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Vehicle video recorder - Things you need to know before getting one
03 Jun 2011|60,201 views
The roads of Singapore offer many motoring adventures with extreme settings that separate our city's crème de la crème from the rest of the countries. From lane-cutting and impolite drivers to reckless and accident-causing boy racers, the presence of delectable but crazy vehicles on our roads have injected much frustration in an already jammed pack zone.
This has caused many drivers to take extra precautionary measures to minimise the damage on their cars if an accident were to occur. There's the side door protector, bumper guards and even the all-round proximity sensor to help drivers detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. And there's the camera surveillance system.
One of the up and coming products on the motoring block is the vehicle video recorder. Helmed by many drivers, a vehicle video recorder is usually on the rear view mirror and is commonly used to capture clear and visible road traffic situation before and after an event, be it an accident or an act of vandalism.
What are the benefits?
In a case of getting a vehicle video recorder, we reckon one that works most effectively at a reasonable price beats the cheapest one hands down. Camera surveillance is an investment; don't be fooled by the ridiculously low prices of some. That said, there are some benefits drivers should take note of when shopping for one.
In the event of an accident that is through no fault of yours and with no witnesses to back you up against the other party, a vehicle video recorder will be able to work as video evidence which minimises ambiguity or false accusations. This way, making the usual exhausting and gruelling claims from insurance companies will be straightforward and hassle-free.
As mentioned afore, the video recorder can also help to deter any acts of vandalism to your vehicle. Although most video recorder can only record the front view, some drivers prefer purchasing a couple of vehicle video recorders just to have them placed in different spots of the car, allowing the deterrent of vandalism acts.
Additionally, with the video camera installed in your car, it helps to ensure you that new drivers using your car are driving safely, more so if your son had just attained his driver's licence and cannot wait to get his hands on your wheels. Moreover, informing the new driver that a camera is installed in the car enforces him to abide by the traffic rules and take the necessary safety precautions. Parents can simply make use of the video footages training material to ensure that new drivers in the family adopt safe driving habits.
What are its possible drawbacks?
Alike to most, if not all products, different brands of vehicle video recorder have certain disadvantages that may cause drivers more trouble than help. Although it records down uneventful accidents and the likes, some video recorders are sold with inappropriate lenses. Many are often deceived into believing that wider lenses are superior as more can be seen. But what they don't realise is that the effect of wide angled lenses is details appear much smaller than a normal lens, causing ambiguity in the video. An appropriate selection of lens for recording purposes would be something wide enough to cover the front bonnet (corner to corner) and clear enough to see vehicles' number plates in case of a collision.
It can also get a tad tricky when it comes to car vandalism. Most vehicle video recorders are typically placed on the rear view mirror to record the front view only. It doesn't record the happenings around the vehicle unless video recorders are placed in different spots, which means more money spent and more power will be taken from your car battery. Although some may suggest that the installation of a second battery is a good way to charge the multiple video recorders, we do not recommend it because it shortens the lifespan of your alternator. Plus, if the delinquent decides to scratch the sides of your car while squatting down, most video recorders will be unable to detect any wrongdoings as they are only limited to window spaces.
Apart from that, some models available in the market require proprietary video media player, which means they can only function with an unknown media player used by a particular product or company only. Hence, it is best to get models that could be played on open source media players such as Windows Media Player, VLC or Quick Time player.
Although models with proprietary video media player provide more information like GPS location and shock sensor data, sharing the footages with relevant parties like insurers and the traffic police can prove to be a hitch. As civil service organisations have strict rules against the installation of third party softwares, they will have problems viewing video footages from their computers.
Some models also have video continuity problem - meaning there is a loss of 4 to 5 seconds of missing video footage between files. This makes it a major drawback because during the file change, it risks being unable to record a particular accident that may have just occurred. This will, certainly, cause the video evidence to be deemed useless in the eyes of the insurer or authorities.
