Home › Vehicle Cameras › Motorola M500E
Motorola · In Car Video System
Motorola M500E In Car Video System
The compact version of Motorola’s in car video system. Two cameras rather than five, on a small tactile control head instead of a touchscreen, with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that make it quicker to fit and a mobile app the larger M500 does not have. It keeps Record-After-the-Fact, FIPS-140-2 encryption and VideoManager.
Supplied, fitted and commissioned
Overview
What the M500E does
The compact half of the M500 family. It runs two cameras instead of five and is controlled from a 42 gram head with a small monochrome display rather than a five inch touchscreen, which is the whole point: it fits vehicles where there is no room for a console screen, and it costs less per vehicle across a large fleet. The evidence features that matter are unchanged, including Record-After-the-Fact and FIPS-140-2 encryption.
Two things go the other way, against what you would expect from the smaller model. It has a mobile app for configuration, live view and playback that the M500 does not publish, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built into the box rather than added as a separate router, which Motorola presents as simpler installation. It also carries more trigger wiring than the M500: seven AUX inputs and three AUX outputs against six inputs and none published, so it can actuate something on the vehicle where the larger unit cannot.
Where it fits best
- Vehicles with no room for a console mounted touchscreen
- Large fleets where cost per vehicle matters more than camera count
- Installations that need the recorder to switch something, through the three AUX outputs
- Officers who would rather configure and review from a phone than a screen in the car
- Forces already running VideoManager who want a second, lighter tier of vehicle
Not sure this is the right recorder? See how many channels your vehicle needs.
Full specifications
Every published figure
The complete M500E specification, as published by the manufacturer.
- Form factor
- Single DIN
- Dimensions (H × W × D)
- 187 × 48 × 167 mm
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Operating temperature
- −30 °C to +65 °C
- Mounting
- Console bracket or a universal mount
- Max camera capacity
- Up to 2 cameras
- Internal recording media
- 256 GB industrial temperature micro SD
- Removable media
- 256 GB industrial temperature micro SD
- 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 or 864 × 480p, with high, medium or low bitrate
- Frame rate
- 30, 15, 10 or 5 fps, configurable
- Resolution encoding
- Records one resolution at a time. The M500 records two at once
- 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, 3 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, interior-rated
- 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
- Cameras fitted
- Any two of the above
- Wide and cropped front views
- Not published
- Display
- 1.2 inch monochrome LCD, top display
- Buttons
- Power, Bluetooth pair, left, right and record
- Connection
- USB Type-C, on a custom cable with a retention feature
- Dimensions and weight
- 48.5 × 70.9 × 18.8 mm, 42 g
- Mounting
- RAM A size ball adapter, or flush mounted with adhesive tape
- Touchscreen
- Not published
- Wired microphone
- 1
- Cabin audio
- Integrated MEMS microphone, digital audio over coax
- Trigger interface
- 7 AUX inputs and 3 AUX outputs, at 12 V, from ignition, siren, lights, brake and similar
- Other connections
- USB and 2 × Ethernet
- Wireless microphones
- Not published
- Evidence management
- VideoManager, for configuration and evidence management
- Mobile app
- Configuration, live view and playback from a phone
- External connectivity
- Internal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module
- Video transfer
- Wireless 802.11ac, an optional all-in-one LTE and Wi-Fi router, Ethernet, or the SD card
- Live streaming
- Video and audio
- 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
- Group recording
- Starting a group recording with Motorola body cameras. Available now on the M500
- Number plate recognition
- Reading plates and interfacing with VehicleManager. Available now on the M500
- Human presence detection
- The cabin camera recording automatically when a person is detected in the back seat. Available now on the M500
- 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 covers this model and the M500 together and is the edition that applies outside North America. Everything above is the M500E column. Three features are marked in that data sheet as coming soon for this model and are grouped together above rather than listed as though they were available, and all three already work on the M500. 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
- M500E core processor, single DIN
- M5CH control head, 42 g, on a RAM ball or adhesive flush mount
- Two cameras from the M500 family
- Two 256 GB industrial temperature micro SD cards
Cameras to choose from
- M5F front camera, 4K
- M5P cabin camera, 1080p with infrared
- M5R rear camera, adjusted for tinted windows
- M5E exterior camera, IP67 for outdoor mounting
Around it
- Nothing for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, both are built in
- An optional all-in-one LTE and Wi-Fi router for cellular
- The mobile app, for configuration and live view
- 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.
