Hd 2.0" Ir Night Vision 720p Vehicle Car Camera DVR Recorder Review

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(More customer reviews)I just received the camera two days ago and have noted the following:
1. The recording is continuous but in two-minute increments. In other words, the recording stops automatically after each two-minute segment and resumes to record another two-minute segment. By checking the time stamp on each clip, there appears to be a one or two second lapse between two consecutive clips.
2. The VGA format means each clip will be about 70 mb. The HD format, on the other hand, results in much larger files that take forever to download onto my computer. I use a Kingston 2GB card that I had in my cellphone and it works fine. The camera will create a new directory on the card to store the clips. The clips are named sequentially by default.
3. The device is similar in size to a Starbucks Double-Shot, but much lighter. The overall construction is solid, though I feel it could have been made more compact. You have to power on the device and press the recording button to start recording. If you power it on but do not press the recording button, the device will shut off itself after a minute or two. Once recording started, then it will only stop when the button is pressed again. The LCD screen cannot be turned off when recording.
4. The time that appears on the machine has to be manually configured only once. The instruction that came with the device was far from clear. The way to do it is to create a text file with the following text: 2011.05.06 10:37:00 (it's 22:37:00 for 10 pm) Copy the text onto the micro SD card's root directory (ex: E:/), shut the camera off and turn it back on. The clock will begin to run from the time you put in the file. To get an accurate time stamp, enter the time that is about 15 seconds ahead so that by the time you restart the camera, the time stamp will be just right.
5. The attached VGA clip shows what was recorded in the evening at 9. It was actually brighter outside than what appeared on the video. I am not sure how the IR works to enhance visibility at night. The device may have captured the license plate number of the vehicle ahead of me, but I was not able to discern from the clip what the number was. In the case of an accident, the other vehicle in all likelihood will not be positioned so close to mine, so if it is a hit and run, the device won't help you identify the offender. Perhaps a digital imaging specialist will be able to work magic on the clip and make out useful information of the other vehicle.
6. The device came with its own drivers, but I have found that my PCs (one Vista one Win 7) were able to install a generic USB driver to access the files. There is no program or application for you to fine-tune any setting, at least I have not found one. This may be disappointing for people who are used to fine-tuning their devices. I plan to treat it as a straight-forward recording and storage device, like Flip.
7. The device has a total of 6 buttons to press: power on, snapshot, play, recording, VGA/HD, reset. It is not half as smart as our digital cameras, but then again, I don't want to have to work with a complicated device that is attached to my windshield while I drive.
8. Video quality: TO BE UPDATED.
9. I do not feel that the device will be particularly useful in capturing potential accidents. I drive defensively and have a very good grasp of what is within my viewing range. If I ever end up in an accident, it would have to be coming from the sides or the rear, which would be out of the camera's range. I might try to mount the camera on the moonroof, or point the camera backward to see if it will capture the side and rear areas around my car. --> Can't mount it on the moonroof because the neck of the mount is too short.
10. Battery life. So far I have not had to use the car charger yet. I take the device home to download the clips and recharge via the USB data cable, and one full charge was enough for a 90 minute road trip. It probably will last longer but I have to test it on my next road trip.
11. I think I will end up writing a review that is more comprehensive and clear than what is in the manufacturer's instruction.

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