ImmersionRC PowerPlay FPV DVR Review

If you’ve been in the hobby as long as I have, you know that the “Digital vs. Analog” war is mostly over. Digital won on clarity. But let’s be real: analog isn’t dead. In fact, for those of us ripping tiny whoops through our apartments or sending bandos where we’d never risk a $200 air unit, analog is still king.

But there is one thing that has always plagued us: terrible DVR footage.

You know the pain. You just landed the wildest gap of your life, you pull the SD card from your goggles, and what do you see? A pixelated, muddy mess that drops frames right at the climax. Or worse, the “Blue Screen of Death” cut out the static just when you needed to see where your quad crashed.

This is why, even in 2025, I am still rocking the power play fpv dvr.

I’ve spent the last month re-testing this unit to answer a single question: Is this 5-year-old piece of tech still relevant today? I’m not here to recite a spec sheet; I’m here to share my real-world data and experience.

The Problem: Why Your Goggles Are Lying to You

Most pilots assume their high-end goggles handle recording just fine. I thought so too until I lost a quad in tall grass three years ago. My goggle DVR froze on the last clear frame before I hit the ground. The actual crash? Never recorded. I spent three hours searching.

The internal DVRs in even the best analog goggles (like the HDO2 or even newer Skyzones) are an afterthought. They typically use:

• MJPEG compression: An ancient, inefficient codec.
• Low Bitrate: usually capped around 6Mbps.
• 30 FPS: Even though your camera is sending 60 fields per second.

This is where the immersionrc power play fpv dvr changes the game. It doesn’t just record the video; it captures the raw feel of the flight.

My 2025 Field Benchmarks: Unique Data & Research

I didn’t want to just “feel” the difference; I wanted to measure it. Last week, I took three setups to the field. I flew the exact same freestyle line with a flight time of exactly 3 minutes. I then analyzed the footage files on my PC.

Here is the exclusive data I gathered for this review. This isn’t from a manufacturer’s brochure; this is from my bench.

Table 1: 2025 Analog DVR Performance Comparison

My Takeaway:

The data proves it. The power play fpv dvr pulls nearly 2.5x more data per second than a standard internal DVR. That extra data is why the grass looks like grass and not green mush.

But the most critical stat here is “Breakup Handling.” When I flew behind a concrete pillar, my goggle DVR froze. The PowerPlay kept recording the static. If that was a crash, the PowerPlay would have shown me exactly where I went down.

Why the “ImmersionRC Power Play FPV DVR” is a Cult Classic

You might see “ImmersionRC” and think “old school,” and you’d be right. Orqa acquired ImmersionRC a while back, but they kept this product alive for a reason.

1. The “ClearPal” Tech

This isn’t just marketing fluff. Standard DVRs throw away half the image information (interlacing) to save space. The PowerPlay captures both fields and stitches them into a smooth 60fps progressive video. When you watch it back, it looks almost like a 720p digital feed. It’s buttery smooth.

2. It Powers Your Goggles

I hate managing batteries. The PowerPlay uses two 18500 Li-Ion cells. It has a cable that powers both the DVR and your goggles (FatShark, Skyzone, Orqa, etc.). This acts as a massive battery bank on your head strap, balancing the weight and giving you hours of flight time.

3. It’s a “Black Box” for Whoops

If you fly Tiny Whoops indoors, you can’t carry a GoPro. The immersionrc power play fpv dvr is the only way to get footage that is high quality enough to post on Instagram or YouTube without looking like a potato.

Installation Guide: How I Run It

There are two ways to wear this. I’ve tried both, and here is my recommendation.

Option A: The “Head Hunter” (My Preference)

1. Mount the PowerPlay to the back of your goggle strap using the included clip.
2. Use the short DC/AV splitter cable.
3. Connect the barrel plug to your goggles and the AV jack to the goggle’s “AV Out” or “Headphone” port (check your manual).
4. Pro Tip: This acts as a counterweight. If you have heavy goggles like the HDO2s, having the PowerPlay on the back actually makes them more comfortable by balancing the center of gravity.

Option B: The “Pocket Rocket”

1. Use the longer included cable.
2. Put the PowerPlay in your pocket.
3. Run the cable up your shirt to the goggles.

• Why I don’t like this: I always forget it’s in my pocket and nearly rip the cable out when I bend over to pick up my drone.

The Verdict: Is It Worth It in 2025?

Look, if you only fly DJI O3 or Walksnail, you don’t need this. Go away.

But if you are like me and you still have a fleet of analog quads, or you are getting into the “Tapeless” camcorder digitization trend (which this device is also famous for), the power play fpv dvr is non-negotiable.

Pros:

• Best-in-class analog image quality.
• Reliable “static recording” (crucial for crash recovery).
• Acts as a high-capacity goggle battery.
• H.264 compression is easy to edit in Premiere/Davinci.

Cons:

• It adds weight (if head-mounted).
• It uses 18500 batteries, not the standard 18650s (be careful buying spares!).
• The menu navigation is a bit clunky with the scroll wheel.

For $80-$100, it breathes new life into your analog gear. I’m not getting rid of mine anytime soon.

FPV Pilot Q&A: Your Questions Answered

I see these questions pop up on forums constantly. Here are my direct answers.

Q: Can I use 18650 batteries in the PowerPlay? A: No! Do not try this. The PowerPlay is designed for 18500 cells. They are shorter. If you force 18650s in, you will break the plastic casing or damage the contacts. You can find 18500s at most vape shops or specialized battery stores.

Q: Does the “power play fpv dvr” add latency? A: It adds absolutely zero latency to your flying. It connects to the “AV Out” of your goggles. You are still flying off the analog feed in your screens; the PowerPlay is just passively listening and recording that signal at the end of the chain.

Q: Why is my footage cropped or showing black bars? A: This is a settings mismatch. Analog cameras are either PAL or NTSC.

• If your camera is PAL, the PowerPlay records 720×576 @ 50fps.
• If your camera is NTSC, it records 720×480 @ 60fps.
• Fix: Go into the PowerPlay menu and ensure the “Video Standard” is set to “Auto” or manually match it to your drone’s camera.

Q: Will this work with the new Walksnail or DJI Goggles? A: Generally, no. Those are digital systems. However, if you are using a frantic “Analog Adapter” module bay on your DJI V1/V2 goggles, you can plug the PowerPlay into the AV jack of that adapter. But for native digital flying? No. This is an analog hero.