Start Selling A139

been done already, didn't sell well and has gone from the market already

Interesting. What were the shortcomings of the Android Models? Were they poor sellers due to poor hardware, poor support, or just didn't catch on?
 
Interesting. What were the shortcomings of the Android Models? Were they poor sellers due to poor hardware, poor support, or just didn't catch on?
didn't sell I guess, not sure how well they worked as it wasn't something I tried
 
didn't sell I guess, not sure how well they worked as it wasn't something I tried

Would be interesting to see an Android Model get released with proper hardware. Open source can be a very good thing when it comes to customization.
 
@HonestReview Well, it's quite simple. While Ambarella, Novatek, HiSilicon, etc. are producers of specialized chips for cameras and image processing (not only that...), Android based systems use most of the time "mere" ARM which are more universal chips - capable of more things but less effective, with more heat, more power consumption for a specific task in compare to ASIC.

Yes, easily tested, but I don't need to test.
The question is not what it does now, but what it will do once released!
I thought it's released. :unsure: I got HWK today and I should pick up A139 sometime this week.
 
Last edited:
@HonestReview Well, it's quite simple. While Ambarella, Novatek, HiSilicon, etc. are producers of specialized chips for cameras and image processing (not only that...), Android based systems use most of the time "mere" ARM which are more universal chips - capable of more things but less effective, with more heat, more power consumption for a specific task in compare to ASIC.


I thought it's released. :unsure: I got HWK today and I should pick up A139 sometime this week.
I don't think I have a release version of the firmware though. Not sure what the firmware status is at the moment?

Inside the Ambarella, Novatek, HiSilicon chips you may find a few ARM cores, they are not that different except that all the chips necessary to do the job are combined onto a single chip instead of onto a PCB, they have not reinvented the processor. Presumably it is possible to run Android on them, although sticking with Linux or whatever is standard would be easier.
 
Yeah you probably could, though any version of Android would probably be too much for the hardware in a dashcam, at least the amount of RAM.
My argument are more that if there was Android, the chance of someone adding / modding would be larger than with Linux
They have done so much with the cameras in phones, a lot of it stupid and not really something dashcams could use, but with a dedicated focus on dashcam needs i think you could make cool stuff happen.
Just in phone camera APPs there is a vast difference in what they can do, also just in regard to image quality, there are Apps out there a lot better than others.
 
@HonestReview Well, it's quite simple. While Ambarella, Novatek, HiSilicon, etc. are producers of specialized chips for cameras and image processing (not only that...), Android based systems use most of the time "mere" ARM which are more universal chips - capable of more things but less effective, with more heat, more power consumption for a specific task in compare to ASIC.


I thought it's released. :unsure: I got HWK today and I
  • ;)
should pick up A139 sometime this week.

The A139 Hardwire kit is not available for sale on Amazon. Only direct from Viofo.com. Price has also risen while waiting for hardwire kit release, and sale on Amazon Ended. Reviews on Amazon do give some pause, though most seem related to lack of user knowledge than Viofo's own limitations.

I do intend to order this camera. Mean time, I'm saving up more and more Amazon Gift Cards ;)
 
Inside the Ambarella, Novatek, HiSilicon chips you may find a few ARM cores, they are not that different except that all the chips necessary to do the job are combined onto a single chip instead of onto a PCB, they have not reinvented the processor. Presumably it is possible to run Android on them, although sticking with Linux or whatever is standard would be easier.
Sure, i edited the post before because it sounded more like they don't use ARM cores at all :LOL:. They didn't reinvent a processor but invented the "cores" for image processing, they use ARM for Linux OS as a secondary thing, because it's less work than use a whole proprietory system. On the other hand Android based systems are heavily dependant on ARM cores and development for them.

That's even a reason why few of them, for example Ambarella if i recall correctly, produced (producing?) a chip prepared for combination with those more ARM based systems.
 
