"Nexdigitron Ace Plus" Dashcam Review I have been using this dashcam called "Nexdigitron Ace Plus" in my Ertiga for the past 7 months.
This is a super-capacitor based dashcam, and I bought it through Amazon.
And they claim to be "Made in India", which I am not very much convinced, because most of these so called self-proclaimed "Made in India" gadgets are simply just "Assembled in India" re-branded ones, and all the parts are still imported from China.
Anyhow, since I have been using this dashcam for the past 7 months, I thought this is the right time for a long term user review of this dashcam, so that it may be of help to someone who is planning to buy this.
First of all, the build quality of the dashcam is fairly good.
There is no screen, and the device has no in-built battery, but it is super-capacitor based.
You only get a 3M sicker based windshield mount to install it, but it serves the purpose well.
The most notable thing is that you get type-C USB cable connector wth this dashcam, which is a plus-point, because most other budget dashcams still use the older micro-usb, and some brands like Qubo still use the ancient mini-usb port from the stone-age era.
This camera has an optional GPS feature, but it is not in-built, but rather, an add-on module, which means you have to mount the external GPS module separately on the windshield, and this, along with the additional wires from the module to the camera, adds additional clutter on the windshield area, which looks really messy, and so I chose the non-GPS version which has a cleaner, simpler look.
This camera has a F1-8 aperture, 140° wide angle, and recording resolution of 1080p.
It supports memory cards of size upto 128 Gb.
All specifications are the normal specs what you find in other entry level dashcams, and there is nothing ground-breaking here in terms of technology.
Just the normal features and settings.
Their mobile app is also very basic, and there are not many settings you can play around with here.
You can't even change the recording resolution.
It is fixed at 1080p @ 30 fps.
There is no option even to step down to a lower resolution like 720p.
Though it has a F1.8 aperture, the overall lighting is still not the best.
Videos are on the darker side even in full daylight, and you have to increase the screen brightness to view anything clearly.
Number plate visibility is not that great even during day time, but then that is what you can expect from a budget dashcam.
The rear number plate of the immediate next vehicle in our front can be read without much difficulty, but it is almost impossible to make out anything from the number plate of an oncoming vehicle approaching from the opposite side at a fairly decent speed.
The recording resolution is 1080p, but clarity, and details captured is nowhere near what one would expect from a 1080p mp4 file.
It is more like that of a 720p clip, and just the resolution is stretched to 1080p.
That's what I have felt, whenever I play a recorded video.
Night visibility is fairly decent, but still not the best.
Audio recording is fairly weak and could have been way better.
Even the driver's voice is heard as a meek mumble, and one cannot make out anything from that mumble from the recorded clips.
The only sound that gets recorded clearly in the videos is the camera's female voice announcement for starting the recording when the device gets powered on.
But audio is not of prime importance in a dashcam, and so this can be excused, but I hope that they will do something to improve the audio recording levels at least in the future versions.
Another issue that I faced initially was the dashboard reflections on the windshield.
The recorded videos were just a mix of the outside view, merged with my dashboard's reflection on the windshield in a 50-50 ratio.
This is a common issue with many dashcams, and when I contacted their technical support, they told that inorder to get rid of this reflections, I need to buy a CPL filter from them separately, and install it on the dashcam lens.
Since I had no other option, I bought it from them for Rs 500, and thankfully it solved almost 80% of my problem.
Still there is a very slight amount of dashboard reflection, but I think it is ok, and I can live with that.
A small piece of advice - Whoever is planning to purchase this dashcam, please remove any shining golden or silver/chrome plated idols/toys or other decorative articles from their dashboards before installing.
Because if you don't do so, then you are going to see only those articles reflection in your video, more than the outside view.
Even if you install CPL filter, this thing should be taken care of, otherwise it will show reflection in the video even with CPL filter on.
The most annoying thing about this dashcam is that it remembers your personal settings for only 3 weeks or so.
After that it defaults to its original settings and you have to set your personal settings again through the app every month, which is super annoying.
So every 3 weeks or so, It forgets the file length duration settings, and reverts to the default 1 minute length, even though I had set it to 3 minute length.
And initially I had raised this issue to their support team.
They accepted this fault, and asked me to return the unit, and gave me a brand new replacement unit.
They said that the new device won't have this problem, but to my shock, the new one also reverted to its default setting after 1 month's usage.
And when I contacted them again, they first told me to change my memory card, but when I told them that I have already tried 3 different cards without any result they said that they have already given me a replacement unit, and so now they can't do anything because their other devices don't have this problem!
Clearly there is something wrong with their design, and that is why even the second unit had the same issue, but the sad part is that they are not ready to accept this mistake.
So I think this is an inherent defect with this product, and I just have to learn to live with this. That's it.
And another issue that I have observed with both the devices is that sometimes, the camera doesn't start with the car's ignition on.
It starts only after about 1 minute, and then it functions normally.
So the first 1 minute journey won't be recorded once in a while.
This happens at least once daily, and like the previous issue, I think one has to learn to live with this issue too.
Other than these issues, the dashcam is a somewhat decent one for its price.
I hope that they sort out these bugs, and release an updated firmware, so that existing customers like me can flash it and get rid of these minor issues.
N.B - Their customer support is prompt to respond with quick replies. But that's just all about it.
They have no clue on how to solve even these minor issues, and they just do nothing other than giving positive replies like their team is looking into this issue, or they will get back to you soon and so on.
But they will never solve any issue, and you either have to learn to live with all your issues, or buy another better dashcam from a more reliable brand. |