I really like my U1000 and although the U3000 looks slightly better I can’t justify the upgrade plus the rewiring expense and operation on my vehicle. They really should have kept with their existing wiring and I’d probably be sold.
I have the U1000 but it recently failed after 4+ years just won’t power on. I have considered just getting a replacement, but thinking of upgrading to u3000 however rewiring would be an added cost of time and labor. I have a battery backup that needs replacing as well. Any suggestions?
I agree, the script didn't seem to match the video. Maybe the model# insets got swapped 😆🙄. It's still a helpful video for our purposes. Keeping the U1000.
I hope in your next video you focus more on the front camera reading license plates in different conditions and distances ...... waiting on that to make a purchase as it means the most to me. Thank you
Thanks for the feedback! License plates are definitely the most important part of dash cam recording. Check out our license plate readability test here: ua-cam.com/video/DAq9xMFsJtU/v-deo.html
I have had my U1000 for two years now. The problem with dashcams, including the U1000, is being able to clearly read license plates while vehicles are moving in lanes next to me or going in the opposite direction. It's worse at night. In a country like Kuwait, where hit an runs are normal, it is even more important to be able to clearly see the license plates. And, the FOV for the rear camera is reduced from 156 deg on the U1000 to 128 deg on the U3000. Why would I want to move to the U3000 that has siginificantly less FoV in the rear and only slightly wider in front? Not to mention, the hassle of rewiring for the rear camera, for image quality that is really not that much better than the U1000. The U1000 is still better than most dashcams right now. The only problem I have that the rear camera doesn't stay in place with the tape provided or any other I could find AND the microusb connection is loose, not tight. So the connection has a habit of working loose. In fact, I recently lost my rear camera when I opened the rear of my Tahoe and didn't know it, which irritates me. The replacement camera is not cheap, especially when tacking on the $50 shipping fee for a US address. And that's not even priority shipping. All in all, I have had several different dashcams and the U1000 is still the best out of the lot. Especially for the heat in the Middle East. I personally wouldn't recommend the U3000, just because of the lesser FoV for the rear camera and the difference in image quality is small. I also didn't see enough of difference in night image quality to make me want to upgrade. And it would have to be pretty significant to make me jump to a newer system. My two cents
You are Correct. Only some minor benefits with the new U3000. Currently, there are performance issues with the U3000. If you have the U1000 do not upgrade.
Thank you for your detailed insights on the U1000! You make some great points, especially about the field of view and rewiring concerns. However, for those prioritizing image quality, the U3000 does offer an improvement. This could be particularly beneficial in capturing crucial details like license plates, which you mentioned is essential in hit-and-run scenarios. Beyond that, we dive further into the software upgrades and improvements in our new review of the U3000. While the difference may not be drastic, in certain situations, this enhancement could make all the difference. But it's essential to weigh the image quality against the reduced field of view and installation effort. We appreciate your 2 cents 👍!
Your reviews are always great, Sir. Can't wait to get Thinkware for my both cars. Meanwhile, my major concern is the security of the dash cam itself, which brings me to my querry as to whether the Thinkware U1000 can be tracked or traced if stolen. Is it equipped with GPS to be tracked when stolen?
Glad you liked the video! Yes, I can confirm that this unit has built-in GPS to be tracked if stolen. Beyond that, the cloud features can prove useful with live remote tracking and geo-fencing.
i think they should add a cpl filter for the back camera as well which i will take out of my u1000 and put it on the rear u3000 but i hope they add that in
Thanks for the feedback! Yes, the CPL filter will work with the rear camera, though as only one is included at the moment, will need to be purchased separately.
Real nice video comparison. Two of my cousins recommended the u1000 as they have it installed on there suvs. I just purchased a new suv and this will be my first dash cam. The u3000 looks great, but I think I’ll save a bit of $ and just go with the u1000. I do wish they had a little screen to view on the front camera though, but It’s just my vice.
@@blackboxmycar would I have to purchase an additional hardwire kit if I wish to have the unit work in park mode continuously while not draining my battery?
Hold on, I thought the U3000 uses Starvis2 IMX - 675 in WGR not the IMX- 678 which utilizes HDR. If you already own the U1000, it is not worth upgrading to U3000. Currently, there are some issues and needed firmware updates to the U3000. Yes! U3000 is cleaner, and nicer looking, both front and rear have integrated Radar modules but the rear in parking mode not working correctly.
Thanks for the feedback. Thinkware has been known to resolve software issues quickly in the past, so we fully expect a firmware update to be released accordingly. Yes, the U3000 does not have HDR due to it's processor, but we are finding that the image quality is still cleaner and nicer overall.
Correct me if I'm wrong but did you say that the power cable is the same for the U1000 and U3000? Then all I would have to do is just unplug my U1000 and move the cable to the U3000 and my Cellink Neo battery would still place a U3000 in parking mode?
The rear camera feels like a bit of a downgrade. Also, hardwiring the U1000 into my Genesis GV80 was a pain. I wish that manufacturers would consider this and make it a seamless experience to upgrade cameras without forcing people to update the wiring, too.
