There are times out on the road when I wish I had taken video of activity in front of my car. Something to show the cops after some idiot cuts me off. Or flies past me going 85. Or makes an illegal turn in my path. We’ve all been there and seen selfish people driving recklessly.
Then I started hearing about cameras for the dashboard, and recently decided to test one unit from a popular brand. Magellan’s MiVue 420 records perpetual super high-definition video from a 2.7-inch camera that easily mounts by suction to your windshield. It creates a very snug fit that can be easily dislodged and moved by flipping a lever. It’s actually a clever design -- provided you find an angle where the camera can catch everything going on in front of the car.
Video is saved on a microSD card: An 8GB card is included, but you can insert up to a 128GB card in the camera. An SD card adapter is also included, so you can watch playback on your computer later on.
The camera includes several modes -- including continuous recording and sudden impact recordings. You set your preferences from a menu that’s very simple to traverse. It also takes still photos. Plus, you can set safety alarms, so that it makes sounds when you’re exceeding the speed limit by a certain miles per hour that you set; when you’re too close to the car in front of you; when you’re about to make an unsafe lane change; or when you want a reminder to turn on the headlights.
While the package claims you need a Windows operating system for video playback -- and you need to, if you want to use the official software package -- I had no problem watching the video on my Chromebook. It’s all recorded in mp4 file format. And I love that stamped perpetually on each frame of the video is the exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the speed the car was going and the exact time -- down to the second. In my first hour of using it, I captured with perfect clarity some guy trying to get around me by driving up on a curb to the right of me. And yes, I was going the speed limit. He was just in a hurry and rushing like a maniac. The beauty of it is I was able to freeze frame it and write down his license plate number. If I was feeling vigilant, I might’ve emailed the video to the cops.
I can’t help but be reminded that after my son got his driver’s license last year, I was curious to see how he was driving on his own. Was he making full stops at the corner? Obeying the speed limit? Taking corners on four wheels? In retrospect, having this device would’ve been great. But I have another child taking the wheel soon, so I may consider buying one of these at that time.
The only thing I question is its internal battery. You have to plug the unit into the car’s cigarette lighter and use it for two-to-four hours, to charge the battery -- so says the company’s customer support rep (it was not mentioned anywhere in the included quick start guide). Even then, the rep told me the battery only holds a charge for “up to one hour”, which is pretty weak. That essentially means that the cord is always hanging down in front of you, which is frankly a visual distraction.
But overall, I think this is a pretty solid product that does what it advertises. And I can see it adding peace of mind.
