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Motorola · In Car Video System
Motorola M500 In Car Video System
Motorola’s in car video system for policing, and a different class of product from the fleet recorders. Up to five cameras on a 1 TB automotive solid state drive, a 4K front camera that reads number plates, Record-After-the-Fact so evidence survives even when nobody pressed record, and FIPS-140-2 encryption. Evidence lands in VideoManager, alongside Motorola body cameras.
Supplied, fitted and commissioned
Overview
What the M500 does
A police in car video system rather than a fleet recorder, and it is worth being clear about the difference. The Xignal recorders elsewhere in this range are built to put four to twelve cameras on a bus or a truck at a sensible cost per vehicle. The M500 is built around evidence: five cameras, a 1 TB automotive solid state drive, a 4K front camera that reads number plates at 12 metres, and FIPS-140-2 encryption at rest and in transit.
Two features are worth understanding before you compare it on price. Record-After-the-Fact means an event can be recovered from the system days later even though nobody pressed record, which changes what happens when an incident is only reported after the shift. And the front camera captures a panoramic and a cropped view at the same time, each at two resolutions, so the wide context and the readable detail are both held without choosing between them at the moment of recording.
Where it fits best
- Police and enforcement vehicles where the recording is evidence first
- Units already running Motorola body cameras, which record as a group with the vehicle
- Deployments needing number plate recognition from the patrol vehicle itself
- Operations where an incident may be reported days later, through Record-After-the-Fact
- Fleets standardising on Motorola radios, cameras and VideoManager as one ecosystem
Not sure this is the right recorder? See how many channels your vehicle needs.
Full specifications
Every published figure
The complete M500 specification, as published by the manufacturer.
- Form factor
- Single DIN
- Dimensions (H × W × D)
- 180 × 49 × 171 mm
- Weight
- 1.4 kg
- Operating temperature
- −30 °C to +65 °C
- Mounting
- Overhead on vehicle-specific brackets, or a universal mount
- Max camera capacity
- Up to 5 cameras, for a 360 degree view
- Internal recording media
- 1 TB automotive-grade solid state drive
- Removable media
- 128 GB USB drive, for manual evidence offload
- Storage architecture
- Dual drive
- GPS
- Integrated
- Crash detection
- 3 axis sensor
- Internal UPS
- Self-powers for several seconds through a collision or power failure
- Resolutions
- 1920 × 1080p, 1280 × 720p, 864 × 480p, dual stream and configurable, with high, medium or low bitrate
- Frame rate
- 30, 15, 10 or 5 fps, configurable
- Dual-stream encoding
- Records two resolutions at once, patented. 1080p with 720p, or 720p with 480p
- Pre-event recording
- None, 15 s, 30 s, 45 s, 90 s, 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 minutes
- Record-After-the-Fact
- Patented and configurable. Events can be recovered even if no recording was started
- Recording triggers
- Lights, siren, 2 AUX triggers, impact or crash, and speed
- Auto-stop
- Configurable maximum recording length
- Recording capacity
- At high quality and 30 fps, per stream: 1080p is 4.5 GB per hour, 720p is 2.25 GB, 480p is 1 GB. Audio is 23.4 MB per hour
- Covert mode
- Can record with no visual or audio indicators
- Dark mode
- Screen and button backlights can be turned off
- Front camera
- 4K sensor, 3840 × 1920, interior-rated
- Front field of view
- Panoramic 102 degrees dewarped, 119 undewarped. Cropped 51 degrees dewarped, 59.5 undewarped
- Front low light
- Below 0.1 lux
- Front camera views
- Captures panoramic and cropped views at the same time, two resolutions each
- Cabin camera (M5P)
- 1080p, 108 degree horizontal, 0 lux with 940 nm infrared that is not visible, integrated MEMS microphone
- Rear camera (M5R)
- 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps, 108 degree wide view, 0.2 lux, CMOS, adjusted for tinted windows
- Exterior camera (M5E)
- 1080p, 720p or 480p, 108 degree wide view, 0.3 lux, IP67 rated for outdoors
- Camera connection
- Bayonet-locking HD-BNC, carrying power and data on one cable
- Screen
- 127 mm, 5 inch diagonal, 1920 × 1080, 600 nits
- Touch
- Capacitive multi-touch, with a silicone overmould for grip
- Dedicated controls
- Power, home, record, stop, cameras and display
- Dimensions and weight
- 110 × 144 × 36 mm, 0.3 kg
- ANPR
- Reads number plates and interfaces with VehicleManager
- ANPR accuracy
- Greater than 90%
- ANPR range
- 12 metres
- Wired microphones
- 2
- Wireless microphones
