Viofo A119s changes

[JTBY]

We have prepared the case for CPL, just do the final testing as we got 2 version CPL glass from different manufacture.

thanks! can't wait for the CPL to be released!

 

[Gibson99]

I wonder how well this will hold up in the hot sun. I've heard of many dashcams losing focus if the car's parked under the sun for a long time. I'm asking because my car can be parked for 8 hours under 48 degrees (car's thermometer) weather at times. My current dashcam becomes blurry and is useless at recording anything with detail until it cools down.

I was one of the beta testers of the a119, and I left it in my car full time. I don't park in the shade or anything, and it gets plenty hot here in Houston. No focus issues. The only thing I've seen is that the paint on the metal lens holder faded from black to a sort of maroon color. I'd think they would use the same lens holder or a similar one.

 

[Agie]

For A119 firmware, we need sync the latest SDK, it take some time to develop and test, we have already solved some bugs and implement new features, but we don't want to release the firmware so frequently.
We can release new version this month.

New features? Pumped for this

 

[DavidUK]

We have prepared the case for CPL, just do the final testing as we got 2 version CPL glass from different manufacture.

Will the CPL fit existing A119 models sold to date as an add on accessory?

Is this "no brand" version the same as the "VIOFO" labelled one?: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B01HMZVYLY
Will the CPL fit this SpyTec model?

Bearing in mind I'm a first time cam buyer, I am constantly holding off buying due to these enhancements! At present I have the choice of:
1/ A118C
2/ A118C2 - if I wait
3/ A119 - but will CPL fit if I buy today?
4/ A119S
5/ DDPai Mini2 (sorry!) - I like the Time Lapse mode, but maybe A118/119 can do this too? As here: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...tly-recording-when-enabled.21892/#post-288718

I realise I have to stop waiting for ever and buy one, but the technology seems to change so fast with these things!

 

[Harsh]

It's the A119 from Viofo. Spytec just adds their own name.

 

[Mtz]

I wonder how well this will hold up in the hot sun. I've heard of many dashcams losing focus if the car's parked under the sun for a long time. I'm asking because my car can be parked for 8 hours under 48 degrees (car's thermometer) weather at times. My current dashcam becomes blurry and is useless at recording anything with detail until it cools down.

I had focus problems with Yi dashcam, but not with A119 and I tested 3 units, one was a factory sample and was tested in winter and every day of summer. But all cameras cases remain black, no fade. There is no report from A119 as focus problems.
From A119S I expect better reading of car license plates also because the angle is narrower.

Answers in blue

At present I have the choice of:
1/ A118C > bigger angle view, many reflections, not sure by who was made maybe in a garage, complicate and expensive GPS, 1 second overlap between videos
2/ A118C2 > CPL will fit, smaller angle view (but better because you will see much more details), better components than A118, complicate and expensive GPS,, 1 second overlap between videos. Good if you dont want GPS and to be cheaper than A119.
3/ A119 > CPL will fit, 1440p, cheaper than A119S, 160 degrees, no overlap between videos, the fastest removal from the windshield from any dashcam on the market
4/ A119S > compared to A119: just 1080p 60fps, 120 degrees lens, better day/night video than any A11x model, a little more expensive
5/ DDPai Mini2 (sorry!) - I like the Time Lapse mode, but maybe A118/119 can do this too? > I am not sure it is working as you expected because parking mode as you expect can be done by using 12V input, not 5V, because when input is for example 13V (running engine) camera will record normally and when is 12V (for example) camera will enter in parking mode. I answered in the other thread

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[DavidUK]

I like the Time Lapse mode, but maybe A118/119 can do this too? > I am not sure it is working as you expected because parking mode as you expect can be done by using 12V input, not 5V, because when input is for example 13V (running engine) camera will record normally and when is 12V (for example) camera will enter in parking mode. I answered in the other thread
Mtz

Thanks for the A118/119 info.
Sorry, I still do not understand about your last response on Time Lapse...
I think you are saying A118/119 can recognise when engine stops and voltage reduces. That's fine.
But other than the user switching to Motion Detection mode in the menu when parking, is there a Time Lapse mode for the A118/119 which it can automatically enter when the engine goes off? If so, what does the user have to set in the menus to get this to work for parking?

 

[Mtz]

A119 or any dashcam with 5V input can not recognize when engine is off because 5V value is fixed. I asked sometime ago to offer 5.5V for 13V and 5V for 12V but seems to be impossible.

