Is the Pro still worth it?

[Jarod]

I need to get a dual setup in the next couple of months and eyeing on the Viofo duos.

With all the current issues with the Pro version:

• is it still worth it to invest the extra bucks in the Pro and wait for possible bug fixes? OR
• go with the more stable non-Pro Duo setup?

If you get to start again today, what would you choose and why? Cheers!

 

[Nigel]

If you want parking mode in Australia then the Pro is probably not the best choice, otherwise it is a great camera.
Of course parking mode in an Australian summer is questionable for any camera.

 

[kamkar]

I do think 4K are the future in dashcams, but right here and now i would not spend any of my money on either of the 3 models selling.
Maybe something new later this year or next year.
ATM i am pleased with my 1080p cameras, but i am sure once i have tried 4K i would not go / look back.

Reason is the issues all 3 cameras suffer, and some image technical issues i think they have ( modest bitrates ), plus storage issues i think there are ( using little memory cards )
Also while the 4K models are all still small enough, then i would still prefer the cameras to be remote, cuz that's the #2 i think future dashcams must have.

I know what i like i will probably not get anytime soon, and i am also sure i can make do with what ever they do come up with.

PS. i do also wish the 1080p cameras would be droppde in favor of 1440p cameras.

 

[Aly_Oops]

So far I am having no issue with over heating, but it is not summer here. I suspect some of the issue of heating, thermal runaway, has to do with firmware bugs, funny things happening and crashes. Hoping the next update will address the issues. Probably, hopefully the VIOFO programmers has taken advantage of the free time to put a lot of time in their coding.

I like the 4k video and the details for security camera is certainly a necessity. So much so, I will be replacing my current home cameras with 4k, as HD lacks some details. Not a rush at this time, due to lock downs going on to slow the spread of COVID-19. If you are in a lock down or social distancing, wait it out to the last minute. In the meantime, keep update to date from user's posting on any of the camera you are interested in

 

[Nigel]

PS. i do also wish the 1080p cameras would be droppde in favor of 1440p cameras.

Yes, I think for most people 1440 is sufficient, and a good improvement over 1080, 2x the detail of 1080 with less motion blur than 4K.

Unfortunately not many dual cameras with 1440 about at the moment, but that may change soon, although I still prefer the 4K of my A129 Pro to my 1440 2K tri-cam.

 

[kamkar]

Indeed and some new 2X cameras do 1080/60 + 1080/30 rear instead, i would more like to see 1440 -1440 / 30 FPS instead.

 

[Teflon490]

I have both A129 Pro and A119 V3 (well I installed the V3 in my brother's car, but I can still directly compare), and I would go for A129 Pro again, hands down. 4K is amazing, yes, it has more motion blur on close objects, but what is making up for it more than enough is the ability to actually see things and read license plates at much longer distance than you would with 2K, not to mention FHD. And at that distance there is no motion blur whatsoever. If you look at some comparison videos on YT, they show that V3 has better image on close objects, but they usually do not mention (or compare) that at long distance 4K is much better and you are able to see many more things, including reading those plates that would be otherwise smeared all over the place up close.

Also, I do not have any of the issues others are experiencing here (double beeps, thermal shutdowns), it has been basically "install and forget" for those past few months I am using it (apart from monthly format), but yeah, I have not used it in proper heat during the summer yet, so it is not tested in all possible conditions.

 

[Paul Iddon]

If you watch the 4K dashcam video on a 4K television (or 4k monitor) it blows your mind!

 

[kamkar]

I do fear that when i get to try a 4K dashcam, i will probably have to buy a TV again ( "cheaper" / make more sense than buying a 4K computer monitor )

 

[Nigel]

Alternatively, you can zoom in to see the detail, no real need for a 4K TV/Monitor, although of course it is nice to have.

 

[kamkar]

So far my first 2 months without TV have been fairly uneventful, but i must also admit that i still feel the addiction to some degree.
The feeling are about the same as when i quit smoking cannabis, so if thats the base line i will have some "frustrations" at least the rest of the year.
And that bother me a little factoring in the loathing i had for the content of the few channels i had on my TV, but at least me having on idea about what streaming services to look at pull in the other direction.
Cuz aside for 1 streaming service i have found no other that just peak my interest just a tiny little bit.
And i sure as hell are not going to go with flow TV again.

 

[Aly_Oops]

I do miss my iMac 5k when I decided to go portable, MacBook Pro 15 (2019), very nice screen but sure do/did see the difference when viewing/editing photos. I have not played any of my VIOFO 4k video on a 4k screen, so I can't comment on any wow factor. But with my experience with photo, ya.... definitely a big difference.

Planning on switching back to an iMac later.

Many people who have upgraded their camera or iPhones were expecting better pictures quality when viewing on their computers and a few said, they don't see any difference. They don't realize that they need a screen capable of showing the higher quality images or videos. Even worse if viewing on standard TV.

keep safe.....

 

[kamkar]

My computer could easy pull a 4K screen, even larger if high end gaming are not in question ( and i doubt that and even if i can make do with mid tier graphics gaming )
The problem is a 4K monitor or better i would like cost at least as much as i would use on a new TV, and then i could get a OLED TV but not get a OLED monitor.

