INTRODUCTION

   If you've been driving a car or a motorcycle for a long time chances are you've seen (or even worse fall prey to) at least one insurance scammer on the road. Even if you haven't however just taking a look at all the available clips in YouTube should make it very clear that this can happen to anyone in the blink of an eye. Car dash cameras have helped many people avoid insurance scammers but even if that's not something you care much about dash cameras have other uses as well. For example they can come handy in case you end up in an accident (or if you witness one), can keep recording even while your car is parked (extra security) and some insurance companies even offer packages with reduced prices if you happen to own one. Pittasoft has been behind some of the most successful car dash cameras to date and today after a long delay (on our part) we'll be testing their BlackVue DR650S-2CH model.

   Pittasoft has set the standard in the car dashcam industry since it was established in 2007. Taking car dashboard camera technology to the next level with its groundbreaking Full-HD 1-channel and 2-channel cameras, Pittasoft has enabled global customers to maximize usability by connecting car dashcams to smart devices via Wi-Fi and BlackVue Cloud services. Anytime, anywhere, BlackVue Over the Cloud provides instant access to playback, remote Live View and video sharing as well as peace of mind with emergency alarm notifications, location tracking and backup of important footage.

   According to Pittasoft the DR6650S-2CH makes use of an 2.1MP Exmor SONY CMOS image sensor for the front camera and a 1MP CMOS sensor for the rear which in turn offer Full HD (1920x1080 @ 30fps) and HD (1280x720 @ 30dps) recording just like its predecessor the DR650GW-2CH (although according to Pittasoft they equipped that model with an 2.4MP Exmor CMOS sensor). The DR650S-2CH also shares the same exact diagonal recording angle of 1129 degrees for both cameras as the DR650GW-2CH so we should be getting the same exact picture quality results. Other built-in features include a 3-axis acceleration sensor (for impact and motion detection), super capacitor (prevents possible recording data corruption if cut off from power), microphone and speaker (allow you to communicate with the person driving via the smartphone app), WiFi (802.11b/g/n), GPS, audio recording proximity sensor and a microSD slot compatible with cards up to 128GB in capacity. Also just like its predecessor (when upgraded to the latest firmware version) the DR650S-2CH features a live feed function via Cloud (up to 10 minutes per day - Pittasoft offers special events with unlimited view / requires registration). So let's move forward with our review to see just what exactly has changed from the DR650GW-2CH to the DR650S-2CH.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The DR650S-2CH arrived inside a white box that has the product line name at the top.

Both the model specifications and features can be found on the left and right side of the box.

Contact information about Pittasoft is printed at the base of the box.

Both cameras are placed inside a formed piece of cardboard which keeps them quite secure during shipping.

Contained in the box are the front and rear cameras (both feature lens covers), coaxial cable (used to connect both cameras), car lighter power cable, quick start guide, product warranty paper, microSD USB card reader, 16GB microSD card (already mounted), 8 cable clips and 2 pieces of adhesive tape.

THE BLACKVUE DR650S-2CH

 Just like its predecessor the front camera features a smooth black paint and shares the same measurements of 118.5mm in length and 36mm in height.

To have a better idea of what we're talking about we placed the main camera of the DR650S-2CH next to the main cameras of the DR650GW-2CH and the DR550GW-2CH.

The Exmor 2.1MP CMOS sensor by SONY is one of the best 1080p models in the market today (proven again and again by Pittasoft and their dash cameras).

On the right side we find the WiFi on/off button, microSD card slot, rear camera coaxial port and the DC in.

A 16GB MicroSD card is pre-mounted onto the camera.

Both the WiFi connectivity logo and the mute audio proximity sensor (on/off) are placed on the left side.

The built-in microphone and speaker are both placed at the rear of the camera along with the record and GPS activity LEDs.

A 2D barcode is placed at the rear of the camera as well (scan it to register your camera).

The rear camera is also identical in size with what we've seen by previous BlackVue models and so it measures 67.4mm in length and 27.6mm in height.

The 1MP CMOS sensor may not offer the best image quality but it still beats not having a rear camera at all.

A white activity LED is placed on the left side (the coaxial port is on the right).

THE POWER MAGIC BATTERY PACK (B-112)

Pittasoft also offers the Magic Battery pack for BlackVue Dash Camera owners which basically stores battery power to keep the camera running (for up to 12 hours) while your car is parked without draining your car battery. Unlike the Power Magic Pro however which gets connected with your car's fuse box (hardwiring) the Power Magic battery pack gets connected with your lighter socket so it can be mounted in the cabin (i placed our sample under the glove compartment).

