VIOFO Improvement Wish List 2023

[Turbine]

Coming September 2023.
Hurry up, and wait. lol

View attachment 66362

lol
Yeah.. wonder how it is gonna be
feels like this feature should have been implemented in the N4 PRO.
Plus, rear dashcams should be updates to 1440 already

 

[Panzer Platform]

Did you actually measure how much power was unused at 11.8v cutoff

I ran a second test.
This time I got 1 hour 38 minutes of additional parking mode operation from an A119 Mini 2.
I think I might be on to something.
I'm going to run a third test.

 

[Panzer Platform]

There is no need to impose anything on the buyer.
The buyer must choose what to buy and what not.

I think you misunderstand my intention.

 

[Panzer Platform]

IMO people should not need to find this forum, and do self study in here, sales listings / material should have all the information people would need.

The reason I'm lobbying Viofo to include the hardwire kit & SD Card with all dash cams is because it will drastically reduce tech support inquiry from first time consumers.
It will also reduce the amount of frustrated consumers that end up returning dash cams because they can’t get it to go into parking mode when requested, or experience recording malfunction with “incorrect” SD cards.
The current advertising / item description is misleading in terms of parking mode functionality.

 

[Nigel]

I ran a second test.
This time I got 1 hour 38 minutes of additional parking mode operation from an A119 Mini 2.
I think I might be on to something.
I'm going to run a third test.

Using the PC8’s Output Cable “unspliced” with Viofo Hardwire Kit HK4, the A119 Mini had a “Low Bitrate Parking Mode” run time of;
40 Hours 2 Minutes

That would be 4% extra power, except is that a different camera? And is the camera configuration the same?

It is a significant time anyway. I don't expect there is much difference between using the HWK and the CLA other than that the CLA doesn't have a low voltage cutoff.

 

[Karagandinez]

I think you misunderstand my intention.

Why is it wrong?
You want everything included and the price goes up. But not everyone needs the whole set,
and therefore the buyer should have the right to choose, like the seller from Holland.
There you can choose any kit that your heart desires.

 

[Panzer Platform]

You want everything included and the price goes up. But not everyone needs the whole set,

The reason I'm lobbying Viofo to include the hardwire kit & SD Card with all dash cams is because it will drastically reduce tech support inquiry from first time consumers.
It will also reduce the amount of frustrated consumers that end up returning dash cams because they can’t get it to go into parking mode when requested, or experience recording malfunction with “incorrect” SD cards.
The current advertising / item description is misleading in terms of parking mode functionality.

This is most likely why BlackVue & Thinkware include hardwire kits & SD cards with their cameras.
Including the Viofo hardwire kit with a $10 price increase would be fair.
Including the Viofo MLC 32GB SD card with a $10 price increase would be fair.

 

[Panzer Platform]

That would be 4% extra power, except is that a different camera? And is the camera configuration the same?

It is a significant time anyway. I don't expect there is much difference between using the HWK and the CLA other than that the CLA doesn't have a low voltage cutoff.

After I get repeatable test results I'll make a full detailed post in my BBMC PowerCell 8 testing thread.
The difference with the second test that provided a longer run time is I started with a fully 100% battery pack.
The first test I discharged the battery from 67% after it had been sitting in my closet for two month of non use.

 

[Dashmellow]

The reason I'm lobbying Viofo to include the hardwire kit & SD Card with all dash cams is because it will drastically reduce tech support inquiry from first time consumers.
It will also reduce the amount of frustrated consumers that end up returning dash cams because they can’t get it to go into parking mode when requested, or experience recording malfunction with “incorrect” SD cards.
The current advertising / item description is misleading in terms of parking mode functionality.

This is most likely why BlackVue & Thinkware include hardwire kits & SD cards with their cameras.
Including the Viofo hardwire kit with a $10 price increase would be fair.
Including the Viofo MLC 32GB SD card with a $10 price increase would be fair.

You're not "lobbying", you're pounding the table and bullying here as your lecturing Viofo has been going for days now! And you are trying to bully @viofo into upending their business model because you somehow seem to think you know better than they do about how to conduct their business affairs.

Viofo has built a strong, well respected and successful manufacturing business in a relatively short period of time because they offer innovative, well built and engineered, reliable products at reasonable prices within a highly competitive market. They also do a commendable job supporting their products, improving and updating firmware and being responsive to customers. Yet now, you come along demanding they include accessories that many won't ever need or want and may end up in a drawer somewhere which would ultimately raise the price of their cameras, thus damaging the value oriented proposition they offer.

