PDR Needs Updating for C8
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 6,944
Likes: 1,490
From: New Jersey
The PDR was designed... Like 12 years ago now? It really isn't that bad all things considered. And implementing any design change to a non essential part of anything is pretty freaking hard at any company. The gopro hero3 just came out in 2012 and it was ~$500... For a 12 mp sensor and HD. The first HD gopro was...2009 or something like that. All things considered, it really isn't that bad. And 2 years into the C8 run you all will scream "why isn't PDR 8k, it needs updating!!!!"
When you get something on a vehicle, the product you get was at least in existence for ~5 years. The shear amount of testing required means it has to be, that is why NAV units on anything are crap right out of the box. And judging by the broken timeline (Bankruptcy), the C7 was probably originally supposed to come into production about 3 years earlier than it did. GM tries to keep a 6 or 7 year life cycle on vehicles.... Doesn't always go that way but they try. Keeping those two bits of information in mind it actually would have been pretty good in 2012. That is just my theory though...
When you get something on a vehicle, the product you get was at least in existence for ~5 years. The shear amount of testing required means it has to be, that is why NAV units on anything are crap right out of the box. And judging by the broken timeline (Bankruptcy), the C7 was probably originally supposed to come into production about 3 years earlier than it did. GM tries to keep a 6 or 7 year life cycle on vehicles.... Doesn't always go that way but they try. Keeping those two bits of information in mind it actually would have been pretty good in 2012. That is just my theory though...
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,066
Likes: 9,829
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Again the resolution is fine for what the PDR is intended for. Any added resolution requires bandwidth that can better be used gathering data from the car not making a video seem better. What I find interesting is the comment about the 4K TV. When I watch a 4K TV with 1080P video (which that or lower resolution programs are almost all that can be found) being displayed I see the same quality picture as if I was watching the same video on a 1080P TV. If you think you see something better you are fooling yourself. You can't see it if it isn't there.
Bill
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,595
Likes: 2,651
From: Lancaster, PA
Again the resolution is fine for what the PDR is intended for. Any added resolution requires bandwidth that can better be used gathering data from the car not making a video seem better. What I find interesting is the comment about the 4K TV. When I watch a 4K TV with 1080P video (which that or lower resolution programs are almost all that can be found) being displayed I see the same quality picture as if I was watching the same video on a 1080P TV. If you think you see something better you are fooling yourself. You can't see it if it isn't there.
Bill
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,595
Likes: 2,651
From: Lancaster, PA
Pro
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 742
Likes: 154
I think the issue is less about resolution and more about contrast, color accuracy, and potentially framerate and/or response time.
Could probably make improvements to some of those areas without affecting the overall resolution and still get significantly better overall image quality
-T
Could probably make improvements to some of those areas without affecting the overall resolution and still get significantly better overall image quality
-T
Last edited by Trackaholic; Oct 15, 2018 at 11:59 PM.
Premium Supporting Dealership
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,170
Likes: 147
From: Detroit, Michigan
The camera really doesn't need anymore resolution for what it used for. What they need to do is to improve the brightness control of the recorded picture so the picture doesn't go black when the car goes from a bright area to a shadow area. They also need to incorporate more data channels into the data stream. It would be nice if it recorded boost pressure, intake manifold air temperature and intercooler pump status.
Bill
Bill
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Premium Supporting Dealership
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,170
Likes: 147
From: Detroit, Michigan
Let's be honest with ourselves, if the new car is as amazing as the internet makes it look and sound, I have a really hard time thinking that the PDR will be untouched. It's due for an upgrade in hardware and data collection. Having all of the CAN bus wide open should let them go as far as they want with it. The camera needs work in the dynamic range for sure. I care more about data than video but it would be nice if there was a substantive gain in both areas.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,539
Likes: 1,170
From: C&D 10 Best loop
PDR tech is so outdated...literally like something from the pre-smartphone era. FFS, the current system requires me to drive to a Chevy dealer for a firmware update to fix the video's color balance!
What if they interfaced the on board PDR with a smartphone/tablet app that can be updated. Then all the car needs on board is video, sensors, and data streams. The app creates the UX/UI and is updated every year. Since the app would record all the data streams, the final recording can be overlayed with any and all possible parameters. Include a Windows/macOS app for a few hundred bucks for even more powerful analysis.
What if they interfaced the on board PDR with a smartphone/tablet app that can be updated. Then all the car needs on board is video, sensors, and data streams. The app creates the UX/UI and is updated every year. Since the app would record all the data streams, the final recording can be overlayed with any and all possible parameters. Include a Windows/macOS app for a few hundred bucks for even more powerful analysis.