Nextbase - 522GW Dash Cam - Black

I’ve gone through 4 other dash cams in the last week try to find one that would suit my needs. This one is 2k so it’s going to use up memory cards a lot faster, but the image is very sharp and detailed. The app is a little buggy but it works ok for playback on your phone. This dash cam has a reset button on the bottom, which I used to reset unit. Some dash cams have no reset button. Word of caution you must use a high speed V30 card because of the 2k image. Slower cards will not work. See photo. Image is very large on the screen, which is very nice! Hoping to keep this one - see photos.

Worked for 2 days then had to format my SD card, by the 5th day the screen was bright white. Best Buy installed my dashcam as well, problem with that is they didn’t return any of of packaging that came with it so I no longer can return it . Absolutely wasted over $300 in total with installation and cabin view camera. How can I return something when you’re employee threw away the original packaging?? What good is the receipt now .

I have had this camera for about a year now. At first i was overwhelmed with the setup part. You have to download the app and link it to your phone. This enhanced the features. It has emergency icons on it. If an accident occurs it can send the videos to local authority lawyers emergency contacts whoever you choose. This particular model also connects to rear view cameras. I unfortunately don't have rear view cameras but i wish i did. Deleting the videos to save space can be tedious sometimes... But its a small price to pay to have a piece of mind. I have it right behind my rear view mirror mounted on the windshield. I keep it connected to stay charged all the time. It can easily be removed from the mount for reviewing videos. It records sound and image... Very clear image. Impressive quality for how small it is. I keep the lens clean and the windshield clean for best results. I have caught people running red lights swerving in the road and we have even played it back to settle arguments. Lol. Its definitely the best witness you will have. Its peripheral vision is really good. It says under the product details the distance in peripheral vision i cant remember exactly but it captures more than enough while driving. It also has a setting where you can record after you set your car in park as well. Just keep in mind it will fill the card up faster. All in all i love it. I would buy another. I'm thinking about getting my dad 1 as well. Only thing i recommend is buying the highest gb sd card you can find. It is alexa capable and you can take it with you in any vehicle as long as you have a mount that's easy to move from car to car.

The Nextbase 522GW dashcam demonstrates good quality and good performance. It is not a new model, having been introduced in 2019. A high quality dashcam video can be of extraordinary importance by documenting precisely what occurred in a traffic accident or incident, and the video quality of the Nextbase 522GW is excellent. The Nextbase 522GW comes with a 12’ power cord with cigarette lighter / accessory power port plug (an accessory hardwired installation kit is optional), a ”Click & Go PRO GPS Mount” windshield mount with a 3M adhesive pad and a second, spare 3M adhesive mounting pad, a USB cable for downloading videos from the dashcam to a PC and a plastic trim tool for prying the vehicle’s interior trim to conceal the power cable. The 522GW contains a Lithium Polymer rechargeable battery which requires charging. The 522GW does not come standard with a Micro SD card, which is required for operation, nor does it come with the hardwired power installation kit. The 522GW requires a UHS-1 Class 10 or U3 (U3 required if optional rear camera is utilized), SDHC or SDXC Micro SD card of up to 128 GB capacity. Nextbase recommends using Nextbase memory cards for best performance, as well as formatting them on a regular, albeit frequent basis. I obtained a 64 GB Nextbase U3 card for use in the Nextbase 522GW. The 522GW has a single, front camera, but it is capable of two channel recording with an optional rear camera accessory. The Nextbase 522GW has a maximum resolution of 2560x1440 (QHD) at 30 fps. The 522GW can also record at 1080 at 60 fps and 1080 at 30 fps. With an optional rear camera, the rear camera can record at 720 at 30 fps when the front camera is recording at either 1440 at 30fps or 1080 at 60 fps. If the front camera resolution is set down to 1080 at 30 fps the rear camera can also record at 1080 at 30 fps. The video recording format is .MP4. The camera sensor is 5.14 megapixels and the lens has an f 1.3 aperture and 140° field of view, and is equipped with a rotating, polarized filter. The 522GW also has a microphone and will record audio unless switched off (in the Settings Menu). The Nextbase 522GW has an integral 3.0” HD, 960x480, IPS Touchscreen LCD display. The display may be switched off (to prevent driver distraction), or set to Screen Dimming mode for night operation. This large and clear touchscreen display is genuinely excellent. All setup and operational functions are easily controlled using the large touchscreen display to access the menus. Additionally, the MyNextbase Connect app (Android or iOS) provides an extremely convenient means of controlling the 522GW, including real-time configuration and a great deal more! I found it easiest to set up the new Nextbase 522GW using the MyNextbase Connect app, which also downloaded and installed a firmware update on the dashcam, and performed an initial format of the MicroSD card. Thanks to