Changing video format for the A119S

[DashcamFreak]

How do you change the video format for the A119S (NOT converting video files)? Mine is currently on MPEG-4. When I open the video file on my computer, it doesn't load. Also, the video is blurry. I'm suspecting that it could be the camera itself or the low quality video format from the MPEG-4.

 

[jokiin]

you can't change the recording format, your problems must be something else

 

[Mtz]

Even is recorded as MOV or MP4 or even AVI, the quality is the same because they are just containers. Inside them is a video stream, an audio stream and maybe some data like GPS info.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[BCHobbyist]

One of the reasons I selected VIOFO Dashcams was the MP4 video output format, very common, easy to edit and view.
Very common issue for owners is viewing the A119 - 2K - 2560x1440 video since many players or devices cannot display 2K resolution. Simply install another viewer. You can confirm this issue by changing MENU resolution setting to lowest 1280x720 at 30fps and record some short clips for playback testing. If you plan to save and use your footage for YouTube stick with 1920x1080 at 30fps, you can try 60fps as shown below.

 

[HeWhoMustNotBeNamed]

How do you change the video format for the A119S (NOT converting video files)? Mine is currently on MPEG-4. When I open the video file on my computer, it doesn't load. Also, the video is blurry. I'm suspecting that it could be the camera itself or the low quality video format from the MPEG-4.

https://mpc-hc.org/downloads/

 

[DashcamFreak]

I resolved the video file issue on my computer; the QuickTime player couldn't load the video, but the Windows Media Player was able to play it. The video looks blurry. Is there any way I can fix this? How do I refocus the camera? I bought this camera for a family member (I might plan on using one on my car), but I currently use a Mobius in my own car.

 

[BCHobbyist]

I resolved the video file issue on my computer; the QuickTime player couldn't load the video, but the Windows Media Player was able to play it. The video looks blurry. Is there any way I can fix this? How do I refocus the camera? I bought this camera for a family member (I might plan on using one on my car), but I currently use a Mobius in my own car.

I'll be either creating a short video or long post here about the following subject: video player image quality.
The Dashcam may record perfect 1080p or 1440p resolution MP4 footage but -some- Media Players display poorly, distorted or nothing at all.
MP4 is very commonly supported these days but not with older Media Players. My point is don't fully trust the playback quality from your Program, instead view the footage on many different and recommended Players for your OS. Another tip is to copy MP4 footage clips to USB stick and play from SmartTV, they all support MP4, only issue is with 1440p (2K) resolution clips on 720 or 1080 LCD TVs. Once you determine which Media Players display best use that for all viewing. Always test with bright daylight to check focus, remember to clean both sides of windshield, if you have a sun/moon roof park infront of building and record through windshield then while holding out roof in your hands to confirm the windshield isn't the blurry cause. Suggest using strong flashlight to shine into dashcam lens while off to reveal smudges or streaks.. see my Lens Cleaning videos for effective method..

Browse all BCHobbyist WorkShop videos:
https://www.youtube.com/user/bchobbyist

 

[Hombré]

don't fully trust the playback quality from your Program, instead view the footage on many different and recommended Players for your OS

I also save edited in different formats just in case

 

[Dashmellow]

I'll be either creating a short video or long post here about the following subject: video player image quality.
The Dashcam may record perfect 1080p or 1440p resolution MP4 footage but -some- Media Players display poorly, distorted or nothing at all.
MP4 is very commonly supported these days but not with older Media Players. My point is don't fully trust the playback quality from your Program, instead view the footage on many different and recommended Players for your OS. Another tip is to copy MP4 footage clips to USB stick and play from SmartTV, they all support MP4, only issue is with 1440p (2K) resolution clips on 720 or 1080 LCD TVs. Once you determine which Media Players display best use that for all viewing. Always test with bright daylight to check focus, remember to clean both sides of windshield, if you have a sun/moon roof park infront of building and record through windshield then while holding out roof in your hands to confirm the windshield isn't the blurry cause. Suggest using strong flashlight to shine into dashcam lens while off to reveal smudges or streaks.. see my Lens Cleaning videos for effective method..

Browse all BCHobbyist WorkShop videos:
https://www.youtube.com/user/bchobbyist

It's all well and good to see if one media player works better than another for viewing dash camera footage. It can be fun and interesting to compare media players. You might even be able to extract useful screen shots from video that conceivably shows better detail than you might see in a different media player.

