Hey
it's Andrew with Car Cam Central
We review dash cameras and we’re back
with our top cheap and budget
recommendations for 2020.
I spent hundreds of hours researching
and testing cameras
Some were made into full videos reviews
Of those
the best were picked based on price
versus features and how they would be used.
If you don’t know what a dash cam is or why it’s useful
here’s a quick summary
that you can pause and read
I split my recommendations into five distinct categories
First is our top budget pick
the $110 Viofo A119V3
It has the best combination
of performance and features for most drivers
Second, the $50 ROAV A1 is our top cheap pick
You lose some video quality and heat-resistance
but it has great build quality and features.
Third, the $50 BlueSkySea B1W
Our specialized choice if you want a compact camera
Fourth are a bunch Aukey cameras
our picks for drivers in very hot environments
Finally the $80 A119V2 is for drivers
who want higher performance
and want to spend less money
We also talk briefly about some mid-range
and premium options
so you can better compare performance
features, and looks when you spend more money
Full disclosure
I have purchased all cameras since 2017
to reduce bias
No paid reviews here
I put you, my audience first
Let's
get into it
[Intro Music]
My first pick is Viofo’s A119V3
It has the best combination of performance
and features which includes:
great video quality, capacitors for reliability
good customer service and useful error notifications
Let me explain
Starting with its body design
the V3’s matte black plastic and wedge shape
doesn’t look like a camera
so it's less obvious there's a camera recording
or something to steal.
Still
most people don’t need to worry about dash cam theft
it’s very rare as one manufacturer has said
Just like our other camera recommendations
the A119 loop records and auto starts
when power is received.
You’ll get everything you need in the box
to install the camera which requires no tools
and takes around 10 minutes
to plug in the 12V car adapter
run the cable
and stick the camera to your windshield
Almost all dash cams are installed like this.
The A119V3 records at a higher 1440P resolution
which has better video quality
over all 1080P dash cams I’ve seen
You can pick up license plates and faces
from further away
That's vital if you experience road rage
or get into a hit and run accident
as you’ll have a better chance to capture evidence
for police to prosecute
or insurance to get your money back
While a higher resolution
doesn't guarantee better video quality
true 1440P resolution
like the A119 has a noticeable difference
in sharpness that's worth paying more
At night
the V3 has the best video quality right now
It's especially clear as the dynamic range
has been increased
which means you can see a wider range
of brightly lit and shadowed areas.
If we compare the V3 to the 1080P ROAV A1
and the older A119V2
you can see the newer V3 is much clearer
You can better capture people and animals
on the side of the road
in case they do something dumb.
Still, for all these advancements
no camera can capture fast moving license plates at night
It’s the last major innovation that’s needed
This sound is recorded on the A119V3's microphone
The quality like our other dash cam picks
is not amazing
but good enough to capture conversations
and street noises which is all you need
You aren't shooting a movie
Looking at the V3’s construction
the A119 uses capacitors not lithium-ion batteries
Both of these help shut down and save footage
when your car turns off
However
in hot weather lithium-ion batteries tend to swell
and/or degrade
a big reason a dash cam can fail
Capacitors are much more heat-resistant
and have a better lifespan
In cold weather both types may need to be warmed up
but lithium-ion batteries are worse
as they can be damaged if charged below freezing
Let’s talk about customer service
Viofo has only one office in China
and they rely on their retailers like OCD Tronic
to handle warranty support
OCD is the exclusive Amazon retailer for the V3
in Canada and the United States
and their service has been excellent for years
The situation is less clear overseas
Viofo handles the United Kingdom themselves
but lacks a local office
Other countries have in-country retailers
but we don’t know how good they are
The A119 has an important feature
that no manufacturer tells you about
which is useful error notifications
When the V3 has problems recording
you get a message telling you what’s wrong
and more importantly it continuously beeps
so you’ll check and fix the problem.
