OT: Anyone use a dash cam in their car?

[spaceballsrules]

Hey all
Total shot in the dark, but I was just wondering if anyone used a DVR recorder in their car. After searching the interwebz exhaustively and trying to find decent info on these, I settled on this one here. It was between that one and the one in this YouTube review.

I was looking for one that had 2 cameras (front/back), a screen, and was low profile. I hope this one fits behind my rear-view mirror.

Info was really hard to find on these, and the best I found was this thread. Lots of chatter about the 808 #11/16/18 and Blackvue. Alas, those did not meet my criteria.

If anyone has one, or knows a good place for info on these things, please let me know. I know these aren't really popular in North America yet, but they seem to have a real market in Asia and especially in Russia.

 

[spaceballsrules]

I guess not.

 

[Rocketpunk]

Spaceballs:

a) I love your username

b) this video was awesome

c) I love the show COPS, and I love when they get a bad guy on camera.

d) these devices look really, really cool. After watching that video, I am interested in purchasing one. I am going to look at the link you posted.

This is a neat idea.

 

[DaveP]

Good maybe for recording scenery? I can see where a drive through the mountains would be interesting.

If it runs when the car is off, it might be handy if someone breaks in your car to steal something in a parking lot and happens to get their face in front of the camera. Or, in a wreck situation.

 

[spaceballsrules]

After enough searching, I found a forum dedicated to dashcams. It's still very new and only has 10 users, but I suspect it will get bigger as time goes on (maybe). http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/index.php

Spaceballs:

a) I love your username Thanks!

b) this video was awesome Plenty more where those came from...

c) I love the show COPS, and I love when they get a bad guy on camera. Now the police have to worry about being captured on tape themselves

d) these devices look really, really cool. After watching that video, I am interested in purchasing one. I am going to look at the link you posted. Be wary about what you are buying and read ALL the specs carefully.

This is a neat idea.

The "logical" excuse for getting one would be to avoid scams, such as the one depicted in the OP, having concrete proof in case of an accident, or just having a new toy to play with.

Keep in mind that the model I bought is not that great. The daytime footage is good enough, but the nighttime footage is atrocious. Some of the higher end models, such as the Blackvue, Finevu, and Itronics are 1080p and do a decent job of capturing nighttime footage.

Good maybe for recording scenery? I can see where a drive through the mountains would be interesting.

If it runs when the car is off, it might be handy if someone breaks in your car to steal something in a parking lot and happens to get their face in front of the camera. Or, in a wreck situation.

Do a search on Youtube for "car crash compilation" for some wacky and wild footage.

Most of the dashcams can be wired directly to the car battery, so they can be used as parking cameras. Many cams come with a G-sensor that senses changes in G-force and record automatically. Many also have motion detection which is triggered when someone walks near the car, which also records in case of vandalism. The only problem with leaving the cam in the car is that thieves may be tempted to break in and steal the cam itself.

Here's a video that shows this in action....

 

[Iffy]

Anyone use a dash cam in their car?

Why would I purchase something that could gather evidence against me?

 

[spaceballsrules]

Anyone use a dash cam in their car?

Why would I purchase something that could gather evidence against me?

Yup. It is a double-edged sword in that sense.

Actually, I have found that having the cam holds me as accountable for my own driving as it does for others, especially since the cam I have has a lens pointed inside the cabin, as well as a mic to record all of my ranting at other drivers.

 

[spaceballsrules]

I just found another dashcam forum that recently sprang into existence, should anyone care to know.

Car Cam Central Forums