Best no-screen 2-ch cam?

[SealaVie]

I've been searching, reading reviews, etc. It seems that the units with no screen also sacrifice unrelated features. For instance the A139 is an older sensor generation, the U3000 has no HDR. Is there any top featured two-channel camera with no screen, including Starvis 2 sensors and HDR? Otherwise I may be going with the a329. TIA!

 

[Nigel]

The Viofo A139 Pro has the very latest Sony Starvis 2 4K sensor, with decent HDR. It was the very first dashcam to use the IMX678 image sensor, everything else is copying, nothing has advanced!

It is not quite as good as the A329, but it is close. It is missing voice control, 60fps and SSD support, but otherwise nothing important.
Only real disadvantage is that in 3 channel mode, the bitrates get a bit low, but in 1 channel mode it matches or exceeds everything else, it achieves an excellent 60Mb/s, and in 2 channel mode is still decent.

Welcome to the forum 🙂

 

[SealaVie]

Thanks for the reply! For some reason I was thinking the A139 was not Starvis 2. Maybe was thinking the rear cam? Anyway more reading to do... I'm not planning on an SSD or 3-channel, voice control might have been used rarely but I really expect to set it and forget it unless there's an incident where I need the video... Great forum with a lot of helpful info for the newbies to this tech!

 

[DT MI]

but I really expect to set it and forget it unless there's an incident where I need the video...

You really need to check videos periodically to make sure things are working OK. Last thing you want to happen is to need the videos and find something failed and they're not there.

 

[SealaVie]

Agree with the checking Vids every so often. Whenever someone pulls a 😡 move that'll be a good reminder to confirm vid is working - happens often enough...

 

[SealaVie]

Well, I was having trouble finding the 139 so I ended up buying the A329. It's a more bulky than I was looking for. Hopefully I will find a spot for it that works for me.

 

[mentadent]

Congrats on your purchase.

 

[Nigel]

It's a more bulky than I was looking for. Hopefully I will find a spot for it that works for me.

It doesn't take a lot of space, the photos tend to make it look bigger than it actually is, but it depends on the car, some cars are difficult for any camera, others are easy. And the screen turns off pretty fast, so most of the time it is a no screen dashcam.

Let us know how you get on with it, the A329 is still new, it is good hear from actual customers rather than just reviewers...

 

[kamkar]

I think the fastest LCD screen off option in most dashcams are faster than i am getting settled in car and getting under way, mere seconds.
It should not be a issue unless you have a extremely special case.

There are people that will run their system with the LCD on all the time, that is stupid and could potentially even be illegal in some places.
Personally i only use that and also wifi always on option to generate the most internal heat to test heat endurance, and that form of testing are pretty much only valid in Denmark on a few summer days of the year as this is not a super hot place in that regard.