Viofo A139 pro // 1ch // Wifi // Wifi Station-mode // Name and Password

I use Mikrotik router as my home router and have it connect to my dashcam, the opposite way to being a station
 
Hello marcusb,

Does the A139 involved streaming-process, when in station-mode, require some special capabilities (data-throughput for example) to establish a stable (multi?)-streaming process so that i have to check possible router candidates for these capabilities? Are there special router-types for media-distribution purposes?

Hey Müller,
you can use any router.
For best performance, it should have both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Bands.
Depending on the distance from the router (at home?) to your car, an external antenna may be necessary.
 
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Also, I have not done anything to optimize my network for the dashcam. I have two routers, but none are exactly close to the garage, so it's possible performance would be better if the router was closer.
Just add a repeater into your netwerk close to the garage. :)
 
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Just add a repeater into your netwerk close to the garage. :)
I'll be honest, I'm not that interested just yet to do anything about it. I'm not really sure how useful this feature is in it's current state.
 
Hallo SirVival.

SirVival: [...] repeater [...]

I guess repeaters add additional latency to the already not very snappy videostream, so before going that route one might be better off with trying a directional antenna in the first place. If willing to open up the cam and install that adapter-cable. Und ja, Nehberg ist mir natürlich wohlbekannt ... :)

Bzgl. Router: Was hälst Du von den Fritz-Geräten. Die stehen ja in fast jedem Haushalt/jeder Firma. Und der support scheint recht solide? Warum in die Ferne schweifen, wenn ...
 
So ...

On advise of DCT-user "SirVival", i connected one A139pro to my laptop. What´s working: inserting the camera´s IP into the address-bar of a browser, the file-directory of the cam/card can be displayed and manipulated (download etc.) What doesn´t work: Viewing any live-stream with rtsp://***.***.***.***/xxx.mov in the VLC-player (media -> open networkstream). VLC only shows error-messages like a MG 42.

Any ideas?
 
Hello.

Feedback from VIOFO-support: they are sorry for the inconvenience regarding this issue but wanted me to again exercise the procedure exactly as described in here.

I first didn`t want to jump through that hoop again for that evening i did that so many times, but because hope dies last ... ^^

And today it worked. Flawlessly.

So this is what you get:

1.) Access to the cam´s card file-directory via a browser and viewing the live-stream of the cam in the usual preview quality at the same time.

2.) One can connect several pcs. of A139pros to, in my case, 1pc. of Laptop and open each camera´s videostream in it´s own VLC-player window. They don´t stumble over their so many legs.

3.) The time-lag is nearly 1sec.

4.) Extending the distance between Laptop and cams the WLAN-wire eventually ripps. The blue Wifi-LEDs on the cams then start flashing instead of shining continuously and the women living in the cams tells `Wifi disconnected´ but in station-mode there´s no 10min. timeout and the cams are going on waiting for some device asking for their service until the batteries die. The videostream in the VLC-player(s) stops with the last known good picture while the error-box coming up telling VLC cannot open this or that stream. When shortening the distance to the cams at some point the Lady in the cams announces "Wifi connected" and the videostream(s) in the VLCs start locomoting again.

5.) All image controls like saturation, gamma, contrast of the VLC-player can be used to work on the livestream, but, as mentioned under 6.) their effects cannot be recorded, it will only be recorded the livestream as it´s delivered by the cam.

6.) With that litte record-button of the VLC-player one can record the livestream like with a tape-recorder, START, STOP, done.

7.) One thing that´s annoying: As soon as my UMTS-modul in my laptop looses grip on the internetz, everything goes down the toilet, WLAN, hotspot, camera-stream. When that UMTS-thing catches up again, one has to activate the hotspot again and then wait for the cameras to reconnect. Which is one thing i do not understand, because, what´s WLAN/Wifi/hotspot got to do with the interwebs? I usually think these are driving on seperate roads? Remove the sim and WLAN should keep on rolling Oo!?

So, now that this cliff is circumnavigated, it´s time for external ... antennas.

