Looking for a dashcam, who can help me out before I go crazy?

[Gerbe321]

Hi all,

I'm new to the whole dashcam scene, but I'm an avid photographer, gamer, developer and reviewer for games and PC hardware. So, I've got some basic knowledge about resolutions, FPS, HDR, and all those terms. I started looking for a dashcam because I'm going on vacation to Croatia this summer for a 5000km round trip and I want a safer feeling while driving. If I can also record some funny or weird (or nice sceneries!) that would be also great.

I'm a bit of a pixel peep and I've lost a few days doing research. Before I go 100% crazy and keep sinking in a few more days I would like to ask someone else for advice, haha.

At the start I was looking a 70mai 300. Cheap and seems OK to start with. Then I saw the footage and I was disappointed because you couldn't really read anything. So I started going up in the line-up and found the 70mai A810. This one sound perfect for me, apart from the fact that it uses a battery. And everyone pretty much agrees that that's not ideal (or crap). I want a dashcam to work for at least 5 years without me having to replace batteries every 1-2 years.

Then I started to find out about Viofo. First the A119 plus and pro. Then I found the A119 Mini 2, and I think this one is perfect for me on a 1CH dashcam. But a rear camera is also good to have. I think it's not worth the money saving if you ever need the rear camera. And two Mini 2's are more expensive (double SD and hardwire etc) and sound like more of a hassle.

So now I start reading some more and I also found the A229 Plus 2CH. That one sounds like it has the same specs as the Mini 2 (for the most part) but has the rear camera with it that has the same camera. It's overall cheaper (for me at the time of writing).

What do you guys think? For now a 4K camera sounds nice to have, but the issues regarding overheating and the much higher price sound like it's not worth it, or not for me right now.

What I want in a camera is the following:
- At least 2K (I think the term sucks, I prefer 1440p)
- Starvis 2
- 2CH preferable, but 1CH is fine if it's not much more expensive when I buy two
- Future proof. This might be a vague term, but I want a camera that doesn't need batteries replaced within 2 years, or would probably break down or degrade fast. Also some time of firmware updates. So newer is better in that way I think, because it's more likely a very old camera will not get firmware updates that long anymore.
- Good nighttime performance (with HDR)

Some questions I gathered but am not sure yet:
- Does the A229 Plus 2CH support 60FPS with 2 cameras?
- Does the A229 Plus 2CH have auto HDR? I understand this is the preferred setting.
- Does the A229 Plus 2CH have all the parking safety features as the A119 Mini 2? I read somewhere it's buggy, but might be due to hardwiring.

Am I missing something? I would like to spend ~200 Euro for the camera itself, but I can stretch it if it's worth it. The SD card and hardwire kit are prices that would come on top of that.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Panzer Platform]

Welcome to the club.
If image quality is your priority, especially night time HDR performance (TWO) A119 Mini 2 units will serve you better.
This is due to the current firmware of the A229 Plus, (night time HDR performance is lacking).
As far as having to deal with two separate SD Cards that might be a positive on a long road trip because you will be able to record twice the footage before the cards reaches capacity.
And I only recommend Viofo Brand SD cards in Viofo cameras if you value your sanity.
If you don’t want the hassle of dealing with two cameras I have no problem recommending the A229 Pro 2-CH.
The night time HDR performance of the A229 Pro’s front camera is much better than the A229 Plus’ front camera.
-Chuck

 

[Vortex Radar]

Great comments by @Panzer Platform. I've taken Viofos on trips abroad as well and have been very happy with them. I loved your photographer's perspective in your post, talking about how the term 2K sucks and referencing pixel peeping.

 

[Gerbe321]

Welcome to the club.
If image quality is your priority, especially night time HDR performance (TWO) A119 Mini 2 units will serve you better.
This is due to the current firmware of the A229 Plus, (night time HDR performance is lacking).
As far as having to deal with two separate SD Cards that might be a positive on a long road trip because you will be able to record twice the footage before the cards reaches capacity.
And I only recommend Viofo Brand SD cards in Viofo cameras if you value your sanity.
If you don’t want the hassle of dealing with two cameras I have no problem recommending the A229 Pro 2-CH.
The night time HDR performance of the A229 Pro’s front camera is much better than the A229 Plus’ front camera.
-Chuck

Thanks. Do you have any idea of this will be solved anytime soon? Is it purely the firmware with the same potential HDR performance as the mini 2?

