VIIVIIIXIII
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Dome D201 Dashcam review (Ambarella A12A55, 1440p 30fps, GPS)
Thanks to Gearbest for supplying this unit.
Official website: http://www.szdome.com/product-detail-229.html
Product link: Price: $105.99USD w/ free shipping
Discount code: D201
Review:
The latest and greatest from Dome. The D201 is one of the first cameras on the market to feature the new Ambarella A12 processor -- capable of recording up to 2560x1440p 30fps (or 1920x1080p 60fps). The unit includes a 5.0MP OV4689 CMOS sensor, external GPS module, 170° wide angle lens, 512GB microSD card support, all standard dashcam functionality, and some extra features you’ll probably never use.
Aside from the new “SuperHD” resolution, there isn’t really much to write home about. Video quality for both day and night is quite good at 1440p with HDR (see clips below). The 1080p 60fps option was disappointing at night but at least it is true 60fps, unlike some cameras that merely duplicate the frames from 30.
The D201 features the typical suction cup mount and external GPS. The mount makes the unit rather bulky and the external GPS is another wire for you to tuck away (Note: the GPS is designed to be placed on the dash facing up). The D201 has impressive build quality like the previous GS98C I reviewed (click here), both of which featured metal body construction.
At $105.99USD, hard to say whether or not this is a good value dashcam. The GS98C records at 1296p with similar video quality but can be had for around $74.99USD. With the D201, you are getting a bump in resolution and support for larger SD cards up to 512GB. The D201 may also perform a little better at night, as I compare the sample clips side by side. There are also other options like the A118C ($55USD) and the Mini 0805 ($65USD) which I'd greatly prefer due to form factor.
Original sample clips:
2560x1440p 30FPS [HDR: ON]
1920x1080p 60FPS [HDR: OFF]
Screenshot:
Direct comparison between the two video modes. 1440p HDR looks really good, but 1080p non-HDR is quite disappointing. The difference in image quality may be attributed to lack of HDR, but there is no HDR available when using 1080p 60FPS mode. This is the best you can get.
2560x1440p HDR
1920x1080p non-HDR
Stock photos:
Specifications and features list:
• Chipset Name: Ambarella
• Chipset : Ambarella A12A55
• Special Function: Photograph, Night Vision, Loop recording, G-sensor, GPS, HDMI output, Microphone, Automatic Start-Up, IR night vision, Motion detection, Auto power on/off, Time and date display, HDR
• Max External Card Supported: TF 512G (not included)
• Class Rating Requirements: Class 6 or Above
• Screen Size: 2.7inch
• Screen Type: LCD
• Screen Resolution: 960 x 240
• Battery type: Built-in
• Capacity : 190mAh
• Power Supply: DC 12 - 24V
• Charge Way : USB charge by PC, Car charger
• Working time: 6 - 8 minutes
• Wide Angle: 170 degree wide angle
• Image Sensor: 5.0MP COMS OV4689
• Aperture Range : F/1.8
• Decode Format: H.264
• Video Format: MP4
• Video Resolution : 1296P (2304 x 1296), 1080P (1920 x 1080), 1440P (2560 x 1440), 720P (1280 x 720)
• Video System: NTSC, PAL
• Video Frame Rate: 2560 x 1440P (30fps), 2304 x 1296P (30fps), 1920 x 1080P (60fps), 1920 x 1080P (30fps), 1280 x 720P (60fps), HDR 2560 x 1440P (30fps), HDR 1920 x 1080P (30fps)
• Video Output: AV-OUT, HDMI
• Frequency: 50Hz, 60Hz
• Image Format : JPG
• Image Resolution : 14M (4384 x 3288), 8M (3264 x 2448), 4M (2688×1512), 16M (4608 x 3456)
• Audio System: Built-in microphone/speacker (AAC)
• Loop-cycle Recording : Yes
• Loop-cycle Recording Time: 3min, 5min, Off, 1min
• Motion Detection: Yes
• Night Vision: Yes
• GPS: Yes
• G-Sensor: Yes
• HDMI Output: Yes
• HDR: Yes
• USB Function: USB-Disk
• Auto-power on: Yes
• Delay Shutdown: Yes
• Time Stamp: Yes
• Interface Type: HDMI, TF card slot, Micro USB
• Language: English, Simplified Chinese
Box contents:
• 1 x Dome D201 Car DVR Recorder
• 1 x Car Charger (Cable Length 2.9m)
• 1 x External GPS Module (Cable Length 1.5m)
• 1 x Suction Mount Bracket
• 1 x USB Cable (75cm Length)
• 1 x Chinese / English User Manual
Thanks to Gearbest for supplying this unit.
