Anker ROAV Dash Cam C1 Pro Review
Last Updated on March 19, 2023
Why Use a Dash Cam
Before we delve in reviewing the Anker Roav Dash Cam C1 Pro, let’s talk briefly about the why of using a dash cam. Car dash cams have become very popular and prevalent in many countries. Dash cams are onboard cameras that provide continuous video recording. Dash cams are useful in many ways. The biggest reason drivers install a dash cam in their car is to provide video evidence in case of an accident. Some dash cams even record when the car is parked, and can also provide evidence of vandalism or if the car was hit by another vehicle when parked. Dash cams are also useful for normal video recording of scenic drives or events.
What to look for in a dash cam
An ideal dash cam has to have good video quality in both day recording and night mode. It has to have a wide view that can capture all lanes of traffic. It has to be able to record automatically when the car moves. A good dash cam, such as the Anker ROAV Dash Cam will have Hi Resolution 2560×1440, built in GPS, WiFi, loop recording and night mode, Recording when the car is parked (upon impact or otherwise) is a plus. The dash cam has to operate under all weather conditions, that is in extreme heat or cold without affecting the functionality or data.
Anker Roav Dash Cam Review
Upon testing the Roav by Anker Dash Cam C1 Pro, we found out that it provides all the features one would want in a good-quality dash cam.
Roav Dash Cam C1 Pro First impression
The Anker Roav Dash Cam C1 Pro felt very compact and well-engineered. It can fit nicely behind or near the rear-view mirror. It is not bulky, so it does not obstruct the driver’s view. The package contains everything you need to start using the dash cam right away. It comes with a 2-port USB charger and 32GB SAMSUNG SD card included. The package even contains 2 mounting plates, in case you want to move it between 2 cars.
Anker Roav Dash Cam Mounting and Installation:
Installation is simple and straightforward.
You first start by determining a location for the dash cam. The best location to install the dash cam is near the rear-view mirror, either to its left or right side. This will give you an optimal open-field view. Make sure you mount the anker roav dash cam so that the lens position lies within the wiping range of the windshield wipers, so as to get a clear view in all weather conditions.
The anker roav dash cam it mounted using an included mounting plate that has a strong adhesive on one side. First you attach the dash cam unit to the mount, and after deciding on the exact location you want it to be mounted, you remove the adhesive sticker and firmly press the mount onto the windshield.
You can use to enclosed crowbar to insert the 10 foot charging cable into the seams and weatherstrips around the edges of the windshield and the car dashboard.
After mounting you can insert the SD card from the top of the unit, and you can also adjust the camera lens angle to point to the road ahead.
The last step is to connect the charging cable to the car charger which should be plugged into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter socket.
Anker ROAV Dash Cam Build Quality
The Anker Roav dash cam is solidly built. It has a metal case and is built to operate in all weather conditions even in extreme temperatures. Operating temperature ranges from 14℉ – 149℉ (-10℃ – 65℃ ).
The unit itself is compact, all the buttons needed are accessible through touch with no moving parts and less susceptible to break. There is a power button on the side which is accessible and easy to push. A speaker and microphone are on the other side, but there is no volume control for the speaker prompts. The memory card slot is set conveniently at the top of the dash cam.
The camera lens rotates so you can point it at whatever angle gives you the best view of the road and surroundings. Because each car is different and some windshields are more sloped than others, a simple adjustment to the lens will compensate for different angles and align the lens correctly to capture the best view possible.
Anker Roav Dash Cam Video Quality
The Anker Roav Dash Cam C1 Pro has an advanced sensor enables recording of 30fps. Wide Dynamic Range auto-adjusts for light conditions and gives you clear smooth video day or night in Full HD 2k resolution 2560×1440 built in. You can also choose 60 frames per second (FPS) at 720P.
According to Anker, the optics have 6 lens elements and have optimized imaging technology which provide a full view of the road and can simultaneously capture 4 lanes of traffic, not just the car in front of you. In testing we really liked the wide angle view of the road and the smoothness of the video.
Roav Dash Cam C1 Pro Functionality
Recording
The Roav Dash Cam C1 Pro begins recording automatically when the car is started, and continues to record as long as the engine is running. When the unit is recording, a red dot flashes on the screen, and the recording duration is displayed. When the engine is shut off, the Dash Cam automatically saves the recording and turns off within 60 seconds. What if you want to record when the car is parked, in case of vandalism or theft. Do not worry, there is a Parking Monitor mode that does just that. See the Parking Monitor section below.
The Dash Cam records both video and audio. If you do not wish to record the audio, you can easily disable / enable audio recording with a touch of a button. (The button with the triangle).
The included 32GB SD card can record between 4-8 hours, depending on the video resolution/frame rate selected. All video clips are in the popular MP4 format, which can play on most devices. You can easily share this format and even upload it to YouTube.
Parking Monitor
The Roav Dash Cam C1 Pro has the ability to record when the car is parked. When Parking Monitor is enabled, the dash cam will stay in standby mode and will start recording whenever it detects any motion or impact to the vehicle. It records a 30 sec clip each time. Power is supplied through the dash cam’s internal battery, and not from the car’s battery. That was a good thing since there is no risk to deplete the car’s battery.
Protection of Clips
If the dash cam detects a collision or an accident, then the dash cam will automatically protect that video clip and lock it so that it cannot be overwritten by new video clips. You can also manually protect any video clip by tapping the button with the red circle. The protected clips will be saved in a special folder on the memory card.
Playback
You can easily play any clip directly on the built-in LCD screen of the dash cam by tapping the triangle and selecting the clip you want to watch. We found that watching the video clips on the unit’s 2.4″ LCD screen was a bit uncomfortable. We liked the option of being able to easily watch the same clips on a smartphone instead.
Roav Dash Cam Smartphone App
You can also playback the video clips on your smartphone and even save them on your phone by connecting your phone go the dash cam via the “Roav” app that you can download from the App Store or on Google Play. The app installed seamlessly, and the Wi-Fi connection worked as expected.
Built-in Wi-Fi
The Roav Dash Cam has built in Wi-Fi, meaning that you can connect your dash cam to your phone directly, to transfer files, playback or control settings. You can do that anywhere, you don’t even need an internet connection. The built-in Wi-Fi is a direct connection between the dash cam and your phone. This feature saves time and it was so easy and practical to play the videos on the phone, without taking the SD card out, plugging it to your computer in order to watch/save the clips. (But you can still do that if you desire).
Built-In GPS
You have the option to enable/disable built-in GPS. When GPS is enabled the dash cam keeps a record of your complete driving route, which you can view or save. As tested, the location displayed was very accurate.