You really make me doubt. The A229 Pro is quite some more cash I'd like to spend at once. But then again not that much more compared to two mini 2's with the cards and hardwire kit etc...

How is the Pro dealing with heat? Europe van get hot summers as well nowadays. Is the advice still to steer away from 4k or is the pro less prone to that?

Great comments by @Panzer Platform. I've taken Viofos on trips abroad as well and have been very happy with them. I loved your photographer's perspective in your post, talking about how the term 2K sucks and referencing pixel peeping.

Thanks! Which ones are your personal favorites? What would you do in my situation?

For the record, I don't drive much at regular basis. I do almost everything by bike. But when I do drive it's for longer trips like vacation etc. And I would like to have proper gear that will last me some time instead of crappy stuff that annoys me or lets me down.

Both thanks for your comments. I've been lurking on the forum for a few days and have seen posts from you guys a lot! Great reviews and tests.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Do you have any idea of this will be solved anytime soon? Is it purely the firmware with the same potential HDR performance as the mini 2?

The A229 Plus was released to the public September 2023, (6 months ago).
I expect the firmware to be 100% fully complete on the first day paying customers buy it, but sadly that is not the case.
Pretty much all manufacturers release complete hardware, and “unfinished” firmware because they know they can release firmware updates later.
This is the sad state of “rush to market”.
I’ve been testing Viofo dash cams since February 2020, and usually the firmware is “acceptable” within 30 days of public release.
The A229 Pro & A229 Plus is the first camera to take this long to have “acceptable” firmware.
Again, this is not an isolated issue with just Viofo.
Vantrue sent me the S1 Pro for test & review September 2023, and it has the same “unacceptable” night time HDR performance;

Vantrue S1 Pro Test & Review PP

First off I am not a professional dash cam tester / reviewer so everything I say should be confirmed & verified, and taken with a grain of salt. I consider myself a very basic dash cam user that’s tested a lot of cheap junk, and even some expensive junk. Playing with dash cams in my garage is my...

dashcamtalk.com

Of course the average consumer has no idea what HDR is, and how to test its effectiveness reading license plates.
Most consumers look at their DAYTIME footage, and say; “hey this looks pretty good” and have nothing to compare it to, or check night time performance.
So back to your question, the golden rule is to never buy any electronics with the promise of “eventually the firmware will make it better”.
I say forget that.

How is the Pro dealing with heat? Europe van get hot summers as well nowadays. Is the advice still to steer away from 4k or is the pro less prone to that?

When you’re driving down the road with the camera in Normal Recording Mode with airflow, and the A/C on overheating will “never” be an issue.
When you car is parked with the windows up, under direct sunlight with no airflow on a hot summer day, and the camera is in Parking Mode 99% of all dash cams will over heat.
I measured the heat signature difference between the A229 Pro 3-CH & A229 Plus 3-CH in parking mode.
I used a Thermal Imaging Camera for accurate measurements.
The difference was only 8℉ (5℃);

A229 Pro Test & Review PP

I tried to “edit” all 7 POV’s into one video. Since I don’t have a computer, or editing software I downloaded the 7 clips to my iPhone SE 2020, and “glued” the clips together with iMovie. 1.) Front: A229 Pro Front / Main 2.) Rear: A229 Pro Front / Main 3.) Driver Side Exterior: A229 Pro Rear 4.)...

dashcamtalk.com

Which ones are your personal favorites?

Here is Vortex Radar’s top picks for 2024;

Here’s my review of the A229 Pro & A119 Mini 2;

What would you do in my situation?

If I was in your situation I would buy a single channel A229 Pro for the front window, and an A119 Mini 2 for the rear window.
And in a few weeks I would add the new Telephoto remote camera for the A229 Pro.
This will give you the “ultimate” set up for capturing license plates.
Here is @Mtz video on the new Telephoto remote camera;

In about 10 days I will receive two Telephoto Remote cameras for the A229 Pro.
I’m going to put one on the front, and one on the rear.
Keep your eyes peeled for my testing thread.

