> Gear Review: OLYVUE V78 Dash Cam

I have been preaching about dash cams for years. I believe everyone should have one and I won't drive a vehicle without one. I have reviewed numerous dash cams on my podcast and within the magazine, and I recently encountered a situation which forced me to review my recommendations. I have a friend who has always been resistant to placing a dash cam in his vehicle. He understands my reasons for using them, but had always assumed he would never find himself in a situation to need one. Recently, he was involved in a minor traffic crash where the vehicle in front of him backed into him while trying to allow someone to turn in front of them. The police showed up and made a report and my friend assumed it was no big deal. The car in front of him later told their insurance that they did not back in to my friend, but in fact, my friend had struck them. My friend's insurance took the stance of 50% fault to each party, which was likely to raise my friend’s insurance rates. He finally wanted a dash cam. I picked him up and showed him the unit within my vehicle. A few years ago, when I was testing dash cams, I started with the popular brands from the big box stores. What I learned was that those overpriced devices worked the same as more affordable options available online. I felt like I was paying more for the marketing team instead of the hardware. After extensive review, I began using the VIOFO (https://link.amazon/B08O68uyS) dash cams in my vehicles. What I liked about the VIOFO cameras is that they were small and out-of-the-way. These compact devices fit behind my rearview mirror and I cannot see them while I am driving. I forget that they are there. I showed my friend my camera and offered to play back video from just a few minutes prior. His response was neutral. He didn't like the small screen, and he did not like the placement. He wanted a unit with a larger screen which could be viewed at any time within the vehicle. He wanted something he could use to show a police officer what had happened in the event of another crash. He wanted more "oomph" to let people know he was recording while I prefer to stay discreet. I have never cared much about playing video in the car. I assume that I will always extract my own video from the microSD card when needed, and I don't ever need to show anyone video from the device itself (aside from this demonstration). My friend insisted on something bigger, so I began my research. I landed on the OLYVUE V78 (https://link.amazon/B0aehLDRA). This unit has all of the common specs. 4K video in front with 2K in rear with access directly via SD card or over Wi-Fi. These are the standards. What I liked for my friend was the size. I tried to capture the difference in size and screen from the VIOFO (left) and OLYVUE (right). We hooked it up and ran it through our tests. Video was sharp and everything worked right out of the box. Auto-recording to the included 64 GB SD card was already configured. However, he decided to buy a larger card. The V78 came with a rear camera. I typically do not use these, but I understand those who do. You place it in the rear window, but must run a cable from the rear to the front device. With enough time and skill, you can hide this fairly well. He wanted the full protection while I can take it or leave it. The unit is very lightweight and the provided adhesive was more than efficient. Video was always stable and the device never seems like it is going to detach. GPS coordinates are embedded and we decided to disable the audio. I believe this is appropriate for the other people in my car and my own embarrassment if caught singing. You can download their app and connect to the device and recordings over Wi-Fi. I did not test this as I never use this feature. I simply want a reliable dash cam to capture the files. They can always be copied from the SD card or viewed from the device. The price on the OLYVUE V78 is fair. As of this writing, the unit with both front and rear cameras with 4K on front was $159 on Amazon (https://link.amazon/B0aehLDRA). Similar devices in stores were over $300. Do I really need 4K video of my driving? I guess it depends on whether I will ever need the detail. I think I could get away with 1080p at a minimum. However, if I end up in court over someone else's behavior, I want the best clarity I can get. Ideally, I will never need my dash cam footage and this is all a waste of money. If I am wrong, I will be glad I added one to my daily routine. Disclosures: I am not affiliated with any companies mentioned within this article. I was not paid or asked to write any reviews. I receive commissions through Amazon affiliate links within this blog, but not directly from any of these companies.