Thanks to SirVival for kicking me to that hotspot-thing on my portable computer. And to VIOFO for so firmly believing in my late-bloomer qualities ...
 
Hello.

Additional piece of information:

Once having been set to ´station-mode`, then powered -OFF-, the camera will start in `station-mode` the next time it´s powered -ON-.
 
5.) All image controls like saturation, gamma, contrast of the VLC-player can be used to work on the livestream, but, as mentioned under 6.) their effects cannot be recorded, it will only be recorded the livestream as it´s delivered by the cam.

A workaround for this would be to do a screen recording of the image adjusted livestream. At least on the Apple Macintosh platform this capability is built into the OS as well as the supplied QuickTime app that comes with the computer. Using an aftermarket plug-in you can also record high quality audio from the stream (assuming the stream provides audio).
 
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Hello Dashmellow,

i just mentioned it for the sake of completeness. I personally think original footage pulled from a documentaion-device should never be altered in any way, even if it´s such a stone-age quality like that live stream. One can work on a copy of the latter in post-production. But even it´s a fact the live stream quality being mediocre at max., it still is an escape path for the videomaterial, means: it´s not anchored to the memory-card where it can be confiscated or taken away by some road-rage psycho but instead taking an invisible path through the air to a recorder hidden somewhere else in the car. All functionality like recording-START/STOP or emergency clip-locking do work also in station-mode, so basically no difference to driving around with the cam in standard-(app) mode and additionally, for the stream being such a thin soup, even with a small memory capacity, that hidden recorder can swallow a huge amount of footage. Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Viofo should scratch their heads about poking a hole into the wall of the present live view-stream quality and offer a second level quality option because i think modern WLAN-devices can easily handle a more pumped up stream and the option to send this footage over a wireless-wire to some secret place in the car or even via sim-card to ... anywhere, would be a nice, actually serious option.

Dashmellow: [...] (assuming the stream provides audio).

It´s a silent-movie. You´re just being able to see your car being set on fire or driven off out of Wifi-range by an unknown person but the drama und the pain watching this is attenuated by happening in soothing silence.
 
Wi-Fi station mode is working well for me, both accessing via iPhone (iOS Safari) and also via FTP through Windiws Explorer on Win 7.

However, I’d really like a way to access the settings over Wi-Fi station mode, has anyone worked out a solution to that yet?
 
Hello Russellg.

This is something i also thought of/wished for. Maybe at least we both open up a corresponding ticket on the VIOFO-helpline making Mr. and Mrs. Viofo aware of a huge transnational demand regarding that functionality ... ^^
 
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@Müller

Great idea! I have just posted this ticket: -

Hello,

I would like to request that you can enable app access over WI-FI station mode.

WI-FI Station mode is very useful for me but having to switch WIFI modes to download files to the app or change settings is very time consuming.

Access to the camera in WI-FI station mode via the app also allows users to download media files via their home WI-FI access point rather than having to sit in the car beside the local A139 access point
 
Hello Russellg.

Thank you for joining the Club.

You wrote:

Russellg: Access to the camera in WI-FI station mode via the app also allows users to download media files via their home WI-FI access point rather than having to sit in the car beside the local A139 access point

In Station mode you actually can retrieve the files from the card by filling the IP of the corresponding cam into the address-field of your browser.

My submission:

1.) I would like to request that you can enable app access over WI-FI station mode. WI-FI Station mode is a very useful feature and might be even more if the camera settings would be accessible in Station mode.

2.) Possible to include audio in the live-stream?

3.) A second, optional higher quality live-stream so the (useful) video is not tied to the internal card only but can be recorded to a wireless device in a remote location.
 
Hello Russellg.

Thank you for joining the Club.

You wrote:



In Station mode you actually can retrieve the files from the card by filling the IP of the corresponding cam into the address-field of your browser.

My submission:

1.) I would like to request that you can enable app access over WI-FI station mode. WI-FI Station mode is a very useful feature and might be even more if the camera settings would be accessible in Station mode.