And astonishingly, with your bullying tactics you even go so far as to make demeaning and condescending remarks to Viofo with comments such as, "If you want to join the big leagues like BlackVue & Thinkware you need to start including your hardwire kit, and SD Card with all you cameras", and then offer overpriced examples from BlackVue & Thinkware that cost well over $500 where they are charging so much for their cameras they can easily throw in a hard-wire kit. The "Big Leagues"? Are you serious?

And then you have the nerve to dictate what Viofo should charge to include a hardwire kit and an MLC memory card with no thought to how these price increases might affect sales or what it would cost for them to include?

Why should Viofo follow your advice to include an HK4 hardwire kit for only $10.00 dollars when they otherwise sell them for $17.99?

Why should Viofo follow your advice to include a 32 GB MLC memory card for $10.00 when they ordinarily sell them for $19.99?

Do you think that is how to run a profitable company? Raise their prices out of their carefully selected price points and take a big hit on their margins?

I think you have fallen out of touch. You repeatedly boast that you do not monetize what you do either here on the forum or on YouTube, but I heartily disagree. For years, you have been soliciting and receiving thousands of dollars worth of free merchandise from manufacturers and vendors in exchange for reviewing and promoting their products. This is the very definition of Quid Pro Quo and industry handing out free products to people like you in exchange for getting them in front of as many eyeballs as possible has become part and parcel with what the "review" process has become in the age of the internet. With all these free cameras and other expenisve merchandise showing up at your door you seem to have lost touch with what it is like to actually have to go out and spend hard earned money to purchase these items.

 

[kamkar]

With what i hear from my sources and the internet in general, things are not hunky dory in Shenzhen, and many other towns in China.
So right now are probably not the best time to make big changes / big investments.

I am not going to tell Viofo how to run their company, if only they listen and take what they feel make sense, then i am happy.
I am not aware of any dashcam brand that have been influenced by people, at least not to any big degree, one would hope they listen and fix the little things that do not cost much in the way of money to fix.

 

[viofo]

So far my first testing attempt is a failure.
I think my test method may be flawed.
I only got 34 additional minutes of parking mode run time.
Interesting side note, the APP indicated the battery was 11.1 Volts five minutes before it shut down.
I have a feeling the BMS shuts of the battery pack at 11.0 Volts.
I’m going to try to revise my test method.
Thanks Nigel.
Btw, Thinkware now includes an OBD2 Power Cable with their U3000 to enable “plug & play” parking mode for those consumers that do not wish to use the traditional hardwire kit.
How do you feel about Viofo developing their own OBD2 Power Cable for plug & play parking mode?
Is that something you would support?
-Chuck

If we make customized hardwire kits that support disabling low voltage cut-off, do you need it?
We can change the 11.8V option to not cut off.

 

[Panzer Platform]

If we make customized hardwire kits that support disabling low voltage cut-off, do you need it?
We can change the 11.8V option to not cut off.

Yes, yes, yes!
Thank you so much. lol
The dash cam battery pack has an internal BMS that continues to deliver power all the way down to 11.0V or lower.

So far I have determined this last little bit of unutilized power can run an A119 Mini 2 in Low Bitrate Parking Mode for an additional 1 hour 38 minutes.
But I’m having to do that with the plug & play method of parking mode that requires 5 minutes of “inactivity” to go into parking mode, and it’s proving to be difficult.
The difference in power consumption from normal recording mode to low bitrate parking mode is 3.2 Watts vs. 2.1 Watts.
Ideally it only runs in normal recording mode for the first 5 minutes, but sometimes it goes back to normal recording mode.
Having a hardwire kit with the low voltage cut-off disabled would make this testing so much easier.
Please also send a custom unit to @rcg530 @safedrivesolutions @Vortex Radar if possible so they can also test it as well.
-Chuck

 

[Panzer Platform]

Also, there is a patent risk with SD card associations. If they opened a dispute with Amazon, that listing will be taken down immediately. Then you can not sell that model, and need to remove all the stock from Amazon.

Dear @viofo,
You mentioned earlier including a Viofo SD card with the the dash cam may violate Patent Laws.
I don’t understand what this means.
If for some reason it’s unlawful to include your branded Viofo SD card with your dash cams, how about this idea?

During the Amazon release of the WM1 you offered a free 64GB Viofo SD card with purchase.
However, in order to receive the card the consumer had to open a tech support ticket, and provide their Amazon Order Number, and the card would be shipped separately direct from the manufacturer.

How about you offer free 32GB Viofo cards with every dash cam purchase.
However, the consumer will receive the card when registering their camera to extend the warranty from 12 Months to 18 Months?
-Chuck

 

[Kremmen]

For me, I don't want any 3 wire kit. I want a 2 wire kit that turns the dash cam on with ignition power and turns it off with the ignition off. Hence why I've stuck with my A119V3 using a Nextbase 2 wire kit. Works perfectly. That stops any battery drain.

