The domestic company Videomax, which owns the AdvoCam brand, recently launched the AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS car DVR. The device is truly a flagship: it contains all the functions and options that can be expected from a top-end device.
The AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS video recorder shoots videos in the maximum resolution Super Super HD, which is one and a half times better than the common Full HD. The clarity of the video also increases one and a half times. The new model can record video in Full HD with the HDR function at a frequency of 60 frames per second.
About AdvoCam Brand
AdvoCam is one of a small number of domestic brands of DVRs, which has its own development center. It is located in the Vladimir region, in the city of Alexandrov. The manufacturing company AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS works in fact according to the same scheme that many other global brands, including Apple, are working on. Simply put, the creation of new gadgets is carried out in its own center, but their assembly is carried out at the facilities of Asian plants.
Separately, it is worth noting that all registrars manufactured at the factory in Aleksandrov are developed taking into account Russian operating conditions. All models are tested for resistance to low temperatures and the ability to withstand strong vibrations. DVRs of other brands cannot boast of such characteristics.
Equipment
All devices of the brand AdvoCam are equipped with all necessary accessories and even more. For example, bundled with AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS, a memory card with a capacity of 8 GB is implemented, which is a competitive advantage of the model compared to gadgets from other manufacturers. In fact, without this accessory, the DVR is not able to function normally and record video.
The delivery kit for the FD8 recorder includes:
- MicroSD memory card with a capacity of 8 GB.
- A charger connected to the car’s cigarette lighter with an additional USB port for charging mobile devices.
- Glass mount with vacuum suction cup.
- Cable for connecting the gadget to a computer.
- Instructions for the DVR.
- A disk with software.
- Instructions with tips and sequential actions in case of accident.
- Special hooks on a sticky basis, with which a charger cable is laid in the passenger compartment. Previously, such accessories were not supplied with AdvoCam registrars.
Installation of the recorder in the car
Complete with the AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS device, as mentioned above, a special mount on a vacuum suction cup is supplied. A GPS receiver is integrated into the latch handle, which improves the quality of satellite signal reception. Both parts of the mount are connected to each other using a hinge, thanks to which the recorder easily rotates from side to side. The reviews on the AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS talk about compact mounting sizes, which allows you to hide the recorder behind the rearview mirror.
A useful feature of the mount is the presence of a connector for connecting the charger: the recorder is powered from the vehicle's on-board network through the mount bracket. Such a constructive solution allows you to quickly install and remove AdvoCam, without connecting and disconnecting the wire itself once again.
Movie Modes
The instructions for the DVR indicate several start / stop modes for recording video.
- The first mode is fully automatic. The recorder turns on and starts recording immediately after starting the car engine, and after muffling the device stops recording and turns off.
- The second mode is manual. The actions mentioned above are accompanied by pressing the corresponding function keys.
- The third mode is recording by motion sensor. If a moving object appears in the field of view of the DVR, it turns on and automatically activates recording.
Shooting a video
In AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS cyclic video recording is available: when the memory of the device is full, new clips are recorded over the old ones. A similar function allows the user not to clear the gadget's memory manually. The duration of the video recording is selected in the registrar settings and can be from one to fifteen minutes. A continuous recording mode is also provided until the recorder memory is completely full.
Manual marking of any video as important protects it from being deleted during loop recording. The G-sensor automatically marks the places where the car had an accident. The sensor detects sudden acceleration and braking, shock, unexpected change of direction and other unusual actions, after which it marks the video clip as important, thereby protecting it from overwriting. The sensitivity of the sensor is manually adjustable and is 7 levels.
LED lights
The DVR has LED backlighting for lighting the dashboard and nearby objects. The brightness of the LEDs is sufficient to ensure that the video shot in the dark showed the face of the traffic police officer standing next to the driver’s door. While the car is moving, you should not use the backlight: it is not designed for such actions.