The problem with your recommendation to use different media players to find the best one has a significant flaw. The "flaw" is that dash cam footage is "evidence" and as "evidence" that potentially will be used in a legal matter you will be required to submit it to the appropriate authorities as well as various individuals involved in your matter. Your dash cam video may be handed off to law enforcement officers, state prosecutors, attorneys, investigators, insurance companies and courts of law. As your video works its way through the chain of custody you have no control over what media player is used to view it. You have no control over what type or vintage of computer or software gets used in this process and no way to know what skills the viewer of the video may or may not have. In some cases your video may land on the desk of some clueless bureaucrat with an older computer with an older media player.

Once you hand off video to another party in a legal matter it is out of your hands.

I can speak to this subject because I have personal experience with it. I became interested in dash cams seven years ago because I was the victim of criminal harassment and threatening behaviors from someone who did so from their vehicle often using their vehicle as a kind of weapon. As a criminal offense, sometimes the smallest details in the videos were vital in proving the case in court but once I handed off my evidence to the authorities it was out of my control regarding who looked at it or how they viewed it. I could make notations about certain details to look for at certain time stamps but I had no way to know if the person reviewing my video at police headquarters or the prosecutors office was actually seeing what I was trying to show about the event. So, they might see a car nearly sideswiping me but they may or may not clearly see the identifiable face of the person driving in their particular media player on their particular screen.

As a long time member here on DCT I've often noticed that most people posting to this forum have never been in a situation where they actually needed their video to prove a legal case or difficult insurance matter and as a result many make a lot of assumptions that are incorrect and sometimes even complete fantasy. The reality can be quite different.

So, by all means play around with all the different media players (or SmartTVs) you like. I certainly do it when I need to. I find different players can be especially useful when one player reveals a license plate number that another one doesn't. Just keep in mind that at some point you may need to hand off an original, unaltered copy of your dash cam video just as it came from your camera and so the best practice is to capture the best footage you can in the first place.

 

[BCHobbyist]

It's all well and good to see if one media player works better than another for viewing dash camera footage. It can be fun and interesting to compare media players. You might even be able to extract useful screen shots from video that conceivably shows better detail than you might see in a different media player.

The problem with your recommendation to use different media players to find the best one has a significant flaw. The "flaw" is that dash cam footage is "evidence" and as "evidence" that potentially will be used in a legal matter you will be required to submit it to the appropriate authorities as well as various individuals involved in your matter. Your dash cam video may be handed off to law enforcement officers, state prosecutors, attorneys, investigators, insurance companies and courts of law. As your video works its way through the chain of custody you have no control over what media player is used to view it. You have no control over what type or vintage of computer or software gets used in this process and no way to know what skills the viewer of the video may or may not have. In some cases your video may land on the desk of some clueless bureaucrat with an older computer with an older media player.

Once you hand off video to another party in a legal matter it is out of your hands.

I can speak to this subject because I have personal experience with it. I became interested in dash cams seven years ago because I was the victim of criminal harassment and threatening behaviors from someone who did so from their vehicle often using their vehicle as a kind of weapon. As a criminal offense, sometimes the smallest details in the videos were vital in proving the case in court but once I handed off my evidence to the authorities it was out of my control regarding who looked at it or how they viewed it. I could make notations about certain details to look for at certain time stamps but I had no way to know if the person reviewing my video at police headquarters or the prosecutors office was actually seeing what I was trying to show about the event. So, they might see a car nearly sideswiping me but they may or may not clearly see the identifiable face of the person driving in their particular media player on their particular screen.

As a long time member here on DCT I've often noticed that most people posting to this forum have never been in a situation where they actually needed their video to prove a legal case or difficult insurance matter and as a result many make a lot of assumptions that are incorrect and sometimes even complete fantasy. The reality can be quite different.

So, by all means play around with all the different media players (or SmartTVs) you like. I certainly do it when I need to. I find different players can be especially useful when one player reveals a license plate number that another one doesn't. Just keep in mind that at some point you may need to hand off an original, unaltered copy of your dash cam video just as it came from your camera and so the best practice is to capture the best footage you can in the first place.

thanks for the wonder post but you missed the point,
the OP was complaining about blurry footage, I suggested viewing with different media players to confirm the blurriness wasn't created by the player.
thanks for sharing your story, we are just trying to determine if the OP has a defective dashcam.

 

[Dashmellow]

thanks for the wonder post but you missed the point,
the OP was complaining about blurry footage, I suggested viewing with different media players to confirm the blurriness wasn't created by the player.
thanks for sharing your story, we are just trying to determine if the OP has a defective dashcam.

