Welcome to our Vivitar dvr783hd review, we have seen a number of people reaching out for advice on this budget-friendly action cam due to it having such a controversial reputation within the community. Although we wish we could say that the negative criticism of the camera is unfounded we have to agree that the dvr783hd is a poor attempt at an entry-level action cam that has been done very badly.
The main problem with the dvr783hd is that it seems totally hit and miss if you get a working camera or not. This is why we feel that it has such a controversial reputation that is evenly split around fifty fifty for loving it and hating it. We would highly recommend that you check out some of the independent reviews that have been left for the dvr783hd too get an external opinion of how this action camera is really performing.
If you are looking to pick up a budget-friendly GoPro alternative action camera then we would recommend that you check out the Akaso Brave 4 (Click here to check for product prices and availability) over any of the Vivitar range. It has the best reputation amongst the entry-level GoPro alternatives within the community and we feel that it is only going to become more popular as time goes on. Additionally, we also have a dedicated review of the Akaso Brave 4 that you may find helpful too.
That said, we will be going over our review of the Vivitar DVR783HD to try and get our points across as to why we feel that this action camera is a total waste of time and that you would be better off going with the Akaso Brave linked above or another competitors product.
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Table of Contents
Performance
Although the Vivitar DVR783HD is able to record up to 720p video footage, its frames per second when recording at this level is too low to offer any real smooth video footage of any fast-paced action sport. This results in a choppy or jumpy video that definitely looks very aged. Additionally, one of the common faults with the action cam is that sometimes, no matter what you try it simply will not record any sound at all potentially resulting in a totally silent video recording.
Similar to the video performance of the camera, the 5.1mp photographs can look ages compared to all of the action cams offering over twenty-megapixel sensors these days. Additionally, the camera struggles in low light conditions while barely performing at all at nighttime. The four times digital zoom does work as advertised but at the end of the day, there’s no point in having a digital zoom if the actual image quality of the photograph is sub-par.
Build Quality
One of the strongest points of the Vivitar DVR783HD is its build quality. Vivitar has managed to produce a solid external housing that is very robust and can take its fair share of knocks while out and about recording action sports. We just wish that they had managed to be as efficient with the tech inside the case as they are with the case itself.
You are able to further improve the robustness of the camera by permanently keeping it housed in the underwater case that is included with your purchase as standard amongst a number of other accessories that we will be covering later in the article.
The design of the action camera, especially how everything functions, when housed in the underwater housing, is actually pretty good for an action camera with a price tag as low as the Vivitar DVR783HD. You are easily able to activate its record and pause features underwater unlike some entry-level cameras where you have to set the camera recording and then put it in the underwater housing.
Accessories
Another positive for the Vivitar DVR783HD is the number and quality of the free accessories that are included with your purchase as standard. Unlike the competing cameras on the market at this price point, you actually get a decent number of things for a range of sports included.
In all honesty, though, we feel that Vivitar would have been able to provide a much better camera if they just scrapped all of these accessories and just improved the tech the camera runs on. Anyway, at the time of writing, you get the following things included with your purchase:-
- A waterproof case that works to a depth of thirty feet.
- A helmet mount that works with a few other action cameras too.
- A bike mount that is secure and will hold your cam in place.
- A tripod adapter.
- A micro USB.
- A charging unit.
Interface
The integrated 1.8-inch LCD screen on the Vivitar DVR783HD does a decent job of reproducing the colors that you capture or record with the camera and its menu is easy to navigate to get to the various settings that you may need to tweak during use.
The three button system on the camera is also a nice touch for the entry-level action cam range allowing you to easily navigate and operate the camera. That said, the buttons are not very responsive, they are unable to be operated when the camera is in its waterproof housing, and they can stick sometimes too.
If you are wanting to pick the Vivitar DVR783HD up for your child then they will easily be able to navigate the menu of the camera without issue. Additionally, anyone who is not too confident with technology or who prefers the easy life of having an easy to use menu will be able to use the DVR783HD easily.
Our Verdict
That concludes our Vivitar dvr783hd review, due to it being such a cheap, entry-level action cam we have tried to do the best job possible to cover both its strengths and weaknesses but at the end of the day, it is an action camera and its job is to capture decent photographs and video. As the camera struggles to do this, we feel the positives such as the easy to nagivate menu and robust build quality of the camera are massively overshadowed.
Again, we would always recommend the Akaso Brave 4 (Click here to check for product prices and availability) to our readers over the Vivitar dvr783hd as it simply beats the dvr783hd in everyway while retailing within the same price bracket.
Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of This Product!
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The video below offers an additional third-party, independent review for the Vivitar dvr783hd to offer our readers an independent opinion of the product.
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