I had an idea to see how much progress there is in the production of DVRs, whether something changes in practice from a change of generations of processors or all new models are simply a buyer's divorce for new costs. The registrar received from China just on the most modern processor Ambarella A12 pushed the scales from contemplation to action.

Also on forums in discussions there are often several popular ideas, such as:
- GoPro Hero will remove better than any DVR;
- An ordinary home video camera (camcorder) will remove better than any recorder;
I also decided to consider checking these theories by adding an action camera and a video camera to the review. The review does not claim to be comprehensive, I considered those modes that were interesting to me, those devices that I managed to find.

Under the cat more than 20 megabytes of photos and a few videos. It is supposed to be viewed on a large monitor. All videos are specially silent.

1. Device list
2. Camera Specifications
3. Evaluation criterion
4. Some theory
   a) Camera angles
   b) Frame sizes
5. Day test
   a) Day View Video
   b) High-speed daytime shooting
   c) HDR / WDR bonuses during the day
   d) Price of using HDR / WDR modes during the day.
   e) Results of daily tests
6. Night tests:
   a) Night orboric video
   b) Detailed night test
   c) Freeze frames
   
   • c) with headlights on
   • c) Without headlights
   d) The results of the night tests
7. Results
8. Afterwords

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I am a registrar maniac - for the past few years I regularly read reviews and comparisons of fresh models, I constantly watch communities about traffic accidents (for example, I’ve consulted friends and colleagues many times about buying certain models, several times comparing one to alone, to show for the sake of overpaying for a quality device, etc. Nevertheless, I am doing this review for the first time in such a plan.

1) Device List

For the test, I managed to collect 4 DVRs, 6 action cameras and one video camera.
Total 11 different devices covering the range from 2010 to 2016:

DVRs: 1) Carcam Q2 (Karkam Q2) (aka DOD F880LHD, aka DOD F500LHD, aka ACV Q2) is the first “normal” recorder that removes fullHD. It was bought to replace the nameless Chinese immediately after reading the review , Boomburum in 2011. In principle, a good day FullHD shooting, which quickly became the de facto standard. At the same time, as the illumination decreases, Karkam loses significantly in the resolution of the matrix, noises come out. NB I know that Q2 version with more modern stuffing is now released. I used the original exactly to show the difference of technology.

2) VicoVation Vico TF2 Premium - the registrar of 2013. The year of the announcement of DVRs with WDR (wide dynamic range). One of the two top recorders at the time, which were shot at night by using the WDR mode, is better than all other models. There is a Vosonic v737w recorder , whose algorithm works even better, but, unfortunately, I could not find it on sale in our city when I needed to replace the recorder. So I was content with the Vico TF2. NB Vico TF2 + differs from TF2 only by a different lens (110 and not 90 degrees horizontally), the iron itself is the same.

3) Inspector Scirocco (aka Karkam Duo, aka Koonlung K1S, aka Innovv K1, aka Gazer F225) - 2015. I have been waiting for multi-camera DVRs for a very long time, preferably with miniature cameras and a common control unit (easier to hide, there is less chance that someone will get into the car to steal the recorder). Such models have been on the market for quite some time, but, unfortunately, the quality of the video they had was very sad. Somewhere in 2014, already adequate models began to flicker and, finally, in 2015, a sufficient number of modern processors were released so that you could begin to choose. There was a long and difficult choice between the Procam GS7 + GS5 and the Inspector Scirocco, which, by the sum of the factors (and the occasion with a huge discount :), eventually turned out in favor of the Inspector. The only change from the regular one is the firmware from K1S, because in it, the bitrate is increased to 12mbit / s, while for all other clones - 9mbit / s.

4) Dome D201 The new model, while the only available (for March 2016) recorder on the new processor Ambarella A12. The Chinese are luring this picture, they say, this next generation of processors should show a qualitative difference from the older ones.

Action cameras

5) F9 mini sport DV - waterproof Moto / action FullHD Chinese. Inexpensive, therefore in demand from motorists.

