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“Put your hands up in the air!”: A mono review of the Playme TIO S dashcam

Hello, Habr! Today we will talk about another of our device. The Playme TIO S dashcam has a magnetic mount, Wi-Fi support and the ability to control gestures, it is equipped with a polarizing filter and a removable GPS module. Read more about the new product under the cat.


Video recorders are already recognized by users as necessary devices on modern roads. They allow you to resolve disputes in conversations with the traffic police and record interesting situations on the road. In our review today - the top model Playme TIO S. This DVR is both compact and versatile.



Playme TIO S replaces the already proven Playme TIO and has a number of improvements and new features. Among the advantages of the device include magnetic mount, the ability to record with a resolution up to Full HD, as well as a high-quality Sony matrix. However, unlike the Playme TIO, the novelty has an improved IMX307 matrix, and the optical system of seven lenses is complemented by a polarizing filter that eliminates glare and artifacts arising from the windshield. In addition, the device has a radar alert function, support for more capacious memory cards and the application for access from a smartphone has been replaced. But let's talk about everything in order.

Specifications




Improved management


One of the most interesting features of the Playme TIO S is the control system, which allows you not to touch the device at all. For this, an IR motion sensor was installed in the DVR, as well as a Wi-Fi module.


Photo of the front panel

Personally, it always seemed to me difficult to press the button to force protection of the recording fragment on the DVR. On a bumpy road, you still have to get on it (even if the button is conveniently located), and when driving fast, you have to be distracted from the road, and this is not very good.

In the Playme TIO S, an optical sensor detects the appearance of a hand a few centimeters in front of the device. That is, if you need to mark the current fragment of the record as read-only, then just wave your hand in front of the DVR. It doesn’t matter if the hand is a little closer or a little further. So the movement takes no more than one second.



In the device menu, you can adjust the sensitivity of the sensor, as well as its mode of operation. So, you can choose low, medium or high sensitivity or completely disable the sensor - for example, if you have hot South European blood and, as a result, you have the habit of constantly waving your hands in front of the windshield. You can also choose a sensor response mode - record a photo or mark a read-only fragment of a video.

The Wi-Fi module assumes the ability to download recordings to a smartphone. To do this, you must install the special Antscam application. This is a universal program for working with car DVRs, so you need to enter the exact name for the correct search in Google Play or the App Store.



After installing the application, you can get all the tools for working with recorded videos on your smartphone. This, on the one hand, allows you not to remove the DVR from the bracket once again, and on the other hand, to quickly make a copy of the records in the event of an accident or some other situation on the road.



Customization


Playme TIO S operation parameters can be selected both from a smartphone and on the DVR itself. Everything is simple in the application: you work with the smartphone as with a remote control.



However, you can make all the settings on the DVR. This is done using the same two buttons that enable recording and activate Wi-Fi. Just the first button is responsible for selecting a menu item, and the second for scrolling to the next option.



Mount


Another plus of the TIO S is its proprietary magnetic mount. The bracket is glued to the windshield using reinforced double-sided tape. It perfectly fixes the device if you have not forgotten to wipe and degrease the glass before gluing. Still, the Playme TIO is larger than the same Playme Sigma, which we recently talked about (link).

The device itself is attached to the bracket using two powerful magnets, and you can remove it at any time without snapping any locks - just pulling it towards you.



There is a threaded connector on the bottom of the DVR through which you can install it on a standard tripod bracket. Considering that the device is powered via USB (there are two USB ports on the cigarette lighter adapter, one of which you simply plug in a TIO S cable), this DVR can also be used as a Full HD camera for some other spy cases.



But back to the device itself. On the left side is the GPS module, which is also attached to the main bracket with two magnets. It can be removed at any time and taken home to update the camera database.

GPS


This is an additional feature, so the device will work fine without GPS. But with GPS, the Playme TIO S is much more useful than its predecessor, the Playme TIO. When you install the module, and the DVR successfully determines the location of the car, its functions are reduced to three aspects.



The main difference of the new model is that, like in many other Playme models, the new magnetic GPS module warns of approaching stationary and mobile cameras, the location of which is now regularly published by the traffic police.



The device will tell you which camera is ahead, which speed mode you need to follow, and will also notify you when the range of the radar has ended. For such alerts, a proprietary screen-shading feature is used. As a result, the camera message is as follows.





The second function is tracking the location of the car. After the trip, you can view the route that you were following on Google Maps. This feature is useful for travelers and for those who like to talk about their trips, for example, on a blog.

The third duty of the GPS module is to prove your innocence. With appropriate settings on the video there will be a stamp with the date and time, as well as the coordinates of the car and its speed. Such a record helps argue reasonably with the traffic police and insurance companies, which sometimes claim that “your car was not there” or “you traveled along the highway two hours earlier and at a speed of 200 km / h more.”

GPS database update


The new Playme TIO S uses a separate GPS module, which determines the position of the device, and also stores the location of police radars on the built-in flash drive. Therefore, to update the database, you do not need to remove the entire DVR - just bring home the GPS module itself.



To update the camera databases, you need to download the file from the Playme Russia website and run the Update application, which is located on the mapped drive. After that, you unplug the module, take it with you into the car and attach it back to the magnets.

Video quality




The quality of shooting video on the Playme TIO S consists of three factors - the presence of a high-quality matrix Sony Starvis (IMX307), an integrated high-aperture lens with seven lenses and an IR filter, as well as the presence of a polarizing CPL filter. The optical component of this DVR allows you to avoid unnecessary glare and take clear recordings in low light. However, see for yourself. Below are two videos shot by an independent journalist while testing this gadget.



The NTK 96658 processor allows you to record in various formats - from Full HD 1920x1080 with a frequency of 30 frames per second or 1280x768 with a frequency of 60 fps to 640x480 in case the duration of the video is more important for you than its resolution.

The video is saved in MP4 format and is compressed by the standard H.264 codec. Due to this, it can be viewed and edited in most popular programs without additional conversion. The AWS player is available on the site, which allows you to watch the video and track the trajectory of the car.

By the way, the DVR itself has a very decent display with a diagonal of 1.4 inches. It is convenient enough for basic settings, and also allows you to view recordings right on the spot, if you don’t have another device with you or the smartphone has a dead battery.

Additional features


As befits a top-end video recorder, the Playme TIO S has a built-in G-sensor and independently protects against erasing recordings during which the car experienced jolts or bumps. Also in this model there is a parking mode: the built-in motion sensor can start recording when a new suspicious object appears in the frame.

The compact size and well-designed design along with additional features and advanced optics make the Playme TIO S the top-end DVR in its category. It will suit you in all respects, unless, of course, you have the need to shoot video in 4K.

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