Just fitted a Viofo A129 Pro as an upgrade from my Aukey DR02D. which has served me well in a couple of cars, but I wanted a higher resolution and marking mode. The 1080p of the Aukey is pretty good, but it's not the best for reading number plates. I'm using the Viofo in 4K mode at the moment, but might swap to the 2K 60fps mode and see how it works. Very pleased with the video quality so far.
Good to see this setup. A few years ago, I used a ‘NextBase’ dash cam, which eventually failed in cold weather due the failed internal battery, in such a way that it could no longer remember the date/time setting when the external power was switched off. It could record using an arbitrary date/time - I think it was 00:00:01/01/2005, or something like that. The other snag with that one was that when used in a car with auto-idle stop, it didn’t run properly on account of the temp 12V ‘power cut’ when restarting the engine (that car was a Honda Civic). Later on, I replace it with a Halfords HDC300, which is still in use shooting at 1920x1080p 30 fps, usually at ~5s per clip. The card in use is good for around 4 hours footage.The old NB one had the ability to use a USB cable to connect it to anything for copying off - on my case an iMac, but for the new HDC I take the micro SD card out and plug it in to read the files and copy them off as required into my iMac. After that, if they’re interesting enough I edit them in iMovie (used to use Adobe Premiere on an older desktop, but iMovie does most of the work now). Sometimes the footage is mixed in with other things, with the clip speed being adjusted for compatibility - typically 25 fps from one of my main cameras; easy to do in iMovie. Looks fine as long as you don’t run a stop watch against the displayed time on the images! It’s OK during daylight, but struggles after dark; acceptable in street lit areas, usually. W.r.t. to the mounting point, it’s pretty much like mine. The car in use is a 2017 year Yaris, and one needs to be careful about mounting things near the built in camera/laser kit, according to the manual. Maybe it’s more of an issue with relatively powerful transmitters like iPhones etc; don’t know. Incidentally, the 12V power is continuous in a Yaris, with the ‘power on’, whatever the engine does as you go along, and the HDC300 starts and stops when one switches the power on/off.The HDC manual recommends reformatting the card every so often. Comparing the old NB with the new one, the display on the clips is a bit more basic on the HDC300. It’s just date/time/speed re. GPS Co-ordinate change over the last second, and decimal degrees (e.g.N 51.5845 W 1.7303), whereas the NB used deg/min/sec). Also, it’s imperial only for speed, whereas the NB could use metric as well.
Hi Ashley, this post is really weird , because I reviewed both the A129 PRO DUO and the earlier non 4k version A129 DUO . I have reviewed both for viofo ( without any influence from them ) and I did like both cameras but I liked the cheaper version way more, so i have stayed with my original viofo A129 DUO ( non 4k ) because of several reasons you mentioned. The biggest issue I initially had was playback of the video footage from the PRO version because my laptop wasn't high enough spec. This was resolved by using another media player to play smoothly but the quality was not there on playback. The only real way i would see the real quality from the camera recordings was to play directly through my 4k television , yes the image is superb without a doubt but I personally think from a practical point of view , currently unless you own lots of 4k ready technology the 4k pro is impractical currently. Also because of the large file save size you get less recording time on the card your using before it loops. Another issue is the pro version catches less detail in low light than the cheaper A129 DUO , mine really did struggle with night time driving. I've run the original viofo A129 DUO for over 18 months now and had zero issues at all and no missed footage. There have been incidents where the sd card causes alot of issues , however if you use a Samsung Evo micro sd card I've not heard of anyone having any issues with that card. I dont even use the endurance cards , the camera loved this card and sometimes hates the more expensive endurance cards. Maybe this could be where your missing files issue is from ? Personally would I buy then4k a129 pro DUO no I wouldn't. Would I buy the original A129 DUO ( non 4k ) yes I would and inwould reccomend it to everyone who wants a dashcam set up front and rear. A small issue is the prices have risen quite sharply since the dreaded B word ( Brexit ) you could get the A129 DUO last christmas for £109 now I think it's around £149 but still worth it. For christmas I also got the bluetooth save button, it works a treat so you dont have to touch the camera at all the button can be placed anywhere in your cabin and not distract the driver . As usual I see some people recommending nextbase, they're not reliable enough due to using internal battery to shut down the camera. Like any battery it has a limited lifespan, viofo only use capacitor power to shut down their cameras so i find way more reliable longterm. I made a video of some modified firmware that viofo later released as a firmware update on the cheaper A129 DUO and difference in performance was surprisingly good. Its here if you wish to see it. ua-cam.com/video/KRN-U6YhLDk/v-deo.html
In the case of traffic incidents (the entire point of a dashcams), the extra framerate won't be as useful as the resolution. Higher framerates LOOK better, but there's not going to be an event that will be captured at 60fps that will be missed at 30fps. What might be missed is something like a license plate number in a hit and run at lower resolution. Dash cams aren't like playing video games or watching sports. 30fps is plenty for any event involving cars driving on the road for insurance or legal purposes.
Hello from 2021, Ashley. I've been subscribed to your channel quite a while now and have pondered on whether or not to get a dashcam installed. Imagine my surprise when I googled "viofo a129 pro review" and a video of yours comes up. Perfect!
I have the Dash Cam VIOFO A129 Duo Dual Front and rear cameras No 4K, and I cannot complain, work super great for me. I use the GPS too. very happy really. No hassles.
I too can agree with this. Always recording and havent had a problem with it at all. Only issue could be trying to download video files directly to your phone but not an issue if you just plug the microsd card into your computer
I use a Transcend Drive Pro DP220 which is the best camera I have ever used! Never missed a frame, audio sounds brilliant!, only a single camera but honestly, I’ve had it 5 years now and I wouldn’t change it, didn’t like the DP230 so got rid of that and stuck with the 220! It’s a shame they don’t make a duo for that but then again for 5 year reliability for £129, I seriously cannot fault it!
I suppose theres no urgency to upgrade the mic in dashcams, because they are mainly for capturing incidents outside, the only time you will need a mic is if a roadrager approaches your window and goes of on one, they are usually shouting so it'll be easy to pick it up. I just wish the dashcam itself wasnt so dam expensive for me, this one is coming up at £200+, thats the same as my car insurance, easy to see the importance of them, but that amount of money layout is hard for me, I will stick to quick sketching as the incident unfolds, and brass rubbing the crash scene.
