A119 Pre-production beta test, bugs, fixes, FW and suggestions

Did new tests, some suggestions:
- after I connected Viofo to my pc/smartphone using usb cable (mass storage mode), I get a sd format request on next Viofo start up. Why? I would like to view my video without formatting the sd card
- when Viofo asks for sd formatting and you do nothing, Viofo doesn't start recording. User could not see that alert and so user doesn't know Viofo isn't recording. IMHO Viofo should start recording 10 seconds after the format request or at least loudly beeping
- I recorded with 5 minutes loop video. Then I set loop video to off. So, in my sd card I have some 5 minutes length videos and 1 big files. During recording my sd has become full. Viofo stops recording (file was well closed) and start beeping. I think this should never happen. Stop recording while a user is driving is never a good option for a dashcam. Firmware should try a set of actions to continue recording, as remove older files to get free space. Also when recording with loop video option set to off a file should never be bigger than half of the total sd size, so Viofo can always delete old files and continue recording.
 
There did used to be some random EU rule that anything that can record over 30 minutes to one file was classed as a camcorder and subject to more tax - not sure if that rule is still around but if so may be something dashcam manufacturers have to avoid to keep costs down for importers?

Maybe it was just for digital cameras but did seem a bit random
 
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fiji said:
- I recorded with 5 minutes loop video. Then I set loop video to off. So, in my sd card I have some 5 minutes length videos and 1 big files. During recording my sd has become full. Viofo stops recording (file was well closed) and start beeping. I think this should never happen. Stop recording while a user is driving is never a good option for a dashcam. Firmware should try a set of actions to continue recording, as remove older files to get free space. Also when recording with loop video option set to off a file should never be bigger than half of the total sd size, so Viofo can always delete old files and continue recording.
Click to expand...

turning loop off was your problem, it won't delete files in this situation, it will just stop once the card is full
 
Hi jokiin, yes I know turning loop off was my problem. In the worst use case a driver start Viofo, drives without never stop the engine until his sd card is full, then firmware can't do nothing to help him because when there is no free space left the firmware can't "crop" saved files. Firmware could delete last files but this is a bad idea if I just crashed. So which is the best behaviour? Firmware could set a max file size limit = (sd total memory - EMR video - photos) / 3 (3 is better then 2).

So let check the worst case:
- I drive without never stopping. I have a 16 gb sdcard
- When my video file reach 5.3 gb I save it (file A) and start a new file (file B). Now I have only 10.7 gb free
- When also file B is 5.4gb big, I save it (file B) and start a new file (file C). Now I have 5.4 gb free
- Now also file C is 5.4gb big, I save it (file C) but I have finished my space (only 0.1 gb free)
- Then, I delete the oldest file (file A) and I can continue recording

If you have a EMR (emergency recording) dir not empy ot a photo dir not empty this is not a problem because you use their directories size in the limit calculation.

This is a long example but my proposal is really easy: set a simple file size limit when the user turns loop off and all will work fine.
 
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There are times where I specifically turn off loop recording such as when I want to record an entire scenic road trip, or maybe while I'm racing at a track day or something. In that case I carry two or three 64gb cards and I check remaining space on the one in the camera at every fuel/bathroom/food stop, and swap in a blank card as needed. This is not the usual method for a dashcam though, i'm basically using it as a compact camcorder. but it's nice to have the option. In this case I really don't want it to overwrite anything. And it's also not my only dashcam in the car when I'm doing this - in my wife's car, a Toyota Highlander, the one we take on road trips, she also has a blacksys cf-100 and that's the "crash cam" which is always in loop mode.

Most users don't tweak stuff and just plug it in and leave everything at default. This is why viofo makes it prompt for time and date on first boot after a reset or upgrade, since that's the only thing the user really NEEDS to set. As long as the defaults are good (high resolution, loop mode on, etc) then for 95+% of users out there, it will be fine.
 
fiji said:
Hi jokiin, yes I know turning loop off was my problem. In the worst use case a driver start Viofo, drives without never stop the engine until his sd card is full, then firmware can't do nothing to help him because when there is no free space left the firmware can't "crop" saved files. Firmware could delete last files but this is a bad idea if I just crashed. So which is the best behaviour? Firmware could set a max file size limit = (sd total memory - EMR video - photos) / 3 (3 is better then 2).

So let check the worst case:
- I drive without never stopping. I have a 16 gb sdcard
- When my video file reach 5.3 gb I save it (file A) and start a new file (file B). Now I have only 10.7 gb free
- When also file B is 5.4gb big, I save it (file B) and start a new file (file C). Now I have 5.4 gb free
- Now also file C is 5.4gb big, I save it (file C) but I have finished my space (only 0.1 gb free)
- Then, I delete the oldest file (file A) and I can continue recording

If you have a EMR (emergency recording) dir not empy ot a photo dir not empty this is not a problem because you use their directories size in the limit calculation.

