What A118C to buy

[misterkeeks]

I've decided on the A118C as a dashcam. I'm looking on Gearbest, and there are two versions available. One is a
VIOFO A118C 1.5 inch H.264 1080P Novatek 96650 Safe Capacitor Car DVR Dash Cam that costs $49.87. Another is just A118C - B40C 1080P FHD 170 Degree Wide Angle Car DVR that costs only $42.36.

Both use the Novatek 96650 and the AR0330 sensor.

Are these cameras the same, or is the Viofo worth the extra $7?

Thanks

 

[jokiin]

the Viofo is worth the extra money, the other one is cheaper for a reason

 

[misterkeeks]

the Viofo is worth the extra money, the other one is cheaper for a reason

Thanks for the fast reply.

Why in particular is the Viofo better? Better build quality, better firmware, better lens? Something else?

 

[jokiin]

the cheap one isn't cheap because it's made by nice people, it's cheap because they saved money by using lower cost components throughout, that has an effect on reliability and longevity, even the Viofo one at that price is very cheap

 

[misterkeeks]

OK. So the specifications of the camera are the same, but the cheaper one might not last as long? Otherwise the video should be identical?

Is $49 the cheapest price around for the Viofo version?

 

[jokiin]

OK. So the specifications of the camera are the same, but the cheaper one might not last as long? Otherwise the video should be identical?

no, the chipset and sensor are the same, quite a lot of the other components used are not the same, video is not as good on the cheaper version, plenty of posts about that here previously, it can't run the Viofo firmware reliably which is a good sign of lower grade memory being used

Is $49 the cheapest price around for the Viofo version?

have not seen it any cheaper

keep in mind you're looking at buying out of China, service from the seller pretty much ends the moment money changes hands so saving a few dollars can cost you a lot more, only spend what you're prepared to lose if things go wrong

 

[misterkeeks]

Where do you recommend I purchase the Viofo one? Gearbest, even though it comes from China, seems reputable, so I'm not too concerned about that.

 

[jokiin]

Where do you recommend I purchase the Viofo one? Gearbest, even though it comes from China, seems reputable, so I'm not too concerned about that.

I would never recommend Gearbest, Bangood or any other China based seller to be honest, as I said, only spend what you're prepared to lose, if you have no problems then it's all good, if you have issues you'll get nowhere with any of them and you can write it off to experience

even if you don't want to pay the price to buy locally if you pay a bit more you can buy through Amazon or eBay etc where there are some buyer protections in place you'll at least have some recourse if things go wrong

 

[misterkeeks]

I would never recommend Gearbest, Bangood or any other China based seller to be honest, as I said, only spend what you're prepared to lose, if you have no problems then it's all good, if you have issues you'll get nowhere with any of them and you can write it off to experience

even if you don't want to pay the price to buy locally if you pay a bit more you can buy through Amazon or eBay etc where there are some buyer protections in place you'll at least have some recourse if things go wrong

Good to know. Obviously I would pay via Paypal. My issue with eBay is that there are so many sellers that it is hard to keep track of what is genuine and what is not. This is one of the eBay examples - how should I decide which one to buy on eBay? Doesn't seem like there are really any Viofos that ship from the US on eBay.

Thanks so much for all your help, by the way!

 

[jokiin]

This is one of the eBay examples - how should I decide which one to buy on eBay? Doesn't seem like there are really any Viofos that ship from the US on eBay.

don't think that is the Viofo version, Spyetc in New York sell the Viofo version with local support and warranty, you'll pay more for that obviously buying locally

 

[DT MI]

...Doesn't seem like there are really any Viofos that ship from the US on eBay....

I believe I read somewhere here on DCT that Spytec (http://www.spytecinc.com/) sells the Viofo version.

Edit: OK, I just read it again.

 

[misterkeeks]

don't think that is the Viofo version, Spyetc in New York sell the Viofo version with local support and warranty, you'll pay more for that obviously buying locally

I believe I read somewhere here on DCT that Spytec (http://www.spytecinc.com/) sells the Viofo version.

Edit: OK, I just read it again.

This is good to know. I'll have to decide between buying it there and from Gearbest. Given that the Spytec one is costs 40% more, I might end up going with the Gearbest, but I'll have to consider it first...

Thanks for all your help and quick replies.

 

[jokiin]

This is good to know. I'll have to decide between buying it there and from Gearbest. Given that the Spytec one is costs 40% more, I might end up going with the Gearbest, but I'll have to consider it first....

as a percentage that sound like a huge difference, in reality though you're talking about $20, get it in a few days versus a month from China, support if you have any problems, proper 12 months warranty, depends if that's worth $20 to you or not I guess