Gibson99
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@ieGeek provided me with a sample unit of the Discovery Adventures DS200 action camera for review. This is the first action camera I've reviewed, but I've used a GoPro in the past and have read/watched reviews on things like the SJx000 series and the Yi.
A few key features:
Here's my video review, but you still might want to read this thread since I can go into a lot more detail when it's written down.
Skip ahead to the parts you're interested in:
INTRO AND REVIEW:
0:10 - What's in the box
1:55 - A look back in time
2:42 - Exterior views, button explanations
4:06 - Menu options/settings
12:57 - Android App
SAMPLE FOOTAGE:
21:58 - Dashcam
25:37 - Neighborhood bike ride
28:55 - Indoor go-kart racing
34:22 - Quadcopter
41:38 - Water test
CONCLUSION:
43:39 - Summary
44:14 - Pros
45:00 - Cons
45:50 - Conclusion
Sorry the video ended up so long. In my last video, people said I rushed through a lot of it, so this time I took my time.
Raw files: https://mega.nz/#F!X5JRUS6D!yT3e2SSXMAJwXWWQTZV_2A
What's in the box:
The camera came with firmware "21050723v02 DISCOVERY". I'm hoping there will be an update soon because I've found some annoying usability things that seem like they could be fixed in firmware. I have contacted ieGeek about them but a new firmware is not available at this time. If a new one does come out, i will edit this post with a link to the new firmware.
That said - the camera still works great as-is. Video quality is already very good so my suggestions for firmware updates are purely about usability, not to fix something that's broken. Just wanted to be clear on that.
The camera uses a novatek processor, because that's how it shows up when I plug it into my PC. When plugged in to a computer, the camera turns on and asks if you want to use Mass Storage (acts like a thumb drive), PC Camera (webcam), or "Video", which presumably acts more like an MTP camera device - similar to when you plug most android phones into a pc.
I haven't been able to pin down exactly which processor or sensor it uses thus far. I may open up the case to find out later on. The media info in VLC is almost entirely blank. It has the same startup and menu button sounds as my A118/A118C dashcams, and the menus look nearly identical.
From my use so far (at my desk, in the car, and on a bike ride with the kids), I've come up with a few Pros and Cons.
PROS:
When the g-sensor is turned on, it saves the locked files in a separate folder named RO. Many dashcams do the same - put the locked files (from when you press the lock button or something triggers the G-sensor), in a separate folder. But for some reason, the RO folder is inside another folder called Test:
The G-sensor also seems to mess with the numbering of the files, so I just turned off the G-sensor so all videos would end up in the same folder and be named consistently. the g-sensor triggered for almost every single file on my sedate little bike ride around the neighborhood on august 30, and one of the files for my dashcam test on august 28. I've also turned off loop recording since the 10+ hours of recording time I get out of a 64gb card is more than enough for an action cam. and just like my a118 dashcam, when the DS200 is set to loop recording, it has a 1 second overlap at the beginning of each new file. so using the 3-minute-long files above as an example: the first second of 2015_0830_172544_016.MOV will contain the exact same footage/audio as the LAST second of 2015_0830_172244_015.MOV. so if you're editing several of these back together, you'll have to trim every file to make it play smoothly. With loop recording off, it just records one giant file until it hits the 4gb file size limit of the file system. at that point if it's still recording, there will also be the 1 second overlap, but since each file will end up being about 30 minutes long, this will be rare and in most cases, not an issue. and for an action camera, i would think you wouldn't want it to overwrite anything without warning you, so IMHO, loop recording should be turned off by default (but it isn't).
