Every year, new dash cam brands and models are rolling out, with some of the most sought-after in the market officially announced in the Consumer Electronics Show this January 2023.
Two of these are the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE, and the Ring Car Cam. Let’s see which among these two surveillance cameras can provide more security, advanced features, and better value for money.
In practice, recording in 4K is four times more detailed than recording in Full HD 1080p - and the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE can guarantee you this. With its 4K UHD video resolution and 8MP Sony STARVIS sensor on the front (and 2.1MP on the rear), you can record high-quality footage and even zooming in results in no video blur or distortion.
And this isn’t the case with Amazon's take. The Ring Car Cam is outfitted with 2 cameras, capturing the front and interior of your car. While the DR970X-2CH LTE offers 4K, the Ring Car Cam only delivers Full HD 1080p. If Ring used a good base, such as the Sony STARVIS or Omnivision sensors, we think it could be a decent option especially when you just want a basic camera for recording drives. However, based on its size, it does not appear to be one of the larger sensors available.
In terms of field of view, the DR970X-2CH LTE's front camera has a viewing angle of 162 degrees, which is more than enough to see everything ahead and even a glimpse of the sides. Front cam angle width? The Ring Car Cam fell short, with only 119.5 degrees, though its interior camera can cover 153 degrees which can be beneficial if you want to record what’s happening inside your car.
At first glance, you might think the Ring Car Cam looks strange, especially when compared to traditional dash cams. It is attached to an arm that extends up from your dash, with the arm's base wedged between your windshield and dash.
It is small, but its placement is not very discreet, which can distract the driver. Also, the quality of the footage may be inferior to that of a properly mounted dash cam behind the rearview mirror because the Ring Cam is mounted far from the windshield. Unfortunately, the viewing angle is also limited as the camera itself isn’t adjustable at all.
The DR970X-2CH LTE is no doubt a legitimate dash cam - you install it beside your rearview mirror on your windshield. This way, you avoid attracting the attention of thieves, keep your vision undistracted, and ensure that the video recordings are properly angled. Aesthetically, the DR970X-2CH LTE has the same form factor as the DR750X-2CH LTE Plus, but it now has a Matte Black casing instead of Silver, giving the dash cam a more sleek and premium appearance.
BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE
Ring Car Cam
Interestingly, the Ring Car Cam, although it’s not accurately a dash cam, has multiple recording modes. There is a feature called Traffic Stop, which allows you to say "Alexa, record" and the camera will record for up to 20 minutes which can be activated even if you are parked and the car is turned off. It also has Continuous recording like a regular dash cam, and Parking protection mode, with motion and impact triggering recordings.
BlackVue performs the same notable functions (except the Voice-controlled Alexa), but it is more flexible and secure than the Ring Car Cam. In addition to normal and continuous recording modes, the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE provides innovative parking mode solutions such as Motion and Impact Detection mode, Time Lapse, and Buffered Recording, which can provide your car with not just a few minutes, but 24/7 hour security from the front to the rear bumper.
We mentioned above that the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE offers Time Lapse. Aside from using it to capture the best of sunsets and sunrise, Time Lapse recording also helps you record more footage by saving storage space. Each 1-minute Time lapse Parking Mode video covers a real-time period of 30 minutes, allowing you to cover a period of more than 27 hours on a 16GB microSD card for a dual-channel model at the highest quality setting. The BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE has a loop recording feature, but its storage is expandable up to 256GB.
The Ring Car Cam doesn’t have removable storage, and can only record up to seven hours of video. If you want to store more, you must subscribe to the Ring Protect Go service, which costs $6 per month or $60 per year and is separate from the Ring home plans. You can use the Ring Car Cam without the Protect Go service, but you'll be limited to the storage space inside the Ring Cam - so better start clearing out old footage more frequently.
We're not fans of this feature ourselves. In Ring Car Cam’s case, when unsubscribed, you also lose Cloud storage and all of the other Ring features. Nobody loves subscriptions, especially when they're not optional.
GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are all built into the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE. Unlike other dash cams, this one includes built-in 4G LTE connectivity like the DR750X-2CH LTE Plus, so you don't have to connect to an external module or stay in your driveway to connect to the internet. All you’ll need to do is connect a SIM card into your DR970X-2CH LTE.