The only issue I can see with a Nextbase camera for these videos is the watermark which you often see in those dashcam compilation videos, other than that they seem good and I’m considering getting one for my own car
My experience of nextbase wasn’t good at all, the camera often crashed and randomly deleted itself, every time the ignition was off the battery kept going flat and cycling the nextbase logo until it went completely flat. I did have the camera over 5 years ago so was prob an early one. I’m happy you’ve had no issues.
The issue with nextbase is they use a internal battery to shut down. This like any battery has a limited lifespan. It's better to look at capacitor dashcameras. Viofo only use capacitors
@Shane yes that's the issue, which magazine who recommended the 312 made nextbase issue a extended warranty for owners because so many are going faulty. Batterys die same as in a mobile phone, the thing is the battery shuts down the camera exactly like a computer , if theres not enough power to shut down properly the last and possibly lost important file froma crash may not be saved and its highly likley the sd card will corrupt and fail over time. Capacitors hold smaller amounts of power but are hundreds of times more reliable. My battery cameras lasted nearly 2 years and began eating sd cards then i moved to capacitor dashcameras and I still have my 1st one , it's over 6 years old now working perfectly
Are you sure you talking about H264 and not H265, which is the newer codec for UHD? I have heard that many people have problem with the H265. Even on my Mavic 2 drone I had the same problem. Changing it to H264 fixed it.
Can I just point out the fact that the common issues here are that Apple don't allow a broad range of video formats to be compatible and that they always want you to do things their way.
@@ashley_neal Hi Ashley. True, but I have a lot of friends that are using iphones , ipads etc. and they are complaining about all kinds of gremlins when they are trying to connect with electronic devices that are not Apple products. Apple is not known to be very Interbrand cooperative, so it might not be just Viofo that are at fault. Cheers
I have just returned this camera because the footage was jerky on apple and windows. I assumed it was an issue with the camera itself hence the return.
I have noticed that footage off the Viofo A129 Pro does seem to judder in some video applications, but in others it plays back flawlessly. It is certainly more than the high bit rate that A129 Pro uses, as Sony action cameras record at a similar bit rate, but their footage doesn't have the same issue. Don't have any similar issues with my regular A129 duo, which I've been using for about 6 months now. Note that if you do downgrade, the wiring, GPS mount and rear cam from the A129 Pro is all compatible with the A129, so all you need to do is slide off the old front camera and slot in the new one, so it couldn't be simpler.
Correct. It has to do with the subtype (not a technical term) of H.264 footage that the particular applications are capable of decoding with hardware acceleration. In theory, all else being equal, H.265 is harder to decode that H.264. But if standards are followed more closely on the newer codec, it means in this case that the H.265 footage actually decodes faster - on the particular software you’re using. I found a similar situation around 2008 when the previous transition happened from MPEG-4 Part 2 to MPEG-4 Part 10, and even though the latter was more intensive and higher quality, the Power Mac G4 had software that played back the new footage much more smoothly. I quickly dropped using the old standard, which was the equivalent of DiVX (remember that?)
I bought one of these, and I can't say I've had problems loading the files into a (very old) copy of PowerDirector 11 (latest version is 20). If I decide to convert into a different format, such as 4K WMV, then it drives the 6 core (12 thread) 3/7 Ghz i5 CPU on my machine to about 80% utilisation during rendering. It also renders at only about 20% of real speed. However, what I do note is that some of the video players on my (fairly powerful) Windows 11 PC struggle with playing the default codec. However, it's no problem for Windows Media Player, so it's clearly not an operating system issue, but an application one. I have also read elsewhere that some software struggles with the more advanced encoding. This is somewhat academic to me as I've no intention of editing huge amounts of video, but you never know, maybe I will want to upload the odd clip. What does matter to me is the video quality, and especially whether I can read number plates. For that it seems OK, but it's easy to have unrealistic expectations of any dashcams. The parking mode might have some interest in certain circumstances, and it does have a proper buffered version, but I suspect that the power consumption will be high and, even though it has a battery threshold voltage below which it will stop operating, I'm not sure it's that practical (and it requires the hardwire kit to do it properly; I've hard-wired in a USB supply into the wiring harness to keep it all neat). All that said, it's pretty good, but it does chew through storage. I've put the maximum size 256 GB microsd and I think even that will only give about 10 hours recording time before over-writing. I;ve also ordered a polarising filter to reduce internal reflections from the windscreen. The tiny screen is really only of use for changing settings, but the live feed to a tablet or phone works pretty well for reviewing. I should say I started out with the "standard" A129, and then "upgraded" by changing out the front camera. That simply to get the considerably higher detail for things like capturing number plates. It's a simple swap-out job. An expensive upgrade, but I'll probably ebay the standard A129, which is not very old, to get some of that money back. It will work quite happily as a front camera only, and the rears are available separately. Overall, I'm fairly impressed, but the HD version might be enough for many and it will give longer recording time and save about £40-50.
honestly one that comes close is 70mai a800 with bit better video quality, but parking mode is basic at best. Then there are blackvue and thinkware costing 2 to 3 times as much, with same video quality, bit better parking mode, extra features like cloud or sonic radar and such, viofo is perfect as video quality + price + good parking mode. For you maybe triple camera ? my friend doing car school content and uses vantrue n4
Did you have any trouble with returning to your car to find it blinking red and frozen? I'm using one and living in Washington, in the US. I'm having continuous problems with it seemingly overheating in my car, and in looking over Amazon reviews, seeing a lot of other people go through the same. The weather here doesn't often get particularly scorching hot, but anything over 75f (23C) is enough to have me return to my car with the red light flashing like mad, and the whole thing being locked up. I have to remove it from the base, let the power fade and then reattach. It will then happily fire up, even while still almost too hot to hold. I updated firmware, and tried 2. Both did the same. The power supply is the viofo recommended, and it has good reliable voltages, with a new car battery to boot. I approached the company about it, and they swear the cameras are designed to endure crazy high temperatures, yet.. Here I am, resetting it every single day in the summer when I return to the car, when it doesn't do it on cooler days. There's even a youtube video of someone testing it in higher temps, but.. They're testing it while in recording use, not on parking mode. I too see it being reliable while in use in high temps. Just not while parked. I think it's a crashing lock up problem while it's in parking mode, combined with heat. It's a real shame, because I actually do like mine. I don't need the audio, and I've found clarity to be good enough to actually rely on, with the resolution being so high that you can zoom in on license plates for quite a distance. Just wish I didn't have to keep resetting the thing.
