Thread: Blackvue DR900S-2CH Dual Channel Dash Cam on order

My 1080P dash cam quit operating last week. Today I ordered the new Blackvue DR900S-2CH dual camera dash cam. It is the premium dash cam on the market right now and records at a full 4K resolution at 30 frames per second on the front camera, and 1080P at 30 frames per second on the rear camera. Viewing angle is 162 degrees. It is a feature loaded dash cam with WiFi connectivity, cloud storage capability, parking mode with motion and event sensing recording, and uses both iOS or Android smart phone apps to setup and view content, as well as live view from any location when connected to the Internet via a WiFi hot spot. It records to a micro SD card up to 128GB, and files are viewed via a Wifi connection between a smartphone and the front camera. I should have it a week. It shouldn't take me more than an hour or so to get the two cameras installed with all wires concealed in my Tahoe. The Blackvue DR900S-2CH is a big step up from the dash camera I have used for the past five years. I am excited to get the new dash cam installed and operating. Full 4K video should look fantastic. There are plenty of YouTube videos on the Blackvue DR900S-2CH. Check them out if you're curious.

Thank you so much Dan. I’ve been watching YouTube videos lately and personal dashcams have been invaluable capturing crashes and worse. I’ve been thinking about getting one. I’ll check this one out.

Dan I look forward to hearing how you like the Blackvue camera. I keep looking at them but haven't pulled the trigger.

Originally Posted by nc42acc

Dan I look forward to hearing how you like the Blackvue camera. I keep looking at them but haven't pulled the trigger.

Marty.......From all that I have read and the videos I have viewed, I expect to be quite satisfied with this new Blackvue DR900S-2CH dash cam. My older dash cam that I have used for five years gave me good service and captured several close calls over the years with deer. I only had the one camera on the windshield. The Blackvue DR900S-2CH ahs both a front facing and rear facing camera. I like the idea of recording both views. Once I have the Blackvue cameras installed and learn how to use the Blackvue app I will post my impressions.

A short unboxing and review of the Blackvue DR900S-2CH dash cam. There is some excellent 4K dash cam footage showing the amazing clarity of this high resolution camera.

This video compares the Blackvue DR900S-2CH to the previous Blackvue DR750S-2CH dash cam. It clearly demonstartes the superiority of full 4k recording over 1080P.

Blackvue Direct WiFi Connection Tutorial.


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A friend who owns the Blackvue DR900S-2CH contacted me yesterday to let me know he has been having issues with his new Blackvue dash cam. It is overheating and shutting down when in parking mode. I went online and found several different forums where quite a few guys are reporting the same issue of shutting down from overheating when in parking mode. Some are reporting their dash cams shutting down during normal operation, and several others said their DR900S quit working all together after multiple overheating shut downs. It is obviously a design issue that Blackvue needs to fix. This dash cam is too expensive to not be delivering flawless performance. Because I found so many people experiencing this issue I canceled my order this morning. I am going to wait and watch the forums to see if Blackvue steps up and makes a design change that solves this problem. I certainly don't need a high-end dash cam that doesn't live up to its advertised claims.

Dan thank you for the heads up.

Dan, thanks. I've been looking for another dashcam and in the heat of Florida or in any state if the dashcam cannot handle heat then its time for a redo in design. I've been using a Owl with good results, but thinking of getting a cam for the wifes car, maybe a Rove R2-4k. The wife had a PRovision DVR-813 front facing camera but had to give it back when she retired.

Originally Posted by CPP

Dan, thanks. I've been looking for another dashcam and in the heat of Florida or in any state if the dashcam cannot handle heat then its time for a redo in design. I've been using a Owl with good results, but thinking of getting a cam for the wifes car, maybe a Rove R2-4k. The wife had a PRovision DVR-813 front facing camera but had to give it back when she retired.

Chris.......Looks like the Owl Car Cam is an ingenious dash cam. The Rove R2-4K is also a good dash cam with quite a few premium features for a very reasonable price. For me, though, I prefer a solid mount to the windshield rather than the suction cup style mount with the camera hanging below. From videos I watched of the R2-4K, the camera vibrates on that mount which impacts the clarity of the video. When the vehicle isn't moving the resolution is very clear but when the vehicle is in motion there is a blur to the focus from the camera not being completely stable on its mount. I don't know if there are other mounting options for the R2-4K.

