Reviewing and Testing the Vantrue S1 Pro Max

[Hack_man]

When I updated my S1 Pro Max a couple days ago (using the link I sent you) only the Front Camera F/W from June 11 was available. Your link now shows Front and Rear should have been available since June 11.

I've never had a problem updating Viofo Front and Rear at the same time. Maybe I will try updating the S1 Pro Max front to the June 27 version at the same time as the rear to June 11 just in the interest of seeing how it goes! I think Vantrue wants us to be guinea pigs and push the limits 🐷

Although based on what I am seeing I would not be surprised to see a rear camera version dated June 27 to become available soon.

 

[EricSan]

Interesting observation: the old and new versions of the firmware for both the E1 Pro and the S1 Pro Max are EXACTLY the same filesize. I suppose this means the tweaks are minor/minimal because the size of the code didn’t change…

 

[Hack_man]

That is odd especially since the update logs show significant changes

 

[Hack_man]

I loaded F/W VT-EEF243 and the S1 Pro Max NO LONGER POWER CYCLES when I connect it to my Apple charger on the Rear Camera port!
Before I loaded new F/W, I confirmed with a USB multimeter that the voltage at the rear camera port of the S1 Pro Max was 4.85 to 4.92 V (fluctuating) so it made sense it rebooted (Vantrue advertises a requirement of 5 V)
I loaded the new F/W and the voltage did not change (4.85 to 4.92 V) but like I said, the camera no longer power cycles.

 

[jsmith]

Yes! I haven't gone back to look at the E360, but the N4S and the S1 Pro Max BOTH allow you to choose which cameras are active for drive mode and both have a DIFFERENT setting that determines which cameras are active for parking mode. This is an excellent feature!

I can also confirm that the 2.5K rear camera that comes with the N4S works with the S1 Pro Max, but not vice-versa. I did notice that the S1 Pro Max tends to get a little upset at swapping rear cameras with the main camera powered off. It caused a problem where each time the camera booted, it would record for 4s and then just freeze up. I had to go through multiple gyrations of using the reset button, formatting the card, and disconnecting the rear camera before it would boot normally again. I actually thought I had fried the rear camera at one point because it took me longer than I thought it would to get things working properly again.

Edit: I just saw this in the manual, they recommend making sure the main camera is ON before connecting the rear camera. Guess I’ll call this one a case of “user error.”
View attachment 82051

1. Question: Do you notice the same N4S rear camera blurry bug when viewing cameras via the App on the S1 Pro Max, too? In my opinion, it appears the S1 Pro Max has same bug.

2. Why would you use the N4S rear 2.5K camera on the S1 Pro Max? The S1 Pro Max is 2160P / 4K Rear.

 

[jsmith]

Here is my first set of comparison images, all three from the rear cameras this time. This might not be an ideal comparison as I neglected to align the vertical aim of each camera. The N4S shows a bit more sky than the A139 Pro does, and the S1 Pro Max shows yet more sky.

The A139 Pro seems to have the most realistic color and lighting (most true to what the eye sees), it also has about the same horizontal angle as the S1 Pro Max.
The S1 Pro Max has the greatest amount of contrast and the lowest level of overall brightness in the foreground. It also exhibits the least amount of window reflections. Enabling HDR might show some positive impact on this image.
The N4S shows the brightest overall rear image, the greatest amount of color, the least contrast in the image, but the greatest level of window reflections.

Viofo A139 Pro rear camera, no HDR function, 1920x1080P, 30fps, 16.4Mb/s:
View attachment 82048

Vantrue N4S, rear camera, HDR off, PlatePix on (not sure if this impacts the rear camera), 2560x1440P, 30fps, 14.3Mb/s:
View attachment 82049

S1 Pro Max, rear camera, HDR off, PlatePix on (not sure if this impacts the rear camera), 3840x2160P, 30fps, 23.8Mb/s:
View attachment 82050

I am going to check this again tomrorow, but I also noticed the rear camera on the S1 Pro Max appears to be much darker that the A139 Pro or the N4S.

Is this a firmware bug?

 

[EricSan]

1. Question: Do you notice the same N4S rear camera blurry bug when viewing cameras via the App on the S1 Pro Max, too? In my opinion, it appears the S1 Pro Max has same bug.

2. Why would you use the N4S rear 2.5K camera on the S1 Pro Max? The S1 Pro Max is 2160P / 4K Rear.

1. Yes, the rear camera feed for both the N4S and the S1 Pro Max is slightly blurry in the app. Videos on my computer are crisp and sharp. Seems like a flaw in the app. I've recently updated the app, I think the most recent version is from just a few days ago.