Ash: for the missing sections of h265 footage try changing the loop time to 1 min or 3 min sections instead of 2 min and see if you get the same problem. Also update the cams firmware if not done already and make sure you're using a FAST SD card. Re: h264 editing on the Mac... there are some people with the same cam editing 264 files on a Mac without trouble so there are some codecs out there that will let you do this without issues... One fella mentioned Adobe premier Pro as coming with the correct codecs. Hope some of this helps 👍
VIOFO have sent me a new beta firmware update which I have installed onto the camera. I haven’t been out to check the footage yet. They think it will sort it 👍🏼
If you're on a tight budget and looking for a decent front and rear 1080p, the Mini 0906 I've found to be good. Just make sure you've got the right firmware installed for minor bug fixes 👌
I use a dual dashcam setup where the front one is built into a larger rear view mirror. It was about £35 and I'm happy with the front camera performance for the money, the back camera is lacking but you'd be able to see any incident. Audio quality is poor. My sister has had to replace a faulty dash cam but given our tight budgets we've done alright.
I have a Viofo A129 Duo although it's old now so I don't know if it's comparable with this one. I've been relatively content with it, just found that on the rough tarmac in our area it tends to rattle even with a bit of foam taken from the packaging shoved behind it and the holder. Something that I think it has developed with age is occasionally it randomly saves clips, sometimes after cutting out for a short time, although it has only done that once in the last few months (was getting some footage off it earlier today) but I don't know if that was caused by it cutting out momentarily before hand, what was more common over that time is potholes and other bumps triggering the G sensor to save, 2-3 times for comparison, but that could be turned down, we have rough roads. I would like clearer number plates in footage with oncoming traffic, which is why I would upgrade to this Pro for the 60fps option. Mine isn't hardwired so doesn't work in parking mode for more than 10 minutes after I leave (the time my car keeps sending power to the socket). I think the image quality is good enough for what I need, but I've only had one camera before this one to compare to so can't say much on that. The last one was a Dexors X7 that I thought was pretty good until it failed after maybe as much as 2 years but I'm not sure, it had the same issue with not picking up oncoming traffic reg plates, right when I needed it when an oncoming car hit my mirror and failed to stop on a narrow back road. It was a single camera and I went to the A129 Duo for the fact it was a descent value dual channel dashcam at the time I got it. I would really like the remote/Bluetooth save button so that I don't have to reach for the camera but I don't know if it would be compatible with the age mine is, I don't believe it was an option when I bought mine. I have tinted rear windows too and the rear seems to manage OK with them.
I don’t think you can blame the camera for issues with your Mac. Also I suspect the momentary loss in video is because you are using an SD card which doesn’t have a high enough write speed so it has to do a buffered write
Is the footage being recorded jumpy, or is it just Apple being Apple and not following standards? Have you tried playing it back with VLC (even on the Mac) to confirm whether it's Apple or the camera?
@@ashley_neal Yep that proves that the “quality” is all there in the video; you just need a script etc (maybe a drag-and-drop application) to convert it. This sort of thing frequently happens inside newer iPhones when they share (eg AirDrop, or message) a video to an older hardware if it’s an older Mac or iPad. The footage gets converted (very quickly, all things considered) while you wait for it to send. Usually quicker than the live speed of the footage, perhaps 4x or 5x, just a guess off the top of my head.
@@ashley_neal Further to that other comment, I’ve just received my A129 Pro Duo so I’m going to see if there’s a way to import it into my iPhone when I’m at the car, then AirDrop it to my Mac, and maybe that works more painlessly. No idea yet! We’ll see, and I’ll report back.
I have Viofo A129 Pro Duo 4K. It often happens that the GPS module does not receive a signal. Up to 10 minutes of footage. Turning off and back on and updating the software does not help.
Hello and thank you for the informative video. You mentioned the Viofo A119 V3 and this camera (Viofo A129 pro 4K) was 3x difference in price. If they were not that much apart (lets say $80 or $90 USD) apart, which would you recommend getting? (A119 V3 or A129 pro 4K) ? Not taking into account the rear camera option. Also, did the firmware update fix the problem of editing on the Apple computer? Thanks for any advice.
Hi. Thanks for your comments. Recording in H265 allows you to work on Apple devices flawlessly but when I started using it it started missing segments of recordings. The new firmware didn’t fix the problems but does give an option of a 21:9 aspect ratio which looks well. I’m still having problems with missing portions and VIOFO support is a slow process. If it wasn’t for my issues the A129 Pro is worth the extra over the A119 V3, but maybe the older model is a better bet for reliability. I hope that helps, Ashley.
I passed 3 months ago and still watch you're videos Ashley. They help new drivers to maintain their standard of driving. I'm getting a dashcam soon so how do I go about sending some clips?
Nice video with the pros and cons of the Viofo dual channel dashcam and video editing requirements. I'm currently using 2 Viofo A119 V2 dashcams (2 vehicles). Still undecided about the next upgrade. #StaySafe
If i had the computer (and money) for it then yeah I probably would get one, though maybe not that particular model. I currently use a nextbase duo, which I seriously should get hard wired into my car as the cigarette socket still doesn't work on my car. Aside from some rattling I get it does work fine (I get the same rattling on other dash cameras) and the one thing I like about my duo, aside from the GPS and two cameras, is that it automatically locks and saves the video should it sense impact or emergency braking.
So H.264 is a very compact codec that needs a lot of unpacking from your computer's CPU. This means that the standard Intel mobile chip found in the Mac will struggle under the pressure, most likely due to this hardware issue. If you are serious about the 4K, maybe consider a high end Mac, or a more affordable Windows PC with a nice chunky desktop CPU. Adobe Premiere Pro also uses your GPU to help this also. Just let me know if there is anything technical I can help with, really like your videos and wouldnt want your work to be bottlenecked by Apple! Thanks.
Viofo have sent me the new beta firmware which I have installed on the camera. I haven't checked the footage yet but it should work with h265 without skipping portions of the clips. Fingers crossed for now. I don't have any other problems with editing on my Mac apart from HDR footage. Only the Viofo seems to cause issues. Cheers, Ashley.
