. I got my F800 pro to work on my home wifi i think. I've been using my phone or freedom pop hotspot since then tho. I'll try testing it again on my home wifi.
Just got this at Best Buy because of the low light reviews...complete TRASH! Getting returned tomorrow. Ill have my own video up if u wanna see from a truckers prospective. If you have any suggestions for low light and sharp recording id appreciate your thoughts.
if you care about video quality above any other features, the Viofo A119 V3 is hard to beat. Its only a front camera, and has no WiFi or parking features, but it's video quality is arguably the best on the market while still very low price. Thinkware cams are great if you want advanced parking mode but don't mind a drop in video quality. Typically the more advanced dash cameras sacrifice video quality for other features. Otherwise if you really want the advanced parking mode you would probably have to go with the Thinkware U1000 but thats their most expensive model, but id say it has the best video for a camera WITH advanced parking mode. Definitely watch some video samples of it before buying though.
Hi sir! Could you please recommend me a good, dependable dash cam that isn’t that complicated but still serve the purpose, and that wouldn’t require professionals to install/uninstall it? Thank you. By the way, I bought thisThinkware q800 PRO ( June 2020 ) at $199 now. Less of $100 Best Buy. I am planning to buy another one for my other car. That’s for the one I am asking your recommendation. I am too old and not tech savvy so I am opting for a simpler, dependable one that can also withstand Texas heat even when the gadget is left in the car. Thanks again! Keep safe and be healthy.
thinkware cams are pretty resistant against high heat actually. Besides using supercapacitors instead of batteries which cannot stand high heat, it has a high temp shut off feature so if its getting too hot it will turn itself off. Typically that would never happen while driving, only in parking mode when you are parked in the hot sun for a very long time and its recording. Minnesota is much cooler during most of the year but we have some high temps from time to time. it was 99 degrees one day last week. I have never had a thinkware cam have issues from the heat. Blackvue I have had them overheat and shut down with their similar high temp shut off feature. But if you want something really simple, and don't really need the best fanciest or most advanced parking mode, the Viofo A119 V3 is my favorite. Excellent video quality at a very fair price. amzn.to/2YZrTg7
It definitely needs a 64 or 128 gig card. A 1 minute video= 140 megs of captured footage using the front camera. A 32 gig is not worth utilizing. Besides that it an amazing dash cam.
There are signs that warn you of your speed with radar, but they do not allow speed cameras that automatically mail you a speeding ticket. it was found to be unconstitutional because the cameras (at least at the time) couldn't show who was driving.
You can buy a decent dashcam off of Ebay or Dealextreme. Don't spend more than $35 for one. Every year you may have to buy a new one. The electronics do not do well with the summer heat. But that will be true of any electronics that you put on your windshield. Oh, and FYI, I put my dashcam on the rear window, not the front. It really discourages tailgating.
