It's the middle of the night, you're cruising along comfortably and the road ahead of you is clear when out of nowhere, some brash chap cuts in front you and jams his brakes. You hit the brakes as well, but it's too late; you've rear-ended someone.
The Classic features a Lane Departure Warning System and a Forward Collision Warning System
The cops would have insufficient evidence to prove either party's innocence since there isn't any evidence to prove that the other party was driving recklessly. It's your word against his, what do you do?
A guardian angel doesn't necessarily need wings
It wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes on the road; someone, or something to look out for you in times like these. The Asus Reco Classic is a no-frills car dashcam catered to younger, less experienced drivers.
Being a stripped down version of the Asus Reco Smart, the Classic affords drivers a hassle-free, plug-and-play experience. Granted, it doesn't offer overnight surveillance like the Smart version, but its video recording capabilities rival those of higher end models.
What can this bad boy do?
The Classic uses High-Dynamic Range imaging technology for day and night recording. It is powered by an Ambarella chipset with an Omnivision CMOS sensor and records up to 1080p at 30FPS.
Its f2.0, 140-degree wide-angle lens ensures those licence plates in your peripheral vision don't leave its sights; not even in low light situations.
In the unfortunate event of a collision, the Reco Classic's built-in three-axis G-sensor triggers its emergency record function, saving a minute-long video clip - 30 seconds prior to and after impact - and locks it down in a separate file.
A manual emergency record button allows the driver to manually save videos in case they happen to witness an accident; up to 10 emergency video clips can be saved without the driver having to worry about new ones recording over them.
At speeds above 60km/h, the Classic activates its Lane Departure Warning System, which displays onscreen warnings and alerts the driver via audio if the vehicle sways outside road lane markings. It also features a Forward Collision Warning System, which notifies the driver if the vehicle is less than five to seven metres away from the one in front.
An external GPS unit, which plugs into the camera, comes standard with the Classic. It automatically records GPS logs of the vehicle's driving route. This can help to corroborate your story when dealing with insurance claims or simply to find the fastest way home, based on past driving routes.
Classic or Smart?
What you'll be getting with the Classic is a plug-and-play unit, with its LCD screen for easy self-installation and calibration. It's perfect for drivers who don't want to spend too much time fiddling with gadgets.
The Smart comes with NFC and Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing for instant previews, downloads, and sharing on mobile devices via the Asus Reco app. It also comes with 500GB of Asus WebStorage free for one year, as well as a motion-detection parking monitor mode (overnight surveillance).
Since the Smart lacks an LCD screen, it requires you to send your car in for calibration in order to get the video angle perfect. Technically, you could do it yourself but I wouldn't risk it. If you're in the market for a full-featured dashcam, go for the Smart.
What's in the box?
The Asus Reco Classic comes with a car charger, 3M adhesive mount, suction cup mount with an external GPS unit, self-adhesive cable clips, as well as a quick-start guide. It also comes with a three-year warranty.
Backed by a track record of industry-leading technology
World-renowned for their range of motherboards like the ROG Rampage V Edition 10, graphics cards such as the Asus ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080, and routers like the Wireless-AC5300 Tri-Band Gigabit Router, Asus brings the same level of innovation and perfection to their lineup of car dashcams.
Shut up and take my money
The Asus Reco Classic comes in at $199 while the Asus Reco Smart is priced at $329. Both are available at Newstead and Challenger stores, as well as Avertek - the exclusive distributor for Asus Singapore. Avertek is located at 25 Kallang Avenue #03-03 Singapore (339416). The company can be contacted at 6341 7839. Every purchase of a Asus Reco Classic and Asus Reco Smart comes with a one-year warranty.
Alternatively, you can head down to Newstead Booth 6G09 at this year's SITEX, happening from 24th to 27th November, and get a free Sandisk 16GB Class 10 MicroSD card with a purchase of the Asus Reco Classic. A 16GB MicroSD card comes pre-packed with the Asus Reco Smart.
