All You Need to Know About a Built-In BMW Dashcam

The most unfortunate road events take seconds to happen. And in moments like these, even the sharpest eyes may not be enough to catch the details of the whole encounter. But having some extra digital eyes… Well, that changes things.

Even though you may not be omniscient, BMW makes sure your car will cover that for you. With the BMW Drive Recorder option, it promises double the on-board support, or shall we say... quadruple, and wide app usage possibilities.

Let’s see what this latest technology has to offer and how it compares to other dash cams.

Coming up:

• What does this latest technology have to offer?
  
• How does it compare to standard BMW dashcams? 
  
• What is the BMW Advanced Car Eye 3.0?

Let’s go!

What is a BMW Drive Recorder?

It wasn’t long ago that the Bavarians started offering a BMW Dashcam option promising reliable assistance during critical road situations. Shortly after, with the debut of Operating System 7, a few steps further have been taken, and you can now use your car’s built-in cameras to record the footage all around it.

That’s exactly what the BMW Drive Recorder is in a nutshell. Nothing more than software connecting your BMW surround view cameras to an app on your iDrive screen where all the recordings are stored and displayed.

How does BMW Drive Recorder work?

The recorder works either automatically or manually, unless you allow it in the settings to work in both modes simultaneously. Although the prerequisite for the BMW Drive Recorder to be activated is the presence of the 4 surround view cameras, you can actually select which ones you want to do the recording job. 

It can be either the front one, the two on the side mirrors, or the rear view camera. Working all together they’ll generate a 360 degree video around the vehicle. Yet, should you want only one or two capturing the video, you can specify it in the BMW Driver Recorder settings.

Now, let’s see how the automatic vs. manual setups differ.

Automatic recording

From the moment you enable camera recording, the BMW Drive Recorder will film continuously. 

It is only after an accident gets detected by the G-sensors that the footage will be saved. There is one caveat though: the maximum length of captured recordings is only up to 40 seconds – 20 before and 20 after the accident happens. This is a clear downside, since sometimes the most relevant developments of the event might be omitted. 

Still, it’s always better having some video proof that you can take to court later. It might help with the accident reconstruction and clarify the cause or determine who’s guilty, also for any insurance claims. 

Does BMW Drive Recorder work when parked?  If you’re wondering about that: no, it unfortunately doesn’t. When parking and once you put your car in reverse, the Parking View will be filmed and saved in case of car damage, but that’s pretty much it.

Manual recording

There’s also the manual way of using the BMW Drive Recorder. If you just want to save a specific situation (like something you yourself would love to see in a YouTube compilation ;) ) you can activate the recorder with a press of the Panorama View button, or by selecting ‘Start recording’ in the home screen app. 

Just like with automatic recording, the footage is saved in a 40-second loop – 20 seconds before the push of the button and 20 after. However, if you’d prefer to record for a shorter period, you’re also free to do so. Just specify it in the BMW Driver Recorder settings and choose your footage length from 5 up to 20 seconds.

Saved recordings

Want to access captured video clips? No need to rush with external devices or SD cards. 

After the recording is made, it will be automatically saved with all the important data such as speed and GPS position. The videos are processed in the TRSVs control unit and up to 10 recordings can be stored in the head unit. 

Should you want to play them back, you can do that on the infotainment display (the iDrive screen). Or if you wish to export your recordings elsewhere to free up some space, just download them to your USB stick and share them via email or on social media.

BMW Drive Recorder vs. BMW Dashcam – What Are the Differences?

As you might have already guessed, despite a somewhat similar nature, the BMW Drive Recorder is different from the BMW Dashcam. The former uses the on-board surround cameras that are primarily meant as driver-supporting aids, with the added secondary function of video capture. 

On the other hand, a dashcam’s only aim is video recording, which it excels at compared to the BMW Drive Recorder with its lackluster feature set. If you were to stack the two against each other, you’d notice that the sole advantage of the Drive Recorder is how well-integrated into your car it is – but some BMW Dashcams (like ours, for example) also offer that. 

Check out a direct BMW Drive Recorder vs. BimmerTech BMW Dashcam Retrofit comparison.

