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Formula 1's on-board cameras may switch to HD next season
As we enjoy our first F1 action in the US since 2007 we're glad that it's in HD this time, however it still falling short in one area -- in-car camera shots. Although the racing series belatedly made the jump to high definition broadcasts last year, protests from the teams over weight and space issues caused it to stick with standard-definition cameras for the on-board shots. Now that a couple of years have passed and presumably the technology has improved, that may be addressed next year, at the same time US broadcasts of the series move from Speed/Fox to NBC Sports. Formula One Supporters Association caught up to F1 journalist Christian Sylt who got a peek at future plans that include the possibility of HD in-car cameras, multi-channel formats offering different views of the track and an interactive 3D replay feature. We'll have to wait and see how much -- if any -- of that is actually implemented any time soon, but if you'd like to check out the technology in use today, Speed TV has a live stream from several of the cars currently racing around the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
Infiniti's EX35 Around View Monitor system makes windows redundant
Infiniti looks to be upping the ante in in-car cameras considerably with its new Around View Monitor system, which makes its first appearance in the company's new Infinti EX35 SUV. As you can probably guess, the system includes cameras at the front, rear, and sides of the vehicle, which are apparently intended primarily to help with parking, but we're sure will also find plenty of use for practical jokes around the neighborhood. While they didn't take advantage of that particular possibility, the folks at AutoSpies did get to check out the vehicle first hand, and they've thankfully provided a video of the camera system in action, which you can check out after the break.
Clarion DRC-3 DriveEye captures vehicle crashes
It's been a tick since we've seen a new in-car accident recorder hit the market, but just in case none of the previous flavors caught your eye, Clarion's DRC-3 DriveEye can certainly do the trick. Per usual, this wee camera attaches to your windshield, and when an impact or sudden braking / acceleration is detected, it captures the 20 seconds before and after the event. Moreover, the built-in power backup system ensures that your recordings stay in tact regardless of electronic failures within the vehicle, and just in case you feel like logging a few frames of that Lambo ahead, the manual recording button allows you to indulge. ¥49,800 ($411) gets you the camera, a 128MB CF card, and all the sensors and switches needed to rig this up, but here's to hoping you never actually need it for legal proceedings.[Via Switched]
