Home › Vehicle Cameras › Xignal M728(G4F)
Xignal · HDD Mobile DVR
Xignal M728(G4F) 8 Channel Mobile DVR
An eight channel recorder for buses, trucks and municipal fleets. It takes AHD, TVI, CVI or CVBS cameras on the same box, records 1080p to a 2.5 inch hard drive of up to 4TB with an SD card running a mirror, and streams live over 4G with GPS and BeiDou positioning.
Supplied, fitted and commissioned
Overview
What the M728(G4F) does
The eight channel recorder in the range, and the one that answers a school bus. Where school transport is regulated the requirement is typically seven cameras, four outside and three inside, and eight channels covers all seven with one left spare. The same box handles a city bus with a camera on each door, a truck running blind spot and reversing views alongside the road ahead, or a municipal vehicle that also needs a working side view.
Cameras go in as AHD, TVI, CVI or CVBS on the same inputs, so an existing analogue fleet does not have to be recabled to be recorded properly. Recording runs to a 2.5 inch hard drive of up to 4TB with an SD card kept as a mirror, and a UPS holds the write for about seven seconds after the power is cut so the last file closes cleanly. Live view, position and two way audio run over the optional 4G module, and the depot Wi-Fi takes the full resolution files at the end of a shift.
Where it fits best
- School buses where AHD is accepted, and seven cameras leave one channel spare
- City buses and coaches needing a view on each door, the aisle, the driver and the road
- Trucks and trailers running blind spot and reversing cameras alongside the road ahead
- Municipal and utility fleets adding fuel, OBD or speed data over the serial inputs
- Existing analogue fleets, since AHD, TVI, CVI and CVBS all land on the same recorder
Not sure this is the right recorder? See how many channels your vehicle needs.
Full specifications
Every published figure
The complete M728(G4F) specification, as published by the manufacturer.
- Video channels
- 8CH AHD input, also takes CVI, TVI or CVBS
- Video resolution
- 8 × 1080P or 8 × 720P, max 120 fps in total
- Also records
- 8 × D1, 8 × HD1, 8 × CIF
- Video compression
- H.264
- Image quality
- 0 to 7 levels, 0 is the highest
- Video input
- Aviation connector, 1.0Vp-p, 75Ω
- Video output
- 1 CVBS aviation, 1.0Vp-p, 75Ω. One channel full screen or an eight channel view
- Playback
- Up to 8 channels at once, with stop, fast and slow
- Event recording
- Pre-recording on alarm events, motion detection alarm and alarm linkage
- Audio compression
- G.726 at 8 KB/s
- Two way audio
- Two way talking and trunking intercom over 4G or Wi-Fi
- Main recording
- 2.5 inch HDD, up to 4 TB
- Mirror recording
- SD card, up to 128 GB
- Backup
- Front panel USB, to a U disk or a hard disk
- Cellular
- Built-in 4G module, optional. TDD-LTE, FDD-LTE, WCDMA
- Positioning
- Built-in GPS and BeiDou module
- Wi-Fi
- 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz
- Live view
- Real time remote viewing over 4G, 3G or Wi-Fi
- Alarm input
- 6 channels, plus 1 AD input and an impulse speed input, with alarm linkage
- Alarm output
- 2 channels. Drives a light or sound alarm, or an oil or power cut off
- Serial
- 2 × RS232 for OBD, a POS or fuel sensor, or an LED panel. 1 × RS485
- Driver AI
- ADAS and DSM camera modules
- Plate recognition
- Car plate licence number recognition
- Other options
- TTS voice broadcast, LED advertisement panel, oil sensor, car OBD
- Power input
- Wide voltage, DC +10 V to +36 V
- Power output
- +12 V at 1.5 A, +5 V at 1.5 A
- Power loss
- UPS function holds the recording for about 7 seconds
- Operating temperature
- −20 °C to +70 °C
- Dimensions (D × W × H)
- 218 × 161 × 65 mm
- Weight
- 2.2 kg
- Operating system
- Linux
- Menu languages
- English, Chinese, or customised
- IP rating
- Not published
- Certifications
- Not published
Figures published by the manufacturer. The 4G module, the driver AI cameras and the sensor options are specified at order rather than fitted across the range, so confirm the configuration on your quotation. Where a figure reads Not published, the manufacturer does not state it, which is not the same as the feature being absent.
