Cheap Dashboard Cam - 20 euro delivered [Ebay]

Redisle

Just an ebay "bargain" here but useful perhaps for people not aware of it, these have been mentioned a fair few times on the Motors forum but maybe not here. Useful for recording crashes and whatnot.

These attach to windscreen using suction pad, start/stop recording on ignition and take SD cards.

Without hdmi (20 euro delivered)
With hdmi (23 euro delivered)

Fuctifino

I wonder does this do "rolling record" like - could i stick the one SD card in it, and it'll overwrite itself when it gets full.. It would be handy if worked like that.

CreepingDeath

The resolution on that sample video looks really bad. (with HDMI)
You can't make out the registration numbers of the cars.

I'd say it's only a 320x240 resolution and upscaled to higher resolutions.

You'd want to be able to disable the IR led lights too.
At nighttime, you'll probably only see the reflection of those lights on your windscreen. But because it's so cheap, you could open it up and cut the wires to the LEDS permanently disabling them if you can't do it via the controls.

Quaderno

The first one looks like this model: http://www.asianwolf.com/cctv-recorder-hdcardvr.html
It's much more expensive there, but the description may be helpful. It says this model (it could be a different one, though!) can cycle the video in 2/5/15 minute loops. The sample video looks good as well.

brightkane

Any link to the motoring thread with reviews ect?

Alfie1

This one possibly.

brightkane

Cheers Alfie, Worth a punt!

brightkane

got it today but havent installed it yet.

To answer a few questions quickly, led lights can be disabled in the menu and u can record in a loop.

Nforce

I had one of these delivered today too. Not a bad bit of kit,considering the price.

brightkane

Right, first issue, half screen is green on vid record, in all Modes and also using infra red on and off , yet playback on the integrated screen is perfect , any ideas? Using vlc for playback

jvc

brightkane wrote: »

Right, first issue, half screen is green on vid record, in all Modes and also using infra red on and off , yet playback on the integrated screen is perfect , any ideas? Using vlc for playback

I remember having a somewhat similar problem with a keychain camera I got off ebay.Red was showing up blue on playback and blue as red! Anyway used windows media player to play it and it was fine. worth a try anyway. I was also using Vlc. Must be a codec issue or someting.

Vertakill

Got one today too... quietly impressed! Thought it was going to be huge based on the pics on the advert but it's quite small(ish).

Will give it a go tomorrow!

brightkane

opened it in media player and its 100%. Cheers for that.

BuzzFish

I have one of these (non-hdmi). Picture is fine, nothing amazing but it will read the reg of the car in front at reasonable distance. The really impressive part of this cheap camera is the wide angle of the lens. It also records in a loop and has the options to record in 5 or 15 min loops. You can turn on/off the leds and the recording of sound via the menu.

I have mine wired to the live for my internal (map) lighting. From the moment I unlock the car it gets power and starts recording up to about 10 mins after I park up and lock the doors again. Not sure if all cars kill internal electronics like this but that how Alfa wire their cars anyway.... and no, you don't need to leave the light on all the time!

I keep meaning to upload a sample clip and these have been discussed on boards before. I'll do it this evening if I have time.

BFish

MarkR

Mine arrived yesterday. Thought I'd changed it to the HD, rather than the default option, but I'd forgotten to save it seems.

At default the night vision was quite poor. Daytime was very good, though not quite the detail you'd need to read a plate.

Sound is ok. My avensis sounds like a battle tank in the video. I'll take some better vids today at lunch and upload them later.

vibe666

just as a possible alternative for anyone with an iphone or android mobile, there are "black box" apps available for both phones and you can just buy a windscreen mount with a hole for the camera lens and use your phone to do the recording.

the one i use on my HTC Desire HD is called Autoguard Blackbox and it's got lots of features including an option to just buffer the video it records and then discard it if it's accident detection isn't triggered (it monitors the accelerometers in the phone to detect sudden movements indicating an accident).

another cheap option would be the 808 keychain cams that you can pick up on ebay for less than a tenner.

they're not smart like the crash cams, but some of them will come with velcro and a car charger so you just have to remember to hit record and to empty the memory card from time to time and they have the advantage of being able to work outside of the car so can be used for surveillance if you are so inclined as the built in battery lasts for about 40 minutes.

there's even a proper 720p version in the same tiny format for less than 30 quid.

here's a sample from the 1st (480p) one i got for €6 off ebay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhhXy1_8r4A

and this is the 2nd one i got for about €30 which does 720p video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kk9W7P0k_M

MarkR

Here's one I took earlier this afternoon. Not bad. Makes me realise I really need to clean my windscreen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSd18tnvC64