This has caused many drivers to take extra precautionary measures to minimise the damage on their cars if an accident were to occur. There's the side door protector, bumper guards and even the all-round proximity sensor to help drivers detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. And there's the camera surveillance system.
One of the up and coming products on the motoring block is the vehicle video recorder. Helmed by many drivers, a vehicle video recorder is usually on the rear view mirror and is commonly used to capture clear and visible road traffic situation before and after an event, be it an accident or an act of vandalism.
What are the benefits?
In a case of getting a vehicle video recorder, we reckon one that works most effectively at a reasonable price beats the cheapest one hands down. Camera surveillance is an investment; don't be fooled by the ridiculously low prices of some. That said, there are some benefits drivers should take note of when shopping for one.
In the event of an accident that is through no fault of yours and with no witnesses to back you up against the other party, a vehicle video recorder will be able to work as video evidence which minimises ambiguity or false accusations. This way, making the usual exhausting and gruelling claims from insurance companies will be straightforward and hassle-free.
As mentioned afore, the video recorder can also help to deter any acts of vandalism to your vehicle. Although most video recorder can only record the front view, some drivers prefer purchasing a couple of vehicle video recorders just to have them placed in different spots of the car, allowing the deterrent of vandalism acts.
Additionally, with the video camera installed in your car, it helps to ensure you that new drivers using your car are driving safely, more so if your son had just attained his driver's licence and cannot wait to get his hands on your wheels. Moreover, informing the new driver that a camera is installed in the car enforces him to abide by the traffic rules and take the necessary safety precautions. Parents can simply make use of the video footages training material to ensure that new drivers in the family adopt safe driving habits.
 |
What are its possible drawbacks?
Alike to most, if not all products, different brands of vehicle video recorder have certain disadvantages that may cause drivers more trouble than help. Although it records down uneventful accidents and the likes, some video recorders are sold with inappropriate lenses. Many are often deceived into believing that wider lenses are superior as more can be seen. But what they don't realise is that the effect of wide angled lenses is details appear much smaller than a normal lens, causing ambiguity in the video. An appropriate selection of lens for recording purposes would be something wide enough to cover the front bonnet (corner to corner) and clear enough to see vehicles' number plates in case of a collision.
It can also get a tad tricky when it comes to car vandalism. Most vehicle video recorders are typically placed on the rear view mirror to record the front view only. It doesn't record the happenings around the vehicle unless video recorders are placed in different spots, which means more money spent and more power will be taken from your car battery. Although some may suggest that the installation of a second battery is a good way to charge the multiple video recorders, we do not recommend it because it shortens the lifespan of your alternator. Plus, if the delinquent decides to scratch the sides of your car while squatting down, most video recorders will be unable to detect any wrongdoings as they are only limited to window spaces.
Apart from that, some models available in the market require proprietary video media player, which means they can only function with an unknown media player used by a particular product or company only. Hence, it is best to get models that could be played on open source media players such as Windows Media Player, VLC or Quick Time player.
Although models with proprietary video media player provide more information like GPS location and shock sensor data, sharing the footages with relevant parties like insurers and the traffic police can prove to be a hitch. As civil service organisations have strict rules against the installation of third party softwares, they will have problems viewing video footages from their computers.
Some models also have video continuity problem - meaning there is a loss of 4 to 5 seconds of missing video footage between files. This makes it a major drawback because during the file change, it risks being unable to record a particular accident that may have just occurred. This will, certainly, cause the video evidence to be deemed useless in the eyes of the insurer or authorities.
 |
What is the recommended vehicle video recorder?
Despite the countless models and brands available in the market, we reckon the vehicle video recorder ViGi MT-DR9 beats the rest in the market. Not only is it user-friendly, it's versatile and provides superior video clarity day and night as well.
