[Samfromindia]

One of the most important and essential accessory for the car is Dashcam. Most people fail to realize this and buy accessories which add little or no value to their car apart from looks. Here is why one should seriously consider using Dashcams:

+ They come pretty cheap, as little as 3k for a usable one.
+ They are very easy to set up without the need of professional help in most cases.
+ They are very easy to use. Set it and forget it.
+ They store crucial evidence in case of accidents and other mishaps. The footage may be very useful for settling insurance claims or legal issues.
+ They can be used for recreational purposes like recording videos during road trips.
+ Some models which offer parking mode act as an always on surveillance device.
+ Some gimmicky features include lane departure & collision warning. But these modes are better left disabled in Indian conditions.

Many people who owns an action camera may argue the requirement of a stand alone dashcam as they can use the action cam as dashcam with a car mount. While this is okay if you dont want to buy a separate device and better than having nothing at all, here are some reasons why you shouldn't do that:

+ Price by price, dashcam offers much superior video quality. Some amount of money in action cam production cost goes to battery, waterproof case and other accessories while dashcam doesn't need any.
+ Night time recording is generally much better. Compare video samples of two affordable dashcam & action cam : YI Dashcam and SJ4000 to get a hint. This is crucial for recording number plate and other evidances during night driving.
+ Some dashcams are designed to be discrete and not attract unwanted attention.
+ All car related accessories like mount, 12V charge adapter are included as default, something which needs to be purchased additionally for some action cams.

While most dashcams are single channel (Front Recording Only), dual channel dashcams (Front & Rear Recording) are also getting popular these days. One can refer to a very useful website on dashcam reviews called Car Cam Central. Here are some videos one must watch before buying a new dashcam:

Top 5 Budget Dash Cameras - 2017 Edition

https://youtu.be/vYYQnZcQxwI

Top 3 Premium Dash Cameras for 2017

https://youtu.be/zn6Sd2PXtmQ

Top 3 Budget Front & Back Dash Cameras (Dual Channel Cams)

https://youtu.be/LSlDXrXxY0o

Most dashcams rely solely on external memory card for storing their recording. Unlike mobile, memory card in dashcam are always being written. Thats why more expensive MLC memory cards are preferred over cheaper and more commonly used TLC one for better reliability. However in India, most MLC cards are too expensive and hard to find online. The following video explains everything:

Dash Cam 101 - Guide to SD Cards & Our Recommendations

https://youtu.be/3QAF2flNsVc

Coming to the review. YI Dashcam is a top pick among most of the reviewers online. Main reasons for its popularity are:

+Its very honestly priced.
+ Excellent video quality especially at night in its price range.
+Its readily available.
+It has easy to install standard design which will appeal to the masses.
+It has full feature wifi connectivity, something which more expensive cams like Viofo A119 series lacks
+Mobile application lets you change camera settings, preview videos before downloading and download particular sections of video to save time and file size on mobile devices.

https://youtu.be/SRycas4M4DY

Few things i wished was there:

- No add on GPS module like Viofo A119 series which lets you record speed in video.
- No dedicated mute button present in some dashcams like A119 series. To mute unmute you need to dig through menus either in dashcam or through application. This takes time and certainly not possible during driving.
- Cheaper Li-Ion battery which is not recommended for hot climates. However i never ran into any issues in hot Indian conditions.
- Field of view is too wide. A little narrower field of view would have helped with legibility.

Buying Process

The best way to buy dashcams like YI from India is through Aliexpress. Yes its a long wait and hassle going through customs and all, but other resellers charge as much as twice more ! Aliexpress has official YI store and i recommend buying from there only although unauthorized sellers may quote a cheaper rate. Plus they offer a whole host of accessories for the device. Here is a link to their shopping page. I got this for $54 in October 2017.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/YI-D...f4584c4dfpYKFU

Courier sent via Singapore Post


Which was later handed over to Indian Post


Package marked as $22 gift. No customs payment for this order.


