[mjrennie]

More information on the BMW Eye 2.0 after a week of use.

The app is clunky but OK once you have worked it out. The footage is of a very high HD quality and is best viewed by downloading it to your phone. I then simply used the app in disconnected mode and cast the footage to our smart TV. Sound and vision are excellent.

The front camera has a time and date stamp, the rear does not.

It definitely records parking in mode as when I go out to open the drive gates in the morning, I activate the rear camera just by walking past the car.

It's very good, I recommend it. It is fitted via the roof lining and there are no wires on show.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Does anyone know if BMW Driver Recorder feature became available for X3M MY21's with the big iDrive 7 software update in July? I am tempted to at least try it out for the 1st month for free to avoid the hassle of installing a 3rd party dash cam. It is not the same quality but it looks like a decent alternative for the price and would be a built-in solution...

I got my fully-loaded 2021 X3MC this week and I can confirm that BMW Drive Recorder is not available at least here in Canada with the latest iDrive 7 and all the parking sensors included. Slightly unfortunate, as I was looking to give it a try, but I will now be going with a BlackVue setup instead.

[Teetran]

I have a f800 pro front and rear and wire to Cellink neo
Recommend to go to blackboxmycar.com

[nckcastello]

Originally Posted by andysj

Adding BlackVue 2ch 900s to mine, with a Cellink battery for parking mode.

Question Why cellink battery and not the Blackvue Power Magic Ultra battery?

https://www.amazon.com/Blackvue-Batt...ustomerReviews

[nckcastello]

Originally Posted by jsnkim

if you use dash cam only
yes, blend mount for blackvue is best bet,
my case was that i wanted to install radar detector and dash cam as well

used previous mount one that i had and modify little bit
(just took off some links)
direct screw into mirror cover, it was kind of pain in the xxx
because i had to squeeze my head into there due to cover should be together
see some photos.

below link is one that i used..
https://blendmount.com/aluminum-dash...dr900s-dr750s/

Hope this helps..

it says currently not available on that website. what about these 2???




and




which one is more correct????

[nckcastello]

https://cdn.caspio.com/46346000/J28/...nt-bmw-016.jpg


and



https://cdn.caspio.com/46346000/J28/...nt-bmw-014.jpg

[jsnkim]

https://cdn.caspio.com/46346000/J28/...nt-bmw-016.jpg

this is cover that i have.

https://blendmount.com/aluminum-dash...dr900s-dr750s/

this is the one if you have plan to install only dash cam not radar detector..
hope this help

[andysj]

Originally Posted by nckcastello

Question Why cellink battery and not the Blackvue Power Magic Ultra battery?

https://www.amazon.com/Blackvue-Batt...ustomerReviews

Simply as I got a better deal on the Cellink and the reviews were good. Main thing was to avoid the power magic type switch as it seemed to cause too much of a battery drain.

[Will Pwr]

Originally Posted by jsnkim

https://cdn.caspio.com/46346000/J28/...nt-bmw-016.jpg

this is cover that i have.

https://blendmount.com/aluminum-dash...dr900s-dr750s/

this is the one if you have plan to install only dash cam not radar detector..
hope this help

I have the same set up and couldn't be happier too

[dtox9]

OK........ so i'm new to this, but think I've got a pretty decent understanding of what's out there and what's required with owning a BMW in this area.

I really like the VIOFO A129 Pro Duo....... HALF price practically compared to the BlackVue DR900 2-ch.

In the comparisons and reviews I've seen - it looks like the Viofo has a MUCH better picture... And is at a far better price point...

The BlackVue seems to have a longer track record... and a MUCH smaller footprint... I like the idea of using a blendmount for install, instead of sticking something to my windshield.

Now I'm learning that if I'm going to be using the parking monitoring, I'll need to spend another $300+ on a battery system.......... ooooph.

I know there seem to be a lot of BlackVue users here.......
Has anybody had any experience with the Viofo cameras in their cars?

(and - is the battery pack truly a necessity?)

thanks in advance...

[RitaClark]

Originally Posted by aliwtsn

I looked into this last week to see where or how to tie in the power for a hard wired dash cam but haven't found suitable drawings yet. Don't particularly want to run a cable through the cabin into the boot to the Power distribution board (got drawings for) if there isn't somewhere under the steering column to use for a supply.