 

[Gerbe321]

Let me know when you've got your testing thread for that! Sounds interesting, but I'm more concerned about losing the wide FoV for things that happen on the sides of the front.

Doesn't the Pro (or Plus for that matter) have some kind of mode where in parking mode it's in a lower bitrate or resolution to keep it a bit cooler? Or doesn't that make much of a difference? Does it matter which type you use? So a low timelapse mode, or the impact mode for example?

Not sure if it's a good reviewer, but watching footage form here:

I see that the 229 Pro has a lot of issues with the shutter that causes some blurry footage, which seems to make the plates unreadable, which isn't present in the other cameras he tests in this case. Not sure if that's because of the HDR (which seems to be on), but that worries me a little since it's pretty expensive.

The A229 Pro 1CH is ~200 euro here, from AliExpress, and I'm not sure if I want to buy there in case of issues.
Adding an A119 Mini 2 for the rear adds another ~120 euro. Then I have to add SD card and hardwire kit x2.

The A229 Pro 2CH is ~300 euro, again from AliExpress.

The A229 Plus 1CH right now is ~150 euro.

The A229 Plus 2CH is ~200.

It sucks the HDR performance is so poor, because I doubt the 4K is worth it (for me). I'll have to think about it. It's a big difference in money I think.

 

[Panzer Platform]

I'm more concerned about losing the wide FoV for things that happen on the sides of the front.

You don’t loose any FOV.
The A229 Pro Front camera is your wide angle camera.
The Telephoto “remote” camera plugs into the A229 Pro’s “rear channel” input jack, and you mount the Telephoto camera next to the A229 Pro Front with a short 60cm cable.

Doesn't the Pro (or Plus for that matter) have some kind of mode where in parking mode it's in a lower bitrate or resolution to keep it a bit cooler?

Most all Viofo dash cams have 3 parking modes.
AED Automatic Event Detection
LBR Low Bitrate
TLR Time Lapse
AED & LBR drops the Bitrate of all connected cameras to 4Mbps.
Time Lapse does not provide audio.
The most “reliable” parking mode, and the only one I recommend is LBR.
Viofo 4K dash cams drop to 2K in parking mode.
For the A229 Pro dropping the resolution from 4K down to 2K, and dropping the Bitrate from 60Mbps down to 4Mbps makes a dramatic decrease in the heat signature to prevent overheating in parking mode.

Not sure if it's a good reviewer, but watching footage form here: I see that the 229 Pro has a lot of issues with the shutter that causes some blurry footage, which seems to make the plates unreadable

Life Hackster is very credible, and a subject matter expert.
However, he made one critical mistake when testing the A229 Pro.
HDR is only for NIGHT TIME, if you enable HDR during DAYTIME it will cause the “motion blur” as shown in his video.
That’s why Viofo dash cams have an AUTO HDR TIMER setting.
You can set the HDR to;
Off
On
AUTO
In the AUTO setting you choose the hours of the day you want the HDR enabled.

AliExpress

As far as purchasing a Viofo dash cam it’s always “safer” to buy from a local retailer that is based, and operates in your home country.
When purchasing from outside your home country you have almost no consumer protection laws to help you if/when something goes wrong.
That said ordering directly from Viofo.com is a trustworthy option, however their return policy is only 3 days, and you must pay return shipping back to Hong Kong.

Viofo Benelux might be a good option for you since they operate in the Netherlands.
It looks like they have a 14 day return policy.

As far as AliExpress return policy, good luck.

 

[Gerbe321]

Oh right, interesting! Now I understand how the telephoto works. So that means you have to buy the already expensive 2CH version, and also buy a Mini 2 or something extra for the rear. How amazing that sounds, it will cost too much money I think. I don't think my wife, or me for that matter, would be okay with that. I imagine the 4K front and 2k rear camera would suffice in most situations.

You're right about ordering locally. That's my preferred way. I don't think Viofo Benelux is the most ideal situation, but 315 euro (338 freedom dollars ) for the Pro 2CH + HK4 + 128GB Sandisk High Endurance sound acceptable. I'd rather buy from Amazon but for some reason they don't sell the A229 Pro on the Dutch Amazon, only the regular A229 2CH.