2. Because the manual says it works, so I wanted to try it. According to the manual, there is an S1 kit available with a 2.5k rear camera and another available with the 4k camera. Just exercising the options to see what works 😉

I also noticed the rear camera on the S1 Pro Max appears to be much darker that the A139 Pro or the N4S.

This seems to be the case. I'll make a few sunny videos today and see if adjusting the exposure compensation helps a bit. I think I've gotten the three rear camera better aligned now.

 

[EricSan]

I just posted this in my N4S review thread, but since it involves both the N4S and the S1 Pro Max, I'll duplicate it here.

I've been waiting for a day with some nicer weather to make some more videos. Here is a comparison across the S1 Pro Max, the N4S, and the Viofo A139 Pro. The A139 Pro and the S1 Pro Max have very similar horizontal angle of view, the N4S is slightly more narrow in framing. The light had just turned green, so I was moving relatively slowly at this point, likely 5-10 mph.

First up, my Viofo A139 Pro, 3840x1600P, HDR off

Then the Vantrue N4S: 2560x1440P, HDR off, PlatePix On

And the new S1 Pro Max, 3840x2160P, PlatePix on (I think - I need to check the stamps setting in the menu), HDR off:

And some detailed comparisons. I used CapCut to zoom in 200% on the same areas for some resolution/clarity comparisons. Earlier, I had noted that the N4S has greater linearity than the A139 Pro. This shows the S1 Pro Max does even better, the sign at the gas station exhibits the least amount of curve due to lens distortion. The S1 Pro Max does the best job with the illuminated prices as the gas station, keeping them from being over exposed or blurred. Also, the speed limit sign is best rendered by the S1 Pro Max.

And the road sign and traffic light detail from the same frames above, also zoomed 200%. The S1 Pro Max and the A130 Pro offer similar detail (both use the same Starvix 2 IMX678 sensor, so this isn't a surprise, however the S1 Pro Max features additional image processing which seems to give it a slight edge in fine detail and readability. The greatest difference can be seen in the power line over the "Fairground Rd" sign.

The clarity advantage seems to go to the S1 Pro Max, but the N4S has that nice IR illuminated cabin camera that makes it ideal for taxi/rideshare use, or to keep an eye on new drivers when they go out with their friends.

Edit: I also need to make sure that the front cameras are vertically aligned to help with similar exposures due to the amount of hood/sky in each frame.

 

[jsmith]

1. Yes, the rear camera feed for both the N4S and the S1 Pro Max is slightly blurry in the app. Videos on my computer are crisp and sharp. Seems like a flaw in the app. I've recently updated the app, I think the most recent version is from just a few days ago.

2. Because the manual says it works, so I wanted to try it. According to the manual, there is an S1 kit available with a 2.5k rear camera and another available with the 4k camera. Just exercising the options to see what works 😉


This seems to be the case. I'll make a few sunny videos today and see if adjusting the exposure compensation helps a bit. I think I've gotten the three rear camera better aligned now.

I tried adjusting the exposure. It looks better but then if its sunny or brightness changes, the picture looks more washed out. I tried + .06 and +1.2. Will try +.03 on Exposure today.

 

[EricSan]

@Hack_man - I can't find your post from a little while ago where you were complaining about the difficulty getting those tiny Micro SD cards in and out of the cameras without sending them flying around the car, so I'll just post this comparison here.

The Vantrue S1 Pro Max is the easiest camera to get the SD card in and out of. The slot is a little less recessed into the camera body and the "dimple" on the outside of the camera makes it easier to reach the edge of the card with your finger tip or finger nail.
The Vantrue N4S is next easiest
The Viofo A139 Pro is the most difficult one

 

[Hack_man]

@EricSan That's a great idea for you to rate "ease of insertion/removal of SD card"
I was complaining about my fat fingers in the middle of my first post for the "S1 Pro Max Review"
I have the worst time with my A229 Pro, especially when I clip my nails ✂️

 

[jsmith]

@Hack_man - I can't find your post from a little while ago where you were complaining about the difficulty getting those tiny Micro SD cards in and out of the cameras without sending them flying around the car, so I'll just post this comparison here.