Regarding memory cards, I want 128Gb, not an included smaller card. 128Gb allows me to run all week and offload at weekends with no overwriting loss.

As already posted, I will buy my own choice of HWK and SDCard.

 

[Dashmellow]

How about you offer free 32GB Viofo cards with every dash cam purchase.
However, the consumer will receive the card when registering their camera to extend the warranty from 12 Months to 18 Months?
-Chuck

But your whole premise here was that if @viofo were to include a 32GB card with the camera for testing and initial set-up it would (somehow) prevent returned products. So now you want Viofo to ship out free cards "after" the customer goes through the registration process and a lengthy and time consuming wait for the card to arrive? This defeats the entire purpose for your original demand in the first place!

You are now proposing a contradictory plan that would put Viofo at risk of sending out expensive, but free to buyers MLC memory cards who might just return their cameras and then keep the cards they receive in the mail leaving Viofo holding the bag for the card, shipping and extra labor involved in dealing with this wacky idea. Viofo has already stated that giving out 32GB cards will lead to "extra loss". Plus this idea forces buyers to register their new camera before they can figure out if there is some other legitimate reason to return it. Earlier you pushed Viofo to sell 20 dollar memory cards to buyers for 10 dollars. Now after they rejected that idea you suggest they give them out for free?

Viofo already explained their position to you. Why don't you accept it? Instead you claim that their "statement is not helping"?

Why do you keep arguing with and needling them? What makes you think you know better than @viofo about how they conduct their business?

If they would just include an SD Card it would PREVENT these types tech support inquiry in the first place.
This problem is so easily preventable.
Viofo's earlier statement is not helping;

"32GB card capacity is not enough for most of dash cams, and our main sell channel is Amazon which has a high return rate, this will cause extra loss when users return the camera. 90% of Amazon returned products are almost new."

 

[Nigel]

If we make customized hardwire kits that support disabling low voltage cut-off, do you need it?
We can change the 11.8V option to not cut off.

We want the 11.8V option, that is ideal for AGM batteries used in many cars that have stop-start systems. Also it is a good setting for lithium batteries if you want your battery to have a long lifetime.

If you want to reuse an existing setting for "disable" then take the top option - 12.4 V isn't really necessary for anyone, and only works with fairly new batteries? Or maybe some people do use 12.4? Maybe it should still cut-off at 10.0V? to avoid serious damage to any battery (Lithium or Lead Acid) that doesn't have a BMS? And your DC-DC converter probably doesn't work much below 10.0V anyway.

Btw, Thinkware now includes an OBD2 Power Cable with their U3000 to enable “plug & play” parking mode for those consumers that do not wish to use the traditional hardwire kit.
How do you feel about Viofo developing their own OBD2 Power Cable for plug & play parking mode?
Is that something you would support?

OBD seems like a sensible option, and it is nice/easy to use, but it needs an ACC input that works properly, I think not one that works from voltage. So I think it actually needs an OBD coms chip, but this makes it more complicated, and more expensive than a standard fuse box hardwire kit.

 

[Karagandinez]

We want the 11.8V option, that is ideal for AGM batteries used in many cars that have stop-start systems. Also it is a good setting for lithium batteries if you want your battery to have a long lifetime.

The 11.8V option is ideal for all kinds of batteries used in cars.

 

[Panzer Platform]

Did you actually measure how much power was unused at 11.8v cutoff

I ran a third test with better results.
I got an additional 1 hour 51 minutes of Low Bitrate parking mode operation with an A119 Mini 2.
Read all about it here;
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/blackboxmycar-powercell-8-test-review-pp.47956/post-597579

 

[Nigel]

I ran a third test with better results.
I got an additional 1 hour 51 minutes of Low Bitrate parking mode operation with an A119 Mini 2.
Read all about it here;
https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/blackboxmycar-powercell-8-test-review-pp.47956/post-597579

Looking at the discharge graph for the LiFePO4, that amount of extra power does match an 11.0V cut-off, which is a reasonable value. 4% extra doesn't sound much, but 1 hour 51 minutes does, so yes, seems like a good idea to have a lower cut-off option on the hardwire kit. I think changing one of them to 11.0V, or maybe 10.0V would be sensible, but change the 12.4V, not the 11.8V option, 11.8V is very useful.

Thanks for taking the time to measure it properly.

 

[Kremmen]

My hybrid car has a high voltage drive battery but only a tiny 12v battery.

The 12v battery in mine isn't used to crank the starter, just to keep the electrics going when idle. If I gave it any extra to deal with it would probably die quite quickly.