
VIOFO
A229 Pro Series
Great video & easy install, but app and SD card issues.

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>Ideally like a front and rear camera that's quality will not let me down day/night if I need vehicle registrations. Marketing lies. Registrations are hot and miss outside of ideal conditions. >I want this to be a one time purchase, install setup and forget, so long term reliability is paramount. Blackvue DR 970x plus ii is going to be your best option. Thinkware U3000 or Viofo would be second and 3rdm Ideally I'd like it hardwired so it starts with my car (I'd have no clue how to do this, so guides would be essential or direction to installers near to Crawley, UK). Buy the ODB2 kit, and it's plug and play. >I don't want my battery dying on me so how do you avoid this? You set the voltage cut off to 12.4 when it's below freezing and 12.0 when it's above. >Are there wireless rear cameras? Nope.
Thinkware U3000 with ODB2 power kit is likely your best option. Blackvue DR970x plus ii with ODB2 power kit would be a strong alternative. No modifications to the vehicle. High quality. Easy to install and remove without a trace.
Blackvue DR970x plus series 2 is a great option. They shortened up the boot time, and upgraded a few other internals.
Blackvue. Clear crisp video (even at night), was pretty straightforward to hardwire, convenient to download footage, parking mode with built in volt limiter (can use an exterior one too), cloud storage capability and rear cam fits even with my rear curtain closing for my LS. Used mine for over 7 years, have in multiple cars as it's the favorite of all I've used. Worth even if it's just the UHD ones.
They have their pros and cons. Viofo dashcams like A329S tend to come with the latest tech which results in the best image quality. They are also affordable (~$600 for a front & rear dashcam) for what you get but their app is pretty barebones. Blackvue dashcams are pricier but come with optional cellular connectivity (for remote viewing, etc) and box dashcam options where the processor can be hidden out of the sun and only have the camera itself on the windshield. For their latest dashcams like the DR970X Plus II, it’s about 1.5x-2x the price of Viofo’s alternative depending if you want LTE or not. Thinkware dashcams also come with optional cellular connectivity and have the smartest parking mode of the three as they use radar to detect impacts during parking mode but both Viofo and Blackvue units can record constantly during parking mode so its not a massive difference. The Thinkware U3000 Pro is also one of the priciest at $1300 just for the dashcam without an installation. The hardest part of any dashcam install is removing the A-pillar trim to run the cables behind it, and snaking the cable through the headliner for the rear camera. It’s not really dependent on which camera/brand you buy as it’s car-dependent how difficult that would be. Any dashcam can be powered by a hardwire kit to the fusebox or USB power (like from the 12v outlet), that’s not dependent on brand either.
I went with a blackvue 970x lte. Had a nextbase fitted when I brought the car by the dealer, got it removed after I was hit in a car park and the footage started about 8 seconds after impact… just getting the footage off was annoying.
Same. Had mine installed when I did ppf, tints, ceramic. Specific model I'd recommend is the DR970X.
I have a BlackVue 970x mounted in my car with one of the Blendmount mirror mount brackets. I have it hooked up to a couple of fuse taps that works just fine. I'll have to see if I have any pictures of it since my car has been sitting at the dealer for over a month waiting on parts. I think this is the best picture I have, but I just tucked the power wire above the headliner and ran it down the A pillar to the fuse box. https://preview.redd.it/n03o72i570qg1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79ac7c57f3835b420aa1b87405f7ea0bd89d69d7

VIOFO
A229 Pro Series
Great video & easy install, but app and SD card issues.

VIOFO
A229 Plus Series
Solid dual cam, but app & rear wire installation annoyances.

FITCAMX
Integrated / Universal Series
OEM look, but night video and recording are unreliable.

VIOFO
A119 Mini 2
Budget king with Starvis 2, but slow app/Wi-Fi.

ROVE
R2-4K Series
Simple 4K value, but video quality disappoints some.

Ranked #1
VIOFO - A229 Pro Series

Ranked #1
FITCAMX - Integrated / Universal Series

Ranked #1
VIOFO - A229 Plus Series

Ranked #1
VIOFO - A229 Pro Series

Ranked #1
Vantrue - N4 Series