Comparison Prime-X 050D vs Prime-X 043D-1

— DVR. Classic DVRs are recording devices designed to capture traffic conditions, and sometimes also the interior of a car. The main function of the materials from the registrar is to provide an evidence base in the event of an accident or emergency. Note that most of these devices are designed for installation in a car, but there are also models for motorcyclists — with a mount on a helmet or steering wheel(see "Installation") and increased resistance to dust and moisture.

— Regular video recorder. DVRs (see above), originally designed for a specific car model or models. Note that the possibilities for installing such a device can be quite extensive — see "Regular registrar for". Anyway, the installation of such a device in a “native” car is extremely simple, in a “non-native” one it is extremely difficult, and often impossible at all.

— Combo device. Combined instruments that combine the functions of a dashcam and a radar detector capable of detecting police speed gauges. For more information about the radar detector, see "Functions", here we note that one combined device is usually smaller, easier to install, and often cheaper than two separate specialized devices.

Car models for which the standard DVR is intended (see "Type").

Regular devices can be made both for a specific car model, and for several models of the same or even different manufacturers. However, compatibility with a specific car still does not hurt to check before buying, since the same model may have several versions that differ in design features.

Today, regular registrars can be found on the market, in particular, for cars of the following brands (in alphabetical order): Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, KIA, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Seat, Skoda, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo.

The type of connector used in the recorder to power it. First of all, you should pay attention to this item if you plan to change the registrar with ready-made wiring for one or another type of connector ( miniUSB, microUSB, USB-C, DC 12V). Thus, the replacement of the registrar rests simply on installing a new one without re-changing the cable.

The maximum resolution and frame rate of video recorded by the recorder in the HD (720p) standard.

The classic resolution for this standard is 1280x720, but there are other options in DVRs — in particular, 1280x960 (4:3 aspect ratio). Anyway, HD is not outstanding, but quite a decent indicator that allows you to get a video with good detail (for example, it is usually quite possible to make out numbers on cars in close proximity to a car on it).

As for the frame rate, the higher it is, the smoother and less blurry the video will be, the better the details on moving objects will be visible, and also the more space the footage will take up. It is worth noting here that in some inexpensive models, shooting in HD at very low speeds — 15 – 20 fps is used to reduce the cost. Such a shooting speed allows you to watch video more or less normally, but for a normal display of moving objects, a higher frame rate is still desirable — at least 25 frames / sec. It is also worth saying that, in general, for a comfortable perception by a person, a speed of 24 to 60 frames per second is considered quite sufficient, however, among the registrars there are models that can shoot HD at 120 fps. The meaning of this speed is to ensure that individual details on moving objects are as clearly visible as possible in slow motion or frame-by-frame viewing.

The maximum resolution and frame rate of video taken by the recorder in the Full HD (1080p) standard.

Many people associate the term Full HD with a resolution of 1920x1080 — and indeed, this resolution is very popular, including among DVRs. However, this standard also covers other options — in particular, 1440x1080 (4:3 aspect ratio) and 1920x540 (halved vertical size). In general, support for this resolution is a good indicator for a modern registrar, indicating that the device belongs to at least an average level.

As for the frame rate, the higher it is, the smoother and less blurry the video will be, the better the details on moving objects will be visible, and also the more space the footage will take up. It is worth noting here that in low-cost Full HD recorders, shooting can be carried out at very low speeds — 15 fps or even 10 fps. Such a shooting speed allows you to watch video more or less normally, but for a normal display of moving objects, a higher frame rate is still desirable — at least 25 frames / sec.

Among the photo and video functions used in the dashcam, we can distinguish G-sensor, rotating lens, live, HDR< /a>, WDR, polarizing filter, DEWARP and Time Lapse. More about them:

— G-sensor (video saving). A sensor that monitors shocks and vibrations acting on the DVR. The main function of this sensor is to ensure the safety of video materials in the event of an accident: in the event of a strong impact, characteristic of a collision or fall, the recorder with a G-sensor automatically saves the previously recorded video to a non-volatile memory protected from overwriting. Thus, materials about an emergency are not only guaranteed to be saved, but with a high probability remain intact even if the recorder itself is damaged. In addition, the G-sensor is used in parking mode — see "Functions" for details.

— Swivel lens. The ability to rotate the lens of the registrar horizontally or vertically, and in some cases — on both planes. This feature allows you to adjust the camera's field of view.

— Sound recording. Ability to record sound with a video recorder. First of all, we are talking about recording conversations in the cabin, which can become an add...itional argument in disputable situations — for example, they will allow you to determine whether the driver was talking on a mobile phone at the time of an accident, whether he noticed the situation on the road, how he assessed it, etc.