@@ashley_neal Ah sounds great. It just seems to be the more you spend on camera gear not only the smaller the ROI, but the more conflicting it is with editing software!! Can I just say your videos have been so helpful in making me a safer and more confident driver, which has come in handy with getting to shoots for commercial video work I do between school. Best of luck and thanks, Luc.
I have a Nextbase and it's been very good really. I had it since December 2017 and it still works really good! Only issue is it, like most camera's, it really doesn't like hot days. It says 'sd card error' so I turn it off then on again and then it works like normal. I just wish I had a rear cam so I might upgrade once the nextbase gives up..
i got a119 pro v2, when on the move my fav settings are 1440p i think its only 24fps but some how do not miss number plates, but i mostly use it in 1080p 60fps, and when parking i leave it in normal mode using battery bank at 1080p 30fps. planing on getting the v3 a119 pro but it dose have a different censer and slightly wide viewing angle. i no the audio on the v2 is great, sounds better than your audio clip and performs better than my phone can pick up. moving my v2 to the rear soon to replace front with the v3 as its meant to better night vision and still have high fps. can not fault the dashcam, it caught a garage (carwood cov) abusing my car and have footage of them talking bad about groups of people. caught a driver using a baseball bat on car in my road, and saved me when i got my car written of in hospital car park my an old lady with no insurance and false name, fake plates, yes that from an old lady so from now on im getting a picture of there licence and i block them in till i get it if that ever happens again. trust no one. but so far a119 pro has not let me down, the cheap thinkeye think thats how you say it has let me down as it failed to rec at the hospital, so the only footage i had is me stationary for 30 sec then getting hit twice, the 2nd push me in to the car in front what was about a month old from the a119 pro v2 so that will be going in rear as still works great over a year later with it rec 24/7 so its done well :)
Ashley and I were having dialogue regarding the audio quality. He very kindly gave me a "preview" of this upload so, for once, YT is correct. Ashley has obviously been working to rectify this problem. I've noticed an improvement to the audio..... especially the "mask/gloves" and "parking ticket" uploads which I now regret not mentioning until now. Synchronising the sound from more than one source takes time. Uploads take significantly longer when doing this - if memory serves. Am going to re-watch now, just in case I missed something before.
i really rate this camera, i have this and a nextbase 4k and although the image on nextbase seems more colorful the viofo is unmatched when it comes to spotting number plates imo
I would suggest also checking out and even asking questions over at linustechtips.com. The community there is fantastic for tech advise and news. It covers computer hardware and software (windows, macos, linux and others), phones & tablets, home theatre equipment, photography and videography and more. Edit: Also, make sure that the SD card you're using is up to the job (www.sdcard.org/developers/overview/speed_class/) You need a card that is capable of digesting the incoming footage at the required speeds. I'd always recommend going above what is recommended in the manual. If I had a dash cam that is recording at 4k with front and rear cameras, I'd go for a card capable of digesting 8k speeds. DON'T SKIMP ON STORAGE MEDIA!!! Buy OFFICIAL cards from KNOWN brands. Yes, they are pricey compared to other "same" spec cards but you might not be getting what you paid for. (LTT: Fake Chinese SD Card Scam- ua-cam.com/video/J-D6tYBX8vE/v-deo.html ) For instance, I have the A129 Pro (QHD version) and have a Samsung V60 (60MB/s) 4k card in it.
I use a Nextbase 402G, it's coming up to being 6 years old now. Still works well, even though it won't except the Daylight Saving change. The footage is still great, I can use it as a web cam too, the only issue I have with the footage is the editing software, as it can degrade the quality, of the bit rate depending on which the software will save editing as. Here's a link to one of my videos, might make a good analysis point. ua-cam.com/video/kwfLewq_vN0/v-deo.html
Unless you are shooting for some commercial publication... doing photo art etc...you really don't need 4k. The framerate is more important. High frame rate & high bitrate at 1080p or 2k is fine IMO for the purpose of documenting an accident.
Hi Mr. Ashley. why you Viofo camera is not in the top centre of the windshield. I am not sure but your dash camera is not exactly behind the mirror, and it is a requirement for the police here in the U.K.
Because then they'd also need a secondary steering wheel as well. If the instructor floored the accelerator, let's assume to avoid an incident, then how would the pupil know where to steer. I'd imagine 99.99% of the time foresight and avoidance (braking) will stop any problems.
@@bradburyrobinson That makes sense, thank you. I had a similar idea somewhere in the back of my mind, but couldn't really put it into words. Now it's clear :)
Just fitted a Viofo A129 Pro as an upgrade from my Aukey DR02D. which has served me well in a couple of cars, but I wanted a higher resolution and marking mode. The 1080p of the Aukey is pretty good, but it's not the best for reading number plates. I'm using the Viofo in 4K mode at the moment, but might swap to the 2K 60fps mode and see how it works. Very pleased with the video quality so far.
Good to see this setup. A few years ago, I used a ‘NextBase’ dash cam, which eventually failed in cold weather due the failed internal battery, in such a way that it could no longer remember the date/time setting when the external power was switched off. It could record using an arbitrary date/time - I think it was 00:00:01/01/2005, or something like that. The other snag with that one was that when used in a car with auto-idle stop, it didn’t run properly on account of the temp 12V ‘power cut’ when restarting the engine (that car was a Honda Civic).
Later on, I replace it with a Halfords HDC300, which is still in use shooting at 1920x1080p 30 fps, usually at ~5s per clip. The card in use is good for around 4 hours footage.The old NB one had the ability to use a USB cable to connect it to anything for copying off - on my case an iMac, but for the new HDC I take the micro SD card out and plug it in to read the files and copy them off as required into my iMac. After that, if they’re interesting enough I edit them in iMovie (used to use Adobe Premiere on an older desktop, but iMovie does most of the work now). Sometimes the footage is mixed in with other things, with the clip speed being adjusted for compatibility - typically 25 fps from one of my main cameras; easy to do in iMovie. Looks fine as long as you don’t run a stop watch against the displayed time on the images!
It’s OK during daylight, but struggles after dark; acceptable in street lit areas, usually.
