Roav Dash Cam C1 Pro image quality

#1

I tried to see what other users like about that over sharpened mess (at least fw 1.8) and every user seems to hate it just like I do, but people from Anker (or someone that looks like it on the forum) say that users like it.

If someone does not know what a good picture quality looks like, why do they have any say about it? If this bad picture fanclub is some major user group and we have to have crazy over sharpening in our devices, make it at least an user
selectable option. I want to see things as natural as possible and if for some reason i got an idea that there is something to dig out with image processing, I’ll do it in post. My filter choices would most likely to be something more suited to just that one frame, than this method where sharpening is forced over everything.

For an example, check how a plain metal light pole appears in your video. It should be a gray line with some gradient, depending on your lighting conditions. With (way too much) sharpening it gets outlines or halo around it, black if background is light and white over dark background. It looks like a cartoon. A really bad one. Leafless birch branches against white clouds gave me a headache.

Really disappointed with my Roav S1
Maybe the best use for a dash cam?
#2

Not a fan then?

1 Like
#3

Hi @Viljo , have you tried contacting support with your concerns at support@goroav.com?

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#4

And how would that warn new customers?

We have a real problem with multiple devices (so i can assume it is all of those) and we need it to be fixed.

If I happen to found a thread like this when comparing products before buying them, I would like to see that problems are handled openly and things get fixed in reasonable time.

After installing my camera couple weeks ago I have only seen these picture quality threads answered like “other people like it” and that is just bullshit. Is should have made my homework before ordering.

I have read many threads about roav cameras and rant from memory, but i have seen someone mention fw 1.9. Might have been a troll, but seeing greater version number than i can get on my device tells me that there has been some problems and it had to be taken away after release. Again, I am not sure that there ever has been fw 1.9. Something started that rumor. Image quality threads started about 5-6 months ago and nothing seems to have happened…

Another thing is sound processing. There is some kind of noise suppression. Engine noise is audible in acceleration and then it goes totally silent, which it really is not in my car. Radio sounds funny, in a bad way. That should also have a setting for users to select.

#5

That’s what reviews are for and yes I’ve read quite a mixed bag about the C1 Pro, though the majority of reviews come down on the side of it being a good item (avg of 80% 4-5 star Amazon UK). Your initial post doesn’t really read as a review (apart from suggestions), more like a complaint about the quality of the item, of which most people would complain directly, get a refund then write a review of their findings…

As this is not an age restricted forum can I also ask you watch the language, by all means feel free to express yourself but calling other peoples positive reviews BS based on your experience is a touch much…

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#6

I’m not a native english speaker, but i never stated that those positive reviews are bs. I meant that everyone who mentioned over sharpening problem got an answer from “highly ranked” forum writers (is it possible to know if some of them are from anker?) that it is a choice made by listening user feedback and some portion of users love it like it is.

I tried to find sample videos i watched before ordering mine, but those are million youtube views ago, so i cant be sure. But i found better one, which has some portions side by side with gopro, where you can see whats the difference between roav and reality. This is actually from non-pro, but same results apply:
(from ~13 min 30 sec)

Polarizing filter might also be nice… I forgot that dash glare as i focused on stuff that i have no control over. There are leafless trees and a lot of poles, beams and road markings that get those cartoonish outlines.

If that processing choice came from actual humans watching videos, they did not check anything else than licence plates of cars. Little added contrast on a licence plate cant justify screwing everything else…

#7

I think i found a video from C1 pro with fw 1.6:

Driving samples start at 17 minutes.

Video is way more natural than with fw 1.8, but there is still slight digital sharpening. This quality would be acceptable, this time those cartoon-outlines appear on a overhead utility lines of certain thickness, which would be hard for any camera.

#8

Good grief!

First, do you really think that future purchasers know to look at this forum?

Second, the one comparison was a GoPro Hero 5 vs. the C1 Pro . . . A $250 camera vs. a $90 camera. Do you really think that’s a fair comparison? Now, if they compared the C1 Pro vs. the Garmin 35 (close to the same price point) wouldn’t that be more fair?

If you don’t like the darn thing, return it! Otherwise, lighten up and enjoy what it does.

IMVHO.

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#9

No, the comparison was between roav and reality. This device is capable to do better, it has only been shot in the foot by coding this horrible image processing.

Speculation of things that lead to current situation:

  1. Early reviewers had said that roav c1 (starting from non-pro) had a slightly softer image than some competitors. (video with c1 pro fw 1.6, which looks just fine for the price)

  2. Marketing department shitted themselves --> ordered coders to fix it --> they knew the “problem” is in hardware (probably in optics), complained that fixing almost non existing problem is impossible --> got yelled about it --> put a very unreal digital sharpening to firmware.

  3. Marketing department got “sharp image” and could tell reviewers and readers of those early reviews that it is now taken care of. And you can see the results in that another video. And throw up, if not staring directly to nearest licence plate.

And yes, I do check product forums before i order stuff. Where else do you think i can find information about these problems? In this case, only thing i found out was marketing wank about “its been fixed”, but did not realize that it was way worse.

Youtube has proof that this device can do what i wanted it to do. I did use couple of hours to install mine so that cabling and dc-dc converter are totally hidden. I’m not going to send it back now, not without a fight for a better device for every customer.

Again, its an easy fix. Just let users choose if they want that over sharpened mess.

#10

I noted the over-sharpening in another thread here regarding the file formats (“Dashcam C1 Pro only saves the last segment of each drive”), which I still see with the V2.2 firmware, and on my other C1 (non-Pro) dashcams. I’ve tried taming it post-production without much luck. Overall I’m happy with these dashcams, but wish there was an option to tweak the sharpness setting to get rid of the halos.

#11

Wait what? fw 2.2? Really, on a C1 pro? We need public change logs for these devices. Those logs should have a bit more information than “software improvements” for every line. That would be customer service in a way i like it.

Now, if there is newer firmware available (mine is still at 1.8), would that android app give me notification about it from background? Or when i start the app? Or when i check app --> settings --> device update? That last one, only when connected to the camera?

#12

I have firmware 2.0 in my C1 Pro. f/w 2.2, the app can’t find that one. mkpl, is it a typo or how did you get the f/w 2.2?

+1 on the availability of change log.

Br
Fredrik
Sweden

#13

I just connected it to the WiFi on my iPhone and it told me there was an update available, version 2.2

#14

19.5.2018, C1 Pro:

App --> About --> “Ver 3.0.1”. Seems to be android app version, same number can be found on google play.

App --> Device update --> “Current Ver 1.8”. Actual device firmware. Updates not found, with or without connection to the device.

Why do we have multiple different versions out there? Does someone with newer (or older) version have anything interesting to say about picture quality? I tried to check how the live view on the tiny screen of the device looks like and it seems to be “raw”, or it is just that low resolution, that it wont show what that cartoon filter produces.

#15

My C1 Pro is on Version 2.2, Same App Version Like you.

#16

A new 2.3 version is out, noted changes are the usual two: improved image quality and bug fixes. I tried to load it 3 times, but it didn’t take, it still shows I have 2.2 installed.

#17

App got updated to 4.0.0 but fw still at 1.8

I have tried with multiple phones and with fake gps around the world…

#18

They must have pulled back the 2.3 version, maybe due to the load issue I was seeing.

Maybe the hardware rev affects the firmware available? I have HW:RoavC1Pro_HW_V1.1

#19

If someone wants to update the dashcam manually, contact the roav Support via support@goroav.com
They can give you an instruction and the File.

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#20

Interesting, I got my C1 Pro replaced, and now it is at 1.8 and says no update available. What gives? It is at the same HW level as the other one.