Experts: Five Myths About DVRs
Readers of “Behind the Wheel. Russia” are advised by Mikhail Fadeev, an independent expert, market analyst for mobile electronic gadgets; Evgeny Eroshin - representative of Videomax; Yuri Antoshkin - Spanish Director of Prestigio in Eastern Europe and the CIS.
Myth 1: it makes no sense to buy a device more expensive than 2 thousand rubles
And why, they say, overpay, if the registrar for 1500 rubles. will fully insure against auto-substitution and unfair accusations in an accident?
This sense of security is false. Cheap models are characterized by:
- poor recording quality, in which the details of the incident that are important for the investigation of the traffic police are hidden;
- during playback, long pauses between fragments are detected;
- events shot in the dark are absolutely not readable.
More specifically: in almost all registrars at a price of up to 2000 rubles. the interpolation principle is used: the device shoots video in low resolution, and during playback the picture is “programmed” stretched to HD or Full HD sizes. Naturally, her quality is “so-so.”
Do not fall for the wording in the characteristics of the device (this is the most common fraud): "with high resolution." In almost all cases, "rootless corporations from the shed" resorted to it, imitating the names of reputable brands. The way to check the quality promised in the technical specifications is simple: view the recording on the big screen. Video with natural HD will be clear, contrasting, auto numbers and other small details are distinguishable from a long distance.
“Budget” threatens another trap: if a breakdown occurs, the registrar will have to be repaired at his own expense. A two-year (so accepted) guarantee is afforded by manufacturers who are glad for their reputation.
no copyright 2 recorders 01
The difference is visible: interpolation (on the left) and real Full HD-quality (on the right). The difference is visible: interpolation (on the left) and real Full HD-quality (on the right).
Conclusion: the tales about the adequacy of cheap devices - do not believe it, the probability of buying a quality recorder is cheaper than 2000 rubles. extremely small. More often than not, the money paid for it is a waste.
Myth 2: “Chinese” to “Chinese” strife: the one that through their Internet can be bought for $ 100, no worse than sold in Russia for $ 300
In an expanded form, this myth is substantiated as follows. Most registrars sold in Russia are known to be produced in China (partly in Taiwan and Korea). Some suppliers seek to capitalize on large volumes of sales. If inexpensive goods diverge faster, they import the cheapest products from Chinese factories under their own brand. These registrars - with minimal refinement: with Russified menus and instructions. Others rely on big profits due to the demand for quality products. Therefore, they themselves compose the specifications of the devices, the registrars are supposedly made exclusively for these customers, the exporters strictly control that the gadgets are manufactured taking into account the requirements of the Russian recipient partner.
But look and try to find ten differences in the models of this series. I wonder how you will succeed …
Experts: Five Myths About DVRs
02 "doubles show" on Yandex. Market - a lot of different models in the same form factor 02 "doubles show" on Yandex. Market - a lot of different models in the same form factor
The origin of the twin registrars is straightforward. As soon as a Chinese factory produces a best-selling model for one brand, other manufacturers immediately begin to copy it, but often only take on the form factor (design, appearance of the device). So in the same (or almost) cases there can be registrars with completely different characteristics, up to primitive ones.
Conclusion: the likelihood that a Chinese factory that manufactures devices for a well-known brand sells registrars under its own brand is no worse, is extremely negligible. Between devices of famous brands and their Chinese counterparts presented in online stores, the similarity is only external. The build quality and components can not even be compared. Therefore, buying a model via the Internet, not being 100% sure of its quality, should not be.
Myth 3: backlighting allows you to shoot high-quality video at night. And the more megapixels in the matrix, the better
IR light comes in handy when shooting in the dark, but only outside the car. It’s pointless to shoot video from a “standard” point, from the passenger compartment, while driving. Because, firstly, the windshield reflects the backlight, illuminates the sensor, which only affects the quality of the video. And secondly, the headlights of a car beat much further than the infrared bulbs of DVRs.
A truly excellent picture during night shooting is provided only by high-quality components: glass optics, high-quality matrices and modern processors.
Experts: Five Myths About DVRs
Left: glass optics, modern matrix; right: shooting with a Chinese noname-recorder with plastic optics, an old matrix. Left: glass optics, modern matrix; right: shooting with a Chinese noname-recorder with plastic optics, an old matrix.
The concept of “quality matrix” requires clarification. For comparison: the advantages of smartphone cameras are evaluated solely by the number of megapixels: they say, the more the better. In car registrars, such cameras are installed. But for shooting video in Full HD, 2.1 MP is enough (multiply 1920 by 1080 pixels). You don’t need much more: even if the camera is 5- or 8-megapixel, in any case, only those 2.1 megapixels that are located in the center of the matrix “work” to record ultra-sharp video.
Since last year, registrars have been using matrices created for professional video surveillance. At a lower resolution, each of their pixels is larger, which means it receives more light - as a result, small details are better distinguished on the video.
Experts: Five Myths About DVRs
Scheme-comparison of new and old matrices. Scheme-comparison of new and old matrices.
Conclusion: the above statement about highlighting is a 100 percent fallacy. It is useful for shooting in the dark:
- when the car is standing with the headlights off
- when the camera is aimed at the car
- outside the inside of the car.
