Viofo A119S Official Beta firmware

[viofo]

Thanks for your feedback, we will check if we can add more bitrate for high option.
I thought maybe the soft option is too soft, sometimes seems little blur?
And add a little sharpness also for high option?

 

[gse]

Good afternoon . in beta firmware v 4 .. ,, mode is soft, you need to add sharpness. The bitrate should be increased, if possible.

 

[Dadi_T]

I think the strong option has enough sharpness.
The soft option need a little more sharpness.
The most important thing for me is to increase bitrate in high option. If you watch the second part of the second clip, the camera is struggling for details, with sun in front and shadows from trees.

 

[TCK81]

@viofo In v4.02 I have the g-sensor set to low but when the camera comes out of parking mode it switches to high for normal recording. It should switch back to the user setting after exiting parking mode.

Edit: After a reboot the g-sensor reverts back to the user setting until it enters parking mode.

 

[5Cowbells]

@viofo In v4.02 I have the g-sensor set to low but when the camera comes out of parking mode it switches to high for normal recording. It should switch back to the user setting after exiting parking mode.

Edit: After a reboot the g-sensor reverts back to the user setting until it enters parking mode.

When parked with Parking Mode enabled, the A119 and A119S switch the G-sensor from the User's menu setting to "High Sensitivity" whenever Standby mode (not recording) and/or Time-lapse recording initiate and it stays there until sometime after Normal recording resumes, usually within a couple of minutes. Testing did not reveal to me the criteria the camera uses to switch the G-sensor back to the original User setting other than that Normal recording must have resumed. This will sometimes cause a G-sensor event recording to occur within a couple of minutes after Normal recording has resumed, usually while jostling the car during re-entry.

If you stop recording shortly after resuming Normal recording by pressing the REC button and go to the G-sensor menu setting, you may find the setting to be "High Sensitivity" no matter what the G-sensor Sensitivity was set to by the User. If you then press the "!" emergency/confirm button to exit the menu and resume recording, you will have changed the original User setting to "High sensitivity" and it will remain so until reset by the User. If instead you press the "Menu" button to exit the menu and resume recording, you will not change the original User setting and eventually the G-sensor menu setting will change back to the original setting.

If any want to test the Parking Mode in the comfort of your own home, use the procedure outlined here: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/viofo-plugged-in-for-8-days-straight.30364/#post-357169. Write down the times when the recording modes change if you want to check them against the recorded videos.

 

[TCK81]

If any want to test the Parking Mode in the comfort of your own home, use the procedure outlined here: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/viofo-plugged-in-for-8-days-straight.30364/#post-357169. Write down the times when the recording modes change if you want to check them against the recorded videos.

Thank you for your testing procedure, however, this is not the case with the beta firmware. I just got done driving for 40-45 minutes and the camera never reverted back to my user setting (low). Have you tested out this beta build and if so how is parking mode working for you? I could be completely wrong but I've tested this in 2 different cameras with the same result.

 

[5Cowbells]

Have you tested out this beta build and if so how is parking mode working for you?

I have not but will consider doing so in the near future. Currently using V2.61. Edit: I presume you mean Version B4.02?

 

[TCK81]

I presume you mean Version B4.02?

Yes, that's correct.

 

[5Cowbells]

I have not but will consider doing so in the near future. Currently using V2.61. Edit: I presume you mean Version B4.02?

Quick look: I ran 10 tests where Standby/Time-lapse recordings were initiated while Parking Mode was enabled. In each case the G-sensor sensitivity eventually returned to the User original setting sometime after the resumption of normal recording activated by the G-sensor. Like in the original testing, I was unable to understand the logic used to determine when the G-sensor sensitivity switches back to the User's original setting except it is sometime after Normal recording resumes. Ball park is 5 minutes or less. Usually not a problem for me. We should talk some more another day.

 

[TCK81]

Quick look: I ran 10 tests where Standby/Time-lapse recordings were initiated while Parking Mode was enabled. In each case the G-sensor sensitivity eventually returned to the User original setting sometime after the resumption of normal recording activated by the G-sensor. Like in the original testing, I was unable to understand the logic used to determine when the G-sensor sensitivity switches back to the User's original setting except it is sometime after Normal recording resumes. Ball park is 5 minutes or less. Usually not a problem for me. We should talk some more another day.