Official website: http://www.szdome.com/product-detail-229.html
Product link: Price: $105.99USD w/ free shipping
Discount code: D201
Review:
The latest and greatest from Dome. The D201 is one of the first cameras on the market to feature the new Ambarella A12 processor -- capable of recording up to 2560x1440p 30fps (or 1920x1080p 60fps). The unit includes a 5.0MP OV4689 CMOS sensor, external GPS module, 170° wide angle lens, 512GB microSD card support, all standard dashcam functionality, and some extra features you’ll probably never use.
Aside from the new “SuperHD” resolution, there isn’t really much to write home about. Video quality for both day and night is quite good at 1440p with HDR (see clips below). The 1080p 60fps option was disappointing at night but at least it is true 60fps, unlike some cameras that merely duplicate the frames from 30.
The D201 features the typical suction cup mount and external GPS. The mount makes the unit rather bulky and the external GPS is another wire for you to tuck away (Note: the GPS is designed to be placed on the dash facing up). The D201 has impressive build quality like the previous GS98C I reviewed (click here), both of which featured metal body construction.
At $105.99USD, hard to say whether or not this is a good value dashcam. The GS98C records at 1296p with similar video quality but can be had for around $74.99USD. With the D201, you are getting a bump in resolution and support for larger SD cards up to 512GB. The D201 may also perform a little better at night, as I compare the sample clips side by side. There are also other options like the A118C ($55USD) and the Mini 0805 ($65USD) which I'd greatly prefer due to form factor.
Original sample clips:
2560x1440p 30FPS [HDR: ON]
1920x1080p 60FPS [HDR: OFF]
Screenshot:
Direct comparison between the two video modes. 1440p HDR looks really good, but 1080p non-HDR is quite disappointing. The difference in image quality may be attributed to lack of HDR, but there is no HDR available when using 1080p 60FPS mode. This is the best you can get.
2560x1440p HDR
1920x1080p non-HDR
Stock photos:
Specifications and features list:
• Chipset Name: Ambarella
• Chipset : Ambarella A12A55
• Special Function: Photograph, Night Vision, Loop recording, G-sensor, GPS, HDMI output, Microphone, Automatic Start-Up, IR night vision, Motion detection, Auto power on/off, Time and date display, HDR
• Max External Card Supported: TF 512G (not included)
• Class Rating Requirements: Class 6 or Above
• Screen Size: 2.7inch
• Screen Type: LCD
• Screen Resolution: 960 x 240
• Battery type: Built-in
• Capacity : 190mAh
• Power Supply: DC 12 - 24V
• Charge Way : USB charge by PC, Car charger
• Working time: 6 - 8 minutes
• Wide Angle: 170 degree wide angle
• Image Sensor: 5.0MP COMS OV4689
• Aperture Range : F/1.8
• Decode Format: H.264
• Video Format: MP4
• Video Resolution : 1296P (2304 x 1296), 1080P (1920 x 1080), 1440P (2560 x 1440), 720P (1280 x 720)
• Video System: NTSC, PAL
• Video Frame Rate: 2560 x 1440P (30fps), 2304 x 1296P (30fps), 1920 x 1080P (60fps), 1920 x 1080P (30fps), 1280 x 720P (60fps), HDR 2560 x 1440P (30fps), HDR 1920 x 1080P (30fps)
• Video Output: AV-OUT, HDMI
• Frequency: 50Hz, 60Hz
• Image Format : JPG
• Image Resolution : 14M (4384 x 3288), 8M (3264 x 2448), 4M (2688×1512), 16M (4608 x 3456)
• Audio System: Built-in microphone/speacker (AAC)
• Loop-cycle Recording : Yes
• Loop-cycle Recording Time: 3min, 5min, Off, 1min
• Motion Detection: Yes
• Night Vision: Yes
• GPS: Yes
• G-Sensor: Yes
• HDMI Output: Yes
• HDR: Yes
• USB Function: USB-Disk
• Auto-power on: Yes
• Delay Shutdown: Yes
• Time Stamp: Yes
• Interface Type: HDMI, TF card slot, Micro USB
• Language: English, Simplified Chinese
Box contents:
• 1 x Dome D201 Car DVR Recorder
• 1 x Car Charger (Cable Length 2.9m)
• 1 x External GPS Module (Cable Length 1.5m)
• 1 x Suction Mount Bracket
• 1 x USB Cable (75cm Length)
• 1 x Chinese / English User Manual
Last edited: