AUSDOM A261 Review – Car Camera Dvr with GPS

PROS

• Superb video playback with Super HD
• Feature rich
• Ergonomic design and user-friendly interface
• Easy set-up
• The value that can’t be beat

CONS

• Poor microphone
• Annoying audio alerts
• Wi-Fi not included
• Software bugs
• Product manual lacking

Highlighted Components

Full HD and Super HD Recording: The AUSDOM A261 mobilizes a 6G heat-resistant lens with a large F2.0 aperture and 130° viewing angle and merges them with a powerful OV4689 sensor for spectacular image resolution. That is capable of recording the footage at not just full 1080p HD, but also 1269p Super HD. Full integration of Night Vision ensures the camera works at peak levels. Even during low and nighttime driving conditions, effortlessly documenting license plates and road signs. While there certainly are plenty of dash cams on the UK market offering a wider field of view, none of them rival the video resolution, fine detail, and distortion-correction capabilities of the A261.

Built-In GPS: Much like any standard GPS, the A261 records routes and tracks travel speed and direction. Additionally, the navigational system will highlight coordinates of recorded events for further review. All the data can be viewed on Google Maps™ for added reference.

G-Force Technology: A G-sensor is a must in any dashcam worth considering. When an incident occurs, the G-Force sensor activates Emergency Recording Mode. Footage from events is recorded and protected from overwrites, ensuring vital evidence is saved until further review and analysis—just in case a report needs to be made with the police or insurers.

Parking Mode: This mode enables the camera to record footage even when a driver is not in the vehicle, particularly useful in the event of a hit-and-run or vandalism when the vehicle is left parked.

Lane Departure and Forward Collision Warning Systems: When vehicles are traveling above a preset speed, these systems are triggered. The Lane Departure System expertly alerts drivers when they drift outside of their designated lane, while the Forward Collision System warns drivers when the distance between their vehicle and an oncoming vehicle is too close. Both systems alert drivers with visual and audio alerts.

Auto-Power On: Drivers won’t have to worry about powering on the device and shutting it down every time they enter or leave their vehicles. With AUSDOM’s smart technology, the A261 automatically detects when the ignition starts and stops and powers up the camera accordingly.

Built-In Microphone with Mute Function: The built-in microphone captures sound as well as video, while the mute function shuts off any audio recording. As always, disclose and ensure you have full permission from passengers before recording any conversations.

Distraction-Free Driving: The camera includes an on/off backlight feature, allowing drivers to turn the camera’s display on or black it out entirely. This guarantees drivers are fully focused on the road and eliminate the distraction of excess bright light while driving at night.

Discreet Display: At nearly 5 cm, the small-scale LCD screen maintains functionality with utmost discretion that will never interfere with the driver’s field of view or cause distraction.

Supports Memory Cards Up to 64GB: Typically dash cams accommodate memory cards up to 32GB. With the A261, drivers can double their recording capacity.

Day and Night Footage

***credit to DashcamNL channel for this video***

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Superb video playback with Super HD. AUSDOM harnesses the power of Ambarella A7LA50 chipset technology and its light sensitive OV4689 sensor to deliver truly breathtaking footage that is vivid and sharp, preserving fine details from license plates and road signs with clarity unmatched by the competition. The A261 even records at 1269p Super HD recording. Yea, we said Super HD—that’s four times the number of pixels you get from full HD! The integration of Night Vision technology ensures footage from low light, nighttime or inclement weather maintains the same level of image integrity, making the A261 stand apart in a league all their own.
• Feature rich. If the A261 were a menu item at a Chinese restaurant, it would most definitely be the pu-pu platter—a savory dish filled with an assortment of delectable, must-have components no one could possibly resist. Some of the more notable features include: GPS, Parking Mode, Photo Mode (with 4 MP resolution), Lane Departure and Forward Collision Warning Systems, Loop Recording and 64GB memory capacity.
• Ergonomic design and user-friendly interface. Lightweight and durable, the compact dash cam offers a fully-functional design made to perform. The user-friendly interface provides a clean navigation menu, ensuring modes and settings are easy to customize, regardless of your comfort level with technology.
• Easy set-up. Forget about using special tools or constantly referring to the manual when setting up the device. Installation is effortless and intuitive.
• Value that can’t be beat. One of the biggest draws to the A261 is its unbelievably, budget-friendly price tag. Few dash cams on the UK market come fully-furnished with premium in-demand features and offer image recording quality that parallels the A261.

