Magnetic mount - why?
Just in case, let us recall why the holder with a magnetic element is so useful. Alas and ah, but for some fellow citizens not burdened with decency, the registrar in the car (of course, in the absence of the driver) is almost a “red rag”. In other words, an easy way to profit from valuable equipment for resale for a couple of thousand rubles. All you need to do is break the side window and remove the coveted device. Affairs - for less than a minute, in a deserted courtyard at night, the risk of police detention and righteous retribution is almost zero.
The only option for a motorist to avoid the attention of thieves is to take the recorder with him. Or at least hide the device in the glove compartment. The implementation of these good intentions into life is often hindered by the ways of connecting the camera and the bracket. Motorists very quickly get bored with messy grooves, tongues and other elements that break down over time. Therefore - only the "right", only magnetic mounts.
We boast a little: last year we became one of the first to release a cool recorder with a really thought-out magnetic bracket at a price of up to 10,000 rubles. You could read the review of model called Playme TIO on Habré . And we decided to exert ourselves and surprise you with the release of the most-most affordable device with a magnet holder.
Let's not be modest - we consider this an important event for the Russian registrar market. Until recently, seemingly excessively expensive chips have become affordable even in the most budget models. By the way, if you are suddenly confused by the combination of “budget” and “China”, let’s clarify: Playme TAU was developed in South Korea and assembled in China under strict supervision of the production process and double quality control.
Specifications Playme TAU
- CPU: GP6248
- Matrix: SC2363 (2MP)
- Lens: 4 glass lenses, 170 ° viewing angle
- Display: 3.0 ”, IPS (640x480)
- Video Resolution: 1920x1080 30 fps, 1440x1080 30 fps, 1280x720 30 fps
- Video Format: AVI (MJPG)
- Photo resolution: up to 12 megapixels
- Photo Format: JPEG
- G-sensor: built-in
- Memory Card: microSD, Class 10, up to 64 GB
- Battery: lithium, 200 mAh
- Car charger: input: 12 V - 24 V, output: 5 V, 1 A
Contents of delivery
The recorder comes in a box with a Playme-style box. By the way, not so long ago we conducted a survey among consumers and found that the most important information on the packaging is primarily the shooting resolution and viewing angle. Therefore, now on the boxes of Playme registrars and hybrids, finding this information will be easier than ever. And the “chest” with the Playme TAU is convenient in that you can view the model from all sides without even opening the box. And of course, to the “magnetic recorder” - a package with at least a magnetic cover.
Complete set, including the registrar with an arm, a warranty card, instructions and a cigarette lighter power adapter. The manual is full-color, made on high-quality glossy paper.
Design and Management
From afar, Playme TAU can easily be confused with a mirrorless mirror. Almost the same dimensions, the area of the lens suggests replaceable optics, on the front panel there is a convenient grip-layering for the hand. Unless the top end without elements typical for photographic equipment unambiguously indicates the category of the hero of the review.
Once again about informativeness. For the convenience of customers, it was decided to reflect on the front side of the recorder a number of important features: video resolution, magnetic holder, motion detector and G-sensor. In addition to the viewing angle, these points are also consistently among the most popular questions for sellers. It doesn’t matter here whether the model is in the window or you opened the photo of the online store. In any case, even without studying the characteristics, it will be clear what is able to interest Playme TAU.
In addition to informative icons and a large, rather even a very wide lens, the front can only be noted by an inconspicuous slot in the speaker.
On the right side is a slot for microSD memory cards up to 64 GB. The maximum allowable card is enough for a little more than four hours of continuous recording. It will come in handy if you decide to leave the registrar in the car in the parking lot of the supermarket and go shopping for a long time. You never know what can happen in your absence - suddenly some careless citizen will touch your car with his “iron horse” and hasten to escape from the scene of an accident.
Above is an analog AV output. There is also a miniUSB connector, which is suitable for supplying power through it, as well as for connecting to a computer for downloading video or downloading new firmware.
At the bottom there are only slots for passive cooling of the registrar's insides.
Almost the entire back side is occupied by the screen. Therefore, despite the large diagonal of three inches, the device turned out to be quite small. The size was also affected by the fact that we did not place the buttons on opposite sides of the display, but compactly placed one column.
The three-inch screen is to some extent an alternative to Wi-Fi with the ability to view video on the large display of the smartphone. In Playme TAU, the diagonal by the standards of registrars is almost the maximum, details like maneuvers of cars, traffic light colors are clearly visible. Note that the large screen was installed precisely in view of the magnetic quick-mount. After all, if the user does not begin to store the registrar in his absence in the car, then what is the excessive saving on the diagonal? Especially considering that, we repeat, the device still turned out not to be too large and, if desired, is almost completely hidden behind the rear view mirror.
