Smart Black Box Drive Recorder

Edit: I've now had this recorder over two years and it's still going like a champ. They now have an improved BX1500 model out. Twice a year the thing beeps because it does not initialize the SD card upon start up but turning the key on and off has cleared it each time.

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Edit: I've now had this recorder over one year and it's going like a champ. Excellent!

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If you don't know, this device is used to record video while you drive your vehicle for accident evidence purposes. One lie and you could be paying thousands of dollars when somebody else is at fault or worse yet be seriously hurt and having an insurance company not living up to its promises.

This review is based on my first impressions after installing, recording, and using the the software to configure and review videos, but not extended use. I will add pertinent information if I feel differently or if the device fails.

I have purchased two of these type of devices in the past. The first one cost 400 dollars and clamped on the rearview mirror. The second was similar to this unit in that it was small and simple with no viewing screen and cost 100 dollars. Buying one of these devices can be quite a pain and disappointment. The first rearview mirror type was good enough, but it weighed so much it ruined my mirror ball and socket mount and essentially would not stay in the up position after about six months. In addition the screen would turn on EVERYTIME I started my car so I was forced to manually turn it off. This became a big pain up until the point that my mirror ball and socket would not hold it up any longer. In addition to these problems the unit's buttons started to stick and basically I blew 400 dollars on a clunky embarrassingly large piece-o-junk. The second 100 dollar unit was made in china and upon taking it apart two weeks after purchase I completely understood why it would not function when the car was hot (90deg day). The inside looked like a mess with low quality workmanship. So at this point I've dropped half a kilobuck and don't have a decent recorder.

At this point I started thinking very deeply about what I wanted in a dash DVR/accident recorder. At first I insisted that it have a screen so I could show the cop at the accident scene, but have since back pedaled on this requirement based on the tradeoffs. I have looked at many of these units and ultimately they either record video files a computer can play (avi's, mp4), record files that software has to be used to review (the smarty black box is like this), and or it has an on-board screen for review. Most of them use removable flash memory. I'll add that the smarty's software allows you to create avi's that both my mac and pc play.

Here is my list of attributes:

1. It must be very small and unobtrusive so it does not block driver visibility and is not obvious from the exterior of the vehicle. Who wants to be the dork with the big bunch of electronics on their dash? Plus many of them will prevent you from using a sun shade. Higher visability = more theft.

2. It must automatically start recording when power is applied (power port or hardwire into fuse box) and not require me to touch it to turn off a screen or start a process.

3. It must overwrite the flash media automatically when it runs out of storage

4. It must warn me if it is malfunctioning (buzzer)

5. It must have a very wide angle lens to maximize field of view (angle you can see)

6. It must be reliable

7. must be able to review files at accident scene

8. Basically I should be able to completely forget that I have this device in my vehicle and only worry about it when its memory card needs replacing and it warns me or I want to look at video.

9. It must be very easy to install and have a reliable mount that does not fall off every other day.

I finally found the smarty black box and it's almost perfect. based on my initial assessment, I would say its size is very manageable with frankly a brilliant mechanical design and mount. It uses what appears to be high performance 3M adhesive tape for mounting and it appears to be VERY sturdy once installed. I'm guessing it's going to stay put, but I'll come back and add edits to the end of the review if it turns out to work poorly. The threaded ring (what you see in the picture is three parts assembled) that holds the body to the mount loosens and allows you to rotate the body (and lens) at very fine increments (small mating teeth in body mate with teeth in mounting ring). The software allows you to configure it to record constantly when powered on or record only an event as indicated by the g-sensor shock or user button push. I want to record constantly. Another reviewer complained that when used on constant record mode (when powered) that it will only do 15 frames per second. I think the reviewer is mistaken to think he/she needs more than 15 frames per second. First of all this is merely an evidence recorder, not a movie recorder to watch on your TV with smooth playback. Since the flash media will eventually need to be replaced due to being overwritten thousands of times, recording at slower frame rate makes the flash memory last longer and reduces costs and hassle. I set mine to 10 frames per second because I think it will provide me with enough video to make my case while not "wearing out" the recorder. It starts recording automatically, it automatically overwrites files if configured with the software to do so, it has a buzzer that indicates an "event" or g-shock (sensitivity is adjustable with software) as well as flash memory failure buzzer, the lens is extreme wide angle....... basically the smarty black box is everything I wanted except I can't review the files on scene.

Considering all the options I think the smarty black box is a poor man's excellent recorder. I recommend this recorder and if you must have the ability to playback video on scene buy a cheap netbook (software only works with windows). All of the other cheaper recorders I have seen fail miserably in multiple areas.

I do agree with another reviewer that the video quality is marginal, but that could be in part due to the fact that the lens is super wide angle which introduces distortion. I would rather have wide angle over less distortion purely for the fact I want to record evidence of what happened, not necessarily confirm a license plate number (it's a trade off). You can not make out a license plate because the video quality resolution/lens is not optimized for detail, rather wide viewing area. The other review's comment on sensor quality has merit, but I think the price and features are optimized. It certainly could use a better lens and sensor, but I'm not sure I want to pay 50% more for that. This is basically a 200-300 dollar recorder that will allow me to say "no I didn't run that light" or "that person swerved out of their lane not me" or "I was not speeding". The nighttime video is below average, but I still defend the configuration as well designed cost/video quality. More frames per second and more resolution means more data and shorter flash memory life.

