DVR Review

I recently upgraded my DVR from an Olympus WS-500M to a WS-700M. It was a good decision.

The new features that I really like:
1. 4 GB memory
2. Micro SD capable, I got a 32 GB card for it.
3. Battery door attached to the recorder so it doesn't fall off.
4. Can disable the stupid LED recording light so it doesn't shine through shirt at night
5. Can disable the speaker so you don't accidentally start playback at the wrong time.
6. Can disable beep on buttons.

Features carried over from the 500 that I like:
1. Built in USB connection for downloading if needed
2. Stereo recording
3. Hold switch so you don't accidentally turn it off.
4. More recording options and sound features than I understand.
5. Good sound pick up.

The bad:
1. Still can't get 24+ hours of recording on a single AAA battery. Dies at about 16-19 hours.
2. The 700 takes 2-3 minutes to boot up when you change the battery. The 500 was MUCH faster more like 5-10 seconds.
3. The hold switch has nubs on it to improve grip, but makes it way too easy to accidentally switch off the hold switch and then stop the recording. I found however with a straight razer I could shave them off smooth. No more accidental disengaging.

Let me know how that works out for you. I bought two Olympus recorders in the past - both were model VN-6200 PC, and both broke within months. The front panel buttons simply stopped responding. I could not record, erase previous recordings, etc. They're sweet little recorders when they work, but ...

What does this have to do with guns in Virginia?

SAvage410 said:

Let me know how that works out for you. I bought two Olympus recorders in the past - both were model VN-6200 PC, and both broke within months. The front panel buttons simply stopped responding. I could not record, erase previous recordings, etc. They're sweet little recorders when they work, but ...

Click to expand...

I wear mine on a neck lanyard, and record 24/7 (where legal of course.) My WS-500M has worked for about a year and a half and still works, but my one prior to that (don't remember the model), lasted about a year before it stopped. I may still use the 500 as a back up.

I bought it at Radio Shack and paid the $10 extra for a one year warranty. I figure with the constant use I give it, if it lasts a year, it's done OK.

ProShooter said:

What does this have to do with guns in Virginia?

Click to expand...

Well...

Personally, I think that if you are going to carry for self-defense (particularly if open carrying) then you ought to be able to have some a recording of what happened even if only audio, to document what happened. Hopefully the police won't erase it in the course of their investigation. Because that never happens. Does it?

ProShooter said:

What does this have to do with guns in Virginia?

Click to expand...

People who open-carry often have encounters with people who are afraid and suspicious, and some of those are law enforcement officers, who, like lawyers and firearms instructors, are mostly human - some are really good, some are really bad, and most are average. Thus, a person likely to be a target of suspicion by less than average cops would be well advised to record his interactions. My only concern is that, if there were to be an arrest, the DVR would be "lost", or at the least, the data destroyed.

Fenris said:

Well...

Personally, I think that if you are going to carry for self-defense (particularly if open carrying) then you ought to be able to have some a recording of what happened even if only audio, to document what happened. Hopefully the police won't erase it in the course of their investigation. Because that never happens. Does it?

Click to expand...

user said:

People who open-carry often have encounters with people who are afraid and suspicious, and some of those are law enforcement officers, who, like lawyers and firearms instructors, are mostly human - some are really good, some are really bad, and most are average. Thus, a person likely to be a target of suspicion by less than average cops would be well advised to record his interactions. My only concern is that, if there were to be an arrest, the DVR would be "lost", or at the least, the data destroyed.

Click to expand...

You guys totally missed the joke. Must be an off day for everyone.

K y b m s

ProShooter said:

You guys totally missed the joke. Must be an off day for everyone.

Click to expand...

"We at the FBI do not have a sense of humor that we are aware of." - K.

I have had further thoughts about such recorders, however.

If you have attended my Deadly Force Seminar then you have a good idea about how to talk to police in the event they should desire a chat. And pretty much the same information is available from other sources (though I am alone, I think, in emphasizing the need to be polite no matter what the provocation, and in asking people to respect the police as professionals doing the job we've hired them to do - protect the interests of The State and "get the bad guys").

But in my experience, most criminal cases result in bad news for the defendant precisely because he did not know how to talk to cops, or if he did, the excitement of the moment caused him to say stupid things anyway. Now, I can't dispute that a lot of these people were guilty of whatever they were charged with, and their convictions were the result of their own honest recitation of the facts to cops. My advice is always, "tell the truth, but don't blab it."

So there is a very real risk of having a recorder on while you're talking to cops. You could very likely say something that will get you convicted, and they'll use your recorder to prove you said it. You gotta know what you're doing. But the most important advice I can give is, "KYBMS".

user said:

If you have attended my Deadly Force Seminar then you have a good idea about how to talk to police in the event they should desire a chat.

So there is a very real risk of having a recorder on while you're talking to cops. You could very likely say something that will get you convicted, and they'll use your recorder to prove you said it. You gotta know what you're doing. But the most important advice I can give is, "KYBMS".

Click to expand...

We've gotta get one of your classes scheduled here soon Dan!