BlackVue entered the dashboard camera market in 2008 and have been growing their product range since. They have become a key player in the premium dash cam space and always provide cameras packed with the latest features.
From Parking Mode to the BlackVue Cloud, and even Stealth Mode, they cover everything.
The BlackVue price range drastically varies from £149.99 up to £499.99, and everything in between, all with their own pros and cons.
Our best selling BlackVue dash cam is the DR750S-2CH without a doubt. This is the camera which will be primarily featured in the BlackVue dash cam review below.
What’s Great About BlackVue Dash Cams?
There is no denying the quality, design, and features of the BlackVue DR750S-2CH. The recognisable design paired with features unique to BlackVue gives the feel and performance of a premium product.
cloud connected
The DR750S and the DR900S are both cloud-connected camera systems. With access to the BlackVue Cloud, you will be able to easily store important footage at any time – without having to worry about SD Card, phone, or computer storage.
This also means that you are able to retrieve the important video evidence at any time, regardless of where you are.
This is a huge convenience to the user and is, therefore, a highly desirable feature of the BlackVue cameras.
Click here to learn more about the BlackVue Cloud.
WiFi & GPS
Built-in WiFi and GPS are standard across the whole BlackVue car camera range. For many people, these features are non-negotiable when it comes to choosing the best camera for them, so it is reassuring to know that all BlackVue options have this covered.
The benefit of built-in WiFi & GPS is that you are able to connect your smartphone to the camera – just like you would with a router at home.
From here, you are able to review or download footage directly onto your phone. This ensures that your important video footage is safe, and clears up SD Card space on the camera.
The GPS information provides you with accurate location details alongside the video footage. This can become vitally important if ever in a car cloning situation where you need to prove the whereabouts of your vehicle at a certain time and date.
Recording Quality
Recording quality is a standout area for BlackVue cameras, with arguably the best footage of any camera.
All cameras have a minimum of 1080p HD recording from both the front and rear which is already impressive. However, if this isn’t enough for you, take a look at the DR900S. This camera records in 4K Ultra HD from the front camera, making it one of the highest quality dashboard cameras on the market.
The DR750S features 1080p Full HD from both the front and rear, with 60fps and 30fps respectively. A Sony STARVIS Image Sensor is used for drastic improvements in low-light video quality, allowing for a more accurate account of any incident.
Parking Mode
Parking mode is another feature where BlackVue has made some serious improvement.
This mode allows the camera to take power from the battery of the vehicle while parked. Movement and impact will then be picked up and recorded by the camera, meaning you can capture any damage done to your vehicle without being anywhere near it.
However, due to the power consumption draining the battery, this mode will cut off once the battery reaches 12V – generally providing 2-3 hours of parking mode recording.
The BlackVue DR750S improves on this by producing less heat and having a lower power consumption. This will increase the parking mode recording time, keeping your vehicle protected for longer.
Furthermore, the motion detection used for parking mode is superior to many other cameras. BlackVue have improved theirs in order to reduce the amount of “false positives” such as trees or people passing in the distance.
Motion detection can also be completely disabled so that only impact is recorded.
With parking mode being such a vital feature for many people, it is good to know that BlackVue prioritises its performance. They even have an additional battery pack which can be installed in order to increase the duration of parking mode by up to 12 hours.
The way Motion detection works in Parking Mode has been improved to reduce the amount of “false positives” such as trees or people passing in the distance. You can also disable motion detection so the DR750S will only record when an impact is detected.
Design
BlackVue have always made sure to have beautifully designed products which you would be proud to have in your car. Alongside this, being discreet and functional is always a priority.
The classic cylindrical shape can be seen on every model – other than the 490L which features a 3.5″ LCD screen. This allows the camera to be discreetly installed behind the rearview mirror. No distraction is caused to the driver, along with eliminating visible wiring coming from the camera.
Their status LEDs allow the driver to clearly see if the camera is on and recording when it should be.
stealth
The DR750S’ stealth mode is definitely a feature which allows them to stand out from the rest. This combats dash cam owners being concerned that the camera increases their risk of vehicle theft.
It achieves this by allowing you to turn off all LED indicators, even when in parking mode. This means that when paired with the small, discreet design, your system will go completely undetected to those outside of the vehicle.
What’s Not Great?
At Dash Witness, we love BlackVue car cameras. However, there are a few things where they fall short to some of the other brands. Whether or not these are detrimental will depend on your individual needs and preferences.
Time Lapse Mode
Many other vehicle cameras have a time-lapse parking mode. This enables constant recording in 1 frame per second. Which uses less power and memory than traditional motion detection. These allow a longer parking mode.
BlackVue cameras do not have this feature. However, with the reduced parking mode power consumption of the DR750S models and up, it is debatable whether the time lapse mode would be necessary.
Driver Safety Warnings
Another feature which the BlackVue cameras lack compared to other brands is advanced driver safety alerts.
Other premium options such as the Thinkware Q800 PRO feature multiple safety alerts including speed camera warnings, front collision and lane departure alerts, and more.
These can be very useful for many drivers who want improved awareness on the road.
However, these features are optional and are sometimes seen as intrusive due to the audible and visible alerts. Because of this, many drivers will disable them. This means that the lack of these on BlackVue cameras is not an issue for the majority of buyers.
Price
Being a premium car camera brand, BlackVue cameras can cost you a considerable amount.
This is potentially off-putting for us dash cam users. However, BlackVue truly justifies the price of their cameras.
The level of features and camera quality improves as you go through their range. You have full control of getting a basic camera system which gets the job done, or a high spec dash cam rivalling a photographers camera.
What isn’t compromised throughout their range is high quality and reliable systems.
With dash cameras, you get what you pay for. When you are dependant on something for safety and evidence in many situations, you don’t want something that isn’t high quality and reliable.
If you are looking for a discreet and reliable dashboard camera system with premium features, we highly recommend BlackVue.
Click here to view our range of BlackVue Cameras.
If you would like to speak to one of our dash camera experts, please use the contact form below.
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At Dash Witness, we sell an extensive range of dash cameras. This has enabled us to become experts at understanding all varieties of camera, from a single forward facing unit, to an eight camera DVR system (Digital Video Recorder).
The Thinkware F750-2Ch has built in GPS that logs the time, speed and location of the vehicle. It also has built-in WiFi so you can connect your mobile device to the camera, this allows you to view the camera live (useful when aligning the direction of the cameras), or review recorded footage. When using the app over the direct WiFi connection the camera will stop recording.