Yet another S1 Pro review thread

[Agie]

Not a silly question. The only version I've been able to get to work is Version 2.0.8 (available here: https://www.vantrue.net/app/app.html). I'm still playing with 3.6.6 when I have time.

@GeekOnTheHill discovered that 2.0.8 won't work until until the 'GPS' folder on the card has the 'hidden' attribute removed. Interestingly after getting the program to work you can then put the hidden attribute back on and the program will continue to work. Given that my background is in software development I find that 'interesting' to the extreme.

In my testing I've gone so far as to rename the GPS folder, as well as delete it completely, and the program continues to function. This leads me to believe the GPS folder data is superfluous since without it the program still tracks vehicle movement thus suggesting the GPS information is also embedded in the video files.

Even after the viewer program is functioning it has shortcomings:

1 - It will only show the GPS track for the current files being shown versus all the files in the queue. In other words there's no way (at least that I've found) to show an entire trip routing.

2 - When playing the 'A' (front) video the 'B' (rear) video will be shown in PIP format. This is good - however when finished playing that file it will then start playing the 'B' (rear) file with the 'A' (front) in PIP format.

I'm still playing around with both programs but I'm not impressed at all.

Just mucked around with the program today and while visually ok, it's a turd to handle with as you explained. They should just make things easier for the end user, make a manual for it and move it to the Microsoft Store so that users can download it more easily.

The Vantrue website is nicely laid out but there's a mish mash of old listings, it should really be tidied up ..

 

[DT MI]

https://exiftool.org/forum/index.php?topic=8833.0 has a rather depressing discussion of this topic - it seems each maker chooses to record this data a bit differently. If I had to guess (which I do), I'd say that the S1 Pro does this differently from earlier Vantrue cams.

Extending this topic a bit here's a post from Traveler on the subject - https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/dashcam-viewer-for-mac-and-windows.4357/page-48#post-580649

 

[Agie]

Extending this topic a bit here's a post from Traveler on the subject - https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/dashcam-viewer-for-mac-and-windows.4357/page-48#post-580649

Jeepers, you'd think someone would come up with an industrial standard for everyone to use, but I'm guessing the uptake and sales of dash cameras worldwide isn't enough, to make this a reality :/

 

[jonat]

Obligatory xkcd:

 

[Agie]

Obligatory xkcd:

That would be right!

 

[DT MI]

Obligatory xkcd:

Unfortunately that's as much, or more, reality than it is humor. Do some research on USB-C 'standards' for another example.

 

[Agie]

Unfortunately that's as much, or more, reality than it is humor. Do some research on USB-C 'standards' for another example.

I've known about USB-C standards for years, and the USB-IF had problems getting their stuff together for the standards too. Confusing so I gave up tracking the general progress of them haha. Mad props to the developer of Dashcam Viewer for pushing on and supporting all the models he can,.in all this madness...

 

[DT MI]

I have a third-party "Dashcam Viewer" that worked great with my Garmin Dashcam 50, but it too doesn't see the GPS data in the S1 Pro files.

Guess what - DCV does recognize the S1-Pro GPS data.



I just discovered this today as I was playing around. I know with some earlier testing it did not but it may have been I might have had GPS turned off in the camera settings.

I did notice vehicle tracking on the map is about 1.5 to 2 minutes out of sync with the video, and at times seems to stall and not show vehicle movement at all. Need to play around and get a better feel for what's going on - or maybe just send it to John along with my observations and let him have at it.

 

[jonat]

Interesting - it doesn't for me. The map view shows random places and the coordinates display shows 0/0.

 

[DT MI]

Interesting - it doesn't for me. The map view shows random places and the coordinates display shows 0/0.

View attachment 67752

Windows or Apple?

 

[jonat]

Windows. I realized the map is trying to show me the middle of the ocean at 0,0, though it starts out showing Apple Park in Cupertino, CA.

 

[rcg530]

I just tested Dashcam Viewer v3.9.3 with a set of S1 Pro files from last Friday. It would play the front and rear videos, but no speed or location data was displayed.

 

[DT MI]

Windows. I realized the map is trying to show me the middle of the ocean at 0,0, though it starts out showing Apple Park in Cupertino, CA.

I just tested Dashcam Viewer v3.9.3 with a set of S1 Pro files from last Friday. It would play the front and rear videos, but no speed or location data was displayed.
View attachment 67754

OK, I was able to replicate my results as well as duplicate what you're seeing.

If you rename or remove the GPS folder then DCV will show the map and trip route from location data in the MP4 files. If there is a GPS folder then the "no imagery here" displays instead of the map. It appears the 'correct' functioning can be achieved by having the MP4 videos in any folder without a GPS folder under the same parent. (Way too many permutations/combinations of this for me to test.)

