How to choose a DVR, which will not fail
Educational Program How To Choose / / December 19, 2019
Design
Now you can buy a variety of DVRs designs. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
traditional
The camera control unit and the screen are in a single housing. Good relative simplicity and the fact that the registrar goes only one power cord. The disadvantages are the size, especially if the screen is built-in, rather than folding.
modular
The camera and the main unit, and less and screen are separate parts. Compact camera does not attract attention, and the control unit after the initial setting is hidden in the glove box and easily goes to, if necessary. But there are drawbacks: the abundance of leads and a higher price.
Mirror
All filling recorder hidden in the rearview mirror, which is attached to the standard. The camera is behind a screen just under the glass and is not visible when switched off. As a counterbalance to the compactness and convenience here is the high price and inability to use outside the car.
hybrid devices
DVRs, united with the navigator or radar detector. There are even models that can be used outside the car as an action camera. The benefits of all their versatility, but for it will have to pay a round sum.
Resolution
Matrix resolution - is the main parameter, which directly depends on the quality of shooting, and thus the chance to prove his innocence in an emergency. There are three main standards: HD, Full HD, Super HD. Outdated VGA almost does not occur, and the practical application of more modern 4K unnecessarily due to high cost, large volume of recorded files and high CPU load.
- HD. Video recorders of this standard is recorded with a resolution of rollers 1280 × 720. Now it is the minimum necessary - matrices equipped with such a resolution even budget device. They do not blur the picture at the edges, and have a picture with clear boundaries of objects.
- Full HD. Devices with Full HD resolution already removed 1920 × 1080 and can boast of a clearer picture of the traffic situation. The video will be perfectly visible objects, signs, road markings and license plates.
- Super HD. Such video recorders write with a resolution of 2304 × 1296. It provides even greater detail and allows you to scale the desired frame fragment and see important details on it.
Now considered optimal recorders Full HD. In this case, the usual HD is still in service and will be an excellent choice if your budget is limited.
If you want to get the maximum from the DVR, look for models with Super HD. Such devices require a high-speed and large memory card, and stand a pretty penny, but it will please almost cinematic picture quality.
Be careful when assessing this parameter. Now you can find plenty of inexpensive video recorders with inflated figures, which manufacturers reach interpolation (or, more simply, by stretching) to a low resolution high. With such devices, you just get low-quality, high-resolution image zamylenny, but no detail will not be there.
viewing angle
A very important parameter, which will depend on the result of the DVR. The greater the viewing angle, the greater the road surface and the curb in the frame. It must not be less than 120 degrees horizontally, or 145 - diagonal. Pay particular attention to this because some manufacturers specify exactly diagonal angle, which is obviously more.
In addition, manufacturers sometimes specify the maximum viewing angle, which is attainable when recording at lower resolutions. For example, when recording is captured in a Full HD 90-100 degrees, but if the selected HD recording quality, the angle increases to 120 degree claimed.
Also keep in mind: very wide viewing angle (170 degrees horizontally) will round off the picture at the edges, causing the effect of fish-eye. This angle is useful in city driving, because when driving at low speeds allows good capture the margins and the adjacent strip. When driving on the highway at high speeds from devices with viewing angle will be more damage.
The type and the retention mechanism
The most common mounting options - a suction cup and the double-sided tape 3M. With some DVRs included are just two fastening. It is convenient then using suction cups to test the registrar and find the optimal position, and then secure it with tape forever.
- Suction cup it is more convenient because you can easily change the location of the registrar and shoot it quickly. However, it increases the size of the device.
- On the double-sided tape recorder is installed once, and remove the device can only permitting the hinge design. In this case, this option is more compact, involves the installation of rear-view mirror does not interfere with the review, but also draws less attention to car thieves and does not fall off in the winter.
Pay attention to whether the DVR has a swivel mechanism. This allows you to quickly point the camera at the driver's window to record the actions of the traffic police, or to the other side, if there is an intruder.
The smaller joints and more compact than they are, the less shaking when driving, and as a result, the image shake.
Food
All recorders are powered by on-board network. The power adapter is connected to the cigarette lighter outlet or bypass. Then the cable is laid to the registrar setup place of the windshield perimeter under the dashboard or in another manner.
Most DVRs equipped with its own battery (built-in or removable), which will feed the device, if car stallsThat happens sometimes, especially in emergency situations. battery capacity is enough for a few minutes of work just for such failures. But some registrars can operate as a full-fledged camera outside the car, allowing you to remove the proceedings from the participants of the accident or the conversation with the traffic police in their car.
Another important point - the power plug. In some models it is embedded directly into the mount, in other connected separately. The first option is more convenient, eliminating the fuss with cables, and eliminates cable damage and of the connector.
Additional functions
Of course, there are still a lot of DVRs different parameters and functions. Oddly enough, but their abundance is not always good.
Useful functions
- shock sensor. There is almost everywhere and protects against cyclical overwriting video taken during collisions, emergency acceleration or deceleration, and the vehicle overturn.
- WDR (Wide Dynamic Range). Function that stabilizes the brightness in different parts of the frame. Improves image quality by removing glare from the headlights of oncoming cars at night and bright sunlight during the day.
- GPS-module. Fixes route coordinates and also notifies speeding or approaching traffic cameras.
- Sound signals at the intersection of line markings and a timer. Will not allow to fall asleep at the wheel on a long road.
- Image stabilization. Reduces jerking and shaking the image while recording.
- Motion Detector. It allows you to automatically record video when motion in the frame. It helps to find the perpetrator of damage in the parking lot.
useless feature
- HDMI. It makes no sense to watch video from the DVR on your TV. The minutes shall be attached memory card, and it also serves as evidence in court.
- Touch screen. Terribly inconvenient to use and lose ordinary physical buttons.
- photo shooting. It is unlikely that you will take pictures of the accident scene. And if need be, for this is a smartphone that is always there.
- LED lights. In theory, it should improve the image quality when shooting at night, but in fact did not cope with this task.
Buyer's checklist
As you can see, the parameters of DVRs are not so much. Therefore:
- To narrow your search, select a basic criteria that are appropriate for your use case and budget.
- Pick a few models that meet the specified parameters.
- Carefully watch overview videos on YouTube, to learn about the features of specific registers, and finally determine the choice.