Pros & cons of having an in-built car dashcam v/s a 3rd-party unit

An in-built dashcam is supported via a 3 to 5-year warranty, but most 3rd party dashcams have a warranty of only 1 to 2 years.

BHPian haystack_needle recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

The XUV700 inbuilt dashcam continuous recording would only be enabled when an SD card has been inserted (max 32Gb).

A standalone dashcamera has below advantages when compared to inbuilt (depending on price, manufacturer, model; not all features are supported!):

1. A dedicated dashcamera will allow you to choose more higher resolution (hardware restriction)
2. The in-built camera photos and recordings are stored in combined format, ie all 4 channels are combined into fisheyed videos and stored as a single file (each of 4 streams is added as a quarter of the screen), so you see them as a quarter tile. Retrieving in-depth data like license plate from this is difficult.
3. Retrieving the memory card from the infotainment control unit is not a user / customer DIY task. You'll have to visit ASC. For a 3rd party dashcam, it's accessible directly to user.
4. The recorded images or videos are inaccessible on an external device like mobile phone or computer, in case of in-built dashcam. 3rd party dashcams allow you to download / stream / upload stored images and videos to mobile / computer / online (depending on the make and model) on demand.
5. Low light and night time visibility on inbuilt dashcam is poor. Some 3rd party dashcams have IR LEDs for better night time visibility.
6. As the cameras of in-built dashcam are exposed to elements of nature, it can have distorted recording due to dirt or water or external objects blocking the lens glass.
7. Some 3rd party dashcams allow tapless installation, relying on 12V socket / OBD port.
8. 3rd party dashcams can be remotely controlled (via voice or bluetooth buttons) and have easily accessible dedicated buttons to create emergency recording, without sensing a shock
9. Voice and video recording of in-cabin is supported by 3rd party dashcams
10. Parking mode and motion sensing recording are supported by external dashcams
11. Most of these support memory cards with space of 128 Gb or more, so overwriting is less frequent.

Having said that, in-built dashcam suits you if:

1. You want to keep the car in OEM spec
2. Dislike / distrust wiretaps and fusetaps, dangling wires and fishing / squeezing wires through tight spaces.
3. Content with the recording and image quality of built-in dashcam.
4. Incorrect configuration of dashcam can drain your battery during parking mode.
5. M&M inbuilt dashcam is supported for the 3 or 5 year warranty you choose. Most 3rd party dashcams have warranty of 1 to 2 years.
6. If you are unable to mount the 3rd party dashcam and hide it properly, it might interfere your driving visibility.

I have been pretty content with built-in dashcam as I do not rely on recorded images or videos for most time. All I need is a live feed. To be frank, sometimes I think I need a 3rd party dashcam.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.