This is a long example but my proposal is really easy: set a simple file size limit when the user turns loop off and all will work fine.
Click to expand...

your example is exactly why we don't have the option to turn loop off in our cameras
 
Gibson99 said:
Most users don't tweak stuff and just plug it in and leave everything at default. This is why viofo makes it prompt for time and date on first boot after a reset or upgrade, since that's the only thing the user really NEEDS to set. As long as the defaults are good (high resolution, loop mode on, etc) then for 95+% of users out there, it will be fine.
Click to expand...

@Gibson99: i respect your know how about dashcams, but in this case I think you are wrong. You are mixing an "auto-delete old files when space is over" with a max time / size option. If you don't want auto delete your old files, you should ask Viofo for this option. DailyVoyager Recorder has this option, I can set if the app does it itself (autodelete old files) or stop recording and start beeping. Viofo does not have this option, but maybe it could be useful for small sd card (with a 64 gb you get up to 7 hours of recording @20mbit/s, it's enough). That is, you may want this option also when you set 1/2/3/5/10 minute length videos.
But what is the expected behaviour of a standard user when he set the time loop recording option? In my opinion, if there isn't an "auto-delete old files when space is over" option, I can think this option is always on. Noone alert me that this option is not available / is off when I change the loop recording. It is neither consistent nor intuitive

About your example, you are acting as a pro-user. You may acting:
- 1) you swap your sd card before free space is over. But in this case your old files will never be recorded, also if the auto-delete is active!
- 2) you swap your sd card during a fast lap. But this is too dangerous!
a) What?!? Do you run in a pit stop to swap your sd card? Do you swap your sd card while driving in a track? Which is it?
b) What if something extraordinary happens when your dashcam is not recording?
c) Can you hear your dashcam beeping during a fast lap? Maybe you drive a Tesla Model S P85 :)
d) Do not you feel may distract the buzzer while you're driving at high speed?​
 
I would go back to highlight a problem for the format dialog when it pops up at start up. When the dashcam asked me to format the SD card with no beep, I did not notice this dialog and then the dashcam did not record 2 road trips. I did 2 short trips thinking that dashcam was recording while it wasn't.
Considering that if you click "no" the dashcam just records fine, I think to avoid that the user does not realize what is happening is necessary that the format notice is always accompanied by an audible beep exactly as it does when there is no sd card in dashcam.

People wants set and forget mode, I don't look at the video if my dashcam doesn't beep. And also consider the dashcam could be hided by the rearview mirror
 
fiji said:
- 1) you swap your sd card before free space is over. But in this case your old files will never be recorded, also if the auto-delete is active!
- 2) you swap your sd card during a fast lap. But this is too dangerous!
a) What?!? Do you run in a pit stop to swap your sd card? Do you swap your sd card while driving in a track? Which is it?
b) What if something extraordinary happens when your dashcam is not recording?
c) Can you hear your dashcam beeping during a fast lap? Maybe you drive a Tesla Model S P85 :)
d) Do not you feel may distract the buzzer while you're driving at high speed?​
Click to expand...
1) this is just on road trips. i set it up as if it was just a regular camcorder and let it run the entire time, powered by the lighter socket. if the trip is longer than one day, then i dump the contents of the SD card to an external hard drive using my laptop each night in the hotel.
2) i don't do endurance racing. i autocross, where each run is about one minute long, then i go back to grid to check tires, suspension settings, and review my run to see if i can improve next run.
i've also done track days, where we have ~30 minute sessions. i just leave it recording during the whole session, and check footage when i get back to paddock. i don't need it recording in paddock - that's just a fancy name for a parking lot/garage/carport area.
and no, i can't hear anything from the dashcam while i'm racing. even in the quiet camry i used to race. especially inside my helmet. so it won't distract me.
 
Today I tested the emergency button. This is how it works, if I understand:
- when you press it, it continue recording in the standard directory in the standard way
- it creates a new directory (EMR) where it records a new video file
- the new video file will start recording as soon as you press the button; it will include the ~12 seconds before the button was pressed and the ~21 seconds later
- when you press the button you hear 4 beeps, one every ~1.5 seconds

What is strange is that only 12 seconds before you pressed the button is recorded / saved. Also, the double copies of the video appears excessive.

The app DailyVoyager emergency button is designed to move the last n files (user set it) in the protected folder, so that files cannot be overwritten by old file auto-delete.