The MT-DR9 can be easily installed in your car by mounting it to your rear view mirror. All you need to do is plug in the connecting wire to the DC power outlet and the camera is ready to roll. It automatically starts when the engine is ignited and stops automatically when you shut down the engine. And unlike other brands, this product from ViGi also comes with a user interface that is similar to a mobile phone - an LCD screen for viewing latest video clips on the spot.
Additionally, the MT-DR9 video recorder comes with high resolution 1/3 CCD image sensor. CCD image sensor possesses the ability to capture clear surrounding details in the day and at night, making it most suitable for overseas driving whereby there are limited street lights. Utilising a 2.9mm lens, the viewing angle has also been widened to 110 degrees, which is up to 12 metres wide and three and half metres tall. As you can see from the clips, not only does the video recorder maintain the details with superior clarity, it also has an angle wide enough to capture what's happening in front.
More importantly, sharing of footages can be done in a fuss-free manner as the MT-DR9 does not require proprietary video media player, meaning the video footages can be played by any media player. Better still, the video recording comes with date and time stamping by default which can assist drivers in capturing an accurate time of recording; especially for an accident report.
The long recording hours also make this vehicle video recorder superior over many makes in its product category. Not only does it support up to a maximum of 32GB SD/SDHC memory card, a mere 4GB memory card can allow the video recorder to record up to ten hours continuously under a setting of five frames per second (fps) or 2 hours under a setting of 25 fps. And drivers need not free up space in the SDHC card because the video recorder overwrites the earliest files automatically, creating it a maintenance-free concept.
What's the conclusion?
In today's context where imitation products are abundance, shopping for a vehicle video recorder can be an overwhelming experience. Bearing in mind that the primary function of a vehicle video recorder is to take down circumstantial video evidence in case of road accidents, there is not a need to pay extra for an ultra high resolution video image, which is either full HD or HD, which takes up ample storage memory.
At a cost of $399 with one year warranty and a promotional 8GB memory card, which ends on 30th June 2011, we reckon ViGi holds one of the most practical and user-friendly vehicle video recorders in the market.
To know more about the product, please click here
The roads of Singapore offer many motoring adventures with extreme settings that separate our city's crème de la crème from the rest of the countries. From lane-cutting and impolite drivers to reckless and accident-causing boy racers, the presence of delectable but crazy vehicles on our roads have injected much frustration in an already jammed pack zone.
This has caused many drivers to take extra precautionary measures to minimise the damage on their cars if an accident were to occur. There's the side door protector, bumper guards and even the all-round proximity sensor to help drivers detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. And there's the camera surveillance system.
One of the up and coming products on the motoring block is the vehicle video recorder. Helmed by many drivers, a vehicle video recorder is usually on the rear view mirror and is commonly used to capture clear and visible road traffic situation before and after an event, be it an accident or an act of vandalism.
What are the benefits?
In a case of getting a vehicle video recorder, we reckon one that works most effectively at a reasonable price beats the cheapest one hands down. Camera surveillance is an investment; don't be fooled by the ridiculously low prices of some. That said, there are some benefits drivers should take note of when shopping for one.
In the event of an accident that is through no fault of yours and with no witnesses to back you up against the other party, a vehicle video recorder will be able to work as video evidence which minimises ambiguity or false accusations. This way, making the usual exhausting and gruelling claims from insurance companies will be straightforward and hassle-free.
As mentioned afore, the video recorder can also help to deter any acts of vandalism to your vehicle. Although most video recorder can only record the front view, some drivers prefer purchasing a couple of vehicle video recorders just to have them placed in different spots of the car, allowing the deterrent of vandalism acts.
Additionally, with the video camera installed in your car, it helps to ensure you that new drivers using your car are driving safely, more so if your son had just attained his driver's licence and cannot wait to get his hands on your wheels. Moreover, informing the new driver that a camera is installed in the car enforces him to abide by the traffic rules and take the necessary safety precautions. Parents can simply make use of the video footages training material to ensure that new drivers in the family adopt safe driving habits.
