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As for the captured footage, it’s good both on sunny days and in overcast conditions, and particularly impressive at night, where you can see more detail outside of the zone lit by the headlights, albeit with a little too much glare on street lights and lights coming the other way. In daylight hours, there’s ample detail to work with and you can easily read number plates, although there’s more grain and visible compression than on the best 4K dash cams. Still, if you want a wide-angle view and great features, this is an excellent buy.
Using a dash cam is generally legal in both the UK and the US. In fact, certain bodies in both countries actively encourage the use of dash cams to reduce insurance premiums. That said, there are a few basic rules to follow to ensure your dash cam usage stays on the right side of the law.
Relatively compact for a dual-lens dash cam, the Vantrue N2 Pro records a detailed view of the road ahead and your vehicle’s interior. Designed with taxi drivers in mind, it forgoes many of the extras which your car is already likely to have, including speed camera alerts and collision warnings. Key specs – Max video recording resolution: 1080p, 30fps; Field of view: 140°; Display: 2in; Extra features: GPS, accelerometer, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, voice control
Registered office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing, Company number: LP003328; The Nexar app is intuitive and simple, and it has some nice touches, such as creating maps of your drives, which as well as being interesting, could be useful for practical uses such as pinpointing the exact location of an accident.I was a bit worried about battery life on my phone with the Nexar app running. When connected to the dash cam and in use, the app’s obviously going to use some juice, so keep the phone charging if you’re on a long trip. The auxiliary power connector with dual USB ports that Nexar includes helps with that. That said, the drain wasn’t as significant as I was expecting, and the Nexar app didn’t seem to affect battery lifeat all when not in operation. Excellent with the phone Though the colors may not seem very saturated, they are partly diminished by the overcast skies here in a dreary San Francisco summer. If it weren’t August, I’d call it the June Gloom. Yes, absolutely. Some drivers might not like the idea of a camera constantly monitoring their vehicle, but some models of dash cam (like the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2) are compact and subtle enough to almost disappear behind the central rear view mirror. In other words, once they are up and running you soon forget about them; they just sit there, quietly keeping an eye out, ready to save footage if you’re caught in an accident. As for the quality of the recordings, we were happy with the overall look of the video. The camera works well in all sorts of conditions too, with impressive results recorded at dusk and into the night. You need 4K video footage: The Mini 2 is limited to 1080p Full HD. You’ll need to spend more on a premium model for higher resolution video.
We’re seeing more dash cams these days with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or even 4G connectivity, enabling you to sync videos wirelessly, review your footage, or get a live view on your smartphone. Some companion apps enable you to sync multiple dash cams wirelessly; you can have one at the front and one at the rear, without a cable connecting the two (although both will have to be powered). Many allow you to use voice commands for control. Size – Again, most modern dash cams excel in this department, too. Having an inconspicuous dash cam is important as you don’t want it to obstruct your view while driving. Some are bigger than others, however, so if maintaining a clean windscreen is high up on your agenda, make sure to go for the smallest footprint possible. Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.The bells and whistles don't stop there, either. The Thinkware app stores video files and other data for review. It even has a motion sensor to detect moments of violent driving, like sharp braking. Downsides? It's chunky on your front window. Some dash cams have internal power, or can easily be charged using external power sources. However, the rest use the cigarette lighter/USB port in your vehicle or need to be hard-wired, meaning they do use your car's battery. With a large 3.5-inch touchscreen and icon-based interface, the Thinkware X1000 is simple to configure and there’s no need to rely on a smartphone partner app. The Beam takes excellent 1080p, 30-fps video. I was especially impressed with the motion stabilization. Even over the rough local roads and the occasional speed bump, the video remains fixed on the horizon with no tearing or jumps. IDG
You have a small windshield: Because it’s larger than many dash cams, the DashCam 76 can feel like an obstruction in vehicles with shallow windshields. Helpfully, both the display angle and camera lens are adjustable, so you can find the right position between road and driver. Full HD footage is shot in HDR at 30fps, delivering balanced exposure and enough detail to make number plates legible. That said, we found that video suffers from noticeable stabilization wobble. This distortion doesn’t reduce the detail, but footage is worse than from other Garmin dash cams. Naturally, we cannot crash a vehicle to see how well the dash cam detects collisions. Instead, firmly tapping the dash cam can simulate a collision, allowing us to see what happens when footage is saved. It is also possible to trigger a recording by powering the camera with a portable battery and tapping it against our desk. It may seem rudimentary, but it works and keeps our insurance company happy. If you’re buying a 1440p or 4K dash cam, think about a 64GB or 128GB card, and look for one with a longer warranty or one that’s designed for endurance in continual use. Cheap microSD cards can work well in some devices, but dash cams need something that’s built to last. Is there anything else worth looking out for? This dash cam even crams in an emergency response feature and integration with what3words – the ingenious service that can pinpoint your location without needing to relay the exact GPS co-ordinates.You want complete coverage: Three cameras will be too many for most people, but professionals will appreciate the peace of mind they provide. This single 4K dash cam received top marks in our full Miofive 4K dash cam review thanks to its easy setup, sharp 4K video, internal memory, and slim form factor. Setup was slightly fiddly and the 3-inch touchscreen does require obvious swipe inputs. We also had some trouble connecting to our smartphones to transfer video clips. That said, we still think the 622GW is a simple camera to use overall. We found its interface intuitive, while the display is big, sharp and clear. Footage is automatically saved when an incident is detected, while a big red button lets you manually save moments. A mini dash cam is a scaled-down model that’s perfect for the price-conscious. They’re hugely popular as they are inconspicuous enough not to obstruct your view while on the road but can still shoot high-quality footage covering the full extent of the windscreen. You want a complete dash cam: It doesn’t have GPS, but the Thinkware X1000 is otherwise a comprehensive two-camera bundle with very few limitations.
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