You probably don't know about the EU market, but are you aware of good deals around here? Or how to get in touch with Viofo for testing purposes? I'm a demanding customer so I'm sure I can help with testing and helping improve their product.

 

[Gerbe321]

Oh I forgot to ask, do you have a guestimate of how long you can shoot with the 128GB SD card for example? So for example the A229 Pro 2CH 4k + 2K rear compared to the A119 Mini 2 in 2K? Are we speaking of 24H? 48H? When you press the button to save a clip, is that one 'locked' in terms that it will not be overwritten until you manually remove it?

 

[Panzer Platform]

So that means you have to buy the already expensive 2CH version

You can buy the A229 Pro in 1-CH configuration;

VIOFO A229 PRO 1CH 4K HDR Front Dash Cam with Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 8MP Sensor Super Night Vision Voice Control 5GHz WiFi GPS

4K HDR Front with Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 8MP Sensor, Smart Voice Control & Notification, Includes GPS module & Circular Polarizing Lens.

viofo.com

Sandisk High Endurance

This card in not recommended by Viofo.
It will cause recording malfunctions, especially in A229 Pro multi-channel configuration.

how to get in touch with Viofo for testing purposes? I'm a demanding customer so I'm sure I can help with testing and helping improve their product.

This is the form I filled out to become a Viofo tester;

Product Review

viofo.com

 

[Panzer Platform]

Oh I forgot to ask, do you have a guestimate of how long you can shoot with the 128GB SD card for example?

Here's DCT's Recording Time Calculator;

Recording Time Calculator - DashCamTalk

Use our Recording Time Calculator to approximate how much video your SD card can hold.

dashcamtalk.com

It will get you in the ballpark, but I will do you one better.
I will grab my A229 Pro 2-CH Rear, and A119 Mini 2 out of my car, and give you an exact figure.

When you press the button to save a clip, is that one 'locked' in terms that it will not be overwritten until you manually remove it?

When you press the Lock Button it will "save" that clip, and I think the clip before and place it in a separate folder on the SD card.
However, I have read reports that under curtain circumstances it will eventually be recorded over.
So it's a good idea to buy the largest compatible SD Card (Viofo 512GB), and know exactly how long it will record for, and then download the clip when you reach your destination.
Just between you, and me I never use the Lock Button, I have a different system to remember the time of an interesting clip I want to download when I reach my destination.
But also using the Lock Button can be convenient because it puts the file in a separate folder so you can find it easy.

 

[Nigel]

When you press the Lock Button it will "save" that clip, and I think the clip before and place it in a separate folder on the SD card.

Sometimes the clip before, and sometimes the clip after, but only if you are near the joins when you press the button, thus may need both.

However, I have read reports that under curtain circumstances it will eventually be recorded over.

Yes, the locked files are in a loop recording, just like the normal files, but a different loop, so if you lock a lot of files, you will start to lose the first locked files.

So it's a good idea to buy the largest compatible SD Card (Viofo 512GB), and know exactly how long it will record for, and then download the clip when you reach your destination.

Depends on how you use your camera, and how much driving you do. A 512 GB card is quite big, but if you drive 8 hours per day, then the start will soon get written over. If you are only interested in your own accidents then you can have quite a small card, plus a spare, so you can swap them after your accident and keep the accident footage very safe. But do note that in general, small cards wear out faster, so a large card is an investment rather than a waste, so go for good price/GB unless you drive a taxi and want passenger footage kept, then you will want the largest card.

I imagine the 4K front and 2k rear camera would suffice in most situations.

Most people are very happy with that setup.

I'm a demanding customer

But not everyone!

4K + 2K is a good start, once you know what that does, then you can decide if you need 8K or 16K for you next dashcam!
Of course many people are perfectly happy with 2K.

so I'm sure I can help with testing and helping improve their product.

Feedback on the one you buy is always welcome, and can be posted here.

Or how to get in touch with Viofo for testing purposes?

Normally it works the other way around, following useful feedback...

 

[Gerbe321]

You can buy the A229 Pro in 1-CH configuration;

Right, but that wouldn't give the telelens option, right?

This card in not recommended by Viofo.
It will cause recording malfunctions, especially in A229 Pro multi-channel configuration.