That’s important
because all memory cards are slowly damaged
when saving videos and eventually fail
causing your camera to stop working
I’ve heard too many stories
where a camera with no sound alerts stops recording
and the driver doesn’t find out until they
get a driving ticket or into an accident
Most cheap and budget cameras get error notifications wrong
The V3 has good parked recording
which is a special energy and space saving setting
to capture vandalism
or hit and runs while your car is turned off
The installation process is complicated
and would take too much time to explain here
What you should take away
is that out of all our cheap and budget picks
only the V3 does this properly
Most have poor functionality
We explain more in the full review
The V3 has two optional accessories
a $10 GPS mount
and a $15 circular polarizer.
The GPS mount lets you quick-release the camera
without removing cables
It also tracks your location and position
but doesn’t give you navigation instructions
I personally don’t think it’s worth the money
for most drivers
but a lot of people buy it
The polarizing filter is worth the money to me
It reduces the glare from your dashboard
and greatly improves clarity
In picking the V3
we did a lot of research
and compared similar cameras
like Rexing’s V1P,
ROVE’s R2
and Aukey’s DR02J
but the A119 has the best overall combination
of performance and features
We left out a lot of information on the V3
to make this summary
see our full video review and article to learn more
You can find those links in the description
below this video
We'll keep you updated
if our recommendations change
say from a new camera we reviewed
You'll also find links to good retailers
some are affiliated
which means we get a percentage of any purchases
at no cost to you
Again
no paid reviews here
we buy all the cameras ourselves
and also pay for services like Adobe Premiere
to edit this video and web hosting for our website.
Alright
let’s look at the $50 American ROAV A1
It’s our top cheap pick for its features and build quality.
Compared to the V3
it does a few things better
like customer support
Wifi for file transfers
and a nicer build quality
Unfortunately with all cheap cameras
you’ll give up something important
The A1 is no different
Besides lower quality 1080P video
error notifications that lack audio alerts
the A1 uses lithium-ion batteries
so its not good in hot countries
You can use the A1
versus the more expensive V3
as a comparison to figure out what’s important to you
Starting with the body
the A1 is a rectangular camera
with a 2.4” LCD on the back
It feels quite solid when pressed
and with its well-fitted curved surfaces
the A1 looks and feels like a premium camera
I found it simple to use
and a pleasure to browse through the menus
You also have WiFi
which lets you change settings
and more importantly
download saved videos
ROAV did a great job here
the app was made well
and easy to connect with your smartphone
unlike other cameras
ROAV got great reviews
on Apple’s app and Android’s play store.
WiFI is a nice to have feature
but not essential
Viofo's A119V3 doesn't have it
but you can buy a smartphone card reader
if you want to browse files on the go.
Where the ROAV A1 does worse
is its 1080P video quality
There’s a noticeable drop in sharpness
during the day versus the 1440P A119
If we pause
you can see that details like license plates
and faces are not as clear.
At night there’s a similar drop in quality
Details are less clear
and objects in darker areas are obscured
To us this is a big deal
as a dash cam helps you get the evidence
you need to get justice
and a big reason to spend more on a real 1440P camera.
But
I don’t want to trash the A1
as the video quality is quite good for the $50 price tag
In the last 2-3 years
truly awful video quality has mostly gone away
One big reason is the Sony image sensor
found in the A1 has gone down in price
and many cheap cameras use it
Looking at error notifications
the A1 does an OK but not good job
While it has a persistent warning message
there’s no sound alerts when the A1 has problems recording
You have to look at the screen to take action
and with many who hide the camera behind the rearview mirror
it's easy to miss until you get into
a car accident or police ticket.
If you tell me in the comments
you can always check the lcd screen
maybe you will but most drivers won’t
It should be idiot proof
and most manufacturers get this wrong.
The A1 also uses lithium-ion batteries
which are susceptible to heat
and in-general are more likely to fail than capacitors.
