A119S : Wow, maybe the best dashcam for now

[uski]

Hi,

I was a previous user of A118C model and I recently upgraded to A119S.
I'm going to post some videos here to help users decide, but as we know a dashcam is not all about the videos but also its capabilities.

So before I make another post with sample videos, I want to share my first impressions here, and compare with the A118C.

First, the A118C is a very good dashcam, and I have no complain with it, except maybe the lack of parking mode. The reason I upgraded to the A119S is because the sensor is significantly better on this later model.

- The A119S provides 60fps instead of 30fps which helps limit motion blur and provides more images of critical events
- The A119S sensor has a better dynamic range which means there are less overexposed or underexposed areas in scenes with a lot of contrast
- The A119S sensor is much more sensitive at night (less motion blur, less noise, ...)

These 3 reasons alone are sufficient to make me switch.

When I unpacked the A119S I felt I had spent my money well. There are many accessories provided :
- Got the GPS mount, but not sure I will use it (don't necessarily want my position, speed, ... to be recorded in the videos - even if the speed can be calculated from the distance the vehicle moved between a few frames)
- There are spare mounts and adhesive provided if the user needs to remove the mount and put it somewhere else
- They provide a short and a long USB cable, which is generous
- Unlike other cameras, the USB adapter is separate from the cable which allows for more flexible installation options, and it also has a spare port which can be used to charge a phone or other gadgets
- The camera itself, wow, it feels solid. Definitely not a $40 dashcam !

As with the A118C I really like the discreet look. I am a firm believer that a dashcam must be as invisible as possible and that you don't want to disclose you have one until the other party made its statement, first because if they lie then they dig a grave because it will be apparent they lied thanks to the footage, and also because if they know you have a dashcam they might be tempted to assault you to take away the evidence from you, so better just not say anything and hand over the evidence to the cops/insurance when needed.
The A119S is hence the perfect dashcam form factor !

I got the CPL filter too. It's a nice addition but be aware it reduces the amount of light which reaches the camera, and that can increase the motion blue in low light conditions. So my advice is first to try without the CPL filter - and if (and only if) you really need it, then you can use it. Try not to use any cleaning product on your dashboard that makes it shine, it must stay flat black so you don't need a CPL filter.

Too bad it still doesn't have a parking mode. It could be wired in permanently and use an accelerometer to detect when the car is moving or not. When it moves, it records, and when it doesn't, it records only on a shock. Maybe for the A120S, but for now it's OK.

I'm now going to proceed with installation and testing and I will make separate posts for that, because this post is already too long but I wanted to give information for people looking to buy one.

Is the A119S the best dashcam ? There is no best dashcam, it depends of what you are looking for. For me, good light sensitivity to prevent motion blur (important to read the license plates), and very discreet form factor, are prime considerations.

It even has forward collision warning and lane departure warning - I don't necessarily need it (my car has it already) but it's a nice addition. So the A119S fulfills my needs perfectly and its features are very good. For me, it's the best !

Thanks for reading and stay tuned !
-- uski

 

[Mtz]

Too bad it still doesn't have a parking mode. It could be wired in permanently and use an accelerometer to detect when the car is moving or not. When it moves, it records, and when it doesn't, it records only on a shock. Maybe for the A120S, but for now it's OK.

In theory this can be done by using the G-Sensor. If there is some limit from Novatek against video recording only when it detects vibrations by G-Sensor a smart developer can implement this. And in a combination with motion detect we can have a Parking Mode, but without pre-buffered video.
Korean dashcams are using 12V as input so is more easy for them to know when engine is running or not based on voltage values.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[uski]

Yes I totally know it can be made, which is why I suggested this. They could even implement it with a firmware upgrade. Buffered recording is nice but it might use quite a bit of battery current - it would be nice to be able to leave it on permanently or disable it after X days (for instance, for the first X days then the buffered recording is done, but after X days the camera stops recording and only starts recording if there is a shock).

This way it's the best of both worlds : buffered pre-recording without draining the battery if the car is parked for long term storage.