That's really misleading from Viofo, because that's what they offer on the Benelux website! Either 64GB or 128GB sizes for that type.

Thanks for checking how long you can record! That would give me a good idea.

Right now I'm still doubting to get the A229 Plus 2CH and hope the HDR issues are solved soon ™, or to go for the A229 Pro 2CH. It's quite a bump in price and I'm not sure if it's worth it since 2K is also OK. It's ~200 euro vs ~300 euro which is a 50% increase.

Like I said, I don't drive that much, but on vacation I do, and when I ever need the footage I don't want it to be one big blurry mess. I don't I won't drive much at night, that's why I'm also not too fussed about the HDR performance on the A229 Plus. Too bad the HDR mode isn't a bit cleverer. Would be great if it turned on with the amount of light. So for example a tunnel. Are the Auto settings for HDR fixed times? Because that would be a PITA with DST and summer and winter in general when it's either dark at 4PM or 10PM or somewhere in between.

 

[Nigel]

That's really misleading from Viofo, because that's what they offer on the Benelux website! Either 64GB or 128GB sizes for that type.

It is a temperature problem with the card becoming too slow in hot weather, so expect problems in Australia, but it may be OK in North West Europe. I'm not recommending it, but maybe the Benelux dealer has not seen any issues, so is happy to sell it.

Right now I'm still doubting to get the A229 Plus 2CH and hope the HDR issues are solved soon ™, or to go for the A229 Pro 2CH. It's quite a bump in price and I'm not sure if it's worth it since 2K is also OK. It's ~200 euro vs ~300 euro which is a 50% increase.

If you are not driving much at night, you can just leave HDR Off, then both dashcams will do a good job, there is nothing to worry about. The current HDR is for night time driving, and does an excellent job on both cameras compared to non-HDR dashcams. Hopefully we will, at some point, get HDR that works well day and night, but we are not there yet, and it may need some further hardware developments rather than just firmware. Panzer Platform is being a bit of a perfectionist when he says the A229 Plus HDR is unacceptable; it is only unacceptable because we know that it can be improved and hasn't been yet.

For image quality, you are looking at the best current dashcams, they are not perfect, but they are better than everything else!

Are the Auto settings for HDR fixed times? Because that would be a PITA with DST and summer and winter in general when it's either dark at 4PM or 10PM or somewhere in between.

Correct! Some improvement is needed, but for night time driving it is better than not having the Auto HDR, and much better than having No HDR. It is what we have at the moment.

 

[TheSpanishInq]

@Gerbe321
FWIW: I bought mine from viofo.com, during the Easter sale. The Dutch site doesn't provide the Viofo cards and told me they won't any time soon. They give a 15% discount on the 512GB card atm, and $60 discount on the 229Pro 2CH with a promo code they show on checkout. The cam was shipped from Germany, so no extra import taxes .
I can't tell you anything about the video quality cause I don't have the car to match yet, hope to get that next Saturday.

 

[Gerbe321]

It is a temperature problem with the card becoming too slow in hot weather, so expect problems in Australia, but it may be OK in North West Europe. I'm not recommending it, but maybe the Benelux dealer has not seen any issues, so is happy to sell it.


If you are not driving much at night, you can just leave HDR Off, then both dashcams will do a good job, there is nothing to worry about. The current HDR is for night time driving, and does an excellent job on both cameras compared to non-HDR dashcams. Hopefully we will, at some point, get HDR that works well day and night, but we are not there yet, and it may need some further hardware developments rather than just firmware. Panzer Platform is being a bit of a perfectionist when he says the A229 Plus HDR is unacceptable; it is only unacceptable because we know that it can be improved and hasn't been yet.

For image quality, you are looking at the best current dashcams, they are not perfect, but they are better than everything else!


Correct! Some improvement is needed, but for night time driving it is better than not having the Auto HDR, and much better than having No HDR. It is what we have at the moment.

Right, but I wouldn't want to risk getting such a card since I will also be going to countries where's its 35+c during the summer. Thanks for the HDR clarification. That makes me lean towards the A229 Plus more.