W.r.t. to the mounting point, it’s pretty much like mine. The car in use is a 2017 year Yaris, and one needs to be careful about mounting things near the built in camera/laser kit, according to the manual. Maybe it’s more of an issue with relatively powerful transmitters like iPhones etc; don’t know. Incidentally, the 12V power is continuous in a Yaris, with the ‘power on’, whatever the engine does as you go along, and the HDC300 starts and stops when one switches the power on/off.The HDC manual recommends reformatting the card every so often.
Comparing the old NB with the new one, the display on the clips is a bit more basic on the HDC300. It’s just date/time/speed re. GPS Co-ordinate change over the last second, and decimal degrees (e.g.N 51.5845 W 1.7303), whereas the NB used deg/min/sec). Also, it’s imperial only for speed, whereas the NB could use metric as well.
Hi Ashley, this post is really weird , because I reviewed both the A129 PRO DUO and the earlier non 4k version A129 DUO . I have reviewed both for viofo ( without any influence from them ) and I did like both cameras but I liked the cheaper version way more, so i have stayed with my original viofo A129 DUO ( non 4k ) because of several reasons you mentioned. The biggest issue I initially had was playback of the video footage from the PRO version because my laptop wasn't high enough spec. This was resolved by using another media player to play smoothly but the quality was not there on playback. The only real way i would see the real quality from the camera recordings was to play directly through my 4k television , yes the image is superb without a doubt but I personally think from a practical point of view , currently unless you own lots of 4k ready technology the 4k pro is impractical currently. Also because of the large file save size you get less recording time on the card your using before it loops. Another issue is the pro version catches less detail in low light than the cheaper A129 DUO , mine really did struggle with night time driving. I've run the original viofo A129 DUO for over 18 months now and had zero issues at all and no missed footage. There have been incidents where the sd card causes alot of issues , however if you use a Samsung Evo micro sd card I've not heard of anyone having any issues with that card. I dont even use the endurance cards , the camera loved this card and sometimes hates the more expensive endurance cards. Maybe this could be where your missing files issue is from ?
Personally would I buy then4k a129 pro DUO no I wouldn't. Would I buy the original A129 DUO ( non 4k ) yes I would and inwould reccomend it to everyone who wants a dashcam set up front and rear. A small issue is the prices have risen quite sharply since the dreaded B word ( Brexit ) you could get the A129 DUO last christmas for £109 now I think it's around £149 but still worth it. For christmas I also got the bluetooth save button, it works a treat so you dont have to touch the camera at all the button can be placed anywhere in your cabin and not distract the driver .
As usual I see some people recommending nextbase, they're not reliable enough due to using internal battery to shut down the camera. Like any battery it has a limited lifespan, viofo only use capacitor power to shut down their cameras so i find way more reliable longterm.
I made a video of some modified firmware that viofo later released as a firmware update on the cheaper A129 DUO and difference in performance was surprisingly good. Its here if you wish to see it.
ua-cam.com/video/KRN-U6YhLDk/v-deo.html
I've always favoured higher FPS over resolution.
60fps tends to "see more" than 30fps.
In the case of traffic incidents (the entire point of a dashcams), the extra framerate won't be as useful as the resolution. Higher framerates LOOK better, but there's not going to be an event that will be captured at 60fps that will be missed at 30fps. What might be missed is something like a license plate number in a hit and run at lower resolution. Dash cams aren't like playing video games or watching sports. 30fps is plenty for any event involving cars driving on the road for insurance or legal purposes.
Hello from 2021, Ashley. I've been subscribed to your channel quite a while now and have pondered on whether or not to get a dashcam installed. Imagine my surprise when I googled "viofo a129 pro review" and a video of yours comes up. Perfect!
I have the Dash Cam VIOFO A129 Duo Dual Front and rear cameras No 4K, and I cannot complain, work super great for me. I use the GPS too. very happy really. No hassles.
I too can agree with this. Always recording and havent had a problem with it at all. Only issue could be trying to download video files directly to your phone but not an issue if you just plug the microsd card into your computer
You should really use the 60FPS over a 4k quality. Especially when it comes to small details like Registration Numbers
I use a Transcend Drive Pro DP220 which is the best camera I have ever used! Never missed a frame, audio sounds brilliant!, only a single camera but honestly, I’ve had it 5 years now and I wouldn’t change it, didn’t like the DP230 so got rid of that and stuck with the 220! It’s a shame they don’t make a duo for that but then again for 5 year reliability for £129, I seriously cannot fault it!
I used to use the DP200 👍🏼
Ive been using the drivepro 220 for 6 years now.great camera
I suppose theres no urgency to upgrade the mic in dashcams, because they are mainly for capturing incidents outside, the only time you will need a mic is if a roadrager approaches your window and goes of on one, they are usually shouting so it'll be easy to pick it up.
I just wish the dashcam itself wasnt so dam expensive for me, this one is coming up at £200+, thats the same as my car insurance, easy to see the importance of them, but that amount of money layout is hard for me, I will stick to quick sketching as the incident unfolds, and brass rubbing the crash scene.
I love your last sentence about how you will capture the scene. 😄
@@busog97641 thanx, old school lol.
I'll be honest here, Nextbase for me have been faultless. Not 4k but do you really need it for a dashcam? 1440p does what's needed.
The only issue I can see with a Nextbase camera for these videos is the watermark which you often see in those dashcam compilation videos, other than that they seem good and I’m considering getting one for my own car
@@JackHaarriiss You can turn the watermark off, which I did on mine! Cheers
My experience of nextbase wasn’t good at all, the camera often crashed and randomly deleted itself, every time the ignition was off the battery kept going flat and cycling the nextbase logo until it went completely flat. I did have the camera over 5 years ago so was prob an early one. I’m happy you’ve had no issues.
The issue with nextbase is they use a internal battery to shut down. This like any battery has a limited lifespan. It's better to look at capacitor dashcameras. Viofo only use capacitors
@Shane yes that's the issue, which magazine who recommended the 312 made nextbase issue a extended warranty for owners because so many are going faulty. Batterys die same as in a mobile phone, the thing is the battery shuts down the camera exactly like a computer , if theres not enough power to shut down properly the last and possibly lost important file froma crash may not be saved and its highly likley the sd card will corrupt and fail over time. Capacitors hold smaller amounts of power but are hundreds of times more reliable. My battery cameras lasted nearly 2 years and began eating sd cards then i moved to capacitor dashcameras and I still have my 1st one , it's over 6 years old now working perfectly
Are you sure you talking about H264 and not H265, which is the newer codec for UHD?
