Alternatives to Adhesive Mount?

[LordMelona]

Hi All,

This forum has been extremely helpful in finding the right dash cam. After watching several comparison videos, I’ve narrowed down my choices to Viofo A229 Pro 3-Ch. and Vantrue N4 Pro 3-Ch. From what I’ve seen, A229 Pro edges out N4 Pro so I’m leaning towards the former. However, my only concern is that A229 has only the 3M adhesive mount while N4 Pro has a suction cup mount option.
I’ve recent gotten my front windshield tinted with a clear film. My worry is that if I choose A229 Pro, it may damage the tint film or in the event that I have to remove the dash cam I’ll damage the tint and/or it’ll be troublesome. Do you think this is a concern? Should I just go with Vantrue N4 Pro? They’re the same price for me.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Nigel]

The sticky pad will come off tint film without damage, as long as you don't use anything sharp to remove it. It may leave a bit of mess behind which will take a bit of effort to remove, but it will come off without damage.

Viofo does provide static sheets to go under the sticky pad to allow easy removal, I've never tried one on top of tint film, but they should work as long as the film is very clean.

The only thing you need to be careful of is not to stick anything to the edge of the film, once you are 1cm away from the edge then you can apply up to 1Kg per square cm of force before the tint will leave go of the glass.

 

[LordMelona]

The sticky pad will come off tint film without damage, as long as you don't use anything sharp to remove it. It may leave a bit of mess behind which will take a bit of effort to remove, but it will come off without damage.

Viofo does provide static sheets to go under the sticky pad to allow easy removal, I've never tried one on top of tint film, but they should work as long as the film is very clean.

The only thing you need to be careful of is not to stick anything to the edge of the film, once you are 1cm away from the edge then you can apply up to 1Kg per square cm of force before the tint will leave go of the glass.

Thank you for the response, Nigel! Had no idea it came with the static sheet that protects the windshield. That gives me peace of mind. If that’s the case then I’ll definitely go with Viofo A229 Pro. Thanks again!

 

[Agie]

Thank you for the response, Nigel! Had no idea it came with the static sheet that protects the windshield. That gives me peace of mind. If that’s the case then I’ll definitely go with Viofo A229 Pro. Thanks again!

I'd go with either option depending on your needs, I like the Nexus 4 Pro for different reasons and vice-versa if you check my reviews of them. But you will be just fine with the 3M adhesive and tint, as I've had no issues removing either in my vehicle.

 

[LordMelona]

I'd go with either option depending on your needs, I like the Nexus 4 Pro for different reasons and vice-versa if you check my reviews of them. But you will be just fine with the 3M adhesive and tint, as I've had no issues removing either in my vehicle.

Oh hi, Agie! I actually watched your videos and read your post on the two models when I was researching which one to buy lol. Thanks for the reviews and the footage- they were very helpful. You wrote in your post that Viofo A229 Pro beats Vantrue N4 Pro in all regards, and it seemed like the replies from other users agreed as well so I was thinking about getting the Viofo. Why do you prefer Vantrue N4 Pro though?

 

[Agie]

Oh hi, Agie! I actually watched your videos and read your post on the two models when I was researching which one to buy lol. Thanks for the reviews and the footage- they were very helpful. You wrote in your post that Viofo A229 Pro beats Vantrue N4 Pro in all regards, and it seemed like the replies from other users agreed as well so I was thinking about getting the Viofo. Why do you prefer Vantrue N4 Pro though?

No worries, thanks for tuning in! I wouldn't say I prefer one over the other as such, Vantrue has the better build quality and aesthetics and works better with the heat (even if it is at the risk of damage). Obviously, the Viofo runs at better bitrates and better image quality too, as this is something that is consistent for their brand.

If you were only after a one-channel solution, it would come down to price, but since you're after a three-channel, I'd personally go for the Viofo. Also check the price, as that would factor into it as well. They are both neck-for-neck with firmware and after-sales support though.

 

[LordMelona]

No worries, thanks for tuning in! I wouldn't say I prefer one over the other as such, Vantrue has the better build quality and aesthetics and works better with the heat (even if it is at the risk of damage). Obviously, the Viofo runs at better bitrates and better image quality too, as this is something that is consistent for their brand.

If you were only after a one-channel solution, it would come down to price, but since you're after a three-channel, I'd personally go for the Viofo. Also check the price, as that would factor into it as well. They are both neck-for-neck with firmware and after-sales support though.

Ah understood. As far as the price goes they were the same price with the hardware kit on Amazon, so I bought both of them to take time to decide which one to return and which one to keep lol. I definitely do like the N4 Pro's aesthetics over A229 Pro though - very minimal and sleek. Now I'm just deciding whether I want to have an interior cabin camera or not because there are different opinions on it from what I've seen on this forum. If I do decide to go with N4 Pro though I guess I won't have an option not to have it lol. Anyway, thanks again!

 

[Agie]

Ah understood. As far as the price goes they were the same price with the hardware kit on Amazon, so I bought both of them to take time to decide which one to return and which one to keep lol. I definitely do like the N4 Pro's aesthetics over A229 Pro though - very minimal and sleek. Now I'm just deciding whether I want to have an interior cabin camera or not because there are different opinions on it from what I've seen on this forum. If I do decide to go with N4 Pro though I guess I won't have an option not to have it lol. Anyway, thanks again!

To be honest it's a bit of a difference for the internal cabin camera when it comes between the two. Don't get me wrong, the Vantrue is very serviceable but Viofo cabin camera stood out to me straight away in how it's better.

The downside is that it isn't integrated into the unit like the Vantrue is, so a bit more wiring to go around haha. I don't want to rag on Vantrue too much because they did release the product earlier than Viofo, in it being a better response to the A139 Pro which was the first solution with a Starvis 2 sensor. Then Viofo responded with the A229 Pro and so on and so forth haha. Vantrue does make pretty good products and they do try their best, so always kudos to them

I keep both in my car because I like both for different reasons but for those that need just one solution, I can understand it can be a difficult decision of which one to go for. Good luck, sounds like you've done the proper research and will make the best decision based on your needs!