Hey Guys,
I have been debating on getting a dashcam for my car for over a month now. I just jumped on the purchase last week and got myself a Blackvue DR380G-HD. I have heard great things about this camera and here is my personal
unbiased review of the unit after having it for less than a week. Btw, I'm not affiliated with Blackvue, BBMC, etc. in any way.
First of all:
The Unit – The cam feels very good in your hand. Although it is light, the materials used will remind you that you have a premium product for a premium car in your hand. The glossy piano black finish on the 380-HD looks sharp and blends perfectly on our windshields (we have a dark tint on top). The ambient LED light which signifies that the unit is running as a nice touch to the camera.
Customization – This unit can be completely customized to your needs. For example, you can set the brightness of your cam, toggle the lights on and off and even set the voice read-outs on or off. The viewing angle can be easily adjusted as there is a mechanism which clips the cam on the spot for whichever position it is in. The cam can be rotated 360 degrees.
Features -
Parking Mode - This unit is only one of the few dashcams that comes with this feature. This parking feature only works if you have the cam hardwired to your battery with a power kit (discussed later). As soon as it detects motion, it will automatically turn on and record the surroundings.
G-sensor - Will activate the camera when your car is hit
GPS - To track your car’s location.
Voice-Read Outs - Another feature that is distinct to the Blackvues. A voice tells you when the unit is on, in parking mode, turning off, and even when the memory card is running of space. This is convenient so you don’t always have to check the unit to see if it is running/on or not.
Video Quality – Needless to say hands down the best in the world so far, the 400G-HD is even better with full HD.
(In Parking Mode)
Power Kit – This is bought separately from the camera and basically this allows your cam to be used in parking mode. The power kit essentially contiounsly draws power from your battery so it can power the unit in parking mode as well. The power kit also cuts off the battery supply at your own designated voltage or at a certain set time so that you won’t be stuck with a dead battery the next time you start your car. I think this is a must buy if you are getting a blackvue
Concealment - As you can see from this picture, no wires can be seen and due to our tint on the top of the windows, the camera blends perfectly.
(As you can see only the light, if you turn off the light, the cam is practically invisible)
(No wires can be seen at all. Everything is wired from the roof of the car into the trunk where the battery is)
Pricing – I got mine from
www.blackboxmycar.com The 380G-HD goes for $195 plus the power kit which is another $60. The more expensive full HD 400G-HD II starts at $310 and another $45 for power kit. The makers of the Blackvues, Pittisoft, is raising the price very soon on all their units so it would be a great time to buy it and take advantage of the low price while you can! Contact Alex for more information on purchases on the website and don’t forget to tell him I sent you!
BBMC is one of the few authorized distributers of blackvues and finevues in North America. All the other group buys you see around are not legit until approved by the head office in Korea. Therefore, any group buys that have not been approved are not legitimate and if they somehow do have the units, the warranty does not hold. Buying from BBMC ensures authenticity, quality, and honours the original factory warranty from Pittisoft.
I would not hesitate to recommend anyone who care about their cars and want to hold drivers and pedestrians accountable for their actions. Video proof is undeniable when filing insurance claims. I live in a city filled with crazy drivers and this is probably the best investment I have made for my car so far.