Many products have reputable names in every price segment. But if you want to save money, you have to act arbitrarily: among super-budget goods you will rarely find guaranteed good ones – most often the choice is like a lottery.
We put ourselves in the shoes of a buyer who needs a DVR, but in a way that is cheaper. Online stores offer a wide range of models with a price of up to 2500 rubles. But look closely – completely unknown names.
When choosing models for the test, we relied not only on the price threshold, but also on the buyer’s assessment. We know it is easily settled or bought. However, for the average buyer, this is an important indicator.
Purchased in the classic form factor Harper DVHR-223 (1900 rubles) and Rekam F120 (1400 rubles). But Orizon (2400 rubles) for little money he has no fewer than three cameras: front, rear and saloon. Unprecedented offer!
Of the numerous registrars mirrors, the only representative of the promoted brand was purchased Sho-Me SFHD‑700 (2300 rubles)its visual twin with no name for half the price Vehicle Blackbox DVR (1250 rubles) and Carlive CR503 (1500 rubles).
Equipment
Don’t be surprised that half of such cheap models have a second external rear view camera. Something like this costs a ruble per bundle in China, so adding it to the manufacturer costs next to nothing. With a video resolution of 640 × 480 pixels, they are useless as a DVR: you see the image in great detail and only during the day. And here’s how parking cameras help – you don’t have to spend money on parking sensors separately if your car doesn’t have one.
The equipment of the “state employees” is the most modest. Don’t rely on GPS, let alone the base of cameras to solve violations.
Exposure adjustment and motion sensor – yes.
The shock sensor is a rarity, and it’s not a shame. The theory of the idea is correct: the fragment before and after a sharp shock of the device is automatically protected from overwriting, so that in the event of a serious accident, an injured or simply confused driver will not be left without recording the accident. In fact, no matter how you set the sensitivity, this sensor reacts to potholes and speed bumps.
If the registrar does not have the function to limit the amount of memory for “emergency” fragments, the entire card will be filled with them within a few days.
How and what was checked
We check the legibility of the license plate by taking a still image of the video and zooming in on it. This is necessary, because with high-quality models on a frame of 100% size, the characters on the number cannot be read with the naked eye. The increase helps to consider them and at the same time compare the brightness of the image.
In low-cost VCRs, the letters and numbers on the track are sometimes easier to read on a standard-sized frame, and when magnified, they instantly fade. The summary table (see below) shows the maximum range for both viewing methods.
We check the night shot, of course, with the car’s headlights on with the registrar on. But we lower the corrector as low as possible: if the light falls directly on the license plate, almost no registrar will “read” it due to overexposure.
Members
| Rating on Ya. Market: 4.3 out of 11 ratings Processor nd Maximum resolution HD 1280×720 at 30 fps (640×480 rear camera) Display diagonally 4.2 Mounting type: mirror Claimed viewing angle 140º Noname mirror: The name is only on the box, but it has Russian words on it, and inside the box is a small leaf with hieroglyphs. Full HD resolution is indicated, there is such an item in the settings, but in fact HD video is recorded at 1280 by 720 pixels. Shooting during the day is bad: a range of 7 meters is not enough. At night, the license plate is perfectly legible from 4 meters, but already at the next step it is completely illuminated by headlights. |
| Rating on Ya. Market: 4.3 based on 50 ratings Processor Generalplus1247 Maximum resolution HD 1280×720 at 30 fps (interpolation to Full HD) Display diagonally 0.2 Mounting type: suction cup + bracket Claimed viewing angle 120º In terms of video capabilities, it is completely identical to the Carlive model: 7 m during the day, 4 m at night. Mediocre result. Carelessly mounted, when loosening the bracket an opening is left in the upper part of the housing. Very compact. If it weren’t for the archaic bulky brace, it would fit completely behind the salon mirror. |
| Rating on Ya. Market: 4.2 based on 73 ratings Processor Ambarella 70CPU Maximum resolution Full HD 1920×1080 at 30 fps (640×480 rear and indoor cameras) Display diagonally 4.0 Mounting type: side suction cup + bracket Claimed viewing angle 170º Another unnamed model. Orizon is the only inscription on the case. On the box it just says “VCR”, and in English: there is no word in Russian on the box or in the instructions. For 2400 rubles, you get three cameras at once. The saloon lens only sees something during the day, but it’s stupid to demand more for that kind of money. Video capabilities are mediocre, but in our company they were enough for second place. |
| Rating on Ya. Market: 4.0 based on 19 reviews Processor nd Maximum resolution Full HD 1920×1080 at 25 fps Display diagonally 2.4 Mounting type: suction cup + bracket Claimed viewing angle 140º Refused to enable from the original thread. From exactly the same from Harper – no problem. Without a replacement, you would have to take the device in for repair or spend money on a wire. Poor quality video, viewing angle modest. In combination with quality defects, it deserves no place above the latter. |
| Rating on Ya. Market: 4.7 based on 61 ratings Processor GP2247 Maximum resolution Full HD 1920×1080@30fps (640×480 rear camera) Display diagonally 4.5 Mounting type: mirror Claimed viewing angle 120º The manual promises maximum HD resolution. However, you can select Full HD from the menu, and the video will indeed be 1920×1080 pixels. But the quality is below all criticism: 6 meters during the day and full lighting at 3 meters at night. Failure! Converting the resolution to HD doesn’t change that. And although Sho-Me was not the last in terms of points, a device with such video capabilities is not recommended. |
| Rating on Ya. Market: 4.2 out of 17 ratings Processor nd Maximum resolution Full HD 1920×1080 at 30 fps Display diagonally 2.8 Mounting type: mirror Claimed viewing angle 120º Very strange registrar. The viewing angle is the smallest. With the promised Full HD resolution, the computer showed a VGA resolution of 640×480 pixels in the video properties. At the same time – the best image quality with a clear advantage over competitors. And the price is only 1250 rubles! An unprecedented case: the Chinese “noname” without a single accompanying word in Russian turned out to be the best. |
Results (+ cause for joy)
The cheapest registrars no longer fall apart in the hands and leave the impression as if they are on the knee. Everyone went on, worked flawlessly, and even properly saved the records that needed to be shut down.
Everyone also survived the night frost.
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What is the source?
Source is an open question. Even thoroughbred models have problems with it, not to mention super budget employees…
The weakest point for everyone is the battery, which does not like severe frost. That’s why I prefer a cheap recorder in a classic removable case, than a mirror that is constantly in the car. After all, you don’t remove the mirror every time and the cold shortens its lifespan.
- New unusual gadgets for drivers – a fixed-mount radar detector, a video recorder with three cameras and wireless compressors with extra functions – also passed the ‘Behind the wheel’ exam. Test results here.
- “Behind the wheel” can also be read on VKontakte.
For the next test, Za Rulem experts chose the most affordable (from 1250 rubles) DVRs marked in consumer reviews
Source: Z R
