Add Cloud Please

[Chuck McCoy]

Add Cloud Please

Death to Viofo cloud. lol

 

[mentadent]

VIOFO cameras already have a 'Station mode' that has real time stream capability. If they just allow us to enable it automatically in parking mode (or enable it permanently) and give us an API for the sensor data, geeks like us could just get a hotspot with VPN functionality and link it to something like Home Assistant in our home networks.

While LTE/5G enabled mount or hardwire kit would be awesome I don't want VIOFO developing a full blown cloud solution because this usually leads to companies pushing the cloud more and more, selling your data and ending in security and privacy hell. And then they end support and you get shafted or forced to upgrade because for some reason base functionality gets tied to cloud (I hate cloud devices with a passion)

Even a text file on the SD card with a list of events, would probably do the job IMO.

 

[mentadent]

I have my A139 in standard wifi mode, and point a Mikrotik access point at it that connects to it as a station. I feel so cool.

 

[Nigel]

I have my A139 in standard wifi mode, and point a Mikrotik access point at it that connects to it as a station. I feel so cool.

So you can access the A139 over the internet, and also use the standard phone app in the car?
But the phone app won't work over the internet, only if you connect the phone wifi to the Mikrotik?

 

[kamkar]

I would like to see the option of using your own cloud storage.

My ideal cloud camera would dump on my own NAS, and i say so realizing that for me that would make the camera substantial more expensive to set up, CUZ i would need to get a NAS box just for that particular job.
I do sort of like ( have not tried other ) 70mais 4G combined with the hard wire kit, so the camera are wired for internet, which i as a wifi hater like.
I assume this would also be a lower power solution VS running a wifi radio in the camera and in the 4G hot spot ?

 

[mentadent]

So you can access the A139 over the internet, and also use the standard phone app in the car?
But the phone app won't work over the internet, only if you connect the phone wifi to the Mikrotik?

It works like the VIOFO is just on my home network. The phone app works. If I VPN to home on my phone when I'm out, the app works too.

Kamkar you can do that setup now, with the camera connecting to your home wifi, and there's this Blackvue downloader that downloads any videos you haven't downloaded yet to your preferred storage. I think it works on VIOFO too.

 

[viofo]

If just want to download the video to home NAS, some simple work can solve this.
One of our business customer wrote a simplel Python script to download files.

 

[kamkar]

Kamkar you can do that setup now, with the camera connecting to your home wifi

I know, but i do not use wifi at home, and even if i did for the solution, then i would have to put a extender in my kitchen or bedroom window as my internet router are in the living room facing the street and i park in the back yard.
Also not really interested in saving much, at most it would be events i would be interested in getting, also the 4G giving you " instant " live access is quite nice when you are parked elsewhere, the downside is the price for the extra SIM card.

I pay 13.5 pounds / Mo for each of my two SIM cards, which are not insane for 80 GB data and all the speech and TXT i could do, big overhead CUZ i talk about 2 hours a month on the phone and use maybe 3 GB data on my phone, but there are not many smaller deals, and i am also OK with having a overhead.

 

[Nigel]

It works like the VIOFO is just on my home network. The phone app works. If I VPN to home on my phone when I'm out, the app works too.

That's a nice solution, you have remote file access via the app, remote live view via the app, all you need now is for the app, when running in the background, to issue notifications when the camera locks a file, maybe @viofo can add that.

Is it possible to do the same, with the dashcam connected to phone internet sharing instead of the Mikrotik?
Obviously this would only work when a phone is in the car (an old phone, or a family member's phone), I assume it would need some VPN software installed on the dashcam?

 

[ClassicGOD]

If just want to download the video to home NAS, some simple work can solve this.
One of our business customer wrote a simplel Python script to download files.

That is what I do at home. I have Node-RED setup that just monitors for my A229Pro on the network and once it appears it just downloads all protected recordings that are not already on my NAS. That is why I would love to be able to enable station mode by default in parking mode (it could get disabled automatically if it can't connect for like 2 minutes to save power) so I don't have to remember to turn it on every time I get home.

 

[mentadent]

It possible. I'll embrace whatever VIOFO does it they do anything. I mostly just want to know if someone dents my car while I'm away.

 

[joe384]

I didn't realise it was possible to use the app over vpn (although I've never tried). I would have thought you'd have to use the http urls as it complains whenever there is a VPN running? Is this in station mode or normal wifi?

Sounds like I'll have to do some experiments myself 🙂

 

[Tomcat]

If just want to download the video to home NAS, some simple work can solve this.
One of our business customer wrote a simplel Python script to download files.

Could you give me or tell me were i can get that download script?
I have a simular script to download all footage from the 3 blackvue 2ch sets that im using too a HDD when the cars are parked on our driveway.
Im interested in such a script for Viofo as i may want to buy 2 viofo dashcam sets because they have more parking mode features then the blackvue ones they could be a good addition to better protect our cars from the sides as well as better overall video quality.
for example blackvue only has motion detection or timelapse mode 1fps and at the same bitrate as all other recordings, if i lower it the quality during driving would be lower and maybe too low while sufficient for parking mode. Viofo can do low bitrate recording/timelapse 1-15FPS and motion detection i believe at different bitrate then normal drive recording, can you confirm if this is the case?
On blackvue Dr900s and 750s 2ch this is all limited to just one setting driving bitrate is the same as parking mode no switching between without erasing the sdcard.
If i could use the viofo in a way that i can automatically download the footage to my HDD with a script as im doing on linux with a simular script for the blackvue ones, with a viofo set added im much better protected against vandalism and i can use the dashcam as a security camera to protect the car better from the sides against keying as the viofo 3ch model has one camera filming inside the car. through the windows.
For me cloud features dont matter as much but being able to download footage to a HDD and review it later if needed has made things alot easier.
If you review every parking file with your phone it takes too much time. it also takes too much time to download them manually with a phone.
With a HDD i have more flexibility and the sd-slot dousnt wear out because of often taking the card out.
I also like the Idea that viofo supports the ability to add a ssd to the dashcam thats also a brilliant solution as 256gb sd cards fill up much quicker at higher 60mbits per second bitrates.
while 25mbits that the 4k blackvue900s has will give you lower image quality and ability to catch license plates when driving in a area where there is alot of trees and grass.
overal it still dous a fine job but in these scenarios a higher bitrate will give you the clearer image.

 

[Nigel]

I don’t have a script, but if you go to it’s http server using a browser and the ip address of the dashcam, then you will see what is required.