Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There are quite a few positive reviews for this cam/dvr already. I've just installed mine two days ago, and just spent an hour watching the videos from it. I titled my review "Almost Perfect" and gave it four stars instead of five, for the reasons below. HOWEVER, I am electrical engineer by trade, and my tech standards are quite high to any electronic device, so please do not let my few minor gripes to deter you from choosing this cam/dvr over most others. This device IS BY FAR THE BEST CHOICE IN THIS PRICE RANGE! I must have read at least 100 reviews for at least 20 different cams/dvrs, on Amazon.com, Auto DVR specialized sites, eBay, and few other places. Most cam/dvr combos suffer from one or more shortcomings; either too bulky (blocking too much of a windshield), not enough resolution, poor quality, software problems, menu too difficult to navigate combined with installation/user manual too crude to follow, too high of a price, or a combination of said issues. This device is different. I can see that someone (with passable to good engineering skill set) did serious research into what is important in consumer-level car cam/dvr, and designed device to comply with as many end user reqirements as possible. The Pros: 1. Its small. Smaller than expected when removed from the package. 2. Comes with well-designed shroud for the cables. The shroud and Cam/dvr designed to look like a factory automotive trim components. 3. The fish-eye lens covers 170 degrees; the entire windshield top to bottom, and almost pillar to pillar left to right. 4. The lens position is vertically adjustable by small click knob. The clicks are close enough apart to set the lens exactly where you wanted it. 5. The camera is 1080p capable (default setting), and software auto adjusts to different brightness levels during the day (very important to avoid glare and saturation). 6. Built-in mic. Its sensitive enough to clearly pickup and record pod casts I listen to through car audio, and when I'm talking on the phone. 7. The buttons are in right positions, and the LCD is small enough not to be distractive, but large enough to see where the camera is pointed, and in a pinch, to show a cop who was were, when they hit you (before you boot you notebook/tablet or in case you don't have one with you to show full-res video). 8. The SD card slot in just the right spot; on the left side of the device, easy to access by the driver. 9. Software is simple, and can be figured out quickly, and provides enough options. 10. Built-in battery, so you can turn it on and take photos/videos even if the ignition is off. 11. Software and default options are just right; after I installed mine, with the exception of date/time, which needed to be adjusted, I left other settings default, and it does everything I needed it to do: turns on and starts recording as soon as I start the car, waits a minute or two after I turn the engine off, records sound by default. 12. Creates separate folders for videos and photos on the SD card. 13. Creates separate "write protected" folder when you press one of the buttons, so that this video segment is not erased when SD card gets full and is being overwritten by new videos. Cons: 1. Annoying high-pitch whistling on the audio. I assume its from some high-frequency power component in the camera. The guys who designed it should have paid attention to it, and at least try to create some baffle/noise shield in the DVR housing. The internal mic is sensitive and any noise source inside the camera housing will clearly be picked up. Its not overbearing, but if you watch few videos it become really noticeable. 2. Absence of night vision/infra-red. Most mid-good camcorders had night vision modes ten years ago. Most CCD-based cameras are capable of high-sensitivity monochrome nigh vision capturing, and many of the consumer-level security cams have built-in light sensor, and automatically switch from full-color daytime, to monochrome night vision/infra-red when it gets dark. 3. Inability to record to 64GB SD Cards. Again, for the price (I paid $75 for a cam, and about $16 separately for 32GB SD card) I truly believe there is nothing that comes close. I installed mine very close to the mounting cradle of the rearview mirror, tucked the power cable behind the headliner, inside the left (driver side) front pillar trim, snaked it inside the dash to the small storage compartment in center console under the radio and plugged the power plug in the power outlet there. The excess cable I just laid inside the center console. I had to partially disassemble the center console for that. Now I can't see the power cord at all. If you are handy, and know how to search for assembly/disassembly videos on YouTube, you can do the same thing in under 30 mins WITH figuring out how things come apart, back together. I have uploaded one of the night time driving videos (shot @ 1080P), which clearly shows when the license plate and other details are clear.