The GX33 is a new entry-level dual-channel dash cam from FineVu, one of Korea's leading providers of car electronic systems since 1992. They are known for creating GPS navigation and dashboard camera. They are a South Korean brand with real global aspirations. After years of dominating the domestic Korean market, they are ready to make a return to BlackboxMyCar and North America with the GX33.

The GX33 captures from the front and the rear in 1080p Full HD and offers Auto Night Vision and Smart Time Lapse recording to boost performance and video quality in both day and nighttime, and Safety Warning System to ensure you drive safely at all times.

But how does the FineVu GX33 fare compared to other entry-level models? Will it exceed our expectations of a budget-friendly entry-level dash cam?

Fantastic All-Round Performer

Released in the Korean market in February 2022, the GX33 is the latest addition to the FineVu Full HD lineup.

With features like Power Saving Parking Mode and AI Damage 2.0, the GX33 is an upgrade to the GX30, FineVu's previous Full HD flagship, taking budget-friendly entry-level to a whole new level. The GX33 is FineVu's the most cost-effective, screenless WiFi model and comes with a 3-year manufacturer warranty.

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Key Features

1080 Full HD @ 30FPS
132° field of view
2.1MP Sony STARVIS Image Sensor
Allwinner V536 processer
Auto Night Vision
Power Saving Parking Mode
AI Damage Detection 2.0
Speed Camera Alert
ADAS Plus
Built-in WiFi
FineVu mobile app and desktop player

Pros

✓ Budget-friendly, value-driven
✓ Full HD Front and Rear Camera
✓ Built-in WiFi
✓ Power Saving Parking Mode
✓ Driving/Parking Event Summary
✓ Smart Time Lapse Recording
✓ Samsung Pro Endurance memory card included

Cons

❌ Not 4K or 2K
❌ Speed Camera database updates are performed quarterly and may not be available in all areas
❌ GPS is not built-in (though an external GPS module is included in the box)

Discover all the specs and features of the FineVu GX33.

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Unboxing the FineVu GX33 Full HD Dash Cam

Here's what you will find inside the box when you purchase the FineVu GX33 from BlackboxMyCar:

Front camera
Front camera mount
Rear camera
Rear camera connecting cable
External GPS antenna
Hardwire power cable
MicroSD card adaptor
User manual

Unlike the other entry-level dash cams on the market, the GX33 is only available in a 2-channel version. However, you can always leave out the rear-facing camera if you only want to use the front-facing camera. If you have a dash cam like the Nextbase 622GW or VIOFO A129 Plus, you will notice no LCD screen display on the GX33. So to review footage, you will need to download the FineVu smartphone app (available for both IOS and Android) just like you would for Thinkware and BlackVue dash cams.

The GX33 is a tad bigger than the other entry-level models from Thinkware and BlackVue. But despite that, it still sits neatly behind the rearview mirror. The GX33 features an all-black finish, unlike other FineVu dash cams with a silver ring around the lens. On the side of the camera is the Smart SD Lock that helps prevent the removal of the microSD card when the dash cam is still recording and thus prevent file corruption or loss of data. To take the microSD card out of the dash cam, you will need to slide the lock over to OFF, turning off the dash cam.

Video Quality

How to Connect to the FineVu Mobile App

Facing the front of the camera is a 2.1MP camera capturing 1080p Full HD at 30FPS video at a 132-degree wide-angle view. The FineVu GX33 is based on the Allwinner V536 processor. Allwinner is generally known for lower-end hardware, but the V536 is one of their high-performance processors, and it supports WDR, noise reduction, and other image enhancement algorithms.

Unlike other entry-level dash cams where you can't change the recording frame rate for continuous driving recording mode, the GX33 has the option to use Smart Time Lapse recording (which we will review more in a bit).

While you won't get 4K UHD or 2K QHD image quality, FineVu GX33's video quality is pretty good for a Full HD camera. You get crisp and clean video that looks good on playback on your smartphone and computer. The 2.1MP "/28" Sony Exmor R STARVIS image sensor provides stunning, full-color video in all light situations. The GX33 offers Auto Night Vision and HDR that enhance your video's quality by auto-tuning the brightness and clarity depending on your environment. For instance, at night (or in low light conditions), in underground parking lots, tunnels, during very bright daylight. So you get a balanced video in tough-to-capture environments at all times.

The rear-facing camera is fitted with a 2MP," 1/3" CMOS image sensor to deliver Full HD @ 30FPS recording at a 135-degree angle.

File Sizes

The FineVu GX33 comes with a Samsung Pro Endurance 32GB microSD card. All you have to do is insert it into the camera, and the video will start recording. A 32GB microSD card can hold up to 236 minutes of recorded footage in standard recording mode.

The GX33 supports loop recording so that the oldest files are first overwritten when the microSD card is full. You can also upgrade to a larger SD card, up to 128GB. The good thing about the FineVu dashcam is that you don't need to format the microSD card beforehand. Just plug and play, making it very simple to plug in a new microSD card when required.

You can also enable the Smart Time Lapse feature to save more than five times longer on your microSD card. The feature automatically reduces recording frame rate to 10 frames per second and then switches back to 30FPS full frame rate when an event is detected to ensure that the event is properly captured. With Smart Time Lapse recording, you can record up to 1,392 minutes on a 32GB microSD card without overwriting.

