New A119V3 V2.5 Firmware announced in VIOFO Blog

[mariomart]

The new A119V3 V2.5 Firmware has been announced in a VIOFO Blog post. https://www.viofo.com/en/blog/viofo...k0aGRPq8HWbnSg4OrwNoZ4z83DsThkyfP3eKzK7VII-A4

The direct link to the download is at the bottom of the blog post, but here it is if you can't be bothered reading the blog.

Apparently they have enabled a pseudo 4K resolution, 2880*2160P 30FPS using the Sony IMX335 sensor to it's fullest.

https://bit.ly/2VbgEmA​

 

[IAmATeaf]

I wonder why they have done this? Seems really strange to me especially as they say this:

“In these cases, they’re interpolated to upscale the image to 2880*2160P from what it actually is, which does absolutely no help improving video quality at all. That’s why VIOFO sticks to real 4K dash cam VIOFO A129 PRO and never tends to interpolate to play tricks on other models.”

Then say this:

“VIOFO A119V3 supports 4K?
As VIOFO A119 V3 also use the Sony IMX335 sensor, does it support interpolated 2160P resolution? Of course, it can! We have implemented the 2880*2160P 30FPS on V2.5 version.”

 

[mariomart]

I wonder why they have done this? Seems really strange to me especially as they say this:

“In these cases, they’re interpolated to upscale the image to 2880*2160P from what it actually is, which does absolutely no help improving video quality at all. That’s why VIOFO sticks to real 4K dash cam VIOFO A129 PRO and never tends to interpolate to play tricks on other models.”

Then say this:

“VIOFO A119V3 supports 4K?
As VIOFO A119 V3 also use the Sony IMX335 sensor, does it support interpolated 2160P resolution? Of course, it can! We have implemented the 2880*2160P 30FPS on V2.5 version.”

Yup.

Makes no sense.

 

[Grayson73]

So the advice is not to use the new 2880*2160P 30FPS resolution? Stick to 1440p 30FPS?

 

[Falsificator]

It would be more correct to implement the native resolution of 2592x1944 (4:3) and 2592x1458 (16:9) pixels...

https://www.sony-semicon.co.jp/products/common/pdf/IMX335LLN_LQN_Flyer.pdf

 

[VIOFO-Support]

I wonder why they have done this? Seems really strange to me especially as they say this:

“In these cases, they’re interpolated to upscale the image to 2880*2160P from what it actually is, which does absolutely no help improving video quality at all. That’s why VIOFO sticks to real 4K dash cam VIOFO A129 PRO and never tends to interpolate to play tricks on other models.”

Then say this:

“VIOFO A119V3 supports 4K?
As VIOFO A119 V3 also use the Sony IMX335 sensor, does it support interpolated 2160P resolution? Of course, it can! We have implemented the 2880*2160P 30FPS on V2.5 version.”

Just to meet the niche need of some A119 V3 owners, we made V2.5 help the A119 V3 realize 2160P.

 

[mariomart]

Just to meet the niche need of some A119 V3 owners, we made V2.5 help the A119 V3 realize 2160P.

Is there a video resolution setting that utilises the maximum sensor area WITHOUT any interpolation or upscaling? Now that's something I would like to see.

 

[Kremmen]

Same here. From the info I've received the optimum for my needs may be :

Firmware 1.03, (No 60fps or HDR)

 

[IAmATeaf]

Just to meet the niche need of some A119 V3 owners, we made V2.5 help the A119 V3 realize 2160P.

But you’ve stated that VIOFO stick to real 4K and never trick … then go right ahead and do what you’ve stated you never do?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not for or against providing it’s not mid-sold or used to confuse the buying public, I just found it strange that within the same article there were 2 contradictory statements.

 

[Falsificator]

By the way, with a native resolution of 1296x972p, according to the datasheet, an excellent video is obtained.






And if you try to adjust the black level, contrast and gamma, the result becomes even more interesting...



