[homeryen88]

OP, thank you for being the “pioneer” on this.

Moreover, I do appreciate the level of thoroughness regarding your post. And, many thanks to the other contributors who have shared their wisdom to enhance our understanding as well as to mollify our natural unease with a Chinese knock-off.

As others have mentioned, I wished that I could pay for (but ultimately could not budget) the Bimmertech product, which retails for $699 (not including tax and possible install charges). To their credit, they seem to be the Hilton of quality and customer service. But sometimes, I can happily settle for a Hampton Inn.

With all of your collective guidance and reassurance, I took the plunge.

My car is the 2014 335i (sedan) / NBT / 6.5” screen. It did not come with a back-up camera (nor any parking-assistance features nor a NAV system – which is why my car has the 6.5” screen). At the very least, I was particularly keen on getting a rear-view camera in place. It just multiplies safety and convenience.

I had this product installed (by an installer) in early November and have had a chance to see it in heavy action over the last month or two. I would like to also share my thoughts.

THOUGHTS:
1. “free shipping” still provided.
2. No issues with delivery. Tracking info provided; shipped via DHL. Frequent email updates regarding shipping status received. Once the monies that I sent “cleared” (which took 3 business days), it took about 3 more business days when it arrived in my hands.
3. For questions that I posed to the seller, I received a response within 1 business day.
4. I liked how the metal “box” is triple-wrapped in bubble wrap. The trunk handle / camera was protected in a single layer of bubble wrap.
5. Pic of dip switch guides attached. Mine was in Chinese, so I asked them (and seller quickly responded) to send me the translation.
6. If your car doesn’t have one of the parking-related features, then it won’t matter if your dip switch is set to ON or OFF.
7. Installer (work done by Best Buy) reported no hiccups or surprises during install process. Labor time was less than 3 hours.
8. Previous comments on how to adjust the parking lines were super helpful / appreciated.
9. No instruction manual is provided (but other members have posted a relevant “how-to” video on earlier pages).
10. I asked the seller if the green parking lines could be spread further apart or brought closer together, but the seller said that’s not possible. Previous posters do point out that you can move the lines closer (towards the bumper) or further away (into the distance), which this did do.
11. I could not move my lines to the left or to the right (or at least couldn’t figure how to make this happen), but my lines appeared centered upon setup.
12. In terms of “testing” the camera’s durability … the most I’ve done is to take it through the car wash once (everything still operates fine). Temperature-wise here in DC, it has only been as warm as the mid-70s and as cold as 25 degrees (since it was installed back in October 2019), so that’s not really testing the camera’s durability in extreme weather.

But overall, so far so good!

AN INTERESTING TIDBIT:
The seller sent me a photo of what he says the pic on the screen should look like when you’re in reverse. You’ll notice that the OP’s video sample (and my attached pic) doesn’t look the same as what the seller is noting in terms of how the viewscreen should appear. Missing are the “ladder” lines (green / yellow / red) that show you how close you are to backing into an object.

The seller wrote (in broken English). “But the camera also has a set of fixed guide lines, see below pic. There is a white tiny cable on the camera cord, after cut this white wire, the screen will display this green/yellow/red guide lines. This set of guide lines are fixed, it does not move when you turn the steering wheel.”

I got that message after I had the camera installed. But I’m totally ok with how the camera currently functions and with how the lines that do appear are displayed and am not motivated to reverse engineer to find this white cable. But, I do include this tidbit for future purchasers to consider/to keep an eye out for. If you have questions about this, please contact the seller for assistance (obv, contacting them directly will be your best approach).

Let me also say, though, that when I look at OP’s set of pics (specifically, the handle/camera where this white wire should be) as well as the pic that is used on the seller’s website, I can not clearly see this white wire in plain view (although it’s circled in the pic that the seller provided to me). So, this white wire is something of a mystery (maybe it has something to do with what kind of IDrive or screen size you have … my car and the OP’s car are both NBT with 6.5” screens). So, if the next contributor to this post sees this white wire, would you please add your comments/perspective so that we have a better understanding of how these “ladder” lines become displayed for those that want them displayed? I also noticed from other posters’ photos that no one else has these “ladder lines” displaying. Thanks in advance!

SPEC SHEET:
I did ask the seller to provide a spec sheet as I was curious about some of the camera’s specifications. Below are some of them:
Image sensor type, CCD
Pixels, 756H x 720V
Horizontal Resolution, 580 TV Line
Lens Angle (Degree), 170°
Water-Proof Rating, IP68
Power supply, DC12V±5%
Working current, 85mA
Working temperature, ~-40°C to ~+85°C

Pics attached. Note that the pic with the ladder lines and the pic with the circled white wire was provided by the seller.

As for my own subjective opinion, I think the camera works well. Image quality is fine. It has not dislodged even when I go over a pronounced bump or pothole. It can handle the water pressure of a car wash. And, for less than $200, it’s hard to think of a more worthwhile investment that will enhance your safety and convenience. It’s a great find! Mod On!