I spent lots of time reviewing all the Thinkware information that was available online e.g. youtube. I decided to give it a chance BECAUSE the camera is advertised as: You'll have access to the videos footage via WIFI. This is NOT entirely true and/or as it is presented on Thinkware website and promotional information. 1) With the camera you will get a Guide & Warranty booklet containing 152 pages. If you have never installed a dash cam, you may find useful 3 pages. The rest of this booklet is USELESS! 149 pages of the same information is repeated in several different languages. 2) The Guide & Warranty booklet DOES NOT explain any of the futures of the camera. Does not explain why you need to partition the memory card and pros/cons on each option/setting, etc... You are on your own trying to figure out it out or spending countless hours trying to find information on youtube. 3) The camera connects to your cell phone via WIFI technology (as advertised by Thinkware). BUT!!!! it does NOT connect to a WIFI network e.g. your home or work. Thinkware does not explains this in any of their promotional materials. 4) You MUST be inside your car and right in front of the camera, if you want to connect to the camera and view any video. The camera does not connect automatically to your cell phone. You MUST press the WIFI button on the camera and follow the connection procedure to have access to the camera menu and videos. The connection is NOT stable. Even a short distance, the WIFI connection (Radio frequency) will be lost and you will have to reconnect again. While you are viewing the videos or going through the camera settings, your cell WIFI will not work. 5) If you want to connect to the camera via Hotspot; your WIFI will disconnect automatically. Also, to have access to all the fancy futures they advertise e.g. Geo fencing, you must make sure the "Hotspot" future is part of you cellphone plan - it is not free. 6) I requested the same information from: Thinkware.com, Thinkware Canada, Thinkware USA, Thinkware Australia and Thinkware UK. After several days, only Thinkware UK responded to my questions. None of their current dashboard cameras can connect to a WIFI network (home or work), including the new 2019 model: U1000. 7) There are only 2 apps available and neither is for the Q800 PRO. You will have to use the app for Thinkware F700 series. 8) 4 years ago I purchase an entry level camera. I paid $65 (Amazon). The quality of footage from my entry level camera is almost identical to what the Q800PRO produces. The images produced by the Q800PRO tend to be grainy and good luck trying to identify a plate number that is past a few feet ahead from you car during the day. 9) The "Cloud" future is not what you think it is. Thinkware forces you to open an account but as I explained above points 3, 4 and 5, it is useless. The Thinkware account is more for them to fill up your in box with promotional materials. This camera is grossly over priced.
What would you recommend then, I'm not a driver yet but will be soon. And with how people drive these days and having family victims of hit and runs I want to install one the moment I get my car this summer. I really am looking for two things. A license reader in hit and runs, where people hit you while driving and speed off. And a good parking mode. I'm looking for front and back and power efficient that wont kill a car battery.
Hey guys this is Jon (USDASHCAMERA) if you're reading this, this is my other channel I started awhile ago and have been meaning to get off the ground. Check it out!
I hope I covered everything I wanted, if I forgot something or you have any questions feel free to comment. I try to answer all comments that I can. I might have sounded harsher than I meant on the video quality, I think this camera is up there with the Blackvue DR750S-2CH and DR900S-2CH for my top 3 favorite dual channel cameras since I prefer to have advanced parking modes. I don't really want to put those 3 in any order though because each has its pros and cons (yes the DR900 has some cons, such as overheating) and they are all great. Don't forget if you do buy from Blackboxmycar use coupon code "USDASH30" for $30 off orders over $300, or "USDASH10" for $10 off orders over $100. Alex from Blackboxmycar really supported me and my channel back when I was only 100 subscribers so I love to help him out too.
What do the car departure and lane departure warnings sound like when you activate them on this camera?
it is awhile ago what is your opinion of the new q850 Pro thinkware I'm thinking about getting it mainly because even though I already have the q800 Pro the problem is it's not compatible with the infrared exterior weatherproof camera that I want to use since I have a truck and it would be nice because I could put it on the bumper
Tried everything, spent many hours over several weeks, couldn't get Q800pro connected to Thinkware Cloud. Sometime last week someone keyed my new vehicle tail light to head light. Q800pro just sitting in it's box at home. No wonder they get dozens of 1 star reviews
Good review John. Blackboxmycar was kind enough to let me swap my f800pro for a q800pro. They already shipped my q800pro and once it gets here I’ll send my f800pro back to them. I wanted the slightly better video quality of the q800pro. And when the 4K Thinkware comes to market, I’ll definitely be buying one once the reviews are out. I still have my dr750s over the 900s just because of the overheating issues and the poor night quality.
Thanks! I have had the DR900 overheat once when it was in the 90s. But my DR650 dash cams were even worse. I used two of them as a "4 channel" system back then, and my black civic in the summer sun got to them 4-5 times when parked outside all day long running parking mode. but they do shut off from being too hot so thats nice. So from my personal experience the DR900 is an improvement in that respect. I didn't personally run the DR750 series other than while I reviewed it so I don't have long term experience with that. The night quality is worse but I still think its "good enough". I run the DR900 in my prius.