A119 have timelapse mode, which can be 1s or more. This timelapse is enabled manually and is working when camera is ON, no matter if normal mode or motion detect mode.

Because 5V cameras can not detect when engine is off, my old idea was to offer G-Sensor Mode for such dashcams by entering in Parking Mode based on G-Sensor. The G-Sensor sensitivity for this mode should be very sensitive and not connected in any way with G-Sensor settings from Main Menu. The idea is simple:
- no shocks > start parking mode > start recording at 1 fps (and maybe 720p)
- shocks > start normal mode > start recording as users settings

The same idea can be used for actual Motion Detect Mode but I expect to not be so good.

This idea based on G-Sensor is good also when somebody is hitting the camera, it will record as expected with many FPS.

What I cannot guess:
- how fast is the switching from 1fps recording to normal recording?
- what will do the G-Sensor in normal mode to save emergency files?

think Viofo or Street Guardian are a companies which can do such things.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[DavidUK]

Struggling here...
So, if A119 has Time Lapse mode switched on all the time, what triggers time-lapse recording and what triggers normal recording?
Or are you saying A119 has this mode built in but it doesn't work?
What I want to know is that if I buy A119 and have constant 5v power to it, how does it know how to go into time-lapse mode when I park up?
OR... are you saying the user can EITHER select time-lapse OR normal recording and if time-lapse is selected the car will just record in time-lapse even when driving along?
With DDPai Mini2 (again 5v) when the car stops the cam changes from normal to time-lapse recording automatically. That is what I'd like from A119 but I don't think it can do this. Why can Mini2 do it and A119 cannot?

 

[Sutton]

New features? Pumped for this

Only thing I really want out of the next A119 firmware update is that the G sensor will activate and lock in the file in case of an accident

 

[Gibson99]

Struggling here...
So, if A119 has Time Lapse mode switched on all the time, what triggers time-lapse recording and what triggers normal recording?
Or are you saying A119 has this mode built in but it doesn't work?
What I want to know is that if I buy A119 and have constant 5v power to it, how does it know how to go into time-lapse mode when I park up?
OR... are you saying the user can EITHER select time-lapse OR normal recording and if time-lapse is selected the car will just record in time-lapse even when driving along?
With DDPai Mini2 (again 5v) when the car stops the cam changes from normal to time-lapse recording automatically. That is what I'd like from A119 but I don't think it can do this. Why can Mini2 do it and A119 cannot?

It has time lapse and regular and there's nothing automatic about either. You have to manually switch between them. We've asked Viofo if it could be possible to use either g-sensor or motion detection to automatically switch between them in a firmware update, but he said he's not sure yet but will look into it. Depends on what the SDK offers and what the chipset supports.

Only thing I really want out of the next A119 firmware update is that the G sensor will activate and lock in the file in case of an accident

It does, it just takes a pretty hefty hit to trigger it. I recently installed my pre production a119 with the 1.1 firmware on the back door of my rav4, which has a full size spare tire attached to the door. When I closed the door (not slammed) it triggered the file lock. I didn't slam the door but because of the extra mass of the spare tire, i guess it felt more like a crash and it locked the file. That's the first time I've ever had a file locked by the G sensor. In a way that's a good thing so it won't constantly trigger on just potholes or pulling into my driveway, like my wife's blacksys cf-100 - even on the least sensitive setting, that camera is always triggering the G sensor.

 

[Sutton]

It has time lapse and regular and there's nothing automatic about either. You have to manually switch between them. We've asked Viofo if it could be possible to use either g-sensor or motion detection to automatically switch between them in a firmware update, but he said he's not sure yet but will look into it. Depends on what the SDK offers and what the chipset supports.


It does, it just takes a pretty hefty hit to trigger it. I recently installed my pre production a119 with the 1.1 firmware on the back door of my rav4, which has a full size spare tire attached to the door. When I closed the door (not slammed) it triggered the file lock. I didn't slam the door but because of the extra mass of the spare tire, i guess it felt more like a crash and it locked the file. That's the first time I've ever had a file locked by the G sensor. In a way that's a good thing so it won't constantly trigger on just potholes or pulling into my driveway, like my wife's blacksys cf-100 - even on the least sensitive setting, that camera is always triggering the G sensor.

I thought that the G sensor was not programed into it yet and will be in the next firmware update. And I heard this from a reliable source.

 

[Mtz]

We've asked Viofo if it could be possible to use either g-sensor or motion detection to automatically switch between them in a firmware update, but he said he's not sure yet but will look into it.

