Review of the "hybrid" DVR with touch control

Ten years ago, the review of the DVR began with the word “why?”, And today the few people left without the “regiment” run up, so the market is saturated with models from the cheapest “Chinese” to sophisticated “combines”. As in the case of smartphones, the reference recorder does not exist - everyone has pros and cons. It is difficult to choose a device that suits you personally, for one review, so we focus on the criteria by which you can evaluate any DVR yourself.

For the review, the device of the Russian company Neoline was chosen, since 2006 it has been producing (OEM) automotive electronics oriented to the domestic market. The Neoline X-COP 9500 device is the result of 2-year-olds, according to the company, of joint Russian-Korean developments. Not trying to fight the market with cheap “Chinese”, Neoline entered the field of hybrids, combining a DVR and a radar detector, which attracted our attention.

Characteristics of the DVR

• Processor: Ambarella A7LA50
• Matrix: AR0330 (Aptina, Full HD)
• 6 optical lenses
• Resolution 1920x1080 (30 fps), 1280x720 (30 fps)
• Viewing angle: 125 ° (5 lanes)
• Battery: 200 mA / h, 5C, 3.7 V
• Recording format: MP4
• Loop recording
• Parking mode
• Auto-off display
• MicroSD (8GB - 32GB) SDHC Class 10
• Shock sensor (G-sensor), motion sensor
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Characteristics of the radar detector
• GPS-base of police radar of the Russian Federation and Europe
• Detection of the Avtodoria photocomplex
• Radio module detection of police radar "Arrow"
• Detection of all types of modern police radar, including “Robot”, “MESTA”
• Detection range 1 ~ 2 km

Equipment
• Neoline X-COP 9500
• Mount on the windshield on suckers
• Mounting on the windshield on double-sided tape
• charger for connecting to cigarette lighter
• User's manual
• MicroSD 8 GB



Something is definitely missing. The price of the device - from 10 thousand - automatically determines its belonging to the top segment. For such money, I would like to see a miniHDMI cable and a 32 GB card.

Appearance

The sleek Neoline X-COP 9500 case is made of matte plastic, on which no prints remain. The material of the qualitatively assembled case cannot be called fragile, but it will not survive the collision with the windshield during an accident. The memory card is not so easy to destroy, but the case of the device itself was definitely worth making it more secure.



The DVR is attached to the bracket at the top of the L-shaped case. Fits tightly. Both of those present in the complete set of fasteners can be adjusted to the desired shooting-detection angle. The registrar is convenient to remove, without loosening the suction cup once again. Note that the vertical mount does not block the view on the windshield.



The top panel of the dark plastic hides the radio module (including the Arrow and GPS modules) for detecting radars. The bottom half - this is the DVR.



There are two buttons on the device: on / off and emergency recording. The second button is duplicating, because there is a built-in shock sensor, which performs the function of activating an emergency recording.



On the left are a slot for a memory card and reset.



On the back is a three-inch touchscreen display. The prints remain on the display, but they are noticeable only when the state is off.

Interface and Management

The absence of hardware buttons on a curved body is perceived as a blessing - all control is carried out through a matte touchscreen display with an IPS matrix, the dimensions of which allow you to comfortably use the device to the driver and / or passengers.

The interface seemed to be in the previous life "version for the blind." It is convenient to poke a finger without looking at the display. However, the hybrid, guided by the principle of included-and-forgot, works immediately after the start without additional settings.



The top + GPS icon is used to add / remove camera / radar user coordinates.

The middle icon is the mode change. The “City”, “Route” and “X-COP” modes are available. They allow you to change the methods of notification, depending on the speed of the car. In the “X-COP” mode, when the speed is up to 40 km / h, alerts are reflected only by the indication on the display, from 41 to 70 km / h - the “City” mode is turned on (reduced sensitivity), over 71 km / h - the “Route” mode is turned on "(Increased radar detection sensitivity).

The bottom icon is used to adjust the volume level.

Immediately below it, in the lower left corner, is the icon for entering the main menu.
The lower block contains information about the speed, connection to GPS, time, and the established recording resolution.



The main menu provides for the choice of settings of the radar detector, video recorder and the mode of viewing the recording. By default, the device has the optimal settings for the full operation - just install the gadget on the windshield.

The display is resistive, you can even use it with gloves.

The manufacturer calls the Neoline X-COP 9500 the first device "with a single interface for two different devices." Such a definition can only frighten - are the settings of the DVR and the radar detector mixed together? Fortunately, this is not the case; the settings are divided into two separate blocks, and even a sixteen-year-old driver can figure them out without instructions. Each menu item is well-written, while not overloaded with redundant information.