*US Dash thanks for taking the time/effort to make & publish this exquisitely-detailed and info-packed review, much appreciated* !
Thanks for the great review. I just bought the Q800 Pro from Best Buy on the "Deal of the Day" For $199.00. I already have a Rexing in my work vehicle. But, needed one in my personal vehicle. Ironically, I grew up in Eden Prairie. It was great watching the footage of the roads I drive everyday, while doing HVAC service. I actually picked mine up at the Shakopee store last week.
Awesome review my friend! I'm definitely sold by this dash cam, I usually work late nights. So this camera would definitely do my justice.
thanks, I appreciate the comment. I have been using this cam since the review in my truck and still like it a lot.
great review man. thanks for the $30 code. Ordered!
thanks for watching! hope you enjoy the cam. I still use it in my personal truck.
I baught this camera because I don't want to miss any minute while I'm away from my car, the parking mood is very good and especially if you have the rear camera, in my city I get alert for the speed and red light camera.
thats awesome, in my state we dont have any speed or red light cameras. I wish I was able to test that feature, but good to know it works for you.
i haven't seen a sample of Black Vue's 4K recording which is as good as this camera's 2k recording
Pl tell me what is PRO & Non PRO model means.
This is a few years old review but I wanted to say it’s one of my favorites covering a lot in depth. One question since there’s no screen can I view it on my mounted cell phone screen in real time while say backing up? My 7 year old car is probably never going to have a back up camera in the radio screen unless I decide to spend more money on that? Thanks 😊
you could but to be honest i don't think it would be a good idea. there is a noticeable delay in the video. possibly as much as a few seconds. Personally I would rather buy an aftermarket backup camera and LCD screen.
Is it really an upgraded camera or did they just inter populate?
I would like to share something I found out. Yesterday I decided to change my card out I have a thinkware F800 I was told I think we're 800 will only take a 64GB card. As it turns out I accidentally put 128 GB card in the thinkware F800 and guess what? It records just like the F800 Pro which cost $100 more
Will the camera record if someone hits the car when only attached to the cigarette port?
if your port is always on even if your car is off it will keep recording in normal mode but that is not recommended. the parking mode requires hardwiring to your fuse box. I personally would not buy a thinkware camera unless you intend on hardwiring it as you will lose some of the most important features you are paying a premium for. There might be some OBDII hardwire kits available tho which are easier than hardwiring.
@@integralcam thanks for the reply! My issue with hardwiring is I have an EV, and no idea how to hardwire it. What camera would you recommend, that is sleek (no screen), and takes good video?
@@aaronfixesstuff If you don't mind the price, I think the Thinkware U1000 or IROAD X10 would be the best. I think Thinkware has a slightly better parking mode though. I use the U1000 in my personal truck. I would reach out to blackboxmycar about your specific model EV and see if theres anything unusual about it. I know they get a lot of Tesla owners buy from them. If you use my links in the description you also get 5% off from them. They are super knowledgeable as they are the largest North American distributer of dash cams and they also do installations at their main store in Vancouver.
what's the recording loop that you can set?
Very informative. Where can I find you hardwiring video for this camera (F800PRO/Q800PRO? Thanks in advance!
I included a link in the description to blackboxmycar's guide. I use to have a video but it was hard to film where my fuse box was. Check their comprehensive guide here: www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/dash-cam-installation-guide
What about the rear?
Good review....ya when I saw the footage online it didn't look considerably better than 1080p. Does the footage look better on your computer? I noticed when I got my DR900s that the footage looks better than the TH-cam videos
I feel dumb for forgetting to say in the video that youtube will only upload in 1080p or 4k (or at least I don't remember saying it) so the 1440p video from the Q800 is being downscaled for youtube. TH-cam also compresses it so it will look slightly worse than the raw footage. I have the DR900S-2CH in my other car too and I agree it looks noticeably better when you watch the raw footage.
