Test editor Mattias Inghe takes a first look at the Blackvue DR500GE-HD, before we sent it to the tester.
The car camera Blackvue DR500GE-HD can most simply be described as a car equivalent to an airplane’s “black box”. By filming continuously while you drive and gradually saving the videos as mp4 files on a micro SD card, it gives you the opportunity to get a lot of information about what happened during your car trip.
Ease of use
Installing and using the DR500GE-HD is exceptionally easy. Stick it on the inside of the windshield behind the rearview mirror, plug into the cigarette lighter socket and you’re off and running! Thanks to the camera being equipped with built-in Wi-Fi, you can then very easily tinker with camera angles and settings directly in the car via an app on your smartphone (Android or IOS). Via the same Wi-Fi, you can also view both recorded material stored on the memory card and a live image.
Functions
The main information is, of course, that you can get moving images of everything that happened in front of the engine hood in full HD (1080p). But thanks to the built-in GPS, you can also get your car’s exact position and speed at a certain time. Sound recording can also be done as the DR500GE-HD is also equipped with a microphone.
Informative. With the included program, you can study your recorded videos from the car trip in detail.
Although it is surprisingly fun to sit and watch the movies from the road trip just for fun (like a kind of surreal vacation movies), of course the intended use is to be able to answer (and prove) the question of fault if there is a crash or some other incident when you are out driving. Who entered the roundabout first? Did the driver of the car in front of you flash their blinkers before it was time to turn into your lane? Was that pedestrian hiding behind a tree before the unwary suddenly jumped out onto the crosswalk right in front of your car? The movies have the answer!
As the DR500GE-HD is motion-sensitive, a special recording mode is activated when you crash or brake quickly. These movies are then saved separately, so that they are not at risk of being overwritten when the memory card starts to get full.
Sensitivity. You easily set how easily the camera should react to collisions and braking.
Quality
The image quality is excellent and it is no problem to see, for example, what is written on license plates, whether it is day or night. However, the sound left a lot to be desired, including out of sync. A small minus also because it is not possible to stream the image via your mobile. Being able to sit at home and follow your partner’s journey live would have been an excellent feature.
Opinion
Overall, the DR500GE-HD is an excellent car camera. Stylish, easy to use and of high quality. The high price certainly makes it seem interesting mainly to those who drive a lot in the profession. But if you have the ability to end up in crash situations often, it can quickly become worth the investment, even privately.
Mobile. You can access most of the settings directly in the car with your smartphone.
Tester Jan Sandbladh demonstrates how to mount the camera, and takes it for a spin in different lighting conditions to check the quality.
Blackvue DR500GW-HD
Manufacturer/contact: Blackvue, www.blackvue.com.
System requirements: Car, smartphone with IOS or Android, PC or Mac.
Image/video resolution: Up to 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) at 30 fps.
Viewing angles: 156 degrees (diagonal), 122 degrees (horizontal), 89 degrees (vertical)
Power supply: DC 12V-24V.
Length: 11.8 cm.
Diameter: 3.6 cm.
Weight: 114 grams.
Other: Slot for micro sd card (16 GB card included), free app for IOS and Android, wifi, built-in gps.
Approx price: SEK 3,300.
Plus: Easy to install and use. Good picture. Handy mobile app. Many setting options. Stylish and discreet.
Minus: Out of sync sound. Cannot stream via internet. Expensive.
Grade: 
(8 out of 10)