I have heard that many people have problem with the H265. Even on my Mavic 2 drone
I had the same problem. Changing it to H264 fixed it.
Can I just point out the fact that the common issues here are that Apple don't allow a broad range of video formats to be compatible and that they always want you to do things their way.
Dash cam manufacturers should make their products to be compatible though!
@@ashley_neal Hi Ashley.
True, but I have a lot of friends that are using iphones , ipads etc. and they are complaining about all kinds of gremlins when they are trying to connect with electronic devices that are not Apple products. Apple is not known to be very Interbrand cooperative, so it might not be just Viofo that are at fault.
Cheers
I have just returned this camera because the footage was jerky on apple and windows. I assumed it was an issue with the camera itself hence the return.
I have noticed that footage off the Viofo A129 Pro does seem to judder in some video applications, but in others it plays back flawlessly. It is certainly more than the high bit rate that A129 Pro uses, as Sony action cameras record at a similar bit rate, but their footage doesn't have the same issue.
Don't have any similar issues with my regular A129 duo, which I've been using for about 6 months now. Note that if you do downgrade, the wiring, GPS mount and rear cam from the A129 Pro is all compatible with the A129, so all you need to do is slide off the old front camera and slot in the new one, so it couldn't be simpler.
Correct. It has to do with the subtype (not a technical term) of H.264 footage that the particular applications are capable of decoding with hardware acceleration. In theory, all else being equal, H.265 is harder to decode that H.264. But if standards are followed more closely on the newer codec, it means in this case that the H.265 footage actually decodes faster - on the particular software you’re using. I found a similar situation around 2008 when the previous transition happened from MPEG-4 Part 2 to MPEG-4 Part 10, and even though the latter was more intensive and higher quality, the Power Mac G4 had software that played back the new footage much more smoothly. I quickly dropped using the old standard, which was the equivalent of DiVX (remember that?)
@@whophd DivX is a blast from the past, had plenty of stuff encoded with Xvid too 😆
I bought one of these, and I can't say I've had problems loading the files into a (very old) copy of PowerDirector 11 (latest version is 20). If I decide to convert into a different format, such as 4K WMV, then it drives the 6 core (12 thread) 3/7 Ghz i5 CPU on my machine to about 80% utilisation during rendering. It also renders at only about 20% of real speed.
However, what I do note is that some of the video players on my (fairly powerful) Windows 11 PC struggle with playing the default codec. However, it's no problem for Windows Media Player, so it's clearly not an operating system issue, but an application one. I have also read elsewhere that some software struggles with the more advanced encoding.
This is somewhat academic to me as I've no intention of editing huge amounts of video, but you never know, maybe I will want to upload the odd clip.
What does matter to me is the video quality, and especially whether I can read number plates. For that it seems OK, but it's easy to have unrealistic expectations of any dashcams.
The parking mode might have some interest in certain circumstances, and it does have a proper buffered version, but I suspect that the power consumption will be high and, even though it has a battery threshold voltage below which it will stop operating, I'm not sure it's that practical (and it requires the hardwire kit to do it properly; I've hard-wired in a USB supply into the wiring harness to keep it all neat).
All that said, it's pretty good, but it does chew through storage. I've put the maximum size 256 GB microsd and I think even that will only give about 10 hours recording time before over-writing. I;ve also ordered a polarising filter to reduce internal reflections from the windscreen.
The tiny screen is really only of use for changing settings, but the live feed to a tablet or phone works pretty well for reviewing.
I should say I started out with the "standard" A129, and then "upgraded" by changing out the front camera. That simply to get the considerably higher detail for things like capturing number plates. It's a simple swap-out job. An expensive upgrade, but I'll probably ebay the standard A129, which is not very old, to get some of that money back. It will work quite happily as a front camera only, and the rears are available separately.
Overall, I'm fairly impressed, but the HD version might be enough for many and it will give longer recording time and save about £40-50.
honestly one that comes close is 70mai a800 with bit better video quality, but parking mode is basic at best. Then there are blackvue and thinkware costing 2 to 3 times as much, with same video quality, bit better parking mode, extra features like cloud or sonic radar and such, viofo is perfect as video quality + price + good parking mode. For you maybe triple camera ? my friend doing car school content and uses vantrue n4
Did you have any trouble with returning to your car to find it blinking red and frozen?
I'm using one and living in Washington, in the US.
I'm having continuous problems with it seemingly overheating in my car, and in looking over Amazon reviews, seeing a lot of other people go through the same.
The weather here doesn't often get particularly scorching hot, but anything over 75f (23C) is enough to have me return to my car with the red light flashing like mad, and the whole thing being locked up.
I have to remove it from the base, let the power fade and then reattach. It will then happily fire up, even while still almost too hot to hold.
I updated firmware, and tried 2. Both did the same. The power supply is the viofo recommended, and it has good reliable voltages, with a new car battery to boot.
I approached the company about it, and they swear the cameras are designed to endure crazy high temperatures, yet.. Here I am, resetting it every single day in the summer when I return to the car, when it doesn't do it on cooler days.
There's even a youtube video of someone testing it in higher temps, but.. They're testing it while in recording use, not on parking mode. I too see it being reliable while in use in high temps. Just not while parked.
I think it's a crashing lock up problem while it's in parking mode, combined with heat.
It's a real shame, because I actually do like mine. I don't need the audio, and I've found clarity to be good enough to actually rely on, with the resolution being so high that you can zoom in on license plates for quite a distance.
Just wish I didn't have to keep resetting the thing.
Ash: for the missing sections of h265 footage try changing the loop time to 1 min or 3 min sections instead of 2 min and see if you get the same problem.
Also update the cams firmware if not done already and make sure you're using a FAST SD card.
Re: h264 editing on the Mac... there are some people with the same cam editing 264 files on a Mac without trouble so there are some codecs out there that will let you do this without issues... One fella mentioned Adobe premier Pro as coming with the correct codecs.
