A119 Pro Unboxing, to be followed by my short review: (Edited & Added to)...

Paul Iddon

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Dash Cam
Viofo A139 Pro 4K, A129 Pro Duo 4K, A229 Duo 2K, & NB 522GW
The unboxing video of the new Viofo A119 Pro Dashcam.

I am awaiting the final firmware update from Viofo before posting any video footage (the daytime sample I have recorded appears very useable)...


Please feel free to subscribe to my little channel - there aren't so many just yet!!! :p
 
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So today I updated the firmware for the A119 Pro, and below are the first videos from that.

Lets get down to basic though.

The usual form factor for the dashcam makes it nice and discreet as is the case with these wedge shaped models. The majority of it is hidden behind the little black dots at the top of my windscreen. The screen is no different I expect from previous models - small enough to be unobtrusive, though not large enough to be obvious though this will of course make it a bit "squint-worthy" if you want to watch playback of incidents (hopefully never that...)

All the usual required cables are supplied, but a nice inclusion is the addition of a suction mount if you prefer not to attach the dashcam directly to the glass.

Straight from the box - it bleeps at every button press, so the first thing I did was turn that off. The menu is straightforward enough to navigate through, using the left and right buttons.

Default video mode out of the box is 1440p @ 30fps. If the power button is on solid red, the unit is recording.The normal display icons are there - resolution, time, date, video length etc..

The Micro SD card slot is on the left hand side as you look forward, and on the right is the AV out and the mini USB port. The reset button (if ever needed) is close to the memory card slot.

I received the CPL with my dashcam, and a polarisor makes a lot of difference so I would recommend adding one of those to your shopping basket. There are 4 images below showing the CPL not in use, and then placed and aligned correctly.

Video length times can be set at difference lengths - 1 minute, 2,3,5 or 10 minutes long and the video records in MP4 format.

You have the optional collision detection on or off, and the dashcam has both LDWS and FCWS features (Lane Departure & Forward Collision) warning systems. The optional GPS module if bought will of course display on the screen showing your speed, and tracks your journey in the relevant software afterwards.

All appears well, and there are no surprises, bar one.... which was after altering some text in the menu (I changed my number plate to the words "Nothing New", I discovered afterwards that both the date and time had reset themselves (so I had to input them again later). I would suggest that you check if you have the correct info occasionally. I doubt this will be an issue if you have the GPS Logger (available separately) because this will auto correct at start up.

So lets move onto to some video.

I'll show you the 4 screenshots of the windscreen that I mentioned - the first two without the CPL, the last two with it, and you'll easily the value of having this inexpensive addition attached to your lens.

No_CPL.jpg


No_CPL_1.jpgNow_with_CPL.jpgNow_with_CPL_1.jpg


Onto the first video I am going to show you: I think you'll notice the microphone picks up plenty - almost too much perhaps! The rumble of my tyres was audible, the music on the radio (if YouTube doesn't remove it (and a couple of moments with my awful singing) are all picked up. So I can say that yes the microphone is effective (although my personal preference is to turn the mic off anyway as a rule, though that's not a rule set in stone))...

The footage is clear. The journey was not in the brightest of light, though the light remained even, being behind a leaden sky. I found on occasional moments, there was some slight blocking, though this was fleeting, but for the most part I am very happy with the quality. This is further enhanced by screenshots of vehicles coming toward me showing clear and readable number plates, road-signs all easily showing the routes, bill boards and advertisements bold and bright, and business names on vehicles all clear. So it's a thumbs up on this first video.

Further into this mini review, I will add some night time video too, so that we can see what that looks like. But for now, here is the first clip from Viofo's new dashcam:



The RAW files can be found on the two links below:

Video 1

Video 2

So, first impression are positive - I think Viofo have something pretty good here.


Available now from Amazon in the UK: HERE.

Paul.
 
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However.... Lets move onto the night time videos.

I'm not overly convinced we are seeing better here than the 119S provides - at least off the videos I have taken tonight (with the latest firmware). I know some owners of the A119S and to be honest the colours are perhaps better on the older model, and the night time seems "cleaner" somehow.

That said, I am happy with what I see - even though the colours seem more neutral and muted, and there is a seemingly soft haze in the video. Yet I still feel it looks pretty decent with enough there to satisfy. I just can't help feeling it maybe should have been a bit better. That's not so much a criticism as an observation. I'm kinda sat on the fence with the night time results. You the viewers will have to decide if you feel it is good enough or not -because I am a little ambivalent just now....

I can read sign posts and in certain areas of the video it looks really good whilst in others I sort of want to be getting more.

I can't help feeling that a further firmware update may be needed to give it the edge I was hoping for. But for all that, I quite like it even so! But I think my Z-Edge just nicks the honours over the A119 Pro....

Am I being too critical? Let the forum know what you think...



Paul.
 
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OK peeps, I've updated the thread... Let the discussions begin... :p
 
Would be very helpful to have a side by side night video comparison between the A119S & the A119 Pro (updated with the latest firmware) :)
 
Would be very helpful to have a side by side night video comparison between the A119S & the A119 Pro (updated with the latest firmware) :)

There are plenty videos around of the A119S - it's a popular model, but obviously I cannot do SBS as I don't have that model.
 
However.... Lets move onto the night time videos.

I'm not overly convinced we are seeing better here than the 119S provides - at least off the videos I have taken tonight (with the latest firmware). I know some owners of the A119S and to be honest the colours are perhaps better on the older model, and the night time seems "cleaner" somehow.
I don't think we should expect the Pro to beat the S at night, darkness is the S's speciality with its low resolution and big pixels.

If the Pro is for professional drivers then it will do most of its work in daylight which means the compromise is pushed towards higher resolution and being able to read plates at greater distance in daylight.

I would hope that the Pro beats the basic A119 in both day time and night time.
 
@Paul Iddon Are you using the suction cup or adhesive mount? I noticed more camera movement in your video than I would expect for an adhesive mount.
 
Does look like it's mounted using the suction cup mount.
 
It's with the 3M.

My car can vibrate a lot though...
 
It's with the 3M.

My car can vibrate a lot though...
You could try adding one of the supplied EVA foam pads between the mount and the camera to reduce that vibration
 
I notice that many of these sample images and videos appear over-sharpened. In some instances in the videos the halos created by over-sharpening appear to degrade the images, as over-sharpening has a tendency to do. Hopefully, future firmware refinements will dial back the sharpening a few clicks.

oversharp1.jpg
 
You could try adding one of the supplied EVA foam pads between the mount and the camera to reduce that vibration

Hmmm. Forgot to put one on... Must do that some time!
 
I notice that many of these sample images and videos appear over-sharpened. In some instances in the videos the halos created by over-sharpening appear to degrade the images, as over-sharpening has a tendency to do. Hopefully, future firmware refinements will dial back the sharpening a few clicks.

View attachment 37125

Agreed. On closer inspection it become noticeable and it's there in video too. Refinements will come I'm sure.

Viofo will feedback all this no doubt.
 
Short clip of night time in the rain at 1440p:

 
How much of a difference is it between the A119S? Is it worth picking up the Pro over the A119S
 
And.... price difference between Pro and S?
 
You could try adding one of the supplied EVA foam pads between the mount and the camera to reduce that vibration
Hmmm. Forgot to put one on... Must do that some time!

PS A119 PRO is now in stock on Amazon as of this week "Sold By OCD Tronic" (Fulfilled By Amazon & Prime)
.com USA and .ca Canada

1522878930744.png
 
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