Viofo A329T (unboxing & first impressions) (Sony Starvis 2 IMX678, Wi-Fi 6/GPS, HDR, Novatek NT98530, 4K front + 2.5K telephoto + 2.5K rear, HDR all)

Augustus said:
It should be relatively straightforward as you say, because my cars in built screens on the instrument cluster and dashboard , change brightness automatically depending on the brightness of light in the car
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Part of the challenge though is the location of the sensor. In my car it's sky-facing, on the top of the dashboard next to the glass. You could have a remote light sensor on a cable (remember the SG GPS units?) but I doubt that would be welcomed. You can't put the sensor on top of the dashcam because in most cases it would be looking at the headliner or frit, maybe a clear sky view in some cars. So you're left with metering the sky portion of the dashcam sensor which is a relatively small patch if you're in an urban area with tall buildings.
 
TonyM said:
Part of the challenge though is the location of the sensor. In my car it's sky-facing, on the top of the dashboard next to the glass. You could have a remote light sensor on a cable (remember the SG GPS units?) but I doubt that would be welcomed. You can't put the sensor on top of the dashcam because in most cases it would be looking at the headliner or frit, maybe a clear sky view in some cars. So you're left with metering the sky portion of the dashcam sensor which is a relatively small patch if you're in an urban area with tall buildings.
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This is true that does pose a challenge so unless the dashcam had some integration with the vehicles in built systems, then it may be too hard to implement then
 
TonyM said:
Part of the challenge though is the location of the sensor. In my car it's sky-facing, on the top of the dashboard next to the glass. You could have a remote light sensor on a cable (remember the SG GPS units?) but I doubt that would be welcomed. You can't put the sensor on top of the dashcam because in most cases it would be looking at the headliner or frit, maybe a clear sky view in some cars. So you're left with metering the sky portion of the dashcam sensor which is a relatively small patch if you're in an urban area with tall buildings.
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I agree that the top of the dash cam won't work, but I don't think the sensor has to be pointed at the sky.
A combination of two light sensors at the lower portion of each side of the dash cam might work.

Similar to car's headlights, there should be a some delay incorporated.
This delay helps prevent the auto-headlights and similarly will prevent auto-HDR from turning on and off rapidly in situations, where light conditions change quickly.
 
TonyM said:
If a camera is going to use a brightness sensor I think it should be ambient brightness, not scene brightness. So that means an upwards pointing sensor looking at the sky, rather than metering off the dashcam sensor. Something like the light sensor on a car dashboard.

If it's dark enough for a car's auto-headlights to activate, it's probably dark enough for HDR to be effective.
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That still poses an issue. Party Cloudy where Sun goes in and out of cloud? Or Buildings (as mentioned). You're still going to have the HDR trigger on and off. Also, you'd have to either build in the sensor on the mount or the front base of camera near lens in order to detect skyward.

I'm sure it could be done. But I wonder the reliability.

1746895316700.webp
 
This sensor idea is interesting; my initial perspective on such things are usually from the software side, and what value does it bring to the product or customer. They are not much more than a photocell, easily to implement as far as a off or on but, at what light level will the manufacturer consider turning it on? The manufacturer can go by a engineering spec for the CMOS in use, and be technically correct, but then we would have people complain about that because they want HDR to initially enable, or disable itself in greater or lesser light situations. Thus, the manufacturer leaves HDR as it currently is, ON, OFF, Time Set or, they add a photocell and still have the same settings as there currently are but now need to add light intensity levels.

It seems to me that adding a photocell would be easy enough, but would add complexity to the dash cam main body as the manufacturer would need to decide if the photocell is pluggable (another port and expense), or if it is permanently attached to the dash cam body. The sensor seems to fall into that 'vanity feature' category, nice to have, but once implemented, the use still needs to select the options for ON, OFF, Time Set, or intensity levels.
 
Almost everyone uses automatic headlights, so how many people complain about it? I don't know anyone.
And I think it's because people prefer ease of use and convenience.

Auto-HDR, activated by an ambient light sensor, is no different.
In my opinion, it should replace the Time Set HDR, but manual on/off may remain an option for those who need precise timing control for HDR, including via the BT button.

I understand that light sensor activated HDR may not be perfect, but neither is Time Set HDR or even manual control.
How many times a year should we adjust Time Set HDR for seasonal lighting conditions, and for daylight savings? I think most users probably don’t even bother.
People tend to forget, get tired, ignore, make mistakes, etc.. Not to mention driver distraction.

Ease of use with minimal user intervention and a good set of default settings are the key to customer satisfaction, minimizing negative reviews from the "average Joe" users.

Nothing is overly complicated about auto-HDR.
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx0FWeSgsoqmmhd4M-oTlZUYcw6RUhcPHm?si=5U9pAUPgYcNHJ_Ul
 
GPak said:
Almost everyone uses automatic headlights, so how many people complain about it? I don't know anyone.
And I think it's because people prefer ease of use and convenience.