@@integralcam also for me when I download footage to my phone I forgot to change the quality to "original format" instead of having to downscaled to 1080p
Somehow the safety feature or ADAS is not working on my device. I had everything enabled in mid. No warning when changing lanes on a freeway. I bought this specifically for that because my wife is always going out of lane
Buy a new wife
Doesn’t help much, it literally sounds like a single knock on a piece of wood. Or that noise your iPhone makes when you press the backspace button on the keyboard
I am also interested in this dash cam because of the ADAS. What are your thoughts and experience with the ADAS?
GREAT VIDEO- THANK YOU ! ! !
What is the current consumption of this unit have you tested the low voltage cutoff? Have you had issues with yours resetting on its own?
Oh and why does the format button not work?
I had my old F800 installed by best buy and lately having issue where parking mode is on and will just randomly shut off.... they say he thinks it could be truck battery but idk about that
So far I have reset the dash cam reduced the voltage from 12 volts to 11.8 and it still at times is shutting it self off in parking mode....
So either it's 4 or 5 years old and done and there is a hard ware issue or my truck battery is diping to low in voltage when off which would seem rare I just bought the truck only 4 years old but you never know
Or maybe when they had to use extra wire for the standard hard wiring kit since I didn't know I needed the longer one but they used more wire and all seems good when voltage testing the wires.
Or maybe it's the SD card bug.... but doesn't say error or anything...
So now I am here wondering if I should go ahead and since it is F800 and old try and grab this Q800 upgrade and it's 100 dollars cheaper right now and see if this works and parking mode does not shut off and then I will know for sure that it is either the wiring or the battery..... but yeah any advice would be helpful thanks man
If i were you I would get your battery tested, or grab a volt meter and check the batteries voltage. I am not an electrical expert but i bought one from walmart and youtubed some tutorials on how to do it years ago. I have a big 92ah dual purpose battery in my truck and my DR900X was cutting off super quick and turned out because I didn't drive very much each day, about 10 min to and from work, and all my errands are only 5 or 10 min away, i wasn't keeping my battery charged up enough for the high load of a dash cam running parking mode all the time, especially with the 4g lte module draining more power. I simply did not drive enough to keep my battery charged up all the time and through out the week it would get low enough to eventually cut off.
If you determine the battery is actually getting low, you might have to reduce your timer. when i used the thinkware cams in my truck i had a 12 hour timer. now that i use the blackvue with the 4g lte module that uses more power, i had to drop the timer to 6 hours. now the new model allows you to set it to any hour, not just 6,12,24 and so on. I have set it to 9 and after about 4 weeks I have been getting some low voltage warnings too.
years ago when i tried running a "4 channel" system with two 2CH blackvue systems, it drained my battery so much that parking mode would cut off within seconds of shutting my car off because it was just never fully charged.
so it could very well be your battery, how much do you drive everyday?
@@integralcam well I just bought this truck and so I don't drive a ton yet but when the best buy tech did use the voltage yesterday he said it was like 12.15 12.8 12.6 ish and then I put the dash cam too 11.8 and it helped but it did again and shut off so I reset dash cam same thing so now I either get a new battery or think best buy wired it wrong or... the dash cam is shot and I need a new one
@@MyShapeofmyHeart what you could do is buy one of those cheap light up voltage checkers. they look like a screw driver with a pointy tip, lights up when it detects voltage. they sell them at walmart for under $10. You would need to make sure that the hardwiring kit wires are correct. There should be a battery wire that goes to a fuse that will have voltage even when your truck is off. You use the voltage tool to touch one of the metal tips of the fuse to see if it has power all the time. Then the other wire should be an ACC fuse so it should NOT light up when your truck is off. I will say from my experience some trucks do not have any fuses that are off when the truck is off, seems like all the fuses are always on. If that is the case, you would need to install some sort of relay/ignitition power source to power the ACC wire only when your truck is on. And to be honest that is above my knowledge level, but my coworker with a GMC Sierra had to do that with his dash cam. So its possible that your dash camera thinks its always on, infinitely.
one way you could test it is drive around for about 30 min, actually drive around don't just idle, and then see if the parking mode lasts longer. if it does, its likely your battery just is low and you aren't driving enough most days.