The Vantrue S1 Pro Max is the easiest camera to get the SD card in and out of. The slot is a little less recessed into the camera body and the "dimple" on the outside of the camera makes it easier to reach the edge of the card with your finger tip or finger nail.
The Vantrue N4S is next easiest
The Viofo A139 Pro is the most difficult one

I've cussed up a storm when the SD card from Viofo Cameras I've owned get launched and I'm stuck tearing car apart to find the damn thing. @Hack_man isn't the only one.

 

[EricSan]

Yeah, it really sucks when the SD card launches across the dash or ricochets down between the seats. Now it's a project to find it again... I figured lots more people have had difficulty!

 

[jsmith]

Yeah, it really sucks when the SD card launches across the dash or ricochets down between the seats. Now it's a project to find it again... I figured lots more people have had difficulty!

Exactly.

Yesterday, I installed my S1 Pro Max next to the N4S. I looked at the rear videos between the two, and the S1 Pro Max has a seriously dark image compared to the N4S. I need to get some screenshots so Vantrue can correct.

Right now, trying to bug test before I do video tests. I appreciate your help btw in answering my questions to confirm concerns / observations.

 

[EricSan]

My previous images were made on an overcast day, so here are a trio of images made on a bright sunny day from the same three cameras. I was moving at 35-40MPH at the time. All three cameras are wearing a circular polarizer. There are three primary observations here:

1) The license plate capture is better on both Vantrue cameras with PlatePix than with the A139 Pro. HDR is enabled with all cameras, I've also got PlatePix enabled with the two Vantrue models.

2) Looking at the tree leaves, the Viofo A139 Pro looks most "natural" to me. The N4S image looks more "processed," and the S1 Pro Max image looks the most "processed" to my eye. I do a TON of photography with a 35mm DSLR, and the Vantrue images look like a ton of "unsharp mask" has been applied - more with the S1 Pro than the N4S, but that might also be due to the differences in resolution.

3) The Vanture N4S and S1 Pro Max images still look a pinch darker and/or exhibit more contrast than the A139 Pro.

Viofo A139 Pro:

Vantrue N4S:

Vantrue S1 Pro Max

And here are some additional 200% zooms using CapCut:

First up, license plates for all 3 cameras. The A139 Pro is completely unreadable and the S1 Pro Max is the clear winner for readability.

Next, a 200% zoom of the front wheel of the parked car. This one best shows the digital artifacts introduced by the relative amount of sharpening and MPG compression for each camera. The A139 Pro clearly exhibits the fewest digital artifacts, but this is not a surprise given that it has the highest bitrate and file size per unit of time.

And finally, a comparison of the tree from the middle of the frame on the right hand side of the road. The A139 Pro has the greatest amount of detail, especially in the shadows and in the tree canopy. The N4S seems to be the darkest of the three cameras. I was expecting a more uniform level of brightness and image processing for the two Vantrue cameras, I wonder to what extent that is dictated by the different sensors used in each (IMX 675 in the N4S and IMX678 in the S1 Pro Max). The white halos around the trees in the Vantrue images is a hallmark of significant amounts of Unsharp Mask being applied.

 

[EricSan]

And here are some rear camera images that include the same parked car as the images directly above.

All three rear cameras REALLY need a polarizer to cut the glare. One is available for the A139 Pro, I wonder if it will work for the Vantrue rear cameras as well?
The A139 Pro is the best at handling reflections and is again the brightest image of the three
The N4S is the most linear (least distortion), and is still the darkest of the images (note the lack of shadow detail in the tree on the right). Rear defroster lines are most visible here.
The S1 Pro Max curvature at the edges looks very similar to the A139 Pro. The defroster lines are least visible in this image

A139 Pro:

N4S Rear Camera:

S1 Pro Max:

 

[EricSan]

Looking at these images, I’m inclined to increase the exposure of both N4S cameras by about +0.6 and both S1 Pro cameras by about +0.3 for better exposures.

 

[haiou_f]

Thank you for your review. I would like to see how three dash cams can recognize license plates at night

 

[EricSan]

I’ll get some night time images in the next few days. Need to wait until about 9-10p around here for darkness. I also want to wait for the new firmware that fixes HDR and PlatePix interdependencies.

 

[Hack_man]

@EricSan I don't see the PlatePix stamp on the rear camera images for the N4S or S1 Pro Max post #56 - Was PlatePix suppose to be enabled for the rear cameras?
I am starting to be able to recognize when PlatePix is turned on by the sharp contrast in the image (darker parts of the image really stand out).
I'm not seeing deep contrast for the two rear cameras.