Box Front


Box Back


High Endurance memory card carried by friend from US along with other gifts !


Installation

From inside


Cables neatly tucked


Look from outside


Still captured using YI companion app, connected to Dashcam via Wifi !


Videos

Sample: Day taken in 3rd best setting (1080 30FPS)

https://youtu.be/ldOUNrbSWgc

Sample: Night

https://youtu.be/Y76hFXQ0RTs

Compare this with Viofo A119S of friend which costs twice as much

https://youtu.be/p8D8ldHh7DI

Capture: Bike Accident

https://youtu.be/58u10Su3Dqs

Capture: Police Harassment

https://youtu.be/b_2oC_vShZk

Capture: Suicidal Animals

https://youtu.be/3O1j1ziWkwU

Capture: Driving uphill in Sikkim Trip

https://youtu.be/MiWK-Vl4hwU

This concludes my review of ever so popular YI Dashcam. YI have launched a newer ultra model which costs twice as much:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/pro...53b818e1TY7Ggv

So far i am very happy with the product and will definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a cheap dashcam !

[Yieldway17]

Nice review! I'm seeing many Yi tagged videos in dashcam video forums I frequent. They are quite popular.

Looking at the size of it, will you recommend it as a standalone rear camera for a hatchback? Also does it have a capacitor model? I have a A119C in the front currently and can swap it to the back if required.

[blackasta]

Awesome review - dashcams now a days have become a must-have accessory.
Only thing is that silver color kind of stands out from a front on view and may be noticeable. Black ones simply merge with the surroundings (IRVM etc) and is really hard to notice if one isn't specifically looking out for the same.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Samfromindia

YI Dashcam is a top pick among most of the reviewers online. Main reasons...

Thanks for sharing this. I too wanted to post a review, but I guess I just kept on procrastinating. Will post a short review on this thread which could help others.

I more or less agree with all the pros and cons that you shared except one - I got the back one. Buying experience was same, but I was charged Rs. 6xx odd bucks per camera as customs duty (I ordered 2).

This is how the black looks:


Can you spot the camera?


Mounted it behind the IRVM towards the left side. The screen stays out of view of driver to prevent distraction:


How it looks from the back seat:


Ample space between the Yi Dashcam and mirror to make adjustments:


Routed the charging wire via the headliner...


... and the A pillar:


And pulled out from this trim to take it from...


...below the driver side dash area:


The centre console has a nice spot to tuck the cable in (so that it doesn't foul with the driver's feet) before sending it to the the charging point:


While Yi provided a dual USB charger, I'm sticking to the Portronics one that I have:


Over all happy with how it has turned out. Also attaching some sample videos below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERB5e4pR-m0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd75mjm4g-8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdniUuCp_K4&t=1s

[psmenon]

Great review, I am using the same dashcams and they are the best thing I have ever bought for my car till date.

I bought 2 cams from aliexpress for $71.98, which I believe is a great price for great cams.

[drsnt]

I have been using various dash cams since last 4 yrs and starting from cheaper versions from Aliexpress and now using Yi one.
One of the most important use of dash cam which I have felt is the evidence of mob frenzy. Last year one of my friend was badly beaten up in a road rage incident and police failed to find culprits.
My suggestion if you feel there is no escape try to go in Dashcam view to at least have evidence to assault.

[jpcoolguy]

YI Dash Camera is one of the most VFM dashcams out there for the price range in is being offered. I got one during last the March sale in Aliexpress and got delivered in April. I paid $38 (approx. INR 2578) and INR 1292 as customs duty to the postman who delivered.

I have posted a mini review of the YI Dashcam app on how to use the different settings earlier in the Dashcam / DVR thread here (The Dashcam / Car Video Recorder (DVR) Thread).

The app makes it very easier to use and download the specific portions of the video which does not occupy more space in my mobile phone.

[gkveda]

Slightly offtopic:
My dashcam produces video files of size 2 mins per file. Which software do people use to merge multiple such files + how do people do fast forwards ?

