Performance Standardization Dulls Spec Battles, Targeting Consumers with Specialized Features
Fine Digital's 'FineVu R2', which combines the functions of a black box and a room mirror. Photo by Fine Digital
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The black box industry has launched various types of black boxes to strengthen competitiveness and target consumers.
According to the related industry on the 17th, as the performance of black box products has become uniformly high, making spec competition less meaningful, the industry is shifting its business strategy to target consumers with specific functional or situational demands.
Various products are targeting consumer preferences, including rearview mirror black boxes aimed at SUV drivers and novice drivers, connected black boxes specialized in remote vehicle control, built-in black boxes emphasizing vehicle interior, and 4-inch LCD black boxes prioritizing cost-effectiveness.
Rearview Mirror Black Box for SUV Drivers and Novice Drivers
Fine Digital recently launched the ‘FineVu R2,’ which combines black box and rearview mirror functions, targeting SUV drivers who carry a lot of luggage in the back seat and novice drivers who struggle with rear visibility. The product is a dual-channel rearview mirror black box with full HD front and rear video quality that replaces the vehicle’s original rearview mirror and displays rear driving footage on an LCD screen in the form of a rearview mirror. This feature makes it convenient as it prevents difficulties in securing rear visibility caused by luggage or passengers in the back seat. Additionally, with a wider field of view than the original rearview mirror, it minimizes rear blind spots, making it an ideal product for novice drivers who have difficulty checking the rear. Furthermore, the LCD screen’s brightness automatically adjusts to reduce glare, overcoming the unfamiliarity compared to the original rearview mirror. Equipped with a Sony STARVIS sensor and rear HDR, it clearly captures the license plates of rear vehicles in any situation, including low-light nighttime conditions.
The ‘FineVu R2’ also faithfully fulfills the core function of a black box, which is recording and storing driving footage. The newly introduced Format Free 2.0 function maximizes the lifespan and stability of the memory card. When recording in smart time-lapse mode, which efficiently compresses footage without quality loss, it can store videos up to five times longer than in standard mode.
Two-Way Communication Black Box for Easy Remote Vehicle Management
CNS Link launched the two-way communication black box ‘Connected MyDin LTE’ for drivers who worry about their vehicle’s status even after getting off. Based on the fast speed of LG U+ LTE network, the product promotes itself as a ‘vehicle CCTV’ that allows real-time monitoring anytime and anywhere, focusing on alleviating drivers’ concerns about unexpected accidents that may occur while parking.
Emphasizing smartphone connectivity, this product allows real-time remote control through an app, including ▲real-time video viewing (driving, parking, recording) ▲parking impact alerts ▲vehicle location tracking ▲vehicle information viewing. Most notably, if an impact occurs while parked, the app immediately sends high-definition front and rear footage from 3 seconds before and 3 seconds after the impact to the smartphone. It also allows users to receive and check the parking location and front vehicle footage anytime.
Built-in Black Box for Drivers Who Insist on Original Interior
Thinkware released the ‘iNavi F3000,’ a black box emphasizing integration with the vehicle for drivers who insist on the original vehicle interior. Unlike conventional black boxes composed of a front camera and rear display, this product does not have an LCD, minimizing the exposed area of the device. This enhances integration with the vehicle and does not significantly damage the original interior. The role of the display is replaced by a smartphone. The product supports connection with the dedicated app ‘Thinkware Dashcam Link’ via smartphone tethering, allowing drivers to stream and download driving footage in real time. Additionally, the product offers convenience features such as ‘Battery Discharge Prevention,’ which automatically cuts off the black box power to protect the battery when the voltage drops below a set threshold during parking, maintaining stable power management, and ‘High Temperature Auto Shutdown,’ which automatically detects high internal vehicle temperatures caused by sunlight and stops recording to protect the device.
4-Inch Wide-Angle LCD Black Box for Cost-Conscious Drivers
Hyundai Pontus launched the ‘Pontus WD700,’ equipped with a 4-inch IPS LCD panel for drivers who prioritize cost-effectiveness. The product is a black box that focuses on ‘selection and concentration.’ While concentrating on essential functions, advanced additional features are offered as options to minimize price burden. First, the camera has a wide field of view with 155 degrees front and 148 degrees rear, and it is equipped with a wide-angle camera to record the sides as well. At the same time, the power time-lapse solution can roughly double the recording time, and when an impact occurs, it automatically saves video at 30 frames per second, enhancing video recording functionality. Additionally, it supports an optional IoT GPS function, typically found in premium black boxes. Through this, users can connect the communication-type IoT GPS 2.0 function to their smartphones to automatically generate vehicle location and driving logs.
Regarding these product trends, an industry official emphasized, “Black boxes have long completed a high level of standardization in terms of recording and storing driving footage, and spec competition is meaningless unless completely new technology is introduced. It is reasonable to target consumer groups with clear demand for specific functions.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
