Overview of the "hybrid" DVR with touch control

Ten years ago, the DVR review began with the word “why?”, And today the few who have no “regik” have their eyes flashed, the market is saturated with models from the cheapest “Chinese” to the sophisticated “combines”. As with smartphones, there is no reference recorder - everyone has pros and cons. It’s difficult to find a device that suits you personally in one review, so we focus on the criteria by which you can independently evaluate any video recorder.

For the review, the device of the Russian company Neoline was selected, which since 2006 has been producing (OEM) automotive electronics oriented to the domestic market. The Neoline X-COP 9500 device is the result of 2-year-old, according to the company, joint Russian-Korean developments. Not trying to fight the cheap “Chinese” in the market, Neoline entered the field of hybrids by combining a DVR and a radar detector, which attracted our attention.

DVR Features

• Processor: Ambarella A7LA50
• Matrix: AR0330 (Aptina, Full HD)
• 6 optical lenses
• Resolution 1920x1080 (30 fps ), 1280x720 (30 fps)
• Viewing angle: 125 ° (5 lanes)
• Battery: 200 mA / h, 5C, 3.7 V
• Recording format: MP4
• Loop recording
• Parking mode
• Auto power off display
• MicroSD (8GB - 32GB) SDHC Class 10
• Shock sensor (G-sensor), motion sensor

Characteristics of the radar detector
• GPS-base police radar Russia and Europe
• detection fotokompleksa "Avtodor»
• The radio module detect police radar "Arrow»
• detection of all types of modern policing radars, including "Robot», «MESTA»
• Detection range 1 ~ 2 km

Options
• Neoline X-COP 9500
• Mount on the windshield on suction cups
• Mount on the windshield on double-sided tape
• Storage device for connection to the cigarette lighter
• User manual
• MicroSD 8 GB



There is definitely something missing. The price of the device - from 10 thousand - automatically determines its belonging to the top segment. For the money I would like to see a miniHDMI cable and a 32 GB card.

Appearance

The streamlined body of the Neoline X-COP 9500 is made of matte plastic, which does not leave prints. The material of a well-assembled body cannot be called brittle, but it will not survive a collision with a windshield in an accident. A memory card is not so easy to destroy, but the case of the device itself was definitely worth making more secure.



The DVR is attached to the bracket at the top of the L-shaped housing. Installed tightly. Both fasteners present in the configuration can be adjusted to the desired shooting-detection angle. The registrar is convenient to remove without loosening the suction cup once again. Note that the vertical mount does not block the view on the windshield.



The top panel of dark plastic hides the radio module (including the Strelka and GPS modules) for detecting radars. The lower half - this is the DVR.



There are two buttons on the device: on / off and emergency recording. The second button is a duplicate one, because there is a built-in shock sensor that performs the function of activating emergency recording.



On the left are the memory card slot and reset.



On the rear panel is a three-inch touch screen. Fingerprints remain on the display, but they are noticeable only when the state is off.

Interface and Management

The absence of hardware buttons on the curved case is perceived as a blessing - all control is carried out through a matte touch screen with IPS matrix, the dimensions of which allow the driver and / or passengers to comfortably use the device.

The interface seemed to be a "version for the blind" in a previous life. It’s convenient to poke your finger without looking at the display. However, the hybrid, guided by the principle of plug-and-and-forget, works immediately after launch without additional settings.



The top GPS + icon is for adding / removing user coordinates for cameras / radars.

The middle icon is a change of mode. The modes "City", "Track" and "X-COP" are available. They allow you to change the notification methods depending on the speed of the car. In the “X-COP” mode, at speeds of up to 40 km / h, notifications are displayed only on the display, from 41 to 70 km / h - the City mode (low sensitivity) is turned on, over 71 km / h - the Route mode is turned on "(Increased sensitivity of radar detection).

The lower icon is for adjusting the volume level.

Immediately below it, in the lower left corner, there is an icon for entering the main menu.
The lower block contains information about speed, GPS connection, time and set recording permission.



The main menu provides a choice of settings for the radar detector, DVR and recording viewing mode. By default, the device has the optimal settings for full-fledged operation - just install the gadget on the windshield.

The display is resistive, you can use it even with gloves on.

The manufacturer calls the Neoline X-COP 9500 the first device "with a single interface for two different devices." Such a definition can only frighten - are the settings of the DVR and the radar detector mixed? Fortunately, this is not so, the settings are highlighted in two separate blocks, and even a sixteen-year-old driver can figure them out without instructions. Each menu item is well defined, while not overloaded with redundant information.



