(^3) Driv
Android App
Easy to use, great features
and quality. But setting it up
every journey can be
a chore.
Free, Google Play Store
Drive Recorder is the top-rated free
dashcam app on Google’s Android Play
Store with a 4.5 average star rating and
almost 14K reviews. It’s simple to get
working and you can be recording
within seconds of downloading the app.
It records date, time, speed, GPS and – if
you have Google Maps open – will save a
screenshot of the route recorded in each
clip. You can set the camera to record
bT_S_SP^N]PPYZʬZ]bLNSTL^dZ drive. We found twisting our windscreen mount sideways (for a landscape view) was best as it allowed Google Maps navigation to appear in the bottom right corner. Other phone functions remained operational. DZNLYNSZZ^P_SP^TePZQʭWP^LYO_SP
amount of memory dedicated to storage
or use a microSD card. Image quality
depends on your phone. It’s very useful
but setting it up every journey is still a
mild chore and we like knowing that
trips are being recorded when we’re not
the ones driving.
NAVC-617GPS
Mediocre image quality and
lack of features are countered
by the low price.
$89, http://www.laserco.com.au
Laser makes many Navig8rs and this
one represents its lower-mid-range. It
has a Full HD video resolution but you
wouldn’t think that to look at it. While
you can see what’s going on perfectly
well, the grainy picture and mediocre
contrast mean that distinguishing
number plates and faces isn’t always
^TX[WP1]_SP]XZ]P_SP ZʭPWOZQ view is rather narrow and it misses much of what’s happening to the sides. 3ZbPaP]L_#$T_ɪ^NSPL[LYOZʬP]^ reasonable value. Thanks to its suction mount, it’s also a device that can be quickly extricated from one vehicle and put in another (so long as you haven’t gone to major lengths with cable management). A battery inside will monitor for bumps when you’re away. A separate GPS unit is connected via another wire to the main OL^SNLXM_T_ɪ^ʭcPObT_SL^_TNVP]
Ultimately, while it can’t rival its
competitors for quality and features, it’s
still relatively cheap and cheerful and
will provide usable footage in most,
front-facing incidents.
(^5) Navman MIVUE840
Dual Camera
Part SatNav and part
dashcam, it’s good value but
not for everyone.
$399, http://www.navman.com.au
The Navman is unique in this test as it’s
fundamentally a SatNav system (with a
2.7-inch screen) that has an integrated
dashcam. The SatNav itself operates
impressively when up and running, but
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absolute chore when you’re used to
Google Maps. Nonetheless, as a dashcam
it’s very good in its own right.
The primary-camera’s 1600p footage
bTS ZʭPWOZQaTPbZʬP]^RZZO
contrast and is relatively sharp and works
well in low light. The rear camera is Full
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are also ‘advanced’ driver assist features
that could be impressive. These include
forward collision warnings and lane-
leaving detection, although the former
functions much more accurately than the
latter. If it detects an impact-related
incident while you’re away from your car
it can upload to your phone over Wi-Fi
when you return. However, with SatNav
declining in popularity thanks to the
superior performance smartphones, this
large device will only suit a niche crowd.
3 4
ve Recorder^4 Laser Navig8r^5
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