Two cameras form factor "keychain": 6) Mobius ActionCam v2 Lens-A 7) Mobius ActionCam v3 Lens-C Cameras from fans of radio-controlled sports (airplanes, multicopter). An unsightly look, light weight, but, as it turned out, quite good characteristics. Plus, it’s amazing fact that any recorder modules can be purchased separately even from us, including the case, processor board, matrix, lens, standard or extended cable to the matrix (for installation outside the case), the presence of WDR mode automatically activated in low light, the output of the composite signal on one of the usb pins, to transfer video to the console. In general, it was a pleasant surprise. A great fact can be found on the model wiki.

Two "competitors / analogs" GoPro Hero3 8) Contour Roam 1600 - waterproof motorcycle / action camera An interesting nuance - the front of the camera rotates ~ 270 degrees, allowing you to mount the case at any convenient angle. And the presence of a laser line that allows you to set the horizon after rotation.

9) Xiaomi Yi Almost complete clone of GoPro Hero3, released by a famous Chinese company.

Actually GoPro itself 10) GoPro Hero4 Silver There is no particular point in writing about him that everyone usually knows what a GoPro is. Unlike Black, the Silver model can record 4k video only at 15fps, so I didn’t test this mode.

Camcorder

11) Sony HDR-cx400 Household video camera, from the distinctive features, it can be noted that it has not one single lens attached to the gyroscope to stabilize the image, as in simpler models, but the entire lens unit with the matrix is ​​stabilized, which allows you to take it off your hands even at the maximum, 30 times optical zoom.

Specifications

It is clear that the higher the bit rate, the more minor details remain visible after compression. On the other hand, a high bit rate imposes speed requirements for the SD card and reduces its capacity in recording hours.
A capacity column for a typical SD card size has been added, the information is useful for those who leave the recorder permanently on.

Information on matrices and processors, which was found:

Sort according to the approximate year of release (I do not have exact data, I was guided by my memory, the appearance of reviews in the network and the time it appeared on sale)

Evaluation criterion

What is my quality criterion? Immediately it should be said that I do not care about such things as white balance, natural colors, cyanosis, distortion in the corners (distortion), blackouts in the corners (vignetting) and so on and so forth, which may be quite relevant for a home video camera or action -camera Therefore, I will not shoot for the test contrasting branches of trees against the sky and a fence extending into the distance, it may be interesting, but not practical.
The most important criterion for assessing the quality of a DVR is the ability to read license plates, the most difficult is with minimum illumination (twilight, night). The secondary criterion will be a normal response to the exposure of your own headlights or other bright light sources. And only then the rest of the comfort options, such as the availability of GPS, screen, usability and the like.
Night - because it is the most difficult mode for the registrar (in St. Petersburg there is a short light day for more than half a year, so even those who ride only from work and to work go in the dark). Plus - I have recorders in the car around the clock and always write.

NB Almost everyone who finds out about this, asks “is it not scary to leave?” - no, not scary. The side glass costs 5,000 and I know where to buy quickly, the registrar is still ~ 10, and replacing the bumper easily gets out at 30 - the benefit is already obvious. Plus, they can break not only the bumper, but even worse. Once it paid off when I broke the bumper in the parking lot and disappeared. Hit and run failed, because the video also contains the numbers of the attacker, and even his surprised face.

Mounted on glass and not only

Almost no other “features” will matter to me if the number on the video is indistinguishable. I can admire BlackVue's ability to track battery power and change the recording mode, or fuck off an abundance of useful and not-so-great information in Datacam recorders, but if they don’t take off well at night, I’ll not buy them and never recommend them to others (by the way, BlackVue and Datacam is a company from the top registrar, they produce good devices, they are worth looking at).

Part of the frame recorder Datacam.

Some theory

Vision angle

The larger the angle, the more it hits the video, with a wide-angle lens you can see who cuts you from the side, but the smaller the distance from which the numbers are visible in front. For a DVR, the optimum angle is about 110-120 degrees horizontally.

We have only 1920-2500 pixels wide. The wider the angle, the smaller the objects in the frame.