@@integralcam for sure I will check it it seemed like only one was lighting when he did it infront of me he said it is worth getting new battery or at least a deep cycle battery then if my battery is going low?
And the U800 pro is on sale at best buy and is same mount which is nice incase it's not the battery and its just the hard ware
These cameras need at least two k at 60 frames per second in order to capture moving license plates I'm surprised you don't know that it's the frames per second that is just as important as the resolution
According to my manual, the big button is a manual record button -- it's record for a minute (from 10 seconds before the button press until 50 seconds after).
I haven't installed mine yet, so I can't verify this.
Yes that is correct sorry if I misspoke in the video, some cams call it the emergency record button. Basically if you see something and want to lock it you can have it set to lock and never delete those files, or you can have it eventually erase but it will be located in the manual record folder on the memory card making it easier to find.
How well does the advance driver systems (lane departure, forward collision warning) work? There is not a lot of information out there about these features if it's more useful or just a gimmick
I actually had a longer part in my review explaining my opinion but I cut it to keep the review shorter so I am glad you asked. I have tested thinkwares ADAS features and it works fine, but I see it as a gimmick. Say I am falling asleep at the wheel, the forward collision system just beeps to alert you that you are getting too close. IMO I don't feel its going to save me from a crash. The lane departure warning system is annoying too because unlike cars with this feature built in, it doesn't know if you are purposely changing lanes. so everytime you change lanes it beeps. The one sorta useful one IMO is the one that beeps when the car stopped in front of you starts driving, in case you were distrated by the radio or something. Maybe ill make a video about it, I just ended up cutting this portion because a lot of people don't seem to use the feature because they think the beeping is annoying so i just cut it to save time.
@@integralcam Can each feature of ADAS be separately switched off/on? I can see how the lane departure warning would be annoying but interested in the unit if the other features worked well, understandable if all it does is just beep but I think the better to have a second set of eyes monitoring things if it does work without too many false beeps.
I would be interested seeing a video of your take on the ADAS if you release it
@@sl0vrx yup they are individual.
Also, the beeps it plays are rather quiet at max volume. If you have your radio up , you wont hear anything at all
@@Towerr72 can you not inrease the volume of the beeps?
Any idea what’s wrong with the F750 and F770 I purchased those cameras and both stop working after 2 and 3 years , I contacted Thinkware , not repair option so waste of money , the weird thing is the rear camera still working
LOL I laugh because I have the same camera and it is the opposite, My rear stopped working so I am back in the market now. I am hardwired so I am stuck with Thinkware or rewiring everything again. I assume they can only bake and freeze in the summer / winter for so many years Mine crapped out at about 3-4 as well. If I leave the rear disconnected, the front works fine. But it is extremely slow to copy videos.
A42yearoldARAB I think this cameras are expensive and suddenly stop working and might be software , mine stop working after a message saying format sd card for data integrity
this model has off timer during parking mode means after 24 hrs automatica off the system to prevent battery drain ?
yes, you can set it to different times such as 12, 24, 48, or you can turn the timer off completely,
thank you so much
Can you please tell me what Is the largest SD card with the Q800 the 32 it came with is just to small for me and re writes to fast
128gb is the highest they say is supported. The samsung pro endurance cards just came down in price and my most recommended as many non endurance cards will not warranty the card under dash cam use. These are specifically designed to handle the load of long term recording: amzn.to/2QxrywA
How does video quality front/rear night/day compare to blackvue dr750s?