I think Viofo can do at least switching to 1FPS when camera is in Motion Detect mode and is not detecting motion.

Only thing I really want out of the next A119 firmware update is that the G sensor will activate and lock in the file in case of an accident

I think this is solved in next firmware.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[DavidUK]

I think Viofo can do at least switching to 1FPS when camera is in Motion Detect mode and is not detecting motion.

As Motion Detect doesn't seem to work (see: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...onstantly-recording-when-enabled.21892/page-2 ) what use would switching to 1FPS. MD only appears to work when car is locked in a dark garage!
Someone elsewhere said MD can detect a fly at 100yds!

How does Mini2 switch to 1FPS when parked with no manual switching by the user? Emulate this and you have cracked it!

 

[abarth]

As Motion Detect doesn't seem to work (see: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...onstantly-recording-when-enabled.21892/page-2 ) what use would switching to 1FPS. MD only appears to work when car is locked in a dark garage!
Someone elsewhere said MD can detect a fly at 100yds!

How does Mini2 switch to 1FPS when parked with no manual switching by the user? Emulate this and you have cracked it!

let's not create misinformation here. motion detect works just fine for most of us that employ the feature. certain firmware builds (like the FW that shipped with mine when I initially received the unit) had the sensitivity set much too high resulting in too many recordings. the firmware I am currently using is a happy medium that will not miss a second while driving and will also record motion events while parked quite effectively.

 

[DavidUK]

@abarth in the @Head Gardener thread I linked to above he's using firmware version A119.160829.V1.1
So is @JTBY in the same thread, with the same results i.e. Motion Detect just records everything.
In that thread you say you're on A119.160805.V1 but isn't that an earlier version, going by the numbering?
Is it the firmware version that's letting your MD work, or that you keep it permanently set to MD when driving too I wonder?

If sensitivity can be reduced (by going backwards with firmware or other solution) then being able to set MD to 1FPS as @Mtz suggests above will be a good option. Ideally three settings: Normal; Motion Detect; MD 1FPS.

 

[abarth]

@abarth in the @Head Gardener thread I linked to above he's using firmware version A119.160829.V1.1
So is @JTBY in the same thread, with the same results i.e. Motion Detect just records everything.
In that thread you say you're on A119.160805.V1 but isn't that an earlier version, going by the numbering?
Is it the firmware version that's letting your MD work, or that you keep it permanently set to MD when driving too I wonder?

If sensitivity can be reduced (by going backwards with firmware or other solution) then being able to set MD to 1FPS as @Mtz suggests above will be a good option. Ideally three settings: Normal; Motion Detect; MD 1FPS.

that is correct. I am using an earlier build than head gardener. his post caught my eye because that exact "over-sensitivity" issue was present in the firmware of my unit, initially. it was no more than two weeks that I made @viofo aware of the issue that they had an updated firmware to address it so I'm pretty impressed by that.

I'm no software engineer so I'm not sure why the same issue would pop up again in a newer build but it may be a value that was left untouched from the initial FW rather than building from the immediately previous build.

what I'd really like to see (and I'm sure others have had this very same idea), is for the camera to automatically switch into MD or time lapse mode when the gyro receives no triggers after a set time. then again, for my uses, I'm not really going to need it as MD mode has just been very reliable.

 

[DavidUK]

I guess I'm just hung up on the Mini2 parking videos at 1FPS and it switching to parking mode with no manual user changes. 1FPS must save card space, but I've no idea how much. If an owner does have a power bank and is parking for 6 hours that might take up all the card if filming is continuous.

Not heard of a gyro in these units? Do you think that's how Mini2 switches to 1FPS automatically? I'm sure @viofo knows the answer to all of this. Let's hope he can help @Head Gardener and @JTBY with their issue in the other thread.

Being so close to user (and pre-purchase) questions must be a double edged sword for the manufacturers. All these questions and suggestions. But some of the ideas will be seen as good ones and make it into future units... we hope!

 

[abarth]

i really like the mini 2 as well. great form factor and features. i'm just not sold on the support side of the product. as cool as the time lapse parking mode is on the unit, i'm seeing at least a hand-full of users having issues with it as well as heat-related problems.

almost all dash cams have gyro/accelerometers built in to detect impacts/sudden speed changes. and yes, that's how i believe the mini 2 knows how to switch over to another mode.

i don't think we've heard back from head gardener if he's tried another FW version to see if it alleviates his issues. hopefully it does.

 

[DavidUK]

I'd be hoping Viofo fixes the newest firmware so as not to take a retrograde step on any other features.