Blueskysea B2W Specs
– Taxi / Uber cam (front and cabin cam in one unit)
– Max. resolution: front 1080p, rear 1080p
– Compare prices: Amazon US / CA / UK – more countries & vendors (sponsored)
– Optional external GPS
– Wi-Fi
– 2″ Screen
– Video format: MP4
– Supports up to 400 GB MicroSD cards
– Needs class 10 (U1) card
– Novatek 96660 processor
– Time and date stamp on video
– Loop recording, auto on/off, G-Sensor
– Simple parking mode
– Lock file button
– Size: 111mm x 66mm x 29mm
– Operating temperature: from -20°C to 70°C (-4°F to 158°F)
– Storage temperature: from -20°C to 90°C (-4°F to 194°F)
– Apps for Android / iOS
– Wide Dynamic Range (WDR)
– Internal capacitor instead of battery
– Internal microphone and speaker, with mute button
– Voice announcements
– Adhesive and suction mounts
Front Camera:
– Max. resolution: 1920×1080 @ 30fps
– Bit rate: 12 or 16 Mbps
– Sony Starvis IMX307 sensor
– Angle of view: 132°
Rear (cabin) camera:
– Max. resolution: 1920×1080 @ 30fps
– Bit rate: 8 or 12 Mbps
– Sony Starvis IMX307 sensor
– 4 infrared (IR) LEDs
– Switchable mechanical IR-cut filter
– Angle of view: 132°
Blueskysea B2W Review
Blueskysea’s B2W dash cam was released in 2019 and sports an uncommon design that looks somewhat clunky at first glance, but it’s actually quite genius. The two lenses are situated in cylindrical housings below the camera, allowing you to rotate them horizontally to cover either (or both) of your side windows. A great option to have if you ever get pulled over by police, and would like to record the interaction with the officer.
Design
The casing is all black, making the camera if not stealthy, but at least not too noticeable, either. If you prefer, you can hide the camera behind your rear-view mirror and have only the lenses look out underneath. That way, your camera would be hidden out of sight for the most part, but it would be hard to operate using the screen and buttons. The B2W supports Wi-Fi though, so you can always control it using the smart phone app.
If you’re a Uber/rideshare driver and need the B2W to monitor your passengers, you may want to place the B2W in a more visible place, in case you ever want to point out to any drunk or misbehaving customers that they are being recorded.
Four infrared (IR) LEDs are situated around the inward facing lens, to illuminate the passenger cabin at night. The infrared wavelength being used is 940nm, which is invisible to the human eye but does get picked up by the IR camera.
On top of the camera, there’s a huge lock file button that’s easy to find without looking at the device. Great for saving video files when something important happens while you’re driving.
Video Quality
Forward video is good during the day, and fair at night. At night, readability of other cars’ license plates is a bit hit-and-miss though, except when they are quite close to you.
The cabin camera’s video quality is good during the day, and fair at night. It’s fit for purpose and you can see everything that’s going on, but at night, the cabin video isn’t terribly sharp due to the infrared-only illumination.
As for the bit rate, you can select between recording 12 Mbps on both channels, or 16 Mbps front and 8 Mbps rear. To record the passenger cabin, 8 Mbps is quite sufficient, as there won’t usually be any very swift movements or changes inside the car. So 16+8 Mbps is the recommended setting for use as a taxi/Uber cam.
Alternative Setups: Combination With Another Dash Cam
Some users have pointed out that apart from using the B2W as a taxi cam, it can also be used as a secondary camera in combination with another dash cam.
If you combine the B2W with another forward facing camera, you can set it up so it records the view out of your right and left passenger windows. For this setup, it would obviously be ideal to set the bit rate to 12 Mbps for each channel, and turn infrared off.
Or you can combine the B2W with a front and rear dash cam, giving you almost 360 degree coverage.
You’ll have to operate two cameras though, and manage the two separate memory cards that they record to. For this reason, we suspect running two dash cams in one vehicle may be overkill for most people. However, if you’re very security conscious, then this setup might be ideal for you.
Simple Parking Mode
When powered by a hard-wire kit (available separately, about $20), the B2W supports a simple parking mode. In this mode, whenever the car is parked and an event is detected by the G-sensor, the dash cam will “wake up” and record video for a minute or so.
It does take the B2W about 6 seconds to start recording, so if you’re unlucky, the perpetrator may already have left in the meantime.If parking mode is a priority for you, there a better parking mode cameras available.
Other Features
Both adhesive and suction cup mounts are included. Adhesive makes for a more permanent installation, while a suction cup is great if you plan to switch the camera between vehicles, or use it in rental cars etc.
The B2W takes memory cards up to 400GB in size, giving you around 30 hours of dual-channel video footage. The manufacturer recommends using Samsung Pro Endurance, Samsung Evo, or SanDisk Ultra A1 memory cards.
Audio quality is good, but slightly muffled.
GPS is not included by default, but an external antenna is available for about $10-$20 depending where you buy.
A great feature of this camera is that it has voice announcements for important events such as memory card errors, locking a file, et cetera. That way you can be aware what’s going on without having to look at the camera’s screen.
Conclusion
The Blueskysea B2W is a good entry level dash cam for Uber and rideshare drivers. Its video quality is not as good as the Viofo A129 Duo IR‘s, but all the necessary details are there, and the B2W is a lot easier to set up.
What’s more, the ability to be able to swivel the lenses to the sides and record the driver’s and passenger’s window is a feature that not many dash cams have, and more than makes up for the somewhat unusual form factor.
Where To Buy
The Blueskysea B2W is available for sale from the following vendors:
Links to vendors are affiliate links, and help to support this site.
Alternatives
If you prefer a uber cam with separate front and rear cameras, check out the Viofo A129 Duo IR.
Blueskysea B2W Video Samples
For full original video quality, make sure to watch on full screen and select maximum video resolution (use the cog icon in lower right corner). You may have to rewind the video after changing the resolution.
Day Time Front Video Sample
Forward video during the day is good. There is a slight fish-eye effect and the edges of buildings are slightly warped, but you can read license plates of other cars easily by pausing the video.
Day Time Rear Video Sample
Rear video quality at day is very good. The view of the passenger cabin is very detailed and sharp. You can even see license plates of other cars through the windows.
Night Time Front Video Sample
At night, forward video quality is fair. License plates of other cars are readable when close, but readability is hit-and-miss at medium and large distances.
Night Time Rear Video Sample
Interior video at night is in black and white due to the infrared lighting. The footage isn’t super sharp, but its overall quality is good. You can clearly see what’s going on in the passenger cabin.
