How to choose a DVR that won't let you down

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

At the right time, the DVR will be your best witness and will help you prove your innocence. Therefore, you need to choose a device carefully.

Design

Now you can buy video recorders of various designs. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

Traditional

The camera, control unit and screen are located in a single housing. Good for its relative simplicity and the fact that only one power wire goes to the recorder. The disadvantages include dimensions, especially if the screen is built-in and not foldable.

Modular

The camera and main unit, and less often the screen, are separate parts. The compact camera does not attract attention, and the control unit, after the initial setup, is hidden in the glove compartment and can be easily removed if necessary. But there are also disadvantages: an abundance of wires and a higher price.

Mirror

The entire filling of the registrar is hidden in the rear-view mirror, which is attached to the standard one. The camera is behind and the screen is directly under the glass and is not visible when turned off. The counterbalance to compactness and convenience is the high price and the inability to use outside the machine.

Hybrid devices

Video recorders combined with a navigator or radar detector. There are even models that can be used outside the car as an action camera. The advantages of all of them are versatility, but you will have to pay a round sum for it.

Permission

The resolution of the matrix is the main parameter on which the quality of the shooting directly depends, and therefore the chances to prove your case in emergency situations. There are three main standards: HD, Full HD, Super HD. Outdated VGA is almost never found, and the practical use of a more modern 4K is unreasonable due to the high cost, large volume of recorded files and high load on the processor.

1. HD. Video recorders of this standard record videos with a resolution of 1 280 × 720. Now this is the necessary minimum - even budget devices are equipped with matrices with such a resolution. They do not blur the frame around the edges and have a picture with clear boundaries of objects.
2. Full HD. Devices with support for Full HD shoot already at a resolution of 1,920 × 1,080 and boast a clearer picture of the traffic situation. The video will clearly show all objects, inscriptions, road markings and license plates.
3. Super HD. Such DVRs record video with a resolution of 2 304 × 1 296. It gives even more detail and allows you to scale the desired fragment of the frame and see important details on it.

Full HD recorders are now considered optimal. That being said, regular HDs are still in the ranks and will be an excellent choice if the budget is limited.

If you want to get the most out of your dash cam, take a look at the Super HD models. Such devices will require a faster and more voluminous memory card, and will also cost a pretty penny, but will delight you with an almost cinematic picture quality.

Be careful when evaluating this parameter. Now you can find a lot of inexpensive DVRs with overestimated values, which manufacturers achieve by interpolating (or, more simply, stretching) a low resolution to a higher one. With such devices, you simply get a low-quality, blurry high-resolution picture, but there will be no detail.

Viewing angle

A very important parameter on which the result of the DVR operation will depend. The wider the angle of view, the more the roadbed and shoulder gets into the frame. It must be at least 120 degrees horizontally or 145 degrees diagonally. Pay special attention to this, since some manufacturers indicate exactly the diagonal angle, which is obviously larger.

In addition, manufacturers sometimes indicate the maximum angle of view that is achievable when recording at lower resolutions. For example, when recording in Full HD, 90-100 degrees are captured, but if you select the HD recording quality, then the angle increases to the declared 120 degrees.

Also keep in mind that too wide a field of view (from 170 degrees horizontally) will round the frame around the edges, causing a fish-eye effect. Such an angle of view is useful when driving in the city, because when driving at low speeds it allows you to capture the curb and adjacent lanes well. When driving on the highway at high speeds, devices with this viewing angle will do more harm.

Mounting type and mechanism

The most common mounting options are a vacuum suction cup and 3M double-sided tape. Some DVRs come with two mounts at once. Then it is convenient to use a suction cup to test the recorder and find the optimal position, and then fix it permanently with tape.

1. Vacuum suction cupmore convenient in that it allows you to easily change the location of the recorder and quickly remove it. However, it increases the size of the device.
2. On double-sided tapethe recorder is installed once, and the device can be removed only if the design of the hinge allows. At the same time, this option is more compact, provides for installation behind the rear-view mirror, does not interfere with the view, and also attracts less attention of car thieves and does not fall off in winter.

Pay attention if the DVR has a rotating mechanism. This will allow you to quickly direct the camera to the driver's window to record the actions of the traffic police officer or in the other direction, if there is an intruder.

The fewer the hinges and the more compact they are, the less shaking during movement and, as a result, picture jitter.

Nutrition

All DVRs are powered by the on-board network. The power adapter connects to a cigarette lighter or external socket. Then the cable is laid to the installation site of the recorder along the perimeter of the windshield, under the dashboard or in another way.

Most DVRs are equipped with their own battery (built-in or removable), which will power the device if the car stalls, which sometimes happens, especially in emergency situations. The battery capacity is enough for several minutes of work just for such failures. But some recorders can work as full-fledged cameras outside the car, allowing you to film the proceedings with the participants in an accident or a conversation with traffic police officers in their car.

Another important point is the power connector. In some models, it is built directly into the mount, in others it is connected separately. The first option is much more convenient, eliminates the hassle with wires, and also eliminates damage to the cable and the connector itself.

Additional functions

Of course, DVRs have tons of different options and functions. Oddly enough, their abundance is not always good.

Useful functions

1. Shock sensor. There are already almost everywhere and protects against cyclic overwriting of videos taken during collisions, emergency acceleration or braking, as well as a car overturn.
2. WDR (Wide Dynamic Range). A function that stabilizes brightness in different parts of the frame. Improves the quality of the picture, removing glare from the headlights of oncoming cars at night and the bright sun during the day.
3. GPS module. Fixes the route and coordinates, and also notifies about speeding or approaching traffic police cameras.
4. Sound signals when crossing the marking line and just by timer. They will not let you fall asleep while driving on a long journey.
5. Image stabilization. Reduces jitter and jitter during recording.
6. Motion Detector. Allows you to automatically record video when you move in the frame. It will help you find the culprit of the damage in the parking lot.

Useless functions

1. HDMI. There is no point in watching the video from the DVR on the TV. A memory card is attached to the protocol, and it also acts as evidence in court.
2. Touch screen. It is terribly inconvenient to use and loses to the usual physical buttons.
3. Taking a photo. It is unlikely that you will take pictures of the accident scene. And if necessary, for this there is a smartphone, which is always there.
4. LED lights. In theory, it should improve the quality of the picture when shooting at night, but in fact it does not cope with this task at all.

Buyer's checklist

As you can see, there are not so many parameters for DVRs. That's why:

1. To narrow your search, choose the main criteria that fit your use case and budget.
2. Pick up several models that meet the specified parameters.
3. Carefully watch the video reviews on YouTube to learn about the features of specific registrars and finally make your choice.