Also what is the best 2 ch dashcam with the best video quality and parking mode? That isn't the dr900s
The DR750S-2CH from blackvue of course would be the next choice besides the DR900S which I know is crazy expensive. I like both thinkware and blackvue, there are some other similar cameras from other companies but thinkware and blackvue seem to always have cameras I prefer. I think the DR750 might have better looking video, it seems like there video looks less pixelated usually but I don't know if that necessarily means you can read license plates better. It could just be some smoothing going on in the video processing, not sure. I don't have one to compare side by side. The blackvue cams definitely have much better cloud support but I know cloud support isn't a big factor for most people. I'd say if you want the ability to turn off the camera when you are parked at home to save battery the thinkware cams are the way to go. But you can always set a timer such as 12 hours on either cameras. One downside with blackvue cams like the DR900 i use in my car connected to a power magic ultra battery, I have to timer ability so when i dont drive for awhile it drains the battery and often times my short commute doesn't charge it up enough to stay on all day at work. But if you plan on just hardwiring to your car battery that isnt an issue since the blackvue hardwire kits have timers.
@@integralcam so you are saying that the dr750s somehow beats the Q800 in terms of video quality?
@@A_guan well i cant really say that for sure i dont have one to compare side by side. i have samples from the dr750 still when i reviewed it. the dr750s does have 60 fps 1080p tho which makes it look smoother. without having side by side comparisons its a bit too hard to say. looking at the night samples it seems the dr750s seems to have more "noise" in some similar samples i found compared to the q800 but the day seems to look better with the 60 fps.
Sooooo if a person only carries around 1 smartphone, how does one get notifications since the camera doesnt have an internet connection on its own? It also does NOT connect to any WiFi networks (like home or work)
It seems that without its own dedicated internet connection (like a separate hotspot or jetpack device with its own data plan), the cloud features are useless. Personally I will not be buying another phone or hotspot device PLUS another line of data to my plan, for just this.
Also, I know this has special capacitors for heat related problems, but how well will it perform in winter I wonder. Here in Wisconsin we get both ends of the spectrum...some summer days 90+ (not in direct sunlight), and in winter it can get well below 0
I live in minnesota and I have been using thinkware cams for years and havent had an issue in the winter or summer with them, even when parking outside all day during the hottest summer days. I HAVE had blackvue cams shut down when they get too hot. My friend also had his blackvue rear cam quit working on one of the coldest days of the year this winter but I have not heard of anyone with a thinkware cam saying that. this is anecdotal of course though.
the cloud feature with thinkware is definitely in early stages. blackvue has better cloud features but it also requires a hotspot connection. some cars have hotspots but can cost $30 a month. Blackvue has a 4G model coming out in the near future, i think if you want cloud features its best to wait for that.
I'm very happy with my viofo 129 duo.
What is the video copy speed over wifi from dashcam to phone? My F770 crap is really slow, it drains my whole battery if I need find or download more recordings at once.
Given the increased file size, it takes about 2 min or so to download 1 video.
@@Towerr72 So, it's still slow as... But thanks for the inf.
Is it possible to turn off buffered motion detection in park mode and just have buffered impact? Is there any cameras that do have this ability?
The blackvue cams you can set the motion detection to 0, and they also allow you to select the areas motion detection works on the screen so you can choose to unselect all the layers. I think this basically turns motion detection off. Thinkware seems different. There is no way to set the areas of the screen, and as far as I see, you can just turn the motion detection to low. The F770 from a few years ago allowed you to select parking mode but deselect motion detection. I reached out to thinkware to get a definitive answer on that. When I here back I will reply again.
US Dash Camera sounds like blackvue might be the way to good for me then. Thanks for the info!
@@DW_92 i confirmed that thinkware's buffered parking mode always includes motion detection. you can turn it to low but thats it. thinkware only allows impact only detection with the low power parking mdoe which is NOT buffered. So yea blackvue is probably the better choice for you.
