Thinkware X1000 dashcam review: A high-end, hardwired camera with unlockable features Review | ZDNet

Far from my normal fanfest about Thinkware products, the X1000 dashcam annoyed me as soon as I opened the box. Usually, I tweak all the settings and check that things are working well with the camera before installing it in my car.

The X100 has a hardwiring kit only, so if you buy this camera, you will need to know what you are doing or hire a specialist who deals with hardwired installations before you can get any power to the camera and give it a road test.

So this review has mostly been written from inside my car, close enough to reach the Wi-Fi signal from the house.

The Thinkware X1000 is a premium level dual dashcam with two cameras to record both front and rear views. It has a 3.5-inch touchscreen to configure settings and a 156-degree wide-angle lens for both front and rear cameras. It is a 2K QHD image with night vision and parking surveillance mode.

Inside the box are the X1000 front and rear cameras, the hardwiring cable, and windshield mounts. There is also a hardwiring cable. Usefully this camera comes with a 32GB micro SD card so that you do not need to buy another SD card for each device you own.

The X1000 does not need a Wi-Fi signal to connect to an app — it does not use an app. All of the settings can be configured through its 3.5 inch LCD touchscreen. Set them and forget them.

It uses Sony’s IMX335 5.14MP STARVIS image sensor and lens to give automatic HDR to make sure that the images captured are as clear as possible.

The X1000 records at 2626 x 1964 px resolution, scales the image to 2560 x 1440px to improve resolution and uses DOL HDR (Digital Overlap High Dynamic Range) and noise reduction technology. This means that you get far less flaring from streetlights and raindrops on the windscreen.

The X1000 has ‘dewarping’ technology that smooths and flattens out the curved images. I can not see much distortion on the camera or video loops — so the technology must work really well.

As this dashcam is hard wired, it can be used in parking surveillance mode. It reduces the frame rate to 2fps to save the amount of disk space the video uses in parking mode.

Its motion detection feature will capture any motion around the vehicle. You can also purchase an optional radar detector that will detect motion before the collision, will wake up the camera and record up to 20 seconds from wake up.

As soon as you plug the cable in, the x1000 starts to record. Settings can be tweaked using the touch screen on the rear of the camera. However, the dashcam will stop recording when you invoke the settings menu. You need to push the touch screen very firmly to make sure your setting is recognised.

You can configure brightness for the front and rear camera and reverse the rearview cam. You can tweak the sensitivity and switch ultra night vision to continuous mode, parking mode or both. 

You can turn on HDR — but you can not use this feature with ultra night vision, and you can configure parking mode for motion detection, time-lapse, or set energy-saving mode.

This camera will not warn you about lane departure modes, approaching too close to the car in front or front vehicle departure modes – unless you have purchased an optional GPS antenna.

Without this, you can not have those really useful road safety cameras that I’ve loved on Thinkware models like the F800 and F200. However, I think that the GPS antenna should be included on all models by default and not an optional purchase as in the F200 Pro, U1000, and F70.

All in all, for under $300, the Thinkware X1000 dash cam is a simple to use camera that does not need an app to configure its settings which is great if you do not like using apps to connect to each piece of hardware you own.

It has good resolution and comes with a micro SD card. GPS and radar detection are both optional extras, but if you can live without them, and do not need a speed camera or lane departure warnings, then this camera could be just what you need.