Why we are not interested in the diagonal angle of view?
Here are two shots taken by different lenses from the same point:
Due to lens distortion (distortion), the first frame will have a much larger diagonal angle, although horizontally it is the same for both.


At the same time, manufacturers like to specify a diagonal angle (and more, more), and do not like to indicate the real horizontal. And in vain, because of this, a lot of confusion in the heads of buyers.

NB It is not clear why the Chinese have not yet made recorders with a frame of format not 16x9, but, say 25x5, i.e. very wide and long. Anyway, in most cases, the bottom of the frame is occupied by the hood, and the top is the sky.

NB when watching a video shot from the recorder with a viewing angle of 70-80 degrees, it seems subjective that the speed of the machine is greater than it actually is, and with a angle of 120 degrees - less.

Camera angles

The angles of view of the cameras involved in the review, from smaller to larger


-

Frame sizes

Frame sizes 16x9, which are found in these recorders:
* HD: 1280x720
* FullHD: 1920x1080
* SuperHD (Dome): 2560x1440
* SuperHD (GoPro): 2704x1520


I made a comparison picture to show that the transition from FullHD to SuperHD (2k) added not 50% of pixels horizontally, as was the case with previous jumps, but 33-40%.

Let's start the tests

Initially, I didn’t want to do a daytime shooting at all. 99% FullHD recorders are quite well removed during the day. But the addition of action cameras to the test and the requests of colleagues influenced this situation, besides, it is very difficult to compare 11 models at once, so I used the day test to reject all the "uninteresting."

NB Almost every time when studying other people's tests, I, as a light perfectionist, were outraged by negligence in installing recorders: differences in the horizon line, direction, angle, etc. Having tried to do the test myself, I was convinced in practice that it was almost impossible to set up several registrars. Starting from the fact that the glass is oval at once along two planes, and still stands at an angle itself, and most of the fasteners allow you to twist only in two planes relative to the clothespins, ending with the fact that it is almost impossible to install them closely enough - they constantly get into each other's frame. The first time I armed myself with a wall with a horizontal pattern, a ruler with a horizon, and spent an hour trying to put all the recorders and cameras. Unsuccessfully. I spent the next trips for half an hour just to put all the cameras at least about exactly and stop bathing about it :)

NB Due to the abundance of devices and the lack of hands, there were overlays during the tests: Xiaomi Yi did not get into the "day" test, GoPro Hero4 did not get into the "night review".

Review video

Overview video from ten cameras and random freeze-frame

Feel like a dragonfly.

NB Youtube really clips noticeably the video, even in 1080p mode, the picture is much worse than the original. Below is a link to the Yandex disk with the same video, for those who want to see the difference frame by frame.

Snapshots from all cameras in one place:

Carcam q2	Contour	Dome D201
GoPro	Inspector	Mobius v2
Mobius v3	Sony	F9 Sport DV
Vico Tf2

The first candidate for the knockout was the nameless Chinese F9 mini Sport DV.

30%, on click - 100%.

The quality of his video is noticeably worse than even the old Carcam q2, which is no good today. The video does not make out the numbers even at close range, and judging by the "ladder" on the wires passing along the diagonal of the frame, the native resolution of the matrix is ​​less than FullHD.

Speed ​​vs. resolution

2) Many theories go about high-speed shooting, they say “you need to use 60 frames per second, because this allows you to better shoot a fast-moving object. ” But while fps depends on resolution, usually the recorder cannot give twice the number of frames at its maximum resolution, so you have to choose between resolution and fps.
Compare GoPro Hero video in three modes:
- 2704x1520, 30 fsp
- 1920x1080, 60 fps
- 1280x960, 100 fps

Passing by standing cars in the next row at a speed of 60 km / h, the video is slow 3 times.



30%, on click - 100%.

The result, it seems to me, is obvious. Permission - taxis.
On HD resolution, despite the huge number of frames, the number is not readable.
On FullHD there are several frames where the number can be identified.
On the SuperHD number we read well on a whole bunch of frames.

3) Bonuses of HDR / WDR modes during the day

Compare the dramatic change in brightness when leaving the tunnel.
The speed is 60 km / h, the video is slow in 2 times.


