Choose a dash cam: channels, video per channel and parking power

Count the cameras in the box

A one-channel camera records forward only. The Garmin Dash Cam X310 recorded here, part 010-02860-00, is front-only; Garmin's app can pair other Garmin cameras into a multiple-camera network, but that is a set of separate cameras, not extra channels of the X310. A two-channel set adds a rear camera: the A229 Pro 2CH, the U3000 PRO Front & Rear + Hardwiring Cable bundle and the 70mai Dash Cam 4K A810 Front+Rear Cam set all ship a rear camera with its cable. A three-channel set adds a cabin camera; the Vantrue Nexus 4 Pro S puts the front and cabin cameras in one unit and adds a rear camera.

A port for a camera sold separately is not a camera in the box. VIOFO offers an optional interior camera for the A229 Pro 2CH, and THINKWARE an optional interior IR camera for the U3000 PRO that its manual says cannot be used at the same time as the LTE Module. Also check which rear camera ships. The 70mai set does not say whether its rear camera is the RC11 or RC12 the store lists as compatible, and the Vantrue package image does not name the RC09 or RC18 rear camera that its manual distinguishes, so the rear specifications of those two sets stay partly unresolved.

Read resolution per channel, in your configuration

Manufacturers publish resolution and frame rate per camera combination, and the headline 4K figure belongs to the front camera. VIOFO lists 4K at 30 fps plus 2K (2560 x 1440) at 30 fps for the A229 Pro 2CH. THINKWARE lists 4K at 30 fps plus QHD at 30 fps, or QHD at 60 fps plus QHD at 30 fps, for the U3000 PRO. Vantrue lists 4K + 1080P + 1440P at 30 fps for front, cabin and rear, and 4K + 1440P for front and rear without the cabin camera. 70mai states front 4K HDR and rear 1080P HDR for the A810 but no frame rate for each channel with the rear connected, and its two official pages list different front frame-rate options. The single-channel X310 records 4K at 30 fps with HDR or 1080p at 120 fps.

Some settings exclude each other. THINKWARE's manual says its HDR merges two 60 fps exposures into 30 fps video, and 70mai says HDR cannot run at 60 fps. Choose the combination you will actually use and read its line, not the best figure on the page. These are recording settings published by the manufacturers; CompareFoundry has not measured sharpness, night performance or how readable a license plate is.

Treat sensors and lens angles as stated hardware

Four of the five front cameras here name a Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 sensor. Rear sensors differ: VIOFO, THINKWARE and Vantrue name the IMX675, 70mai does not name the A810 rear sensor, and Garmin publishes no sensor for the X310. A sensor name describes the hardware, not a tested result.

Lens angles are harder to compare than they look. THINKWARE states 147 degrees front and 156 degrees rear, and Garmin 140 degrees, as diagonal figures. VIOFO, 70mai and Vantrue give angles without a measurement direction, and Vantrue's store page and manual disagree on the rear angle, 160 or 165 degrees. A wider angle covers more of the scene; it does not establish more detail at a distance.

Check where the GPS receiver is

GPS adds time, location and speed data to recordings; it is not navigation. In the VIOFO and Vantrue packages the front camera receives GPS through the supplied mount, so the mount is part of the feature. THINKWARE documents embedded GPS and GLONASS in the U3000 PRO, and Garmin and 70mai list GPS built in. A GPS module or mount sold separately counts only when the package lists it.

Plan parking power before comparing parking modes

Parked recording needs power after the ignition is off, and every manufacturer here points parked recording to a constant-power connection; Garmin also documents a run-on-battery setting that uses the X310's own battery. VIOFO requires an HK4 or HK6 hardwire kit sold separately, and only the HK6 adds a voltage cut-off. THINKWARE states parking mode works only with the hardwiring cable, which the selected bundle includes, and strongly recommends professional installation by a trained mechanic. 70mai requires its UP03 hardwire kit, sold separately. Vantrue says parking monitoring must be hardwired with a kit sold separately. Garmin points to a separately sold Constant Power Cable for the OBD II port or a Parking Mode Cable, and recommends an experienced installer for the latter. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and a qualified installer; this guide gives no wiring advice.

Parking modes then differ by name and behavior: buffered event detection, time-lapse, low-bitrate recording, impact-only energy saving and, on the U3000 PRO, radar detection. How long any of them can run depends on the vehicle battery and the power accessory, which is not measured here. Backup power differs too: VIOFO, THINKWARE and Vantrue use supercapacitors, the A810 a 500mAh battery, and the X310 a rechargeable battery that Garmin rates at up to 20 minutes. None of them keeps recording for long without vehicle power.

Budget for the memory card

A dash cam cannot record without a compatible microSD card, and only one package here includes one: the THINKWARE bundle lists a 64GB card. Stated maximums are 512 GB for the A229 Pro, U3000 PRO and X310, 256 GB for the A810 on 70mai's store and 1TB for the Nexus 4 Pro S. Minimums and speed classes matter as well: Garmin requires at least 8 GB and Class 10, 70mai at least 32GB and U3, and THINKWARE says it does not guarantee third-party cards.

Separate local Wi-Fi from connected services

Wi-Fi on a dash cam usually means a local link to a phone app for viewing and downloading clips. Remote viewing, alerts and cloud storage need extra hardware or a paid plan. THINKWARE CONNECTED features need an optional LTE Module, and the store names Basic and Premium plans. Vantrue's remote parking view needs its LTE module with a SIM card. 70mai's 4G features need a 4G hardwire kit, and its US brand page and store disagree about US availability. Garmin's Vault cloud storage and remote Live View need a paid Vault subscription, and Garmin's own specification data and manual describe Parking Guard's subscription requirement differently. VIOFO's page describes no cloud service for the A229 Pro. Prices and plan terms are not recorded here, and a plan period bundled with hardware is not a permanent entitlement.

Confirm the exact package

Match the seller's option or code to the package you want before paying: TW-U3000PRODH is the hardwiring bundle and TW-U3000PRODH-LTE adds the LTE Module; 70mai's Front+Rear Cam option is SKU 6830AA800295, separate from its Gift Box options; Garmin's 010-02860-00 is the camera without the BUNDLE-X310-CPC offer; Vantrue's standalone VT-F010049 listing is separate from its hardwire and card bundles; and the A229 Pro 2CH is separate from the 1CH, 3CH, Telephoto and Waterproof editions. When a seller's box list differs from the manufacturer's, keep that doubt visible and resolve it with the seller.