Dashcam Recording Tips

Knowing how to properly use your dashcam is essential for capturing the video when you need it the most.  When getting a new dashcam the best thing to do is practice taking videos and downloading them.  It is good to know the whole process and what your dashcam is capable of.  The newer dash cams have more features, better quality video,are much easier to use and to retrieve the footage.

Capturing The Footage You Need

The way dashcams work is they are always recording and when the memory is full it will start to delete the oldest video.  It is always important to grab the footage as soon as possible and to know how many minutes or hours the memory card records before deleting.  Some dashcams have what it is called an event or lock button.   When pushed immediately after something happens that you need to record, it will lock that video.  It prevents the video from being deleted and stores it in a separate folder.  Dashcams usually record 1,3 or 5 min videos.   This button takes the current video and saves it.  However this is not full proof.   Sometimes you might be at the last few seconds of a current video.   It is just important to press the button immediately and watch the screen.They usually have an icon that appears while in event recording.   If this is a very important event.  You want to review the footage as soon as possible to make sure it has caught the complete event.   Some cameras will  also save the video before or after if you press the button at the first or last few seconds of a video.   Even the video you saved with the lock or event button only captures some of what you need recorded, the rest of the footage is still on there.   A dash camera can hold many hours before starting to delete and write over them, depending on the size of the sd card. This is why knowing your camera and its capabilities beforehand is essential.     

Capturing the license plate

Capturing the license plate of a vehicle.  This can be very important when in an accident or to report someone driving in a dangerous manner.    Even with a higher end dashcam, do not always depend on your camera to always get a clear picture of the plate.  Factors such as time of day, weather and speed the car is going can play a factor whether you get a plate.  Most dashcams can also record audio. Always have the mic turned on and  always say License Plate when you can see it.  Even a partial plate number can be helpful.  In some cases your eyes may have a better shot getting a plate.  If you can, do a couple tests with your dashcam to see how easily it can capture a plate. Try at different distances and speeds.  Say out loud on video if you can see the plate with your own eyes.  Then review the video to find out what your camera is capable of.  Practice makes perfect, try hitting the event button and saying the plate every time you see someone driving unsafely.

Never put yourself in danger to capture a video or to get a license plate number.  It is not worth it.

Downloading the video

Practicing retrieving your video is also a great idea. Newer dashcams have an app that connects your phone to the app, which makes getting access to the video easier.   It will allow you to download directly from your phone.  Once on your phone you can edit or share in many different ways.      

If your dashcam does not have an app, you may have to remove the SD memory card and retrieve the footage using another device.