BCHobbyist

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Dash Cam
A139 3Camera A129Duo-8WL A129Pro-4K A119V3 A119S-6Vk DCTeam
Expanding my Firmware Modifications to include A119, A119 Pro, A119S & A129 Duo Dash Cams to enhance image quality and function.
This post will be updated with all future MOD releases to keep everyone up to date.
Current Stable MODs --- Updated July 12, 2019
Download > https://viofo-dash-cam-modified-firmware.blogspot.com/p/download-a119-mod-file.html
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Current Beta MODs for Testing --- Updated - closed
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Higher Bitrate MODs improve image detail and increase MP4 video clip size.

How to load Modified Firmware: https://viofo-dash-cam-modified-firmware.blogspot.com

NOTE: If update fails or is corrupted the BootLoader is still functional.
To restore Dashcam, copy official A119 firmware file to microSD card then Power-On wait 1 minute.

Disclaimer: All BCHobbyist Modified Firmware is rigorously tested by DCTEAM Members under all conditions world wide. These MODs are not official VIOFO releases and considered Beta Firmware, I/we are not responsible for damage, loss, injury, or greatly improved image quality, use at your own risk.

Download A119 Modified Firmware > https://viofo-dash-cam-modified-firmware.blogspot.com/p/download-a119-mod-file.html

Viofo A119 Dash Cam Review > https://viofo-a119-dash-cam-review.blogspot.com
Dashcam Buyer's Guide & Advice > https://viofo-dash-cam-selection-advice.blogspot.com/
Troubleshooting Guide for VIOFO A119S or A119 > https://viofo-dash-cam-selection-advice.blogspot.com/p/dash-cam-troubleshooting.html








DashCamTEAM is a group of dedicated, respectful and helpful Dash Cam owners.
We are not associated with DashCamTalk or any Vendor or Manufacturer.
Our Forum Profile identifies active Members.

Please report all issues, thank you for using DCTeam MODs.
Contact BCHobbyist by clicking DashCamTalk Avatar to start Private Conversation, or from BCHobbyist YouTube Channel, or Blog website.

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@BCHobbyist That is damn cool dude. Very nice. I gotta find some time to try this.

Will this make the unit run hotter? What about more wear and tear with going with a higher bitrate?
 
@BCHobbyist That is damn cool dude. Very nice. I gotta find some time to try this.

Will this make the unit run hotter? What about more wear and tear with going with a higher bitrate?
Good question, Bit Rate determines quantity of Data saved to file, increasing it requires more processing which increases heat. High Bit Rates also push the limits of microSD card, lower end slow cards in the A119 set for 1440p can cause issues so increasing to 27Mbps will require higher quality memory cards for long duration use. The maximum setting is 28Mbps. Increasing resolution 1080p to 1440p or frame rate from 30fps to 60fps will increase processor/chipset load generating more heat. The A119 at 1080p@30fps = 15Mbps bit rate, BUT for improved video resolution A119 offers 1440p@30fps at 24Mbps which already increases processing load.
Modified Firmware pushes the limits of hardware and caution should be taken, but this allows you to test options otherwise not available to improve or enhance any device within its hardware limits. The A119 is a great DVR at 1440p, here is a way to see if it can go further temporarily. For the A119S and A129DUO these Bit Rate tweaks are greatly needed to match the A119's standard higher 24Mbps.
 
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High Bit Rates also push the limits of microSD card, lower end slow cards in the A119 set for 1440p can cause issues so increasing to 27Mbps will require higher quality memory cards for long duration use.
This is not realy true. 27Mbps is about 3,3MB/s. This speed has low-end Class 4 sd card. And who use this card in dashcam? Nobody. Almost everyone use Class 10 or UHS where is minimum speed at least 10MB/s (80Mbps) because this is minimum standart speed for 32GB and bigger.
Of course, this is true for classic brand cards. Not for Chinese unmarked cards that cost at least a half less
 
This is not realy true. 27Mbps is about 3,3MB/s. This speed has low-end Class 4 sd card. And who use this card in dashcam? Nobody. Almost everyone use Class 10 or UHS where is minimum speed at least 10MB/s (80Mbps) because this is minimum standart speed for 32GB and bigger.
Of course, this is true for classic brand cards. Not for Chinese unmarked cards that cost at least a half less
With dozens of microSD card models and range of qualities and speeds not to mention Fake slow NAND chip cards renamed as Fast or worse, the consumer should always use Class 10 which is standard today always buying from trusted source. Using memory cards designed for Drones or GoPro far exceed requirements for our mid-range DVRs. The key quality factors are Write Speed +20MB/s, extreme Temperature Durability and MLC NAND Chip Durability (TLC is fine and low cost but MLC will last longer not required for our DVRs). I prefer microSD cards which are Heat-proof, Waterproof, X-ray & Magnetic-proof.
 
