Blueskysea B1W

Blueskysea B1W
Blueskysea B1W

The Blueskysea B1W camera, released at the end of 2017, is a small, discreet Wifi camera at a very competitive price point. This camera uses the Novatek GM8135S processor (Novatek purchased Grain Media in 2017) and Sony IMX323 CMOS sensor. While the IMX323 is found in many cams, this is the first time we have seen the GM8135S in a dash cam. The GM8135S processor has typically been used in surveillance cameras.

The B1W can record at 1080p resolution at 30fps with a bit rate of 12Mbps. Video quality during the day is good and night quality is above average. The Sony IMX323 sensor works well at night but some owners indicate the videos have a bluish color to them. At 12Mbps, bit rate is not super high but the camera does a good job capturing details.

The B1W is a small camera measuring 87mm x 43mm x 35mm and the “pill shaped” form factor is quite discreet. The camera is all black and uses an adhesive mount. The B1W does not come with a screen or GPS. It does come with Wifi,  G-sensor and it uses a super capacitor instead of a battery (capacitor is better for hot environments). Build quality is quite good.

Since the B1W does not have a screen, all settings are adjusted via the smartphone app. The app works fine for many owners but there are some owners who have had connectivity issues with the app. Since the camera does not have a screen, this is a significant problem if it occurs.

The camera does have one button on the end. A short press of the button locks the current file being recorded. A long press of the button switches off the Wifi (default is Wifi on, but you can download firmware for default Wifi off).  There are  voice notifications in English for SD card detected, recording, Wifi on / off, shutting down, etc. You can replace some of the voice notifications with beeps or turn them off completely. See the “Sound Notification” section on this page for more details.. The camera also has a small led light to provide notifications as per below.

Blueskysea B1W LED

There are a few other things to be aware of on the B1W. While the original firmware did not allow for the video to be flipped, the current firmware has added this feature. The time stamp is in white lettering on the top left corner which is hard to read on a bright sky. Also the USB cable for power is right beside the MicroSD slot making it very difficult to remove the card without unplugging the power cable.

We would like to thank our members Paul Iddon, TonyM, SawMaster and dash riposki who created reviews on our forum for the B1W.

Sound Notification

If you do not like the voice notifications, you can replace most of them with beeps. Note that the voice prompts ‘SD Card Detected’ and ‘Recording Start’ are not replaced. To replace the voice notifications, download this sound.bin file. Copy this file to the SD card. When the camera starts, the voice notifications will be replaced with beeps.

You can also turn off all sounds, by toggling the “Equipment Beep” slider in the smart phone app.

Blueskysea B1W Beep

Known problems

Incorrect Date

A number of owners have indicated the date resets to 2015 or in some cases to 2022. This is due to a problem with the Real Time Clock (RTC) battery. There is no known solution to this problem.

SD Card Slow Speed Error

Numerous owners have experienced the SD Card Slow Speed Error. If this occurs, unplug the camera, then replug the camera back in. If it continues, format the SD card. If the problem is not resolved, try another SD card. This will typically resolve the problem but if it does not, you likely have a camera issue without a known solution.

Mounting the camera

TonyM provided the following photos of the camera mounted. The Mobius is on the left and B1W on the right.

Blueskysea B1W Mount
Blueskysea B1W Mount

Sample Videos

Day Video

Night Video

Comparison – Mini 0906 top, Gitup F1 middle, Blueskysea B1W bottom

Should I Purchase?

If you are looking for an affordable, discreet, Wifi enabled camera with decent video quality, the Blueskysea B1W is a good choice. Since the camera does not have a screen you will need a smartphone to setup the camera using the available app. While many owners are very happy with this camera, numerous owners have complained about app connectivity issues and reliability issues.

To see what other owners are saying, visit our Blueskysea Forum.

Where to purchase for lowest price

The Blueskysea B1W can be found on Amazon or eBay.

Note: Links to vendors are affiliate links that support our website. Read our affiliate disclosure here.

Firmware

WARNING!  MAKING CHANGES TO YOUR FIRMWARE ARE PERFORMED AT YOUR OWN RISK.  WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR DASH CAM AS A RESULT OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

Firmware Update Instructions

  1. Download the firmware and unzip it. You will find 2 files: file names cardvr_img.bin and default_cfg.bin
  2. Format the SD card in FAT32 format
  3. Copy the file cardvr_img.bin and default_cfg.bin​ files over to the root directory of the SD card and put the card into the camera.
  4. Power on the camera in the car and the firmware should automatically move onto the camera, leave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to ensure the firmware has updated the camera
  5. Take out the SD card and reformat it
  6. Place the SD card back into the camera
  7. Check the firmware version using the app on your smartphone
  8. If you installed the Default WiFi On firmware, the GREEN LED light should be flashing​. If you installed the Default WiFi Off firmware. You can switch between WiFi on and off by pressing and holding the button at the end of the camera for 2-3 seconds.

Latest Firmware

The latest firmware can be downloaded from the Blueskysea website or below:

Previous Firmware Versions

Reset Wifi Password Firmware

Some users have changed the default WiFi password and have forgotten it. If this happens you can reset the WiFi password to the default: 1234567890

  1. Download the firmware and unzip it. You will find default_cfg.bin
  2. Format the SD card in FAT32 format on a windows computer
  3. Copy the default_cfg.bin​ files over to the root directory of the SD card and put the card into the camera.
  4. Power on the camera in the car and the firmware should automatically move onto the camera, leave for 30 seconds to 1 minute to ensure the firmware has updated the camera

User Manual

The English user manual can be downloaded here.

Specifications

Detailed Specifications

Read Review
Camera Type Single Channel
Form Factor Cylindrical
Country China
Processor Novatek GM8135S
CMOS Front Sony IMX323
CMOS Rear N/A
Channels 1
Screen No
GPS No
G-Sensor Yes
Wi-Fi Yes
Parking Mode Non-Buffered
Lock Files Auto or Button
Max Resolution Front 1920×1080p
Front Frames Per Second 30
Max Bitrate Front (Mbps) 12
Max Resolution Rear N/A
Rear Frames Per Second N/A
Max Bitrate Rear (Mbps) N/A
Video Format MP4
Compression H.264
Diagonal Viewing Angle Front 150°
Diagonal Viewing Angle Rear N/A
SD Card Type MicroSD
Max Size (Spec) 64GB
Max Size (User) 64GB
Size Front (mm) 87 x 43 x 35
Size Rear (mm) N/A
Mount Adhesive
Power Supply 5V
Operating Temp -20°C to 70°C
Battery Capacitor
Error Notification Audio
Swivel (To Record Side Windows) No
Apps Android, iOS
Cloud Connectivity No
Release Date Dec 2017
Unique Features None
Advantages Good video quality during day & night"
Discreet"
Wifi
Disadvantages Poor Audio
Final Word Overall one of the best bang for your buck cameras for 2018. Better video quality than the previous budget camera, the A118C. Only unknown is long term reliability.

Published: Jan 1, 2018

Last Update: Oct 13, 2020

Blueskysea B1W - DashCamTalk
Blueskysea B1W

The Blueskysea B1W is one of the best bang for your buck cameras for 2018. Long term reliability has not been the greatest though.

Product SKU: Blueskysea B1W

Product Brand: Blueskysea

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 50

Price Valid Until: 2023-01-01

Product In-Stock: SoldOut

Editor's Rating:
7.3