My experience using a229 so far...

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hyzer

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Hi All

I bought a229 duo and I have been using it for the past 4 weeks. My expectations for the new dash cam are high since I was previously using Viofo a119 V3.
Until now my time using this camera a229 duo I have mix feelings about its performance.

Very recently I have experienced road aggression in a trip in Lithuania and I was hoping a229 dash cam had me covered to have all the evidence I needed to report it to the authorities.
Both cameras (front and back) failed to pick up the license plate of this car that wanted me to crash.
I have the bit rate set at the maximum setting, and its using the recommended memory card on the Viofo website.

Samsung Pro Endurance 128GB

The dash cam has the latest available firmware installed

A229_1.0_0801

The dash cam does not have CPL Filter, but since the weather was not that bright I don't think it would have made a difference.

I think Viofo needs to address a229 performance because since I changed my a119 V3 to a229 it feels like a downgrade!!

Does anyone shares the same opinion? Or any thoughts?

Thanks

 
Welcome to the forum hyzer.

I sure as hell hope that Lithuanian guy never venture to Denmark, se seem like he would feel right at home in Russian traffic.

I am a bit amazed you did not get a plate capture here, but then again hard to judge the actual light conditions by video footage as a image sensor interpret things different than the human eye.
I have over the years gotten freaked out myself testing cameras, so one day i could go for a drive and pretty much catch all plates, but the very next day in conditions i feel was the same i barely capture 1 plate.
It have led me to think that some times a dashcam can choose to use less favorable exposure settings.

My A229 soldier on, and the only issue i have had with it is memory card related, using a kingston card it suddenly gave a error on it after many weeks of usage, but then giving it a once over with SD formatter and the same memory card have worked fine for months, it was not enough to just format the card in the camera, that was the first thing i tried.

I am not familiar with the A119 V3 camera, and really i do not like to compare cameras unless i can do so on the windscreen capturing the same stuff at the same time.

I would assume if Viofo have learned some things with the "older " A119 V3, these things would be able to be transferred to newer cameras,,,,,, but i must also say that is seem i often think things are more simple than they actually are.
 
Right on Hyzer,
If possible can you re-upload the video in 2K (2560x1440)?
Your current upload is only 1080p, (see attched screenshot).
-Chuck
 

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Hi
Kamkar and Panzer

Thank you for warm welcome and for commenting in.

YT didnt give me the choice to upload higher than 1080p, however I can provide the original video files (Front & Rear) if you would be interested.

Regards
 
It's a matter of configuring your settings properly, (in smartphone App).
Here's a sample of what it looks like.
Would you be willing to try?
-Chuck
 

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Hi Karagandinez
Karagandinez said:
Everything that is on youtube is not the original, but the processed material.
Upload the original file to some file hosting service, such as Google Drive, and link to it here.
Click to expand...
True.

The raw clip here:

Google Drive: Sign-in

Access Google Drive with a Google account (for personal use) or Google Workspace account (for business use).
drive.google.com

For some reason the license plate of the Mercedes Minibus is blurred, in daylight conditions. Is my understanding a229 shares the same sony image sensor as the older a119 V3, and for some reason a229 performs worse. No lessons learned from the older model to the new one? In this forum I remember seeing comments from VIOFO in other posts, I would like if Viofo could comment on this.

As of now this camera retails for around 240€ (Euros) well above the price of many other dashcams brands in the market.

DashCam time is CEST
Lithuania Time was at 17h43 (+1 hour)
Location:
https://goo.gl/maps/7Wo2jtDY6ndVyBBN6
A10/E67
 
This is made using power director 17

Playback - freezeframe / zoom in and out on freeze frame - playback
The trick is to pick the right freeze frame where the plate are the best.
 
Last edited:
Here is A119 mini just in and out zooming on the one camera.

Adding the rear like that instantly was a experiment, i use to just do XX cars on front camera, then change to rear camera in reverse playback and do the same cars on the rear camera.

A139 system here.
 
kamkar said:
My highway speed plate captures are ok, well providing there is a little light to keep exposure fast enough.

Click to expand...
What settings do you have set on your A229 such as exposure and stuff?

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk
 
I never touch exposure / EV settings as i do not have tint in my car, if i can i do run CPL filter on both front & rear cameras, in the rear mostly to take reflections in windscreen of car behind me
I always use the max bitrate / image quality, and thats about it for the image related side of things.

Please note that the Danish / EU plates are something other than the US plates, bigger plate - bigger letters - no background graphics allowed.
Lower tax rate plates can be other colors like here they are yellow with black letters.
Danish plates are just shy of 20 inch wide / 4.5 inch tall / 93.7 square inches

Of course i have not added anything in post production here, i wouldn't know how to do things like that, it would also be like Photoshop the one piece of software i hate the most.

I just put a new camera in my car, the Vantrue Elements 2, only to find out when i got home,,,,, i forgot to remove the protective plastic on the front lens,,,,,, thats a first for me.
It was probably the severe rainfall while i installed the system on a parking lot that threw me off base.

So i am off to get a little in town night footage, thats Danish town so no insane levels of light from LED signs ASO.
And by town i mean the #6 largest town here, which are like 64.000 people, so quite small and idyllic for American standards. the #6 largest town in the US probably have more people than the 6 million that live in all of Denmark.

The A139 video above, i was a bit surprised i got all those plates, but you do notice about in the middle of it where trees line the road that it do struggle there as it go for a slower exposure.
 
Last edited:
hyzer said:
original clip 2K
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the extra work of uploading in 2K on YouTube.
I looked at the video on my 32" monitor, and there is just to much "motion blur".

Would you be willing to film a short clip with the A229 & your old A119 V3 "side by side" for comparison so we can see what you're talking about?
-Chuck
 
hyzer said:
True.

The raw clip here:
Click to expand...
To begin with, try to set the horizon correctly, the ratio is 50/50% sky-road for more correct exposure metering, now you have 35/65 approximately.
Also 16:30 is not a very good time for reading numbers.
 
gse said:
To begin with, try to set the horizon correctly, the ratio is 50/50% sky-road for more correct exposure metering, now you have 35/65 approximately.
Also 16:30 is not a very good time for reading numbers.
Click to expand...
If the WDR is also turned on, then it’s completely melancholy.
 
Karagandinez said:
Do you have WDR enabled?
Click to expand...
Panzer Platform said:
Thank you so much for the extra work of uploading in 2K on YouTube.
I looked at the video on my 32" monitor, and there is just to much "motion blur".

Would you be willing to film a short clip with the A229 & your old A119 V3 "side by side" for comparison so we can see what you're talking about?
-Chuck
Click to expand...
gse said:
To begin with, try to set the horizon correctly, the ratio is 50/50% sky-road for more correct exposure metering, now you have 35/65 approximately.
Also 16:30 is not a very good time for reading numbers.
Click to expand...

Thanks guys for commenting in and suggestions.

WDR is by default settings, i did not touch it.

I agree there is a lot of motion blur and i dont understand why, with a119 V3 i did not have that, and the car is the same.
Sure, once I have more time I can try to put back a119 V3 on the windshield and go for a drive, then I will share the footage here for comparison.

Regarding the horizon, do you mean I should raise the lenses to show more of the sky?
 
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