A Review of the Covert Key Chain Hidden Camera and Digital Video Recorder

The Key Chain DVR is the latest breakthrough in digital video technology. A tiny hidden camera that records video to micro SD cards for up to fifty minutes is now hidden inside something that looks like your car alarm activator.

 No matter if you are in Law Enforcement, a Private Investigator, a concerned parent or spouse, or just like the latest gadgets, this is the latest high tech device that you have to have.

 The Covert Key Chain Hidden video camera records high-resolution 640 x 480 videos at 30 fps, with clear audio. With an internal lithium-ion battery, the manufacturer claims you can record a video for up to 3 hours. In our tests, we were able to record for about 50 minutes.

 The keychain DVR is also a 1.2-megapixel digital camera that will also take up to 4,000 high-resolution photographs at 1280 x 1024.

After you charge the Covert Key Chain Hidden Camera for three hours, you are ready to start recording. The device has a built-in vibration mode that will tell you when you when the unit is turned on, and when it starts taking video, and still photographs. It won't tell you when you stop filming video, so you have to trust that it works.

The device is laid out like a regular automobile key for late model cars, a black device about 3 inches x 1.5 inches x ½ inch, with several buttons to lock and unlock an automobile, only with the DVR Key Chain Video Recorder, you are turning on or recording video when you push the buttons.

The end of the unit pulls off easily to reveal the USB port, micro SD card slot, and the record/charge status lights.

To start recording video, turn the device on by pushing the ON/RECORD button, which is the top left button with the picture of the "locked" lock for 2 seconds. The unit will vibrate.

 

Push the ON/RECORD button again, and it will vibrate and start recording video. If the end cap is removed, the blue light will turn red, now you are in video recording mode. To stop recording, push the ON/RECORD again, and the device will stop recording, though it will not give you a vibration.

To shoot still photographs, push the bottom at the bottom that looks like a lightning bolt. It will take a still photograph and vibrate. Hold it still while this is going on for clear photographs.

You can either shoot more photographs or shoot more video. To shoot more videos, push the top left ON/ODD button to start recording more video.

When you are finished, push the top right button, which is the "Unlock" button. The unit will vibrate, and turn off.

We believe this is the most mobile and discrete way to record video on the market today due to what the device looks like. Except for the DVR Spy Watch, all of our other hidden camera digital video recorders are somewhat noticeable when you record your subject.

 If you point a DVR Spy Pen at someone, they will wonder why you are holding a pen toward them. In our tests, when we used the key DVR Spy Key Chain to record covert digital video, we found not one person thought we were filming them. I was just standing there holding my keys, looking stupid.

We tried to connect the Covert Key Chain Hidden Camera to an Apple computer with the included USB cable, and we saw nothing on the device, no videos or photographs. We then removed the micro SD card and tried to read the card with an SD card reader, and again, nothing showed up.

 We then tried to connect the DVR Keychain to a PC with the USB cable, and it did not recognize it either. Only when we turned the unit on first, then we were able to see the video and photo files.

 The photographs were large 1280 x 1024, clear, and the color is rich. They are slightly blurry because if you were holding the device, your body is moving. If you can set it down, it will take very clear photographs.

 The video was clear 640 x 480, resolution at 27-29 FPS, and we found that the audio was clear with no feedback, weird noises, underwater sounding, or anomalies. You get clear video with clear sound, which is hard to come by in these inexpensive devices.

 Let’s review the Pros and Con's of the keychain DVR recorder:

 

Pros:

  • Easy to use, and easy to switch between recording videos and photographs
  • Vibration lets you know when the unit is recording or turned on
  • Large clear video at 30 frames per second
  • Clear audio
  • Huge JPG pictures
  • One of the most discrete video surveillance cameras on the market
  • Clear and large videos with excellent sound quality

Cons:

  • Does not work at all on an Apple
  • SD Card is not readable on an Apple
  • The device itself does not show up on a PC unless you turn it on.