One other niggle... the waterproof case blocks almost all sound from getting to the camera... except when it's actually under water. This is not exclusive to this camera - ALL action cameras in waterproof cases, gopro included, have that problem. The way gopro gets around that problem is to have different backs that you can snap onto the case. one is solid and waterproof. another has slots which make it NOT waterproof, but allow sound into the case to get recorded while still protecting the camera from bumps and scrapes. The DS200 doesn't come with a different back or even a different case. so it's the waterproof case or nothing - there's no other way to mount the camera without the case. Thankfully, the gopro accessory kit I bought DOES come with a different sort of case - one that's basically a flexible black plastic ring that holds the outside edges of the camera, with holes for the buttons and microphone. It doesn't provide any protection for the camera, but at least it allows sound in. Granted, the wifi button and mic holes do not line up right, but that's fine - this isn't a gopro so I'm honestly surprised it even fits at all! I'll drilled new holes in the bracket to fix that minor issue. fit isn't perfect either - apparently the discovery camera is a few mm narrower than a gopro, so there's a tiny bit of slop in the case. I added some foam tape inside the bracket to prevent vibrations and keep the camera securely in the mount.
A few key features:
- WIFI
- 1080p @ 30fps
- removable battery gives about 70 minutes of recording time (screen and wifi off)
- can be used as dashcam (loop recording, g-sensor, auto-record when power applied)
Here's my video review, but you still might want to read this thread since I can go into a lot more detail when it's written down.
Skip ahead to the parts you're interested in:
INTRO AND REVIEW:
0:10 - What's in the box
1:55 - A look back in time
2:42 - Exterior views, button explanations
4:06 - Menu options/settings
12:57 - Android App
SAMPLE FOOTAGE:
21:58 - Dashcam
25:37 - Neighborhood bike ride
28:55 - Indoor go-kart racing
34:22 - Quadcopter
41:38 - Water test
CONCLUSION:
43:39 - Summary
44:14 - Pros
45:00 - Cons
45:50 - Conclusion
Sorry the video ended up so long. In my last video, people said I rushed through a lot of it, so this time I took my time.
Raw files: https://mega.nz/#F!X5JRUS6D!yT3e2SSXMAJwXWWQTZV_2A
What's in the box:
- Camera (in waterproof case)
- battery (in camera)
- USB-A to MicroUSB cable
- 2 adhesive slide mounts with strap slots, one of which has a 1/4" tripod hole
- 1 "J" clip mount
- 1 flat clip mount
- 2 velcro straps
- 2 adjustable straps
- 2 90-degree turn brackets - one short, one about 1cm longer
- 1 straight riser bracket to raise the camera about 1cm
- 1 2-pc 1/4" tripod adapter - lets you mount the DS200 on a tripod or mount any device with a tripod hole on a gopro mount.
- 1 bike seatpost/handlebar mount
- warranty card
- quality certificate
- English owner's manual
The camera came with firmware "21050723v02 DISCOVERY". I'm hoping there will be an update soon because I've found some annoying usability things that seem like they could be fixed in firmware. I have contacted ieGeek about them but a new firmware is not available at this time. If a new one does come out, i will edit this post with a link to the new firmware.
That said - the camera still works great as-is. Video quality is already very good so my suggestions for firmware updates are purely about usability, not to fix something that's broken. Just wanted to be clear on that.
The camera uses a novatek processor, because that's how it shows up when I plug it into my PC. When plugged in to a computer, the camera turns on and asks if you want to use Mass Storage (acts like a thumb drive), PC Camera (webcam), or "Video", which presumably acts more like an MTP camera device - similar to when you plug most android phones into a pc.
I haven't been able to pin down exactly which processor or sensor it uses thus far. I may open up the case to find out later on. The media info in VLC is almost entirely blank. It has the same startup and menu button sounds as my A118/A118C dashcams, and the menus look nearly identical.
From my use so far (at my desk, in the car, and on a bike ride with the kids), I've come up with a few Pros and Cons.
PROS:
- Waterproof case is compatible with GoPro mounts, so your mounting options are only limited by your budget
- tiny, light weight
- Box and manual says up to 32gb max for the SD card, but I formatted a 64gb card in the camera and it works perfectly!
- Full HD with good picture quality during the day, even with the sun shining straight into the lens (haven't tested at night yet)
- Surprisingly good battery life from such a tiny battery - about 75 minutes of actual recording time (with screen and wifi both off)
- Main buttons easy to operate through waterproof case
- Waterproof case does not cause any vignetting (doesn't cover lens) and remains waterproof even while spraying directly with water. Also provides a good clear picture underwater.
