What Speed Rating?

Look for: “Class 10” OR “UHS-I U1” rated microSD card. Slower cards can cause recording problems. See the symbols below for what to look for. Some cards have both ratings and that’s OK. 

Speed Class

The speed class symbol represents the minimum writing speed to the SD card in megabytes per second. Class 10 is the highest speed at 10 megabytes/second.

UHS Bus & Class

UHS improves on Class 10 cards by providing a faster interface for compatible devices. Most dash cameras don’t use the UHS interface but UHS cards will still work properly. There are two separate ratings, the Bus & Class. The UHS Bus is the transfer speed and has two tiers: UHS-I(50MB/S) and UHS-II (156 or 312 MB/S). The UHS Speed Class also has two speeds minimum writing speeds: U1 (10 MB/S) and U3 (30 MB/S)

Faster SD Speeds Won’t Improve Performance

Currently 1440P is the largest resolution and only requires 1/3rd of the max transfer rate of Class 10 cards. Only 4K recording at very high bitrates will need an upgrade to U3 or UHS-II and that’s years away.  

Memory Type

Consumers typically see two types of flash memory – TLC and MLC.

TLC is cheaper and less reliable. Manufacturers increased storage density by stuffing more information (3 bits/cell) into a memory cell but sacrifices durability. MLC costs more money and is far more durable because it stores less information per cell (2 bits/cell) so wear and tear is greatly reduced.

Flash Memory – It Eventually Fails

By the very nature of flash memory by writing to a SD card physically it will eventually fail and prevent recording. TLC cards can overwrite itself 500 times before experiencing failures, a MLC card between 1500 to 3000 times.

Why this Matters

Your dash camera constantly writes to the memory card and MLC cards often have better error correction, wear levelling and controller chips which increase performance and lifespan.  

Our SD Card Recommendations

We focus on MLC cards which are slightly more expensive but significantly increased reliability and peace of mind.  Unfortunately we cannot guarantee SD card performance given their intrinsic nature and it is essential that you perform regular tests to make sure the cards/memory is working and replace them at least every 12 months to ensure that our equipment has captured events accordingly.

Regular Testing

Our witness cameras and solutions are built to the highest standards and are covered by manufacturers warranty.  Due to the nature of SD Cards and Flash memory we always advise our clients that they should perform regular checks to ensure that the memory is recording.  Our technical team is on hand to ensure that if help you if you have any questions in relation to this