Technical Specs
– Three-channel dash cam
– Max. resolution: front 1440p, rear 1080p, interior 1080p
– Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – AliExpress – more countries & vendors (affiliate links)
– Optional GPS mount
– 2.5″ Screen
– Video format: MP4
– Supports up to 256 GB MicroSD cards
– Time and date stamp on video
– Parking modes: Simple, time-lapse
– Interfaces: USB, HDMI
– Lock file button
– Loop recording, auto on/off, G-Sensor, motion detection
– Operating temperature: from -10°C to 70°C (14°F to 158°F)
– Storage temperature: from -20°C to 80°C (-4°F to 176°F)
– Internal capacitor instead of battery
– Internal microphone and speaker
– Suction mount
Front Camera:
– Max. resolution: 2560×1440 @ 30fps
– Aperture: f/1.4
– Bit rate: 15 Mbps
– Sony STARVIS 5M CMOS sensor
– Angle of view: 155° diagonal
Rear Camera:
– Max. resolution: 1920×1080 @ 30fps
– Aperture: f/1.8
– Bit rate: 8 Mbps
– Sony STARVIS 2M CMOS sensor
– Angle of view: 160° diagonal
Interior Camera:
– Max. resolution: 1920×1080 @ 30fps
– Aperture: f/2.0
– Bit rate: 7 Mbps
– Sony STARVIS 2M CMOS sensor
– Angle of view: 165° diagonal
– 4 infrared (IR) LEDs
Vantrue N4 Review
The Vantrue N4 is the first major dash cam to record not two, but three video channels: Its cameras record to the front, to the rear camera, and inside of your car. So this is basically a taxi/uber cam with an additional rear camera, or a front and rear dash cam with an additional interior lens.
The interior view is aided by 4 infrared LEDs that illuminate the passenger cabin when it’s dark, a must-have if you want to be able to see on video what’s happening in your car at night. This feature is especially valued by Uber/rideshare drivers, or anyone in the people transportation business.
Check out our Comparison Table Of 3-Channel Dash Cams to compare prices, video quality, and main specs of the major triple channel dashboard cameras, side by side.
Design
The Vantrue N4 features an attractive design, sporting a comfortably-sized 2.45″ screen. To the right of the screen we have the interior camera, which can be rotated up and down to get an optimal view of the passenger cabin.
On the left hand side, we have a tiny reset button, the SD card slot, a connector for the cable that goes to the rear camera, and an HDMI out port that you can connect to a TV or computer monitor.
On top of the N4, we have 5 control buttons:
- Menu / Lock file button
- OK / Toggle video recording
- Mute audio recording / Left arrow
- Toggle PIP view / Right arrow
- Power / Toggle infrared LEDs
The N4’s menus and controls are simple, quite and intuitive to use.
The camera’s power cable connects to the mount, not to the camera itself. That way, if you ever want to remove the camera from your car, there’s no need to unplug the power cable.
Video Quality
In normal operation, the Vantrue N4 records at 1440p resolution with the front camera, and 1080p with the interior and rear cameras. Unfortunately, video quality isn’t too impressive overall. It’s generally hard to read other car’s license plates while driving even by pausing the video, unless the other car is very close.
Forward video quality is good at day, and fair at night. The rear camera’s footage is fair at day, and mediocre at night. The rear camera does have a noticeable fish-eye effect.
The cabin camera records very good video during the day, and fair video at night. With the IR LEDs on, passengers in the front seats are clearly visible, but those seated in the rear come out blurry.
Parking Mode
The Vantrue N4 supports simple (event-triggered) and time-lapse parking modes. For parking mode to work, you need an extra hard-wiring kit that costs around $15 extra.
In simple parking mode, you can set the camera to come alive when an impact is detected by the G-sensor, when motion is detected visually, or both.
In time-lapse parking mode, you can record either at 1 or at 5 frames per second (fps).
Other Features
GPS is not included by default, but a separate GPS mount is available for about $20. With GPS, you can record the car’s location and speed in the video.
The IR LEDs can be set to turn on automatically when it gets dark, or you can switch them on and off manually.
Observations
- The camera’s user manual comes in several languages. The English language version is quite compact at 31 pages, and explains the camera’s functions well.
- The N4’s audio sounds a bit muffled.
- The manufacturer warns you not to use Sandisk or Transcend memory cards with this camera. They recommend using original Vantrue cards (up to 256GB in size).
- A 256GB card will give you almost 19 hours of recording time before the oldest files become overwritten.
Conclusion
It’s great to finally have a three-way dash cam by a well-kown brand on the market. Unfortunately, the Vantrue N4’s overall video quality is only fair. Reliability and usability are good though.
If you’re a taxi or Uber driver, you definitely want to consider getting this camera for your vehicle. You may also want to check out our comparison of 3-channel dash cams, to see how the Vantrue N4 compares in terms of quality and price.
Where To Buy
The Vantrue N4 is available for sale from the following vendors:
Links to vendors are affiliate links, and help to support this site.
Vantrue N4 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.
Front Video Sample, Day
Forward video quality at day is good. It’s hard to make out other car’s license plates while driving though, except when they are quite close and you’re going very slow or standing (i.e. at a red light).
Front Video Sample, Night
Forward video quality at night is fair. License plates of other cars are only readable when they’re directly in front of us.
Rear Video Sample, Day
Rear video at day is fair, too. There’s a noticeable fish-eye effect. Other cars’ license pates are only readable when they’re directly behind us.
Rear Video Sample, Night
At night, rear video quality is mediocre. Even nearby license plates are hard to read.
Interior Video Sample, Day
Interior video is very good during the day. No complaints here.
Interior Video Sample, Night
Interior video at night is fair. Passengers in the front seats are clearly visible, but those seated to the rear are out of focus.