- Up to 2 portable HiFi microphones
- Cabin audio
- Integrated MEMS microphone, digital audio over coax
- Trigger interface
- 6 AUX inputs, at 12 V, from ignition, siren, lights, brake and similar. No AUX outputs are published for this model, where the M500E has three
- Other connections
- USB, Ethernet, and 4 powered Ethernet
- Evidence management
- VideoManager, for configuration and evidence management
- Video transfer
- Wireless 802.11 router, optional Wi-Fi or all-in-one LTE and Wi-Fi router, Ethernet, or USB
- Live streaming
- Video and audio
- Group recording
- Can start a group recording with Motorola body cameras
- Encryption
- FIPS-140-2 compliant, at rest and in transit
- Remote upgrade
- Firmware over a wireless link
- RFID
- Supports an RFID reader, and configuration and firmware update
- Human presence detection
- The cabin camera records automatically when a person is detected in the back seat
- Mobile app
- Not published
- Warranty
- 12 months, comprehensive
- Extended services
- Available at 3 or 5 years, at additional cost
- Certifications
- Not published
Figures published by Motorola Solutions in the international edition of the M500 data sheet, which is the edition that applies outside North America. Two notes. That data sheet covers the M500 and the M500E together and several rows differ between them, so everything here is the M500 column. And its multiple-resolution encoding row lists a third pairing, 1080p with 4080p, which is a misprint in the source, so only the two sound pairings are published above. Where a figure reads Not published, Motorola does not state it for this model, which is not the same as the feature being absent.
Supply
What ships, and what the install needs
An in car video system is quoted as a fitted system rather than a boxed product, and Motorola does not publish a packing list. Confirm the exact configuration on your quotation. These are the parts the system is built from.
The system
- M500 core processor, single DIN
- M5D five inch touchscreen control panel
- M5F front camera, 4K, on a windscreen puck or ball mount
- Up to five cameras in total on HD-BNC
Cameras to choose from
- M5P cabin camera, 1080p with infrared
- M5R rear camera, adjusted for tinted windows
- M5E exterior camera, IP67 for outdoor mounting
- Vehicle-specific or universal mounting brackets
Around it
- Up to two portable wireless microphones
- A Wi-Fi or LTE and Wi-Fi router for upload
- A 128 GB USB drive for manual offload
- VideoManager, where the evidence is managed
Accessories
What goes on the order with it
A recorder is one line on a vehicle quotation. These are the parts that make up the rest of it.
The cameras
- M5F front camera, 4K, panoramic and cropped at once
- M5P cabin camera, 1080p with 940 nm infrared
- M5R rear camera, adjusted for tinted windows
- M5E exterior camera, IP67 for outdoor mounting
In the vehicle
- M5D control panel, 5 inch at 600 nits
- Up to two portable wireless microphones
- Vehicle-specific or universal mounting brackets
- Trigger wiring from ignition, siren, lights and brake
Offload and evidence
- A 128 GB USB drive for manual offload
- A Wi-Fi or all-in-one LTE and Wi-Fi router
- VideoManager, where the evidence is managed
- Motorola body cameras, which record as a group with the vehicle
Compare
How it sits against the alternatives
The M500E is the compact version of the same system. The two Xignal recorders are shown for scale, because they answer a different question. The full comparison lives on the range page.
| Motorola M500 | Motorola M500E | Xignal M728(G4F) | Xignal M605 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Policing and evidence | Policing and evidence | Fleet and school transport | Light fleet and driver AI |
| Max cameras | Up to 5 | Up to 2 | 8 | 4 |
| Internal storage | 1 TB automotive SSD | 256 GB micro SD | HDD to 4 TB | 2 SD cards to 128 GB each |
| Front camera | 4K, panoramic and cropped at once | 4K | Specified separately | Specified separately |
| Number plates | Yes, over 90% at 12 m | Coming soon | Not published | Not published |
| Record-After-the-Fact | Yes, patented | Yes, patented | Not published | Not published |
| Encryption | FIPS-140-2 compliant | FIPS-140-2 compliant | Not published | Not published |
| Touchscreen | 5 inch, 600 nits | 1.2 inch monochrome control head | Not published | Not published |
| Mobile app | Not published | Yes | Not published | Not published |
| Evidence goes to | VideoManager | VideoManager | Your own server | Your own server |
| You are here | View the M500E | View the M728(G4F) | View the M605 |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Questions
Before you specify the M500
Questions we are asked about this model.
Where does the footage actually go?
