Viofo A229 - Dual channel 2K+2K dashcam with Wi-Fi

[LateralNW]

Viofo, please have a look here. IMO, Colours and legibility of plates are definitely better in A119. A119v3 had HDR, was it not working well? Why could that not be improved in A229, rather than just skipping it?

I bought A229 thinking it would be better and improved than A119. Sigh.


These results are from A119 not even v2 or v3.

True. But beam set at 3, closest to the vehicle just hinders the view. It's not comfortable driving at that level. FYI, this does not work on hatchbacks as their plates are already very low. No matter which beam or level I am on, their plates are not visible in direct light.

Here is an example of the A129 Duo HD vs T130 QHD
Note in this example it is on the none reflective number plates.

 

[Nigel]

Here is an example of the A129 Duo HD vs T130 QHD

For the plate on the right hand vehicle, that is a result of the A129 Duo sensor being the more sensitive, and thus having the faster exposure, thus having less motion blur. However I have always found that if you move a few frames forward then the plate on the right will be further away, so will have less motion blur, and then the higher resolution sensor has the advantage. Overall I find the 2K sensor to be more reliable on reading plates of passing vehicles. As for the plate directly in front, waiting a few frames probably wont help because it will still be at the same distance, but I would expect to get it on the 2K sensor at some point in the video, and if I was driving then I would have left a longer gap while moving at any speed, and then the 2K sensor will likely also take the advantage, as well as my dipped headlight beam being lower at that distance.

Can you get a better result on the 2K if you move forward a bit?

 

[LateralNW]

For the plate on the right hand vehicle, that is a result of the A129 Duo sensor being the more sensitive, and thus having the faster exposure, thus having less motion blur. However I have always found that if you move a few frames forward then the plate on the right will be further away, so will have less motion blur, and then the higher resolution sensor has the advantage. Overall I find the 2K sensor to be more reliable on reading plates of passing vehicles. As for the plate directly in front, waiting a few frames probably wont help because it will still be at the same distance, but I would expect to get it on the 2K sensor at some point in the video, and if I was driving then I would have left a longer gap while moving at any speed, and then the 2K sensor will likely also take the advantage, as well as my dipped headlight beam being lower at that distance.

Can you get a better result on the 2K if you move forward a bit?

Original file size to large for forum uploads.

 

[Nigel]

So the T130 QHD easily wins over the A129 Duo HD for the car on the right, if you choose its best frame.

The A129 Duo with its better dynamic range easily wins for the car in front.

If you want the best of both cameras combined... that should be what you get with the A229 Pro, which isn't available yet.

 

[LateralNW]

So the T130 QHD easily wins over the A129 Duo HD for the car on the right, if you choose its best frame.

As far as a good result goes I think you are grasping at straws.
If you can read either number plate you are doing much better than I.

If Viofo incorporates the newest Sony sensor and hopefully Novatek release a more powerful processor then the thought of an A229 Pro sounds promising.
Doesn't change the T130 results, however, which in this example is disappointing.

 

[Nigel]

As far as a good result goes I think you are grasping at straws.
If you can read either number plate you are doing much better than I.

No, I can't read either, they have both failed, but the T130 is a lot closer to being readable

 

[Batish]

No, I can't read either, they have both failed, but the T130 is a lot closer to being readable

Same is the case with A229 and A119. 119 at night does comparatively better than 229 in terms of overall picture quality and colours. Also, it's closer to being readable.

Since I have the initial firmware in 229, is there any improvement in the updated firmware in respect to picture quality, colours, exposure or wrt to GPS? GPS fails are frequent too. Initially I thought it was due to my location, but if 119 can get the coordinates I wonder why the recent model fails?

 

[Karagandinez]

Since I have the initial firmware in 229, is there any improvement in the updated firmware in respect to picture quality, colours, exposure or wrt to GPS? GPS fails are frequent too. Initially I thought it was due to my location, but if 119 can get the coordinates I wonder why the recent model fails?

What's stopping you from installing the firmware from here:

A229-Duo-Support

viofo.com

and check it out for yourself?
If there are no GPS signal losses on my copy, this does not mean that you will also not have GPS signal losses.