 

[Mtz]

The buffered video for parking mode is just about 5-10 seconds and is not written on the card. But only when the Parking Mode is starting a normal recording on the card and the camera will join also that buffered video before writing it on the card.

Of course some complicated implementation can be done in this way:
1. camera is writing continuously 2 ”buffered” 5-10 seconds videos in loop mode in some Buffer folder on the card.
2. If the camera will start recording on the card in Parking mode the corresponding buffered video will not be erased by the buffering loop mode
The disadvantage will be that for some Parking mode event you will have two videos: the one before motion and the one after the motion detecting. But is better than nothing.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[uski]

I don't think it's a good idea to use the SD card as a buffer because of the high strain it would put on the card. The buffer should be done in RAM.

 

[jokiin]

I don't think it's a good idea to use the SD card as a buffer because of the high strain it would put on the card. The buffer should be done in RAM.

correct, buffering has to be done on the camera

 

[battouter]

best $100 device so far that does the basic dashcam function really well. if you spend any more for basic dashcam, you are being robbed.

 

[Valerii]

best $100 device so far that does the basic dashcam function really well. if you spend any more for basic dashcam, you are being robbed.

well 100$ for dashcam,but whith GPS - 120$+miniSD card about 20$ so totaly 140$ for dashcam whith problems + it is better to by CPL filter because whithaut it day video not good( it is another 20$).In my case i use it 1 day and already have 2 huge problems- missing files(consistently) and bad GPS mount,dashcam wobbly on GPS mount.Better spend extra 60$ and get dashcam whith GPS and SDcard includid and much better quality.So right now i am choosing what to do -to use that "best dashcam" or 6 years old finevu cr 300 hd which is warking for 6 years whithaut all this problems. Viofo a 119s for 140$( GPS,SDcard)-Good dial???-dont think so

 

[SawMaster]

There is no single "best" dashcam as each of us has different needs and priorities regards our intended use. The wedge form-factor here is excellent for many but is a severe drawback for others. The better daytime IQ of other cams may over-ride the better low-light capability of this one for those who do not drive at night. The cost can be prohibitive for the poorest who might do better with a lesser cam right now than in waiting to save up the money for this one. What is best for you is all that matters, even if that would be a rotten choice for me

I might also not here that you have to consider the entire cost of what you need when price-shopping. Most cams don't come with a SD card and you might need a bigger one than is being supplied with those that do have it. You might need a different mount than what is supplied. Some cams don't even have a PS supplied with them- you have to provide that. You have to take into account the whole picture here with any cam, not just this one

I personally feel that this is a good cam for most people and a good value for it's price, with my only reservation being that some unresolved issues are currently present which you will have to disregard, take on the faith they they will soon be solved, or wait until that solution happens before buying. It has great potential, now let's see how well it lives up to that

Phil

 

[Valerii]

There is no single "best" dashcam as each of us has different needs and priorities regards our intended use. The wedge form-factor here is excellent for many but is a severe drawback for others. The better daytime IQ of other cams may over-ride the better low-light capability of this one for those who do not drive at night. The cost can be prohibitive for the poorest who might do better with a lesser cam right now than in waiting to save up the money for this one. What is best for you is all that matters, even if that would be a rotten choice for me

I might also not here that you have to consider the entire cost of what you need when price-shopping. Most cams don't come with a SD card and you might need a bigger one than is being supplied with those that do have it. You might need a different mount than what is supplied. Some cams don't even have a PS supplied with them- you have to provide that. You have to take into account the whole picture here with any cam, not just this one

I personally feel that this is a good cam for most people and a good value for it's price, with my only reservation being that some unresolved issues are currently present which you will have to disregard, take on the faith they they will soon be solved, or wait until that solution happens before buying. It has great potential, now let's see how well it lives up to that

Phil

I agree whith what you says but if the camera doesnt work properly or defective it doesnt matter what you compare it whith-this is just bad product and it doesnt worth nothing.