From potholes and road debris to careless drivers, even traffic stops, a camera mounted in your car could come in handy for all sorts of things. We found the Dash Cam Pro selling for just $40.
A few viewers asked consumer expert Amy Davis to try it out for "As Seen on TV Tuesday."
The commercial for the Dash Cam Pro claims that it "easily attaches anywhere in your car and automatically records audio and video of everything that happens for as long as your trip lasts."
You should know that you have to keep the camera constantly plugged into your A/C adapter. When it's not plugged into a power source, the Dash Cam Pro battery will last only 15 to 30 minutes.
You also have to buy an SD card for the device. Without it, you can't record anything. The larger the card you buy, the more video you can save.
When the camera is plugged in, it starts recording as soon as you start your car. The Dash Cam Pro claims that it shoots high-definition video, but Davis didn't find the pictures very clear. She was not able to make out the license plates of cars driving a few feet in front of her. At a red light, she could easily make out the license plate of the car stopped directly in front of her vehicle.
The device will swivel to shoot any angle outside or inside your car. Davis found the camera's night vision very dark. When you turn off your car, the camera powers down too, unless you set it to record only when it senses motion nearby.
For the price, Davis said the Dash Cam Pro is a good buy. Make sure you take it out of your window when you park your car so it won't attract car burglars.