Keep in mind what you want this device to do and how much you want to pay for it. Sure it would be nice to make out fine details, but for the most part I want a basic evidence recorder that shows my lane position, speed, stop light signal status, the other drivers behavior. If you want a full blow evidence collection system you need a remote mount DVR, several cameras, and lots of installation grief. This device on the other hand is a breeze to install and use, does not tear up your vehicle to install, and stays out of your way while you are driving..... that pretty sweet.

I'm expecting it to be reliable based on external construction/design and software quality, but that's admittedly a guess. If it gives me any problems I'll edit my review.

Also the software is very nice.

It's a good item to have in any car I've read and heard many stories about other people trying to get $$$ from your car insurance by simply backing up into the front of your car (for example, while you're standing behind them at traffic light) and then trying to claim that it was you who actually rear-ended them. You'll need a lot of luck trying to prove to your insurance company that it was not your fault, unless you have witnesses... or a video camera such as this.

About the camera itself: pretty solidly built (even though it's plastic) and very compact, the software which is used to play back the files and modify camera's settings is very easy to use and has many useful features which are explained well in the properly translated user's manual (overall much better than the software which comes with other similar cameras made by different companies). The video quality is pretty similar to other cameras of this type good during daylight, bad during dark time of the day. Resolution is pretty average acceptable for this type of camera, though I'd really prefer (and would gladly pay more for it) a higher resolution, at the very least 720p. The current model seems to record at maximum of 15 fps (frames per second) in a continuous record mode at a 640x480 resolution, which is somewhat strange considering the camera can actually record at 30 fps at same resolution but only in an event record mode (which is not that useful to me since I prefer the camera to record continuously). It cannot record audio, but that's a good thing, at least for me, since I tend to say many bad words when I'm driving alone and someone in front of me is driving very poorly. Overall I'd say I'm satisfied with my purchase, though as I said before, I really wish the manufacturer would improve it by using a better image sensor, with higher resolution and better light sensitivity.

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The review from M. Smith is pretty complete and accurate but I'll just add a few of my own observations about the SBX-1100 recorder. The device appears well-built and functions as described. I give it 4 stars rather than 5 because the resolution, at least using the 170-degree lens, is not quite good enough to read the license plate of the vehicle just in front of you at a stoplight. In my opinion, a data recorder of this type should be able to resolve a license plate as a basic point of data. (A sample youtube video with the 90-degree lens does show resolved license plates when near.) My only complaint with the SBX-1100 firmware is this... Events flagged by G-Sensor or the Record button should cause that video to be stored in a protected folder so that the events are not overwritten when the memory card becomes full. You can configure the device to stop recording when the memory card is full but it makes more sense to me that the Events should be protected while unflagged video is overwritten.

The SBX-1100 by KCI Communications appears to be the same device sold elsewhere as the Smarty BX1000 Plus by D-TEG. It's apparently manufactured in Korea. I've been disappointed that KCI Communications has not responded to email inquiries asking a few questions, such as Is the 90-degree lens available as a user-installable option? Another email about the availability of the spare parts kit has also gone unanswered. A phone call might quickly get the answers for me but if KCI offers email support on their website they should respond to email.

The PCViewer software appears to be made by the Yupiteru Co. of Japan. I have two complaints about the software: The Search For Events function searches only the currently selected file not all Loaded files. It seems it would be rather trivial to search all the loaded files so you don't have to search each one separately when looking for Events flagged in Normal mode. Also, the PCViewer main window cannot be re-sized. Using my netbook I had to use the ALT-M (Move) function just to get access to the progam menu. Both complaints are trivial and otherwise the software works very well and the integration with Google Maps and Google Earth is well-done.

On a 1,000 mile, 4-day trip the SBX-1100 seemed to work fine in Normal mode. I used a 16GB SD card and backed the data up every evening on a netbook computer. A cursory review of the video indicates pretty much every bit of driving was captured by the camera, and speed and location data were very accurate. On average, about 8GB of video and data was captured each day. Typically it wouldn't be necessary to backup all the data, especially the video, everyday just any particular stuff you want to keep or review. I did it just to see if I could do it practically.

Overall I'm satisfied with the SBX-1100 as a data recording device for the car. The competing Itronics ITB-70G Car Black Box Dash Camera Video and Audio Recorder with GPS Record device appears to be very similar in features with the addition of audio but I don't particularly like the looks of it.

When mounting the SBX-1100, make sure it is level to minimize the fish-eye distortion caused by such a wide-angle view. If the camera lens is aimed too low the horizon will curve up at the ends. If aimed to high, the horizon will curve down on the ends.

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I purchased one of these units about a year ago. I'd review the log files and video every once in a while to make sure it was working. Then a few months ago I noticed that the date/time tag on the files was not showing the date correctly. Most files showed a date in 2008, and a time of 7:00 pm, while only a few showed a correct date/time.

I tried contacting the support people at KSI.com. No response. I tried calling. Always went to voicemail. If I ever have to use these files as supporting evidence, it won't do me much good if it doesn't have a good date/time tag.

So I've had it with this unit, and the company that sells them. I'll look for something from a company that doesn't forget about you as soon as they have your money.

Update on 9 Feb 2012

I kept calling their "Help" line. Even stepped through their electronic phone book, and left voicemail with every number that had a person associated with the number. Still no response.

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I've left it running by accident, multiple times, for hours on end in direct sunlight with blistering heat & high humidity. It records with no errors. It acts like a "security blanket" on long trips to Chicago and Dallas, because I know I've got a discreet eyewitness.

My ONLY minor complaint is that the 12v plug doesn't include an on/off switch. Wish list: a dark translucent sticker to cut down the intensity of the lights on the back because they can distract my passengers at night. The lack of audio doesn't bother me as I've used a cockpit voice recorder for years.