Here is a youtube link that displays the quality of the video as well as two sample displays of the memory cards that I used. https://youtu.be/GxWro2QYXa4
- Product exterior – size comparisons, weight, finish, etc.
- Description of use – ease of installation, specific examples of how you used the product, performance, notable features, etc.
- Ideal users – what kind of consumer would benefit from this product?
- Competitive comparisons – how does it stack up with similar devices from Anker or from competitors?
- Summary of overall impressions.
- Pictures or video – show scenarios of the product being used.
Why I want a dash cam - My child just started driving so I have been on the lookout for a dash cam that would help her if she ever became involved in an incident while she is driving. There are a lot of accidents and insurance fraud out there so this should help her. Unfortunately there are a lot of people in this world who get into accidents and love to try and intimidate younger drivers. Hopefully this will help minimize that problem on our end.
Although I got this dash cam for my daughter, many other people would benefit from owning a dash cam. People use this to help prevent insurance fraud or even just record your daily driving. I’ve used a GoPro before just for fun and this is less distracting.
Installation - From the time I opened my package, I had this installed in my car and set up within 30 minutes. I used the stock base with the 3M adhesive to mount this behind the rear view mirror. I then ran the cable up through the top weather strip down the right side with the installation tool that was provided. When I got to the bottom behind the glove box, I found a piece of metal I was able to zip tie the rest of the cable so nothing was dangling around.
Once this was complete, I inserted my sandisk ultra 32gb microsd hc class 10 memory card. I chose the high endurance since this will do a lot of reading/writing. I’ve read some reviews that some cards will burn out over time or just go bad. I’ll see how this one goes.
Second test was used with a transcend information 32gb high endurance microsd. This one did not do so well. I am actually going to return this card and purchase another one since I read this is the card to use and will not burn out over time. The video was really washed out. I thought maybe it was the angle of the camera or time of day but that did not make a difference. As you can see in the video of the Sandisk, the quality was literally night and day.
Next thing I powered on the unit and started the set-up process. Here you can set up your date and time. There are a series of options you can set up from here: Resolution, Frequency, Sensitivity, Parking Monitor, Time, Language, LCD Auto Off, Machine Sound, Default (reset to default), Format (to format the memory card), watermark, About.
Product - The actual size of the device is 2.44”x2.83”x1.5”. The finish is a nice matte black. The Power button is on the bottom left side of the camera. Just above that appears to be a little speaker or microphone. On the opposite side is usb port for you to plug in your usb cable to your cigarette light adapter. The camera lens is adjustable and allows me to see two lanes to my left and two lanes to my right. The wide angle is perfect.
This is my first dash cam so I don’t really have anything to compare it to. There are some dash cams out there with GPS but are like double the price. I guess here, you can decide if that’s worth it to you. I was more concerned about the quality of the video and the company that sold/made the dash cam. I didn’t know much about dash cams so to have a company like Anker I felt that much better since they have really great customer service.
The box included the following:
- Dash Cam
- Roav welcome card with customer service contact information
- Quick Start Guide
- Owners Manual
- Camera base with 3M adhesive
- Anker 2 port USB charger
- USB cord
- Installation tool
The packaging arrived in a nice box from that was packed with packing material so that the item would not get damaged in transit.
Pros:
- Video at 1080p is clear. I was able to view the license plate in front of me and to the right pretty clearly.
- We’ve left this thing outside in the car where it get’s about 90-100 degrees outside during the day and the unit seems to function well.
- Comes with a long enough cable and a tool to make installation very seamless even for someone not too familiar with cars. I would have figured how to do it without the tool but it was nice that it was included.
- Price. I have been looking around and have seen this particular item for sale between $67-$90. There are a lot of cheaper and more expensive models out there with more/less features but none will have the 100% Anker guarantee. This dash cam has a warranty for 12 months. I’m sure you all know that they stand behind their products. If you encounter any issues, just contact them and they will resolve it very quickly.
- Smartphone app - I only tested the iOS app so I can’t comment on the Android version. This is a good option to have if you don’t have time to go to your computer to download a video clip. You can just connect your smartphone to the camera via Wi-Fi and you are now able to access your videos.
- The ability to transfer via Wi-Fi. Not everyone has the time to unplug the card to walk to their computer and download the footage.
- Camera lens is adjustable.
- Video’s record directly over old ones. Another great feature of those who forget to remove older videos from their cards. I know I do so I don’t have to worry about that with this.
- The motion sensor is handy. I have it set to medium and it picks up people that are walking by the car and starts recording. Very handy feature for possible vandalism.
- Camera starts recording once you start moving. Great one for those who don’t remember well too turn on devices if it were needed to.
Cons:
- Although I like the touch screen, I would have preferred buttons so I can feel what it is I’m trying to access. not a deal breaker but something I personally would like.
- This should have a little bit of internal flash memory. The package says you must purchase your own micro-sd card but in the event of a failure, it would be nice if the camera itself had internal flash memory for those “just in case” moments.
- My time was in 24 hour time format by default. I need to figure out how to make this 12hr.
- Wi-Fi - I mentioned this as a Pro to have but I think the transfer speed could use some improvements maybe via future firmware upgrade.
- One more issue with the Wi-Fi. It would be nice if the Wi-Fi would stay connected in the car. Currently, you have to turn it on from the camera settings to activate it. Kind of a hassle if you ask me.
- The settings seem to reset itself back to default so I need to see if this is a user error on my part or if it’s something wrong with the unit.
Things I would like to see in future updates (hardware/software)
- Buttons our touchscreen that I can feel confirmation that I selected something.
- Maybe it would be a good idea to actually include an approved memory card that has been tested to work with this or provide a list of suggested cards. This would take a lot of the guesswork out for someone that wants to get this up and running right away. These are cheap enough nowadays that I can see it being included and just adjust the prices accordingly.