Ideally, I would like to see separate settings for day and night.
At least automatic activation and deactivation of the HDR function
and exposure compensation on a schedule...

 

[Dashmellow]

Ideally, I would like to see separate settings for day and night.
At least automatic activation and deactivation of the HDR function
and exposure compensation on a schedule...

I would like to see that too. Automatic day night settings could be achieved with a photo-diode just the way it is done with CCTV cameras.

 

[Grayson73]

By the way, with a native resolution of 1296x972p, according to the datasheet, an excellent video is obtained.





And if you try to adjust the black level, contrast and gamma, the result becomes even more interesting...



Ideally, I would like to see separate settings for day and night.
At least automatic activation and deactivation of the HDR function
and exposure compensation on a schedule...

Firmware v2.5 lets us set at 1296x972p?

 

[Falsificator]

I would like to see that too. Automatic day night settings could be achieved with a photo-diode just the way it is done with CCTV cameras.

No photodiodes are needed. A script is simply implemented to switch settings at a certain time and that's it.
So it was implemented in Vico Vation and TrendVision on the Ambarella platform and some modern registrars
on the Novatek platform...

 

[Falsificator]

Firmware v2.5 lets us set at 1296x972p?

I gave examples of screenshots from my version of the modified firmware. There are no video resolutions in the original firmware.
I'm just talking about what can be implemented and what settings I would like to see in future firmware versions...

 

[Dashmellow]

No photodiodes are needed. A script is simply implemented to switch settings at a certain time and that's it.
So it was implemented in Vico Vation and TrendVision on the Ambarella platform and some modern registrars
on the Novatek platform...

A script would certainly work fine but you would need to set the time and adjust for daylight savings. I like the idea of a photo-diode because it never requires any user input. Maybe I'm spoiled from the way my CCTV cameras automatically switch to night mode for their mechanical solenoid operated IR-cut filters.

Either way, however it might be implemented, a day/night adjusting camera would be a big step forward. This is something that we've been talking about here on DCT for years now.

 

[Falsificator]

Photodiodes and a cut-off filter add complexity to the design.
It is enough to implement the schedule programmatically.
This is the easiest way and does not require any design changes...

 

[Dashmellow]

Photodiodes and a cut-off filter add complexity to the design.
It is enough to implement the schedule programmatically.
This is the easiest way and does not require any design changes...

I wasn't suggesting a cut filter solenoid for a dash cam, just the photo diode. It would just be a light operated switch that changes the setting in the camera on or off at dawn and dusk instead of a more complex script. A photo diode would be cheap, and easy to add to a dash cam.

Dash cam DSPs have only a limited amount of computing power. It's a good question you raise. Would a photo diode switch that simply turns a setting on and off use less computing resources than a script that has to calculate time and a flexible, adjustable schedule?

Anyway, you probably know more about this than I do.

 

[Falsificator]

Any change in hardware and housing requires the manufacture of new molds,
which is very expensive and not always advisable. I understand you perfectly
and partially agree with you, in this case I offer only the simplest and least costly solution option...

This version of the dashcam has already been:

Shadow 1s Car DVR FullHD 30FPS with light sensor by SeeZeus

Shadow 1s official page. It is the new 2016 Car DVR from Shadow SeeZeus which is using an interesting light sensor to increase brightness in low light conditions. After a quick test I see this feature is working, is called Night Vision in menu and when is adding the most bright the image become...

dashcamtalk.com

I still have one in my hands. I still can't find time to implement some changes in the firmware.
An interesting device. Left for experiments until better times...)

 

[IAmATeaf]

Doesn’t the cam already have some of light sensor or logic in the firmware already which could be used to switch between day and night settings?

 

[gse]

It is enough to implement the schedule programmatically.
This is the easiest way and does not require any design changes...

It seems to me that they do not want to do this.
Two years ago, I sent them a video of how it works in TrendVision and asked them to embed it in the firmware.
Then there was no talk about the HDR, it was about changing the exposure.