How to turn a smartphone into a dash cam

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

A comprehensive guide to help you save money on the purchase of a standalone DVR.

Is it worth doing

Of course, a specialized device is always better than a universal one and a good DVR will give odds to any smartphone. But if high requirements are not imposed on the quality of the recording or you want to save money, then using a smartphone as a DVR may be quite justified.

This is what you will face when deciding on a similar venture.

disadvantages

1. Shooting quality. The smartphone's optics, although they have a large number of megapixels, are poorly adapted for shooting in the dark and under bright sunlight (highlights will be inevitable due to the location of the smartphone under the windshield). In addition, mobile cameras have a much smaller viewing angle, so the adjacent lane and roadside may not fit into the frame.
2. Possible overheating. Active work with the camera loads the processor and makes the smartphone warm up. In addition, the temperature is increased by constantly connected charging and the summer sun. Therefore, you will have to find a good place for your smartphone, where it will be blown by air currents from the ventilation system or remove the cover from it.
3. Inconvenience. During the day, the smartphone will need to be removed from the holder and reinstalled frequently, as well as connecting the charging cable and launching recording applications. In addition, you deprive yourself of most of the functions of your smartphone if you use the main device as a registrar. You can still listen to music, but you can't read news in traffic and you can't sit on social networks.

However, in addition to the disadvantages, the use of a smartphone-DVR gives some advantages. Thanks to the powerful stuffing, it will be able to surpass the traditional DVR on several points.

Advantages

1. Shooting detail. In good lighting conditions, the smartphone camera will capture details in the frame with greater clarity and allow you to see a license plate or a road sign. Also, the high resolution of the sensor will help you take better photos.
2. Image stabilization. Almost all modern smartphones have, if not optical, then software frame stabilization, which is very useful for smoothing out shaking when shooting in motion.
3. Multitasking. Most DVR applications make the most of the smartphone's capabilities, which means that you will receive radar and navigator functions as a bonus to recording traffic conditions.

How to fix a smartphone in a car

DVRs are equipped with standard mounts that allow you to center the frame and easily remove the device. The smartphone will also have to be fixed somehow, preferably rigidly and also adjustable. Not all holders are suitable for this purpose. Here are some guidelines for choosing and installing:

1. The holder should be compact, with a minimum of hinges and a swivel mount. A too bulky design threatens to fall off at the most inopportune moment and aggravate unnecessary shaking.
2. If you will be using the main smartphone, you should take care of the mount with the ability to quickly remove. For example, clip clips or magnets will work.
3. It is better to install the smartphone on the windshield higher, in the area of the rear-view mirror. When mounted to the dashboard, the camera is very likely to be exposed to sun rays.

Compact suction cup or adhesive mounts work well, as well as options that mount directly to the rearview mirror. All of them cost about 250-350 rubles on AliExpress. However, if you already have a holder that you use in the car, then you can try to adapt it.

How to install the lens

A small angle of view suitable for general photography will not be sufficient for recording traffic. A detachable wide-angle lens will allow you to get pictures that are not inferior to DVR cameras.

It is better to choose lenses with clothespins (100-200 rubles) or covers on which the lenses are screwed with a thread (500-600 rubles). So the lens will not fall off on the next bump.

Lenses are best taken from glass rather than plastic.

When installing, be sure to center the lens and check that it is securely attached to the smartphone. Lenses can slide off glass and metal covers. In this case, a simple silicone or soft plastic cover will help.

How to connect power

The smartphone in the recording mode is very quickly discharged, and there is no question of working only from the built-in battery. Therefore, you have to take care of connecting the charging. You will need a cigarette lighter power adapter and cable.

Since it is expected to run for a long time, both accessories must be of good quality. Do not skimp on a solid 2 A adapter that will not let you down and will not burn out at the most inopportune moment, ruining your smartphone.

The cable should be good too. If you will not be embarrassed by hanging wires, then you can use the complete one, but it is still better to buy a cable for two or three meters, which can be neatly laid along the windshield, and then passed under the glove compartment and brought to the cigarette lighter.

A cable with a magnetic connector will make it much easier to connect and disconnect the power, which will be especially important for cases when the recording is carried out on the main smartphone.

How to choose an application

There are tons of mobile applications out there, but almost all of them have similar capabilities. Lifehacker has selected three of the most popular dashboard cameras for iOS and Android.

Video recorder

Despite the trite name, this application has many different settings. In addition to recording traffic conditions, it performs the functions of a navigator and a radar detector, informing about stationary cameras. "Video Recorder" supports loop recording, automatically starts and stops, and also knows how to save video both locally and in the cloud storage. On Android, you can record videos in the background and even with a locked screen.

Application not found

RoadAR

Another great universal application that combines a video recorder and a radar detector. In addition, RoadAR is able to recognize road signs and warn about speeding, no parking and other situations. The app automatically adjusts the exposure to prevent highlights, and on Android it can also launch itself when motion is detected or when rotated to a horizontal position.

SmartDriver

SmartDriver is more focused on the radar function, but it also allows you to record the traffic situation and helps in getting directions by displaying on-screen navigation prompts. There is a subscription in the application that gives you access to daily updates of the bases of cameras and traffic police posts. In the free version, they are updated once a week.

AutoBoy

Not a bad recorder with low system requirements and no unnecessary functions. It boasts a variety of settings, work in a vertical orientation, as well as support for an accelerometer, which allows you to fix a blow and protect an accident record from being erased. Allows you to shoot not only video, but also a series of photos at specified intervals, and also knows how to upload recordings to YouTube.

How to set up a recording

Each application has its own set of settings, and the capabilities of smartphones differ, but the basic options are approximately the same.

Don't chase high resolution. Even if the smartphone supports 4K shooting, it is better to stick to Full HD, or even regular HD video. This will save disk space and be able to set a higher frame rate, which will be more useful. Also, do not forget to enable the cyclic file overwrite option and set its parameters depending on the amount of available space.

Some apps allow you to send videos directly to the cloud. If you don't have an unlimited plan, be sure to turn off cellular file downloads. But it is better to turn on the stabilization option in order to raise the quality of the picture and reduce the shaking of the frame.

If the application supports the automatic recording setting, choose the option that is most convenient for you: usually it is either connecting the power or rotating the smartphone to the horizontal orientation.

And, of course, it is advisable to experiment with other available options in order to find the most successful shooting parameters. It is better to do this ahead of time, somewhere in a parking lot or on an unloaded section of the road.