Popular features on dash cams
Dash cams are gradually becoming an indispensable accessory in cars. Dash cams with many features are always popular with users.
120 degree camera viewing angle
The dash cam should be able to capture a wide view of the front or rear of the vehicle. The larger the camera's viewing angle, the more events and objects on the left and right sides of the vehicle can be captured by the camera. The minimum viewing angle of the dash cam should be 120 degrees, some cameras have a viewing angle of up to 140-150 degrees.
Full HD resolution
The resolution of the dash cam is one of the important factors that determine the sharpness, especially when zooming in for observation. Experts say that the minimum resolution of the dash cam should be full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels). If it is lower than this level, when reviewing the video on a large screen, the object will not be clear, and it will be difficult to recognize the license plates of cars in the distance.
Currently, full HD resolution dash cams are very popular, drivers can consider 2K resolution options, or even 4K, which in theory is 4 times sharper than full HD, because the number of recorded pixels is 4 times more.
Overwrite old video
Dash cams usually record videos as individual files, either minute by minute or several minutes depending on the user's choice. The memory capacity of the dash cam is limited, so when it is almost full, the camera has an overwrite mode that will automatically delete old videos to make room for the latest videos, so the car owner does not need to change the memory card frequently when this feature is available.
For cameras that have a mode to overwrite old video, there will be an option for the car owner to "lock" the camera from automatically deleting certain important moments that the camera has recorded, via a button or menu option.
Accelerometer
Dash cams equipped with acceleration sensors (G-force) will detect small changes in the vehicle's acceleration, such as sudden braking, sudden stops, collisions with the vehicle in front, or being hit while stationary. At this time, the vehicle will detect abnormalities to automatically record and "lock" these videos, preventing overwriting. Therefore, increasing the safety of important videos for the vehicle owner.
GPS
The GPS global positioning system on the dash cam helps display the speed and coordinates of the vehicle, to determine the location and speed of movement at the time of the incident. This is important information for the vehicle owner if there is a dispute, needing to distinguish who is right or who is wrong.
Recording while the car is parked
Dash cams typically draw power from the car's charging port and only work when the car is on. Some other types are equipped with an additional battery or capacitor for parking recording. In this mode, the camera's sensors are active, and the recording feature is activated when the sensors detect an abnormality, such as a collision or movement.
However, because it depends on battery power, this mode cannot normally operate continuously for long periods of time.
30fps video recording
The more frames per second you can record, the less blurry the image will be when you pause the video to observe the incident. This feature is especially useful when recording fast-moving objects. 30 frames per second is a common level on today's dash cams, some high-end models can reach speeds of up to 60 frames per second.
Car owners should note that the higher the number of frames per second, the more memory space the video takes up on the camera. Therefore, it is necessary to equip a large capacity memory card if you want to record high quality videos, to avoid losing video due to lack of memory.
