So is this dashcam worth buying? Does parking mode work? Skim-reading this thread, people are saying this does not work and parking mode is one of the key features I want when purchasing my first ever dashcam.
To answer your question, "Parking Mode" only works partially. If you are hoping to have the "g-sensor" go off when someone/something bumps into your car from the side (initially out of view of your camera), you are "out of luck"!!! This does not work with the Viofo Dash Cam. Viofo told me personally that they would fix this problem by the end of August. - - They did not fix it! Incidentally, this problem goes all the way back to February 2019, so it's clear Viofo is in no hurry to fix the feature that many customers like you, me and many others place at the "top of the list" of importance.
Btw, they told Sdeel7491 they would fix the g-sensor problem in October... they still did not fix it and we are half way through November. - - So, bottom line is "the G-sensor function" in parking mode does not work, period with the Viofo dash cam.- - What do you miss out on by it not working??? - - Well, if something/someone hits your car in a place you don't normally walk-by and inspect everyday, you could have some damage to your car that you are clueless about. - - If the g-sensor function was working properly, you'd have a notification video in your Read Only folder (RO). You would not have to sift through hundreds of videos because it would have been marked and saved for you. - - That's what most people would like to have happen with a G-sensor feature in parking mode.
If by chance you made a discovery a day(s) after someone damaged your passenger-side quarter panel, you could go through hours and/or days of video in your regular "movies folder" looking for the "damage incident" which by the way is not protected from being overwritten. If you waited too long, any video of someone/or something near your car just may have vanished!
The automatic "motion detection" parking mode is pretty much useless. It will go off if there are trees blowing 100 yards behind or in front of your camera. So, you will have the cam detecting stuff all day long, every minute practically.
So, you raise a good question. Which cam should you use if you want "the best parking mode"... I believe someone in the past has said Blackvue, Thinkware and Mini0906. Incidentally, I've attached a video of what the Mini-Q9 does. It's cheaper than the Viofo. I don't believe it does "motion detection" (but Viofo doesn't do that well either). - Go to video time - 4:00, to see first event; go to video time 4:55 to see the 2nd g-sensor triggered event. - Viofo's dash cam will not trigger at all like the events you see on the video. - - Incidentally, if you do not consider g-sensor as being important as shown in the video, the Viofo dash cam may be just fine for you, with the limitations I mentioned above.
On top of getting the best "Parking Mode" dash cam, it would behoove you to try to get a company that offers "good customer support"...Vifofo does not do so!!! Look at Valkyrie's attached post pleading for replies from Viofo...their customer service is really lacking! Btw, Street Guardian which is represented by Jokiin on this forum has excellent customer support!
Good luck with whatever dash cam you decide on!