I tried Video Editor from Playstore on my Samsung. It works fine with other mp4 videos but does not merge 2 dashcam files.

So, curious to know which is the best app that does this file editing ? Please help

[TwistedFaith]

Originally Posted by gkveda

Slightly offtopic:
My dashcam produces video files of size 2 mins per file. Which software do people use to merge multiple such files + how do people do fast forwards ?

I tried Video Editor from Playstore on my Samsung. It works fine with other mp4 videos but does not merge 2 dashcam files.

So, curious to know which is the best app that does this file editing ? Please help

Viewing multiple files can be a pain, you have two options - you can either stitch them together using a software like Adobe Premiere (OpenShot on Linux is what I use) but that is out of scope for most people just wanting to view videos. The other (and relatively less painful option) is to use a player that is smart enough to buffer files in a sequence and play them without a break. There is a dedicated software for this purpose called Dashcamviewer. https://dashcamviewer.com/ As an added bonus this shows your GPS data etc in addition to just the video - so you can see your orientation, speed and location on a map while you watch the video. You would lose the GPS data if you were to stitch the files together using a video editer I might add.

Another point is w.r.t the duration of the videos - most dashcams have the ability to configure how large you want your video files to be. 2 mins is probably the default for your cam. Viofo A119S which I use has a default of 3, but you can set it to anything in a range of 2 mins to 5 mins. Note: smaller is better. The smaller the file the more frequently it is being flushed completely to the card and the less likely you are to lose data - not that you should lose any if your cam is capacitor based, but a good practice to keep the files small anyway.


Cheers!

[R2D2]

Thanks for a great review @Samfromindia

I was looking at getting 2 reasonably priced dashcams for my cars. I guess this one ticks nearly all or all the boxes. I'd have preferred a model with a parking mode/surveillance but that may be way more expensive and may affect my low running cars' batteries.

[anjan_73]

Great review. I do not see Rexing listed here any reason why?

Also can anyone help me with Rexing service station in Bangalore?

[Yusha]

I am also planning to get a dash cam installed in my car. Is it possible to connect the charging cable / power cable via fuse box so that I don't have to dedicate a charging point for the dash cam? This way the dash cam will power on when the ignition is on ACC mode. I have a Baleno.

I see a lot of reflections in the captured videos. Is a polarising filter available for this dash cam?

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by Yusha

I am also planning to get a dash cam installed in my car. Is it possible to connect the charging cable / power cable via fuse box so that I don't have to dedicate a charging point for the dash cam? This way the dash cam will power on when the ignition is on ACC mode. I have a Baleno.

We have a dedicated thread for guidance & discussion on the same - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...r-dashcam.html (DIY: Hardwiring your Dashcam)

[Samba]

Excellent review Sam. Thanks for such an extensive review. Rated 5*

I was contemplating to buy a dash cam over the last few months, but till now i have not made the purchase.

I was comparing Xiaomi, Viofo, Transcend & the Sj4000/5000. From your review it looks like YI is the way to go. Comparing all parameters, it seems to be the most value for money option.

[Altocumulus]

Great review Sam. I too have the same one though it cost me quite a lot. Around 6.5k because I needed it immediately for my drive from Kolkata to Bangalore and didnt have time for Aliexpress, so got from ebay india. It is a great cam no doubt and very crisp videos. I was about to buy a 70mai for the Ignis, however decided to buy a 3M data cable and routed it in the new car. Since I have the Chinese version it has a suction cup & dual usb charger so I can swap between cars. So now both cars have the wires routed and ready for the camera.

Originally Posted by Samba

Excellent review Sam. Thanks for such an extensive review. Rated 5*

I was contemplating to buy a dash cam over the last few months, but till now i have not made the purchase.

I was comparing Xiaomi, Viofo, Transcend & the Sj4000/5000. From your review it looks like YI is the way to go. Comparing all parameters, it seems to be the most value for money option.

You can also try the MI 70mai. That's cheaper and equally good, something everyone is going for now. Myth bought one, you can check with him.