— Live broadcast. Allows you to remotely connect to the DVR and monitor what is happening from the camera in real time. It is very important if there is an additional camera in the cabin, when you can track the situation, for example, in taxi services, courier delivery, etc. This function will also become important and useful when a car is stolen, when you can not only see the hijacker from the video from the camera, but also track the route of his movement.

— HDR (high dynamic range). A function that increases the dynamic range of the recorder. Dynamic range is the maximum difference between the brightest and darkest area achievable within a single frame. Initially, this range for digital matrices is small, so an image with large brightness differences (for example, a road against a sunset sky) turns out to be either strongly overexposed in bright areas or very dim in dark areas. HDR addresses this shortcoming and also improves the overall colour quality. This is implemented as follows: the camera takes several frames with different settings and from them forms the finished image. At the same time, this technology is simpler and cheaper to implement than WDR, which is similar in purpose (see below). The main disadvantage of HDR is that this type of shooting increases the blurring of fast moving objects in the frame somewhat.

— WDR (Wide Dynamic Range). A function similar in purpose to HDR described above: it is used to improve the quality of a “picture” that has strong differences in brightness. The key difference between these technologies is that WDR works at the hardware level — due to high-end matrices. This allows you to achieve the required dynamic range within a single frame and do without gluing several frames — as a result, WDR, unlike HDR, does not give a blurring effect and does not worsen the detail of moving objects in the frame. The downside of this quality is the high price.

— Polarizing filter. The presence of a polarizing filter in the main camera of the DVR. Such a filter reduces the brightness of glare arising from strong light on glass, water and other similar surfaces. This greatly improves image quality, especially when shooting in sunny weather.

— DEWARP. A technology used to correct the "picture" obtained using a wide-angle lens. Such lenses are often used in DVRs; one of their drawbacks is their propensity for the fish-eye effect, the characteristic distortion when straight lines in the frame turn into rounded ones. The DEWARP function eliminates this shortcoming — it "bends back" curved lines, correcting the geometry of objects in the frame. Note that such a correction does not always work 100% accurately, however, the picture processed by DEWARP is anyway more reliable than without this technology.

— Time Lapse. A special mode of operation in which video recording is carried out at a slow frequency, which in practice is mainly used for shooting slow processes. Thus, for example, a long journey or a long sunset can fit into a 3-minute video.

One or more remote cameras in the standard equipment of the registrar, used for video recording of the traffic situation behind the car. In the vast majority of cases, the remote camera is attached to the DVR in one copy. It covers the rear "stern" of the car and is simultaneously used as an assistant when reversing parking — the picture from the camera can be displayed on the DVR screen in real time. There can be several remote cameras, which provides a wider coverage of the DVR's field of view.

The maximum video resolution supported by the optional DVR camera. Depending on the design and configuration, we can talk about both a remote camera and a camera for filming the interior (see above for both); this nuance should be clarified separately.

The higher the resolution, the more detailed the image from the camera will be, the more small details will be normally visible on it. On the other hand, high detailing affects the volume of materials to be filmed and the requirements for the “hardware” of the registrar (and, accordingly, affects the cost).

In general, additional cameras of modern recorders can be divided into the following categories:

— SD. "Standard" resolution (as opposed to HD — "high resolution"). A rather modest frame size, which at the same time allows you to significantly save memory for video recording and is suitable even for low-cost recorders. Specific resolution options include, but are not limited to, 628x582, 640x480, and 720x480.

— HD 720p. The traditional, most popular resolution for this video recording standard is 1280x720. In addition to it, registrars also found 960x720 (aspect ratio 4:3) and reduced in height 1280x480. HD is the most modest of today's high-definition standards, but still provides pretty decent detail.

— Full HD 1080p. The "classic of the genre" for this standard is the resolution of 1920x1080, however, there are other values in registrars, including very speci...fic ones — such as 1440x1080 (4:3 aspect ratio) and 1920x540 (halved vertical resolution). This is a fairly solid indicator even for the main camera of the registrar, and there is no need to talk about additional ones.

— Super HD. Not a particularly popular standard in video technology, which, nevertheless, has found application in video recorders. Most often provides a resolution of 2304x1296, which provides even more

The diagonal of the display installed in the DVR.

A large display, on the one hand, provides additional convenience, on the other hand, it affects the dimensions and price of the entire device. Therefore, manufacturers choose a diagonal in such a way that the device can be used normally and at the same time it is not too expensive and bulky. So, for a classic registrar that does not have additional functions, a small display is enough — 2 – 2.5", 1.5 – 2", or even less : it completely allows you to manage the settings and control what exactly gets into the frame, and to fully view the footage, you still need a computer, TV or other large screen. A size of 2.5 – 3 " by the standards of such devices can already be called average, and screens of 3" or more are typical mainly for fairly advanced models, often with an abundance of additional functions.

Also note that there are models that do not have a display at all. To control the operation parameters and check the position of the frame, such a recorder is connected to an external device — for example, to a smartphone via Wi-Fi.