In the vehicle
- M5CH control head, 42 g with a 1.2 inch monochrome display
- RAM A size ball adapter, or a flush adhesive mount
- Console bracket or universal mount for the core
- Trigger wiring: 7 AUX inputs and 3 AUX outputs
Two cameras from the family
- M5F front camera, 4K
- M5P cabin camera, 1080p with 940 nm infrared
- M5R rear camera, adjusted for tinted windows
- M5E exterior camera, IP67 for outdoor mounting
Cards, network and evidence
- Two 256 GB industrial temperature micro SD cards
- Nothing for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, both are built in
- An optional all-in-one LTE and Wi-Fi router
- VideoManager, plus the mobile app for live view
Compare
How it sits against the alternatives
The M500 is the full size 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 M500E | Motorola M500 | Xignal M607 | Xignal M710(G4F) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Policing and evidence | Policing and evidence | Fleet dash camera | Fleet recorder |
| Max cameras | Up to 2 | Up to 5 | 2 built in + 2 | 4 |
| Internal storage | 256 GB micro SD | 1 TB automotive SSD | 1 TF card to 256 GB | HDD to 4 TB |
| Control | 1.2 inch head, 42 g | 5 inch touchscreen, 600 nits | Not published | Not published |
| Mobile app | Yes | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Built-in Wi-Fi | 802.11ac and Bluetooth | External router | 802.11 b/g/n | Not published |
| AUX in / out | 7 / 3 | 6 / none published | 2 way switch / none | 6 / 2 |
| Number plates | Coming soon | Yes, over 90% at 12 m | Not published | Not published |
| Record-After-the-Fact | Yes, patented | Yes, patented | Not published | Not published |
| Evidence goes to | VideoManager | VideoManager | Your own server | Your own server |
| You are here | View the M500 | View the M607 | View the M710(G4F) |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Questions
Before you specify the M500E
Questions we are asked about this model.
What do I give up against the M500?
Five things, and they are worth knowing before the price comparison. Two cameras instead of five. A 256 gigabyte card instead of a 1 terabyte solid state drive. It records one resolution at a time where the M500 records two simultaneously. It does not do the panoramic and cropped front views at once. And it does not support the portable wireless microphones. The control head is a 42 gram unit with a small monochrome display rather than a five inch touchscreen, which for some fits is the reason to choose it rather than a compromise.
What does it do that the M500 does not?
Three things, and one of them is genuinely counterintuitive. It has a mobile app for configuration, live view and playback, which Motorola does not publish for the M500. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built into the unit rather than needing a separate router, which is why Motorola describes it as simpler to install. And it carries more trigger wiring, not less: seven AUX inputs and three AUX outputs against the M500’s six inputs with no outputs published. If your specification needs the system to actuate something on the vehicle, the smaller model is the one that can.
Is number plate recognition available on this model?
Not yet. Motorola marks it coming soon for the M500E in the data sheet, alongside group recording with body cameras and human presence detection. All three are already available on the M500. We have grouped them on this page under a heading that says so rather than listing them as features, because a tender answer needs the difference. If plate recognition is a requirement now, specify the M500, and if it is a requirement for later then ask us to get a date from Motorola in writing before you commit.
Will two cameras cover a patrol vehicle?
It depends what the vehicle is for. Two cameras normally means the road ahead and the cabin, which covers the two things most incidents turn on: what happened in front of the vehicle and what happened inside it. What you cannot also have is a rear view and an exterior view at the same time. For a supervisor’s car, a community vehicle or a van that is usually enough. For a fully equipped response car that needs 360 degree coverage, the M500 and its five cameras is the specification.
Where does the footage go?
Into VideoManager, Motorola’s evidence platform, exactly as with the M500. This is the thing to settle before comparing it with the Xignal recorders elsewhere on this site, which write to a server you own and control. Both architectures are legitimate and we supply both, but they are separate stacks and a deployment normally commits to one. If you already run Motorola radios or body cameras, the decision is largely made for you.
Will it stand a hot summer?
It carries the same rating as the M500 and its cameras, minus 30 to plus 65 degrees Celsius. The core mounts in a console bracket rather than against the glass, which is the cooler position, and the control head is a small unit that can be sited out of direct sun. The front camera does mount on the windscreen. For a vehicle in use with air conditioning running this is normally fine. For vehicles standing in the open all day through July, raise it with us and we will get it confirmed against your duty cycle rather than guess.
The range
Other models worth comparing
Three other recorders in the range, and what each one changes against the M500E.
Motorola · In Car Video
M500
+5 cameras+1 TB SSD+number plates now
The full size system. Five cameras, a terabyte of storage and plate recognition available now.
Motorola · Body Camera
V500
+worn by the officer
The body camera that lands in the same platform, so vehicle and officer footage sit together.
Xignal · 4G AI Dash Camera
M607
+your own server−no Record-After-the-Fact
The fleet answer at a lower cost per vehicle, with footage on a server you own.
policing and evidence rules
The M500E Against Common Requirements
This is an evidence system, so the rules that matter most govern the platform as much as the hardware. The M500E 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, the same standard as the M500.
- Evidence that survives the shift: Record-After-the-Fact recovers events days later even when no recording was started, and it is not cut down on this model.
- 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: offload is to the removable card or over the network into VideoManager, both controlled paths. The mobile app is for live view and playback, not export.
- 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.
- Two cameras, not seven: this is not a school transport system and cannot be made into one. Specify the Xignal M728(G4F) for a bus.
Get a quotation for the M500E
Tell us how many vehicles, which two cameras each one needs, and whether number plate recognition is in scope, because that one is still coming on this model. If you are weighing it against the full size M500 or against a fleet recorder on your own server, say so and we will set out all three properly rather than pushing one.