HDR / WDR effect: visible image where overexposed area of ​​the frame was without WDR.


The effect was best seen in Dome, Vico and Mobius v3.
Inspector did not respond to the change in settings.
The effect was also found on the Sony camera, although there is no such setting in the menu.

Price using HDR / WDR modes during the day.

However, HDR / WDR work for recorders is not free. When you turn on this mode during the day there is a slight deterioration in the resolution of the matrix.

The speed is 60 km / h, the video is slow in 2 times.

Video in 4 parts for each pair of recorders.

It can be seen that in the second frame the numbers are much worse read:

Crop 100%.

The Inspector again didn’t respond to the change of mode, the picture of Vico also got a little worse, but he already “doesn’t see” the numbers at that speed.

Update: After discussion with the forum users, I am ready to agree that probably the image with the WDR mode may not deteriorate during the day, but in my tests a slight difference in speed, a slightly different position on the road, a slight change in the brightness of the light could affect. So this conclusion requires additional rechecking.

Daily test results:

- The higher the resolution, the better.
- Large FPS is good, but not at the cost of loss of resolution.
- WDR / HDR during the day is needed very rarely, and there is a slight loss of resolution.

Regarding the readability of the camera numbers are distributed approximately as follows:

- Registrars, 100% crop, 60 km / h, adjacent row:
Carcam q2

With great difficulty, at 60 km / h the number is read literally just a few frames.

Vico TF2

Vico even has a slightly worse condition.

Inspector Scirocco

Marked progress, normal readability

Dome D201

No worse than the previous version, only due to a higher resolution, the reading range is higher (in the test below)

- Action cameras
Contour

Bad at Carcam q2 level.

Mobius v2

Bad, a little corner saves a little, but the first and second letters are almost unreadable, the first is not that “x”, not that “w”, not that “k”, the second “n” or “m”.

Mobius v3

Despite the wider angle, it is still possible to recognize the entire number on part of the frames.

GoPro Hero4

It's all good.

- Camcorder
Sony HDR-cx400

Compare to Carcam Q2.

Readability range in the center of the frame among the leaders:
Inspector Scirocco / Dome D201 / GoPro Hero4

Crop 100%.

On GoPro, the number became fully readable a second (several meters) earlier than that of the Dome.
The difference in distance between SuperHD and FullHD is quite noticeable.

And, finally, night shooting:

In the night shooting, I was most interested in the most difficult conditions: shooting in the parking lot in low-light distant lanterns, shooting in motion on a dimly lit pocket at speed, and the like.

5) Overview video from nine cameras

Screenshot from video:

20%, on click - 100%.
We throw out the cameras, the quality of which at night is obviously too bad already in the overview video:
- 2) Contour Roam 1600
- 6) Sony HDR-cx400
- 7) F9 mini Sport DV
- 9) Xiaomi Yi

So, at night, the most difficult test, there are only 6 cameras left, all recorders (just for comparison) and two action cameras that could draw a picture to modern DVRs:
- 1) Carcam Q2
- 2) Vico TF2
- 3) Inspector Scirocco
- 4) Dome D201
- 5) GoPro Hero4
- 6) Mobius v3

Night test in different modes.

The video consists of 3 parts:
The first 3 recorders and Mobius are set to the maximum possible settings, WDR / HDR included.
For Dome and GoPro compare modes: 60fps, WDR / LowLight, SuperHD.

Drive past parked cars - speed 20km / h
Frames:
The first part, Dome - FullHD 60fps; GoPro - FullHD.

30%, on click - 100%.
At this speed, the number is read only in the Dome, and then with great difficulty. The rest of the registrars showed nothing.

The second part: Dome - SuperHD WDR; GoPro - FullHD 60fps LowLight.

30%, on click - 100%.
WDR makes the majority of the number in the next row readable on the Dome.
Vico tries to get closer, but even a narrower corner does not save him, the numbers are not visible anywhere.

Third part: Both Dome and GoPro in SuperHD.

30%, on click - 100%.
The numbers could not be seen on any frame, not a single registrar.

