A139 Pro Stopped Recording Suddenly

[gb25]

That makes sense. I didn't know that's how it worked. I think this second camera would probably be okay if it the parking mode was reliable.

I've got it set to 12 hours. If I park for like an hour and get back in it will start recording like normal ("start one channel recording" or whatever it says). But if I leave it overnight it only the mic and gps leds will be lit and the recording light never comes on (even though it's still recording in parking mode hours after the time has lapsed). None of the buttons will do anything either. Can't turn wifi on. Can't start recording. I have to unplug power to restart it.

 

[CaptureYourAction]

That makes sense. I didn't know that's how it worked. I think this second camera would probably be okay if it the parking mode was reliable.

I've got it set to 12 hours. If I park for like an hour and get back in it will start recording like normal ("start one channel recording" or whatever it says). But if I leave it overnight it only the mic and gps leds will be lit and the recording light never comes on (even though it's still recording in parking mode hours after the time has lapsed). None of the buttons will do anything either. Can't turn wifi on. Can't start recording. I have to unplug power to restart it.

What card are you using?

 

[TonyM]

I've got it set to 12 hours. If I park for like an hour and get back in it will start recording like normal ("start one channel recording" or whatever it says). But if I leave it overnight it only the mic and gps leds will be lit and the recording light never comes on (even though it's still recording in parking mode hours after the time has lapsed). None of the buttons will do anything either. Can't turn wifi on. Can't start recording. I have to unplug power to restart it.

What parking mode are you using? Low bitrate, motion detection??

I have mine set to low bitrate and 12 hours, but I've never let it run that long.

It's interesting that you say the lights are still on after the 12hr time has elapsed.

@Nigel I remember you mentioned one of the Viofo cameras that would switch into a low power parking mode once the pre-set time had run out. Is that what is happening here - except that it's not working for gb25?

 

[gb25]

I've been using a Viofo 128gb high endurance for last day or two. That's what I was using when it was locked up this morning.

I was using a Sandisk 256gb max endurance before that. I swapped to the viofo when I was having the static problems in 2k 60fps mode.

BTW, here's of the first a139 pro that I received. This was after it being in parking mode overnight and getting in the car the next morning. It was emitting this loud whine and wouldn't respond at all. I had to unplug it to get it to restart. I don't think it's related to my current camera issue but I just found the video and thought it was interesting.

 

[gb25]

What parking mode are you using? Low bitrate, motion detection??

I have mine set to low bitrate and 12 hours, but I've never let it run that long.

It's interesting that you say the lights are still on after the 12hr time has elapsed.

@Nigel I remember you mentioned one of the Viofo cameras that would switch into a low power parking mode once the pre-set time had run out. Is that what is happening here - except that it's not working for gb25?

Auto event detection. 12 hours. No enter parking mode timer. I haven't tried any other settings yet.

Yeah, it's weird. The camera won't respond to any buttons at all. Power, wifi, rec... Nothing works. But when I restart it and connect to wifi, there's a parking video that it recorded of me walking out to my car. Even though the 12 hours have elapsed.

 

[TonyM]

I've been using a Viofo 128gb high endurance for last day or two. That's what I was using when it was locked up this morning.

I was using a Sandisk 256gb max endurance before that. I swapped to the viofo when I was having the static problems in 2k 60fps mode.

BTW, here's of the first a139 pro that I received. This was after it being in parking mode overnight and getting in the car the next morning. It was emitting this loud whine and wouldn't respond at all. I had to unplug it to get it to restart. I don't think it's related to my current camera issue but I just found the video and thought it was interesting.

It seems to have got stuck in some kind of loop. There might be a parking mode issue in the FW.

 

[gb25]

Tonight when I got in my car the only led on the camera that was lit was the record led. I started the car and it didn't come out of parking mode. No buttons worked. I had to pull the power cable again. This time it didn't record me walking up to car though.

After restarting the camera, I set it to record in 2k 60fps mode. Here's a video showing what it does. It restarted like 6 times in 5 minutes or so. The last time I had to manually restart recording.

I can now recreate the flickering/static image thanks to Panzer Platform's input. I was updating the firmware in my bedroom. The camera was hooked up to a samsung usb c charger. I was pointing it at my tv. I noticed that it would start flickering. It would do it when I tilted the camera and the tv screen went dark. I had the cpl on and it was turning the screen black due to the polarization. When the tv went dark, the video would start flickering. If I blocked the lens completely it would go to full static and not go back. It seems like this is when it starts doing the stop recording thing like the above video. It also seems to only affect 2k 60 fps.

Some observations:

1. 2k 60fps can't use hdr? If I turn hdr on with 2k 60fps it changes to 30fps on it's own.
2. In 2k 60fps mode, low light causes the image to flicker and have static. If I block the lens completely it goes full static and never goes back until I change resolution setting to something else.
3. If camera is in 2k 60fps and goes to where it's full static, it repeatedly stops/starts recording.

