How to use a desktop dash cam viewer for reviewing footage
Desktop Dash Cam Viewers
Desktop Dash Cam Viewers
If your dash cam is screenless and you want to check the footage in a snap, simply go to the dedicated mobile app. For utmost convenience, BlackVue, Thinkware, and VIOFO dash cams have designed smartphone apps available in iOS and Android.
But if you’re looking to go through your footage in maximum detail? Worry not, as desktop dash cam viewers are here to give you a bigger view of your footage, letting you quickly go through all footage on your camera, from the comfort of your home. Desktop Dash Cams Viewers are optimized for use with Dash Cams, allowing videos to be viewed in succession, and offering unique viewing/optimizations depending on the viewer. More than that, many dash cams embed their GPS information into the dash cam footage, needing a desktop viewer to properly translate this information. In this article, we will dive into the desktop dash cam viewers’ functions, accessibility, and highlight each of our dash cam brands’ software versions.
How can a Desktop Dash Cam Viewer help me?
From the name itself, dash cam viewers deliver your dash cam footage on the big screen, particularly your Mac or PC. Through this software, you can effortlessly access your dash cam's previous recordings, configure settings, and view important information such as speed and GPS data - thanks to their sleek and easy user interfaces.
If you want to efficiently organize your files, download footage, export driving data, and configure settings, desktop dash cam viewers are the way to go. While you can do this on your smartphone, a desktop dash cam viewer makes it more convenient because you have a larger display, so it’s easier to recognize and watch your footage. Moreover, PCs and Macs mostly offer faster video download speeds compared to smartphones, as the processing is better, and the computer has direct access to the files, as opposed to streaming them to your smartphone over wifi. When footage is streamed, image quality is often condensed to allow for a quick and seamless connection, only getting the true recorded quality when the footage is downloaded to your phone, which can be time-consuming. Viewing footage over a computer will allow the best image quality viewable, instantly.
Connecting your SD card to your desktop or laptop
To view footage over a Dash Cam Viewer, you will need to connect the SD card to your computer. Your dash cam footage is stored in your dash cam’s micro SD card. If you wish to view your footage in the desktop dash cam viewer, you simply have to connect the micro SD card to your computer.
First, you need to insert the memory card from your dash cam into an SD card adapter, the majority of SD cards will come with an adapter.
Next, connect the adapter with the SD card to your computer. If your computer is not detecting the SD card, make sure the SD card is very snug in the adapter, and that the adapter is not locked, as some adapters have a lock located on the side.
Your computer must be able to read the micro SD card, and you can also get to access the files through the dedicated desktop viewer.
Compatible Desktop Dash Cam Viewers
BlackVue Viewer
The BlackVue Viewer can be used with all BlackVue dash cams for viewing footage, changing settings of the dash cam, and formatting your SD card. More than that, BlackVue Cloud dash cam users can remotely access and manage their devices through the BlackVue web viewer. Best of all, it’s compatible with all browsers such as Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Internet Explorer 11.
Thinkware PC/Mac Viewer
The Thinkware PC / Mac Viewer is a specific software tool for Thinkware dash cams that allows you to watch videos, obtain information such as speed, location, time, and modify the settings on your dash cam.
Dash Cam Viewer
Designed to display your dash cam footage on a web viewer, the Dashcam Viewer is available on Mac and Windows and is compatible with over 140 different dash cam models including VIOFO. Dash Cam Viewer is the only option on the list here that is a paid option, though there is a free version. Dash Cam Viewer’s advantage is its wide compatibility, as it works with various Dash Cam brands, able to still organize footage, translate GPS data, and core features. Still, dedicated dash cam viewers will offer more features and usability for their respective brands.