The menu items are so simple and straightforward that they require little explanation.


In the "Parking" mode, the registrar makes a record while parking.





Firmware update for the DVR is not related to the firmware of the radar detector.




Radar ranges:



GPS databases are updated for free from the site - you need to download one file to the memory card. The firmware is updated separately.

Shooting quality

Reading the number of oncoming cars on the record is one of the main criteria for the quality of registrars. The registrar copes with his direct responsibility. Faces and numbers of cars are read from a distance of 12-15 meters during the day. It’s worse at night, but the quality still remains at a good level. Thanks for this should be the matrix of professional surveillance systems Aptina AR0330 , an optical system of 6 glass lenses and a modern processor AMBARELLA A7.



By hardcore. Shooting during testing from the rear seat, rain and glare. The screen is made with video on a computer, image resolution 1366x768.



Without much concern for good quality, we will see readable numbers.

Video recording: city traffic (day) 1920 X 1080P 30 fps:



Video recording: driving on the highway (day) 1920 X 1080P 30 fps:



Unfortunately, during testing, we were not able to record in the evening-night time, but there are records in the network that show the operation of the DVR in the dark.

Night shooting:



The recording quality is expectedly good, but there is a significant drawback. We will talk about it below.

Watch video

There are several ways to record: standard recording while driving, recording in the "Parking" mode, saving critical clips thanks to the G-sensor, automatically turning on the camera using a motion sensor, emergency recording after pressing a button.



The default recording is divided into 1-minute clips (size from 80 to 120 megabytes), the duration of the clips cannot be changed. This is a significant drawback, which may be able to be eliminated in future firmware versions. The video can be viewed immediately on the display through a special player, which implements the ability to take screenshots.



The video is sorted into 3 folders: standard recording, emergency and parking mode.

Radar detector

In many European countries, the use of radar detectors is prohibited by law, so we will only talk about the use of the Neoline X-COP 9500 in the context of its use on Russian roads. Remember that if you prohibit the use of a radar detector, you can simply turn off all radio bands in the settings.

The good news: the radar detector in our country is legal. The bad news: if this is important to you, then you are potentially capable of violating traffic rules - we recommend that you follow the rules and do not exceed the permissible speed. Nevertheless, there is a radar detector and it can be useful to someone.

A GPS module with an integrated radar base of the Russian Federation and Europe sends a signal at a distance of up to two kilometers (in our tests, results from 600 meters to 1 km were recorded).
The display shows the symbol of the radar or range, signal strength, current and allowed speed on the site. Sound is present, but it can be turned off.

Neoline X-COP 9500 detects any surveillance systems that exist on the roads: stationary and mobile radars, including Robot and Mesta, heavy for detection, Strelka ST cameras, and Avtodoriya. The coordinates of the new stationary police cameras can be added manually.

When a Neoline X-COP 9500 surveillance system is detected, it will give a sound notification and display the icon of a detected radar on the displays. The GPS module will start counting in meters to the arrow indicated in the base, and will also report the speed allowed in this section.

Conclusion

Neoline X-COP 9500 is not a DVR with a radar detector function, but a full-fledged hybrid device. The cost of the hybrid distinguishes it against the general background of DVRs, but there is no need to overpay - instead of one device, we get two. The user interface deserves all praise, even a child can deal with it, and the control is implemented in such a way that does not create additional interference to the driver.

You can evaluate the quality of the video yourself, it justifies the cost of the device. The radar detector works flawlessly, intuitively and is able to protect drivers from many problems.

The shortcomings that we found during testing can be explained by the dampness of the firmware itself. Most of them can be fixed in future updates.

According to Svyaznoy, the demand for this hybrid has been steadily growing since its release, despite the huge number of other, cheaper DVRs. The dynamics of the market is simply explained - one device is better than two separate ones. So the hybrid of the future, which the navigator will inevitably enter, will nibble off a tangible part of the market.

Advantages :
Convenient control interface - it does not distract, does not overload information.
Resistive touch screen with anti-reflective coating
. Radar detector works
perfectly. Excellent video quality (1920x1080 @ 30) - you can see the numbers of oncoming cars.
Built - in GPS module.
It is possible to update GPS databases / firmware separately from each other. friend

Minuses :
✘ Housing is not shockproof
✘ Fixed recording lasts 1 minute
✘ Weak internal battery
✘ MiniHDMI cable not included
✘ Too sensitive G-sensor often sends video files to the emergency recording folder
✘ No additional video quality settings