Agie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2016
- Messages
- 1,924
- Reaction score
- 990
- Location
- Perth, Australia
- Country
- Australia
- Dash Cam
- 70mai A510 + S500, A229 Pro + VS1, N4 Pro, S1 Pro, A119 v3
After re-igniting my love of dash cameras with my earlier thoughts on the Vantrue Nexus 4 Pro, this time I've got the Viofo A229 Pro to check out. There are plenty of well-written reviews from the big boys here on DCT, so I won't bore you with the exact specifications and bitrates and the like, but offer up my experiences here in Australia with the newest @viofo flagship. Will also try my best to look at the device through the lens of a first-time dashcam buyer and what they may go through when setting up for the first time.
I am greeted by the now-iconic white (with highlights of red) boxing from Viofo, along with the nice embossed red hexagon patterns on the box-covering insert. Upon lifting the box, the usual written materials and warnings are contained within before reaching the cameras themselves. My first impression is that the main unit is a chonky boy; substantial yet feeling well-built. The rear and interior cameras are also nestled safely in foam, with the remainder of the box load-out housing a black plastic pry tool, electrostatic films for mounting, spare 3M VHB adhesives and the all-important CPL filter. I did have a quiet chuckle to myself as I see that Viofo has included a clear diagram showing the correct installation orientations for the dashcam wiring - it looks exactly the same as what Vantrue did with their N4 Pro - not sure who copied who first lol.
Coming from my last Viofo, the A119 v3, the bigger 2.4inch IPS LCD unit on the main unit is a welcome step-up and I like the inclusion of protective glass on top to avoid the screen being exposed directly. There are plenty of ventilation slits on the sides of the unit to draw heat away from the unit (as it will be processing a three-channel stream with 4K and 2K video), and I find these are styled nicely. All in all, the units feel smooth to the touch with no rough-cut edges, a definite upgrade in build quality from my previous jaunts with Viofo. I see that Viofo has moved from coaxial cables to a 3.5mm jack for the interior camera, with the rest being USB-C. While I would have liked to see Viofo go completely USB-C, this is still an acceptable solution. My other minor quibble is that the interior camera is a standalone unit, rather than being integrated into the body of the main camera, but I understand the stealthy wedge factor Viofo has gone for here, making it impossible for the integrated camera to come to fruition.
Installation of the cameras themselves in my vehicle was a painless process, with the extra length of the rear camera cable very much appreciated. After formatting the 128GB microSD Viofo-branded memory card provided to me, I was on my way. Connection to the app (available on iOS and Android) was quick and flawless, and I was able to quickly set up the cameras to my liking.
The A229 Pro has only just hit retail, therefore I'm on the latest firmware out of factory 230928, but I'm fully expecting more firmware updates with optimisations and improvements. Viofo has always had a very good track record of supporting their customers in this regard, in addition to after-sales support. I'm totally loving this dashcam so far, and looking forward to spending more time with it over the coming weeks, especially in the coming hot Australian summer. I know that Viofo is going to extract the absolute best out of the Starvis 2 sensors here on the A229 Pro.
Some close-up photos of the Viofo A229 Pro dashcam:
I am greeted by the now-iconic white (with highlights of red) boxing from Viofo, along with the nice embossed red hexagon patterns on the box-covering insert. Upon lifting the box, the usual written materials and warnings are contained within before reaching the cameras themselves. My first impression is that the main unit is a chonky boy; substantial yet feeling well-built. The rear and interior cameras are also nestled safely in foam, with the remainder of the box load-out housing a black plastic pry tool, electrostatic films for mounting, spare 3M VHB adhesives and the all-important CPL filter. I did have a quiet chuckle to myself as I see that Viofo has included a clear diagram showing the correct installation orientations for the dashcam wiring - it looks exactly the same as what Vantrue did with their N4 Pro - not sure who copied who first lol.
Coming from my last Viofo, the A119 v3, the bigger 2.4inch IPS LCD unit on the main unit is a welcome step-up and I like the inclusion of protective glass on top to avoid the screen being exposed directly. There are plenty of ventilation slits on the sides of the unit to draw heat away from the unit (as it will be processing a three-channel stream with 4K and 2K video), and I find these are styled nicely. All in all, the units feel smooth to the touch with no rough-cut edges, a definite upgrade in build quality from my previous jaunts with Viofo. I see that Viofo has moved from coaxial cables to a 3.5mm jack for the interior camera, with the rest being USB-C. While I would have liked to see Viofo go completely USB-C, this is still an acceptable solution. My other minor quibble is that the interior camera is a standalone unit, rather than being integrated into the body of the main camera, but I understand the stealthy wedge factor Viofo has gone for here, making it impossible for the integrated camera to come to fruition.
Installation of the cameras themselves in my vehicle was a painless process, with the extra length of the rear camera cable very much appreciated. After formatting the 128GB microSD Viofo-branded memory card provided to me, I was on my way. Connection to the app (available on iOS and Android) was quick and flawless, and I was able to quickly set up the cameras to my liking.
The A229 Pro has only just hit retail, therefore I'm on the latest firmware out of factory 230928, but I'm fully expecting more firmware updates with optimisations and improvements. Viofo has always had a very good track record of supporting their customers in this regard, in addition to after-sales support. I'm totally loving this dashcam so far, and looking forward to spending more time with it over the coming weeks, especially in the coming hot Australian summer. I know that Viofo is going to extract the absolute best out of the Starvis 2 sensors here on the A229 Pro.
Some close-up photos of the Viofo A229 Pro dashcam:
. Won't be much of a contest between the rear camera with the N4 Pro, cos still stuck with the focus issues on that one LoL
It is good to see my Kingston 512gb will not be swamped by the read/write activity.
