- VERDICT
The Navman MiVue ALTA DC is a gamechanger for dashcams that can offer you protection on the road discreetly thanks to its breakthrough design.
A dashcam has become an essential feature for your car but many are turned off because they are too big and obtrusive – but that’s not a problem with the Navman MiVue ALTA DC – it can blend into your vehicle and be your eyes and ears on the road.
Having a dashcams you have a record of what happened if you’re involved in an incident on the road.
These recordings can be offered to the police or an insurance company to support your side of the story if there is any kind of dispute or offence.
The MiVue ALTA DC dashcam is the first of its kind and looks a factory-fitted accessory.
Rather than the usual square or rectangular shape, MiVue ALTA has a slim and vertical profile and can be integrated in the middle of the windscreen next to the rear-view mirror and out of sight for the driver.
We installed the Navman ALTA in a Kia Rio for our review, and it sat neatly on the left side of the rear view mirror.
The MiVue ALTA DC also has a rear camera as well and requires professional installation. There are no visible cables.
And from the driver’s seat you can’t even see it.
The front and back cameras record full HD at 30 frames per second with H.264 compression so allow more recordings to fit on the included 32GB endurance microSD card.
The MiVue ALTA DC is constantly recording and if the onboard 3-axis G-Sensors detects a sudden change in motion or impact, the video is stored in a separate folder.
Each file not only includes the video of the event but also a map and your direction of travel.
It also puts a time stamp on the video along with the current speed and longitude and latitude.
The Navman MiVue ALTA DC can also record audio from inside the car – this feature can be turned off in the settings if you’re not keen on your calls and in-car conversations being recorded.
And not only will it record your video it will also provide safety warnings about red light cameras, school zones and accident black spots.
What keeps the MiVue ALTA DC so small is the fact it doesn’t have a screen.
Your smartphone becomes the screen when you connect to the dashcam using the Navman MiVue Pro app.
Once installed users can link to the dashcam via wi-fi – it creates its own little network – with your smartphone so you can access the settings and decide on video clip length, the sensitivity of the sensors and the volume of the voice notifications.
This is also you can download videos to share if needed.
The Navman MiVue ALTA DC also has a parking mode with the addition of an optional Smartbox ($79) which can trigger the camera via the built in G-Shock and motion sensors to automatically record five seconds prior to impact and 15 seconds after.
This is ideal for capturing accidents while your car is parked and when inside shopping centre car parks.
If the other driver doesn’t leave their details after hitting your vehicle, their car’s number plate will be easily seen via the captured high definition video.
The Navman MiVue ALTA DC is available now and is priced at $499.
Tech Guide readers can enjoy a 20 per cent discount + free shipping by ordering the MiVue ALTA ($329 before discount– Single Camera) or the MiVue ALTA DC ($499 before discount Dual Camera) through the Navman website www.navman.com.au when you use the code “TECHGUIDE” at checkout. Offer will be available until November 19, 2023.
VERDICT
The Navman MiVue ALTA DC is a gamechanger for dashcams that can offer you protection on the road discreetly thanks to its breakthrough design.