On another note, I have continued researching Blackvue dash cams. Their DR750S-2CH model that records 1080P front and rear doesn't seem to suffer the overheating and shut off issues of the DR900S-2CH. It seems the 4K video recording puts a serious demand on the processor, 4 times that of a 1080P video recording. Under normal operation when a vehicle is in motion the camera is not baking in a hot interior, so the processor maintains a temperature that is below the high temperature cut off point, but when the DR900S-2CH is in Parking Mode in a hot vehicle interior the combination of the interior heat and the processor heat causes the high temperature set point to be reached and the camera turns off to cool down. With the DR750S-2CH camera the processor is not running as hot while performing its calculations so there is a greater margin between its operating temperature when in Parking Mode in a hot vehicle. It appears the DR750S-2CH is considerably more immune to high temperature shut down than the DR900S-2CH camera.

Something else I have discovered is the difference in night vision between the Blackvue DR900S-2CH and the DR750S-2CH cameras. Both cameras feature the newest Sony Stravis image sensor for ultra sharp video but the smaller more densely packed pixels on the 4K image sensor captures considerably less light per pixel at night. Consequently the DR750S-2CH camera captures much better night time video than does the DR900S-2CH. Both camera models use the same 1080P rear facing cameras, and in both cases at night the rear facing cameras capture better video than the 4K camera under the same lighting conditions. Under daylight conditions the DR900S-2CH captures exceedingly sharp video, but night video is better with the DR750S-2CH recording in 1080P with larger pixels that capture more light. The DR750S-2CH video at 1080P is no slouch. Its video is very good, although not as sharp as 4K during daylight, but its night vision is superior to the 4K model.

This information now has me considering the DR750S-2CH as the better fit for my purposes. Blackvue has developed new firmware that now allows both the DR900S-2CH and the DR750S-2CH to record in time lapse mode, taking one picture per second and stitching them together in one minute video files while in Parking Mode. This lowers the demand on the processor which in turn lowers the processor's operating temperature, thus helping to reduce high temperature shut down during Parking Mode operation.

In addition, attention needs to be paid to the type of Micro SD cards used in the top two Blackvue dash cams. The ultra fast Micro SD cards process data faster than the camera's processor, so continuous rapid data packet requests between the Micro SD card and the processor are taxing the processor which exacerbates the heat issue. It is suggested that Micro SD cards that run between 20MB/s -45MB/s are perfect for the Blackvue dash cams and perform the best over the ultra fast Micro SD cards like SanDisk Extreme Plus and Samsung Pro. It is also important for Micro SD card long term write functions to consider the type of memory used (MLC, SLC, TLC) which will limit the number of write cycles before an SD card begins to malfuction and fail. Micro SD cards are considered consumables with a finite end point. MLC (Multi-Level Cell) delivers 2500 rewrites of the SD card versus a typical 500 rewrites on a TLC type Micro SD card. MLC is the most expensive and best for longevity and dependability. It is also wise to format the SD card once a month.

The more research I do on dash cams, their lenses, processors, operating systems, resolutions, night performance, and reliability, the more I have come to realize there is considerably more to dash cams than meets the casual eye. The newest 2-channel dash cams from companies like Blackvue, Thinkware, DOD, and others offer leading edge technology and are loaded with user features that enhance use, but these features come at higher price points. There are quite a few other less expensive dash cams that offer quality recording, albeit with less features, at more reasonable prices. Researching dash cams, their assets and issues has given me much to consider.

I tell ya Dan its a jungle out there on dash cams. A lot have difficulty recording a simple tag, have issues at night, which is my criteria. My Owl works ok at night by tags, nope. I've even considered a GoPro as its very detailed. FYI the Rove also has a sticky mount thats rock solid.

Chris.......Thanks for the info on the Rove sticky mount.

