HP F230 Dash Cam – Do Hewlett Packard Live Up to Their Good Reputation?
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HP are probably one of the best known technology brands out there today. They are known for their laptops, printers, and now even dash cams. Given their solid reputation as one of the biggest tech brands in the world, you would be forgiven for thinking that their dash cams would be the best that money can buy.
We decided to try out the HP F230 to see how it fared. We wanted to see if it delivered as you would expect a HP branded device to. If you are considering this dash cam as an option for you, then take a look at our review below. Hopefully it will give you a clearer idea of what you can expect from this particular model.
Features:
- 1080P Full HD Recording
- 25 Frames Per Second
- 120 Degree Lens
- 2” LCD Screen
- G Sensor
- 43” Cable
- Compact Size
- 2 Year Warranty
Pros:
- Very discreet dash cam.
- Very affordable.
- Easy installation.
- Parking mode function.
Cons:
- Very small screen at only 2 inches.
- Sensor sensitivity is not adjustable.
The Design
So, the first thing that we would like to point out is just how compact this particular dash cam is. The HP F230 is a really neat little device. If you are looking for a dash cam that is highly discreet, then this is definitely a good option to consider. It’s very unobtrusive and sits perfectly behind the rear view mirror which is perfect.
The controls and the user interface are basic yet effective. There are no over complicated menus to navigate and going through the settings is very easy. The mounting of the dash cam is very simple too. The only thing that we feel could be improved upon is the size of the screen itself.
Because it is only 2 inches in size, we found that the menu could be a little difficult to see, particularly in lower light conditions. This did cause us a few issues when we were trying to go through the initial configuration process. However, this is the only real design flaw that we could comment on.
The Recording Quality
Considering this is a dash cam from HP, we were really optimistic about the recording quality. Having used HP products in the past, we knew that they are usually very high quality. Unfortunately, we were a little let down by the quality of footage that we captured.
Whilst you can adjust the resolution, we found that even at the highest settings the recording quality does not improve all that much. We thought that perhaps the footage would be better viewed on a PC, but even that didn’t offer a much clearer image.
When trying to make out a number plate, we found that we were able to just about read it from vehicles that were up close. For vehicles that are a little further away however, we found that we could barely make them out at all.
The 120 degree lens also lets down the quality of the recording. We felt that had it been expanded even by a further 20 degrees, the recording quality would be significantly improved. However, for a model of this price, we can’t really complain too much.
The Extra Features
Given that the HP F230 is quite a low end model, we weren’t expecting too 
much in the way of extra features and we weren’t wrong either. There aren’t really many extra features to take advantage of at all.
The one thing that we do like is that there is an 8GB Micro SD card included with the dash cam so you don’t have to purchase one separately. However, if you plan on capturing a lot of footage then you will probably want to buy a memory card with a bigger capacity.
A final plus point is the 2 year warranty that the dash cam comes with. If anything were to go wrong with it then you can contact HP directly who will sort out the problem for you.
The Conclusion
Overall, the results of the HP F230 were quite disappointing. The screen is too small, the lens needs to offer a wider angle and the recording quality really lets the dash cam down. For those looking for a budget dash cam that offers the bare minimum this is an option that could be considered, but if you want something that offers high quality recording and lots of extra features then this is not the dash cam for you.
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