E1 Pro Test & Review PP

[Chuck McCoy]

So, if you think vibration through the suction cup mount is detrimental to capturing fine details, why are you using it for this comparison against a wedge camera?

Because that's the whole point of the E1 Pro in my opinion.
I think it's the best dash cam for temporary rental car & travel usage.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

This is just plain nuts.
I can’t get over how dark E1 Pro is with PlatePix enabled.
What in the Wide World Of Sports is going on here?
It’s 2026, not 2016. lol

 

[Augustus]

This is just plain nuts.
I can’t get over how dark E1 Pro is with PlatePix enabled.
What in the Wide World Of Sports is going on here?
It’s 2026, not 2016. lol

I feel like this has been covered in much detail already last year by a lot of parties @TonyM @Jeff_Vantrue @lufa6977

 

[TonyM]

I can’t get over how dark E1 Pro is with PlatePix enabled.

I don't think PlatePix was optimised for use with headlights turned off. I can't remember now whether PlatePix is automatically disabled in parking mode?

 

[Chuck McCoy]

@TonyM said:
I don't think PlatePix was optimised for use with headlights turned off. I can't remember now whether PlatePix is automatically disabled in parking mode?
@Chuck McCoy said:
This was Driving / Normal recording mode, not parking mode.
Maybe we need yet another text stamp to identify which recording mode was used. lol
E1 Pro was released January 2025, (15 Months ago).
I was hoping we’d have fully finished "polished" firmware by now.

 

[TonyM]

This was Driving / Normal recording mode, not parking mode.

Oh, I knew that, but you didn't have your headlights on.

I was just thinking that 99% of night driving video would be with headlights on, and stationary night video without lights would normally be recorded in parking mode. Perhaps you could try the same location and turn off the ignition to see if low bitrate is any better than normal 4K at night?

 

[Chuck McCoy]

@TonyM
Will do.

 

[Jeff_Vantrue]

This is just plain nuts.
I can’t get over how dark E1 Pro is with PlatePix enabled.
What in the Wide World Of Sports is going on here?
It’s 2026, not 2016. lol

We’re really sorry for the confusion here. PlatePix uses Vantrue’s in-house imaging algorithm to enhance license plate capture, especially for moving vehicles. To achieve this, the camera adjusts exposure settings, which can result in a darker overall image.
This feature is specifically optimized for capturing license plates in motion, so for static scenes, we recommend turning PlatePix off for better overall brightness.

 

[kamkar]

And now my favorite impression.
Jesse Owens.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

@Jeff_Vantrue said:
PlatePix uses Vantrue’s in-house imaging algorithm to enhance license plate capture, especially for moving vehicles.
To achieve this, the camera adjusts exposure settings, which can result in a darker overall image.
This feature is specifically optimized for capturing license plates in motion, so for static scenes, we recommend turning PlatePix off for better overall brightness.

@Chuck McCoy said:
This makes no practical sense.
Your customers will most likely change initial settings when they first install E1 Pro, and most likely “never” change them again.
It needs to be simple “set it, and forget it”.
Are you telling me you expect the customer to change settings as they’re driving around?
This whole 3rd extra “PlatePix” setting is preposterous.
It should function intrinsically with HDR seamlessly in the background.
The whole idea of PlatePix is marketing nonsense.

From now on as I continue testing, and comparing recorded footage with Viofo A119M Pro what SINGLE setting do you want me to use?
1.) HDR OFF
2.) HDR ON
3.) HDR ON + PlatePix

I’m going to use a SINGLE setting for;
a.) Daytime
b.) Night Time
c.) Vehicle In Motion
d.) Vehicle Stationary
e.) All Possible Situations
-Chuck

Choose wisely.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

Well it looks like I screwed up again.
The Horizon Lines are not identical, and they’re around 51% Sky 49% Road.

Here’s the videos the screenshots were taken from.

 

[TonyM]

I can't remember now whether PlatePix is automatically disabled in parking mode?

Your customers will most likely change initial settings when they first install E1 Pro, and most likely “never” change them again.
It needs to be simple “set it, and forget it”.

From now on as I continue testing, and comparing recorded footage with Viofo A119M Pro what SINGLE setting do you want me to use?
1.) HDR OFF
2.) HDR ON
3.) HDR ON + PlatePix

I did some bench testing this morning before work to review the settings in driving and parking modes which might help with your ongoing testing... maybe. It's daylight so I can't realistically check the effect on night recordings at this moment.

- HDR and PlatePix both have options for ON/OFF/Timer which means you can set them always on, always off, or timed for day/night if you prefer.
- There has been much discussion between Vantrue and testers about whether PlatePix functions if HDR is disabled. My tests this morning show a change in video brightness when PlatePix is enabled, both when HDR is on and when HDR is off. These are indoor static tests so I cannot confirm the effect on moving scenery viewed from a car.
- PlatePix and HDR are both automatically disabled in Low Bitrate Parking Mode. You can see this by looking at the on-screen HDR indicator, and the PlatePix stamp in the recorded video.

In summary, if you setup the E1 Pro as follows:
- PlatePix ON
- HDR Timed (ON at night)

Then the following should be true:
- Daytime driving [PlatePix ON, HDR OFF]
- Daytime parking [PlatePix OFF, HDR OFF]
- Night driving [PlatePix ON, HDR ON]
- Night parking [PlatePix OFF, HDR OFF]

NOTE: I just noticed I'm not using the latest firmware, so all the above may no longer be true!