the touchscreen controls and smartphone app controls there are only a few physical, switches on the of the 522GW, comprised of a Power Switch, a Reset Button and a Video File Protection (lock) Button. Since the screen is large, and the menu layouts and even the font size are well designed and implemented, the Nextbase 522GW is the easiest dashcam to manage and operate on the physical device, in my experience. However, it is just as easily and quickly configured and managed with the MyNextbase Connect app. Locked videos are preserved and protected from overwriting during the continuous loop recording which allows almost indefinite use of the Micro SD card with new videos overwriting the oldest video files once the memory card capacity has been reached. (The available hours of recording capacity is governed by the size/capacity of the Micro SD card coupled with the selected video resolution, wherein higher-resolution video files occupy more storage space and decrease the number of files which may occupy the memory card prior to being overwritten with newer recordings). Nextbase represents that a 64 GB card, like I am using, will store 5.43 hours of 1440 30 fps video. By default, the 522GW creates and stores two copies of each video segment. Both a high-resolution file and a low-resolution file will be stored, with the low-resolution file intended for easy and fast mobile downloading and editing. This feature may be deselected in the menus, allowing more high-resolution files to remain on the memory card for a longer duration. GPS functionality is integral to the 522GW. GPS data is embedded with the video files to display route graphics and vehicle speed on linked Google Maps or Open Street Maps within the MyNextbase Player PC application and MyNextbase Connect smartphone app. Videos can be edited, annotated, titled, combined and shared with these easy to use, powerful apps. Several instances of the MyNextbase Player app remained resident in PC memory, even after the application has been closed which required use of Windows Task Manager to close each memory resident process. The 522GW has an accelerometer (referred to in the manual as a G-Sensor) which has three sensitivity level settings. In Driving Mode, a collision impact should result in locking the current video file for preservation. Intelligent Parking Mode is supported when the Nextbase 522GW dashcam is installed with the optional Hardwire kit. Parking Mode is supposed to activate 30 second protected recordings (according to the PDF manual) or 1-2 minute protected recordings (according to the MyNextbase Connect app) when the ignition power is off and the G-Sensor detects motion. I have not yet experimented with and evaluated the Parking Modes of the dashcam. Physical installation of the Nextbase 522GW dashcam was relatively quick and easy. The supplied Click & Go PRO GPS Mount is affixed to the windshield with a 3M adhesive pad. A spare 3M adhesive pad is included for use in a second vehicle, or for replacement of the original adhesive. The Power Supply Cord, (cigarette lighter or optional Hardwire Kit), plugs into the Click & Go PRO GPS Mount, and not into the mini USB port on the dashcam. There are electrical contacts embedded in the mount, which mate with contacts on the front of the dashcam (which has a cardboard, non-tethered dust cover). Evidently GPS components ( GPS antenna and/or GPS chip), are resident in the windshield mount, as the dashcam’s GPS function is not active unless attached to the windshield mount. The physical connection is accomplished with a very powerful magnetic mating that actually presents strong resistance when you endeavor to detach the dashcam from the mount. Configuration of the 522GW dashcam is simple and straightforward. The menus are clear and logical, and afford good flexibility in the setup configuration. Operation of the 522GW dashcam is extremely simple, as well. The dashcam boots up when vehicle power is supplied, and immediately begins recording. Using the touchscreen menus is convenient and easy. Recording must first be stopped to access the settings menus. While driving and recording, touching the center of the touchscreen captures a still photograph (.jpg file) at the same resolution as the video setting. This is the simplest and most convenient means of snapping photographs with dashcams. The video quality produced by the Nextbase 522GW is excellent. I experimented with various recording settings and compared the videos. I found the 1080p at 60 fps recordings to be very clear, but the superior 1440p at 30 fps resolution was noticeably better. Among the easy to see differences in videos are the clarity and readability of license plates of vehicles in front of your vehicle. Even the clarity of road signs is greatly improved at higher resolutions. In addition to the outstanding touchscreen access to dashcam settings and video viewing, the MyNextbase Connected smartphone app is extremely useful for those purposes. Setting up the app for use involves pairing the smartphone with the dashcam via Bluetooth. However, for the more bandwidth intensive utilization of live camera viewing as well as viewing or downloading video files, the app switches to a Wi-Fi connection between the phone and the dashcam. I did not experience any impediments viewing or downloading the much larger, high resolution .mp4 video files, and I elected to dispense with recording “Dual Files” which creates an additional low resolution version of each recording, thereby consuming more storage space on the memory card resulting in older files being overwritten