The menu items are so simple and clear that they practically require no explanation.


In the "Parking" mode, the recorder records while parked.





Updating the firmware of the DVR is not associated with the firmware of the radar detector.




Radar signal ranges:



GPS database is updated for free from the site - you need to download one file to the memory card. Firmware is updated separately.

Quality of shooting

Reading the number of oncoming cars on the record - one of the main criteria for the quality of recorders. The registrar with his direct responsibility to cope. Persons and car numbers are read in the afternoon from a distance of 12-15 meters. It is worse at night, but the quality still remains at a good level. Thank you for this is followed by the matrix of professional video surveillance systems Aptina AR0330 , the optical system of 6 glass lenses and the modern AMBARELLA A7 processor.



By hardcore. Shooting during testing from the back seat, rain and glare of light. The screen is made with video on a computer, the image resolution is 1366x768.



Without worrying about good quality, we will see readable numbers.

Video: movement in the city (day) 1920 X 1080P 30 fps:



Video: traffic on the highway (day) 1920 X 1080P 30 fps:



Unfortunately, during testing, we were unable to record in the evening and night, but there are records on the network that show the DVR's operation in the dark.

Night shot:



The recording quality is expectedly good, but there is a significant drawback. We will tell about it below.

View video

There are several ways to record: standard recording while driving, recording in the “Parking” mode, saving critical clips thanks to the G-sensor, automatically turning on the camera using a motion sensor, emergency recording after pressing a button.



The default recording is divided into 1-minute clips (size from 80 to 120 megabytes), the duration of the clips cannot be changed. This is a significant flaw, which may be able to eliminate in future versions of the firmware. Video recording can be viewed immediately on the display through a special player, in which the ability to take screenshots is implemented.



The video is sorted into 3 folders: standard recording, emergency and parking mode.

Radar detector

In many European countries, it is prohibited by law to use radar detectors, therefore, we will talk about using the Neoline X-COP 9500 only in the context of use on Russian roads. Remember that when banning the use of a radar detector, you can simply turn off all radio bands in the settings.

Good news: the radar detector in our country is legal. The bad news is: if this is important to you, then you are potentially capable of violating traffic rules - we recommend that you follow the rules and not exceed the allowable speed of movement. Nevertheless, the radar detector is here and it can be useful to someone.

The GPS module, which has a built-in radar base of the Russian Federation and Europe, sends a signal at a distance of up to two kilometers (in our tests, results from 600 meters to 1 km were recorded).
The display shows the symbol of a radar or range, signal strength, current and permissible speed in the area. Soundtrack is present, but it can be turned off.

The Neoline X-COP 9500 detects any surveillance systems on the roads: stationary and mobile radars, including the Robot and Mesta, which are difficult to detect, Strelka ST cameras and the Avtodoria. The coordinates of the new stationary police cameras can be added manually.

When a surveillance system is detected, the Neoline X-COP 9500 will emit an audible notification, and display the icon of the detected radar on the display. The GPS module will start counting in meters to the arrow indicated in the database, as well as report the speed allowed in this area.

Conclusion

The Neoline X-COP 9500 is not a DVR with a radar detector function, but a full-fledged hybrid device. The cost of the hybrid makes it stand out against the general background of DVRs, but there is no need to overpay - instead of one device, we get two. The user interface deserves all praise, even a child can deal with it, and the control is implemented in such a way that it does not create additional interference for the driver.

The quality of the video you can evaluate yourself, it justifies the cost of the device. The radar detector works flawlessly, is intuitive and is able to protect drivers from many problems.

The drawbacks that we found during testing can be explained by the dampness of the firmware itself. Most of them can be fixed in the following updates.

According to Svyaznoy, the demand for this hybrid has steadily increased since the release, despite the huge number of other, cheaper DVRs. The market dynamics is simply explained - one device is better than two separate ones. So the hybrid of the future, which the navigator will inevitably enter, will bite off a tangible part of the market.

Advantages :
Convenient management interface - does not distract, does not overload information
Resistive touch display with anti-reflective coating
Perfect radar detector operation
Excellent video quality (1920x1080 @ 30) - you can see the numbers of oncoming cars
Built-in GPS module
It is possible to update the GPS / firmware base separately from each other.

Disadvantages :
✘ The case is not shockproof
✘ Fixed recording lasts 1 minute
✘ Weak built-in battery
✘ There is no miniHDMI cable in the configuration
✘ Too sensitive G-sensor often sends video files to the emergency recording folder.
✘ No additional video quality settings