Into VideoManager, Motorola’s evidence management platform, which is also where Motorola body cameras land. This is the single most important thing to understand before comparing the M500 with the Xignal recorders elsewhere on this site. Those write to a server you own and control. The M500 is part of the Motorola ecosystem, and its evidence, configuration, synchronised playback and number plate data all live there. Both are legitimate architectures and we supply both, but they are two separate stacks and a deployment normally commits to one. If you already run Motorola radios and body cameras, that decision is largely made.
What is Record-After-the-Fact, and why does it matter?
The system holds footage continuously, so an administrator can go back and recover an event days later even though nobody ever pressed record. It is patented and configurable. The reason it matters is that the cases which turn into complaints or claims are very often the ones nobody flagged at the time, and a conventional recorder that only keeps triggered events has already overwritten them. Combined with pre-event recording of up to ten minutes, it changes what is recoverable weeks after a shift.
How good is the number plate recognition?
Motorola publishes greater than 90% accuracy at a range of 12 metres, read by the 4K front camera and passed to VehicleManager. Two caveats worth stating. The figure is Motorola’s own and is not qualified by plate type, so plates carrying regional codes and mixed scripts are worth a live trial before you commit on a large contract. And the feature is published for the M500 and marked coming soon on the M500E, so if it is a requirement then it is also a reason to specify this model rather than the compact one.
Will it stand a hot summer?
The core, the cameras and the control panel are all rated minus 30 to plus 65 degrees Celsius. That is above the plus 60 of the M607 dash camera and below the plus 70 of the Xignal recorders. The core mounts overhead or in a console rather than against the glass, which is the cooler position, but the front camera does mount on the windscreen. For a patrol vehicle that is in use and running air conditioning through the day this is normally fine. For vehicles that stand in the open all day in July, raise it with us and we will get it confirmed against your duty cycle.
What does the M500 give me that the M500E does not?
Five cameras instead of two, the five inch touchscreen instead of a small monochrome control head, dual-stream recording, the simultaneous panoramic and cropped front views, up to two wireless microphones, a 1 TB solid state drive instead of a 256 GB card, and number plate recognition available now rather than coming soon. The M500E’s own advantage is mobile app support, which the M500 does not publish, along with built-in Wi-Fi that makes it simpler to install. The M500E is the right answer for a small vehicle or a tight budget, this one for a fully equipped patrol car.
Can it record together with our body cameras?
Yes, and that is one of the better reasons to buy into one ecosystem. The system can start a group recording with Motorola body cameras, so when the vehicle starts recording the officers’ cameras start too, and everything is synchronised for playback in VideoManager afterwards. We supply the Motorola V200 and V500 body cameras that pair with it. If your body cameras are Hytera or Xignal, that group behaviour does not apply and the two systems stay separate.
The range
Other models worth comparing
Three other recorders in the range, and what each one changes against the M500.
Motorola · In Car Video
M500E
+mobile app+7 / 3 AUX−2 cameras
The compact version. A mobile app, built-in Wi-Fi and more trigger I/O, on a smaller control head.
Motorola · Body Camera
V500
+worn by the officer+group recording
The body camera that records as a group with the vehicle and lands in the same platform.
Xignal · HDD Mobile DVR
M728(G4F)
+8 channels+your own server−no ANPR
The fleet answer rather than the evidence one. Eight channels, and footage on a server you own.
policing and evidence rules
The M500 Against Common Requirements
This is an evidence system, so the rules that matter most govern the platform as much as the hardware. The M500 meets several of the usual requirements in the box. The rest are answered by VideoManager and by how your force configures it.
- Encrypted storage: FIPS-140-2 compliant encryption at rest and in transit, which is a recognised standard rather than an unqualified claim.
- Evidence that survives the shift: Record-After-the-Fact recovers events days later even when no recording was started, which is what a late complaint needs.
- A register of authorised users: held in VideoManager, not on the vehicle. Access levels and retention rules are configured there.
- No copying to personal devices: evidence offload is to the 128 GB USB drive or over the network into VideoManager, both controlled paths.
- Written approval before sharing: a process obligation on the force, enforced through VideoManager's sharing controls rather than by the recorder.
- Position and timing on the record: integrated GPS provides location and a timing reference, so events across vehicles and body cameras line up.
- Not a school bus system: school transport requires seven cameras and a different architecture. Specify the Xignal M728(G4F) for that.
Get a quotation for the M500
Tell us how many vehicles, which cameras each one needs, whether number plate recognition is in scope, and whether you already run Motorola body cameras or VideoManager. If you are weighing this against a fleet recorder on your own server, say so and we will set out both properly rather than pushing one.