Auto-HDR, activated by an ambient light sensor, is no different.
In my opinion, it should replace the Time Set HDR, but manual on/off may remain an option for those who need precise timing control for HDR, including via the BT button.

I understand that light sensor activated HDR may not be perfect, but neither is Time Set HDR or even manual control.
How many times a year should we adjust Time Set HDR for seasonal lighting conditions, and for daylight savings? I think most users probably don’t even bother.
People tend to forget, get tired, ignore, make mistakes, etc.. Not to mention driver distraction.

Ease of use with minimal user intervention and a good set of default settings are the key to customer satisfaction, minimizing negative reviews from the "average Joe" users.

Nothing is overly complicated about auto-HDR.
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx0FWeSgsoqmmhd4M-oTlZUYcw6RUhcPHm?si=5U9pAUPgYcNHJ_Ul
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Except headlights and their sensors are externally mounted and an interior mounted dashcam faces the obstacle of every vehicle's windshield layout is different.
 
jsmith said:
Except headlights and their sensors are externally mounted and an interior mounted dashcam faces the obstacle of every vehicle's windshield layout is different.
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Google's AI to the rescue:
AI Overview
Automatic headlight sensors are typically located on the windshield or dashboard near the windshield.
They can also be found behind the rearview mirror.
The sensor's position allows it to detect ambient light levels, triggering the headlights to turn on or off as needed.
 
GPak said:
Google's AI to the rescue:
AI Overview
Automatic headlight sensors are typically located on the windshield or dashboard near the windshield.
They can also be found behind the rearview mirror.
The sensor's position allows it to detect ambient light levels, triggering the headlights to turn on or off as needed.
Click to expand...

Depends on vehicle...

 
Automobiles with the Auto/On/Off settings, and how the head lights react can indicate a similar situation with Auto HDR on dash cam. On daytime driving with automobiles with the AUTO setting on for headlights or ambient interior lights, even the change in bright sun to less bright sun, based on road conditions, clouds, etc. can trigger the head lights to come on. Obviously, this could be an issue with Auto HDR on a dash cam during the day time. Manufacturers will certainly need to set a base line luminosity for on and off.

I am neutral about the Auto HDR feature; I use Time Set for HDR and don't worry about the one hour daylight savings time transition. But, I would prefer for VIOFO to focus on features such as telephoto and base lens be in same body, better cooling, app software that scales to landscape mode for phones and tablets; I find those to be more valuable to me than Auto HDR driven by a sensor, that will still require user interaction on the initial setup. Different strokes for different folks.
 
lufa6977 said:
Automobiles with the Auto/On/Off settings, and how the head lights react can indicate a similar situation with Auto HDR on dash cam. On daytime driving with automobiles with the AUTO setting on for headlights or ambient interior lights, even the change in bright sun to less bright sun, based on road conditions, clouds, etc. can trigger the head lights to come on. Obviously, this could be an issue with Auto HDR on a dash cam during the day time. Manufacturers will certainly need to set a base line luminosity for on and off.

I am neutral about the Auto HDR feature; I use Time Set for HDR and don't worry about the one hour daylight savings time transition. But, I would prefer for VIOFO to focus on features such as telephoto and base lens be in same body, better cooling, app software that scales to landscape mode for phones and tablets; I find those to be more valuable to me than Auto HDR driven by a sensor, that will still require user interaction on the initial setup. Different strokes for different folks.
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Agreed on many other features being highly sought after over Auto HDR. Adding Auto HDR isn't bad, but it'll face hurdles. Manufacturers take into account a vehicle's design when creating their headlights and placing sensors. Likely, the curvature of the windshield and headliner differ between vehicles.

So placing a light sensor on the camera would either need to be an attachment or place on the front base somehow.
 
Had it not been for my recent huge extra expence, it did look as if i was going to buy my first Viofo product.
I really like to step up to MAX 4K performance and get a tele camera on my windscreen.
 
kamkar said:
Had it not been for my recent huge extra expence, it did look as if i was going to buy my first Viofo product.
I really like to step up to MAX 4K performance and get a tele camera on my windscreen.
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I can tell you that having a telephoto is a big plus to a setup.
 
I wonder if the A229 Pro (4K Front + RTC300) will be better value for money than the A329S variant (4K Front + RTC400)?
 
TonyM said:
I wonder if the A229 Pro (4K Front + RTC300) will be better value for money than the A329S variant (4K Front + RTC400)?
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Think you answered your own question haha
 
Augustus said:
Think you answered your own question haha
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I haven't seen the A329S pricing yet, and the A329S offers flexibility if I want to add a rear camera so may be more valuable in the end
 
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