There are five control buttons; their main tasks are indicated in the form of characteristic pictograms. Our experience suggests that the function of manually marking a file as protected from deletion is extremely important for users. Thus, the driver will know for sure that the video with the accident has been saved and will not be erased by the subsequent shooting. However, if the driver did not even open the manual, or for some reason did not remember which key is responsible for the emergency marking, the situation is not pleasant. Therefore, in order to avoid such a “talking” icon was placed on the corresponding button. Of the “quick” functions, there is also the on and off sound recording.
Despite the fact that the recorder has a built-in battery, we refused the on / off button of the device. This is unlikely to surprise you if you are familiar with Korean registrars. Again, according to the statistics we collected, to adjust the processes of activation and deactivation of the camera, users only need to insert / remove the power adapter into the cigarette lighter. It can be argued that manual power control is useful for shooting outside the car, but in reality the likelihood of such a scenario is almost zero. For recordings outside the car, citizens prefer to use a smartphone, which is already found among motorists everywhere.
Installation
By and large, the Playme TAU magnetic mount is very similar to that of its older colleague - Playme TIO. There are also two sections with fairly powerful magnets. The mount is inserted into the recessed area, which eliminates any likelihood of "rattling" of the picture on a bad road.
For magnets, the optimal force of attraction is chosen. On the one hand, the registrar is easy to remove without unnecessary effort. On the other hand, anyone who tests the recorder in action will immediately understand: the device, even on a bumpy road, or even off-road, will certainly not fly off the holder.
Power is supplied through the mount - no wires need to be connected to the recorder itself.
An important feature for registrars in Russia has been observed: the bracket is swivel. The registrar can be deployed at least to the side, at least to the salon in a second. Additionally, the rigidity of fixing the model in the selected position is regulated by a plastic nut. The best option is one in which the recorder does not hang out during shaking, but at the same time it can be quickly turned to the side.
Customization
The settings menu turned out to be extremely convenient. Items are divided into two large groups: the first - related to the video, and the second - "other." Due to the large (large) display, it was possible to fit all the items on one screen without the need for constant “rewinds”. Even better is that the sub-menu items are displayed when called immediately, without the disappearance of the main "tree".
There are few installations, the points are clear and without further explanation. We tried to get rid of frankly superfluous and "clogging" lines to the maximum and left only really important ones.
Video recording
The video is answered by a bunch of Generalplus GP6248 processor, SC2363 matrix (2 megapixels) and a lens with four glass lenses. This is a great set for a budget registrar, which you yourself can see from the shooting examples below. Recording is carried out in honest Full HD resolution without interpolation at a frequency of 30 frames per second.
The viewing angle is 170 degrees diagonally - nowhere wider. To the credit of the Playme TAU - the distortions around the edges are very slight, you do not even pay attention to them. The effect of the "fish eye" is practically absent. In this case, at the (from the side) of the hood, three full lanes of the road fall into the frame. Or two plus a curb. So in the event of an accident - no matter with another car or a pedestrian - the camera will record as much as possible (as much as possible) informative video.
Daytime shooting is great on its own, and given the price of the model, it's just great. Frank flaws, even which could be attributed to the budget model, are absent. Decent clarity, correct color reproduction. Moreover, the example of daytime shooting shows that the registrar does not pass on a cloudy autumn day: the picture remains clear, without a hint of dimming.
At night, the video slightly adds noise and grain, but it draws a legible image. That is, for example, in the urban area, you can consider not only objects in the light of roadside lights, but also dark areas of the curb. What can we say about the track, where the Playme TAU will clearly allow you not to worry about recordings even in the complete absence of lighting.
Output
Playme TAU for 4,000 rubles is a definite hit of the end of 2019. There are simply no analogs to the model - this is the most low-cost recorder with advanced magnetic mount. However, the low price did not lead to any compromises. On the contrary, it turned out to be a device with excellent build quality, attractive design, large display, convenient controls and, finally, a decent level of video recording. In order not to be unfounded, we refer to the test of DVRs from the authoritative automobile publication “Behind the Wheel” , where the Playme TAU was awarded the “CHOOSE ARE” award.
We can safely recommend the novelty to those who wish to receive the most advanced and really useful technologies along with high-quality shooting, but without overpayments for other additional features.