Atmix Recall DCR 300 registrar review: is there happiness for 1,500 rubles?
For any person, the desire to save on the purchase of anything is absolutely normal. This is especially true for motorists who have embarked on the path of choosing a registrar. On the one hand, the shelves are breaking from models with a price tag of up to 2-3 thousand rubles. On the other - devices standing from the "five" and above. An unenlightened driver reads on a “two thousandth” Full HaDe box, sees the same inscription on the package of a much more expensive model and decides ... It’s easy to guess what to do next on the principle of “if not a difference, then ...”.
Using the example of at least two acquaintances, I became aware of at least a few “chips” of ultra-affordable registrars. A wonderful feature is the passage of time between files. Shooting is ongoing - 3-4 seconds will sink into oblivion - shooting resumes. This, if I am not mistaken, is a consequence of saving on installing a normal processor. Users who are more or less versed in the topic are familiar with interpolation, when at best HD-shooting stretches to the size indicated on the box Full HD. In the worst case, the “ears” of the WVGA give out a clear cluster of pixels.
Therefore, now I would need to take some kind of registrar for eight thousand and start convincing that it should not be saved, and a quality thing will do its job and will not fail at the most crucial moment. Instead, I’ll talk about the registrar for about 1,500 rubles ($ 50). For about a week, the company in the car was Atmix Recall DCR 300.
In a good way, the recorder packaging usually does not deserve attention. But not in our case. The whole (!) Bottom side of the box is devoted to tips on using the recorder. Here and “Traffic accidents and the court”, and “Disputes with the traffic police and the court”, “Transfer of the video card to the traffic police and the court”. In addition, the same tips are presented in more concise form on one of the sides of the package. A good example of localization, given that Atmix is by no means a Russian, but a Taiwanese brand.
It is not difficult to predict the package bundle of such budget recorders: instructions, mount, AV video cable, miniUSB cable and a cigarette lighter charger. I liked the last component because Atmix did not make a USB port in the charging unit for plugging in a single complete cable. Instead, charging has its own wire. A separate microUSB wire does not need to be torn between the machine and the computer.
Atmix Recall DCR 300 has a very “scratch” screen. Even if it would seem that nothing to do with it - you are still ensured what you see in the photo. The same goes for transparent plastic covering the camera. Something like this was written in one review. But if you look closely, you will notice that a thin-thin film is glued on both sides. And if you remove it, then there will be no problems with scratches. In any case, in my weekly period no new “marks” appeared.
I will not say anything special about the appearance. More precisely, this is because the interior of the cabin does not spoil the device; it doesn’t look one and a half. Thousands look three to four rubles. If you consciously squeeze the back and front sides with force, a slight crunch cannot be avoided. However, to say that this somehow manifests itself in real use. I can not. The ends of the case and the rim of the forward-facing camera are framed by glossy plastic, which looks good, but forces you to wipe the recorder from fingerprints at least once every couple of days.
[If you are tired of listing buttons and connectors, feel free to skip the bottom paragraph]
The front part contains a camera and four infrared diodes. On the left side is a microSD card slot, miniUSB slot and a recess with a reset button. According to the law of meanness, the registrars without the “cut” key hung up on my tests, and the models with those in stock behaved surprisingly “calmly”. On the right in a vertical row lined four buttons designed to work in the menu. The topmost “MODE” key switches the photo / video shooting and viewing the captured photo / video materials. Above are the power and forced recording / confirmation buttons in the menu. At the bottom are HDMI, AV output and speaker.
The mount incorporates all the features that I do not like so much in the registrar's holders. Point one - adjustment of position / tilt with screw clamps. Is it really hard to see how versatile and convenient the joints are? And they, if that, are not shaken - competent manufacturers use a washer with an adjustment of the degree of rigidity of the "ball". Point two - the junction of the recorder and the bracket. The used screw is double-sided. On the one hand we screw it into the holder, on the other hand we wind the recorder. In the final analysis, we need to get the position "face" exactly on the road. The main minus is that to turn to the left side (when the traffic cop comes up) you have to make an almost double turn around the axis.
The recorder uses a 1.3 megapixel camera, so I didn’t have any particular hope for obtaining an “ultra-clear” video. Resolution options are available for 1440 × 1080, 1280 × 720P, 848 × 480 and 640 × 480 pixels. Shooting is done cyclically (I think everyone knows what it is) by slicing for 2, 5, 10 minutes or in a continuous stream, the files are saved in AVI. Of the remarkable - the presence of a G-sensor. Last year, this module was more likely found in devices for at least 4-5 thousand rubles. Who forgot - the accelerometer is triggered when overloads indicate an accident. In this case, the current file is excluded from cyclic shooting and thereby protects against accidental erasure. From the experience of previous registrars, I immediately reduced the sensitivity of the G-sensor, so I managed with a couple of false positives on potholes.
You can see the settings on the recorder screen yourself. From the inconvenient - I would like to have separate buttons on the case for installing protection on the file, as well as turning on / off the IR illumination. In the course of work, several important points were identified. The registrar resolutely did not want to pass seconds between the rollers, and also turned out to be resolutely opposed to hangs. Regarding the latter - I hope that the Atmix Recall DCR300 does not change for the worse after the period that the model was with me.
Shooting starts as soon as the engine starts. Accordingly, recording stops when the energy is supplied through the cigarette lighter. I especially appreciate this automation after a series of “sports” recorders that require you to manually indicate the start of shooting. As a result of the shooting, there is news, both good and bad. Recording is carried out explicitly without interpolation, "at all" 1.3 megapixels. I can’t say that the videos suffer from any frank quality problems. I summed up the clarity - it’s difficult to make out the numbers of the car, the distance of “vigilance” does not exceed about five meters. The second "cant" appears in the dark. The registrar is deprived of automatic exposure adjustment. Therefore, in order to get an acceptable picture at night, you need to go into the settings yourself each time.
While I’m not uploading my own videos (excuse me, technical problems with the laptop), I’ll soon also upload videos with my own experience in communicating with the registrar.
In my opinion, the Atmix Recall DCR 300 fits the definition of "the lesser of two evils." On one more often scales - noname or little-known brands with a potentially real presence of a “crowd” of flaws up to the moment that interferes with normal operation. Atmix Recall DCR 300 “takes” just because I did not find any special glitches and unstable operation. "Workhorse" - no more, no less. Yes, and the G-sensor in addition. There is something to criticize the model for - an uncomfortable bracket, lack of autoexposure, average optics in terms of quality of shooting and ... It seems to be all. Therefore, if the driver is determined to keep within 1,500 - 2,000 rubles ($ 50-65), the Atmix Recall DCR 300 will not be a bad acquisition.
PS It is interesting that in addition to the immediate task, the DVR also has another good purpose. Atmix sends part of the money received from the sale of DVRs and other equipment to charity - greening the planet, etc. Learning about this, you begin to look at a small neat cube with great respect.
And how much would the Atmix Recall DCR 300 cost if the buyer didn’t include compulsory financing for the greening of the planet?
Using the example of at least two acquaintances, I became aware of at least a few “chips” of ultra-affordable registrars. A wonderful feature is the passage of time between files. Shooting is ongoing - 3-4 seconds will sink into oblivion - shooting resumes. This, if I am not mistaken, is a consequence of saving on installing a normal processor. Users who are more or less versed in the topic are familiar with interpolation, when at best HD-shooting stretches to the size indicated on the box Full HD. In the worst case, the “ears” of the WVGA give out a clear cluster of pixels.
Therefore, now I would need to take some kind of registrar for eight thousand and start convincing that it should not be saved, and a quality thing will do its job and will not fail at the most crucial moment. Instead, I’ll talk about the registrar for about 1,500 rubles ($ 50). For about a week, the company in the car was Atmix Recall DCR 300.
Box and equipment
In a good way, the recorder packaging usually does not deserve attention. But not in our case. The whole (!) Bottom side of the box is devoted to tips on using the recorder. Here and “Traffic accidents and the court”, and “Disputes with the traffic police and the court”, “Transfer of the video card to the traffic police and the court”. In addition, the same tips are presented in more concise form on one of the sides of the package. A good example of localization, given that Atmix is by no means a Russian, but a Taiwanese brand.
It is not difficult to predict the package bundle of such budget recorders: instructions, mount, AV video cable, miniUSB cable and a cigarette lighter charger. I liked the last component because Atmix did not make a USB port in the charging unit for plugging in a single complete cable. Instead, charging has its own wire. A separate microUSB wire does not need to be torn between the machine and the computer.
Appearance
Atmix Recall DCR 300 has a very “scratch” screen. Even if it would seem that nothing to do with it - you are still ensured what you see in the photo. The same goes for transparent plastic covering the camera. Something like this was written in one review. But if you look closely, you will notice that a thin-thin film is glued on both sides. And if you remove it, then there will be no problems with scratches. In any case, in my weekly period no new “marks” appeared.
I will not say anything special about the appearance. More precisely, this is because the interior of the cabin does not spoil the device; it doesn’t look one and a half. Thousands look three to four rubles. If you consciously squeeze the back and front sides with force, a slight crunch cannot be avoided. However, to say that this somehow manifests itself in real use. I can not. The ends of the case and the rim of the forward-facing camera are framed by glossy plastic, which looks good, but forces you to wipe the recorder from fingerprints at least once every couple of days.
[If you are tired of listing buttons and connectors, feel free to skip the bottom paragraph]
The front part contains a camera and four infrared diodes. On the left side is a microSD card slot, miniUSB slot and a recess with a reset button. According to the law of meanness, the registrars without the “cut” key hung up on my tests, and the models with those in stock behaved surprisingly “calmly”. On the right in a vertical row lined four buttons designed to work in the menu. The topmost “MODE” key switches the photo / video shooting and viewing the captured photo / video materials. Above are the power and forced recording / confirmation buttons in the menu. At the bottom are HDMI, AV output and speaker.
The mount incorporates all the features that I do not like so much in the registrar's holders. Point one - adjustment of position / tilt with screw clamps. Is it really hard to see how versatile and convenient the joints are? And they, if that, are not shaken - competent manufacturers use a washer with an adjustment of the degree of rigidity of the "ball". Point two - the junction of the recorder and the bracket. The used screw is double-sided. On the one hand we screw it into the holder, on the other hand we wind the recorder. In the final analysis, we need to get the position "face" exactly on the road. The main minus is that to turn to the left side (when the traffic cop comes up) you have to make an almost double turn around the axis.
In work
The recorder uses a 1.3 megapixel camera, so I didn’t have any particular hope for obtaining an “ultra-clear” video. Resolution options are available for 1440 × 1080, 1280 × 720P, 848 × 480 and 640 × 480 pixels. Shooting is done cyclically (I think everyone knows what it is) by slicing for 2, 5, 10 minutes or in a continuous stream, the files are saved in AVI. Of the remarkable - the presence of a G-sensor. Last year, this module was more likely found in devices for at least 4-5 thousand rubles. Who forgot - the accelerometer is triggered when overloads indicate an accident. In this case, the current file is excluded from cyclic shooting and thereby protects against accidental erasure. From the experience of previous registrars, I immediately reduced the sensitivity of the G-sensor, so I managed with a couple of false positives on potholes.
You can see the settings on the recorder screen yourself. From the inconvenient - I would like to have separate buttons on the case for installing protection on the file, as well as turning on / off the IR illumination. In the course of work, several important points were identified. The registrar resolutely did not want to pass seconds between the rollers, and also turned out to be resolutely opposed to hangs. Regarding the latter - I hope that the Atmix Recall DCR300 does not change for the worse after the period that the model was with me.
Shooting starts as soon as the engine starts. Accordingly, recording stops when the energy is supplied through the cigarette lighter. I especially appreciate this automation after a series of “sports” recorders that require you to manually indicate the start of shooting. As a result of the shooting, there is news, both good and bad. Recording is carried out explicitly without interpolation, "at all" 1.3 megapixels. I can’t say that the videos suffer from any frank quality problems. I summed up the clarity - it’s difficult to make out the numbers of the car, the distance of “vigilance” does not exceed about five meters. The second "cant" appears in the dark. The registrar is deprived of automatic exposure adjustment. Therefore, in order to get an acceptable picture at night, you need to go into the settings yourself each time.
While I’m not uploading my own videos (excuse me, technical problems with the laptop), I’ll soon also upload videos with my own experience in communicating with the registrar.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the Atmix Recall DCR 300 fits the definition of "the lesser of two evils." On one more often scales - noname or little-known brands with a potentially real presence of a “crowd” of flaws up to the moment that interferes with normal operation. Atmix Recall DCR 300 “takes” just because I did not find any special glitches and unstable operation. "Workhorse" - no more, no less. Yes, and the G-sensor in addition. There is something to criticize the model for - an uncomfortable bracket, lack of autoexposure, average optics in terms of quality of shooting and ... It seems to be all. Therefore, if the driver is determined to keep within 1,500 - 2,000 rubles ($ 50-65), the Atmix Recall DCR 300 will not be a bad acquisition.
PS It is interesting that in addition to the immediate task, the DVR also has another good purpose. Atmix sends part of the money received from the sale of DVRs and other equipment to charity - greening the planet, etc. Learning about this, you begin to look at a small neat cube with great respect.
And how much would the Atmix Recall DCR 300 cost if the buyer didn’t include compulsory financing for the greening of the planet?
