in car cam

[_deano]

*Mods not sure if this is the right forum, so please move if needs be*

Folks,
I'm looking at getting an in car cam system setup so that i can record my journey into and out of work and some future trackdays.
I know that i can get a small bullet cam to mount inside the car, but that is as far as my knowledge goes with the AV stuff. Is t now possible to have a device attaced to the small bullet cam so that the footage is captured straight on to a hard drive rather than a tape?
And would it be straight forward to set up?

thanks
DJ

[TGAoW]

Depends upon what you want to do.

You say you wish to mount a bullet cam in side the car. First question where? You have to take vibrations into account and the picture you wish to frame (wide angle, light levels etc) - although most small bullet cams are very forgiving the picture resolution (quality) varies wildly. Do you wish to get more exotic in your shots? E.g. the classic camera mounted on the front wheel arch to get the low shot of the road and wheel turning. To do this you will need a mount which holds the camera securely and doesn't damage the bodywork.

Next: sound - do you want to record stereo background (known as “atmos” or “wildtrack”,) and/or commentary? If so each will require different microphones and mounts and, if you require them to be recorded simultaneously, then some form of audio mixing or post production to "glue" it altogether

Finally record format. Direct to disc is good start. There are some HD recorders around that are portable - you will need to consider power requirements, recorder mounting (just popping it in the footwell is a no-no it will fly around all over the place. Camera and microphone lead connections as well - horrible 3.5mm jacks (like Walkman headphones) are prone to crackles and loss of connection - especially in a "hostile" environment like a car.

What I have described above is more applicable to TV work and the results will be evident when compared to say a cam-corder stuck on a headrest type arrangement - the type of thing you see on YouTube.

Hope this helps - the above is gained through past experience, 20 years in the broadcast media and BBC engineering training

[_deano]

I would just like something mouted on the dash that will have a viewing angle of about 145 degrees, so it's taking everything that i can basically see.
One reason for this is that as i am driving everyday (in and out of work). there are a lot of idiots that take a chance and drive dangerously and its only a matter of time before one cut across in front of me or pulls out in front of me and causes an accident. With video footage of the collision i can prove that i was not at fault.
Sound wouldn't (at this time) be of a major factor. I would like to try this out first and see how it goes. Once i get a trackday car i may think about upgrading the cam system.
The housing for the HD recorded could probably be stored in the glove box as i have nothing in there and i've never used it to store anything since i've had the car(11 months now).

where can i go from here?

[bobthepsycho]

Another plug for www.fastfilms.co.uk - lots of advice there and PHer FishyDave is very helpful.

Oh, and hard drive recorders are not recommended for in-car recording - too much vibration. Solid state recorders are much better.

[Gruffy]

Another recommendation for Fast Films.

For years I've thought the same thing: rig up a camera that holds the last 15 minutes of footage in a rolling buffer (kind of like Sky+/TiVo) and then if you fall foul of a numpty...

Probably be standard on cars 10 years from now.