VIOFO A129 non-IR 1080p Modified Firmware MODs Archive

[TonyM]

MOD-0Uq Sample video
CPL On / WDR Off / EV-0.3 / 1080p30 /35.8Mbps / 140FOV Uncoated lens

https://mega.nz/#!T8wHwahD!-jUw1t_zDLQ14o_reR0tEXrnIzAnbQ4cyiEv86o54Wg

This is the clearest video I have seen from the A129 when driving on tree-lined roads with harsh shadows and lots of detail.

The slightly enhanced saturation in combination with the CPL is a little bit too much for me, but may suit other users.

 

[BCHobbyist]

Feedback wanted on latest MOD Uq version, results will be used for next version MOD-6Us
Sharpness - acceptable / increase / decrease (( changed by -32 ))
Saturation - acceptable / increase / decrease (( changed by +2 )) ((( A119 changed by +27 )))
Brightness - acceptable / increase / decrease (( unchanged ))
Bitrate Range - acceptable / increase / decrease (( stock 20/16 Mbps ==> changed to 22.6 - 35.6 Mbps ))
Date Stamp - acceptable or DD/MM/YYYY or DD.MM.YYYY

 

[TonyM]

Feedback wanted on latest MOD Uq version

Based on my daytime MOD-0Uq video :
Sharpness - acceptable
Saturation - decrease
Brightness - acceptable
Bitrate Range - acceptable

EDIT: I have now reviewed the night footage from last night, which looked good to me on all counts
Sharpness - acceptable
Saturation - acceptable
Brightness - acceptable
Bitrate Range - acceptable

 

[vvs49]

This is the clearest video I have seen from the A129 when driving on tree-lined roads with harsh shadows and lots of detail.

With this bitrate will not be as small.
Here is the bitrate 12

You will drive under the bridge and see the result !!
I recorded such a video and treatment, but accidentally erased everything, but I can’t repeat the weather turned bad for us, it rains !!

 

[BCHobbyist]

With this bitrate will not be as small.
Here is the bitrate 12

You will drive under the bridge and see the result !!
I recorded such a video and treatment, but accidentally erased everything, but I can’t repeat the weather turned bad for us, it rains !!

Did you test 40 Mbps Bitrate or higher ?? Mp4 file size is massive and fills memory card in few hours or less.

 

[vvs49]

Did you test 40 Mbps Bitrate or higher ??

Of course!
But the bitrate should be between 26-36, there is no point above.
When recording for 1 minute, the file size is within 170 MB.
And nothing, that the card is quickly filled, it is a recorder and not Hollywood, we need - in case of accidents 3, 4 frames, and they always will be.
My, above, the movie is just for raising the bitrate otherwise it will be bad.
But I'm not talking about bitrate !!
Here is the same bitrate, and the difference on the face.
Forgot to translate !!!
Drive under the bridge

I failed to test more thoroughly, the weather deteriorated, and then I will do tests.

 

[Sadoka]

Tried your 5UP and 5UQ firmware but there might be a bug. It worked with my 256GB Samsung Evo Plus SD card at first for a week or 2 but today it stopped. It does recognize the card bit it is unable to record. It shows there is room for 15 hours and 11 minutes of recording space but no blinking red icon. So I waited a few minutes and then safely removed the SD, nothing was recorded.

Then I tried a second new 256GB card, formatted in my Macbook as ExFat but when I enter it into the camera, it just shows a blue screen asking to format the card. Tried that, worked for a second and then stopped. So I tried the 2UQ firmware, same issue.

Now I’ve just reloaded the stock firmware and its fine, the camera records without errors now. I’ve also tested both SD cards for error and for speed, both are error free and have 95Mbit reading and 87Mbit writing speeds. It is so weird because it worked fine for weeks with the 5UP firmware, parking mode and all other settings worked fine.

I will try and upload the new 4UQ firmware again later tonight, maybe that will work? Another question; the UQ firmware downgrades sharpness but won’t that make license plates harder to read? Especially when you keep a safe distance?

 

[jokiin]

I will try and upload the new 4UQ firmware again later tonight, maybe that will work? Another question; the UQ firmware downgrades sharpness but won’t that make license plates harder to read? Especially when you keep a safe distance?

sharpness is a counter intuitive name for what it does, the factory default firmware has too much sharpness, the modified firmware reduces it which improves the picture

 

[Sadoka]

sharpness is a counter intuitive name for what it does, the factory default firmware has too much sharpness, the modified firmware reduces it which improves the picture

Right, good to know thanks! And sticking with the 2UQ or the 4UQ is already much better than the stock quality, right? If I am not mistaken, that records at 16Mbit front and 4Mbit back? Or was it 8Mbit back? The camera’s are okay but it’s quite hard to read license plates, unless you’re driving 2 meters behind someone. The 5UP mod did improve readability though!

My only 2 concerns are that I might sacrifice rear camera quality when I go for the 5UQ or higher and that the camera might not work very well in summers when temperatures reach 35 in the Benelux or 45 when on holiday in Italy for example.

 

[jokiin]

see how you go with temps but yes the modified firmwares have various improvements that seem to work for most people

 

[Sadoka]

Ok I upgraded to the 5UQ again now and everything worked until I started changing settings. So I reset the camera back to default and it worked again with the 256GB SD.

Then I started to change settings one at a time and see which setting disrupted the recording. Everything from GPS, parking mode etc, to loop recording.

And Loop recording was the culprit! Whenever I change loop recording from the default 3 minutes to 10 minutes, it would stop working. Changing it back or turning loop recording off, did not help. I had to reset the settings back to default in the menu and then it would work again.