 

[vvs49]

Gentlemen, check the operation of the VIOFO + v3.2.5.apk application for A229, change the exposure in the application, the front camera to any value !!
A229 freeze?
If you use the VIOFO + v3.2.3.apk application, then everything works fine !!

 

[rcg530]

Gentlemen, check the operation of the VIOFO + v3.2.5.apk application for A229, change the exposure in the application, the front camera to any value !!
A229 freeze?
If you use the VIOFO + v3.2.3.apk application, then everything works fine !!

My A229 Duo has a test firmware installed (V1.0_0810) and I have an updated Android VIOFO app which still reports its version as 3.2.5, but it's been updated to be compatible with a yet unannounced VIOFO product. So, without reconfiguring the A229 with an older firmware and reinstalling the Google Play store version of the VIOFO Android app, this is as close as I can get to your situation for testing.

I adjusted the front camera exposure value to -0.3 and then I exited to the live view screen and that worked. I repeated those same steps setting the exposure value to +0.3 and that worked. I exited the VIOFO app, disconnected my tablet from A229 Wi-Fi and then turned off the A229 Wi-Fi. I then used the on camera firmware settings menu option for the front camera exposure level and repeated the test using -0.3 and then +0.3 and that worked as well.

Either the issue is fixed in the later VIOFO Android app or the later firmware for the A229.

The other thing I recently stumbled into again with the VIOFO app (at least the Android version) that there's some data being kept in the app's memory specific to the first dash camera model it is used with that causes it to misbehave when it's used to connect to a different model VIOFO dash camera without terminating the VIOFO app instance in between uses. If you use the VIOFO app to connect to a VIOFO A229 dash camera and then you disconnect and exit the app (without terminating/killing it - go back to screen with "Connect your camera" button and then exit the app) and then connect to different model VIOFO dash camera like the A119 Mini, the firmware settings list presented for the second dash camera model will be incomplete and the firmware settings presented may not work correctly. I've reported this bug to VIOFO at least once if not twice now. The workaround is after exiting the VIOFO app when you've completed using it for the first dash camera, use the Android feature to terminate the app before using it with the second dash camera model.

 

[Nigel]

Since I have the initial firmware in 229, is there any improvement in the updated firmware in respect to picture quality, colours, exposure or wrt to GPS? GPS fails are frequent too. Initially I thought it was due to my location, but if 119 can get the coordinates I wonder why the recent model fails?

At the moment, I suggest you keep it up to date with the latest firmware. Maybe give new firmwares a week for other people to find anything serious before you install it, but generally there will be quite a few things fixed and improved in the first few firmwares. After a while the updates tend to be additions, and if yours is doing what you want then leave well alone!

On the GPS, most people are not having issues, so it may be that you have put it too close to something else that is interfering with the GPS signal? Maybe your A119?

Or possibly you have mounted it on a piece of windscreen that has heater wires or something else blocking the signal?

 

[vvs49]

FW_V1.0_0801
VIOFO+v3.2.5.apk

FW_V1.0_0810 did not help, it freezes as before.
but the VIOFO application for Android from the Google Play store is not updated, writes Open !!

 

[rcg530]

FW_V1.0_0801
VIOFO+v3.2.5.apk

FW_V1.0_0810 did not help, it freezes as before.
but the VIOFO application for Android from the Google Play store is not updated, writes Open !!

I located another Android 9 device to test this issue. I deleted the VIOFO app on that device and did a fresh install of v3.2.5 from the Google Play store.

I booted my A229 Duo which has firmware V1.0_0810 installed. I attempted to change the front camera exposure setting and as soon and I attempted to save the updated value, the A229 Duo froze.

It does appear the VIOFO Android app v3.2.5 in the Google Play store does not work correctly to save the exposure value causing the A229 Duo to freeze.

I'll pass this info along to my VIOFO contact person.

 

[vvs49]

the VIOFO Android app v3.2.5 in the Google Play store does not work correctly

Then how to explain that A139, T130 works great with this app!!
Also reported VIOFO about the problem!

 

[Dadi_T]

It happened to my T130 also not to remember the settings.
I had +3 on the interior camera and IR off. After a period i wanted 0 and IR auto. Also i needed only 30 minutes off parking mode for a few days instead off 12 hours.
I have tried 4 or 5 times and several days to change value to 0 exposure and back to 12 hours parking. It just won't remember the settings.
I had to do a general reset from the app.

