Vantrue E1 4K Pro Review (2026): Tiny and High-Definition

One mode is to bargain an optional $25 hardwire kit from Vantrue, which volition link the instrumentality straight to your fuse box. Note, however, that the camera draws astir 25 to 35 milliamps portion successful parking mode (about 3 to 4 watts connected a location outlet), and this volition drain your car's artillery if hardwired. This isn't a troublesome powerfulness draw, and should beryllium good for days oregon possibly weeks if your battery's healthy.

But successful general, I'd alternatively not drain my car artillery portion it's parked. I'd alternatively nix the hardwire kit and put successful a bully powerfulness bank. Even a $48 portable slope from Anker should beryllium capable for astir a week's continuous cognition portion parked, without ever worrying astir artillery drain connected your car.

Limitations and Faults

For specified a dinky device, the Vantrue does nevertheless connection a real-time screen. It's doubtful you'll usage it to scroll done video, however. It's astir utile for verifying the framing connected the cam erstwhile you instrumentality it to your windshield. The surface is simply a spot engaged with information, and little solution than the existent video.

If you're reviewing footage, you'll beryllium doing truthful connected your telephone utilizing the app. But the surface is inactive utile for adjusting settings manually, should you desperately request to—though controlling the telephone via the on-camera interface volition beryllium a small fiddly and irritating. Again, you're amended disconnected conscionable connecting the camera to your telephone to toggle settings.

There are, successful fact, settings aplenty. Through the app, you're capable to way mileage, toggle GPS tracking, acceptable the framework complaint and solution of the camera, and acceptable whether you privation the camera to usage high-dynamic scope settings oregon PlatePix. The erstwhile volition beryllium astir utile erstwhile airy is dim.

It's besides a simple, single-camera device. Vantrue has much elaborate (and much expensive, and larger) multi-camera options with akin camera specs that I'm successful the process of testing, including a Nexus 4 Pro with a lower-resolution front-cabin and rear cam. A 4-channel N5 adds an other rear-cabin transmission for a chaotic magnitude of camera coverage, but astatine the disbursal of immoderate representation resolution.

PlatePix does so assistance successful capturing licence plates, but it volition bash truthful astatine the disbursal of opposition connected the remainder of the image. This is simply a compromise that'll substance astir astatine night. Which is to say, you're choosing betwixt marginal licence sheet seizure connected a acheronian image, oregon worse, licence sheet seizure connected crisper nighttime footage.