- WIFI for aiming the camera (so that it's framed perfectly), controlling start/stop or downloading videos to phone via Android or iOS app - very handy when the camera is mounted somewhere you can't reach it (such as on the front bumper of your car).
- Automatically turns on and starts recording when plugged into power. This is good for a dashcam, but on an action cam, I just want it to charge, not start recording. This can probably be fixed in firmware. My workaround is to remove the SD card before plugging it into the charger. It still turns on, but at least it doesn't start recording.
- No way to set a blank "license plate" number. So if you have the date/time stamp on, you'll also have a useless license plate number in the video. This isn't a problem if you leave the date stamp turned off. This can probably also be fixed in firmware
- If you DO want to use the plate number, there's 7 characters, but the first character can only be a chinese character. the next 6 are the normal 0-9 and A-Z (no spaces). so I couldn't put my 7-digit license plate number there even if i wanted to.
- wifi only good for aiming camera, starting/stopping recordings, and downloading videos to the phone. it's way too slow for watching recordings.
- thumb screws on mounts are a little too short - they end up very close to the waterproof case, making them hard to tighten, even with a gopro mount wrench.
- the two adhesive mounts included with this camera do NOT accept GoPro clips, but the included clips DO fit in gopro mount plates.
- back buttons are a little hard to press (with case off of course).
- menu option for image rotation is buried way down in the menus - i think (my opinion) that it should be easier to get to it since it's a feature that will be used often. again - this can probably be fixed in firmware. Maybe they could make it so you could just press left or right while in video camera mode to toggle image rotation without having to go into the menu at all. currently left/right will zoom in/out, which i honestly don't expect to use - ever.
When the g-sensor is turned on, it saves the locked files in a separate folder named RO. Many dashcams do the same - put the locked files (from when you press the lock button or something triggers the G-sensor), in a separate folder. But for some reason, the RO folder is inside another folder called Test:
The G-sensor also seems to mess with the numbering of the files, so I just turned off the G-sensor so all videos would end up in the same folder and be named consistently. the g-sensor triggered for almost every single file on my sedate little bike ride around the neighborhood on august 30, and one of the files for my dashcam test on august 28. I've also turned off loop recording since the 10+ hours of recording time I get out of a 64gb card is more than enough for an action cam. and just like my a118 dashcam, when the DS200 is set to loop recording, it has a 1 second overlap at the beginning of each new file. so using the 3-minute-long files above as an example: the first second of 2015_0830_172544_016.MOV will contain the exact same footage/audio as the LAST second of 2015_0830_172244_015.MOV. so if you're editing several of these back together, you'll have to trim every file to make it play smoothly. With loop recording off, it just records one giant file until it hits the 4gb file size limit of the file system. at that point if it's still recording, there will also be the 1 second overlap, but since each file will end up being about 30 minutes long, this will be rare and in most cases, not an issue. and for an action camera, i would think you wouldn't want it to overwrite anything without warning you, so IMHO, loop recording should be turned off by default (but it isn't).
One other niggle... the waterproof case blocks almost all sound from getting to the camera... except when it's actually under water. This is not exclusive to this camera - ALL action cameras in waterproof cases, gopro included, have that problem. The way gopro gets around that problem is to have different backs that you can snap onto the case. one is solid and waterproof. another has slots which make it NOT waterproof, but allow sound into the case to get recorded while still protecting the camera from bumps and scrapes. The DS200 doesn't come with a different back or even a different case. so it's the waterproof case or nothing - there's no other way to mount the camera without the case. Thankfully, the gopro accessory kit I bought DOES come with a different sort of case - one that's basically a flexible black plastic ring that holds the outside edges of the camera, with holes for the buttons and microphone. It doesn't provide any protection for the camera, but at least it allows sound in. Granted, the wifi button and mic holes do not line up right, but that's fine - this isn't a gopro so I'm honestly surprised it even fits at all! I'll drilled new holes in the bracket to fix that minor issue. fit isn't perfect either - apparently the discovery camera is a few mm narrower than a gopro, so there's a tiny bit of slop in the case. I added some foam tape inside the bracket to prevent vibrations and keep the camera securely in the mount.
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