by the new recordings much sooner. The MyNextbase Connected app includes video editing functionality, but I found that to be more convenient when using the MyNextbase Player PC app (Windows). Downloading video files from the dashcam to the PC with the supplied USB cable was fast, and performing editing on the laptop and saving and sharing the edited videos was also easy. It took many attempts and far too much time and effort to finally get Alexa and the 522GW paired and interoperating. Nextbase telephone support was unreachable after holding a full 60 minutes in the telephone queue. I also have experienced a failure of the MyNextbase Connected app to establish a connection with the dashcam just a couple of hours after it was operating perfectly well. This issue was finally resolved when I re-paired the dashcam to my smartphone. Overall, I find the Nextbase 522GW to be an excellent 1440p / QHD dashcam, with a very good set of features and solid performance. The most important attributes for any dashcam is good, clear, high-quality video coupled with reliable performance and ease of use. The Nextbase 522GW certainly meets all expectations, and the critically important video quality and clarity also meet expectations. I’m certainly pleased to have the Nextbase 522GW mounted on my windshield!

Used for less than a month and started having issues with the screen and the device constantly freezing. Contacted NextBase and was ultimately told to contact BestBuy who just gave me the run around. Now I have an expensive paperweight.

I've honestly never had a dash cam before but always wanted one. Because of that, I can't really compare this to other dash cams. That said, I actually have an automotive YouTube channel based around my car, and in many of my videos I do use dash-view footage. Until now though, I've just always used my phone with a dash/windshield mount to act as a "pseudo" dash cam. I always figured that would give me the best video quality anyway. But using a phone as a dash cam is no where near ideal. Not to mention it's near impossible to have it recording non-stop while driving. With all that said, I was really excited to finally get a true dash cam with this Nextbase 522GW. Let's start with what you get out of the box. Of course you have the camera itself, a mount that's detachable from its base, an extra base, a usb cable, DC adapter, fitting tool and quick-start guide. The most surprising think to see though is that usb cable and the usb connector on the DC adapter. Nowadays, products are more and more going to usb-c while some are still hanging on to micro-usb. Nextbase however, apparently never even made the transition to micro-usb. That's right, they're still using the old mini-usb!! It's honestly been several years since the last time I saw a product using that old usb tech. I don't think I even have a single device in my entire household anymore that uses it, until now with this dash cam. At least the old usb tech still works fine for powering the device and I don't use it for any type of data transfer anyway. I also want to mention that although the quick-start guide is adequate for what it is, I highly suggest going to Nextbase's site and downloading the full manual pdf before you install and use the dash cam. That brings us to installation, which is simple and easy. You can get away with just adhering the base to your windshield where you want it, and simply plugging the dc adapter in without routing it anywhere. Of course no one wants a dangling cord so it's still easy enough to route it depending on your vehicle and how hard or easy it is to tuck something along the edge of your headliner and trim panels. The DC adapter cord was the perfect length for my Dodge Challenger too. I was able to route it along the top and side of the windshield, through the dash and out the center to then plug in. It was even long enough to let me plug it in to my armrest console outlet. Once installed, setting up the camera is easy enough. And with the app you can keep it updated, which it had a software update available immediately. Just make sure during setup that you use the camera itself to format your microSD card. I used my laptop at first to format it, which the Nextbase manual said you can do, but when I installed it and tried to update the camera it gave me a card error. Re-formatting with the camera though solved that issue. Once setup, as soon as the camera has power it immediately turns on and starts recording. This is why using a phone to do the same doesn't really work. It then stores the videos in short 1 minute length files which is nice and easily manageable. These files just get overwritten as space is needed. If you need a clip to be protected though, it's just an easy press of a button and it'll create a protected file. When I first grabbed these files directly from the SD card, I learned the camera actually creates 2 different files for each clip, a high-definition one and a low-definition one. Not sure when you'd want to use the low-def ones though as they really are low quality. The high def ones though look really good. In fact I took some identical footage with my phone and compared them side by side. The dash cam footage looked so much clearer and the colors more vivid than what was being recorded with my phone. In fact it's more than good enough to satisfy my use case and I can't wait to get some drag racing footage of my car from this new dash cam's view. While the video quality came out great and met my expectations, the audio is another story. It's honestly just plain bad. Sounds are