On the other hand, the Ring Car Cam lacks Bluetooth for a more seamless Wi-Fi connection. Also worth mentioning that its Wi-Fi is only 2.4GHz, as opposed to the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE's 2.4GHz and 5GHz. It’s always nice to have both WiFi options, and a 5GHz wifi network will allow for quicker footage streaming to your phone.
If you want to use 4G LTE, you must purchase an additional subscription. Aside from the dual-band Wi-Fi, the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE can also serve as a mobile hotspot that can connect up to five devices. Therefore, you can also have your other gadgets, or other passengers connect to your dash cam if you wish to go online!
The BlackVue Cloud is a free add-on service for BlackVue users that includes Alert Push Notifications, Remote Live View, Video Backup or Auto Upload, Two-Way Communication, Remote Video Playback, and Live Event Upload - basically everything you need to have that peace of mind whether you're leaving your car in an unfamiliar location, want to see what's going on in your vehicle when you asked someone else to drive it, or simply want to make sure that your vehicles, and video recordings safe and accessible. While it won’t be necessary for the daily driver, BlackVue also gives an option to upgrade your plan; highly recommended if you want to manage multiple vehicles for your fleet business.
If you’re getting the Ring Car Cam, a few of the features the BlackVue Cloud offers like Real Time Alerts, Live View, and Cloud Storage can be accessed too, but you must pay an additional $6 for it every month through a Ring Protect Go subscription. The rest of the BlackVue Cloud features we mentioned? They’re non-existent to the Car Cam.
We don't usually get into car compatibility because dash cams are known to work in any car - sedan, commercial vehicle, RV, or even an EV. The BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE is designed for all vehicles, so installing one should be simple.
The story is different for the Ring Car Cam, as it is not suitable for every car. Ring has a list of cars not compatible with the Car Cam on their website and on the list are many popular models, like the Acura MDX. Honda Insight, Infiniti QX60, Buick Regal, Tesla models Y and 3, Honda CRV, Ford Explorer, various Mercedes models, and even the Porsche 911, and much more.
It can only be powered by OBD, which may be incompatible for some car models that have different electrical and computing systems. As opposed to the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE, the dash cam can be hardwired directly to the fusebox or powered by your vehicle's 12V cigarette lighter socket.
BlackVue doesn’t have an OBD option, but it is compatible with a dedicated battery pack, such as the BlackVue B130-X or the BlackboxMyCar PowerCell 8, which can help with charging up your dash cam, and providing longer term parking recording.
One of the reasons why dash cams crash is because of temperature tolerance. You’re driving the car all year round, so that means you can experience harsh weather conditions from extreme heat to the coldest of winter.
The Ring Car Cam can only operate in temperatures ranging from 14°F to 131°F (-10°C to 55°C), whereas the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE can operate in temperatures as low as -4 °F to 158 °F (-20 °C to 70 °C) - providing you with more protection whether you’re living in a cold or warm region.
While the Ring Car Cam is designed to look like a dash cam and sit on your dashboard, it is actually a car security camera, similar to the other Ring home security products. In terms of video resolution, it only captures full HD and does not have the option of having a rear camera in case you want to capture traffic or incidents happening from the back of your vehicle - unlike the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE, which guarantees full coverage eyewitness for your car - in 4K UHD in the front, and 1080p in the rear.
In terms of built-in features, Cloud and Connectivity, BlackVue stands out. In fact, Blackvue has the best cloud-integrated dash cam on the market. It’s easily accessible, intuitive, the live notifications are responsive in real time and also provides an actual live view with low latency.
Unfortunately, there are other manufacturers attempting to make more money from their customers by providing a flimsy free plan that lacks essential features. They will then leave you with no choice but to upgrade to a paid subscription, just like what the Ring Car Cam requires its users to avail to maximize its dash cam and Cloud features.
On the other hand, the free plan that comes with the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE is generous and already provides a lot of value. The Free plan includes everything you'll need, including 5GB of storage. So, unless you have a strong need for unlimited viewing, unlimited playback, and up to 365-day storage, you don't need to upgrade.
4K video resolution, advanced parking modes, cutting-edge Cloud features, instant mobile hotspot function, convenient installation and weather protection - enjoy them all with the BlackVue DR970X-2CH LTE, now available here at BlackBoxMyCar!
