DVR-207

The DVR-207 dash cam is an update to the very popular DVR-027 dash cam.  It was released in early 2013 and comes in the same case as the DVR-027.  The DVR-207 also uses the same Zoran Coach 12MDV ZR364249BGCG processor.  This camera has a 1440x1080p resolution at 15fps however this appears to be interpolated.  The 1280x720p resolution delivers the best video for this camera.  The main benefit of this newer version over the DVR-027 is that it has no gaps between video files.

Generally, there are no publicly available tools to extract the firmware on Zoran based devices.  Hence, when purchasing this camera, you will likely not be able to upgrade the firmware in the future.  If firmware files become readily available, we will post them here including the procedure on how to upgrade.

Known Problems

The original DVR-027 has proven to be quite reliable.  Less information is available on this particular model but there have been some noted issues:

Does not work / Crashing / Black Screen

1. Try to remove battery, and reinstall.
2. Try to reformat SD card in Windows, since formatting in the camera may not work always.
   DVR-207: FAT32 and sector size 32kb.
   DVR-027: FAT32 and sector size 64kb.
3. Try to change SD card to another. It’s recommended to use well known brands and class 10 (10 MB/sec)

Image is bumpy / not sharp

Please try the following settings:
– Video quality: 720p 30fps
– Clip size: 5 minute
– Motion detection: off
– IR: off
– EV: no change

Radio interference

Numerous owners have indicated that the DVR charger may cause radio interference issues, you can try to change the charger to another or ask seller to ship you a better one. The seller has indicated that units shipping after March 16, 2013 will be packed with new charger, which should fix the problems.

Gaps between clips

Make sure motion detection is off otherwise the camera will generate gaps between clips.

Exposure Level

Some users are indicating the exposure level of the camera does not work properly. 

The problem is that the lens does not have any optical shielding.  A simple solution is to attach a piece of black velcro above the lens to correct.  See this post for further details.

Disassembling the Dash Cam

Decode Firmware Number

The firmware number contains the release date of the firmware and version in the following format YY MM DD N, where YY – year, MM – month, DD – day, N – firmware version. For example, if the firmware number is 1207310, it can be decoded as follows:

2012, July 31, version number 0

The DVR-207 initially came with firmware version 1207310.

Sample Videos

Night

Should I Purchase?

This camera has some improvements over the original DVR-027 such as no gaps between video files.  While this camera is a bit dated and video quality is no where near as good as the recent 1080p cameras, the price is hard to beat.  For $45, this is the low priced camera, but we suggest spending a few extra dollars and purchasing the G1W.

User Manual

The user manual can be downloaded here.

Specifications

Published:  April 13, 2013

Last Updated: October 10, 2013

DVR-207

The DVR-207 has good picture quality, reliability and price. Watch out for fakes. Consider the G1W instead.

Product SKU: DVR-207

Product Brand: Generic

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 45

Price Valid Until: 2023-01-01

Product In-Stock: SoldOut

Editor's Rating:
4.5