over-amplified and raspy. It almost hurts my ears listening to it. This means I can't depend on the dash cam to produce audio I can use for my videos, which means additional editing work for me as I'll have to use another source to grab the audio from and sync it to the dash cam video. And it's not like I need the greatest audio, in most of my dash-view footage I'm only using the sound my car's engine and exhaust make. Finally I want to talk about the MyNextbase Connect app. I was honestly worried about this app as most of the reviews of it were pretty bad. So I was pleasantly surprised when I didn't seem to run into any issues at all (running on a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra). Everything went pretty smoothly and the app is simple to use. I could easily look through my clips and watch any of them. If there is one issue, it's that downloading video clips is really slow. My phone was right next to the dash cam and it was barely getting over 2 mbps. But I'm not downloading videos to my phone that way anyway. It would just be an extra step so for me it's easier to pull the SD card and transfer the files directly over to my computer where I'll be needing them anyway to do my editing. And for the occasional clip that might be needed to share on social media, even at the slow speeds it doesn't take too long to download a single clip. In summary, I really like this dash cam. It does almost everything I need it to, and best of all will give me footage I can use for my videos. I really want to give this 5 stars, but the audio is just so bad, and I know that's not the primary purpose of a dash cam, but I don't think its unreasonable to expect something at least a little better. And since that's going to cost me time and some future headaches when editing videos using this dash cam's footage, I have no choice but to take away a star. As far as everything else is concerned, being my first dash cam, I really like this one, even with some of its other quirks that come with being a UK made product being used in America. Plus it's expandable with a rear cam module, which I have since purchased.

As of mid 2019, the Nextbase 522GW is the only Dash Cam that has Alexa voice recognition built in - which is why this device is priced higher than many other models. The feature works quite well, but if you have no desire to use Alexa in your car, then you can save money by selecting a different dash cam (Such as the Nextbase 322GW). Be aware that Alexa is NOT able to record traffic photos or video. In order to ensure video is captured and saved, users still have to manually hit the button on the bottom of the physical camera - which moves the file into a saved folder. But, having Alexa in the car is very convenient as it can be used to play music, check weather, add items to a calendar, and even add items to a grocery list. Alexa is just a touch slower than the response time on an Amazon device (such as the Dot, Echo Dot, or Show), but it is a feature that I believe most people will find useful. Besides having Alexa, the 522GW has nearly every other feature that can be found in a dash cam. The only exception is a backwards facing camera that would film the inside of the car - and this can be purchased as an accessory that clicks into the side of the dash cam. Here are the reasons why I ranked the 522GW as 4 stars instead of 5: - If you wear polarized sunglasses then you cannot see the dash cam screen. - The Alexa feature cannot be used to record video or pictures. This is a HUGE fail. Being able to simply say “Alexa, Record that!” would have been very convenient and an important reason to have voice recognition on a dash cam. - Upon starting the car, it takes a full minute before the Amazon Alexa feature is usable. This means you have to wait to start your music by voice command - which is rather annoying. Luckily, the unit does play a chime to let the driver know when Alexa is enabled - WIth this dash cam, Alexa does not appear to be able to play from or control Spotify. - The parking mode is too sensitive (even when the g-force sensor is set to low). It saved a video every time I got into my car which filled up my memory card with videos that I did not need. - Using the phone App to view the camera life or to download files takes quite a long time. It works better to simply remove the memory card from the dash cam and plug it directly into a computer. - The camera uses a mini USB cable instead of the more popular Micro USB, or USB-C. Luckily, the cable is included and there is not often a need to remove the camera from the vehicle. - The camera puts a “Nextbase” tag at the bottom of the video & pictures. This mode cannot be turned off - however the watermark can be manually cropped out of each video without losing any important visuals. - The Physical Camera is designed for use in Europe (where the drivers side is on the opposite side as in the United States). This means that the attachment that records the inside of the car is on the right side of the Dash Cam. If users want to record video of their car’s cabin, they will need to place the dash cam on the passenger side of the car (so that the rear-view mirror does not block the camera). When mounted on the passenger’s side of the car, video does not have the driver within full view. The other option would be to mount the camera right in front of the driver - but, this would block the driver’s field of view - which is dangerous. - The package does not come with any cable mounts. Cable mounts may not be required, but as they are so incredibly inexpensive - it would have