US Dash Camera thanks for confirming! Blackvue is definitely the way to go then.
Quick question what if i dont wanna use the parking mode can i use this without hard wiring it and just plug it in the charging port of my car?
You could but honestly I think it would be a waste of money then. Thinwkare and Blackvue cams are much more expensive due to their more advanced features. If you just want a dual channel camera with good video quality for driving I would check out the Viofo A129. amzn.to/2E1lPfe
Why do they not include a circular polarizer when it's obvious that needs it? I ordered one but I'm questioning how well it will work I've seen photos showing rainbows in the picture all this crap might be going back very soon. I wish you review was more honest would have saved me time
As someone who bought Thinkware for the first time (the Q800), is the wifi connection strictly to a hotspot only module (ones you subscribe off your data carrier plan)? Or can it connect to a wifi hotspot infrastructure like a starbucks or home wifi, etc? I work for a company that provides wifi to the entire geographical property. It'd be nice to piggy back off that to get alert notifications when I'm parked at work and such
Thinkware told me it wouldn't work on home wifi. I got my F800 pro to work on my home wifi i think. I've been using my phone or freedom pop hotspot since then tho. I'll try testing it again on my home wifi.
@@integralcam Sweet! Please let us know :)
Just got this at Best Buy because of the low light reviews...complete TRASH! Getting returned tomorrow. Ill have my own video up if u wanna see from a truckers prospective.
If you have any suggestions for low light and sharp recording id appreciate your thoughts.
if you care about video quality above any other features, the Viofo A119 V3 is hard to beat. Its only a front camera, and has no WiFi or parking features, but it's video quality is arguably the best on the market while still very low price. Thinkware cams are great if you want advanced parking mode but don't mind a drop in video quality. Typically the more advanced dash cameras sacrifice video quality for other features. Otherwise if you really want the advanced parking mode you would probably have to go with the Thinkware U1000 but thats their most expensive model, but id say it has the best video for a camera WITH advanced parking mode. Definitely watch some video samples of it before buying though.
@@integralcam i appreciate your help and feedback :)
Hi sir! Could you please recommend me a good, dependable dash cam that isn’t that complicated but still serve the purpose, and that wouldn’t require professionals to install/uninstall it? Thank you.
By the way, I bought thisThinkware q800 PRO ( June 2020 ) at $199 now. Less of $100 Best Buy. I am planning to buy another one for my other car. That’s for the one I am asking your recommendation. I am too old and not tech savvy so I am opting for a simpler, dependable one that can also withstand Texas heat even when the gadget is left in the car. Thanks again! Keep safe and be healthy.
thinkware cams are pretty resistant against high heat actually. Besides using supercapacitors instead of batteries which cannot stand high heat, it has a high temp shut off feature so if its getting too hot it will turn itself off. Typically that would never happen while driving, only in parking mode when you are parked in the hot sun for a very long time and its recording. Minnesota is much cooler during most of the year but we have some high temps from time to time. it was 99 degrees one day last week. I have never had a thinkware cam have issues from the heat. Blackvue I have had them overheat and shut down with their similar high temp shut off feature. But if you want something really simple, and don't really need the best fanciest or most advanced parking mode, the Viofo A119 V3 is my favorite. Excellent video quality at a very fair price. amzn.to/2YZrTg7
It definitely needs a 64 or 128 gig card. A 1 minute video= 140 megs of captured footage using the front camera. A 32 gig is not worth utilizing. Besides that it an amazing dash cam.
On the upside...you can buy those memory cards pretty cheap at Walmart😁🤙🏼
What states don't allow speed cameras and why, I think its very useful to prevent accidents
10;56 fortunately 129 was way clearly
I have the new U1000 and A129 Pro 4K right now, I will be showing comparisons of those too within a week or so. Thanks for watching.