Cons

• Poor microphone. The built-in microphone fails to capture audio clearly. The mic is very susceptible to ambient noise, whether internal or external of the vehicle, resulting in distorted and unclear audio recording.
• Annoying audio alerts. Some of the A261’s audio alerts and notifications cannot be customized for sound preference or volume level, which can be off-putting or distracting at times.
• Wi-Fi not included. While certainly not a default feature in the dash cam world, it is a trendy perk worth considering (especially since it’s more readily available in the UK market). Wi-Fi enables users to instantly send video from accidents to the police, insurers or even upload it on their social media networks.
• Software bugs. Users have raised numerous concerns regarding AUSDOM’s included software, disappointed and discouraged from a full gamut of issues that render the program virtually unusable. Moreover, the included software does not support iOS platforms. (However, there is talk of potential third-party software that can resolve this compatibility issue.)
• Product manual lacking. AUSDOM’s nine page manual reads haphazardly at best. Unfortunately, a characteristic quite common amongst dash cam manufacturers. Although, it does include detailed instructions for proper calibration of the Lane Departure and Forward Collision Warning Systems.

Our Verdict

The AUSDOM A261 demonstrates the company’s acute attention to detail, delivering a dashboard camera that houses some of the most attractive, commonly sought-after features, with Ambarella technology making it one of the best-tested video images on the UK market to date. A heat-resistant lens system joins forces with AUSDOM’s superior OV4689 sensor to support stunning 1269p Super HD recording of the day, low light, and nighttime driving. Image quality that can’t be beat combined with a fully integrated GPS, Parking Mode, high-res Photo Mode, as well as nifty safety add-ons like the Lane Departure and Forward Collision Warning Systems and G-sensor technology are sure to impress average users and tech hounds alike.

One desirable feature lacking on the A261 is Wi-Fi. While not essential, Wi-Fi is a convenient bonus that lets users instantly upload and send recorded video to the police and insurers in case of an accident. Some users have noted sound issues with the dashcam, as not all settings/modes allow for volume adjustments suited to user preference. Additionally, users have criticized AUSDOM’s user manual and the included sub-par software (which is also not Mac compatible).

Taken in whole, the AUSDOM A261 dashboard camera packs lots of positives into a sleek design at an especially competitive price point, definitely being an outside contender for our Best Dash Cam list.

AUSDOM A261 Product Details

Spec Name	Model Spec Details
Lens	0, 130° wide-angle, OV4689, 4 megapixels
Resolution/Frame Rate	1080p at 30fps (supports 1269p Super HD recording)
Low Light Recording	Yes, HDR
Microphone/Speaker	Built-in
GPS	Yes
G-Sensor	3-axis
Wi-Fi	No
Date/Time Stamp	Yes
Parking Mode	Yes
Video Format	264 .mov files
Video Output	Micro USB, Mini HDMI
Power Source	Power Adapter, 1x Rechargeable 25 mAh battery (built-in, approx. 25 min run time)
Memory	microSD cards up to 64GB (Class 6, or higher)
Compatibility	PC (Windows /7/8)
Display Type/Size	LCD/5.08 cm
Dimensions	5 x 8.9 x 14.6 cm
Weight	90 g

Unboxed

• AUSDOM A261 dashboard camera
• In-vehicle suction cup mount, T-slot securement
• Car power adapter (3.6 m cable)
• USB cable (1.2 m cable)
• Product manual
• Software CD (for Microsoft Windows)

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Company History

AUSDOM is an innovative technology company, aiming to create smart streamlined products. A dedicated team of technology experts explores, analyzes, and produces innovative products based on thorough research of key demographic groups. The company utilizes in-depth knowledge gained from the headphones market (one of their cornerstone niches) and transitions this expertise to a range of in-vehicle dashboard cameras.

The A261 is one of the leading cameras in AUSDOM’s range of car driving recorders.

Other Reviews

If you enjoyed our AUSDOM A261 review, be sure to check out other cameras reviewed from the AUSDOM family.