Tonight in my other vehicle with the other camera I made a 30 minute drive and the g-sensor stayed on high. I will say I'm running the modified firmware but the only thing modified are IQ settings.

The g-sensor should instantly switch to the user's setting when it exits parking mode.

 

[5Cowbells]

Tonight in my other vehicle with the other camera I made a 30 minute drive and the g-sensor stayed on high. I will say I'm running the modified firmware but the only thing modified are IQ settings.
The g-sensor should instantly switch to the user's setting when it exits parking mode.

The A119S does G-sensor does not instantly switch the User's setting back from "High Sensitivity". There is something else at play here which I don't understand.

How did you determine that the G-sensor did not switch back to the user setting?

If your G-sensor stays on "High Sensitivity" for any significant length of time past 5-10 minutes after resuming normal recording, and that was not your original setting, I would go to the menu setting and reset it to Low or whatever you are using. If for some unknown reason, the original User setting has changed to "High Sensitivity" and stays there for an unreasonable amount of time, it may be permanently changed until you reset it using the menu.

If you continue to experience this problem, keep reporting it regardless of my conclusions.

Another thing you might try is for you to deliberately set the G-sensor to "High Sensitivity" and drive the same route and compare G-sensor activated event recordings to what you are seeing now.

Another thing that might seem odd (not tested on this firmware version yet) while Parking Mode is enabled, is that even if the GPS setting is set to OFF, Parking Mode will switch the GPS setting to "High Sensitivity" when a Standby/Time-lapse mode period is initiated. It also normally switches back sometime after Normal recording resumes. It has been reported by @Gibson99 that with his GPS menu setting set to "OFF", he has on a couple of occasions experienced a G-sensor event recording during trips traveling on a freeway with somewhat boring scenery. I think he reported it as a bug but we also discussed that Parking Mode may have activated during the drive (kind of rare but it can happen under certain conditions) to cause the GPS setting to switch temporarily to "High Sensitivity" resulting in the G-sensor event recording(s).

So far, I have found no significant difference in the operation of Parking Mode for the B4.02 Firmware {Edit relative to the current official firmware V2.61}. For my own and your satisfaction, I will do a few more tests, mainly regarding the timing of the switch, and report the results shortly.

 

[TCK81]

The A119S does G-sensor does not instantly switch the User's setting back from "High Sensitivity". There is something else at play here which I don't understand.

I don't understand either. From a programming standpoint I would think it would be a simple on/off but I'm not a programmer. Regardless, it should switch instantly.

How did you determine that the G-sensor did not switch back to the user setting?

After parking somewhere I'll keep track of how long of a drive I do (since you mentioned it takes some time to switch) and check the g-sensor setting when I pull into my next destination. It's very obvious though since the camera pretty much keeps beeping at me. I'm beginning to develop a complex....

I'll have to try the things you mentioned and more.

What are your typical settings? I can start there and see if there's a difference.

 

[5Cowbells]

After parking somewhere I'll keep track of how long of a drive I do (since you mentioned it takes some time to switch) and check the g-sensor setting when I pull into my next destination.

By all means do it safely. I test in my home, it is easiest and safe that way. Regardless of my measurements, the time to switch rarely causes a problem, which would show itself as an unexpected emergency (event) recording.

It's very obvious though since the camera pretty much keeps beeping at me. I'm beginning to develop a complex....

Depends on what beeping you are hearing. The typical symptoms of a "High Sensitivity" setting are unexpected G-sensor initiated emergency (event) recordings. Typically a big Yellow filled triangle with a ! in the middle displays for 5 seconds, then a small solid yellow triangle will display next to the blinking red recording dot on the LCD screen until the event recording completes at the end of the loop recording time for the current file. The big yellow triangle is usually accompanied by three spaced beeps (sometimes double beeps). Any other beeping may signal a different problem.

What are your typical settings? I can start there and see if there's a difference.