Although the all-seeing built-in recorder might seem alluring, it’s also pretty obvious how the BMW Drive Recorder features pale in comparison to a more traditional solution. What’s even better is that our BMW Dashcam seamlessly integrates into your car’s interior trim, making it as stealthy of an option as the Drive Recorder. 

Not convinced? Or maybe you prefer the OEM way? Well, there may be an option for you too…

BMW Advanced Car Eye 3.0 Pro vs. BMW Drive Recorder

Since the BMW Drive Recorder is exclusively reserved for 2019+ vehicles, older BMW models might need a different method of recording what’s happening on the road. For these cases, BMW Advanced Car Eye 3.0 Pro has been created.

Superseding the Advanced Car Eye 2.0, it is an original BMW product that comes as a set of 2 dashcams for your front and rear windshields. The frontal camera records in QHD (1440p) resolution, while the rearward-facing one is Full HD (1080p). Both of them have a 150-degree wide-angle view, they automatically document each journey from the moment you start the engine, and are able to record any critical road situation, even in parking mode. 

Once smart radar and G-sensors encounter an impact or any movement/vibration in the video image, the recording will be enabled automatically. Just as with the BMW Drive Recorder and BimmerTech BMW Dashcam Retrofit, the video is saved on the spot. 

Comparing the BMW Advanced Car Eye 3.0 Pro (ACE) and BMW Drive Recorder also uncovers another shortcoming of the latter – the lack of phone integration. While BMW Advanced Car Eye 3.0 Pro, just like the majority of modern third-party dashcams, allows for an iPhone or Android phone connection, the Drive Recorder lacks this possibility, leaving you with the need to keep your USB at hand for video clip transfer. 

Obviously, that’s ACE’s major advantage over the digital recorder, since My ACE app acts as portable storage for all your recording data. It also allows you to check up on your videos or share them immediately.

What are some other differences between those two? 

• The ACE 3.0 Pro can record up to 24 hours when parked. 
• ACE’s light-sensitive sensors promise excellent recording quality even at night.
• The ACE uses micro SD cards, ensuring much greater memory capacity.

Check the video below to see how to use the official BMW dashcam.

Which BMW Models Have a Drive Recorder?

The built-in recorder had its premiere in July 2019 on the BMW 8 Series (G15) and since then it’s available for all 2019+ BMWs featuring iDrive 7.0, BMW ConnectedDrive package, and surround view cameras from the optional package Parking Assistant Plus. 

What are some of the BMW models you could get it in as an option? 

Is Drive Recorder or Dashcam Available in MINI? 

Despite also being a part of the BMW Group, MINIs don’t have the Drive Recorder option available for them. However, if you would like to grab an OEM solution for the purpose of capturing your everyday commute, you can get MINI Advanced Car Eye 3.0 Pro from your nearest dealership. This MINI dashcam has the same specifications as the BMW version.

How to activate BMW Drive Recorder?

To activate the BMW Drive Recorder for the first time go to your iDrive menu:

1. Select “Apps”.
2. Enter “Installed apps.”
3. Choose “Drive Recorder.”
4. Accept the legal disclaimer.
5. In the “Settings” check "Recording allowed”.
6. Set up the recording length before and after the trigger.
7. At “Camera selection” set up preferred cameras used for recording.
8. Choose your recording type – automatic, manual, or both.

Can you retrofit a BMW Drive Recorder?

We know that a seamlessly integrated dashcam is something many people would gladly sink their teeth into. And since you’re reading this article, we’re guessing you are among them. While the BMW Drive Recorder provides unparalleled stealthiness, its specs aren’t up to par with other available options. On the other hand, the BMW Advanced Car Eye 3.0 Pro has the hardware but is quite pricey. 

Luckily, we never leave BMW drivers hanging – this is why we’re currently testing our own BMW Dashcam Retrofit. The best part about it is that it doesn’t need any redundant equipment cluttering your dashboard or additional wires, and it's intuitive to use right from the start.

While we aren’t yet ready to offer the BMW Dashcam Retrofit, you can subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know when it’s available for your vehicle.