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Best Settings for the BlackVue DR970X Plus 4K UHD Dash Cam

Best Dash Cam Settings

We all waited for it, and it’s finally here! BlackVue has officially launched the industry’s most advanced 4K Cloud Dash Cam, now equipped with cutting-edge Sony STARVIS 2 image sensors and more. For maximum flexibility, various models, including the BlackVue DR970X Plus 1-CH, 2-CH, IR, built-in LTE, and Box units have also been made available to cater to the needs and requirements for your daily driving.

This premium dash cam is an investment, so we recommend you get the most out of it by choosing the best dash cam settings for the DR970X Plus. Need help in setting it up? Read on to learn our recommended settings for this dash cam.

Recommended Settings for the BlackVue DR970X Plus

The optimal settings of the BlackVue DR970X Plus can be set according to your preferences using the BlackVue mobile app or the Windows/ Mac OS Viewer. The recommendations that we will provide are based on the mobile app. Note that the BlackVue DR970X Plus will stop recording while configuring settings on the smartphone app.

Video Quality Settings

In this section, you will learn how to adjust the settings of the BlackVue DR970X Plus to get the best video and audio resolution for all cameras. To access, tap the Settings icon > Camera Settings > then Video.

Resolution: 4K UHD @ 30 + FHD @ 30

Resolution and frame rate is fixed at "4K UHD@30 + FHD@30". This means the front camera records 4K UHD video at 30 frames per second, and the rear camera records Full HD video at 30 frames per second.

Video segment length: 1 minute

Video segment length is fixed at 1 minute.

Audio recording: ON

When turned off, the dash cam does not record audio.

Image quality: Highest

With the BlackVue DR970X Plus, you can adjust the recording image quality (bit rate) settings as well.

    • Extreme_H.265 [HEVC] (Front: 60 Mbps, Rear: 10 Mbps)
    • Extreme_H.264 [AVC] (Front: 25 Mbps, Rear: 10 Mbps)
    • Highest (Front: 25 Mbps, Rear: 10 Mbps)
    • High (Front: 12 Mbps, Rear: 8 Mbps)
    • Normal (Front: 8 Mbps, Rear: 6 Mbps)

The BlackVue DR970X Plus camera is now equipped with H.265 compression technology, allowing it to record at a speed of 60 megabits per second. H.265 files will be larger due to the added detail, and BlackVue does give you the option to switch back to H.264 instead for smaller files, recording a max of 25 megabits per second.

Note: Increasing image quality will result in larger video files, while loading and copying times will increase proportionally. If your phone does not allow video streaming at the 'Extreme' image quality level, please transfer the recording to your phone and play it from internal memory. Alternatively, use the "Quick playback" option.

GPS location recording: ON

GPS location recording is enabled by default. Note that turning it off does not deactivate some useful features like time correction, speed display, and other speed-related events. If you wish to turn it off, the GPS location is not saved or transmitted to the Cloud server. You may also encounter the following alerts and activities below if GPS is off:

    • Live view: Under the live view, you will see a message letting you know GPS location recording is off over the map
    • Camera list (Map view): The vehicle’s location will not show on the map.
    • Video playback: Under the live view, you will see a message letting you know GPS location recording is off over the map.
    • GPS Tracking: The server will not save tracking data.
    • Geo-Fencing: No alerts will occur, hence a live event upload file will not be created.
    • Drive report: Location-related information will not be shown.
    • Live event upload: Under the video player, you will see a message letting you know GPS location recording is off over the map.

Camera Rotation

Front camera rotation: Your Preference

If you installed the front camera in a flipped position, use this setting to rotate the front camera image 180°.

Rear camera orientation: Your Preference

Use this setting to rotate the rear camera image 180° or mirror the video.

 

Video Overlay

Video overlay: ON

If disabled, date & time, speed unit, and user text overlay will not be overlaid on recorded videos. This can be disabled entirely, or configured to your specific preference with the settings below.

Date & time display: ON

Turn on/off the date and time display on videos.

Speed unit: Your Preference

Select km/h, MPH, or turn off.

User text overlay: Your Preference

You can create a user text overlay of up to 20 characters using a combination of English letters (A – Z, a – z), numbers (0 – 9), and symbols (:;‘/+-_()$#). The text is overlaid in the top-left corner of the recorded videos.

Recording Mode Settings

To ensure all-around security for your car, these are our recommended settings for the BlackVue DR970X Plus. From the BlackVue app, click the Settings Icon > Camera Settings > then Recording Mode to manage the recording features settings.