Current settings are default except:

• EDIT: Loop Recording = 2 minutes testing (3minutes normal)
• Video Format = TS
• EDIT: WDR = ON
• Parking Mode = 5fps
• GPS = ON
• Speed Unit = MPH
• G-sensor = LOW
• Screensaver = OFF (used during in-house testing, 15 sec otherwise)
• Date/Time = (set by GPS, maintained by Real time clock (RTC)
• Time zone = - 7 (GMT-7...PDT)
• Frequency = 60Hz

 

[5Cowbells]

Current settings are default except:

• EDIT: Loop Recording = 2 minutes testing (3minutes normal)
• Video Format = TS
• EDIT: WDR = ON
• ….

Please note the edits on settings. Encountered problems 2 days running in forcing A119S into Parking Mode's Standby/Time-lapse sub-modes. Suspect WDR was issue but not sure.
{Edit: The problem of on occasion being unable to force the A119S Parking Mode into the Standby/Time-lapse sub-modes was caused by the fact that cover-the-lens method did not work and will perpetuate Normal recording indefinitely. Place the still A119S where it views a static scene, even very dimly lit, that has some features and contrast, and it will consistently slip into the Standby mode right on time, in about 90 seconds.}

 

[5Cowbells]

For my own and your satisfaction, I will do a few more tests, mainly regarding the timing of the switch, and report the results shortly.

Tests results are in {Edit: for determining when the A119S Parking Mode switches the G-sensor menu setting form "High Sensitivity" back to the original user setting after a parking period ends and Normal recording resumes.}

Here was the method:

• The test results were the observed menu G-sensor settings at the end of one of four pre-determined elapsed test times following the resumption of Normal recording.
• {Edit - added: Before each test, the G-sensor menu setting was set to "Low Sensitivity".}
• Each test forced Parking Mode to initiate Standby/Time-lapse recording either by covering lens or setting up a static scene for no motion and changing lights in the FOV, and no camera movement. Easier indoors at night to avoid changing light coming through windows.
• Each test cycled through 2 short periods of Standby and Time-lapse recording before initiating the test.
• The test was initiated by picking the camera up to induce a G-sensor activated resumption of Normal recording after a simulated parking period. I threw out any tests where too much action generated a G-sensor event recording.
• The camera elapsed time clock, which resets to zero when Normal recording resumes, was used to tell when to stop recording and check the G-Sensor menu setting. The observed elapsed time versus the observed setting is the result of the tests.
• Four predetermined times were each tested several times resulting in a total of twenty-two tests.
• If the result was "High Sensitivity", then the user G-sensor had not yet reset to the User original setting.
• Else if the result was "Low Sensitivity", then the user G-sensor did reset at or before this time.

Conclusion after 22 tests for elapsed times between 35 seconds and 3 minutes 5 seconds:

• Reset to user setting occurs consistently somewhere between 35 and 65 seconds after the resumption of normal recording.
• On occasion, had difficulty forcing Parking mode into Standby/Time-lapse sub-modes. Retested but found that WDR doesn't appear to be the cause. {Edit: On one occasion switching WDR to ON did appear to fix the problem. But post test switching WDR to OFF did not make the problem return.} {Edit 2: The problem was later determined to be caused by the fact that cover-the-lens method did not work and will perpetuate Normal recording indefinitely. Place the still A119S where it views a static scene, even very dimly lit, that has some features and contrast, and it will consistently slip into the Standby mode right on time, in about 90 seconds.}
  

 

[Gibson99]

just a little clarification - it wasn't that i had GPS off in the menu (in fact i don't know what that setting is on)... but that camera does not even HAVE a GPS mount. it's a pre-production A119 that doesn't even have the contacts on the back, so it's not possible for me to ever have GPS on that camera.

I've gotten tired of it constantly triggering, so now i turned off parking mode and just use motion detection instead. Seems to work just as well, and doesn't cause random g-sensor events with the g-sensor turned off.

 

[TCK81]

WDR = ON

And that sir therein lies the problem... Do a quick test with WDR off and let me know if you get the same result as I've been having. Make sure you reboot the camera after you change the setting or it typically will keep working how it did before.

 

[viofo]

Is it better to not change G-sensor sensitive level for parking mode?

 

[TCK81]

Is it better to not change G-sensor sensitive level for parking mode?

It's good to switch to high sensitivity in parking mode but the g-sensor should switch back to the user setting instantly for normal recording.

 

[Mtz]

More easy to test the G-Sensor state could be if its actual level setting could be printed on the video image for the beta firmwares.

enjoy,
Mtz