Vantrue N4 Pro Dual Review

Ultimately, we don't have much to complain about with the N4 Pro Dual other than its high cost; it really is a fantastic unit. Read on to decide if the value is there for you, personally.

Video Quality

Video footage captured with the N4 Pro is good. Really good. Fantastic even. It all starts with a top-notch image sensor (Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 8M COMS, in case you're interested) that captures 4k resolution (2160p). That pixel count is key because a lot of information is captured with the wide-angle lens. The higher the resolution, the better the key features will resolve when you zoom in.

Building on the impressive hardware, Vantrue also worked in some software magic. HDR (high dynamic range) capture is hardly new — nearly all smartphones these days have optional HDR settings — but it really separates the N4 from the competition here. Lighting and color correction are both excellent, making for very high-quality video.

The rear and cabin cameras are also impressive; both record in HD (1080p). The cabin camera in particular should be noted, because it captures full color, switches to infrared after dark(!), and is actually wide enough to see the entire interior comfortably. This is the only model we've tested that has a cabin camera worth a damn.

We have a bone to pick with night footage, though. It's not bad per se, as you still have that same high level of detail. Ultimately, that's all that matters: capturing a license plate from 50ft out, making out the color of a motorcyclist's jacket weaving through traffic, that sort of thing. But the N4's front lens picks up reflections and glare pretty noticeably at night (in daylight too, it's just less noticeable). A polarizing lens would do wonders here, which is available as an upgrade; we just wish it were included standard, given the already considerable list price.

Video Coverage & Function

The N4 Pro Dual really makes use of the front and rear cams, which we measured to have a combined 231° field of view (FoV, i.e., viewing angle). That's roughly 64% of a full 360° view around your vehicle (more, if you include what the cabin cam can see out the side windows), which is comfortably top of our lineup. For the record, we see manufacturers overestimate their FoV claims across the board, and Vantrue is no different here. But that said, we think the angle chosen for both is pretty ideal. You want a wide view, certainly, but too wide and you'll capture the windshield pillars and start to stray into weird fish-eye distortion territory.

The sound capture is just ok. Road noise is fairly minimal, but music and voices sounded a little tinny and slightly muffled.

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Regarding notable features, the N4 has one that we really like: infrared mode on the cabin cam! It's an obvious but effective choice, and really helps to show why the N4 is the best of the best. GPS tracking is also a huge plus, displaying coordinates overlaid on each and every frame.

Parking Mode was also clearly given a lot of consideration. It has a bunch of customization available in settings, but we have mixed feelings about it. In theory, the extra coverage is great, but in practice, you'll need to purchase (another) upgrade in the Hardware Kit, which monitors battery voltage; otherwise, you'll constantly return to a dead battery situation.

Ease of Use

The N4 Pro Dual is one of the easier units to use, which is surprising considering its complexity. It gives us a thoughtful and polished user experience through the app's interface and the physical unit.

Navigating menus through the unit is intuitive, and the four buttons make sense (they aren't always as obvious with other models): up, down, OK, and back. The system walks you through the major settings during setup, and the whole process takes under a minute.

You can also set up through the app, though we found it took longer. We clocked 13 minutes to download the app, connect to the unit via a temporary Wi-fi network, and go through settings. We liked that it doesn't require us to set up an account, and generally, the app's user interface is as straightforward as on the unit itself.

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Recovering footage from the device is pretty standard. Videos can be downloaded to your phone through the app, but they take a few minutes each. These are some big hi-res video files (about 232MB for a 1-minute video). And for the record, the N4 Pro supports memory cards up to 512GB, but bafflingly does not come with one included. A better option for most people is to download videos through a computer, either by directly connecting the device or popping out the memory card.

Ease of Installation

Installing the unit is a pretty standard dash cam experience. The bulk of the time is spent running wires and stuffing them behind trim, which does take a while simply because the back camera has a lot of distance to cover. The power cable is hardwired into a cigarette lighter plug and appears to be proprietary, as we couldn't get the N4 Pro to boot up using another device's USB-C cable. We don't love that.

Mounting the unit is a relatively important point here: it's big and heavy, so if it's not done right, it'll fail pretty quickly (assuming a windshield mount). Luckily, Vantrue steered away from a suction cup, which tends to get gummy and will fail under intense sun. Instead, it uses a large adhesive pad mount, which can be supplemented by a larger electrostatic film (included), so there's plenty of surface contact with the glass.

Should You Buy the Vantrue N4 Pro Dual?

Rideshare and other professional drivers should give heavy consideration to the N4, our highest performing unit with a great cabin camera. For drivers who mainly commute or run errands a few times a week, it's probably overkill. You won't be disappointed, certainly, but we think there's great performance to be found at a better value in other products.

What Other Dash Camera Should You Consider?