This sentry mode alert is worse than useless. How about a time stamp at least so I can find the relevant file on the thumb drive? Why aren’t the relevant files in a separate folder? Why can’t I see the alert info right on the screen while parked?? Why doesn’t the alert recording also use the rear camera??
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Sentry mode rather useless
- Thread starter E-Lectric
- Start date
They are time/date stamped in UTC (so you would need to convert). In fact EVERY file ever written is time/date stamped. Don't think you can have a file without a time/date stamp.
As far as on screen playback it is likely coming. Sentry Mode is a new feature and in early beta mode.
As far as on screen playback it is likely coming. Sentry Mode is a new feature and in early beta mode.
hblink93
Model 3 Performance, White/White, FSD
I received a software update this weekend that included Sentry Mode. It caught a teenager messing around with my P3D. I think it is a terrific upgrade. If the teen had actually done any harm, I could've identified him (another video clearly illustrates his license plate). If nothing else, the onscreen warning had some sort of deterrent effect (maybe).
tfraley
Member
I agree,
Until there is a way to playback videos on the screen it's a big waste.
I don't understand why they have limited this thus far.
If I come back to my car and see 3 sentry notifications I should be able to view them quickly before I drive off.
Not waiting for me to get home then pull the USB plug it into a computer then scan through everything.
Until there is a way to playback videos on the screen it's a big waste.
I don't understand why they have limited this thus far.
If I come back to my car and see 3 sentry notifications I should be able to view them quickly before I drive off.
Not waiting for me to get home then pull the USB plug it into a computer then scan through everything.
Eno Deb
Active Member
It's really not that difficult. For Sentry recordings, you only look in the "SavedClips" directory. In there you'll find one directory per Sentry event. Inside, you'll find video files with recordings of roughly the 10 minutes preceding the event that triggered Sentry, so usually you'll find the event in one of the most recent files in that directory. The filenames contain a timestamp in local time.
Obviously, a more elegant way to view the videos on the screen would be great, but the system as it is now is not "useless".
tfraley
Member
It's useless because it's not all in one.
You need another system to view your videos.
Rather than call it sentry I would have called it the little black box.
Like a plane that only uses the data in the event of an emergency.
Maybe they should have marketed it as a "Little black box" until which time Sentry was ready for prime time.
tfraley
Member
Also, you said it easy to find the clips, Try leaving sentry on while you're at work for 8hrs you will come back to tons of notifications. You will not know which is important and which is not. It's a waste of time pulling USB plugging it into another computer and scanning through 8hrs of notification. Don't get me wrong if you come back to a broken window or a dent that time would be worth it. Back to my little black box scenario. At the same time teslas are becoming more popular all a thief has to do is grab the USB drive as well. More reason for it to be baked into the car itself.
Eno Deb
Active Member
Like almost every other dashcam. Hopefully you won't have to view them often.
Why else would you ever watch the videos (i.e. if there is no damage to the car)?
Not sure what you mean, but the car does not have enough storage for gigabytes of video.
Then don't trouble yourself trying to use it. No soup for you.
I love how people get something unasked for and completely free, then complain that "its useless" because it doesn't do exactly what they want.
Both Dashcam and Sentry were features quickly added by Tesla to try to help people.
Not to point out something that should be completely obvious but...
Both Dashcom and Sentry are software features, adding extra memory for storing lots of video files would be a hardware feature and therefore not easy to add with OTA updates.
As they are software features why not sit back and relax while new features continue to get added - for free.
Personally - I spent $20 on a 200G USB and called it done.
TLDR - if it doesn't work for you, buy a piece of hardware that does what you need.
Both Dashcam and Sentry were features quickly added by Tesla to try to help people.
Not to point out something that should be completely obvious but...
Both Dashcom and Sentry are software features, adding extra memory for storing lots of video files would be a hardware feature and therefore not easy to add with OTA updates.
As they are software features why not sit back and relax while new features continue to get added - for free.
Personally - I spent $20 on a 200G USB and called it done.
TLDR - if it doesn't work for you, buy a piece of hardware that does what you need.
tfraley
Member
Lol..
I spend more then $20 on a USB as well but no don't call it done because you need to view it to find out if anything shady is going on around your car.
As for features for free you paid for the car its not for free.
It's like saying I bought a MacPro and mail isn't working right you would say something, wouldn't you?