Myth 4: the more functions there are in the registrar, the better
In any recorder is not an extra G-sensor - "shock sensor". It automatically protects against overwriting videos taken at the time of collisions, collisions with obstacles or during sharp maneuvers.
GPS, popular with motorists, the module in the registrar records the route and speed (these data can be viewed in a special program on the computer).
Now about what "still need to think about."
One should not have special hopes for the GPS module and G-sensor. The court (if it comes to the analysis of an accident) is not obliged to accept, as undeniable evidence, data taken from a device that is not certified to determine speed.
Speed indicators obtained from the GPS module in the recorder are only useful to owners of transport companies: for them, this is a means to monitor the speed conditions of their drivers (if cars do not fall into the category of vehicles that must be equipped with tachographs). So the use of GPS recorders is narrowing down to taxis and trucks weighing up to 3.5 tons.
Another “pitfall” is associated with the G-sensor. If you do not adjust its sensitivity, indelible videos will be created on each bump. You will have to manually clear the memory of this video garbage.
Other cons
The abundance of additional functions, of course, makes the gadget more expensive. The more complex the device, the less reliable it is and the more elements in it that can fail. In highly specialized models, functions are implemented more fully. Therefore, when choosing a registrar, make sure that you really need all of its add-ons.
Experts: Five Myths About DVRs
View on your computer the route saved by the Highscreen recorder. On the left is a video viewing window; below it is a diagram of the operation of the G-sensor (“shock sensor”); on the left - a list of video files indicating the recording time; below the list on google maps route; under the map - vehicle speed and direction of movement. View on your computer the route saved by the Highscreen recorder. On the left is a video viewing window; below it is a diagram of the operation of the G-sensor (“shock sensor”); on the left - a list of video files indicating the recording time; below the list on google maps route; under the map - vehicle speed and direction of movement.
Conclusion: looking at the multifunction recorder, make sure that all its functions are useful to you. G-sensors need calibration. Check how much memory is allocated for indelible "emergency" video.
Myth 5: hybrid recorders are 100% better / worse than specialized devices
The combination of "registrar + navigator."
The plus is obvious: such hybrids obscure the view less than if you use two gadgets.
Cons Many devices only have a “one for two” processor, which may not have enough resources to simultaneously perform both functions. Or another unpleasant effect: both modules will work simultaneously, but both will work slowly. So choose a gadget with two processors.
It’s very difficult to enter a high-quality camera into the navigator-recorders, so in most cases shooting is in HD-video format (1280x720 pixels). However, this year models with Full HD will appear on the shelves.
Drivers are annoyed: you still have to contrive to set up the hybrid so that the lens "looks" right on the course and it would be convenient for the driver to navigate the display. Such difficulties do not arise if your recorder has a PTZ camera, but there are not many of them on sale.
Recorder + radar detector. The second function is necessary for every driver, except for all the obvious reasons, also because no one is safe from the error of a faulty traffic radar or camera, for example, the very well-known Strelka-ST.
There are few such hybrids on sale, and almost all of them are “gray”.
Experts: Five Myths About DVRs
Misconception stereotypes that have arisen around these devices confuse potential users and prevent them from making the right choice. And what is “correct”? We will deal with specialists. Misconception stereotypes that have arisen around these devices confuse potential users and prevent them from making the right choice. And what is “correct”? We will deal with specialists.
How to choose
- When buying a registrar, check the quality of the video - when demonstrating on a large screen, make sure that in the “movie”, shot in any light and in any weather, small details are distinguishable (car numbers, facial features captured from a distance of several meters …). The greatest clarity is given by video shot in real HD (1280 × 720 pixels) and Full HD (in resolution 1920 × 1080 pixels).
- A great influence on the quality of the video has a bit rate. With Full HD, 8 megabits / second and higher can be considered a good indicator (see the table of characteristics attached to the device).
- The frame rate is responsible for the smoothness of the image. The normal rate is 30 frames / second and higher (see ibid.).
- When choosing a registrar, make sure that the mounts are secure (included with the gadget). Preferably, for all movable elements, the axes are metal (rather than brittle plastic).
- It is desirable that the design provides the opportunity to deploy the recorder towards the side doors and the passenger compartment, as well as quickly remove the device from the mount (to record a conversation with the traffic police).
- Files must be written to the memory card cyclically. When the memory card is full, new files should be automatically saved “on top” of the oldest ones - so that the driver does not have to clean the card manually. Fragment duration settings are desirable.
- It is important that the new video begins at the same moment that the old ends - the shooting should be lossless.
- Recorder display. The optimal diagonal is from 2 to 3.5 inches; viewing angle - the larger the better; high resolution (to see the maximum detail); bright backlight. The brightness adjustment function and the ability to turn off the display are preferable - so that their glow does not distract from the road (which is important in the dark).
- It is useful to have your own battery - so that you can get out of the car with the device and take pictures of the damage to cars, show the details of the accident to the traffic police, an opponent by accident, and witnesses.
- Be sure to compare the models with each other and study the DVR reviews in reputable sources.