 

[vvs49]

It happened to my T130 also not to remember the settings.

I checked, all the settings on my T130, saves it !!
Latest firmware.

 

[Dadi_T]

I have the latest firmware also. I don't know what can cause this issue. Also I don't change my settings often. It was the first time in 6 months when I opened the app for changing settings.
So I can't tell more, just noticed the issue.

 

[Paul Iddon]

If the cam has a screen I never use the app for it anyway...

App is fine in my A139 however.

 

[rcg530]

The VIOFO app uses a series of HTTP requests to the dash camera which is running a small HTTP server to respond to the app's requests. It appears the Google Play store version of the v3.2.5 VIOFO app forms a slightly different HTTP request to the A229 when it attempts to change the front camera exposure value than the updated VIOFO app v3.2.5 that I have for a yet unannounced VIOFO product. The "updated" v3.2.5 request to change the front camera exposure level works while the Google Play store version locks up the A229.

If the Google Play store v3.2.5 version of the VIOFO app is working with another dash camera model, it's because it is sending a properly formed HTTP GET request for that parameter to be updated in that dash camera.

Google Play Store v3.2.5 - Change Front Camera Video Resolution

The VIOFO app sends to the A229 a HTTP GET request with parameters of custom=1,cmd=8220 and par=5. The A229 responds with an "OK" response and then freezes. The VIOFO app attempts to send additional requests to the A229, but the VIOFO app receives no response to any of those requests because the A229 is frozen. I'm making the assumption that 'cmd=8220' is the command request to change the front camera's exposure setting value since it is the last command in the conversation before it locks up the A229.

It appears when the next public/production release of the VIOFO app is made available on the Google Play store, it should work with the A229 (not crashing it).



The updated v3.2.5 VIOFO app I have appears to know to send a different version of the GET request that succeeds and doesn't freeze up the A229.

Parameters of custom=1, cmd=8220 and str=5,6,-1

 

[rcg530]

I wanted to confirm my assumption that the A229 Duo HTTP GET request with "cmd=8220" was in fact the command number related to changing the front exposure value.

I first tested the Google Play store 3.2.5 VIOFO app and my updated VIOFO app with the A119 Mini to see what command it sends to change the front camera exposure setting. It was a different command than the A229 Duo's command.

A119 Mini - Google Play Store v3.2.5 VIOFO App - Front Exposure Setting Change Requests

The A119 Mini started off with a value of 0.0 before my changes. I went through all of the positive values before resetting it to a value of 0.0 at the end. The 0.0 value is in the middle of the list so its "par" value is 6 (zero based index list). The max of 2.0 has a "par" value of 0 since it's the first entry in the list (at the top).

Please note the "cmd" parameter value is 2005 to change front camera exposure value for the A119 Mini while it was 8220 for the A229 Duo.



A119 Mini - Updated v3.2.5 VIOFO App - Front Exposure Setting Change Requests

For the A119 Mini, the request create by the Google Play Store v3.2.5 VIOFO app and the updated v3.2.5 VIOFO app that I have access to use the same GET requests to change the front camera exposure level.



A229 Duo - Updated v3.2.5 VIOFO App - Front Exposure Setting Change Requests

I performed the same test with the A229 Duo where I repeatedly changed the front camera exposure level to confirm I had located the proper "cmd" value.

In this test run, I first adjusted the value from +0.3 back to 0.0 which is why the "str=6,6,-1" had the 6 in the beginning for the 0.0 value in the middle of the list. I then updated the front exposure value to each of the positive values in the list until it reached the max value of +2.0 which is the first entry in the list which corresponds to the zero based index value of 0.

The "cmd" value of 8220 does appear to be the proper "cmd" parameter value involved in changing the front camera exposure value for the A229 Duo.

The Google Play Store v3.2.5 VIOFO app version is sending a different version of the GET request with the "cmd" value equal to 8220. That appears to be what is causing the crash in the A229 Duo.

The updated VIOFO app should prevent the issue from occurring with the A229 Duo, but the firmware for the A229 Duo should be fixed to not allow an invalid request to crash the dash camera.