GPS receiver
The functionality of AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS is greatly expanded due to the built-in GPS-module of satellite navigation. The receiver allows you to automatically set the correct date and time, which is very important for videos recorded by the registrar: if the information does not match, the record may not be accepted as evidence in court for proceedings for violation of traffic rules or accident.
The GPS module automatically determines the coordinates of the vehicle and its speed, which can also be superimposed on the video in the form of a stamp.
Firmware AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS allows you to record a track of the movement of the machine, which can then be viewed simultaneously with the playback of the captured video.
The memory of the DVR contains a base of coordinates along which traffic police posts and radars are located that record the speed of vehicles, including the coordinates of such complexes as Avtodoriya and Strelka-ST. The driver, when approaching a vehicle to such devices, is notified by a sound signal.
LDWS system
In this review of the AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS, it is worth mentioning the LDWS system, which is very common in DVRs. The main function of this system is to track movement in lanes. It is designed to reduce the number of accidents that occur due to drivers asleep at the wheel. The principle of the function is to monitor the DVR of other cars and notify the driver when the vehicle is shifted to the oncoming lane or to the side of the road. For the correct operation of the LDWS system, a high-quality road surface with clearly visible markings that are not covered by snow, ice or dust is required.
Offline work
The AdvoCam dashcam is equipped with a 280 mAh battery. The device can shoot video in Super Full HD format from the battery for 15-20 minutes. If after this time the AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS recorder does not turn on, then it must be charged or connected to the vehicle's on-board network.
Design and construction
The appearance of the FD8 is practically no different from the previous FD8 Profi GPS Red model, except with an insert on the front panel of the case. The design of the device is classic: a rectangular shape with rounded edges; black velvety high-quality soft-touch plastic was used to make the case.
On the front panel of the DVR is located surrounded by a silver lens ring, around which there is a gold insert. Not far from it are placed backlight LEDs, on the lower side there is a speaker grill.
The 2.7-inch AdvoCam FD8 gadget display is located on the rear panel. On the sides of it are paired hardware buttons.
Two more control keys are located on the top panel of the DVR. There is also a mounting pad, a miniUSB connector and an AV output. On the right side is the HDMI port, with which the recorder can be connected to a TV. On the left side is a slot for a memory card. The maximum capacity of microSD is 64 GB.
Video shooting
AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS is, in fact, an updated version of the previous model - the AdvoCam FD8 Profi GPS Red car recorder. Some changes have been made to the new product:
This is a unique list:
- Gold is equipped with a more powerful Ambarella A7LA70 processor, while the Red installed the Ambarella A7LA50 processor.
- The 3-megapixel Aptina matrix used in the previous AdvoCam model in Gold has changed to the 4-megapixel matrix OmniVision.
- The lens mounted in Red had a viewing angle of 120 degrees and was equipped with 5 lenses made of enlightened glass; in Gold, the angle of view of the lens increased to 170 degrees and another lens was added.
All the innovations introduced in the FD8 Gold GPS model were aimed at improving the quality of the recorded video. As an additional advantage, new modes were added: for example, the shooting frequency in Full HD 1080 p resolution was increased to 60 frames per second instead of the standard 30 frames per second. The clarity of the image depends on this parameter: the numbers of the car that drove by at high speed at a frequency of 60 frames per second will be perfectly visible.
The AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS dashcam also got a Full HD shooting mode with HDR / WDR. This function allows you to form a high-quality and evenly lit video with a 30-frame stream from shots taken with various exposure settings. The resolution of video recording in the recorder - Super Full HD 1296p - is the most affordable among all models of modern DVRs.
Summary
The average price for the AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS is 9 500 rubles. For a good amount, the consumer receives a high-quality multifunctional modern DVR that records video in high quality and Super Full HD resolution. An additional advantage is the availability of various options and functions, adaptation of the device to work in harsh conditions of the Russian climate, high-quality assembly and attractive appearance. The listed advantages of the device justify its cost. The AdvoCam FD8 Gold GPS DVR belongs to the middle price category, but in terms of its functionality can give odds to many expensive competitors.