I have a theory why this is happening. A combination of the S1-Pro not being officially supported by DCV right now and Vantrue having an unneeded GPS folder. I suspect Vantrue may have modified the F/W for a different camera for use with the S1P and that camera used a GPS folder. DCV recognized the S1P as being a Vantrue camera and looked for the GPS folder and could not utilize the data. If there is no GPS folder DCV will then look for GPS data in the video file.

Even with DCV utilizing the GPS data in the MP4 files there is still a problem with synchronization of the vehicle position/movement on the map and the video itself.

Tagging @traveler to bring him in the loop.

 

[rcg530]

OK, I was able to replicate my results as well as duplicate what you're seeing.

If you rename or remove the GPS folder then DCV will show the map and trip route from location data in the MP4 files. If there is a GPS folder then the "no imagery here" displays instead of the map. It appears the 'correct' functioning can be achieved by having the MP4 videos in any folder without a GPS folder under the same parent. (Way too many permutations/combinations of this for me to test.)

I have a theory why this is happening. A combination of the S1-Pro not being officially supported by DCV right now and Vantrue having an unneeded GPS folder. I suspect Vantrue may have modified the F/W for a different camera for use with the S1P and that camera used a GPS folder. DCV recognized the S1P as being a Vantrue camera and looked for the GPS folder and could not utilize the data. If there is no GPS folder DCV will then look for GPS data in the video file.

Even with DCV utilizing the GPS data in the MP4 files there is still a problem with synchronization of the vehicle position/movement on the map and the video itself.

Tagging @traveler to bring him in the loop.

I just tried renaming the GPS directory where I have the video files stored. I have the Dashcam Viewer data cache feature disabled, so it must read the files to obtain the GPS data. Dashcam Viewer processed the video files in the "Normal" directory. It still did not result in any GPS or speed data to be displayed.

 

[DT MI]

I just tried renaming the GPS directory where I have the video files stored. I have the Dashcam Viewer data cache feature disabled, so it must read the files to obtain the GPS data. Dashcam Viewer processed the video files in the "Normal" directory. It still did not result in any GPS or speed data to be displayed.

I wish I knew what to tell you. My DCV setup is the same as yours (cache disabled) and it works as I described. Maybe move some MP4 files to a separate folder and see what happens?

 

[DT MI]

...I did notice vehicle tracking on the map is about 1.5 to 2 minutes out of sync with the video, and at times seems to stall and not show vehicle movement at all. Need to play around and get a better feel for what's going on - or maybe just send it to John along with my observations and let him have at it.

Just a quick update.

I was out today and the S1-Pro vehicle tracking was perfectly in sync with the video playback, unlike yesterday (and previous trips) when there was a very significant delay. Car had sat about 27 hours between shutdown yesterday and startup today. I have no idea what the difference is/was today.

 

[jonat]

I decided to try out voice control. The manual says very little about how you invoke it. Annoyingly, the list of commands is ONLY available on the cam itself and not in the app - the required menu entry is missing from the app. I had wondered if some sort of attention phrase was needed - my Garmin wants me to say "OK Garmin" first - but it seems not. Here are the commands I can see:

Turn on screen
Turn off screen
Turn on Wifi
Turn off Wifi
Lock the video
Show front camera
Show rear camera
Show both cameras
Take photo
Video start
Turn on audio
Turn off audio

I didn't see a "Video stop" command, though....

 

[Agie]

I decided to try out voice control. The manual says very little about how you invoke it. Annoyingly, the list of commands is ONLY available on the cam itself and not in the app - the required menu entry is missing from the app. I had wondered if some sort of attention phrase was needed - my Garmin wants me to say "OK Garmin" first - but it seems not. Here are the commands I can see:

Turn on screen
Turn off screen
Turn on Wifi
Turn off Wifi
Lock the video
Show front camera
Show rear camera
Show both cameras
Take photo
Video start
Turn on audio
Turn off audio

I didn't see a "Video stop" command, though....

Kinda makes sense when you think about it though, not to have a video stop command cos the whole point is to have it recording all the time. The only time you'd have to stop recording is if you need to mess around with the settings on the camera etc

 

[DT MI]

Kinda makes sense when you think about it though, not to have a video stop command

This for sure. You don't want to stop recording because some random sound from the environment is misinterpreted by the camera. I've experienced that a number of times when the S1-Pro would take a photo randomly - at least that's relatively harmless.

 

[Agie]

This for sure. You don't want to stop recording because some random sound from the environment is misinterpreted by the camera. I've experienced that a number of times when the S1-Pro would take a photo randomly - at least that's relatively harmless.

Is it the sound is it, I've wondered what it was doing on my Nexus 4 Pro. I thought it was because a vehicle was too close to mine but it's triggered in other instances too