DVR ParkCity DVR HD 450: tested on the roads

There is an auto gadget, which in our time and in our country is simply irreplaceable. Alas, even the most convincing “I swear by my mom!” Practically does not affect the traffic police workers, but the short clip made by the DVR can really make your life easier ...

Russia is a country of video recorders. Proof of? Yes, take at least the same Chelyabinsk meteorite. And only thanks to the registrars, we know that not only fans of chess reconstructions and driving along roadsides live in Russia, but also people who respect other road users, including pedestrians.

Considering the long list of DVRs available in the domestic market, we stopped at the ParkCity DVR HD 450. The reason for our choice is simple - inside it has an advanced graphics processor Ambarella A7LA70D, one of the best options on the market today. The ability to record two Full HD video streams was a sin not to use - such devices on the market can be counted on fingers - and this was embodied in the device that we took for the review.
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Specifications:
Cameras: 2x 2 Mp, 120 °
Video: Full HD (1920x1080), 30 frames / s
Display: 2.7 "
Processor: Ambarella A7LA70D Memory Cards: microSD (up to 32 GB)
Battery: yes, Li-Ion
Price: 6800 rub.



The line of American single-chip chips Ambarella A7LA was developed specifically for use in automotive gadgets. The wide dynamic range, smart autoexposure and a whole set of Ambarella brand “improvers” allow you to quickly and flexibly adjust to the shooting conditions and do a good job with video processing on the fly.



Ambarellas of this series allow you to record single-channel video in Full HD mode at 60 frames / s or Super HD (3 MP, 30 frames / s). In our case, these features are disabled - everything is set to record two video streams, 1920x1080 @ 30p (there is also a mode of 1280x720 @ 30p).

The second camera is connected via a miniature HDMI connector, and then installed anywhere in the car - the benefit of a five-meter cable allows it. A “hot” camera connection is allowed, but the recorder starts recording from two cameras simultaneously only after the device is rebooted.



The important point: a neat and aesthetic cabling inside the car is not easy. And if your hands are, say, not quite golden, then it is better to take the help of professionals (on average, the cost of such a service in Moscow and Moscow Region - for the rear camera - is 2.5-3 thousand rubles).



If you do not take into account the laying of the cable for the second camera, the installation of the DVR - an elementary thing. The suction cup of the main camera is mounted on the glass with the help of a swivel mechanism on the end face - for someone this option may seem more convenient than the traditional lever.



A big plus - here there is an additional miniUSB connector, which simplifies the power connection. By the way, the length of the cord of the car adapter allows you to hide it under the upholstery of the cabin.

The second camera is fixed using a sticky base, we connect it to the main unit - the DVR is ready for use.



Due to the 2.7-inch screen, all settings are made conveniently and most importantly quickly - you just have to get used to control with a minimal set of hardware buttons. You can change the resolution (1920x1080 @ 30p or 1280x720 @ 30p) and video quality (high, medium, normal), the inclusion of a wide dynamic range (WDR), the imposition of date and time, setting the recording cycle (off, 2 min, 5 min, 10 min ), as well as activation of the microphone and motion sensor.



In addition, experiment lovers can play around with white balance and adjust the exposure - during testing we used the standard settings.

It remains to insert a memory card. It uses microSD. Taking into account the recording Full HD video is better to save and buy a card of at least 16 GB and a class not lower than the 10th ... Everything is ready - let's go!

Wide-angle ParkCity DVR HD 450 cameras have a diagonal viewing angle of 120 degrees. Such a parameter, in our opinion, can be considered optimal - on the one hand, we see not only our own lane, but also a counter-flow of cars, and a roadside with signs installed on it. On the other hand, a wider angle with the same resolution would affect the image quality.







Test video shot on ParkCity DVR HD 450:
- front camera, morning
- front camera, day
- front camera, night
- back camera, day

The Ambarella chip copes well with video processing at any time of the day - we did not notice any pronounced image artifacts. License plates read perfectly - at night, however, this possibility is markedly reduced. However, it all depends on the illumination of the road, speed and even the cleanliness of the windshield. The wide dynamic range function works adequately and practically does not distort the picture.

When two cameras work, the image can be displayed on the recorder screen from both cameras and from one of them.



Motion detector works flawless - maybe even too much. Be prepared for the device to react to a flying sparrow or a fallen autumn leaf.

There are no complaints about the work of the built-in microphone - in the sense that it is not worth expecting anything supernatural from it. But for recording social talk with the traffic police representatives, its capabilities are quite enough.

When you click the Emergency Rec button, the current record will be protected from being deleted from the memory card - but do not forget that when it is filled in, the DVR starts deleting the old records from the card. By the way, the system reserves about 1 GB on the card for recording the current video - keep this in mind.

The battery of the recorder does not have a special vitality - in offline mode, when recording video from two cameras, it lasted for about half an hour. However, this is quite enough to work in conditions of short-term shutdown of external power.



The captured video can be viewed directly on the screen of the gadget, but, naturally, it is better to take a larger display: you can use the old-fashioned way and display the image on the TV screen using the supplied AV cable. Or connect the DVR to a laptop using a miniUSB-cord (sic!) - the gadget should be defined as an external drive.





Data is written with H.264 compression to MOV files. Five minutes of recording from one camera with the maximum settings take about 500 megabytes, with two, respectively, about 1 gigabyte.

To understand the pile of rollers is simple. For example, “F_FILE_0145.MOV” means that this video was recorded by the front camera and is not protected from deletion. “R” means that this is not a “rocket” - a recording made by a rear camera. And if “EVEN” is used instead of “FILE”, then the DVR worked with the Emergency Rec function turned on and the file is protected from accidental deletion.



Let's sum up. A broad overview, distinguishability of car numbers from 10-15 meters (during daylight hours), good work in low light conditions - what else the car enthusiast needs from the DVR.

Experienced drivers can complain about the lack of a G-sensor in the ParkCity DVR HD 450 - one can agree with that. In principle, you can always click on the Emergency Rec button, but in an emergency we do not always do everything logically and consciously.

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PS By the way, if you have a desire to try ParkCity DVRs in action, take part in the joint competition Geek to the Future and the Avtoden company : until October 8, we will play three autogadgets. Good luck!