This https://www.thedashcamstore.com/basi...-installation/ helps me a lot to install mine.

[RoccoDVNO]

Originally Posted by mjrennie

Had the BMW Eye 2.0 installed during the recall update yesterday. Fitted for £499, it gives front, rear and parking coverage and looks very high quality. I'm still trying to work out how to access it via the Ace app, but it is very challenging. There is no screen, which I think I prefer as it can distract somewhat, especially as I have video in motion.

I can't really make a call on it yet as I have not really figured out what it can do,

How are you finding the BMW Eye 2.0 so far? It is one of the few options in mind because it is not expansive as BlackVue, plus it really flushes with all the BMW wires.
Please, I would appreciate if you could give me more details on how it works when the cars is parked (which is a must for a city like Chicago where hit and runs happen any minute). Thank you

[murrayjw]

I assume there is a power connector next to the rear view mirror or overhead center console that I can use for my dash cam.

1) Anybody done this?
2) Is there an aftermarket plug splitter for "plug & play?"

[Klazu]

I spent a lot of time comparing different dashcam options and eventually went with a Thinkware U1000 4K dashcam with a 2K rear camera and a separate radar module.



Overall, I find Thinkware's software easy to use with plenty of features. I don't use any of the remote features as data plans in Canada are expensive and it would also require buying and installing a separate 4G antenna.



I bought my camera and installation from Black Box My Car, which is based out of Richmond, BC and is located right next to me. I opted to have it installed on the right side of the indoor mirror, so that it is not in my field of view while driving.





I wouldn't bother with trying to install a dashcam when a rear camera is included, as it takes even a professional 3 hours to install everything. The camera cost C$750 in November 2020 and installation was another C$250, so one thousand Canadian bucks in total. Worth every penny!







The main camera being 4K, I am very happy with the picture quality. I prefer running it at 4K/30fps rather than 2K/60fps for more clarity. The rear camera is always 2K/30fps and together the two cameras produce a whopping 300MB of video EVERY MINUTE. This fills a 128GB memory card in around 6 hours.

Having the radar module helps quite a bit, allowing parking recording to be only active when there is movement in front of the car.

With the camera being installed right next to the windshield and having a separate CPL filter, glare is minimal and the camera does well even in tough lighting conditions such as below.

Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and opted for Thinkware over Blackvue due to it having better reviews in 2020. Definitely a great purchase to accompany your expensive car!

[boi222]

How is everyone connecting the power for the cameras? Into the 12v outlet by the cup holder ?

[BMWZ4]

Originally Posted by boi222

How is everyone connecting the power for the cameras? Into the 12v outlet by the cup holder ?

Mine is connected to the fuse box located behind/near the glovebox. The rear camera is connected to the fuse box in the rear (right-hand side of the trunk).

[floating.spirit]

Originally Posted by r33_RGSport

I've been a fan of BlackVue.
I have 3 or 4 sets, lol.

Because u love installing them so much? 🤡

[r33_RGSport]

Originally Posted by floating.spirit

Because u love installing them so much? 🤡

Hahaha, I wish there is an easier solution for the rear camera.

[gfisher99]

Anyone have any idea why blendmount's mirror tap says its not compatible with the Blackvue 900X, but does work on the 900S? Did Blackvue change the plug or something between the two models?

Can't really find any info on that and would like to go with the 900X Plus with BMW specific Blendmount and mirror tap.

[gfisher99]

Anyone know if anyone other than blendmount makes nice mounts for dashcams? Blendmount's specific mount for my setup has been out of stock for about a month now. They told me three weeks ago they expected stock that week but here we are. Wondering if I need to find another solution and wonder if anyone here is using something other than blendmount.

[Mike02z]

Picked up the below. Looks pretty factory. Comes with a plug and play harness that connects to the rain sensor for power. I only installed it yesterday.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096NKTGDX...YNNEPSEFG485JH

[HUGMEE]

Originally Posted by Mike02z

Picked up the below. Looks pretty factory. Comes with a plug and play harness that connects to the rain sensor for power. I only installed it yesterday.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096NKTGDX...YNNEPSEFG485JH

I'm about to buy this. What do you think of it so far?