null
Popular Topics keyboard_arrow_down keyboard_arrow_up
search

BlackVue DR500GW-HD / DR550GW-2CH Dashcam Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Posted by The Dashcam Store on May 24, 2014

Hello safe drivers and dashcam enthusiasts!

In this blog post we've compiled a list of frequently asked questions about two of BlackVue's high-end dash cams: the single channel DR500GW-HD, and the dual channel DR550GW-2CH. These questions cover several areas, including basic operation of the units, and troubleshooting when something doesn't seem right. We even talk about the BlackVue smartphone apps! If you have any other questions that are not on this FAQ, please e-mail us at contact@thedashcamstore.com so we can address that concern as well. On to the questions!

What is the default WiFi password?

The default password to connect to the DR500 or DR550 is simply: blackvue. Don't forget to change the password so no one else can access your dashcam!

My BlackVue is warm to the touch, is this normal?

Yep! A dashcam of this caliber is a pretty high-tech piece of equipment. When you think about it from an engineering perspective, capturing high quality full HD video takes a large amount of computer processing power. Until a few years ago, any camcorder recording in full HD at 30 frames per second would have been at least 5 times the size of these cameras. Add in all of the other bells and whistles (WiFi, GPS tracking, G-sensors, and more), and put them in a tiny package, and heat is the by-product of all that data processing that is going on. But not to worry. Earlier dashcam models from BlackVue did suffer some heat-related problems, but their engineering team took on those issues head first and resolved them before putting out the DR500 and DR550. That's the beauty of the iterative design process! The case of the dash cam itself is actually used as a heat-sink (notice the nice vents you see along the top and bottom of these models), so that's why you may notice it is warm or hot to the touch. Don't worry, this is normal, and your BlackVue is operating as designed.

The frame rate when watching the live view (over WiFi) on my phone doesn't seem as smooth as when I watch them later on my computer, what gives?

This is normal. The frame rate output over WiFi is reduced somewhat from the full HD for several reasons. For one, this is done in order to work with a variety of phone types, not all of which are able to render HD video at full frame rate. Another reason is that while the BlackVue is streaming the stored video to your phone, it's also still recording video at the same time. Rather than compromise the recording quality of the current video by the demands of also transmitting/displaying full HD video, the transmitted video is just sent out at slightly lower quality. Full resolution is always still available of course by copying the video to your computer.

I can't connect to my BlackVue from the app!

There are several reasons this may happen. One common problem is that your phone is already connected to another WiFi network, such as your home or work hotspot. You may need to have your smartphone temporarily "forget" your known network in order to then connect to the BlackVue dashcam WiFi. In rare cases when this is not the problem but the app still won't connect, we've had customers who had to uninstall the app, and then download the latest version from the Play or App store in order to restore their ability to connect with their dashcam.

My BlackVue WiFi name shows up as "BlackVue" followed by 6 zeros (e.g. "BlackVue000000")

This was an extremely rare issue we saw that was easily resolved by cycling power to the unit. To do this, find a safe place to park your vehicle, disconnect the power cord from the camera body, wait 30 seconds, and plug the power cord back in. Alternatively, you may press and hold the WiFi button on the side of the dashcam for 7 seconds, which will reboot the device.

My BlackVue is telling me to "Please check the SD card" over and over.

Many times this can also be resolved by power cycling (turning it off and back on) the BlackVue by unplugging it for 30 seconds and plugging it back in (or holding the side button down for 7 seconds). Another thing to try is re-seating the micro SD card (turn the BlackVue off, remove the SD card make sure to carefully insert it fully again, and plug the camera back in). If the message persists, we recommend using a computer (PC or Mac) to do a full format of the SD card as described in this procedure. The cause of needing to format the micro SD card occasionally is explained further on that page.

Alternatively, Pittasoft (maker of the BlackVue line of dashcams) also provides a simple to use SD card format utility that may be downloaded here. Instructions for how to use the tool are included on that page.

The time and/or date shown in my videos is wrong, even though I set the time zone correctly, help!

We've found it can take anywhere from 12-24 hours for the GPS time signal and time zone settings to sync up after changing the time zone setting. Just make sure your time zone is set correctly, then drive like usual and it should eventually display correctly on the live view and recorded videos.

I've captured something cool/interesting/amazing/funny on video, what do I do now?

First of all, don't do anything except concentrate on driving! As long as you take action within an hour or two (worst case), your video will be safe from being overwritten while you find a safe place to pull over, or until you reach your destination. Then, when you are safely off the road, you have two options: 1) use the smartphone app to copy the video to your cell phone, or 2) take the microSD card to a computer where the video can be copied over directly.

The Dashcam Store™ now has a Video Bounty program where you can earn cash for your footage! If you happen to capture something amazing on dashcam, and you own the rights to the video (meaning, you recorded the incident yourself on your own dash cam), you can upload the clip using our easy drag-and-drop video upload page. If the clip is interesting enough, and we use it for any reason (such as promotional or educational purposes), we will pay you!

How do I copy a video from the BlackVue to my phone?

If you want to use the app to copy the video to your phone for backup purposes, simply find the video in the list, then long-press on the video. A menu will pop up after a few seconds, then you can select "Copy to internal storage" or if your phone has a removable memory card you can also select "Copy to external storage". Once the video is on your phone (transfer can take anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute), you may upload the video directly to YouTube!

We hope that this FAQ for the BlackVue DR500 and BlackVue DR550 has been helpful. Again, if you have any other questions that are were not covered here, or would like to add some information to this list, please e-mail us at contact@thedashcamstore.com.

As always, drive safe!

Get our blog posts, top resources, and exclusive offers delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe, and get 5% off your first purchase with us!

May 24, 2014 Posted by The Dashcam Store