What are its possible drawbacks?
Alike to most, if not all products, different brands of vehicle video recorder have certain disadvantages that may cause drivers more trouble than help. Although it records down uneventful accidents and the likes, some video recorders are sold with inappropriate lenses. Many are often deceived into believing that wider lenses are superior as more can be seen. But what they don't realise is that the effect of wide angled lenses is details appear much smaller than a normal lens, causing ambiguity in the video. An appropriate selection of lens for recording purposes would be something wide enough to cover the front bonnet (corner to corner) and clear enough to see vehicles' number plates in case of a collision.
It can also get a tad tricky when it comes to car vandalism. Most vehicle video recorders are typically placed on the rear view mirror to record the front view only. It doesn't record the happenings around the vehicle unless video recorders are placed in different spots, which means more money spent and more power will be taken from your car battery. Although some may suggest that the installation of a second battery is a good way to charge the multiple video recorders, we do not recommend it because it shortens the lifespan of your alternator. Plus, if the delinquent decides to scratch the sides of your car while squatting down, most video recorders will be unable to detect any wrongdoings as they are only limited to window spaces.
Apart from that, some models available in the market require proprietary video media player, which means they can only function with an unknown media player used by a particular product or company only. Hence, it is best to get models that could be played on open source media players such as Windows Media Player, VLC or Quick Time player.
Although models with proprietary video media player provide more information like GPS location and shock sensor data, sharing the footages with relevant parties like insurers and the traffic police can prove to be a hitch. As civil service organisations have strict rules against the installation of third party softwares, they will have problems viewing video footages from their computers.
Some models also have video continuity problem - meaning there is a loss of 4 to 5 seconds of missing video footage between files. This makes it a major drawback because during the file change, it risks being unable to record a particular accident that may have just occurred. This will, certainly, cause the video evidence to be deemed useless in the eyes of the insurer or authorities.
This has caused many drivers to take extra precautionary measures to minimise the damage on their cars if an accident were to occur. There's the side door protector, bumper guards and even the all-round proximity sensor to help drivers detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. And there's the camera surveillance system.
One of the up and coming products on the motoring block is the vehicle video recorder. Helmed by many drivers, a vehicle video recorder is usually on the rear view mirror and is commonly used to capture clear and visible road traffic situation before and after an event, be it an accident or an act of vandalism.
What are the benefits?
In a case of getting a vehicle video recorder, we reckon one that works most effectively at a reasonable price beats the cheapest one hands down. Camera surveillance is an investment; don't be fooled by the ridiculously low prices of some. That said, there are some benefits drivers should take note of when shopping for one.
In the event of an accident that is through no fault of yours and with no witnesses to back you up against the other party, a vehicle video recorder will be able to work as video evidence which minimises ambiguity or false accusations. This way, making the usual exhausting and gruelling claims from insurance companies will be straightforward and hassle-free.
As mentioned afore, the video recorder can also help to deter any acts of vandalism to your vehicle. Although most video recorder can only record the front view, some drivers prefer purchasing a couple of vehicle video recorders just to have them placed in different spots of the car, allowing the deterrent of vandalism acts.
Additionally, with the video camera installed in your car, it helps to ensure you that new drivers using your car are driving safely, more so if your son had just attained his driver's licence and cannot wait to get his hands on your wheels. Moreover, informing the new driver that a camera is installed in the car enforces him to abide by the traffic rules and take the necessary safety precautions. Parents can simply make use of the video footages training material to ensure that new drivers in the family adopt safe driving habits.
|
What are its possible drawbacks?
Alike to most, if not all products, different brands of vehicle video recorder have certain disadvantages that may cause drivers more trouble than help. Although it records down uneventful accidents and the likes, some video recorders are sold with inappropriate lenses. Many are often deceived into believing that wider lenses are superior as more can be seen. But what they don't realise is that the effect of wide angled lenses is details appear much smaller than a normal lens, causing ambiguity in the video. An appropriate selection of lens for recording purposes would be something wide enough to cover the front bonnet (corner to corner) and clear enough to see vehicles' number plates in case of a collision.
