BlackVue X vs. S: What's the Difference?

In 2020, BlackVue released the long-awaited BlackVue X-series, replacing the BlackVue S-Series; but what’s the difference? Which model should you invest in to protect yourself and your car, and most importantly, are the old S-series, like the DR750S-2CH that’s currently on Spring Clearance Sale, still worth buying?

Alex, our CEO, sat down with Vortex Radar a little while ago to talk about the differences between the BlackVue X-Series and S-Series. Check out what these two experts have to say:

There has been a lot of talk about the new BlackVue X-series models. However, with a lot of talks come a lot of questions. Video quality-wise, there isn’t a difference between the old S-series and the new X-series - the new X-Series cameras feature the same recording specifications as their S-Series predecessors.

Functionally, the difference is also minimal. There are new cool features on the X-series models, but if you think that the new DR900X has a better camera, clearer image, and brings a whole slew of new features, you’re going to be disappointed.

The main difference is the BlackVue CM100 LTE Connectivity module and the built-in Power Magic Pro.

The ability to see what your dash cam is seeing from anywhere is pretty cool and does come in handy in a wide range of situations. But if you’re not a heavy Cloud user and all you need is a dash cam that allows you to capture your drive and let you playback the files on a laptop, then honestly, the old S-series dash cams would be sufficient.

But if you’re a heavy Cloud user and want to stay connected with your dash cam anytime, anywhere, then the LTE Connectivity modules will make life easier, so yes, an upgrade to the X-series is what you need.

Traditionally, to enable Parking Mode for the BlackVue S-series dash cams, you would need the BlackVue Power Magic Pro as part of the installation process. With the new X-series, power management is built-in, so you no longer need any extra accessories to enable parking mode other than the BlackVue 3-Wire Hardwiring Kit included in the box.

The X-Series built-in power monitor and the 3-wire hardwiring kit address two of the S-Series’ pain points:

1. The S-Series also doesn’t have offer any protection against vehicle battery over-drainage.

2. The BlackVue S-Series relies on the dash cam’s built-in G-sensor to switch between normal recording and parking mode.

When using the X-Series’ 3-wire hardwiring kit, you will connect one wire to a switched power fuse and another to a constant power fuse - this allows the dash cam to detect when the ignition is off but also ensure a constant power supply to run parking mode. In other words, instead of G sensor-triggered parking mode, you get ignition-triggered parking mode and you will have to actually park your car and turn the ignition off.

Well, depends on if you’re happy with the G sensor-triggered parking mode or if you prefer ignition-triggered. At the end of the day, both g sensor-triggered and ignition-triggered will give you great parking mode coverage, just that how parking mode is switched on is different.

Another thing to consider is, do you need your vehicle’s OBD port for something else? The PMP uses the OBD port, so does some mobile WIFI hotspot module - and so does the OBD-II diagnostic tool that your mechanic uses for a quick car diagnostic scan to find out why the Check Engine light is on. You want to keep the dash cam on so you can remote Live-View to make sure your mechanic is not ripping you off. But 3 OBD devices, 1 OBD port - dilemma!

With the new X-Series, you can power parking mode and the LTE Connectivity module using the 3-wire hardwiring kit, and free up the OBD port for the OBD-II diagnostic tool (or your insurance provider’s telematics device).

Yes, they are!

• You want remote surveillance at times (ie. kid took the car on a Spring Break road trip, without you)
• You need ignition-triggered parking mode (the X-Series is also compatible with the PMP so G sensor-triggered parking mode is still possible)