Supply
What ships, and what the install needs
A mobile DVR is quoted as a fitted system rather than a boxed product, and the manufacturer does not publish a packing list for this model. Confirm exactly what the recorder ships with on your own quotation. These are the parts that go on the order around it.
Ordered with the recorder
- One camera per channel in use
- Aviation cable looms, cut to the vehicle
- A 2.5 inch hard drive, sized to the retention
- An SD card for the mirror recording
Fitted on the vehicle
- 4G, GPS and Wi-Fi antennas
- A switched power feed, 10 to 36 V
- A monitor on the CVBS output for commissioning
- A panic button on one of the alarm inputs
Specified at order
- The 4G module, if the fleet needs live view
- An ADAS camera for lane and collision warning
- A DSM camera for driver monitoring
- An oil or fuel sensor, or an OBD adapter
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.
Cameras and cabling
- Front road, cabin, rear and blind spot cameras
- AHD, CVI, TVI or CVBS, all on the same inputs
- Aviation cable looms cut to the vehicle
- A monitor on the CVBS output for commissioning
Driver AI modules
- ADAS camera for lane and collision warning
- DSM camera for fatigue, distraction and phone use
- Car plate licence number recognition
- Each module takes a channel, so count them in the eight
Storage, power and links
- 2.5 inch hard drives up to 4 TB
- SD cards up to 128 GB for the mirror recording
- 4G, GPS and Wi-Fi antennas
- Oil or fuel sensors and OBD adapters over RS232
Compare
How it sits against the alternatives
Three recorders often considered alongside the M728(G4F). The full comparison, including the dash cameras and the PTZ units, lives on the range page.
| Xignal M728(G4F) | Xignal M720(G4F) | Xignal M710(G4F) | Xignal M728(G4F)-IP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analogue channels | 8 AHD, CVI, TVI or CVBS | 4 AHD, CVI, TVI or CVBS | 4 AHD or CVBS | 8 AHD, TVI or CVI |
| IP channels | None | None | None | 1 to 4, so 12 in total |
| Max resolution | 1080p, 120 fps across the eight | 1080p | 720p | 1080p analogue and IP |
| Records to | HDD to 4 TB + 128 GB SD | HDD to 4 TB + 128 GB SD | HDD to 4 TB + 128 GB SD | HDD to 2 TB + 128 GB SD |
| Compression | H.264 | H.264 | H.264 | H.264 |
| Network | 4G · Wi-Fi · GPS and BeiDou | 4G · Wi-Fi · GPS and BeiDou | 4G · Wi-Fi · GPS and BeiDou | 4G · Wi-Fi · GPS and BeiDou |
| Alarm in / out | 6 / 2 | 6 / 2 | 6 / 2 | 6 / 2 |
| Driver AI | ADAS and DSM at order | ADAS and DSM at order | ADAS and DSM at order | ADAS and DSM at order |
| You are here | Find it in the range | Find it in the range | Find it in the range |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Questions
Before you specify the M728(G4F)
Questions we are asked about this model.
Is eight channels enough for a school bus?
Yes, with one channel spare. Where school transport is regulated the requirement is typically seven cameras, four exterior and three interior, so an eight channel recorder covers the bus and leaves a channel for a later addition such as a door or stairwell view. The other obligations that usually come with it are retention of at least 60 days and GPS from an approved provider streaming live position to the operator’s monitoring portal. Neither of those is satisfied by the recorder on its own, which is covered below.
Will this model meet an all-IP requirement?
