I am considering getting either DOD LS300W or the DVR 027 720p. Does anyone have these that can give me some good feedback info? For Radar Detectors I was thinking of going with the Escort Passport 9500ix again any feedback would be great!

After testing one out, we don’t think there’s any reason to drop $400 on a dash cam. I drove around with and reviewed video from a Pittasoft BlackVue DR500GW-HD and definitely didn’t find it to be $300 better than the DVR-027. At $380 on the company’s site (a little over $300 on Amazon), you get GPS tracking, clean software for reviewing video and a compact cylindrical design. One notable benefit is the security of buying from an established and professional international manufacturer that’ll give you a six-month warranty. Unlike buying from sketchy third-party distributors (the exception being the eBay seller we’ve been recommended), you’re guaranteed to receive a fully functional unit that’ll work out of the box.

The BlackVue’s strength is its comprehensive and intuitive viewing software, which I’m using here. Still, we don’t think it’s worth the high price.
The BlackVue’s cam is the most feature-laden one we looked at, but unless you need every single statistic on your driving, the extras seem superfluous to us. Its Wi-Fi connectivity lets you use the BlackVue app to watch video or track the car’s path with the cam’s built-in GPS. You won’t use this much, unless, say, you come back to your parked car that’s been hit and want to check the parking mode footage immediately. Its audio recording can be turned on or off with your voice—if you have a potentially reckless teenage driver, it’ll track the car’s speed, too, but so can the Lukas. The camera comes with BackVue software, which gives a video editor-style display of the video recordings with a map that pinpoints the location according to the video timeline.

We wouldn’t drop that kind of cash yet, especially with the LK-7900 available for cheaper. Reviewers have pointed out that the DR500GW-HD has issues with pixelation and overheating, and in our tests, the unit would get very hot even at night with the air conditioning on—BlackVue rates it to work at up to 158 degrees Fahrenheit, but the DR400G HD II, this model’s predecessor, was notorious for overheating. Concerns with previous models’ reliability is also a concern. A firmware update will be able to solve most of these problems, but for most drivers, a basic camera like the DVR-027 will deliver everything you need from a dash cam.