BLACKVUE SD CARD / CLOUD VIEWER

From this little PC program you can view recorded media from both the front and rear cameras.

It also allows you to position the rear camera on all 4 corners of the screen and of course also shows your current map location and details about the 3-axis acceleration sensor.

The SD Card viewer allows you to watch content recorded in the Cloud but to do so it requires access to your GPS data (from the world map you can see that there are thousands of users using an Over the Cloud dash camera by Pittasoft).

BLACKVUE ANDROID / IOS APP

From the Android/iOS app you can access videos stored in the Cloud, in the Dashcam itself (live feed is also provided) and on your phone. Unfortunately most of the times while searching for the DR650S-2CH it was undiscoverable so to avoid that we suggest going into your WiFi menu and pairing the camera to your phone (default password is blackvue) prior to launching the program.

Takes a bit of time to load but watching recorded clips from the DR650S-2CH is smooth.

Via this app you can also change every single setting available on the DR650S-2CH.

Strangely enough although the mobile data of my smartphone are always on the app doesn’t recognize that (bug which haven’t been fixed in at least the last 3 software updates).

AUDIO & VIDEO QUALITY

As always we didn't use YouTube to place our recordings since we want all of you to see exactly what you will when using the camera (unfortunately that's why the clips are 10-20 seconds long) so to download the above clips (top ones are for the front camera and bottom ones for the rear) you just need to left click with your mouse or right click and use the save as command. Unfortunately by default the camera video quality is set at High and not Highest (via the app) and with that setting you can only achieve a bit rate of roughly 8.5Mbps for the front and 4.5Mbps for the rear camera. In order to achieve the advertised 10/5Mbps you will need to use the Highest settings (unfortunately since we didn’t check the setting prior to recording our clips they were made using High and not Highest so we will update them soon).

CONCLUSION

   When I started NikKTech I promised complete transparency with all of you so with that in mind I feel I must apologize to Pittasoft because this review took so long (over 5 months) that the DR650S-2CH just got replaced with the DR750S-2CH model. If you’ve been following our Facebook page then you know I had some health issues (ear labyrinth followed by a hand injury and then an ear infection all of which made it quite impossible for me to drive) but regardless of the why the fact of the matter is that it did take a long time for me to actually finish this review. With that out of the way just like the DR650GW-2CH the DR650S-2CH delivered the same high image quality (even at high and not highest setting) and features so there’s really not something bad we can say about it. As a matter of fact these two models are nearly identical so if you happen to own the first there’s no reason to even consider getting the DR650S-2CH. The only serious difference has to do with the extra available settings for the rear camera which is not something that I’d call a crucial change (certainly not important enough to warrant moving to that model). As with the DR650GW-2CH however we would like a higher bitrate setting than just 10Mbps for the front camera and 1080p recording for the rear (wireless connectivity between both the front and rear cameras would be nice too but a bit too early i guess). Luckily the new DR750S-2CH model seems to have both so do expect a review of that by February. As for the B-112 battery pack it works exactly as advertised (Pittasoft claims it can last for up to 12 hours but during our tests we surpassed that by roughly 20 minutes) but although you will not need professional installation (unlike with the Power Magic Pro) still you will need to spend quite a bit of time routing the power cables so they don't stand out much.

   Just like its predecessors due to its high video and audio quality, dual cameras and available features the DR650S-2CH Car Dash Camera doesn’t come cheap so it even though it got replaced by the DR750S-2CH it will still set you back USD300 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 368Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). The extra Magic Power Battery Pack (B-112) on the other hand currently costs USD158.98 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 187Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) so with that in mind we expect most people to go for the much cheaper (even including professional installation) Power Magic Pro device. Bottom line once again Pittasoft has released one of the best dash cameras in the market so if you consider it to be within your reach you will not be disappointed which is also why we give it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design/Size
- Image Quality (Sharpness/Color Reproduction)
- Audio Quality
- Dual Camera Solution
- Built-In Wi-Fi/GPS/G-Sensor
- Range Of Motion (Tilt)
- Motion Sensor On/Off Audio Recording
- Software (PC/Android/iOS)
- Cloud Access
- Up To 128GB MicroSD Cards
- Power Magic Pro & Power Magic Battery Pack (Extra)

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Rear Camera IQ
- Not Convertible Friendly
- Almost Identical To the DR650GW-2CH
- Android / iOS App Bugs (WiFi Connection / Mobile Data Detection)