Would be interesting to see if anyone else got the same results doing this:

 

[TonyM]

Some observations:

1. 2k 60fps can't use hdr? If I turn hdr on with 2k 60fps it changes to 30fps on it's own.
2. In 2k 60fps mode, low light causes the image to flicker and have static. If I block the lens completely it goes full static and never goes back until I change resolution setting to something else.
3. If camera is in 2k 60fps and goes to where it's full static, it repeatedly stops/starts recording.

1. HDR is at 30fps only
2&3. I don't think 1440p60 is implemented properly. I found it was effectively 30fps because each frame is doubled, at least in my FW. Does the flicker and static happen at 1440p30?

 

[gb25]

No. The second camera (using firmware 1217) doesn't do it on any of the 30fps modes.

I just checked the first a139 pro (using firmware 1115) that I received and now I can't get it to flicker at all. When I was running before it would glitch at 4k 30fps, even with decent amount of light (it was dark though).

This video is from the first camera (fw 1115) recording at 4k 30fps:

 

[Dimson75]

Нет. Вторая камера (использующая прошивку 1217) не делает этого ни в одном из режимов 30fps.

format the memory card FAT32 with large cluster size

 

[gb25]

Two more videos of the second camera. I'm doing this in a small office with a window. If I turn the lights off and partially block the window it starts flickering. If I completely cover the window that's when it goes to full static image and stays that way.

I don't really intend on running 2k 60fps but I just wonder if the problems with the first camera at 4k 30fps were something to do with what's going on here. Strange that I can't get it to do it now. I don't know whether to be optimistic that it's not hardware or pessimistic that the firmware is this flaky.

This one shows the camera (one on the left) glitch then stop and restart recording at like 00:46...

It only does this in 60fps mode...

 

[gb25]

format the memory card FAT32 with large cluster size

I'll try that tomorrow. I'm at work now and don't have a sd card reader with me.

 

[rambodtm]

format the memory card FAT32 with large cluster size

Wouldn't the camera format it to FAT32 itself, seeing as that's the preferred format. Seem's odd to have an inbuilt format option, if it doesnt format to the correct type. I'm no expert on that though lol

 

[gb25]

So after more testing, both cameras do the static thing in all of the 30fps modes with HDR off. The older camera, I have to completely cover the lens so that the image is black. The newer one does it with just dimming the lights. The newer camera is the only one that turns to static and stays that way, and it only does it at 60fps. Turning HDR on makes the the image turn a little blue/grey but no static.

Also, I think the parking mode problems I'm having is either the hardwire kit or the dash cam is draining the battery to the point that the hardwire kit should turn it off and there's something up with the shutdown of the camera. I've had the newer one in parking mode on the desk and it seems to be working fine. I set the timer to 1 hour and it shut down like it should. I guess 12 hours is optimistic, even for single channel.

 

[rambodtm]

About 20min from home on a 4-hour round trip today the camera shut down suddenly, with the last video files from both front & rear cameras being corrupted.

I have notification sounds turned off, so I did not notice anything was wrong until I parked at home and saw no lights on the camera.

There is 11.5GB free on the Viofo 128GB card, so it had not yet started looping. Settings are 4K30(F) + 1080p30(R), max bitrate, HDR-ON. FW V1.0_1115.

I'm using the HK3-C hardwire kit connected to a dashcam battery which is fully-charged after the long trip.

I know that the power supply and the memory card are the most likely suspects, rather than the A139 Pro camera, so I will investigate those components first.

Has anyone else experienced a sudden shutdown of the camera?

Did you get to the bottom of this?

I'm having a similar thing, but its going into parking mode whilst doing 70mph, and then just beeps, and doesnt record anything until I reboot the camera.

Mine has only done it about 4 times in the last 2 weeks, but its still annoying.

 

[TonyM]

No. It's been behaving itself lately.

4 times in 2 weeks is too much for any kind of dashcam fault

 

[rambodtm]

No. It's been behaving itself lately.

4 times in 2 weeks is too much for any kind of dashcam fault

Oh I agree. I mean, I do 70 miles each day, but still, it shouldn't do it at all. I've got a DDpai mini2 that's been going strong for something like 6 years now, without a single fault haha. So it'd be nice if the latest super duper Viofo could manage a month at least!

I'm hoping/assuming it's a firmware issue. I was using 4K 1600P 30fps, so I've gone back to 2160P on the off chance it was some issue with that. All I can do is play the long game and change a setting each time the fault occurs to see if it fixes it!

 

[TonyM]

I was using 4K 1600P 30fps, so I've gone back to 2160P on the off chance it was some issue with that.

I was also using 4K 1600p but changed to 2160p after seeing the difference in video quality

 

[rambodtm]

I was also using 4K 1600p but changed to 2160p after seeing the difference in video quality

Yeh, it's quite surprising actually. The colours and quality are definitely better in 2160p.

 

[Panzer Platform]

I was also using 4K 1600p but changed to 2160p after seeing the difference in video quality

Yeh, it's quite surprising actually. The colours and quality are definitely better in 2160p.

I was reading a post somewhere that said 1600p is more desirable that 2160p when specifically used for dash cams.
Because it chops off the top & bottom which is usually sky, and dashboard and those are not areas of concern, and since it uses less pixels the processor can work more efficiently resolving the middle area that is the most important.

It that why we have the 1600p option?