No. Most authorities accept AHD cameras for school transport, but some require IP. The M728(G4F) is an analogue recorder, so it is the right answer wherever AHD is accepted and the wrong one where IP is mandated. The hybrid M728(G4F)-IP adds IP channels to the same box, but it carries only one to four of them, so it does not cover an all-IP seven camera bus either. Tell us where the buses run and we will specify against the rule that actually applies.
What does 120 fps across eight channels mean?
The manufacturer publishes a total rather than a per channel figure. Eight channels share 120 frames per second at 1080p, which works out at 15 fps on each one. The hybrid variant in the same family publishes exactly that arithmetic, 15 fps per channel at 1080p and 30 fps at 720p, so the recording engine behaves the same way. Fifteen frames per second is normal for multi channel vehicle recording and is enough to identify people and plates. If a tender asks for 30 fps on every channel at full 1080p, say so on the enquiry, because that is a different specification.
Where do 60 days of retention actually live?
Not on the vehicle. The hard drive is a rolling buffer sized to the route, typically a few days to a few weeks depending on channel count and resolution. Sixty days lives on the server the footage is offloaded to. Three routes run alongside each other: reduced rate streaming over 4G while the vehicle is moving, full resolution transfer over Wi-Fi when it reaches the depot, and manual extraction of the drive or the SD card when an incident needs the original file.
Are ADAS and driver monitoring included?
No. They are specified at order, not fitted across the range. ADAS connects a forward facing camera that warns on lane departure and collision risk, and DSM connects a cabin facing camera that detects fatigue, distraction, smoking and phone use. Both are separate camera modules that occupy channels on the recorder, so allow for them when you count cameras against the eight available.
Do I have to replace the cameras already on the fleet?
Usually not. The inputs take AHD, CVI, TVI or CVBS, so an existing analogue installation can be recorded without recabling the vehicle. On the environment: the manufacturer publishes an operating range of −20 to +70 °C, which covers a hot cabin, but it does not publish an IP rating for this unit. It is designed to be mounted inside the cabin or in a lockable enclosure rather than exposed, so treat any washdown or open mounting position as a question for us before you order.
The range
Other models worth comparing
Three other recorders in the range, and what each one changes against the M728(G4F).
Xignal · HDD Mobile DVR
M720(G4F)
−4 channels
The same recorder in a four channel form, for a patrol car, an ambulance or a rigid truck.
Xignal · Hybrid Mobile NVR
M728(G4F)-IP
+IP channels−2 TB drive
Adds one to four IP channels to the same eight analogue inputs, for a mixed or part IP fleet.
Xignal · SD Card Mobile DVR
M605
−no hard drive
An AI led recorder that writes to an SD card, for vehicles with no room for a drive bay.
fleet and school transport rules
The M728(G4F) Against Common Requirements
Vehicle recorders answer to a different set of rules from body worn cameras. School transport carries the most specific requirements, heavy vehicles often carry a telematics obligation, and evidence rules apply once in-vehicle footage is used to document a violation or support a judicial process. This is what each one asks of the recorder, and what it asks of the system around it.
- Seven cameras on a school bus: four exterior and three interior. Eight channels covers all seven and leaves one spare.
- At least 60 days of retention: the vehicle holds a rolling buffer, so retention is sized on the server rather than on the recorder.
- Where IP cameras are mandated: most authorities accept AHD and this is an AHD recorder. Some require IP for school transport, which changes the specification.
- GPS from an approved provider: the built-in GPS and BeiDou module reports position, and the link to the approved provider is configured at commissioning.
- Telematics on heavy vehicles: many authorities require driving hours, harsh braking, acceleration and speeding to be reported on heavier vehicles, and licensing can depend on it.
- Encrypted storage and an authorised user register: where footage documents a violation, the evidence rules that apply govern the server it lands on rather than the recorder itself.
- Written approval before footage is shared: the same regulation, and it is a process obligation on the operating entity, not a feature of any recorder.
Get a quotation for the M728(G4F)
Tell us the vehicle type, how many cameras each vehicle needs, whether live 4G view is required, and how long footage has to be retained. We will come back with a configured quotation covering the recorder, the cameras, the installation and the server behind it.