OK, I hear you, but if a camera is truly "blurry" it's not going to look much more in focus is one media player or another, even if one media player works better than another.

I guess I was reacting to your statements, "don't fully trust the playback quality from your Program, instead view the footage on many different and recommended Players for your OS."...."Another tip is to copy MP4 footage clips to USB stick and play from SmartTV, they all support MP4, only issue is with 1440p (2K) resolution clips on 720 or 1080 LCD TVs. Once you determine which Media Players display best use that for all viewing."

You have no control of which Media Player is used once the video leaves your hands. The thing that matters most is how good the video looks to others not how good your video looks on your own screen. So often I see commentary on this forum that suggests that people are not even thinking about what happens when their dash cam video leaves their hands in a legal matter.

From my experience, which is fairly expensive at this point, you know pretty quickly if your camera has a "blur" issue.

 

[jokiin]

From my experience, which is fairly expensive at this point, you know pretty quickly if your camera has a "blur" issue.

hope you meant extensive experience, worried you'll be sending out invoices soon

seriously though, no media player is going to fix a lens with a focus issue

 

[Dashmellow]

hope you meant extensive experience, worried you'll be sending out invoices soon

seriously though, no media player is going to fix a lens with a focus issue

Hah! That auto-spell correct will be the death of me, especially with my ham-fisted typing. On the other hand, considering what I've spent on dash cams and related gear over the years, "expensive experience" may well be the right term after all!

 

[jokiin]

. On the other hand, considering what I've spent on dash cams and related gear over the years, "expensive experience" may well be the right term after all!

yeah that too

 

[BCHobbyist]

OK, I hear you, but if a camera is truly "blurry" it's not going to look much more in focus is one media player or another, even if one media player works better than another.

I guess I was reacting to your statements, "don't fully trust the playback quality from your Program, instead view the footage on many different and recommended Players for your OS."...."Another tip is to copy MP4 footage clips to USB stick and play from SmartTV, they all support MP4, only issue is with 1440p (2K) resolution clips on 720 or 1080 LCD TVs. Once you determine which Media Players display best use that for all viewing."

You have no control of which Media Player is used once the video leaves your hands. The thing that matters most is how good the video looks to others not how good your video looks on your own screen. So often I see commentary on this forum that suggests that people are not even thinking about what happens when their dash cam video leaves their hands in a legal matter.

From my experience, which is fairly expensive at this point, you know pretty quickly if your camera has a "blur" issue.

missed the point once again
it's possible for some media players to display perfectly focused footage -as if- it's blurry and/or add stutter while original footage is perfect when viewed with another browser or device. A media player using old codecs, or missing codecs will result in poor video quality. Case and point: viewing 2k resolution or 60fps clips on windows media player without correct codecs installed. Always use multiple players to preview footage before contacting VIOFO for another poorly focused lens on the A119S.

 

[Dashmellow]

missed the point once again
it's possible for some media players to display perfectly focused footage -as if- it's blurry and/or add stutter while original footage is perfect when viewed with another browser or device. A media player using old codecs, or missing codecs will result in poor video quality. Case and point: viewing 2k resolution or 60fps clips on windows media player without correct codecs installed. Always use multiple players to preview footage before contacting VIOFO for another poorly focused lens on the A119S.

While it's true that media players can provide widely different, sometimes very poor results, the notion that it will make videos appear "blurry" as if you have a lens focus issue is ridiculous. I agree with you that it is a good idea to have more than one media player on your machine but if you go to the trouble of buying a modern dash camera and don't have a computer with a reasonably up to date media player that can handle a range of common codes that can play a range of common file types then you have a problem, not your camera.

 

[Mineshaft]

missed the point once again
it's possible for some media players to display perfectly focused footage -as if- it's blurry and/or add stutter while original footage is perfect when viewed with another browser or device. A media player using old codecs, or missing codecs will result in poor video quality. Case and point: viewing 2k resolution or 60fps clips on windows media player without correct codecs installed. Always use multiple players to preview footage before contacting VIOFO for another poorly focused lens on the A119S.

Good reminder to keep media player codes up to date.
I'm going to review my programs.

 

[Peylix]

Very common issue for owners is viewing the A119 - 2K - 2560x1440 video since many players or devices cannot display 2K resolution

Not to nitpick, but 1440p is not 2k.

2k is actually 1080p.

1440p is more of 2.5k. Pet peeve of mine, sorry haha.