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   Dash cam's n other cams


 

 

 

  • April 29 2016

              Been playing with a Viofo A119 pre production cam ( posting results on dash cam talk ) , also posting video on youtube ,  which  you can check out here if you like and I think the A119 just might be fantastic

     

  • August 11 , 2015 .

     I have posted the first three dash cam reviews , they are not flash but I was more concerned with replicating video quality for youtube rather than getting overly opinionated . I have been playing with the focus on the first three cameras that I got , and I will post comparison video shortly . Yes , a lot of cheap cams are also out of focus , making things more interesting .

 

  • August 10 , 2015 .

     Wow , dash cams are so interesting . The last couple of months have been a very busy learning experience for me . So much catching up to do . So what pearls of wisdom can I pass onto the reader that will allow you to bye pass wasting money ? Obviously some people want value for money . while others want something for nothing , and then there are those who believe ( right or wrong ) that you need to pay to get something decent .

     Lets start with the fact that not all dash cams are the same . It matters not if the name or model is the same , you the buyer needs to read carefully between the lines to see what you are actually getting . One of my favorite past times of late has been watching dash cam footage on youtube . And something interesting can be noted . You take an interest in one of the cheaper dash cams and the quality of the video posted varies quite a lot , from dreadful to quite acceptable .

     Is it the poster changing or degrading the video , is it youtube , or the camera ?  Here lies the problem , its all of those things . Which makes researching a dash cam quite difficult , because you simply don't know what the variables are .  What I will try to do is to make you the reader aware of what possibly to watch out for , and possibly what to avoid if possible .

     Lets start with video format , or file type . You really want to avoid MJPEG or moving jpeg . The quality of this format tends to be on the bad side , and is usually the format of choice for the nasty dash cameras . It can be hard to avoid MJPEG simply because some vendors deliberately conceal the file format from buyers . You will see descriptions like Full HD , 1080P , AVI and yet they mean nothing . Plenty of adds say Full HD 1080P AVI file format . But if you read more carefully , its actually MJPEG .

     What you want to see is a full and complete file format description :
    1920x1080 FHD , and either AVI or MOV with H.264 video compression .. ( Why ? )
    Well , once the seller provides a full description , you have some ebay buyer protection ...
    If you don't see Full High Definition 1920x1080 in the add , then dont expect to get it .
    Same with the video codec / file format ..  Don't see AVI or MOV H.264 , then expect MJPEG .

     I have purchased 3 budget ( cheap ) dash cams using MJPEG and they all blow chunks for video quality ( see cam reviews ) . I have some more budget cams on the way claiming MOV. H.264 file format and Full HD ( Will see ) .

     So you need to watch out for claims of Full HD , and file format . Again if you cant find such expect the worst , and it just might be worth while moving on to looking at something else .

     Fakes - Clones - and just rip offs !
    Seriously don't wait much over a month for stuff from China , just put in a claim . That way your protected . Sometimes the seller is just not even bothering to send anything . Think about it , you sell 1000 items . You don't send out anything and maybe half the people don't claim within the prescribed time limit . You just made money for nothing , ebay gets its cut , and its your fault for not making the claim , so you lose .

     Clones - If it comes from China , there is a damned good chance its a clone . The question is , did you buy a good clone or a bad clone . So it pays to do some research . Check and check again to make sure your buying what you actually want .
     Fakes - They may look like an original or a clone , the product description may even claim all the good bits on the inside . But it's just a very poor fake made to look like something worth buying . Again it comes down to knowing exactly what you want , and not getting suckered by a shoddy dealer .

     If this sounds a little like tip toeing through a mine field , yes !
    So remember - Read the product description very carefully , and try to avoid MJPEG .