Do note that for the parking mode settings, parking mode must be activated via hardwiring installation. The BlackVue DR970X Plus comes with a hardwiring kit in every package. If continuous power is not supplied to the BlackVue DR970X Plus, the product will stop recording when the vehicle engine is turned off.

VIOFO A119 V3 QHD+ Parking Mode: Your Preference

Normal Mode Recording: ON

When turned on, the camera records continuously in a loop and records event files in normal mode. When turned off, the camera only records event videos in normal mode.

Parking mode recording: ON

If enabled, the dash cam switches from normal mode to parking mode when the vehicle is turned off (ACC) or stationary for 5 minutes (G-Sensor). We prefer Motion & Impact detection due to its increased energy efficiency in low motion situations.

Note: Alternatively, if you select "Time lapse," the camera will continually capture 1 frame per second and save movies that play back at 30 times the standard speed. If the G-sensor senses an impact or bump, the camera creates a separate event recording file at normal speed.

Motion Sensitivity: Mid

In Motion Detection Parking Mode, the dashcam continuously buffers video and saves a parking recording when motion is detected in the dashcam’s field of view. You can change the sensitivity of the motion sensor so that slight movements caused by ind or rain do not trigger a recording.

Here, you can also select detection regions to limit the likelihood of triggering unwanted motion recordings caused by trees swaying in the wind, distant moving objects, and so on. If you want to disregard motion detection in a specific region, you may also uncheck them.

Other Parking Mode Settings

Rear camera recording in parking mode: ON

When turned on, the front and rear camera record together. When turned off, the rear camera stops recording 5 minutes after entering parking mode. Rear camera recording restarts when entering normal mode.

Battery Protection (Hardwiring Power Cable installation only): ON

When the battery protection is on, power is supplied to your BlackVue while the vehicle is off (ACC off) and also prevents the vehicle from battery discharge while it is parked. When enabled, BlackVue will automatically power down according to the set cut-off timer and voltage.

Note: Recommended settings for low voltage cut-off is 12V or higher during winter. If battery protection is off, BlackVue will not operate when the vehicle is turned off (ACC+ off).

System Settings

For easier navigation and user convenience, you can also configure the device’s actual System settings. Tap the Settings Icon > System to configure the hardware system settings of the DR970X Plus.

Time: Your Preference

Select your time zone to auto-sync with GPS time or you can set the time and date manually after enabling Manual time setting.

LED

Recording status: ON

You can turn the recording status LED on/off. Turning these off can make the camera more hidden, and slightly reduce power consumption.

Front security (Normal mode): ON

You can turn the front security LED on/off for normal mode.

Front security (Parking mode): ON

You can turn the front security LED on/off for parking mode.

Rear security: ON

You can turn the rear security LED on/off.

BT (Parking mode): ON

You can turn the bluetooth LED on/off for parking mode.

Wi-Fi (Parking mode): ON

You can turn the LTE LED on/off for parking mode.

LTE (Parking mode): ON

You can turn the LTE LED on/off for parking mode.

Note on LED lights:

For the front camera the GPS LED lights blue when on, and blinks blue when turning off.

When in recording mode, lights orange when in normal mode, red when an event has been recorded or manual recording has started, and green in parking mode when motion is detected.

For Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and LTE, lights yellow when LTE is connected, white when Wi-Fi is connected and blinks yellow slowly when Bluetooth is paired.

Touch Sensor: ON

You can turn on/off the touch sensor. Pressing the touch sensor triggers manual recording.

Voice Guidance: ON

You can turn on/off voice guidance prompts of your preference. For previous BlackVue models, you can individually adjust settings for Power, Parking Mode, Normal Recording and Cloud Connection audio. This has been removed in the DR970X Plus, only allowing you to turn the audio on or off as a whole.

Volume: Your Preference

You can adjust the volume of the voice guidance (announcements).

Scheduled Reboot: ON

The dash cam reboots automatically once-a-day if in parking mode at the set time for improved stability. If the dash cam is recording at the set time, the scheduled reboot is skipped. You can enable/disable and change the time for scheduled rebooting. Default time is 03:00 am.

FW language: Your Preference

You can change the language of your dash cam, with full voice guidance for your preferred language.

Note on formatting:

To format, press and hold the format button for 5 seconds, and after a beep, release the button. Then, press again and hold for 5 seconds and release the button after a beep.