Parking Surveillance

Using the FineVu Hardwiring Kit (or a dash cam battery pack like the BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8), the GX33 offers different parking recording options: impact and motion detection, parking time-lapse mode, Power Saving parking mode, and Smart Time-Lapse parking mode.

Power Saving Parking Mode uses FineVu's advanced power consumption technology to keep GX33's power usage at 0.15 W, less than 5% off the regular parking mode's 4.1 W power consumption, giving you up to 30 days of standby runtime. Of course, the actual runtime will depend on where you're parked and the activities and incidents around your car when it's parked. You can customize the event and motion sensitivity levels within the WiFi app.

The GX33 also comes with a feature called AI Damage Detection 2.0, which uses machine learning technology to tell you the intensity of the impact and where you would find it on your car. Say your car was hit while parked. Using machine learning techniques, the impact area during parking is subdivided into eight directions and reported in 3 levels of impact size. When you return to your car and turn the ignition on, the GX33 will alert you of the impact detected, and the WiFi app will show which area was likely hit.

Is it heat resistant?

The FineVu GX33 has a built-in high temperature protection function that safely protects the dash cam and video files stored from intense heat. With the ambient air temperature excess over a certain level, the GX33 automatically turns off to prevent overheating, allowing the dash cam to function properly even in the harshest summer conditions.

Likewise, you don't have to worry about the dash cam draining your car battery during colder months. When the battery voltage falls below the preset voltage, power to the GX33 from the car battery is automatically cut off to protect the battery. You can set the automatic power-off voltage to fit the specific needs of your car battery and the make/model of your car, including hybrid vehicles.

Advanced Driver Assistance System and Safety Camera Alerts

Just like the Thinkware F200 PRO, the FineVu GX33 comes with a suite of safety features, and all you need to do is plug in the external GPS module. But unlike the Thinkware F200 PRO or the BlackVue DR590X, a FineVu GPS module is included free inside the box.

ADAS or Advanced Driver Assistance System supports functions like front vehicle motion detection and lane departure warning alert. For instance, when you are stopped at an intersection or in traffic, the Front Vehicle Motion Detection (FVMA) can inform you that the car in front of you has started to move. And if you drift out of the lane, it will trigger the Lane Departure alert. You can set this alert to only operate above certain speeds.

The Speed Camera alert function provides in voice guidance seven types of camera information: speed camera, red light camera, speed limit camera, and average speed alert. The speed camera alert is a quarterly-updated service, so you will need to download the latest update every quarter. And do note that the Speed Camera function varies by region.

Another safety feature offered is the Driving Rest Guide. What it does is it keeps track of your driving time and distance and sends you reminders of when you need to take a break from driving.

Installing the cameras

Installing the FineVu GX33 is relatively straightforward. When mounting the camera on your windshield, we recommend connecting the dash cam to the WiFi app first so you can use the Installation Angle Guide in the app to help you adjust the camera angle. You can also use it to help find the best recording angles for a car, SUV, or truck.

FineVu uses a 3-wire hardwiring cable, so when running the power cord to the fuse panel, you will need to find a suitable ignition-based fuse, a constant fuse, and a good ground bolt. We recommend getting the BlackboxMyCar Essential Install kit as it comes with a circuit testing that would surely come in handy.

FineVu also has a 12V power cable that you can purchase separately, allowing a simple plug-and-play solution using your car's cigarette lighter socket. But keep in mind that you won't be able to use the dash cam's parking mode features with this setup.

If you want to use parking mode but don't want to go with a hardwire installation, the alternative option is to use a dedicated dash cam battery pack, like the BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8.

FineVu Mobile App and FineVu Player

FineVu Player

You can download the FineVu Player from the FineVu website. The desktop player supports both Mac and Windows. Using the desktop player, you can playback video, create screenshots and update the firmware. But do note that a lot of the settings control still needs to be done via the WiFi app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

FineVu Mobile App

Before you connect the FineVu GX33 to your smartphone, you will need to ensure WiFi is switched on on your smartphone and the camera, which you can do using the WiFi button on the backside. Once the app and the dash cam are connected, you can see a live view of the dash cam along with other functions. The default FineVu Wi-Fi password is "12345678".

On the main screen, you will also see the Event Summary function - essentially a summary of all the events captured during a driving period. You will see all information in one view: driving time, distance traveled, average speed, and the number of events recorded during the selected period. It will also give you a list of the videos if videos were captured for any of the events.

FineVu GX33 Review: Should I buy it?

Many options are available if you are in the market for a user-friendly Full HD dash cam, including the Thinkware F200 Pro, BlackVue DR590X, VIOFO A129, and Nextbase 322GW, and now the FineVu GX33. All of these are at the same price point and offer more or less the same essential features.

If you are looking for a first dashcam that offers both front and back footage when driving and Advanced Driver Assistance System, the FineVu GX33 dash cam is a good investment. While it comes with many features in the Thinkware F200 Pro, one that stands out is Smart Time Lapse recording, which allows you to save up to five times more footage before overwriting kicks in.

FineVu GX33 Dash Cam

FineVu GX33 Dash Cam In-Depth Review