@Gerbe321
FWIW: I bought mine from viofo.com, during the Easter sale. The Dutch site doesn't provide the Viofo cards and told me they won't any time soon. They give a 15% discount on the 512GB card atm, and $60 discount on the 229Pro 2CH with a promo code they show on checkout. The cam was shipped from Germany, so no extra import taxes .
I can't tell you anything about the video quality cause I don't have the car to match yet, hope to get that next Saturday.

Thanks, that's good to know! So right now the A229 Pro 2CH with hardwire kit and 256gb SD is €357.75 with the discount.

The A229 Plus 2CH is €291.04 right now (no code) with the hardwire kit and 256gb SD. That makes it less interesting, although I still think their prices are a bit higher then on the Benelux website.

They're also boasting about 18 months warranty, while the minimum is 2 years for stuff you buy in the EU.

The A229 Pro 2CH is €304,95 from the Benelux website with hardwire kit. Adding the Sandisk Max Endurance 256GB brings it back to the same price as on viofo.com so I feel like the so-called discount is not much of a discount.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Right, but that wouldn't give the telelens option, right?

The Telephoto will not be available for a few weeks.
When it becomes available I imagine they will offer it ala cart, and in 2-CH, 3-CH configurations just like current configurations.

That's really misleading from Viofo, because that's what they offer on the Benelux website!

Correct.
It’s false & misleading but only on the part of Benelux.
Benelux is simply a retailer / reseller, (they are not the manufacturer).
Let me be clear, Benelux is an official distributor, but they do not make Viofo policy.
They are simply a store that happens to sell Viofo dash cams.
We get this complaint about Benelux selling SD Cards that are NOT recommended by Viofo every so often.

Right now I'm still doubting to get the A229 Plus 2CH and hope the HDR issues are solved soon ™, or to go for the A229 Pro 2CH. It's quite a bump in price and I'm not sure if it's worth it since 2K is also OK. It's ~200 euro vs ~300 euro which is a 50% increase.

When you upload your vacation road trip to YouTube, and send the link to your friends, and family they will be impressed when they see the 4K badge on the video description. Lol
No one ever said; “Gee, I wish I bought a lower resolution dash cam”.
LMAO

 

[Panzer Platform]

@Gerbe321
FWIW: I bought mine from viofo.com, during the Easter sale. The Dutch site doesn't provide the Viofo cards and told me they won't any time soon. They give a 15% discount on the 512GB card atm, and $60 discount on the 229Pro 2CH with a promo code they show on checkout. The cam was shipped from Germany, so no extra import taxes .
I can't tell you anything about the video quality cause I don't have the car to match yet, hope to get that next Saturday.

I was wondering when you'd show up.
Can you convince your countrymen to get the Pro, instead of the Plus? lol

 

[Panzer Platform]

Oh I forgot to ask, do you have a guestimate of how long you can shoot with the 128GB SD card for example? So for example the A229 Pro 2CH 4k + 2K rear compared to the A119 Mini 2 in 2K? Are we speaking of 24H? 48H?

Viofo dash cams with an LCD screen indicate available recording time (Hours / Minutes / Seconds) in the top right corner when recording is stopped.
The Viofo Smartphone APP only displays “Free Space on Card” indicated in GB.
This makes it difficult to determine available recording time of Viofo’s SCREENLESS models (A139 Pro, WM1, VS1, T130, MT1, A159 Box), especially with multiple channels each with different Bitrates.
I requested Viofo add available recording time (Hours / Minutes / Seconds) to the APP in addition to “Free Space on Card” to make it easier for consumers.
Especially since we get this question from almost every new / prospective Viofo customer, but no dice yet.

A229 Pro 2-CH Rear (Max Bitrate) = 13 Hours 5 Minutes
A119 Mini 2 (Max Bitrate) = 35 Hours 56 Minutes
Tested with Viofo Brand 512GB SD Card

 

[Nigel]

A229 Pro 2-CH Rear (Max Bitrate) = 13 Hours 5 Minutes
A119 Mini 2 (Max Bitrate) = 35 Hours 56 Minutes
Tested with Viofo Brand 512GB SD Card

Note that parking mode uses a lot less, even if it is recording continuously.

Also, if you want longer, you do not need to use Max Bitrate, 2/3rds of that still gives a good image most of the time, at half you will notice some loss of image quality.