Dashcams

[Kenneve]

As far as I am aware I don't have any protected files, but like you I am finding gaps in particular journey.
Has anyone contacted Nextbase regarding this issue?

[jonathan]

Lets get back to basics, the only reason why we buy a dashcam is to record the last 20 seconds or so of a impending incident that then turns nasty, am I wrong. 

[jonathan]

.....I have the 312GW - Its nice and compact and good enough for capturing the inevitable you don't want..... Maybe not so good as night as 512 but rarely drive at night so no problem for me.

I had a prestigio before this and feel that Nextbase is far superior brand and quality.

[Jocko]

As far as I am aware I don't have any protected files, but like you I am finding gaps in particular journey.
Has anyone contacted Nextbase regarding this issue?

If you connect the camera to a computer there is a folder called Video and inside it are the video files, plus a folder called Protected. In this folder are the files the camera has determined are important. These files can only be deleted by formatting the Micro SD card.
I only discovered I had files missing last week. I never normally look at the files. They are only there for the last 20 seconds, as Jonathan says. However, last weekend I made my final trip across the old Forth Road Bridge, and I wanted some images for posterity. It was then I discovered missing files (luckily the bridge crossing was there).
I did some research on line, read about the Scandisk cards, fitted a Samsung, and so far I have had no missing files. I'll check another couple of times and see what happens.
______________________________________________________________
Just had a thought. I stuck all the files into one folder before checking them. Maybe the start of the journey was in the protected folder, so saved, and the remainder were unprotected and overwritten once space was used up!
Kenneve: Do you view your files on the camera? The camera shows them all in one folder (as I did) so perhaps the same situation as above has occurred.

[Jocko]

Just checked some videos and did some sums.
NextBase says a 16Gb card will typically hold 2 hours of video. However, I use a 32Gb card and 1080p video, with sound, and a 3 minute clip is 570 Mb. Therefore my 32Gb card will only hold 2 hours 50 minute of video, and if I have an hour of the video protected, then that only leaves 1 hour 50 minutes before it starts to overwrite. I think I have solved my problem. Nextbase says to use a Class 10 card and my Scandisk card in Class 10. Perhaps I have been fed a red herring from my research, and switching off the G sensor has solved the problem!

[Kenneve]

Went out yesterday afternoon, did a couple of hours driving and used 11.1GB of memory on a newly formatted 32Gb Verbatim card. No files missing, so will now see what happens when the card gets full.
All the files are in the DCIM folder on the card and there are no protected files.

[Jocko]

Do you use 1080p and sound? I have since turned the sound off on mine but I am keeping the 1080p as this shows number plates clearly (which may come in handy).

[Kenneve]

Yes, 1080P usually with sound on, I agree the importance of number plate recognition etc.
A clip is usually on average around 350Mb.

[Jocko]

I take it you shoot 2 minute clips. I shoot 3 minute clips.

[Kenneve]

Jocks, I don't know the clip length, I've never altered the time, so it's whatever the default value is.
Will check tomorrow.

[Jocko]

Just going by the fact my clips are half as large again as your's are.

[Kenneve]

Judging by the time stamp on the files, they are 3 min clips and the spec sheet says I should get up to 240 min from a 32Gb card at default settings (which is 1080P)  Currently 17Gb used, will try to monitor it, to see if I can catch it before it starts to overwrite. Not sure why your file size is so large.

[Jocko]

I went to check mine. Unfortunately all I have on file are very early one and they are 340 Mb for 3 minutes. The bigger ones must have been 5 minute clips (I was experimenting with different sizes and settings), but I haven't kept any on file (flushed my recycle bin a couple of days ago), so I couldn't confirm if that was the case or not.

[culzean]

Mounting the 512GW on a 2011 Civic (last of the good looking Civics with the wipers that have pivots on each side and leave a dirty 'V' patch in center of screen behind the mirror, which is not at all in the line of vision) has been problematic as you are only allowed to protrude 40mm into wiped area (and the drivers wiper does such a good job there is nowhere left that is not wiped) and not in the area of screen vertically above limits of steering wheel.  I have mounted adhesive base on the drivers side of mirror, which is cleanest area so that mirror pretty much covers cam and I can swing mirror out of the way if I need to access the screen (which should not be very often) - I can just see the 'manually protect file' button on bottom left of dashcam if I need it.  The smaller blade on passenger side leaves a big unswept area behind that side of mirror so the dashcam would be looking through dirty screen.

Playback quality in Nextbase app is pants (but you do get a map and and other stuff), and I was getting jerky footage of 1440quad 30 FPS  files from Window media player and Real Player so I downloaded VLC media player   (free download) and everything great now.  Will try 1080p at 60 FPS for a while to see the difference.   3 minute clips of 1440 resolution are 500 to 600Mb a file (so a 32Gb card don't last long),   I don't have an HD monitor on PC,  so may have to see how they look on HD TV screen (with a file that big they should show the numberplate and the number of squashed flies on it).

[Jocko]

How are things going with the Dashcam? Have you settled on a suitable resolution?