Besides on the computer front i think it would be better to get something low power, as most of my screen time are just something like this, so really no reason to have a 180 watt ( idle ) monster running for that.
So i have been thinking about a laptop, where the new models are only 35 watt.

Good thing is car loan fizz out next month if my memory serve me right, that will free up some funds and abilities to do a little realistic dreaming.

But no MAC products here, even if what i have build PC for would get me a very high end MAC indeed.

 

[Nigel]

So i have been thinking about a laptop, where the new models are only 35 watt.

My "desktop" only uses 16 watts, including USB TV tuner, 27" IPS monitor about 18 watts extra, you don't need to compromise too much to be green!

 

[Aly_Oops]

Computer are like beer and wine.... we get attached to our brands.

For me, security is number one, which is why I went apple, because of their policies. Cost wasn't my concern at all. I get what I want or don't get it at all view point.

My units are on 24 hours, 7 days a week. It goes into sleep mode/display off when not accessed, auto restart each day, I never notice any high electricity bill since doing that. I don't have the specs off hand, but it would be cheaper than a tube TV. I can imagine in some countries, where they have to depend on imports for all their power, wattage can be a concern.

Many years ago, when I was taking IT classes, we were given a project with certain requirement for a small business and the cost to do it (at that time internet, interconnectivity was none existent for many small business.). Everyone except me, went non apple route. When done, the cost was cheaper with apple as most of the peripherals came with it.

The professor was skeptical with my results, he personally had to check it out and in the end, he confirmed it accuracies, gave me full points. He found the other who didn't go apple approach, their estimates were too low often and incomplete in some cases. Results could vary depending on the project needs. I was also able to argue IT cost would be cheaper.

None issue, we buy and use what we need, not what others may need or argue. As long as it does what one wants and there is no arguments against that.

One of my boys was a gamer and he went building his own, slowly over time, he added additional cards. In the end it didn't prove to be cheaper, which after awhile he acknowledge but felt it was still better for gaming, which I tend to agree with at the time.

All depends on your needs and things change with technology improvements. No one stays on top always, they flip back and forth.

 

[kamkar]

Electricity far too expensive to have things idling here, don't know about the situation in Canada, but i would kill for the US prices on electricity,,,,, and gasoline too for that matter, both are dirt cheap compared to here.
My new computer are build way past what i need, if you don't factor in editing a little 4K video now and then ( not often / regular ) then my computer are at least 50% overkill.

At least i don't spend my money on drugs anymore, that took a substantial bite of the budget in the old days, not least after i stopped financing it with crime.
So for many year around 1/4 - 1/5 of my salary went that route directly or to related costs, so that was pretty damn stupid of me.

I filled my tank a few days ago with really cheap corona gasoline, but here that's still 4.9 USD /gal - 1.33 USD / liter for 95 oktane unleaded.
Before the corona gas price gasoline here was like 6.5 USD / gal - 1.77 USD/liter here

 

[Aly_Oops]

Here in Alberta, fuel is down to 60 cent a litre, before the covid, it was around 1.00 a litre. My electricity bill is between 50.00 and 60.00 Canadian dollar. It that high, not because of usage, but the flat rate you start with, regardless if you don't even use 1kw.

 

[Nigel]

Here in Alberta, fuel is down to 60 cent a litre, before the covid, it was around 1.00 a litre. My electricity bill is between 50.00 and 60.00 Canadian dollar. It that high, not because of usage, but the flat rate you start with, regardless if you don't even use 1kw.

Don't have a flat rate here, only pay for what we use, and since light bulbs and fridges became much more efficient, the TV/computer is a significant percentage of the bill, no point in wasting power when you can choose a computer that uses 10% of the power of older ones and still works faster for most purposes.

Alberta seems to have rather dirty electricity, still 90% fossil fuel with lots of coal, but I guess you would like a warmer climate!

 

[kamkar]

I just saw a few days ago the coldest temperature ever measured here in this month was -27 deg C
That made me clam up whining about the few degrees of frost we haven every night for the past week.

The Canadians will get greener too, after all they are the Danes of North America.

 

[Aly_Oops]

The info is outdated...

We don't use coal and if any left are shutting down/shut down. We have hydro, Natural Gas, Wind turbines.

The only negative bit is the tar sands, which is 500km north of me. Judging from video it much cleaner than the coal that used in other countries, in some cases, coal is being reactivated in other countries, not here. yuk... The size/claims is also exaggerated for political opponents.

Very resource rich, but mostly not tapped, which is good. Most of the fossil use is exported by other countries. I find it strange, a population of about 33 million and the second biggest land/country in the world. The rating for green seems fixed? To be ignored?

When I said flat rate, it only stays there if you don't use x amount of energy, after that you get charged for each kw used at a rate that varies.

One reason why i don't keep or use old equipment, including computers. Which explains my flat rate. Very green I am.... more than most. Cooking/baking is where most of the cost occurs here.

This is dash cam forum, so prefer to stay out of non VIOFO discussions.....

Thanks....