Event Trigger Settings

In this section, you can adjust the settings of your BlackVue DR970X Plus’ sensitivity in case of event triggers. Tap the Settings icon > Event Trigger to manage activities such as driving, parking, acceleration, braking and more.

Manual Recording

Manual recording: Your Preference

You can turn the Manual recording feature on/off.  

Live event upload: ON

Enabling Live event upload automatically uploads manual recording files to the cloud to the live-event upload tab.

Driving Impact

Driving Impact: Your Preference

When the G-sensor detects significant or sudden movement (such as an impact or collision) it will trigger an event recording. You can adjust the sensitivity so minor incidents and bumps don’t trigger an event recording.

Live event upload: ON

Enabling Live event upload automatically uploads driving impact files to the live-event upload tab of the cloud.

Beep alert: ON

Enable Beep alert to hear a beep alert when a driving impact has occurred.

Parking Impact

Live event upload: ON

Enabling Live event upload automatically uploads parking impact files to the live-event tab of the cloud.

Parking impact history alert: Your Preference

Parking impact history alert voice alert notifies when exiting parking mode. If an impact had been detected during parking mode, it ignores any impact detected within three minutes before exiting.

Protect Event Files: ON

Turning on this option will protect the following recording types and stop them from being overwritten by newer recordings.

Note: A maximum of 50 files can be locked. Once this limit is reached, to lock new recordings please review locked files on the microSD card and free up space, or enable ‘Overwrite locked files with new event files when storage is full’ to allow the oldest locked files to be overwritten.

Reckless driving unit: Your Preference

Select km/h or MPH unit to use for Speed alert, Hard acceleration, Hard braking, and Hard cornering.

Speed alert

Speed alert: ON

When enabled, an event file is recorded when the car exceeds the set speed limit.

Live event upload: ON

Enabling Live event upload automatically uploads speed alerts to the live-event tab of the BlackVue cloud.

Beep alert: ON

Enable Beep aert to hear beep alert when speed alert has occurred.

Hard acceleration event

Hard acceleration event: ON

When enabled, an event file is recorded when the camera detects a rate of acceleration per second above the set threshold value.

Live event upload: ON

Enabling Live event upload automatically uploads hard acceleration event files to the live-event tab of the cloud.

Beep alert: ON

Enable Beep alert to hear beep alert when Hard acceleration event has occurred.

Hard braking event

Hard braking event: ON

When enabled, an event file is recorded when the camera detects a speed reduction of more than the set threshold value.

Live event upload: ON

Enabling Live event upload automatically uploads hard braking event files to the live-event tab of the cloud.

Beep alert: ON

Enable Beep alert to hear beep alert when Hard braking event has occurred.

Hard cornering event

Hard cornering event: ON

When enabled, an event file is recorded when more than 60 degrees is detected within 2 seconds while driving above the set threshold value.

Live event upload: ON

Enabling Live event upload automatically uploads hard cornering event files to the live-event tab of the BlackVue cloud.

Beep alert: ON

Enable Beep alert to hear beep alert when Hard cornering event has occurred.

Camera Connectivity Settings

In this section, you can adjust your connectivity settings, particularly the WiFi and hotspot, when connecting to the BlackVue Cloud. Simply tap the Settings icon > Camera Connectivity to manage.

Camera Wi-Fi credentials: Your Preference

You can change the dash cam’s SSID and Wi-Fi login password.

Seamless pairing: ON

When disabled, connecting the camera by seamless pairing is disabled. Seamless pairing uses a bluetooth connection from the camera to assist in the pairing process, making it easier than previous pairing methods.

Hotspot settings: Your Preference

Choose your Wi-Fi hotspot from the list and enter the password. The camera will use the selected Wi-Fi hotspot to connect to the cloud.

Shop the all-new BlackVue DR970X Plus Dash Cam Now!

Available in 1-channel, 2-channel, built-in LTE, IR, and Box variants, the BlackVue DR970X Plus is one of the best premium 4K dash cams in the market this 2024. With new features such as Sony STARVIS 2 sensors, improved data storage, dual-band WiFi, Seamless Pairing, intelligent parking modes and more, you are surely going to have the sharpest and most reliable footage - on the road, and even when parked. Want to get your hands on this dash cam? Shop your DR970X Plus now only here at BlackboxMyCar!

BlackVue DR970X-2CH Plus 4K UHD Cloud Dash Cam

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