 

[Chuck McCoy]

@TonyM
I’m confused.
I thought PlatePix was only available when HDR is On.
Are you saying you can turn on PlatePix when HDR is Off?

I have zero interest in any kind of TIMER that enables / disables HDR, or PlatePix.
This is creates a constant battle for the customer because sunrise / sunset is constantly changing throughout the year.
HDR & PlatePix need to be “set it and forget” and image quality tuning just needs to work properly.
If that can’t happen then the image quality tuning is the problem.
Vueroid figured out how to do this with S1-4K so HDR & IPC can be enable all the time.
Viofo has 85% - 90% figured it out with the A329S, and A119M Pro so HDR can be enabled all the time.

 

[TonyM]

@TonyM
I’m confused.
I thought PlatePix was only available when HDR is On.
Are you saying you can turn on PlatePix when HDR is Off?

In this morning's testing, I set HDR to Off, then set the PlatePix timer to go from Off to On. Looking at daytime static video of my garden, there is a change in brightness, so I think it's doing something when PlatePix is enabled by itself.

I repeated this with HDR On, and there is a much bigger change in brightness when PlatePix is enabled. So I still don't know for sure whether PlatePix needs HDR to be effective. I've spent enough hours going over this on the E1 Pro and S1 Pro Max, I really don't have the motivation to re-test it all again!

Personally, I don't agree that current dashcam hardware and firmware are suitable for HDR or IPC to be enabled all the time - there is too much daytime blur or ghosting for my liking. I still prefer to use an HDR timer on the A329S, S1-4K and similar models.

I do agree that most users are not interested in changing the settings throughout the year and it is desirable to find a 'set it and forget' setup that works all the time. The added complexity of separating HDR and PlatePix is confusing enough for seasoned testers, so I'm sure regular customers are confused too.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

@TonyM
I don't blame you for not wanting to waste any more time on this.

"Personally, I don't agree that current dashcam hardware and firmware are suitable for HDR or IPC to be enabled all the time - there is too much daytime blur or ghosting for my liking. I still prefer to use an HDR timer on the A329S, S1-4K and similar models."

Chuck said:
What?!? Why are you flip-flopping on me.
I only said that because you thumbed up Robert's post when he said it a few days ago. lol
Grrrrr.

If you, and I are confused the average first time buy doesn't have a chance in heck. lol
I so wish Sony Japan from the 1980's would come back and make a dash cam.
It would be reliable, easy to use, and last 20 years just like a Walkman. lol

 

[TonyM]

Chuck said:
What?!? Why are you flip-flopping on me.
I only said that because you thumbed up Robert's post when he said it a few days ago. lol
Grrrrr.

I agreed with Robert's opinion that using HDR during daylight should be the default, and that we should be able to have one mode that works well at all times, but unfortunately I don't think we're there yet. I'm not willing to compromise performance for convenience, so I choose to use a timer and adjust the timer settings throughout the year. I was not intending to be contradictory - sorry it came across that way.

There was a time when HDR was optional on phone cameras, now it just seems to be always-on and the user doesn't have to think about it, or even get a choice.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

@TonyM
I know, I was being facetious. lol

 

[Chuck McCoy]

It’s been a while since I’ve had a pair of 1-CH dash cams fight it out in a deathmatch shootout.
I’m getting excited about all the different lighting situation test footage I’m going to gather showing which camera is a true contenter, and which one needs more training.
I just got back filming my usual city test loop.
Sunset was 7:45PM so I hit the course at 8:30PM to make sure it was completely dark.
At that hour in my little town the traffic is light.
I think I managed to get around 5 good examples of potential license plate capture opportunities.
It’s going to take me some time to make all the comparison screenshots so I want to upload the raw / unedited footage to YouTube so we can get a ball park figure of the current firmware.
I just realized we might be getting a “major” firmware update for A119M Pro in the coming weeks, so I guess I’ll have to re-film this all over again.
Since this is a Battle Royale fight to the death competition I picked the most appropriate song I could for checking audio.
As you know I only play classics from 70’s & 80’s.

SETTINGS:

A119M Pro
Firmware: V1.1_20260109
HDR: On
CPL Filter: On
1 Minute File Size: 267MB
Bitrate: 37Mbps Approx.
SD Card: 512GB Viofo Brand

E1 Pro
Firmware: VT-EFB271
HDR: On
PlatePix: On
CPL Filter: On
1 Minute File Size: 232MB
Bitrate: 32Mbps Approx.
SD Card: 1TB Vantrue Brand

These two screenshots are the YouTube Thumbnails.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

Round 1: FIGHT!

I was sure E1 Pro was going to win this round with PlatePix, but I may have found a limitation.
Not only does A119M Pro get the plate but, the entire frame of footage is much brighter.
California Plate# 5PXD596 2005 Lexus ES330

You can see the Lexus around 9:30:40PM in the videos.

 

[Chuck McCoy]

Round 2: FIGHT!

I finished looking through last nights test footage, and there was only one oncoming license plate capture opportunity.
All the rest I was following, so not very challenging.
I re-filmed new test footage tonight.
Nobody tell LateralNW I forgot to cover my radio, my digital clock appears as a reflection in the footage.
E1 Pro captures the plate.
A119M Pro does not.
California Plate# 7FWZ680 2014 Scion xB

Here’s the 1 Minute clips the screenshots were taken from.