The Digma Freedrive 200 dashcam is an OEM model, that is, the device was developed by another company, but the manufacturer gave the green light to the distribution of the gadget by third-party brands and under any name. In addition, the distributor is allowed to make some changes to the “stuffing”, as well as to the software of the device, but without any critical deviations from the original.
As a rule, such OEM models turn out to be very successful, and somewhere even better than the basic design, but there are serious distributor mistakes, albeit with rare exceptions. We’ll try to see what happened in the case of the Digma Freedrive 200. The device has a lot of ambiguous reviews: on the one hand, users are enthusiastic and sing praises to him, and on the other, they blame what the light is about, so there’s something to figure it out.
So, the subject of today's review is the Digma Freedrive 200 video recorder. We outline the main characteristics of the gadget, its advantages and disadvantages, taking into account the opinion of specialists in this field and the reviews of ordinary owners of the device.
Contents of delivery
The device comes in a nice white box made of thick cardboard, painted with gray triangles. The front part of the package is a photo of the device itself and pictograms of the main features of the gadget, that is, a kind of graphic specification.
At the ends you can see a more familiar list of technical specifications, and on the rear side a list of the delivery set with a list with an image of each element. There are labels and other dealer surroundings inherent in the goods awaiting the buyer on the shelf around the perimeter.
Inside the box you will see:
- Digma Freedrive 200 video recorder itself (965249 - OEM code);
- adapter for car cigarette lighter with USB-output;
- 4 meter cable to power the device;
- cable for synchronization with a PC;
- set of hooks (8 pcs.) for fastening to glass;
- sucker;
- user's manual;
- warranty card.
The delivery set can be called complete, that is, the type of "got it and use it." Judging by the reviews of the owners about the Digma Freedrive 200 dashcam, users were especially pleased with the long four-meter cable, which is enough to pull through the interior of any car. Hooks for this business also did not disappoint and hold tightly on a self-adhesive tape.
Accessories Features
As for the suction cup, there are no questions for it - it holds well. But the bracket has some indistinct connection with the gadget itself. It seems that there are no crunches, no backlashes, or other shortcomings, only the latch is too tight, and the latch tab is tactilely incomprehensible. Therefore, here you will have to somehow adapt and get used to the original mount.
Separately, it is worth noting the USB interface for powering the device. Despite the widespread dominance of modern micro-ports, our respondent received an outdated mini-port. Users on this subject leave unambiguous reviews about the Digma Freedrive 200 dashcam, scolding the manufacturer for such an ancient interface. Those who are used to charging their phone from such adapters will have to keep in the car a backup option with a micro-USB output. What motives the gadget developer was guided by in this case is not entirely clear, therefore, a definite minus to the gadget rating.
Appearance
As for the design, everything is fine here. Appearance can be called successful: no extra elements spaced along all sides, no hinges and small brackets that hold themselves, nothing that would cause dissatisfaction of users already tired of puzzle designs.
The registrar Digma Freedrive 200 has everything in its place: four function buttons for managing settings, recording and playback are neatly located on the front side, one on the side - for turning off / on, and, actually, that's it.
Design features
The gadget turned out to be compact, as well as lightweight, so it can be easily carried with you in your jacket pocket or in a small handbag. In length, it is slightly smaller than an ordinary Chinese lighter. On the side faces you can see a competently hidden slot for external memory cards, a power socket and an HDMI interface. The position of the connectors is very good, as well as access to them.
Judging by the reviews of the Digma Freedrive 200, users were satisfied with the appearance of the device. A special delight was experienced by those who are tired of bulky gadgets that interfere with the view on the windshield (hello to hybrids). The model turned out to be barely noticeable, and you remember about it only when you need to drop data to a computer or change a memory card.
Lens
Digma Freedrive 200 received a very good 3 megapixel sensor from the venerable brand Aptina. It works on the AR0330 chipset. This is far from a flagship set, so its physical size is small - 1/3 inch, which means we have a low photosensitivity. Nevertheless, the matrix of the brand is in the arsenal of the eminent Nikon, and this says a lot. Also, do not get involved in increasing the resolution in the settings to 5, 8 and even 12 megapixels, because these indicators are brazenly inflated by interpolation.
The device got a glass lens, and the viewing angles of the Digma Freedrive 200 range from 140 degrees, which is very good for digital technology of this kind. In fact, more is not needed here, because the gadgets of this class are important tunnel area in front of the hood, and not the sights around the perimeter of the car.
Video
Next, we consider the main characteristic for all DVRs. Here, the evaluation criteria are quite simple: legibility of license plates in front of cars in front of them, recognition of road signs, markings and traffic signals.
Field tests have shown that the Digma Freedrive 200 is confidently kept average. For 8-10 meters, the matrix reliably determines the numbers of vehicles in front and clearly distinguishes traffic signals: the result was, as a rule, 9 out of 10 with only one error. A little worse, the device copes with the numbers of oncoming cars, especially if they move at a speed of more than 50 km / h. As for the night shooting, there are also no serious complaints here.
The video stream with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, the matrix writes confidently at 30 frames per second. To save space on the memory card, you can reset the spread to 1280 x 720 pixels, then the write speed will double, that is, up to 60 FPS. In general, the flow here is cyclical, so you can not particularly worry about free space. For normal operation of the device, unless you are, of course, a trucker, a 32 GB card is enough, but in other cases, you can put 64 GB.
GPS
In video mode, you can connect the GPS module. Then the gadget will superimpose on the stream your current coordinates, as well as the number of your car with the current date and time. All indicators can be adjusted in the menu, which, by the way, is competently constructed and intuitively clear even to the inexperienced user in such things.
By default, the device works with some Chinese version of Baidu cards, but it is easily replaced with any other, more familiar one. It will also not be amiss to note that for the GPS module to work, access to the Network is necessary, because from time to time the system pumps up sections of the maps it needs if they have not been downloaded before.
Summarizing
Model Digma Freedrive 200 was successful. We have a compact, attractive and sensible device that is easy to use and configure, does not pull your pocket or bag, and, unlike other Chinese “names”, is provided with a full guarantee.
As for the price, on popular Internet sites you can buy a gadget in the region of 6 thousand rubles. Reviews on the device as a whole are positive, users did not see any critical flaws in it. So the registrar can be recommended to anyone.