In fact
with the ROAV C1 model we previously reviewed
some users had a bulging battery
that popped out the LCD screen
Fortunately
there’s good customer service if there’s a problem
ROAV is owned by Anker
and they have offices around the world
with a more streamlined service than Viofo
We think
local customer service is important
Even good dash cams can break
and you don’t want to send your camera overseas
There is one upside:
the A1 has a special battery powered parking mode
When the A1 shuts down it can leave the G-Sensor active
After detecting an impact
it’ll turn on after 6 seconds and record for 30
It won’t capture the impact
but hopefully get a license plate or face.
No installation required
it only needs to be turned on in the menu
and is a useful feature that few dash cams have
The A1 replaces our Yi Dash Cam pick
which had issues with blurry videos under warm weather
a harder to use app
and the video quality isn’t as good.
We were excited to test the 2019 Yi Nightscape
which has a capacitor
but found the video quality
to be really lacking both day and night
not recommended unless something changes
Overall
consider the A1 if you need to save money
or you don't think the V3 is worth the money.
It’s a nice experience for around $50USD
but it could be more expensive
depending on where you live.
Don’t use it anywhere hot though
as the battery inside may fail
Again, we linked the full video review in the description.
As a sidenote
your dash cam will eventually stop working
as your SD card’s memory cells have a limited lifespan
You should get an endurance card
which lasts longer than the usual consumer cards.
These endurance cards are constructed for durability
and better error correction which helps keeps
your camera running when you need it most
Samsung’s Pro Endurance is the best right now
but as a budget option
Sandisk’s new Ultra A1
or Samsung’s EVO Plus are OK
but not great
There’s a lot of details we left out
so as you guessed
there’s a full review explaining more
Next up is the $50 BlueSkySea B1W
It’s a good choice for those who want a small
and heat-resistant camera.
It used to be our top cheap pick
but we downgraded it
as users said the B1W can be hard to use
The main reason is the clunky smartphone app
that’s needed to change settings
and format microSD cards
as the camera has no LCD screen
Connecting isn’t intuitive as you have to disable data
before joining the B1W’s WiFi network
BlueSkySea did not or could not change the app
for how modern smartphones will disconnect you
from the network if no internet is detected
As a result
the B1W has many bad reviews
from users having trouble connecting with the phone
But, if you can get past that
the B1W is a fantastic camera
It's the only one under $60 to get the basics right
The B1W’s 1080P video quality
is about the same as the ROAV A1
Nothing special to mention here
The error notifications are good
with an endless audio message
letting you know what the problem is
[Invalid file system, please format SD Card]
BlueSkySea’s customer service
has gotten better since they first started
They now have a Los Angeles office
with a local phone number to call.
For other countries
you may have to ship your camera out
but your costs may be covered depending on the circumstances
The B1W has an 18-month warranty
but you have to register the camera to get it
You might notice the translations are rough
the overall experience unpolished
The b1w is solid
but it might not be the right camera for everyone.
I do want to mention two popular competitors
The 70Mai has great video hardware
but due to its lithium-ion batteries
we feel you might as well get the Anker ROAV A1
Other companies like DDPai with their Mini model
have a decently-made capacitor camera
but their products
are poorly supported outside of Asia.
Moving on
we have several Aukey cameras
as specialized picks
for drivers in very hot desert or tropical environments
They are the only choice
under $100 with capacitors and a 2-year warranty
double the standard 12 months
Aukey has offices around the world
with a reputation for fast customer service.
So
these cameras aren’t technically built for super hot environments
but I chose them because your dash cam is more likely to fail
and a longer warranty period is helpful.
Let’s look at our hot temperature picks
starting with the $35 DRA1
which is also the cheapest camera we can recommend
Unfortunately
the video quality is just barely acceptable
as it uses a junk sensor
but good enough for its ridiculously low price
The DR01 and DR02 have much better 1080P video quality
that’s similar to the ROAV A1
as they share the same sensor
The DR01 is the better buy for $10 less
You can tell there’s a big difference
between the cheaper DRA1 and these two cameras
which use the better Sony image sensor
Besides the price point
the only other difference is the body shape
the DR01 has a larger 2” screen
but is a bit more visible than the DR02.