been nice to have a couple included to help with routing the cord out of view. - The package does NOT come with any memory card and they physical device does not have any internal memory. - The set-up instructions do not include any mention of how to use the suction mount. ****I recommend viewing the full User Manual online at the following web address**** https://cdn.nextbase.com/nextbase-en-gb/2019/03/NBDVR522GW-User-Manual_R3.pdf Overall, Nextbase has been very thoughtful in designing the camera to work well and to be user friendly. It does come with a polarized lense that does an excellent job reducing windshield glare. Simply twist the ring around the lense until the glare of the dashboard can no longer be seen on the screen. Personally, I greatly appreciate that snapping pictures is as simple as just tapping on the middle of the touch-screen. If the screen saver is on, you will need to tap twice. The first tap will turn the screen on, then you can tap to take a still photo. With Nextbase, Photos are saved to their own folder - separately from saved videos and a 3rd folder which saves the videos that are recorded over in a loop as the memory card reaches capacity. Both video and still photos have excellent clarity which allows users to easily read license plates on the cars in view. And, because the images are high definition, users can zoom in pretty closely once the file is on a computer. Another brilliant design feature is that the camera does not need to be plugged in using the power cord. The 12-24V power cable plugs into the mounting base which then holds the camera securely using a magnetic connection. This means that users can simply pull the camera off of the mount without having to actually unplug it. This ensures that the power cable is undisturbed and continues to be hidden away. What might be most impressive (after Alexa functionality) is the SOS Feature (which actually is free to use). The 522GW allows you to fill out a quick emergency profile which is emailed to the user’s emergency contact & insurance company if it senses that there has been an accident. The email includes GPS coordinates so that the vehicle can be located if the driver is unresponsive. The 522GW is easily the best Dash Cam that I have experienced, and for those who want Alexa functionality in their car - I absolutely recommend it. Other Tips: 1) Video Length: By default the camera records in 1 minute increments. This can be adjusted to 1, 2, or 3 minute videos. 2) By default the camera is saving duplicate videos - one high quality and another low quality. This is to help reduce file transfer times when moving videos onto a phone or computer. I suggest turning this feature off to maximize the number of high quality videos that can be saved on the memory card.

The next base 522 is a high quality dash cam with great optional add-ons, good size, responsive touchscreen, and easy set up. Out of the box it comes with everything you need to get started minus the micro sd card. It comes with two base 3M mounts which makes it easy to choose the optimal position for your needs. I chose to mount mine on the base of the rear view mirror instead of the windshield due to having to replace my windshield due to road debris damage. Having it mounted here it still performs impressively and gives me peace of mind knowing that it is out of the way and still has the wires neatly hidden. Also, with the optional add on if a rear view or cabin cam, this position works perfectly since the add ons plug into the right side of the cam. Just be mindful when placing because there is only limited cable to run and having a larger truck, I just did make it to my electrical plug in. I do wish there was another option for a mount (suction mount, larger range of motion) to get placement perfect and movable. The touchscreen is a great size and very responsive to input. Setting up the dash cam was very easy and took only a few minutes. When You want to do an immediate record you can just quickly tap the record button or to snap a picture just tap center screen. The cam initiated every time without fail when touch input was used. There is Alexa built in… I attempted to use Alexa multiple times, but it was hit or miss most of time. Not very reliable and I got tired of repeating myself so I decided not to continue that relationship with Alexa. It is a great feature if you can it get it fine tuned. Getting to your recordings is very convenient via the Nextbase app which can download or send a captured video of an incident directly to your insurance provider via email or you can download it straight to your device photos app. There are several options actually such as removing the cam and micro sd to download via computer, but it seems like an extra burdensome step when they made it so easy with the app. Having the click pro mount does make removing the cam very easy with just a quick little snug pull. Plus the mount has a power adapter built in. The dash cam auto records with any movement of the vehicle and actually starts recording when removed from the mount. I’ve powered the cam off and it still powers up and starts recording when removed from the mount. It is very sensitive in that regard but I wouldn’t want it to be under sensitive so it would miss any important events. The image quality is great for such a small device that in a moving vehicle. I’ve tested it in many environments but the best test in my opinion was in a drive thru car wash. Gives you the quality of several different environments at once (rain, wind, low light, sun light). Overall this is a great cam.