Is Night Vision 4 not a feature of the chip? Because the Viofo with same chip still has NV 2... anyway, I think the external mic option on the Viofo does it for me...
Night Vision 4.0 is mainly applicable to the software in the unit that helps with the night vision, and is not applicable to the Sony STARVIS chip inside.
Still does not have acceptable plate/tag imaging..easy from 10 ft away while moving or stopped.. Thats where the money is..anyone can tell the type of car from a mile away
@@CaptainCJ97 That is a very good point..but the tech is there for it.. all the bells and whistles they add to the camera do nothing if you can not read a plate in all conditions.
The lenses in these dash cams do not have a focus mechanism, so they have a fixed focal plane, where things close to the car will be in focus, things outside a few metres won't be. You can increase the size of the focal plane by using a narrower aperture, but then you're not letting in as much light, which hurts low light performance. And if you have an aperture that's too narrow, you start getting diffraction, and that destroys details.
Can either of these cams be mounted directly ON the dashboard? Pennsylvania's laws are archaic and I do not want to have my potential video footages rejected on legal techicality of it being an illegally mounted dashcam on the windshield (because it is a distraction) Thank you!
The body of these units makes it so that dashboard mounting is not ideal, and probably won't work. Consider the BlackboxMyCar SmartDrive, which is dashboard mounted, or the all-new VIOFO VS1, which has a unique body that can be mounted creatively.
Installed it on my ford territory Unfortunately it was a flop The picture is amazing but it can’t read ANY LICENSE PLATE Recording license is the reason why I bought them in the first place😡😡
I really like my U1000 and although the U3000 looks slightly better I can’t justify the upgrade plus the rewiring expense and operation on my vehicle. They really should have kept with their existing wiring and I’d probably be sold.
if they can use the hardwiring kit then they use the same for that. im sure its just the rear camera wire which is faster to do.
At least it's just the rear cable! The power wiring is the same.
@@blackboxmycar Are you saying if we have the U1000 hardwired already we can just switch the cams for the U3000 and that's it?
I have the U1000 but it recently failed after 4+ years just won’t power on. I have considered just getting a replacement, but thinking of upgrading to u3000 however rewiring would be an added cost of time and labor. I have a battery backup that needs replacing as well. Any suggestions?
U3000 Night footage is very grainy compared to the U1000 in the night time segment - 6:54. Based on the comparison I would choose the U1000.
Exactly ! I think this is SUPER marketed video.. NO WAY any one would choose U3000 over U1000 night videos
I agree, the script didn't seem to match the video. Maybe the model# insets got swapped 😆🙄. It's still a helpful video for our purposes. Keeping the U1000.
I hope in your next video you focus more on the front camera reading license plates in different conditions and distances ...... waiting on that to make a purchase as it means the most to me. Thank you
Thanks for the feedback! License plates are definitely the most important part of dash cam recording. Check out our license plate readability test here: ua-cam.com/video/DAq9xMFsJtU/v-deo.html
I have had my U1000 for two years now. The problem with dashcams, including the U1000, is being able to clearly read license plates while vehicles are moving in lanes next to me or going in the opposite direction. It's worse at night. In a country like Kuwait, where hit an runs are normal, it is even more important to be able to clearly see the license plates. And, the FOV for the rear camera is reduced from 156 deg on the U1000 to 128 deg on the U3000. Why would I want to move to the U3000 that has siginificantly less FoV in the rear and only slightly wider in front? Not to mention, the hassle of rewiring for the rear camera, for image quality that is really not that much better than the U1000.
The U1000 is still better than most dashcams right now. The only problem I have that the rear camera doesn't stay in place with the tape provided or any other I could find AND the microusb connection is loose, not tight. So the connection has a habit of working loose. In fact, I recently lost my rear camera when I opened the rear of my Tahoe and didn't know it, which irritates me. The replacement camera is not cheap, especially when tacking on the $50 shipping fee for a US address. And that's not even priority shipping.
All in all, I have had several different dashcams and the U1000 is still the best out of the lot. Especially for the heat in the Middle East. I personally wouldn't recommend the U3000, just because of the lesser FoV for the rear camera and the difference in image quality is small. I also didn't see enough of difference in night image quality to make me want to upgrade. And it would have to be pretty significant to make me jump to a newer system. My two cents
You are Correct. Only some minor benefits with the new U3000. Currently, there are performance issues with the U3000. If you have the U1000 do not upgrade.
Thank you for your detailed insights on the U1000! You make some great points, especially about the field of view and rewiring concerns. However, for those prioritizing image quality, the U3000 does offer an improvement. This could be particularly beneficial in capturing crucial details like license plates, which you mentioned is essential in hit-and-run scenarios. Beyond that, we dive further into the software upgrades and improvements in our new review of the U3000. While the difference may not be drastic, in certain situations, this enhancement could make all the difference. But it's essential to weigh the image quality against the reduced field of view and installation effort. We appreciate your 2 cents 👍!