It can also get a tad tricky when it comes to car vandalism. Most vehicle video recorders are typically placed on the rear view mirror to record the front view only. It doesn't record the happenings around the vehicle unless video recorders are placed in different spots, which means more money spent and more power will be taken from your car battery. Although some may suggest that the installation of a second battery is a good way to charge the multiple video recorders, we do not recommend it because it shortens the lifespan of your alternator. Plus, if the delinquent decides to scratch the sides of your car while squatting down, most video recorders will be unable to detect any wrongdoings as they are only limited to window spaces.
Apart from that, some models available in the market require proprietary video media player, which means they can only function with an unknown media player used by a particular product or company only. Hence, it is best to get models that could be played on open source media players such as Windows Media Player, VLC or Quick Time player.
Although models with proprietary video media player provide more information like GPS location and shock sensor data, sharing the footages with relevant parties like insurers and the traffic police can prove to be a hitch. As civil service organisations have strict rules against the installation of third party softwares, they will have problems viewing video footages from their computers.
Some models also have video continuity problem - meaning there is a loss of 4 to 5 seconds of missing video footage between files. This makes it a major drawback because during the file change, it risks being unable to record a particular accident that may have just occurred. This will, certainly, cause the video evidence to be deemed useless in the eyes of the insurer or authorities.
|
What is the recommended vehicle video recorder?
Despite the countless models and brands available in the market, we reckon the vehicle video recorder ViGi MT-DR9 beats the rest in the market. Not only is it user-friendly, it's versatile and provides superior video clarity day and night as well.
The MT-DR9 can be easily installed in your car by mounting it to your rear view mirror. All you need to do is plug in the connecting wire to the DC power outlet and the camera is ready to roll. It automatically starts when the engine is ignited and stops automatically when you shut down the engine. And unlike other brands, this product from ViGi also comes with a user interface that is similar to a mobile phone - an LCD screen for viewing latest video clips on the spot.
Additionally, the MT-DR9 video recorder comes with high resolution 1/3 CCD image sensor. CCD image sensor possesses the ability to capture clear surrounding details in the day and at night, making it most suitable for overseas driving whereby there are limited street lights. Utilising a 2.9mm lens, the viewing angle has also been widened to 110 degrees, which is up to 12 metres wide and three and half metres tall. As you can see from the clips, not only does the video recorder maintain the details with superior clarity, it also has an angle wide enough to capture what's happening in front.
More importantly, sharing of footages can be done in a fuss-free manner as the MT-DR9 does not require proprietary video media player, meaning the video footages can be played by any media player. Better still, the video recording comes with date and time stamping by default which can assist drivers in capturing an accurate time of recording; especially for an accident report.
The long recording hours also make this vehicle video recorder superior over many makes in its product category. Not only does it support up to a maximum of 32GB SD/SDHC memory card, a mere 4GB memory card can allow the video recorder to record up to ten hours continuously under a setting of five frames per second (fps) or 2 hours under a setting of 25 fps. And drivers need not free up space in the SDHC card because the video recorder overwrites the earliest files automatically, creating it a maintenance-free concept.
What's the conclusion?
In today's context where imitation products are abundance, shopping for a vehicle video recorder can be an overwhelming experience. Bearing in mind that the primary function of a vehicle video recorder is to take down circumstantial video evidence in case of road accidents, there is not a need to pay extra for an ultra high resolution video image, which is either full HD or HD, which takes up ample storage memory.
At a cost of $399 with one year warranty and a promotional 8GB memory card, which ends on 30th June 2011, we reckon ViGi holds one of the most practical and user-friendly vehicle video recorders in the market.
To know more about the product, please click here
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