Finally
the $80 DR02J
It says 4K video quality but that’s a half truth
Due to the sensor used
it’s closer to 1440P
Get this camera
if you want the benefits of a higher resolution
like the Viofo A119
and a 2-year warranty
So with their excellent warranty
and Aukey’s customer service
why not get them over our other picks?
First off, these cameras are plain
They have no WiFI, GPS, or parking modes
Their build quality and packaging are fine
but nothing special
The ROAV A1 and Viofo A119V3
offer a lot more overall
More importantly all Aukey cameras we’ve tested
have terrible error notifications
If it can’t record, a message will flash,
then disappear
and there’s no audible alert
making it very hard to detect an issue
as it just shows the usual recording screen.
For me
that’s enough to reject Aukey
but they are the only decent choice for hot environments
To others
error notifications don’t matter
and Aukey might be the better buy
great
get it
I’m here to help you make a more informed decision
For a value minded user who wants 1440P performance
we recommend the older Viofo A119V2
You get all the essentials for $80 to $90
The difference versus the newer V3
is the night video quality and parking mode aren’t as good
Other than that
the V2 has the same features and functionality
for $20 to $30 less
This is a good camera for users
who want to step up to 1440P quality
but have to save a bit of money
If you search online
the A119 has mixed reviews
That’s because the original V1 mount
caused power issues and people complained
In 2017
the V2 version was released
to fix the mount and improve functionality
Since then
the V2 has been fantastically reliable
If you get this camera on Amazon
check the retailer
as some like OCD Tronic or Capture Your Action
have much better customer service than others
Here’s a summary of the five dash cams
and microSD cards we recommend
that you can pause and read
We wanted to give you the details
to help you make a better purchase
but if you feel overwhelmed
spend the money and get the Viofo A119V3
and 64GB Samsung Pro Endurance
It’s a great pick for most drivers out there
If you’re wondering what’s better than the V3
we have our Mid-Range and Premium picks.
But before that
if you found this video useful it would be awesome
if you shared it with your friends and family
who you think should get a dash cam
If they don’t know what they are
send them the article in the description
If they already have one
it could be old
You’ll be doing them a favor
Alright
lets look at our midrange pick
the $170 Viofo A129 DUO
which is like the A119V3 but adds WiFi
a remote control to lock video files
and most importantly a rear camera
for significantly better protection.
It’s a nice upgrade to the Viofo A119V3
but it comes at a cost of lower video quality
as it records in 1080P for the front and back cameras.
To us
a rear camera is worth that sacrifice
as it gives you significantly more protection
We talk about why in the full review
but you can pause here to read more
I know what you are thinking
this video is sponsored by Viofo
No
and again
not by any other dash cam maker or retailer
Our choices come from our extensive research and testing
We previously recommended Aukey’s DR02D and the Mini 0906
It’s just right now
Viofo delivers more value
than their competitors.
There’s also premium-level cameras
They cost over $250 and have better style
unique features and solid customer service
but you might not feel the value is as good as our cheaper picks
Starting with Blackvue and Thinkware
these cameras are favored by luxury vehicle owners
as they want something that looks more stylish
than our budget picks.
The $450 Blackvue’s DR900S
has true 4K video quality
and an extensive cloud system that allows you to
livestream and receive impact notifications
when your camera is connected to a WiFi hotspot.
Thinkware’s F800 Pro
has the best parking mode
we tested as it has unique features
with low energy usage.
But
you may want to hold off on buying it though
as Thinkware has a new 4K camera
which I plan on testing
The $260 Street Guardian SG9663DC Pro
is much more pedestrian looking
What you’re paying for is reliability,
customer service
and giving you all the useful accessories
you might not know you’ll need
Out of all the manufacturers
I think Street Guardian has gotten the formula right
They focus on making a product that work for the long term
and backed by a 2-year warranty.
Alright we covered a lot of information
Again be sure to see the info box below
for any updates
and links to retailers we trust
We post updates on Facebook
and if you liked it be sure to share this video
If you made it this far
I wanted to thank you for enjoying this review
Drive safe
and talk to you in the comments