Navitel MR250 – DVR fusion test with rearview mirror

The market of gadgets for motorists is not saturated yet. This situation opens the field for producers of, among others, DVR cameras. What, however, if we go a step further and fuse the video recorder with the rear view mirror in our car? An example is the Navitel MR250 discussed in this post.

Appearance

First, unpacking and first impressions. Navitel MR250 is sold in a solid and aesthetic box. The packaging is rigid and aesthetically finished. As standard, the sides of the cuboid are decorated with device renderings and simplified specifications. There was also a list of kit elements. After opening, we immediately find the purchased device – Navitel MR250. The hybrid of the DVR webcam and the rearview mirror has been exposed with a foam that also serves as a protective function. The rest of the set can be found underneath. They include a rear view camera, miniUSB power supply ended with a cigarette lighter plug, miniUSB-USB cable. There were also mounting elements such as rubber clamps or 3M double-sided tapes. There is also a paper part – instructions, as well as a card with a code for a yearly license for smartphone navigation.

The Navitel MR250 itself does not surprise with its appearance, it is just a larger rear-view mirror with a “glued” lens. However, I am glad that the housing is made of metal. All ports – power supply, data transfer, or a memory card slot are placed at the top. On the one hand, such a solution makes it easier to mask the cables, on the other hand, it is quite impractical when we need to access them. On the bottom there are buttons responsible for controlling the device. The screen is hidden under the mirror surface.

The quality of workmanship is at a high level. The big advantage is the metal body that I mentioned earlier. The only drawback is the microSD slot. The hole is quite tight, and the card itself has to be pushed in to latch onto the slot. As in other DVRs, and here we have to stock up on memory on our own. However, it should be noted that the maximum capacity supported by the video recorder is 64GB. The other elements of the set do not differ from the standard for this type of devices. A five-inch display is hidden under the mirror layer, on which we can see a preview of the recorded route, or the view from the rear view camera.

Mounting and ergonomics

I must admit that the Navitel MR250 was the most difficult, the most uncomfortable and the most complicated DVR that I had the opportunity to install in my car. The seemingly easy mounting of the device on the rearview mirror turned out to be quite problematic. For example, the lens caught a fragment of the mirror mounting or the previously mentioned problems with access to the ports. I cannot imagine disassembling the device every time so that it does not tempt a potential thief. The installation of the rear view camera was also not the easiest. The biggest challenge in this case was the sensible and aesthetic placement of the cables, where an additional connection with one cable to the reverse light is a piece of cake.

Technical specifications

Time for the most important – specification. Looking at the declared possibilities, you can immediately say that the device does not do madness. Navitel MR250 records in FullHD 1080p quality, i.e. 1920 × 1080. It is currently the minimum that this type of equipment must provide. The angle of view is a bit disappointing. The DVR only “grabs” the image in the 160-degree range. How is the device doing in reality? Below are recordings made during the day and after dark.

Navitel MR250 – additional functions

The hybrid of the rear view mirror with the DVR camera can do what most of the standard models of the manufacturer and the competition. There is a camera function, there is also an overload sensor. We will not find anything revealing here. The biggest curiosity that can make you buy is the second webcam included in the set. This is because it serves as a recorder of what is happening behind our vehicle. What’s more, we can connect it to the electrics of our car, and more precisely, the reversing lights. Such an installation will enable the use of the viewfinder as a parking camera, greatly facilitating reversing maneuvers. Installation, however, is not the simplest one, because the element itself (according to the manufacturer) should be placed on the trunk lid or above the registration plate.

Navitel MR250 – hit or kit?

I must admit that before I received this hybrid mirror, I was very skeptical about this type of gadget. The product of the Russian giant has slightly changed my mind. The quality of workmanship or interesting solutions tempt you before buying. Unfortunately, the ergonomics of use and only the sufficient quality of the recording remind us that it is only a gadget that, in the event of a “bell”, may or may not be a proof. The quality, however, is adequate for the price. We will buy the device around PLN 320.