Expanding my Firmware Modifications to include A129DUO, A119PRO, A119 & A119S Dash Cams. Below is a link to my A119 Modified Firmware Collection.
Seeking a few A119 owners to install and verify functionality, (must RENAME the binary file from FWBA119_v3.91_27Mbps_Sharp_DICE.bin to FWBA119.bin )
1) Flash Update proceeds normally (slow blinks, fast blinks, pause, slow blinks, fast blinks, restarts)
2) green DICE Logo appears
3) Menu Firmware Version has changed
4) recorded test clips for 1440p@30, 1289p@30, 1080p@60, 1080p@30 should all be saved as 27 - 27.5 Mbps.
5) Sharpness has been modified from 40 down to 20 to reduce halo over-sharpening effect. Better or Worse ?
6) does Parking Mode work normally at 27 Mbps ?

Sharing my A119 Modified Firmware. version 3.91 BitRate 27 Mbps + Sharpness 20 MOD + DICE Logo.
DOWNLOAD BCHobbyist A119 Modified Firmware : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d47InQ8qHSkZCgVfxersR1gflsd3hQTN

Increasing BitRate reduces pixelation on complex object like tree leaves, road surface, may reduce motion blur.
A119 is almost unbrickable if you don't flash the BootLoader. If update fails or is corrupted the BootLoader is still functional.
To restore Dashcam, copy official A119 firmware file to SD card then Power-On wait 1 minute.
View attachment 40580

installed. thanks.
 
@BCHobbyist, that is some good info. I have forgotten some of the tech specs after testing and reviewing the A119 Pro. Moved the A119V2 to the rear of the car, set things up, and forgot all about it. The A119 Pro could definitely use a tweak. I find there is over sharpening and that causes slight pixelation to my eyes.

And yes, I just checked my latest A119 V2 vid, it is indeed 24 mbps at 30 fps (1440). I really should install the latest FW for the Pro to make the front cam even better.
 
@BCHobbyist, that is some good info. I have forgotten some of the tech specs after testing and reviewing the A119 Pro. Moved the A119V2 to the rear of the car, set things up, and forgot all about it. The A119 Pro could definitely use a tweak. I find there is over sharpening and that causes slight pixelation to my eyes.

And yes, I just checked my latest A119 V2 vid, it is indeed 24 mbps at 30 fps (1440). I really should install the latest FW for the Pro to make the front cam even better.
The PRO and DUO DVRs are newest so any new firmware released for them will be high priority. The Sharpness fiasco started in late 2017 and I just couldn't take it any more. Bill contacted me to say Sharpness is in Beta testing and soon to appear in MENU as new User option.
 
The PRO and DUO DVRs are newest so any new firmware released for them will be high priority. The Sharpness fiasco started in late 2017 and I just couldn't take it any more. Bill contacted me to say Sharpness is in Beta testing and soon to appear in MENU as new User option.

So Sharpness is going to be in all models? I was thinking about this as I was driving today. Wouldn't it be great if Sharpness and Contrast can be user controlled! Glad to know I am not the only pixel peeper out there. Gotten way more relaxed these days as compared to when dSLR's first became popular.
 
BUT - it's possible to copy Image Quality values from A119 PRO firmware and paste into A119 V2. Thats basically what I'm working on now, comparing and capturing best IQ from all 4 DRVs to see if one has better quality, then modify for testing, using all the previously released firmware versions to identify the various functions. Should have something interesting very soon. So in a way your idea of PRO containing better IQ could end up being correct ! All 4 DVRs more or less all use the exact same IQ but the PRO is a little different. Happy MOD'ing.

So for optimization, there must be a sweet spot when it comes to IQ and wear and tear. What is the level of acceptable versus how much wear and tear we put on the cams. Great to have the best IQ but better to have a good enough image and then have the unit last longer is also something to consider?
 