Hope some of this helps 👍
VIOFO have sent me a new beta firmware update which I have installed onto the camera. I haven’t been out to check the footage yet. They think it will sort it 👍🏼
@@ashley_neal good stuff, hopefully that sorts it. If not try changing the loop time. Good luck 👍
Any update on the current state of firmware? Has it made it more reliable and/or less choppy?
Just ordered one of these so I’d like to know also.
If youre dealing with this is 2023, the fix is dont watch on an apple product.
If you're on a tight budget and looking for a decent front and rear 1080p, the Mini 0906 I've found to be good. Just make sure you've got the right firmware installed for minor bug fixes 👌
I use a dual dashcam setup where the front one is built into a larger rear view mirror. It was about £35 and I'm happy with the front camera performance for the money, the back camera is lacking but you'd be able to see any incident. Audio quality is poor. My sister has had to replace a faulty dash cam but given our tight budgets we've done alright.
I have a Viofo A129 Duo although it's old now so I don't know if it's comparable with this one. I've been relatively content with it, just found that on the rough tarmac in our area it tends to rattle even with a bit of foam taken from the packaging shoved behind it and the holder. Something that I think it has developed with age is occasionally it randomly saves clips, sometimes after cutting out for a short time, although it has only done that once in the last few months (was getting some footage off it earlier today) but I don't know if that was caused by it cutting out momentarily before hand, what was more common over that time is potholes and other bumps triggering the G sensor to save, 2-3 times for comparison, but that could be turned down, we have rough roads. I would like clearer number plates in footage with oncoming traffic, which is why I would upgrade to this Pro for the 60fps option. Mine isn't hardwired so doesn't work in parking mode for more than 10 minutes after I leave (the time my car keeps sending power to the socket). I think the image quality is good enough for what I need, but I've only had one camera before this one to compare to so can't say much on that. The last one was a Dexors X7 that I thought was pretty good until it failed after maybe as much as 2 years but I'm not sure, it had the same issue with not picking up oncoming traffic reg plates, right when I needed it when an oncoming car hit my mirror and failed to stop on a narrow back road. It was a single camera and I went to the A129 Duo for the fact it was a descent value dual channel dashcam at the time I got it. I would really like the remote/Bluetooth save button so that I don't have to reach for the camera but I don't know if it would be compatible with the age mine is, I don't believe it was an option when I bought mine. I have tinted rear windows too and the rear seems to manage OK with them.
I don’t think you can blame the camera for issues with your Mac. Also I suspect the momentary loss in video is because you are using an SD card which doesn’t have a high enough write speed so it has to do a buffered write
That's not the case. :)
just a quick tip. when going into 265 mode, i noticed your sd card goes away. So for clarification, the sd card SHOWING is when youre in 265 mode.
Speaking of dashcams, I’m still waiting...
Have you updated the firmware to the latest version for your a129 pro? Could be a firmware bug that got patched in the latest version!!!!
Is the footage being recorded jumpy, or is it just Apple being Apple and not following standards? Have you tried playing it back with VLC (even on the Mac) to confirm whether it's Apple or the camera?
The footage plays fine on VLC :)
@@ashley_neal Yep that proves that the “quality” is all there in the video; you just need a script etc (maybe a drag-and-drop application) to convert it.
This sort of thing frequently happens inside newer iPhones when they share (eg AirDrop, or message) a video to an older hardware if it’s an older Mac or iPad. The footage gets converted (very quickly, all things considered) while you wait for it to send. Usually quicker than the live speed of the footage, perhaps 4x or 5x, just a guess off the top of my head.
@@ashley_neal Further to that other comment, I’ve just received my A129 Pro Duo so I’m going to see if there’s a way to import it into my iPhone when I’m at the car, then AirDrop it to my Mac, and maybe that works more painlessly. No idea yet! We’ll see, and I’ll report back.
@@whophd - we’re still waiting for you to report back….
"He's a bit of a nit" lol
Heh.. he wrote a little FFMPEG script. I use that a lot for converting videos.. can be a bit of a pain to have to do so but it works nice. Top banana.
I use a Nextbase DUO HD Dashcam that records front and rear at the same time. It's a good camera and I've never had any problems with it.
your first mistake was using Apple computers. Sent from California
I have Viofo A129 Pro Duo 4K. It often happens that the GPS module does not receive a signal. Up to 10 minutes of footage. Turning off and back on and updating the software does not help.
Hello and thank you for the informative video. You mentioned the Viofo A119 V3 and this camera (Viofo A129 pro 4K) was 3x difference in price. If they were not that much apart (lets say $80 or $90 USD) apart, which would you recommend getting? (A119 V3 or A129 pro 4K) ? Not taking into account the rear camera option. Also, did the firmware update fix the problem of editing on the Apple computer? Thanks for any advice.
Hi. Thanks for your comments. Recording in H265 allows you to work on Apple devices flawlessly but when I started using it it started missing segments of recordings. The new firmware didn’t fix the problems but does give an option of a 21:9 aspect ratio which looks well. I’m still having problems with missing portions and VIOFO support is a slow process. If it wasn’t for my issues the A129 Pro is worth the extra over the A119 V3, but maybe the older model is a better bet for reliability. I hope that helps, Ashley.
I passed 3 months ago and still watch you're videos Ashley. They help new drivers to maintain their standard of driving. I'm getting a dashcam soon so how do I go about sending some clips?
Get in touch by the email in the description. Thanks, Ashley.
Nice video with the pros and cons of the Viofo dual channel dashcam and video editing requirements. I'm currently using 2 Viofo A119 V2 dashcams (2 vehicles). Still undecided about the next upgrade. #StaySafe
So what you're saying is, Apple sucks and has way to many limitations. I agree sir
If i had the computer (and money) for it then yeah I probably would get one, though maybe not that particular model.
I currently use a nextbase duo, which I seriously should get hard wired into my car as the cigarette socket still doesn't work on my car. Aside from some rattling I get it does work fine (I get the same rattling on other dash cameras) and the one thing I like about my duo, aside from the GPS and two cameras, is that it automatically locks and saves the video should it sense impact or emergency braking.
So H.264 is a very compact codec that needs a lot of unpacking from your computer's CPU. This means that the standard Intel mobile chip found in the Mac will struggle under the pressure, most likely due to this hardware issue.
If you are serious about the 4K, maybe consider a high end Mac, or a more affordable Windows PC with a nice chunky desktop CPU. Adobe Premiere Pro also uses your GPU to help this also.
