Despite the fact that there are dozens of instructions on the Internet for choosing the right DVRs, buyers continue to make the same mistakes. By the way, sometimes the instructions themselves provoke them to do this. We talked with the sellers and manufacturers of such devices and tried to find out what exactly the buyers are doing wrong. We can say that our rating is compiled on the basis of typical mistakes – learn from someone else's experience!
Better to take a device with 4K recording
It would seem, what questions there might be – 4K is better than SHD and even more so HD. But in reality this is not the case: most devices simply interpolate the image to a higher resolution. You can check the “honesty” of the 4K format in a simple way. By the way, the situation is the same with the Super HD format. The manufacturer can save on the matrix and programmatically increase the resolution from HD to SHD. Here's how you can calculate such tricks.
Let's say the specification of the DVR specifies the SHD resolution (2304 * 1296). We calculate how many megapixels the matrix will need in this case: 2304 * 1296 = 2 985 984, that is, 3 megapixels. If the device has a 2 Mp matrix, then we are dealing with interpolation.
Everything is fair in this model: the resolution of 2304 × 1296 is supported by a 4-megapixel matrix.
Viewing angle: the wider the better
Which device do you choose: 120 °, 140 ° or 170 °? The correct solution is 140 °. An angle of 120 ° will not be enough to capture the space in front of the car: if you are hit in the front fender, the incident may simply not hit the camera lens. But 170 ° is also bad: the image will be too distorted by the fish-eye effect. In addition, the larger the viewing angle, the more details need to be reflected on one pixel of the matrix. Small details (and in particular the license plate) can simply get lost in the video, although they are no less important. The optimum angle is approximately 140 ° -150 ° diagonally.
Here's an example of a good dash cam with a 140 ° angle, improved contrast and anti-glare filter.
Built-in battery is better than capacitor
Batteries are more familiar to users: many do not even know what capacitors are in DVRs. Meanwhile, this is a great alternative. The main disadvantage of the battery is that inside the car, depending on the season, the temperature can vary conditionally from -50 ° С in the north to +70 ° С in the south.
Any battery used in recorders reacts extremely negatively to such changes and quickly fails . Usually it is located inside the recorder body in a very narrow space, that is, at a high external temperature it can begin to collapse, swell and simply break, for example, a lens from the body. It may be necessary not only to replace the battery, but to repair the entire device.
5 common mistakes when choosing a DVR: keep in mind so as not to regret
An alternative is an ionistor, that is, a capacitor that stores a certain amount of energy for the correct completion of work and works effectively in a very wide temperature range, which is important for Russia with its vast territory. True, it is only enough for the correct shutdown of the device, but there are no problems with overheating.
Here is a very compact model from Mio with a supercapacitor that is not afraid of temperature changes and allows you to always finish recording correctly:
Wi-Fi is not really needed
Another misconception. It is believed that a Wi-Fi module is needed if the recorder is not equipped with a display, otherwise the owner will not be able to configure it. But imagine the situation: you have an accident and the inspector offers to attach the video (read, memory card) to the protocol. In fact, you are deprived of all video evidence: the card may simply disappear in the bowels of the traffic police (or, for example, fall out even before entering the bowels).
There are DVRs with two memory cards, but these models are too expensive. The way out is just to use Wi-Fi and transfer the recording to a smartphone. Then you can donate a memory card with peace of mind.
This device has a Wi-Fi module, and it itself looks like a smartphone, and also a 5-inch screen.
The mount should be on a suction cup
Some cars spend the night in yards – understandably, owners do not want to leave an expensive device under the windshield. Therefore, after parking, they take the registrars home and install them again in the morning. Accordingly, when choosing a mount on the glass, car owners prefer suction cups: the option with scotch tape is not suitable for them.
But not many people know that there is a third method of fastening: with magnets. That is, your base is nevertheless glued to the glass, and the device itself can be easily removed and put on, and the magnetic mount also provides charging.
Here is a modern model with a magnetic mount.
A good dash cam doesn't have to be expensive. For example, we have a selection of models that cost no more than 5,000 rubles. And do not forget about such a useful device as a radar detector: we also advised the best options in our article.