So for optimization, there must be a sweet spot when it comes to IQ and wear and tear. What is the level of acceptable versus how much wear and tear we put on the cams. Great to have the best IQ but better to have a good enough image and then have the unit last longer is also something to consider?
More or less, ideally owners should have options to tweak image quality without adding stress to device. I'll include stock official firmware bit rate then add Sharp20 + Logo + hidden surpise no one noticed when viewing video specs. (hint DEMO)

All my Firmware Modification posts have magically been moved here : https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/a119-modified-firmware.35602/
 
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More A119 Modified Firmware uploaded all with default bit rates, but different Sharpness levels to compare.
FWBA119_v3.91_defaultMbps-Sharp27_greenDICE.bin
FWBA119_v3.91_defaultMbps-Sharp32_greenDICE.bin (previously known as Sharp20, now values 1-100)
FWBA119_v3.91_defaultMbps-Sharp37_greenDICE.bin
(must RENAME the binary file from FWBA119_v3.91_27Mbps_Sharp32_DICE.bin to FWBA119.bin )

Seeking A119 owners to install and verify functionality,
  1. Flash Update proceeds normally (slow blinks, fast blinks, pause, slow blinks, fast blinks, restarts)
  2. green DICE Logo appears.
  3. Menu Firmware Version has changed.
  4. recorded test clips for 1440p@30, 1289p@30, 1080p@60, 1080p@30 should all be saved as original Mbps.
  5. Sharpness (1-100) has been modified from official 64 down to 37 / 32 / 27 to reduce halo over-sharpening effect.

DOWNLOAD BCHobbyist A119 Modified Firmware : https://viofo-dash-cam-modified-firmware.blogspot.com/p/download-a119-mod-file.html

A119 is almost unbrickable if you don't flash the BootLoader.
If update fails or is corrupted the BootLoader is still functional.
To restore Dashcam, delete current FW file from memory card then copy official A119 firmware file to SD card then Power-On wait 1 minute.
 
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I thought this thread was for "Official" firmware? Shouldn't third-party firmware be in its own thread somewhere else?

I subscribe to this thread to keep track of when -VIOFO- releases firmware for my camera and have no interest in this off-topic discussion about third-party firmware. Can we get this discussion moved to its own thread?
 
I thought this thread was for "Official" firmware? Shouldn't third-party firmware be in its own thread somewhere else?

I subscribe to this thread to keep track of when -VIOFO- releases firmware for my camera and have no interest in this off-topic discussion about third-party firmware. Can we get this discussion moved to its own thread?
fair enough
 
Hi, do you think it's possible to combine HDR from old beta fw to new last fw?
interesting question, complex answer because even if WDR & HDR were in the Menu you shouldn't use them. As for modifying the firmware to reactivate the older Nov 2017 HDR Beta too difficult in current firmware. I wouldn't want to use that old buggy version to capture any code from either.
Bad news about both Dynamic Range features. They take frames away from normal stream to combine and improve the image in slightly different ways. In doing this your 30fps video is reduced by 2 or 3 frames causing slightly more motion blurring. That actually gets worse the faster the action, so instead of reading plates better its worse when in motion, stopped maybe its better. These two image enhancing features were never designed to be used in Dashcams, mostly for high end camcorders on a tripod. My advice is to never use WDR or HDR at night and rarely during the day. Any time you take away a video frame the remaining video image degrades. If you research WDR & HDR it states if there is too much motion the enhancement can fail, waiting for next series of frames to capture and process.
To improve plate reading don't enable any frame wasting options like WDR & HDR, use correct lens, don't use CPL since its dims image slightly, reading plates at night isn't possible unless directly ahead in your headlights.
If you want to improve the Image Quality request VIOFO include all Image Controls in the Menu = Saturation, Sharpness, Contrast, Hue, White Balance, Brightness.
 
interesting question, complex answer because even if WDR & HDR were in the Menu you shouldn't use them. As for modifying the firmware to reactivate the older Nov 2017 HDR Beta too difficult in current firmware. I wouldn't want to use that old buggy version to capture any code from either.
Bad news about both Dynamic Range features. They take frames away from normal stream to combine and improve the image in slightly different ways. In doing this your 30fps video is reduced by 2 or 3 frames causing slightly more motion blurring. That actually gets worse the faster the action, so instead of reading plates better its worse when in motion, stopped maybe its better. These two image enhancing features were never designed to be used in Dashcams, mostly for high end camcorders on a tripod. My advice is to never use WDR or HDR at night and rarely during the day. Any time you take away a video frame the remaining video image degrades. If you research WDR & HDR it states if there is too much motion the enhancement can fail, waiting for next series of frames to capture and process.
To improve plate reading don't enable any frame wasting options like WDR & HDR, use correct lens, don't use CPL since its dims image slightly, reading plates at night isn't possible unless directly ahead in your headlights.
If you want to improve the Image Quality request VIOFO include all Image Controls in the Menu = Saturation, Sharpness, Contrast, Hue, White Balance, Brightness.

PLEASE move this conversation elsewhere. Start a new thread for it and drop a link here if you like. But, these updates having NOTHING to do with official firmware are frustrating.
 
For those interested, feedback welcome, others take your conversation back to Official Firmware thread.

A119-default-Sharp64-40HEX-Data-Table-Structure.JPG
 
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