As for free I would care less let them try and make money out of it roll it to an online service and charge people for it.
I mean they have cellular they can roll that into cloud storage and charge a monthly fee.
There are many ways for them to make money in addition to what they are giving for free.
Also unless you voice your options on how to make something better it will never get better.
So many of you are fine with removing the USB and viewing the data that way cool then but I don't see it as a final product/feature but rather than a beta if that's the case call it that.
I spend more then $20 on a USB as well but no don't call it done because you need to view it to find out if anything shady is going on around your car.
As for features for free you paid for the car its not for free.
It's like saying I bought a MacPro and mail isn't working right you would say something, wouldn't you?
As for free I would care less let them try and make money out of it roll it to an online service and charge people for it.
I mean they have cellular they can roll that into cloud storage and charge a monthly fee.
There are many ways for them to make money in addition to what they are giving for free.
Also unless you voice your options on how to make something better it will never get better.
So many of you are fine with removing the USB and viewing the data that way cool then but I don't see it as a final product/feature but rather than a beta if that's the case call it that.
Thats funny coming from the source of comments such as
maybe because it was a quick fix to help people who were getting their cars broken into?
not possible for a quick fix entirely in software.
Speaking from experience. When looking to improve something I start out with constructive feedback instead of labelling something useless before I start and instead try to use what is offered before providing direct feedback to Tesla, which I already have. You can be sure that I didn't start my email to them with "this thing is useless"
Say what you want about Tesla, but the software changes based on customer feedback more than any company I know.
They did. The saving footage on USB drive is described as BETA under Dashcam.
The Sentry Mode itself is not Beta and they send video to Tesla. If you want the video, call Tesla and ask them after a Sentry event. Or use the USB method described in the Dashcam section labeled beta.
In either case stop whining and RTFM.
tfraley
Member
Just an FYI I didn't start the thread calling it useless I was agreeing to the original person that started it and adding some info to why I don't see it as to ready for prime time.
Your comment as to helping cars from getting broken into. Was that the reason this was added? I didn't know that.
Our back windows can still be broken without setting the alarm off and someone can still take the USB once they are in.
Again seems like a beta a partial fix. Also like have security in store deterrence is 98% security. People knowing your watching helps more than the system. All Tesla would have to do is some marketing and TV spots letting people know they are on video this would stop a whole lot of break in's and stupid *sugar*.
I have alerts almost every time I park but I never bother to look at them. If I found some damage on the car of course I’d go through them. But otherwise I see no point in unplugging the USB drive and going through hundreds of videos. I do agree that being able to view them on the big screen would be a nice feature to add at some point.
Like I said. It’s a free add-on to help people out, they didn’t have to do it. But they did.
They didn’t have to add a freebie dash cam, but they did.
If all they get is complaints that their efforts to help are useless or not worth it, then it’s just as likely that they’ll just remove them.
As with all feedback, it’s only a gift if it was intended to be gift. It’s difficult to wrap a this is useless comment as a gift.
My feedback to Tesla was
“ thanks for adding sentry mode, it’s a great start. After using it for while I can see a couple of extensions which would make it even better. Being able to both view the footage and clean up the usb space from the inside the car would make a huge difference.”
Many of us purchased a Tesla specifically because it was marketed as a car that would continue to improve as more software updates were rolled out to add new features. So saying they didn't have to do it doesn't work for me. If they did not have the ability to improve the features of the car over time I would have reevaluated whether the car was feature rich enough to justify the price I paid for it. And I would have been a lot less forgiving about the number of bugs they have in their software.
Let's not be so quick to attack people who have a different point of view than yours. We all have a right to have an opinion on what we like or dislike about the cars and attacking someone who has a different opinion does not add any value to this forum.
Let's not be so quick to attack people who have a different point of view than yours. We all have a right to have an opinion on what we like or dislike about the cars and attacking someone who has a different opinion does not add any value to this forum.
The file folders should be sentry, sentry event, recent, and saved. Presently it's a cluster. Sentry in my car records everything moving on the street not just someone close to the car so it's impossible to know what is what. I had a bear mess with my car and it took me way to long to find the footage. He tried to open the handle until a neighbor chased him away on camera of course.
I'm wondering if he was doing a drug deal with the driver of the vehicle next to you and when he leaned on your car and saw the alert realized he was being video'd possibly so they moved off camera.