Your state doesn't allow speed detection warnings? Are you serious? Why is that? Why do they care? That sounds really silly to me!
There are signs that warn you of your speed with radar, but they do not allow speed cameras that automatically mail you a speeding ticket. it was found to be unconstitutional because the cameras (at least at the time) couldn't show who was driving.
@@integralcam Oh okay, I thought you were talking about a feature of the dashcam you were showing, not a Red-Light Camera!
You can buy a decent dashcam off of Ebay or Dealextreme. Don't spend more than $35 for one. Every year you may have to buy a new one. The electronics do not do well with the summer heat. But that will be true of any electronics that you put on your windshield. Oh, and FYI, I put my dashcam on the rear window, not the front. It really discourages tailgating.
yeah this is terrible advice. don't listen to this folks.
@MegaTabetha I have that same one and it finally baked after about 4 years. They are tough though.
i have the same roof rack.lol
I spent lots of time reviewing all the Thinkware information that was available online e.g. youtube. I decided to give it a chance BECAUSE the camera is advertised as: You'll have access to the videos footage via WIFI. This is NOT entirely true and/or as it is presented on Thinkware website and promotional information.
1) With the camera you will get a Guide & Warranty booklet containing 152 pages. If you have never installed a dash cam, you may find useful 3 pages. The rest of this booklet is USELESS! 149 pages of the same information is repeated in several different languages.
2) The Guide & Warranty booklet DOES NOT explain any of the futures of the camera. Does not explain why you need to partition the memory card and pros/cons on each option/setting, etc... You are on your own trying to figure out it out or spending countless hours trying to find information on youtube.
3) The camera connects to your cell phone via WIFI technology (as advertised by Thinkware). BUT!!!! it does NOT connect to a WIFI network e.g. your home or work. Thinkware does not explains this in any of their promotional materials.
4) You MUST be inside your car and right in front of the camera, if you want to connect to the camera and view any video. The camera does not connect automatically to your cell phone. You MUST press the WIFI button on the camera and follow the connection procedure to have access to the camera menu and videos. The connection is NOT stable. Even a short distance, the WIFI connection (Radio frequency) will be lost and you will have to reconnect again.
While you are viewing the videos or going through the camera settings, your cell WIFI will not work.
5) If you want to connect to the camera via Hotspot; your WIFI will disconnect automatically. Also, to have access to all the fancy futures they advertise e.g. Geo fencing, you must make sure the "Hotspot" future is part of you cellphone plan - it is not free.
6) I requested the same information from: Thinkware.com, Thinkware Canada, Thinkware USA, Thinkware Australia and Thinkware UK. After several days, only Thinkware UK responded to my questions. None of their current dashboard cameras can connect to a WIFI network (home or work), including the new 2019 model: U1000.
7) There are only 2 apps available and neither is for the Q800 PRO. You will have to use the app for Thinkware F700 series.
8) 4 years ago I purchase an entry level camera. I paid $65 (Amazon). The quality of footage from my entry level camera is almost identical to what the Q800PRO produces. The images produced by the Q800PRO tend to be grainy and good luck trying to identify a plate number that is past a few feet ahead from you car during the day.
9) The "Cloud" future is not what you think it is. Thinkware forces you to open an account but as I explained above points 3, 4 and 5, it is useless. The Thinkware account is more for them to fill up your in box with promotional materials.
This camera is grossly over priced.
What would you recommend then, I'm not a driver yet but will be soon. And with how people drive these days and having family victims of hit and runs I want to install one the moment I get my car this summer. I really am looking for two things. A license reader in hit and runs, where people hit you while driving and speed off. And a good parking mode. I'm looking for front and back and power efficient that wont kill a car battery.
Because I do not want to tolerate hits while parked. And if worse comes to worse it can serve as an accident witness
Hey guys this is Jon (USDASHCAMERA) if you're reading this, this is my other channel I started awhile ago and have been meaning to get off the ground. Check it out!