BlackVue DR900S 2-CH vs BlackVue DR750S 2-CH
The DR900S is BlackVue’s latest and greatest flagship dash cam with exciting new features that drivers have been asking for.
The most important and basic function of a dash cam is act as a silent witness. With its whopping 4K resolution, (equivalent to four times the pixel count and two times the resolution of full HD 1080p), the BlackVue DR900S will be able to capture incidences and license plate numbers even better and clearer than before. In fact, the DR900S is currently the only dash cam on the market, as of June 2018, with such a high resolution sensor.
Aside from this important feature, the product still has to perform up to the high standards of BlackVue’s top-tier dash cams. From WiFi to GPS and even Cloud functionality, the DR900S is able to provide it all.
BlackVue markets the DR900S as truly the selection for those that want the very best dash cam with zero compromises. However, how does it compare with the former BlackVue flagship, the DR750S?
Keep reading to find out!
Design
It’s clear that BlackVue has not swayed from its roots, but rather, continued with its simple, yet sleek and discreet cylindrical design, similar to the DR750S.
The copper/rose-gold accents around the ring of the front lens does allow the DR900S 2-CH a subtle, but attractive change from its predecessors.
The use of the same design means that is also nice for owners of the previous DR750S, as everything (mounts, wiring, etc.) are fully compatible with the DR900S. If one if upgrading, only the front and rear cameras need to be swapped out but everything else is backwards compatible.
Video Quality
With the introduction of 4K, it’s impossible to miss the vast improvement in video resolution between both cameras.
The DR900S offers excellent video quality in the daytime with good dynamic range and minimal loss in optical clarity. The additional pixel count compared to any 1080P camera means the DR900S can capture more detail than other dash cams. License plates are captured in more detail and from further distances than before.
Obviously this is important as the point of a dash cam is to act as a silent and always present witness, to protect yourself against those who may be less than truthful in the event of an accident.
Check out this side-by-side sample footage that showcases the notable differences between both dash cams.
At night, the BlackVue DR900S does well but perhaps does not standout that much in comparison to the DR750S' already excellent night time performance. As always, BlackVue is constantly updating the firmware of its cameras, so perhaps in the future we will see a greater difference in relation to both cameras' nighttime performance.
Improvements are unchanged for the DR900S’ second channel rear camera as it shares the same excellent 1080p STARVIS unit as the DR750S. If you’re upgrading from a DR750S to a DR900S, both the wiring plus the front and rear camera mounts are therefore completely compatible with each other with no need to remount or rewire anything. However, you will need to change the mounts (the wiring is compatible) if you’re upgrading from the DR650.
Notable Features
As with previous top of the line BlackVue products, both the DR900S and DR750S have the bells and whistles such as WiFi which allows users to easily view and download footage as well as change settings right from your smartphone.
Both the DR750S and DR900S support WiFI streaming and connectivity at 802.11n at 2.4Ghz. However, the DR900S steps it up a significant notch offering additional support for the much faster WiFi protocol of 802.11ac at 5Ghz.
What this means is faster transfer rates for downloading video clips off the camera should there be an incident, as well as even smoother live streaming off the DR900S.
Another feature that BlackVue excels in is its Cloud functionality. To date, no other dash cam manufacturer has the capability of what BlackVue can offer when it comes to Cloud features.
The ability to track the vehicle, view footage remotely and even receive notification on the user’s smartphones are just a few of the critical elements of the BlackVue Over the Cloud. Please note that this requires a mobile hotspot, whether tethered through a cellphone or a standalone WiFi hotspot device.
A great new feature the DR900S employs to help keep file sizes down is a new compression algorithm known as H.265 HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding). It’s more efficient at compressing video and it means that file sizes with the 4K DR900S are the same as the 1080p DR750S, despite the significant improvement in resolution.
Verdict
The BlackVue DR900S is the first 4K dash cam in the market from one of the leading dash cam manufacturers in the world. We like the impressive amount of details that the DR900S can capture in terms of video quality and functions, and this camera is one of our top picks.
If you don't need the 4K resolution or the DR900S is out of your price range, the DR750S is still an excellent full HD camera, even though it has now had to hand over the crown to its successor. Nonetheless, it is still a great choice from one of the leading dash cam manufacturers in the market.