Just let me know if there is anything technical I can help with, really like your videos and wouldnt want your work to be bottlenecked by Apple!
Thanks.
Viofo have sent me the new beta firmware which I have installed on the camera. I haven't checked the footage yet but it should work with h265 without skipping portions of the clips. Fingers crossed for now. I don't have any other problems with editing on my Mac apart from HDR footage. Only the Viofo seems to cause issues. Cheers, Ashley.
@@ashley_neal Ah sounds great. It just seems to be the more you spend on camera gear not only the smaller the ROI, but the more conflicting it is with editing software!!
Can I just say your videos have been so helpful in making me a safer and more confident driver, which has come in handy with getting to shoots for commercial video work I do between school.
Best of luck and thanks,
Luc.
I’ve had this same dash cam for maybe a month and I have so many problems with it that I’m wondering if it’s due to the set up
The fix is don't use Apple!
How do you view your dashcam footage? I was using VLC media player and I'm having problems with that...what software do you use? Please respond
4:18 I think the issue has to do with micro sd card if I'm not mistaken.
I have a Nextbase and it's been very good really. I had it since December 2017 and it still works really good! Only issue is it, like most camera's, it really doesn't like hot days. It says 'sd card error' so I turn it off then on again and then it works like normal. I just wish I had a rear cam so I might upgrade once the nextbase gives up..
i got a119 pro v2, when on the move my fav settings are 1440p i think its only 24fps but some how do not miss number plates, but i mostly use it in 1080p 60fps, and when parking i leave it in normal mode using battery bank at 1080p 30fps. planing on getting the v3 a119 pro but it dose have a different censer and slightly wide viewing angle. i no the audio on the v2 is great, sounds better than your audio clip and performs better than my phone can pick up. moving my v2 to the rear soon to replace front with the v3 as its meant to better night vision and still have high fps. can not fault the dashcam, it caught a garage (carwood cov) abusing my car and have footage of them talking bad about groups of people. caught a driver using a baseball bat on car in my road, and saved me when i got my car written of in hospital car park my an old lady with no insurance and false name, fake plates, yes that from an old lady so from now on im getting a picture of there licence and i block them in till i get it if that ever happens again. trust no one. but so far a119 pro has not let me down, the cheap thinkeye think thats how you say it has let me down as it failed to rec at the hospital, so the only footage i had is me stationary for 30 sec then getting hit twice, the 2nd push me in to the car in front what was about a month old from the a119 pro v2 so that will be going in rear as still works great over a year later with it rec 24/7 so its done well :)
Ashley and I were having dialogue regarding the audio quality. He very kindly gave me a "preview" of this upload so, for once, YT is correct.
Ashley has obviously been working to rectify this problem. I've noticed an improvement to the audio..... especially the "mask/gloves" and "parking ticket" uploads which I now regret not mentioning until now.
Synchronising the sound from more than one source takes time. Uploads take significantly longer when doing this - if memory serves.
Am going to re-watch now, just in case I missed something before.
Synchronising audio on Final Cut Pro takes seconds.
Ash is the little black square with a circle in it to the left of the gear stick a microphone?
It allows me to record clips without touching the dash cam itself
i really rate this camera, i have this and a nextbase 4k and although the image on nextbase seems more colorful the viofo is unmatched when it comes to spotting number plates imo
I would suggest also checking out and even asking questions over at linustechtips.com. The community there is fantastic for tech advise and news. It covers computer hardware and software (windows, macos, linux and others), phones & tablets, home theatre equipment, photography and videography and more.
Edit: Also, make sure that the SD card you're using is up to the job (www.sdcard.org/developers/overview/speed_class/) You need a card that is capable of digesting the incoming footage at the required speeds. I'd always recommend going above what is recommended in the manual. If I had a dash cam that is recording at 4k with front and rear cameras, I'd go for a card capable of digesting 8k speeds.
DON'T SKIMP ON STORAGE MEDIA!!! Buy OFFICIAL cards from KNOWN brands. Yes, they are pricey compared to other "same" spec cards but you might not be getting what you paid for. (LTT: Fake Chinese SD Card Scam- ua-cam.com/video/J-D6tYBX8vE/v-deo.html )
For instance, I have the A129 Pro (QHD version) and have a Samsung V60 (60MB/s) 4k card in it.
They have a new Mid tier Dashcam - A129 Plus Duo 2K (2K front + 1080P)
Anyone else wanna know what's in the 'Shut up d***head' folder, or is it just me?
Shitty mac issues, nothing wrong with the camera
Actually not. Viofo have offered me a full refund and not an exchange, as a new unit won't necessarily fix my issues.
I just use a Nextbase 512G which i think is alright for the quality. Only paid £40 2 years ago
Maybe don't use POTATO powered Apple products get a PC and live in peace
I wish I had your car. Looks nice and luxurious. unfortunately insurance is high for me lol
I use a Nextbase 402G, it's coming up to being 6 years old now. Still works well, even though it won't except the Daylight Saving change. The footage is still great, I can use it as a web cam too, the only issue I have with the footage is the editing software, as it can degrade the quality, of the bit rate depending on which the software will save editing as. Here's a link to one of my videos, might make a good analysis point. ua-cam.com/video/kwfLewq_vN0/v-deo.html
Unless you are shooting for some commercial publication... doing photo art etc...you really don't need 4k. The framerate is more important. High frame rate & high bitrate at 1080p or 2k is fine IMO for the purpose of documenting an accident.
Hi Mr. Ashley. why you Viofo camera is not in the top centre of the windshield. I am not sure but your dash camera is not exactly behind the mirror, and it is a requirement for the police here in the U.K.
Behind mirror from drivers view so its fine there
Why don't instructors normally have a secondary gas pedal?
Because then they'd also need a secondary steering wheel as well. If the instructor floored the accelerator, let's assume to avoid an incident, then how would the pupil know where to steer. I'd imagine 99.99% of the time foresight and avoidance (braking) will stop any problems.
Also cars with dual accelerators can't be used on driving tests unless its disconnected which would be a right pain to keep adjusting
@@bradburyrobinson That makes sense, thank you.
I had a similar idea somewhere in the back of my mind, but couldn't really put it into words.
Now it's clear :)
@@BRMdrivingschool good point as well, thank you.