Last edited:
Yeah you probably could, though any version of Android would probably be too much for the hardware in a dashcam, at least the amount of RAM.
My argument are more that if there was Android, the chance of someone adding / modding would be larger than with Linux
They have done so much with the cameras in phones, a lot of it stupid and not really something dashcams could use, but with a dedicated focus on dashcam needs i think you could make cool stuff happen.
Just in phone camera APPs there is a vast difference in what they can do, also just in regard to image quality, there are Apps out there a lot better than others.

Look at the new Galaxy S21. Contains plenty of ram and processor speed in a relatively small package. I would think this same technology could be upscaled into a Dash Camera, with proper cooling of course.

And yes, I think Android would afford greater customization than linux, and afford a more user friendly approach.
 
The newest qualcom stuff + ISP will easy handle four 4K cameras if need be, or two 12 mpix cameras.
I am also thinking Android in relation to the remote systems where you have the main box somewhere, and what i have wished for before a expatiation option so you could buy a alarm module and have it paired maybe even working with the dashcam system.

Things like this just seem more easy to me to be doing with android VS the basic stuff, i assume android also accept more hardware options like for instance a USB interconnect where one or more systems work in parallel and maybe talk to each-other.

For parking guard, you could put in human recognition VS just trusting on anything moving detection, you could probably also make this so only "things" that are approaching your car will get any interest of the system.
Things like buffering ASO would probably also be more easy to do, and customize so you dont just have a fixed XX second buffer.

Of course even if it is Android you of course would need to have some coding / programming skills.
In return the maker could sell software to their systems so i for instance could buy that ANPR APP that would let me enter license plates into my system, and then have the camera alarm me it it see one of those.
Or if you had a higher mpix sensor you could have face tracking, say in a 1080p window tracking across the larger res sensor, which could be good for identification.

While advances in hardware are always there, software is where a lot of money are made these days.
 
it's Chris from Dashcams Central, he's a member here but hasn't been online for a while https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/dashcamscentral-dod-and-viofo-specialists.11425/ not sure if he is still in the business or not, there are other sellers in Australia if you don't have any luck getting a hold of Chris
Unfortunately, we closed our virtual doors in May of 2020. Low margins and changes in distrubution models across some of our brands made us move on to other projects. DashCamsCentral won't be making a return any time soon. But I will be purchasing an A139 direct from Viofo.com for my own personal use when my new ride arrives in May.
 
Last edited:
I just had a thought I forgot to ask, in the video the internal cable has the square notch for the bracket.

To the people that have bought the A139, did you have notches on any of the camera cables?

I just realised having notches on the camera cables is useless anyway, since someone could disconnect the rear/interior cam the other end. So in this case I won't worry about it
 
Yeah that would probably be the case for those 2 cameras ( i cant recall seeing any locking bracket for those )
But i do think the main point would also be to capture the driving of your vehicle, if the guy you have hired to drive your car can be a A++ driver while juggling chain saws so be it.
 
Hi, could anyone please tell me if the cables to the cameras are straight on one end and 90 degrees on the other, thanks.
 
Bought it a week ago, both cables have both ends straight.
 
Damn, i really need the rear to be angled so it can go straight up through my plastic, i wonder if i could by a short angled extension cable. cheers.
 
You can bend the reasonably thin wire a lot, ill say something like a R 15 mm curve should not be too hard to do, but of course with a 90 deg plug the wire would have gone up at once.
My replacement camera also have strait plugs all around.

Dont feel this is a major problem, but must admit i hoped both wires would have had a 90 deg plug in one end.
 
You can bend the reasonably thin wire a lot, ill say something like a R 15 mm curve should not be too hard to do, but of course with a 90 deg plug the wire would have gone up at once.
My replacement camera also have strait plugs all around.

Dont feel this is a major problem, but must admit i hoped both wires would have had a 90 deg plug in one end.
I only asked as some unboxing iv watched had bends on one end and straight on the other, and some vids was both straight. I dont like wires, cheers.
 
Bought it a week ago, both cables have both ends straight.
Strange.. The one I have is 90 degrees on one side to connect rear and interior camera and other side straight to connect to the main camera
 
Back
Top