South Korean Dashboard Camera Manufacturer To Unveil Upcoming 4K Cloud Models, Including Box, Featuring Sony STARVIS 2 Sensors, New Lenses And HEVC Compression

SEONGNAM — October 30, 2023 — BlackVue Dash Cameras is thrilled to give visitors of the 2023 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show a first look at its upcoming 4K Cloud-compatible dash cam lineup. The soon-to-be-released models will be on display at BlackVue’s booth #11139 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, from October 31 to November 3. 

BlackVue will unveil three new dash cam series. First comes the DR970X Plus Series, available in single and dual-channel versions. Next, the dual-channel DR970X-2CH LTE Plus combines 4K recording and built-in LTE connectivity. Both DR970X Plus and DR970X LTE Plus will introduce a new design for their front camera. Finally, the brand new DR970X Box Plus features two cameras and a separate recording “box” module designed to be installed in a secure location, such as a glove compartment. The DR970X Plus and DR970X Box Series will each offer a version with an interior-facing infrared camera in lieu of the rear camera. The new dash cams incorporate a slew of technical upgrades, with a strong emphasis on image quality improvements. 

With the 4K Plus Series lineup, we wanted to go beyond users’ expectations for video recording quality in a dash cam

Enoch Lim, Director of the Planning Department

All of the upcoming Plus Series models feature a brand new 4K Sony STARVIS 2 sensor in the front camera. The Sony STARVIS™ CMOS sensors are known in the industry for their superior ability to preserve details in low-light and high-contrast environments. Combined with BlackVue’s expertise in image signal processing (ISP) tuning, the new dash cams deliver spectacular images day and night, including in high-contrast scenes, like when license plates are lit up by headlights. The wide dynamic range of the sensor works wonders in dark environments but is also beneficial in daylight as it compensates for strong shadows cast on a subject under bright sunlight, which commonly occurs when the camera is facing towards the sun. 

Along with the image sensor, the main camera has also been upgraded with a 7-element lens sporting an f/1.7 aperture and 146-degree diagonal angle of view. The high aperture allows the sensor to gather more light and produce brighter images without the need to increase the ISO. This also benefits clarity in fast-moving objects, as the new Plus Series 4K cameras have over three times faster shutter speeds on average over their predecessors, which enhances their ability to “freeze” the action. 

Finally, the 4K Plus cameras will all support High Efficiency Video Coding, also known as HEVC or H.265, coupled with a bitrate of 60 megabits per second for the front camera alone, to preserve details in the most demanding scenes. AVC/H.264 will also be supported, to ensure maximum playback compatibility. 

While the increased bitrate will mean larger file size, the new dash cams incorporate technologies to provide a buffer-free and bandwidth-saving browsing experience. First, all models will sport a 5GHz Wi-Fi module for fast local transfer via the BlackVue app. Additionally, like with all Cloud-compatible BlackVue dash cams, BlackVue’s Sub-Stream technology embeds Quick Play–under 5MB–versions of the videos in the original files. In other words, when browsing the recorded files over Wi-Fi or the Cloud, users will be able to choose between playing the Quick Play files for instant playback or the Original full resolution video for maximum quality. 

“With the 4K Plus Series lineup, we wanted to go beyond users’ expectations for video recording quality in a dash cam”, said Enoch Lim, Director of Planning Department at Pittasoft. “While 4K is becoming more common in the industry, there is a lot more that goes into video quality than resolution alone. BlackVue’s strength lies in its ability to combine hardware and software into products that are more than the sum of their parts. The new 4K Plus Series illustrate that strength, as any of the models deliver the best of visual fidelity and cloud connectivity.”

The BlackVue 4K Plus Series dash cams are due for release in early 2024.

For more information, visit https://blackvuecloud.com/

ABOUT PITTASOFT / BLACKVUE™:

Established in 2007, Pittasoft has made BlackVue the standard for simple, reliable, connected and elegant dash​cam design. It pioneered Wi-Fi connectivity for easy setup and management of videos through a mobile phone. It also became popular for its advanced Parking Mode monitoring function.

Since 2015, BlackVue has set itself further apart with the launch of BlackVue Cloud, a service enabling remote Live View of in-car footage from anywhere, anytime with the BlackVue app. This unique feature provides both business fleet managers and individual users with new ways to easily monitor their vehicles in real time, from the palm of their hand.