The SEMA Show 2018 begins October 30 through November 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. As usual there will be a plethora of automotive accessory dealers showing their newest products, including many of the premium dash cam producers in the Mobile Electronics and Technology section of the show. I hope Blackvue will show an upgraded DR900S-2CH that addresses the overheating issue and the poor night vision issue of their front facing 4K dash cam, perhaps even a brand new model. We shall see. With just these few design improvements I would certainly purchase the Blackvue DR900S-2CH. Right now I am leaning toward the Blackvue DR750S-2CH, but will probably remain in a holding pattern until after the SEMA Show.

nicoff.......Video evidence is worth its weight in gold when it is needed. Otherwise it is just stored data. In today's world a dash cam is cheap insurance when you need proof of what actually took place. There are plenty of insurance scammers out there, as well as road rage idiots. Video evidence is invaluable under certain circumstances. Once a good quality camera is installed you don't even think about it but it sees everything.

Late one afternoon three years ago my old dash cam (Mini 0801 Dash Cam) caught a deer running from the trees. It was the vehicle on the other side of the road that startled the deer and made it turn around, otherwise that deer would have ended up in front of my vehicle. Look close on the right just at the end of the guard rail. You'll see the deer come out on the shoulder, then turn around. I needed a polarizing filter on the camera to block the sun's glare, but you can still see the incident. Click the YouTube logo then watch the video in full screen. It is easier to see what is happening.

Well, after all the research and discussion about the Blackvue DR900S-2CH I decided to go ahead and give this dash cam a try. Despite the heat and shut down issues some owners have experienced I think the manner in which I will be using the DR900S-2CH should not present performance issues for me. A new firmware update for the functionality of Parking Mode that allows time lapse recording has lowered the demand on the processor when the vehicle is parked and the interior temperature is elevated. 90% of the time I will not use Parking Mode anyway because my vehicle stays parked in my garage. Being retired means my vehicle is not sitting in some parking lot all day in the hot sun with an overheated interior baking my dash cam electronics. I might use Parking Mode with push notification when I go grocery shopping, or to Lowes, but for the most part I am not away from my vehicle for any extended period of time while away from home. I have also learned the night time low light performance of the front facing 4K camera is adjustable for brightness, so my concern about that has been subdued. Those were the two concerns that caused me to rethink my purchase of the Blackvue DR900S-2CH dash cam. I reordered one this afternoon and should have it by Saturday. This 4K dash cam and rear facing 1080P camera will be a big step up in performance from my mini 0801 dash came that recently quit working. I have a spare mini 0801 dash cam that I bought last year as a backup, but I decided it was time to take advantage of the newer features available with the top of the line 2-channel Blackvue DR900S-2CH dash cam. I am looking forward to putting this new dash cam system to work. I will post my impressions once it is installed and I have some time using it and learning the WiFi and Cloud connectivity features.

Originally Posted by jdandy

Well, after all the research and discussion about the Blackvue DR900S-2CH I decided to go ahead and give this dash cam a try. Despite the heat and shut down issues some owners have experienced I think the manner in which I will be using the DR900S-2CH should not present performance issues for me. A new firmware update for the functionality of Parking Mode that allows time lapse recording has lowered the demand on the processor when the vehicle is parked and the interior temperature is elevated. 90% of the time I will not use Parking Mode anyway because my vehicle stays parked in my garage. Being retired means my vehicle is not sitting in some parking lot all day in the hot sun with an overheated interior baking my dash cam electronics. I might use Parking Mode with push notification when I go grocery shopping, or to Lowes, but for the most part I am not away from my vehicle for any extended period of time while away from home. I have also learned the night time low light performance of the front facing 4K camera is adjustable for brightness, so my concern about that has been subdued. Those were the two concerns that caused me to rethink my purchase of the Blackvue DR900S-2CH dash cam. I reordered one this afternoon and should have it by Saturday. This 4K dash cam and rear facing 1080P camera will be a big step up in performance from my mini 0801 dash came that recently quit working. I have a spare mini 0801 dash cam that I bought last year as a backup, but I decided it was time to take advantage of the newer features available with the top of the line 2-channel Blackvue DR900S-2CH dash cam. I am looking forward to putting this new dash cam system to work. I will post my impressions once it is installed and I have some time using it and learning the WiFi and Cloud connectivity features.

Well Dan, I'll be waiting on your report. Also on the capability for the camera to record a tag.

Originally Posted by CPP

Well Dan, I'll be waiting on your report. Also on the capability for the camera to record a tag.

Chris.......Just got my tracking number. The Blackvue DR900S-2CH dash cam should be delivered Thursday by the end of the day.