2.) Possible to include audio in the live-stream?

3.) A second, optional higher quality live-stream so the (useful) video is not tied to the internal card only but can be recorded to a wireless device in a remote location.
Excellent. I think when other users see the power of station mode they will also board the train - pun intended!

I have successfully viewed a number files via the browser and downloaded (transferred) via ftp, but I also like to see the real world map of the file too - of which I need the app for - I know there is a computer app option but I have not (yet) tried the recommend (cost option!!!) Dashcam Viewer. Back in the day I used to use Registrator Viewer with my K1S.

But more importantly the primary goal for me is to be able to config the camera over station mode.

On a side note I have encountered a slight issue with my setup in that it adversely affects my radio reception, but I’ll do some more testing a post a new topic on that one.
 
Hi, I am new to this forum and considering to buy a139 pro and in need some confirmation for the wifi station mode functionality
1. Do a139 pro really have wifi station mode feature? or only a139 has it? link1 link2
2. At what resolution and frame rate the rtsp is? does it have audio? (rtsp://( dashcam’s IP address)/xxx.mov)
Can someone share to me the vlc codec information of the stream?
3. Can it connect to standard wifi 802.11 bgn with WPA2 PSK passphrase?
4. Can it be setup to record 24/7 with wifi station mode?
5. Can it be setup to always enter station mode when booting?
6. Can it auto reconnect wifi whenever it get disconnected?

I know some of the question already answered in this thread in some form, I'm kinda just want to make sure and double check before buying
Thanks.
 
Hello louiseanton.

louiseanton: "Does a139 pro really have wifi station mode feature?"

Yes.

louiseanton: "At what resolution and frame rate the rtsp is?"

I cannot tell you any exact data on this. But the quality is the same as the preview in the app. So mediocre at best. But for watching someone making an art-object of your car with a hammer, it´s ok, ... but far from 4k.

louiseanton: "Does it have audio? (rtsp://( dashcam’s IP address)/xxx.mov)"

No. But hopefully Mr. and Mrs. VIOFO will have a heart and switch such feature ON ...

louiseanton: "Can someone share to me the vlc codec information of the stream?"

All i´ve got:

dct_050423_006.jpg

louiseanton: "Can it connect to standard wifi 802.11 bgn with WPA2 PSK passphrase?"

WPA2 is supported according to VIOFO.

louiseanton: "Can it be setup to record 24/7 with wifi station mode?"

The camera records on the card no matter if in standard- (app-mode) or station-mode. When in station-mode, you can additionally record the live-stream via VLC-player as long as you whish or the batteries powering the cam last.

louiseanton: "Can it be setup to always enter station mode when booting?"

Once the cam is in station-mode it will always start in station-mode. After activating the cam, the women in the cam says `recording xy channel started`, then: `Wifi station-mode enabled`, then, when the cam was able to connect to another device: `Wifi connected`. To switch station-mode OFF respectively switch back to standard (app-) mode, you switch OFF Wifi with the button on the cam, then switch Wifi ON again with the button on the cam.

louiseanton: "Can it auto reconnect wifi whenever it get disconnected?"

Yes, but only when the IP assigned to the cam remains the same.
 
Thanks for the info, it really help me figure thing out.
Btw another questions

1. If I use 3ch a139 pro, can I get the stream for all 3 camera?
2. Is your vlc codec media info (Resolution 640x360) is the limit even if I set the camera resolution to 4k?
 
Hello louiseanton.

louiseanton: "If I use 3ch a139 pro, can I get the stream for all 3 camera?"

I cannot help you with this because i am only using the one-channel devices.

louiseanton: "Is your vlc codec media info (Resolution 640x360) is the limit even if I set the camera resolution to 4k?"

Up to date there is only this one stream obtainable from the camera and it is limited to that 16:9 "adapted" VGA-resolution. Hopefully, and additionally unknown if the cam´s hardware being capable of supporting that at all, Mr. and Mrs. VIOFO will add audio to the stream and maybe even roll out a second higher quality stream (?).
 
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