[Barryng]

I am strongly leaning to the Blackvue DR900S dashcams in both my BMW X3 (2 channel) and new Boxster. However, I am having trouble understanding the difference between the Normal and Manual record modes. Based on what I was able to learn from both the written manual and a call to Blackvue's tech support, I cannot discern a significant difference between the two modes.


Tech support explained both modes record 1 minute segments. Normal mode does not continuously record but records for one minute, saves the just recorded one minute file, and then immediately repeats, recording for one minute and then saving the file. In, say an hour, their should be 60 files on the memory card. Manual mode, it was explained, records just a single one minute file when manually triggered. So, why bother with manual mode when Normal mode already has presumably saved the same video? I am thinking there must be something more to Manual mode or the explanation for Normal mode is incorrect.


I could not get a clear explanation at what occurs with respect to the recorded video at exactly one minute when a file is being saved and a new one started. Is there continuity somehow or overlap between end of the previous one minute file and the beginning of the next one minute file or is part of the event recorded on the first file and the remainder on the next file without a method for seeing a continuous video of the event. A few days ago I started making a left turn on a green arrow. A car coming from the right ran the just turned red light at high speed and I am not sure how I did not T-Bone him as he flashed in front of me. I was looking in the direction of my turn to the left after the green arrow appeared so I did not see him coming from the right and it happened so fast my foot never touched the brake. Therefore there was nothing to trigger Event mode but I would like to have had the entire event recorded. If it, by chance, occurred right at the one minute mark, would it be necessary to splice two video files together to see the entire event?


The tech told me there is no method to have the Blackvue continuously record video, it will only record in one minute files. Is this fact?

 

[grasmere]

Manual mode, set by proxy touching the end of the camera body, ‘forces’ a 1 minute recording which starts 5 seconds before the moment you activate it, eg your near t bone incident is exactly why you would manually record.

Also, the Normal clips are overwritten eventually but I don’t think the manual ones are auto overwritten but i could be wrong, hth.

 

[GregW]

Manual mode, set by proxy touching the end of the camera body, ‘forces’ a 1 minute recording which starts 5 seconds before the moment you activate it, eg your near t bone incident is exactly why you would manually record.

Also, the Normal clips are overwritten eventually but I don’t think the manual ones are auto overwritten but i could be wrong, hth.

That's my understanding too.

 

[Nosmo]

Manual mode, set by proxy touching the end of the camera body, ‘forces’ a 1 minute recording which starts 5 seconds before the moment you activate it, eg your near t bone incident is exactly why you would manually record.

Also, the Normal clips are overwritten eventually but I don’t think the manual ones are auto overwritten but i could be wrong, hth.

Also, when normal recording is without sound (my default) the manual recording mode includes a sound clip. I was advised to use manual recording if someone came to the window to "talk"