The Papago! P2 DVR is a Taiwanese built dash cam with very good picture quality during the day and good picture quality at night. The camera is manufactured by the Dmedia Technology Group. Papago has opened a US office as well at the end of 2013.
There are claims that the camera uses a high quality Pentax lens but this has not been verified. The camera utilizes the Ambarella A2S70 processor and can record at HD video, 1920 x 1080p at 30fps. It comes with a 2.4″ LCD screen and unfortunately is a relatively large dash cam at 82 x 77 x 104mm. It comes with a built-in GPS sensor and an interesting speed limit / speed camera warning feature.
This speed camera warning allows you to identify where known speed traps or fixed photo radar sites are. When you approach any of the defined speed traps, the camera will warn you. Unfortunately the speed trap details are only available for Taiwan and Russia. The Russian speed trap details were created by users. In other countries, you will need to manually add the speed traps (can store up to 1000).
This camera is also sold under the name Akenori Drive Cam 1080 Pro in Russia and the Navig8r Car Crash Camera PRO in Australia.
Papago Comparison
The following table provides an overview of the different features for the Papago P2 compared with the PO, P1W and P3 models (click to enlarge).
Known problems
This camera has been quite reliable. There are some minor items that any purchaser should be aware of though.
No battery
While the vast majority of dash cams have a battery to save the last video file when power is disconnected, the Papago P2 does not have a battery. The camera uses capacitors to save the last video file when external power is removed. This should not be a problem for most people.
Temperature Sensors
The Papago P2 dash cam comes with temperature sensors that will prevent the camera from being turned on if the camera gets too cold or too hot. Under -10 degrees C, the camera will refuse to operate and you will need to warm it up before you can turn it on. The camera will not operate if it is over 70 degrees C and must be cooled off before turning on.
Disassembling the dash cam
Mounting the Camera
Standard Mount
A video of how to attach and detach the camera.
Sample Videos
Day Video
Day Video in Rain
Night Video
Should I purchase?
There really is nothing wrong with the Papago P2. It has decent video quality and it is a reliable dash cam with GPS. The large size and relatively high price (~$250) is a turn-off for many people hence the reason for its low popularity. If you are looking for a dash cam with a screen and don’t mind the size or price, this may be the cam for you.
Firmware
WARNING! MAKING CHANGES TO YOUR FIRMWARE ARE PERFORMED AT YOUR OWN RISK. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR DASH CAM AS A RESULT OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS.
Latest Firmware
The latest firmware files can be found on the Papago US site.
Previous Firmware
Specifications
Data Sheet No specs match that search. Hardware Layout ScoresTechnical Specs
Spec Papago P2 Brand Papago Model P2 Channels 1 Channel Setup Front Form Factor Hanging Release Date Oct 2011 Country Taiwan Warranty 12 months Spec Papago P2 Processor Ambarella A2S70 Video Format MOV Compression H.264 Screen Size 2.4" Touchscreen No Mount Adhesive Power Supply 5V Battery Type Capacitor Spec Papago P2 Parking Mode No Wi-Fi No GPS Yes Cloud Connectivity No Voice Commands No Spec Papago P2 SD Card Type SD Max Card Size 32GB Operating Temperature 0°C to 65°C Swivel No Error Notification No Camera Units
CMOS Unknown Max Resolution 1920 x 1080p FPS 30 Bitrate 10.0 Mbps Viewing Angle 120° Dimensions 82 x 77 x 104 HDR No Ratings
Published: Oct 24, 2012
Last Updated: Mar 3, 2014