Car Audio & Tech News, Guides & Advice
Expert buying advice, product launches and how-to guides from the CEN team in Nottingham.
Expert Advice, Straight From the CEN Team
Welcome to the CEN blog — your home for expert advice, product launches and buying guides from one of the UK's leading car audio, dash cam and tech specialists. Based in Nottingham and trading for over a decade, CEN is an authorised UK retailer for over 80 brands including Alpine, Pioneer, Focal, JL Audio, VIOFO and Thinkware.
Here you'll find in-depth product reviews, installation and setup guides, comparisons between the latest car stereos and dash cams, and news on Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, home AV, photography gear and off-grid power. Every post is written by our in-house team — the same people who answer your questions and hand-pick our range — so the advice you read here is the advice we'd give you in person.
Looking for something specific? Browse by category above, or get in touch — we're always happy to help before you buy.
Telephoto Dash Cams Explained: Reading Number Plates at Distance
A wide lens sees everything and resolves nothing at distance. Here is what a 4x zoom channel changes, who needs...
Dash Cams in Winter: Night Footage, Condensation and Battery Drain
Winter is when dash cams earn their keep and when they're most likely to let you down: dark afternoons, glare...
Best Dash Cam Setup for Taxi and Private Hire Drivers
For taxi and private hire work, a three-channel dash cam with an infrared cabin camera is the right tool: it...
Dash Cam SD Cards Explained: Why They Fail and Which to Buy
Dash cams kill ordinary SD cards. If your camera shows card errors, skips footage or stops recording, the card —...
Are Dash Cams Legal in the UK? Placement, Footage and the Rules That Matter
Yes, dash cams are legal in the UK — legal to fit, legal to record public roads, and their footage...
How to Send Dash Cam Footage to the Police in the UK
Loop recording destroys more evidence than anything else. Here is how to lock a clip, where to submit it, and...
Best Dash Cam for a Tesla or EV: Parking Mode Without the Battery Worry
An EV still has a 12V battery, and parking mode can flatten it. Here is how we fit dash cams...
Viofo A229 Plus vs A229 Pro: Is 4K Worth It?
Same body, same mount, same hardwire kit. The only real difference is 2K versus 4K at the front, and it...
Viofo A229 Pro vs A329S: Which Should You Buy?
Both record 4K, both take a 2K rear camera, and the price gap is bigger than the spec gap. Here...
New VIOFO Line-Up at CEN: A149 Pro, T330, T340 and the BP60 Battery Pack
VIOFO's biggest launch in years has landed at CEN: the A149 Pro Duo brings 4K and Sony STARVIS 2 to...
Dash Cam Parking Mode Explained: Buffered, Motion and Time-Lapse
Parking mode is your dash cam's night shift — it keeps watch while the car is parked, and the three...
How to Hardwire a Dash Cam (And When to Use a Battery Pack Instead)
Hardwiring connects your dash cam directly to the vehicle's fusebox instead of the 12V socket. It does two things: hides...
Best Dash Cam UK 2026: Which Should You Buy?
For most UK drivers in 2026, the best dash cam is the VIOFO A229 series — 2K recording front and...
Unlock Enhanced Road Safety with the Thinkware U1000 Plus Dash Cam
In today's fast-paced world, the importance of having a reliable dash cam cannot be overstated. Not only do these devices...
