How To Access Dashcam Footage

[JustABobIsMe]

My Orskey dashcam may have picked up an incident between a car parked in front of me & one trying to park next to that. I checked at the time & could see footage of me turning into the carpark but I couldn't see a quick way to fast forward to when I would've returned to the car some time later, when the incident occurred (I had got back to my car but didn't see the incident as I was checking my phone while parked, with my head down).

When I got home an hour or so later I looked at the card on my PC. There were 2 folders, DCIMa & DCIMb (from memory). Latter was empty. DCIMa had movie & pictures files but the most recent was from September 2023 ! Even the footage I saw earlier, when I was turning into the carpark (or of me getting home so they haven't been overwritten), was nowhere on the card. I see the dashcam records while I'm driving, how on earth do I access the files ?

[bhg481]

Maybe your dashcam hasn't been working since last September. I check mine regularly, do you?

[JustABobIsMe]

"I checked at the time & could see footage of me turning into the carpark". That was last Friday. I couldn't see it when I looked on the SD card on the PC just a couple of hours later. I hadn't been back out in the car so couldn't have been overwritten. Dashcam has "rec" showing as soon as I plug it in to the car so I assume it's working !

I've been out today & as well as the files from September 2023 (& before that !), there are only videos of my return journey today, not even when I actually went out ! Was only about 7 minutes each way. There's nearly 1GB free on the card so it's not space. I don't understand it.

[JustABobIsMe]

I've changed the card now, tested it - can see the files - & I'll be keeping a closer eye on it, but would really appreciate if anyone can tell me if files from last Friday can be retrieved, before I tell the victim in the carpark incident I don't have footage after all.

[bhg481]

It sounds like it might be a poor connection causing recording to keep stopping. How is it connected? Is it pushed into a socket in the car or is it hard-wired?

Since different dashcams have different ways of recording it's difficult to say exactly how yours does it - I tried looking for a manual online but my anti-virus software blocked it.

[bhg481]

Just another thought. I  had a Sandisk card in one of my dashcams a while back which gave problems. I returned it to Sandisk under their Lifetime Guarantee; they replaced it but said that dashcams should have High Endurance cards fitted as they record for long periods unlike cameras/camcorders etc which only record in small bursts. It could be that your SD card is not fit for purpose.

[JustABobIsMe]

It is just pushed into a socket in the car, bhg481. It does lose connection occasionally but it plays a sound when it switches off & again when it starts up so I know. 

Not really about the recording, I'm trying to find the footage I actually played back on Friday, on the dashcam, before I approached the victim to say "I might have footage of the incident" (takes a lot of fiddly button pushes to delete it so certainly haven't done that). Looked about an hour later & it had gone.

[bhg481]

Do Orsky not provide software for reading the dashcam footage; all my dashcam manufacturers have done? If they do that might be a better way of tracking-down the footage you want.

[JustABobIsMe]

I have changed the SD card now, & that one happens to be a SanDisk High Endurance rather than their Ultra (that's what was in there) so I'll check it periodically - it's bit of a phaff I didn't realise I needed to do, but will now.

No Orskey software, manual just says

"Connecting to PC

This device can connect to a computer via the USB ports located on the top of the unit. When it contacted to the PC, there is Mass storage for you,Press OK to confirm.

Mass storage--you can view the videos and photos in the dash cam

Video storage folder description

DCIMA: front camera video

DCIMB: rear camera video"

Now I know why DCIMB is empty, I have no rear camera.

"Q: How to view the videos and photos using the dash cam?

A: If the dash cam is currently recording, hit the OK button to pause it. Then, twice click the Mode (right ) button to enter playback mode. Press ▲ and ▼ button to select the files. If you select a video, hit the OK button to begin and end the playback. Press the Mode button to return to the previously watched files or to select another file to view."

 

I think you could be right about the type of card, bhg481. Do remember I had to try a couple of different ones to even get it to recognise one before I could use it, so thanks for that.

 

[bhg481]

Let's hope changing the type of card makes the system more reliable although it won't cure the immediate problem of trying to get a copy of your video to someone else.

I have 2 cards for my dashcams; every so often I swap them over and then read the old card directly on my computer, copying any files required onto my computer disc..