7) Stacks at 3, 6 and 10 meters from parked cars

a) With the included headlamps:

General view, rooms at a distance of 3 meters:

Carcam Q2 / Vico TF2 / Inspector Scirocco

Dome D201 / Mobius V3 / GoPro Hero4

b) Without headlights:

General view, rooms at a distance of 3 meters:

Carcam Q2 / Vico TF2 / Inspector Scirocco

Dome D201 / Mobius V3 / GoPro Hero4

Results of night tests:

- Big FPS - does not give any bonuses.
- Large resolution - does not give any bonuses.
- The use of WDR mode really significantly increases the level of reading rooms in low light.
- WDR in Vico / Dome works better than HDR in Inspector, however, even the latter slightly improves the detail of the night mode.
- GoPro Hero4 did not cope with night modes, in many cases showing results worse than the old Vico, LowLight mode made the picture a little lighter and more distinguishable, but added no details.

Total comparison results

- Specialized devices (DVRs) are not in vain, they are markedly different from multi-purpose devices (action cameras, video cameras).
- Over the past 5 years, the quality of video recorders has changed significantly. Let it not be embarrassing that when viewed on YouTube everything seems to be about the same, in small things (reading numbers) hardware and software makes visible what was unattainable five years ago.
- Noticeable quality jump in the transition from Ambarella A7 to Ambarella A12.
- Modern top recorders are able to show machine numbers:
a) stop, in the same lane - at a distance of about 10-12 meters in the afternoon, and up to 6-8 meters without lighting.
b) movement, the next row - when driving with a speed difference of about 60-70 km / h during the day, and up to 15-20 km / h at night.
After the tests, it is safe to say that to choose a good recorder, it is important that it uses the latest generation processor, for Ambarella it is A12 or A7. Having SuperHD resolution is a good factor. The rest - choose to your own taste and manner of use, well, read the tests.

Carefully look at the work of WDR / HDR for a specific device. I reviewed a bunch of videos, many registrars, despite the announcement of support for wide dynamic range modes, do not have any advantages to reality at night. We have to admit that WDR has become a marketing symbol, which is molded almost everywhere.

The last point I would like to remind you how to install the registrar:
The horizon should be in the middle or above the middle of the frame.
And don't be confused by the fact that half of the frame will be occupied by the hood, it’s better than half of the frame is occupied by the sky - the sky or night lights bring down the exposure, so that the clouds are beautiful, but the numbers cannot be disassembled:

But maybe the sky was worth it?

Afterwords

PS When preparing the post, the console utilities ffmpeg, imagemagic and graphic avidemux, kdenlive were used.
In terms of creativity, I have a slight curvature, so I had to jot down a stack of video processing scripts in order to operate only with numbers and exclude hand curves from the process of preparing videos and graphics. I share the accumulated knowledge in a brief format of examples:


PS Unpacked video, exactly the same that is uploaded to youtube yadi.sk/d/Ym-KxT6asZ3AB

PS If you upload videos from the recorder to Youtube, then never, ever agree to “stabilize”, no matter how much he asks. For DVRs youtube filters are not suitable, it turns out much worse than without stabilization.

PS For owners of recorders on Ambarella processors, this firmware editor may be useful in which you can change the bitrate or feel like a ### company, replace all logos and screensavers with your own ones, draw a menu, etc.

PS For those who leave the recorder in the car, a device is useful to prevent the auto-battery from fully discharging. For branded devices they are asked for 3-4 thousand rubles, despite the fact that for ~ 500r you can buy an already assembled module from home builders:
- SDC0009 - programmable discharge controller. I have been using this for several months now, there are no complaints.

- Ultra-small discharge controller with timer “Magic-ru” from the forum videoregforum.ru
PS Most remembered links:
- Site quality reviews auto-dvrs.ru
- Good registrar forum: videoregforum.ru
- Forum of buyers of Chinese stores: mysku.ru/catalog/20.html

Please write about errors in private.
Writing a post took ~ month work every night. Thanks for attention. CC-BY-NC-SA.
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