Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera

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Sometimes you just need a camera in your car to capture notable events like the accident that you’re involved in or the hit & run that you just witnessed. And getting out your smartphone to record incidents is not just dangerous while you’re driving but also an inconvenience. With the Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera, you can do just that. There are a lot of solutions out there like installing a GoPro camera or some other digital cameras but the Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera is really built for the car. It comes with a tiny 1.5” LCD display which keeps the camera at a small form factor which is important for me. I wouldn’t want to advertise that I have a camera in my car. I was considering buying a Mobius camera for a cheaper price. But for a few more dollars, the Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera comes with a few more features that I really like. Unlike other cameras, this one comes with a GPS chip to record your vehicle position, direction, and speed. It can continually record HD 1080p video to the included 8 GB microSD card but thanks to the G-Sensor, it can detect if you’re braking hard, as in an accident, and could trigger recording right then and there. Another option is the HP F310 Car Dash Camcorder. If, however, you like to take action video and have your camera double up as a dash cam, then consider the GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition Camera Bundle.


Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera records at 1080p resolution
Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera – records at 1080p resolution.

Here are the specs:

Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera Product Info

Costco Item#: 915321
Costco Price: $99.99
Found at: Costco in Foster City, CA (1001 Metro Center Blvd)
(price and availability may vary per Costco location)

Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dashboard Camera features accelerometer
Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera with built-in GPS and accelerometer.

Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dashboard Camera features built-in GPS
Cobra CDR 840 Dash Camera features GPS

Deal for the Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera at Costco
Deal for the Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera at Costco.

Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera – Designed in compact form factor the CDR 840 features Internal GPS and embeds the exact location and time in every recording. The Free PC software allows you to view your location and G-Sensor information on playback on a computer or HDTV. It also includes Continuous Loop Recording, which automatically overwrites the oldest footage when the memory card gets full and a motion sensor for automatic recording while driving, as well as a G-Sensor, which senses sudden acceleration and collisions to automatically capture and protect critical footage surrounding an accident. The CDR 840 features 1080P Full HD Video and include an 8GB memory card so that they are ready to use straight out of the box and inlcudes a Mini HDMI Output to directly play footage on HD TV or computer.

    Key Features:
  • 1080p with high dynamic range optimizing video during day or night
  • Built-in GPS
  • Continuous loop recording
  • Includes 8GB microSD card
  • Wide angle view
  • 3-axis accelerometer
  • 1.5” LCD screen

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pro's:
Inexpensive, 1080p recording, built-in GPS, continuous loop recording.

Con's:
Power cable is too short to reach from windshield to power outlet in an SUV, no "quick dismount" from the suction cup mount - you have to remove the unit AND the suction cup mount EVERY time you park, screen is VERY small and virtually impossible for senior citizens to read without a high-power magnifying glass, since the unit is not easily removed from the windshield, changing memory cards usually results in the memory card falling and bouncing around inside the vehicle until it is deep in some crevasse where it is impossible to retrieve, since you can't read the screen, you "hope" that it is actually recording, expect your MicroSD card expenditures (due to cards falling to irretrievable places) to be a couple of times the cost of the Cobra Drive HD.

ExecMemberMike said...

Hi @Anonymous, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera. I'm sure other people have some of the same issues with this item as you, and, hopefully, the manufacturer addresses some of them in subsequent models of dashboard cameras.

Anonymous said...

#1) Does not overwrite -- it fills up the card and stops recording.
#2) The screen (unpredictably) goes white.

Returning this piece of junk.

ExecMemberMike said...

Hi @Anonymous, that's disappointing to hear that the Cobra CDR 840 Drive Dash Cam isn't working out for you. It's a good thing Costco has a pretty good return policy for items that are defective or you're not completely satisfied with.

Anonymous said...

Nice dash cam and works as advertised. Make sure you download the Cobra HD dash cam software from www.cobra.com/dashcamsoftware. Loads of extras: high resolution video, mapping capability using google maps or satellite imagery, accelerometers in x,y and z axes which is displayed on the HD dash cam software player, ability to manually zoom camera, wide angle view, ability to adjust settings, etc. Very easy to manage files (delete, save, etc). Note: you do not have to remove the entire dash cam holder and camera to transfer files to your computer. All you have to do is hook up the mini-USB cable to the camera and your laptop and manage files from your vehicle. I concur, however, it would be nice to have a quick disconnect for the camera. One drawback: does not include a mini USB to USB cable which is required to download data from the camera. The owners manual advertises that there should be a mini USB to USB cable included in the package. The only cable in my package was a HDMI cable. Oops! Fortunately, this is a common cable and I have several around the house. Costco needs to be aware of this. Other than this glitch, this is a great camera and a good bargain. I highly recommend this product!

ExecMemberMike said...

Hi @Anonymous, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Cobra CDR 840 Drive Dash Cam. Many people reading your review will definitely find it helpful if they're considering purchasing this product.

Anonymous said...

Won't overwrite, and stops recording when sd card is full and then shuts off.
Called Cobra twice with no results. Am taking all three units back to Costco.

ExecMemberMike said...

Hi @Anonymous, yes one other person commented that the Cobra CDR 840 Drive Dash Cam does not overwrite which seems to be a common complaint with this camera. You would think that all dashboard cameras would have this feature, but that doesn't seem to be the case with this one. At least there are other cameras on the market that could do what this camera can't.

Anonymous said...

the one I just returned had a habit of auto shut off after a few minutes?? Tried it in Two different autos??

ExecMemberMike said...

Hi @Anonymous, ya that's weird that it would automatically turn off only after a few minutes. I don't think it was an issue with your cars, but it sounds like the Cobra CDR 840 Drive Dash Cam that you got was a lemon. It's a good thing you were able to return it and get a refund.

Unknown said...

This is a junk Item do not buy it
I have had no stop issues with this device
Rear view cam always malfunctioning
Will over write video I need.
Today's issue: Corrupt video of video of the accident I just had.
Several other random videos in card are also corrupt.

ExecMemberMike said...

Hello @Unknown, well that definitely does no good when your Cobra CDR 840 Drive HD Dash Camera overwrites and corrupts the videos it has recorded. I wonder if you just happened to get a defective unit, or if that is a trend with this particular dash cam.

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