Trace Technology Inc.

2in1 Dashmount cameras, are they any good for School Bus fleets?

A number of manufactuers are now offering 2in1 Dashmount cameras in their traditional portfolio of mobile video DVR products - but how good are they?

Many school transporation managers are looking for a low cost mobile video camera for their fleets as budgets are being hit and these 2in1 camera systems look very attractive since they cost less than traditional DVR systems. However, there are a number of things you need to be aware of.

• Rosco (Dual-Vision $870) and Angeltrax (CoPilot $900) offer 2in1 cameras for school buses and say they are for driver behaviour. The reason they say this is that the camera image is not that good and can only capture any meaningful video at a very short distance becuase its old technology i.e they are not High Definition. tti offers a full High Definition 720P and 1080P cameras that can capture video all the way to the back of the bus in clear clarity

• The 2in1 cameras can only be fixed to a windshield in a school bus. In our experience many school buses have to go over rough ground and a windshield mount gives lots of vibration, hense your video image has lots of shake. To resolve this tti offers a bulkhead mount for its Buddy NightOwl 

• 2in1 cameras by their nature are built to capture video in front and behind. They have very limited camera movability so getting the right camera location is extremely difficult. You can purchase 2 Buddy NightOwls for less than a 2in1 and position the HD cameras anyway you like

• Rosco and Angeltrax 2in1 dashmounted solutions start around the $870 mark upto $900. They use these solutions as a lead generator and try and upgrade you to their more expensive DVR systems starting from $1200 upto $2500 (They do not want to cannibalise their more expensive products). They make their money selling high end solutions and have large overheads. If you just want a camera to capture video of the driver ony then they are OK for this, but this option is extremely expensive. tti solutions start at just $295 and we specialize in the HD Plug and Play market and we have setup the company to support this type of business model from the very start. 

• We have come across many School Buses that have been fitted with the Rosco 2in1 camera and unfortunately the Transportation Director is extremely disapointed with their purchase. Many don't even use it as the software is difficult to install and they have received poor support. This might not be common but we have certainly come across this.

• By their nature 2in1 cameras cannot be moved to other vehicles very easiliy. Since they are glued to the windshields. tti offers both bulkhead mount arms, suction cups and extra windshield mounts if required. This gives you the flexibility to move cameras around your fleet if required.

• Buying from eBay etc.....Buyer beware when buying a mobile video camera online from a parts and electronic shops. Many have very little or no support, you basicaly have to resolve everything yourself. Plus you don't know what you are getting. tti conducted a research experiment and purchased a number of idential products from online retailers and when we tested them against the specification none of them performed anywhere close to what was advertised. Some said they were HD but where not, others did'nt even work out of the box. So our advise is buy from a quality company that specilises in HD Plug & Play mobile video camera

• Support - tti offers a free 2 week product trial. We want you to be happy with your decission and also to make sure you are up and running as easily as possible. Our solutions are extremely easy to use and the software is easy to install, in fact the Buddy NightOwl video can be played through your current PC media player. We ship using UPS with a tracking number and once you receive the camera we will call to walk you through setup if you require. We want you to recommend our products so we make sure that your investment is sound and works to support your day to day activity