Viofo VS1 Dash Camera review, do we even need a screen? (+ Vantrue S1 Pro shoot-out!)

[Captorofsin]

If the dongar is compatible then go for it. It does pretty well capturing licence plates , especially so at night with it being Starvis 2. At the start it had oversharpened footage, but that's been resolved with firmware updates.

If you can get it at a good price, I'd say go for it. There are competitive options though like the Vantrue E1 Pro and others like A119 Mini 2 and newer A119M Pro etc.

I like the way the A119M Pro mounts. I wish they had one that mounted like that one but doesn't have a screen.

 

[Augustus]

I don't want all the bells and whistles. I just want something in that can film good clear footage.

I just want to keep it simple 😁.

Sounds like a screenless solution will work best for you then

 

[lufa6977]

I like the way the A119M Pro mounts. I wish they had one that mounted like that one but doesn't have a screen.

What are your concerns about the screen? They can be set to turn off once the dashcam is powered up.

How well does it do (day and night) with other vehicles license plates details? I'm not looking to record a feature film (🤣), just want detail of license plates or details if anything bad happens.

I'm venturing to think (Because this unit would draw minimal current) that I could probably use a donger power adapter (I own a hybrid sienna. Use the adapter to pull power off the rear view mirror power).

I use Dongar adapters, which are a good choice for a quick, easy install. As for power usage, that is not a concern as I have powered the A229 Pro and a telephoto lens via the Dongar. Since the Dongar provides power only when the ignition is on, there is no drain to the hybrid start battery when the car is off.

Any dashcam with Starvis II and a good lens should perform decent plate capture. However, there are numerous reasons a plate may not be captured clearly. Speed, angle, lighting, weather, approaching or departing angles and speed, color of plates, designs on the plate (vanity plates), and license plate frames all make for challenging plate capture.

 

[DT MI]

I don't want all the bells and whistles. I just want something in that can film good clear footage.

I just want to keep it simple 😁.

I like the way the A119M Pro mounts. I wish they had one that mounted like that one but doesn't have a screen.

Without a screen you'll need WiFi to initialize/change settings. That makes the camera 'less simple' and more prone to something (WiFi/App/Camera/Phone) failing.

Just something to consider,

 

[Captorofsin]

Does anyone know where I could get this bracket? I did reach out to viofo. They told me they didn't sell it.

 

[Omega-TI]

I personally like a screen on my dashcams. I have a Blackvue 900S-2CH and I dislike messing with the cellphone app to do anything.... and I find it easier to remove the SD card on those rare occasions I want to mess with video because downloading them is a pain. The Vantrue has a display and life is so much easier if I want to change any settings... and the SD card is easier to remove as well.

 

[Augustus]

I personally like a screen on my dashcams. I have a Blackvue 900S-2CH and I dislike messing with the cellphone app to do anything.... and I find it easier to remove the SD card on those rare occasions I want to mess with video because downloading them is a pain. The Vantrue has a display and life is so much easier if I want to change any settings... and the SD card is easier to remove as well.

Fair point,.it's good to have options though

 

[melensdad]

I'm looking at 1 and 2 channel Dashcams for a pick up.

Got to say that the Viofo VS1 is among the most attractive to me because of its small form factor and NO screen.

Why is no screen a positive to me? Because I wear hard line trifocals and trying to read anything above my eye level involves contortions and gymnastics that my body not longer cooperates with; a tiny screen, mounted near the top of the windscreen, is quite literally a pain in the neck to see for those of us with bi or trifocals lenses

 

[Augustus]

Thanks @viofo and @VIOFO-Support for the August 2026 firmware update for the VS1.

firmware

Download the latest VIOFO firmware updates for every dash cam model. Step-by-step instructions, version notes, and SD card requirements.

www.viofo.com

Viofo VS1 Firmware Update

• Release date: 2026-08-12
• Version: V1.1_260812
• File size: 58.8M

Changelog:

• Fixed: other bugs