One of the most common questions we get asked is, how long should my dash cam record, and do I need a bigger microSD card?
The number of hours a dash cam records depends on the size of the microSD card, the video resolution and the number of channels used, and how many files you have saved or locked on the SD card.
General estimates of the amount of footage a 32GB microSD card can hold for a front and rear 2-channel dash cam system:
3 hours 13 mins
2 hours 30 mins
3 hours 20 mins
3 hours 55 mins
The FineVu GX33 and FineVu GX300 come with a 32GB Samsung Pro Endurance microSD card. The Thinkware Q800PRO and the Thinkware F200 PRO come with a 32GB Thinkware microSD card.
You may wonder how a dash cam protects you 24 hours a day when it can’t even hold more than 4 hours of footage. Thankfully, most quality dash cams have the ability for infinite recording - a feature called continuous loop recording. It does it by overwriting the oldest footage on your dash cam when the microSD card reaches maximum capacity. Continuous loop recording is a crucial feature. After all, the primary reason for having a dash cam is to ensure you have footage of incidents and accidents.
But there are times when continuous loop recording may not function as expected:
Absolutely! We get it, there will be times when you need to disable loop recording. The default normal driving recording setting of most dash cams is 30FPS, meaning every 1 second of video is made up of 30 images stitched together in sequence. There is a way to tell the dash cam to take only a couple of snapshots every second or two instead of 30 - the function is called Time Lapse Recording.
Time-lapse recording ensures the dash cam continues to capture events happening around your car, but with fewer files and only a fraction of storage space. Like normal driving snapshots, time-lapse images are also strung together to create a video that can be played back at the standard 30FPS. Of course, the more snapshots the dash cam makes, the smoother the video - that is why time-lapse videos always appear to roll faster, and often jumpier, than normal 30FPS videos.
Time-lapse mode is typically integrated with the dash cam’s parking mode function to record time-lapsed videos while your car is parked, especially if you regularly park in a busy parking lot that would constantly trigger your dash cam’s motion detectors. All the dash cams we carry at BlackboxMyCar come with Time Lapse parking mode.
FineVu’s time-lapse parking mode records five frames per second, which is significantly lower than the normal 30FPS - offering an optimized memory capacity and runtime coverage solution. While 5 FPS is among the highest in the industry (BlackVue and IROAD timelapse at 1FPS, Thinkware does theirs at 2FPS), with more snapshots per second, your FineVu time-lapsed video looks significantly less choppy and does a better job in preserving more details.
IROAD X10 Time Lapse Parking Recording at 1FPS
FineVu GX300 Time Lapse Recording
But that’s not the only thing that makes FineVu’s Time-Lapse mode stand out from the competition - it is smarter than the rest because it works in both parking and driving mode.
In normal driving recording mode, you can get 193 minutes of footage on a 32GB microSD card. But in Smart Time Lapse Driving mode, you can extend that coverage to 1,392 minutes (that’s almost 24 hours!) on the same 32GB microSD card.
Smart Time-Lapse automatically reduces the recording frame rate, but that doesn't mean your video resolution is scaled down, too. Your time-lapse footage is recorded at your dash cam’s default resolution. In other words, if you use the 2K QHD FineVu GX300, your time-lapse video will also be recorded in 2K QHD.
Timelapse videos will look best if the lighting is consistent, and it can get tricky if you’re going from day to night or bright to dark (i.e., varying light conditions like underground parking lots or tunnels). Luckily, the higher timelapse frame rate of 5 FPS helps as more images are captured to preserve any details that other dash cams might miss with a lower timelapse frame rate.
FineVu dash cams also come with Sony STARVIS image sensor in both the front and rear cameras, Auto Night Vision and HDR to ensure your footage looks great and details are preserved, regardless of day or night time. Auto Night Vision enables FineVu to auto-tune the camera's brightness in low-light environments, so brightness and clarity are maintained. The HDR feature automatically detects the different luminance and contrasts in the environment and combines two videos with different luminance settings to deliver a balanced video in tough-to-capture environments, like night time in a dark alley or bright daylight upon exiting a tunnel.
Yes, the rear dash cam also records in Smart Time Lapse mode. The FineVu GX33 and GX300 are dual-channel systems, and when in Smart Time Lapse mode, the front and rear dash cam will record simultaneously.
Time-lapses are primarily used for capturing situations that would otherwise take too long, like a 2-hour-long parking footage, or a 4-hour road trip through the mountain pass.
With FineVu’s Smart Time Lapse, you don’t have to worry about losing any details or footage:
A $160 OFF discount at end of article.
Yes, all FineVu dash cams offer Smart Time Lapse, including the GX30, and the FineVu GX300 and GX33, both available at BlackboxMycar.
The FineVu GX300 is a 2K QHD Front and 1080p Full HD Rear dual-channel dash cam system that provides 250° coverage around your vehicle. The GX33 is FineVu’s latest Full HD front and rear dual-channel system geared towards entry-level consumers. The FineVu GX33 comes with all of FineVu’s standard features, like built-in WiFi and Smart Time Lapse, while giving users a taste of FineVu’s latest innovations, like AI Damage Detection 2.0 and Power-Saving Parking Mode.
FineVu’s standard features include:
Driving and parking Event Summary Reports - display various information on one dashboard, including recorded videos, driving time, distance traveled, and average driving speed so you can stay on top of incidents
Advanced Driver Assistance System (or ADAS, like Front Vehicle Departure Alert), Speed Camera Alert (features information from 7 types of traffic cameras, including the sneaky red light cameras), and Driving Rest Guide so you can stay ahead of hazards and stay safe on the road
Built-in Battery Discharge Prevention and High Temperature Protection functions so you can drive and park confidently in cold winters and hot summers alike
Installation Angle Guide so your dash cam captures the most optimized field of view of the road ahead
Format Free 2.0 and built-in Smart SD Lock to maximize the life and stability of your memory card
Built-in Wi-Fi so you can manage your videos and camera settings using the FineVu app and your smartphone if you don't want to use the FineVu PC player
With Smart Time Lapse and these features on board, the FineVu GX300 and GX33 are fantastic all-round performers that won’t disappoint regardless of if you drive more or park more. And to celebrate the addition of the FineVu GX300 to the BlackboxMyCar lineup, we have partnered with FineVu to offer a 44% OFF New Launch Special - that’s US$160 OFF!
So, what are you waiting for? Get your FineVu dashcam today.