Today as I was driving I saw a particular scene and decided to save it by pressing the Viofo emergency button. It took nearly 20 seconds from the time of the scene to that of the decision. That scene hasn't been recorded in the EMR diretory, and I had to search for it in the Movies directory.

So, my opinion, the best behaviour is:
- save more and more time before button press, maybe let user decide how much must be saved (with an option in the menu)
- close and move standard movie files in protected directory if the double recording is too costly
 
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There is just one thing I would like to mention ...
The Micro SD card .... It needs or should I say wants to be protruding about 1mm more out from the side of the cam body to make inserting and removing the micro SD card easier ...
At the moment the A119 is better than the A118c , but I would like to see the card sitting just a little further out from the body ...
 
old4570 said:
There is just one thing I would like to mention ...
The Micro SD card .... It needs or should I say wants to be protruding about 1mm more out from the side of the cam body to make inserting and removing the micro SD card easier ...
At the moment the A119 is better than the A118c , but I would like to see the card sitting just a little further out from the body ...
Click to expand...

it wouldn't be mounted correctly on the PCB for that to happen
 
@viofo, I just noticed today that the lens horizontal movement will not remain where I want it. I think it has been mentioned before that the horizontal (side to side) movement should have some sort of "click" design like the vertical does. Actually now the horizontal seems "spring loaded " to the left, like there is a cable/connector forcing it that way.

Has anyone else experienced that?

Also my buttons now have the crackled paint look as well, I wonder if it is heat related.
 
Padwanjoe said:
The only question mark is how well the left-right lens adjustment will behave in time since there is no click mechanism to maintain the lens position.
Click to expand...
Although I was asking my self long ago about the reliability of the left-right lens adjustment, until now mine beta A119 is doing fine.
 
old4570 said:
There is just one thing I would like to mention ...
The Micro SD card .... It needs or should I say wants to be protruding about 1mm more out from the side of the cam body to make inserting and removing the micro SD card easier ...
Click to expand...
I just checked this is improved in final version. We are producing small testing batch GPS version now, haven't got the final version, so I can not confirm this.
 
fiji said:
Today I tested the emergency button. This is how it works, if I understand:
- when you press it, it continue recording in the standard directory in the standard way
- it creates a new directory (EMR) where it records a new video file
- the new video file will start recording as soon as you press the button; it will include the ~12 seconds before the button was pressed and the ~21 seconds later
- when you press the button you hear 4 beeps, one every ~1.5 seconds

What is strange is that only 12 seconds before you pressed the button is recorded / saved. Also, the double copies of the video appears excessive.

The app DailyVoyager emergency button is designed to move the last n files (user set it) in the protected folder, so that files cannot be overwritten by old file auto-delete.

Today as I was driving I saw a particular scene and decided to save it by pressing the Viofo emergency button. It took nearly 20 seconds from the time of the scene to that of the decision. That scene hasn't been recorded in the EMR diretory, and I had to search for it in the Movies directory.

So, my opinion, the best behaviour is:
- save more and more time before button press, maybe let user decide how much must be saved (with an option in the menu)
- close and move standard movie files in protected directory if the double recording is too costly
Click to expand...
Yes, that's how the emergency file locking working.
1. For 1440P video file, it will lock the current whole file, and save it under MOVIE\RO
2. For 1080P 60fps mode, it will lock and save a 35s file, 15s before pressed the button and 20s after, saved under movie\EMR, and the double copies in MOVIE directory.
3. For 1080P 30fps mode, it will lock and save a 40s file, 20s before and 20s after, saved under movie\EMR, and the double copies in MOVIE directory.

Due to the chipset limitation, can not save longer duration file in 1080P mode if it does not lock whole file.
 
Hi @viofo For point 1) 1440p video file: can it be make to save, let's say 15 - 20 seconds before you press the button cause sometimes the A119 could start recording a new video before you actually had the time to reach and press the Emergency button ?
 
Padwanjoe said:
Hi @viofo For point 1) 1440p video file: can it be make to save, let's say 15 - 20 seconds before you press the button cause sometimes the A119 could start recording a new video before you actually had the time to reach and press the Emergency button ?
Click to expand...
In 1440 mode, it can not support save short file before press the button.
 
It's possible to bump the lens out of horizontal adjustment when handling the cam, or removing/replacing it. As long as 'straight ahead' is what you need, it looks like it's possible to use a few little pieces of tape to tape it in place.

One thing that I have noticed, the LCD backlighting isn't so bright.
It's hard to see the screen in some lighting situations.

lcd.jpg


The screen on the Ausdom cam on the left is a little too well backlit, and in bright daylight it image is kind of 'washed out'.
I think the A119 screen needs to be brightened up a bit.
Yes, the A119 is on. :)
 
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