Hi there
Do u recommend the U1000 over blackvue dash cam
Cheers
Split screen is the wrong way to do this comparison. Side by side would be better, so we can see how each camera handles the same area.
Due to hardware limitation, it's a shame there will be no HDR implementation, even though using STARVIS 2....
Thank you for the feedback
Your reviews are always great, Sir. Can't wait to get Thinkware for my both cars.
Meanwhile, my major concern is the security of the dash cam itself, which brings me to my querry as to whether the Thinkware U1000 can be tracked or traced if stolen. Is it equipped with GPS to be tracked when stolen?
Glad you liked the video! Yes, I can confirm that this unit has built-in GPS to be tracked if stolen. Beyond that, the cloud features can prove useful with live remote tracking and geo-fencing.
i think they should add a cpl filter for the back camera as well which i will take out of my u1000 and put it on the rear u3000 but i hope they add that in
Thanks for the feedback! Yes, the CPL filter will work with the rear camera, though as only one is included at the moment, will need to be purchased separately.
Real nice video comparison. Two of my cousins recommended the u1000 as they have it installed on there suvs. I just purchased a new suv and this will be my first dash cam. The u3000 looks great, but I think I’ll save a bit of $ and just go with the u1000.
I do wish they had a little screen to view on the front camera though, but It’s just my vice.
Thanks for the feedback! The U1000 is still a solid model in it's own right.
@@blackboxmycar would I have to purchase an additional hardwire kit if I wish to have the unit work in park mode continuously while not draining my battery?
Hold on, I thought the U3000 uses Starvis2 IMX - 675 in WGR not the IMX- 678 which utilizes HDR. If you already own the U1000, it is not worth upgrading to U3000. Currently, there are some issues and needed firmware updates to the U3000. Yes! U3000 is cleaner, and nicer looking, both front and rear have integrated Radar modules but the rear in parking mode not working correctly.
Thanks for the feedback. Thinkware has been known to resolve software issues quickly in the past, so we fully expect a firmware update to be released accordingly. Yes, the U3000 does not have HDR due to it's processor, but we are finding that the image quality is still cleaner and nicer overall.
Correct me if I'm wrong but did you say that the power cable is the same for the U1000 and U3000? Then all I would have to do is just unplug my U1000 and move the cable to the U3000 and my Cellink Neo battery would still place a U3000 in parking mode?
Correct! The power cabe is exactly the same. However, if you have the rear camera, then the rear camera cable would need to be changed.
The rear camera feels like a bit of a downgrade. Also, hardwiring the U1000 into my Genesis GV80 was a pain. I wish that manufacturers would consider this and make it a seamless experience to upgrade cameras without forcing people to update the wiring, too.
Is there any difference if you use the OBD2 cable vs hardwire kit for parking mode?
Parking mode will function in exactly the same way!
Really feeling the new deign
Yay!
Is Night Vision 4 not a feature of the chip? Because the Viofo with same chip still has NV 2... anyway, I think the external mic option on the Viofo does it for me...
NV4 is just a marketing term
Night Vision 4.0 is mainly applicable to the software in the unit that helps with the night vision, and is not applicable to the Sony STARVIS chip inside.
Man why is license plate reading so terrible, how long until dash cams can reliably read them while driving?
Recording constant videos at high speeds for fine details can be a challenging task.
@@blackboxmycar are you familiar with police license plate readers? Is there some tech that can be adopted and used in dashcams?
It can be done, the only question is how much money it would cost.
Still does not have acceptable plate/tag imaging..easy from 10 ft away while moving or stopped.. Thats where the money is..anyone can tell the type of car from a mile away
Doesn't help america & others places have really small plates compared other places where their plates are actually see able
@@CaptainCJ97 That is a very good point..but the tech is there for it.. all the bells and whistles they add to the camera do nothing if you can not read a plate in all conditions.
The lenses in these dash cams do not have a focus mechanism, so they have a fixed focal plane, where things close to the car will be in focus, things outside a few metres won't be.
You can increase the size of the focal plane by using a narrower aperture, but then you're not letting in as much light, which hurts low light performance.
And if you have an aperture that's too narrow, you start getting diffraction, and that destroys details.
Can either of these cams be mounted directly ON the dashboard? Pennsylvania's laws are archaic and I do not want to have my potential video footages rejected on legal techicality of it being an illegally mounted dashcam on the windshield (because it is a distraction) Thank you!
The body of these units makes it so that dashboard mounting is not ideal, and probably won't work. Consider the BlackboxMyCar SmartDrive, which is dashboard mounted, or the all-new VIOFO VS1, which has a unique body that can be mounted creatively.
Thinkware 3000, Thinkware u1000, Viofo A139 pro or the Viofo 229 pro, which one do you recommend
All depends on your use and situation, but we are very impressed with the U3000.
Installed it on my ford territory
Unfortunately it was a flop
The picture is amazing but it can’t read ANY LICENSE PLATE
Recording license is the reason why I bought them in the first place😡😡
Is it better to run 2k @60 fps with the u1000 vs 4k?
2k give you more frame which should give you a smoother frame while moving.