So basically I believe the firmware works fine but just don’t change the loop recording settings! I will drive around tomorrow and try to capture some footage, so I can compare the original to the new firmware. And I hope you can figure out what is wrong with the loop recording settings.

 

[kernelp]

I had this problem too when I set 10 minutes and i think that i was on 9UP, but for 5 minutes work.

 

[BCHobbyist]

Never set Loop Recording to anything over 3 mins when using Modified Bitrates.
The file sizes become too large, any MP4 file over 500 MB is much easier to corrupt during write cycle.
Suggest always using Loop = 2 min or 1 min for all High Bitrate Modified Firmware.
Smaller MP4 files improve the chance of recording the last split second of a crash. This is why many expensive Dashcams use 1min as default Loop setting.

 

[BCHobbyist]

Right, good to know thanks! And sticking with the 2UQ or the 4UQ is already much better than the stock quality, right? If I am not mistaken, that records at 16Mbit front and 4Mbit back? Or was it 8Mbit back? The camera’s are okay but it’s quite hard to read license plates, unless you’re driving 2 meters behind someone. The 5UP mod did improve readability though!

My only 2 concerns are that I might sacrifice rear camera quality when I go for the 5UQ or higher and that the camera might not work very well in summers when temperatures reach 35 in the Benelux or 45 when on holiday in Italy for example.

25 Mbps Bitrate on Front and 19 Mbps on Rear camera is fine up to 38C when vehicle air conditioning is on. Extreme heat isn't good for any device in a closed parked car in direct sun. If your rear window is tinted forget about quality video. Viofo's official firmware locked Front and Rear cameras at 16 Mbps Bitrate in normal recording mode.

 

[RavenManiac]

Wow! This thread is awesome! As a new A129 owner, I really appreciate all of the time and effort you guys are putting into making the A129 an even better dashcam. Keep up the great work!

 

[vvs49]

That's what happened with the flash drive !!
This is one minute of work !!

DiskPart encountered an error: Data Error (CRC)

 

[mollydog]

Wow! This thread is awesome! As a new A129 owner, I really appreciate all of the time and effort you guys are putting into making the A129 an even better dashcam. Keep up the great work!

+1 also as a new owner, I couldn't agree more

 

[supr3me]

I've tested the new MOD-9Uq - Front 29 Mbps Rear 15 Mbps = Max Detail = Huge MP4 size a little outside, it's AWESOME, no more ugly over-sharpening, thank you very much for all your job @BCHobbyist !

I've tested 9Uq as well but in my case it doesn't look that good. To be honest any MOD or stock FW I've tested doesn't look good enough. When I watch movies other users showing I have a feeling that something is wrong with my cam. The image quality isn't sharp enough and looks a bit grainy, especially in the middle of the screen. I have 130 FOV coated lens. Maybe CPL is bad? I see sometimes dash reflections.
The picture is darker than yours. Did you change exposure or is it at zero?
I think rear cam is better even with the tint and CPL. Obviously it won't be excellent because of the tint but it's not that grainy at least.
I don't know maybe I'm overreacting? anyone can check it and say what you think, please?

VIOFO A129

hostiso.cloud - a safe home for all your data

eu.hostiso.cloud

Feedback on Uq version sharpness is needed specifically for wide and narrow FOV Lens.
The narrow field of view Lens may benefit with slightly higher Sharpness value 42. If anyone wants to Beta test MOD-7Ur let me know.

I can test it

 

[BCHobbyist]

I've tested 9Uq as well but in my case it doesn't look that good. To be honest any MOD or stock FW I've tested doesn't look good enough. When I watch movies other users showing I have a feeling that something is wrong with my cam. The image quality isn't sharp enough and looks a bit grainy, especially in the middle of the screen. I have 130 FOV coated lens. Maybe CPL is bad? I see sometimes dash reflections.
The picture is darker than yours. Did you change exposure or is it at zero?
I think rear cam is better even with the tint and CPL. Obviously it won't be excellent because of the tint but it's not that grainy at least.
I don't know maybe I'm overreacting? anyone can check it and say what you think, please?

VIOFO A129

hostiso.cloud - a safe home for all your data

eu.hostiso.cloud

I can test it

Always interesting to read image quality complaints, most never reach the manufacturer.
The Lens angle determines overall Brightness, not too high or low, my Tips #2 video clearly demonstrates Lens angle adjustment.
Loading too high a Bitrate does introduce some graininess in lower light conditions, suggest 7Uq and try without CPL to confirm filter isn't the cause. CPL filter cannot eliminate all reflections.

The main reason video isn't perfect is the Lens & Sensor combination.
The A129 uses a very low 2 Mega Pixel sensor, compared to A119 with 4 MP or GoPro with 12 MP. What do you expect from the budget priced dashcam with low mega pixel image sensor?
Take a photo with any camera/smartphone set at 2 MP then use 5 MP or higher, the image quality from 2 MP is always worse.

The A129 Lens focus isn't consistent off the production line. Soft center focus and low 2 MP sensor produce unfavorable image quality.

 

[BCHobbyist]

That's what happened with the flash drive !!
This is one minute of work !!

DiskPart encountered an error: Data Error (CRC)

Some memory card brands don't work well with Viofo dashcams. All memory cards have limited write cycles, when used past lifespan will enter Read Only mode preventing writing/saving to card.
When microSD card partition is damaged can try Windows > Properties > Tools > Error Checking (ChkDsk).
Try different memory card reader.