Car digital video recorders (or DVRs) have become an integral part of the modern vehicle. It is a very useful device, especially when it comes to the investigation of automobile accidents and clarifying the crash circumstances.
This article is dedicated to revealing all the key details about car digital video recorders, their features, and how to choose the proper device. Along with that, the Salvagebid specialists have conducted thorough research and created the best car digital video recorder rating. Keep reading to learn more.
Why Do You Need a Car Digital Video Recorder?
A car recorder, also simply called a DVR, is a portable device designed to record and store events that occur in the field of view of its camera. This kind of video surveillance system allows you to evaluate various situations that arise both on the road and in the parking lot. The DVR’s media materials can often help the vehicle owner with controversial issues that may arise when communicating with police officers, analyzing car accident reasons, and in other cases.
The importance of a video recorder cannot be overestimated. Therefore, his choice must be taken very seriously. It is not enough for the device to just record any events. The key point is to make sure that the media materials can help restore important and tiny graphic details. You will be of little use in observing an emergency if the camera has a low resolution that does not allow you, for instance, to capture license plates with sufficient clarity.
How to Choose the Right Car Digital Video Recorder
When purchasing a DVR, you should focus on its technical specifications. The same manufacturing company can produce models that differ both in design and purpose, targeting a certain price range. It depends on what optical materials are used to manufacture the camera, the electronics performance, and additional equipment options.
The main thing when choosing the device is to understand what is required of it and to start from personal preferences when buying. The equipment will then be correctly chosen, and the consumer will be completely satisfied with its operation. Let’s take a closer look at the technical characteristics of DVRs that you need to pay close attention to when purchasing these gadgets.
Main Characteristics of a Car Digital Video Recorder
User preferences depend on the implementation of specific models, and it is necessary to choose a digital video recorder with the proper technical features because the best device is the one that meets the user’s requirements.
Camera and Lenses
The key elements of any CVR are special lenses. Their main characteristic is aperture, which determines the ability of the camera to work in low light conditions. Lenses for CVRs come with a fixed focal length and varifocal. Their main difference is the ability to change the viewing angle, which, as the name implies, is not available in lenses of the first type. At the same time, cameras with simple lenses are cheaper. Another advantage is their simplicity of design, which increases reliability.
In addition to technical features, cameras are usually characterized by the quality of recorded videos. The main parameter here is the resolution indicator, which shows how many pixels the recorded video stream has. The higher this value, the greater the clarity of the image can be obtained. When purchasing a recorder, it is best to choose cameras with Full HD (1920 x 1080) or HD (1280 x 720) resolution.
Recording Speed
This characteristic refers to two different indicators. The first is the number of frames per second recorded by the device. This parameter is also called FPS. The standard value of the video stream frequency is 25–30 frames per second.
The second value of the write speed refers to copying the media to the memory card. It is identified by the properties of the drive, and for comfortable operation of the DVR, you should select a card of a certain speed class for its operation. With insufficient values of this characteristic, the video quality may decrease. As a result, some events simply will not be able to get to the drive, and given that at high speeds on the road, a lot happens in a fraction of a second, then critical moments will be missed by the DVR.
For the correct device operation, you can purchase SDHC 10 speed class memory cards. They provide stream recording with a frequency of 8 to 11 megabytes per second. This is quite enough for recording videos in Full HD.
Viewing Angle
For single-camera systems, it is best to choose a lens with a viewing angle of 120–140°, since such lenses allow you to capture what is happening not only in the frontal plane but also on the sides of the recorder. Smaller viewing angles are selected when there are multiple cameras.
It should be kept in mind that a large viewing angle implies significant image distortions compared to the perception of the human eye. Also, lenses with a large coverage area have a short focal length and visually distance the objects being shot. Therefore, the amount of detail at a wide angle will be less.
Car Digital Video Recorder Rating
To provide our readers with the maximum details, we have gathered the best car digital video recorders, and here is the following device rating:
1st place: AvdoCam FD One
This recorder is equipped with a wide-angle lens and a Full HD digital sensor. It has a night mode, a built-in 2.4-inch LCD screen, and a microphone. An internal battery is provided, which is enough to ensure the operation of the recorder for half an hour after the external power is turned off. SD memory cards are used for recording.
2nd place: Carcam Q2
It is equipped with a wide-angle lens camera (120°) and a Full HD sensor. There is also a built-in microphone. One of the features of the device is the presence of an internal drive, which allows you to copy files to different drives by first transferring them to the built-in memory. There is a two-inch display to control the recorder and preview videos.
3rd place: Neoline G-Tech X23
The gadget is attached to the rear view mirror. There is an additional camera. The photosensitive matrix allows you to record videos from the main camera in Full HD. The second camera can be mounted both inside the passenger compartment and on the outer parts of the car. The recording is done from both lenses at the same time. SD cards are used to store files. The recorder display has a diagonal of 4.3 inches. The model is equipped with an additional built-in battery.
4th place: Carcam Combo 3
It is a combined DVR that includes a radar detector and a rear view camera. The main camera is equipped with a 160-degree lens and records video in Full HD. The secondary camera records HD 720p video and has a 120° field of view.
5th place: Sho-Me A7
This device has a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees. The maximum resolution of the recorded video is 2304×1296 pixels. There is a GPS module on board that informs a driver about the location of stationary video cameras and radars. The gadget is equipped with a built-in battery. The display size is 2.7 inches.
As you can see, we included car digital video cameras with different features in the rating. The mentioned devices have shown their reliability and high-resolution media recording.
Also ClearVin offers fast and easy access to the original BMW Window Sticker by VIN.
The Final Word
The development of automotive devices contributes to driving safety and comfort. Manufacturers are striving to cover all the customers’ demands. As a result, we see the wide usage of car digital video recorders. We have strived to reveal all the key aspects in our article about the mentioned device.
Salvagebid is not only a great source of useful automotive information but also a featured car marketplace and an online auction of vehicles with minor damage. To join us, you have to sign up on our website, and then you are free to bid! Our customer support team is happy to help any customer. You can call us at: +1 (360) 347-1300 from 7 AM to 4 PM (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday, or email support@salvagebid.com.