A129 Pro Duo

I just bought an A129 Pro Duo to replace a Mini0906 (that thing was NOT one of the best cams like dashcamtalk claimed, but was a complete turd).=== Let's get the negatives out of the way:On the A129 Pro Duo, the wifi feature is not broadcasting. I have tried 2.4GHz, 5GHz auto, and 5GHz forced to channel 40, and 5GHz forced to channel 36, and forced to 161; the SSID is never broadcast. As the MAC is not listed on the device (SHAME ON YOU, VIOFO!), I checked for new APs without an SSID and toggled wifi on and off, and no new MACs showed up, so it appears wifi is totally nonfunctional.It is otherwise a fantastic unit and I will be updating the review after I test night recording. I'm docking four stars as one of the reasons I bought this unit was wifi connectivity, and yet, I will be forced to pull the microsd card and use dashcamviewer to review footage. WTF, VIOFO? Fix the firmware please. Docking four stars for this.Also, Mini USB connectors? Why not USB-C? WTF? If you had used USB-C I could have prewired my car before the camera arrived.No volume setting for that infernal beep? Only On/OFF? I want the beep, I just don't want it to be eardrum-piercingly and nerve-gratingly loud. Do us a solid and give us a volume control for the beep, please, even if it's just "LOUD - MEDIUM - SOFT - OFF"And, why not a full kit which includes the hardwire kit, bluetooth remote and polarizing filters for both the front and rear cameras?OK, so with all the negatives that garnered a 1-star rating (only because I could not rate it zero) out of the way:=== Positives1. IT HAS A SCREEN! I skipped the Thinkware U1000 because even though it's objectively a better product, I wanted an integrated screen in case WiFi fails2. DAY, FRONT Video quality is GREAT - at least in daylight (I will update this review over time).3. It is easy to install4. I like that there is a prewiring kit and a customizable parking mode (again, I will update this over time)5. I like the visual recording, wifi, and mic LED indicators so I can check without having to wake up the screen6. THANK YOU for implementing a screen timeout/"screen saver" feature. With most dashcams with screens, I need to manually turn the screen on and off. It's nice being able to tap a button and check status and let it time out and turn off on its own7. I like that it's low profile and will not interfere with the visor as much as other models do.8. I like the faint LED in the GPS mount; with the camera pulled off the mount, I can see that the GPS mount is receiving power9. I like that WiFi can theoretically be toggled on/off with the overlay button (I say theoretically because WiFI actually doesn't work at all)10.=== Suggested improvements:* Switch over to all USB-C connectors* Support 1TB+ MicroSD cards* Allow your app to read MicroSD cards (since wifi doesn't work at all)* Implement a more active cooling scheme (phase changing heat pipe + maybe a fan)* Cloud recording/storage/vehicle tracker/locator connectivity: Cloud connectivity? (I'd subscribe for $5 to $10/month if you would archive 30+ days of coverage and allow easy merging/exporting from the cloud - this would be a nice recurring revenue stream for you)* Car locator feature (easy with GPS + cloud connectivity), with live view* Android Auto/Carplay integration to use rear channel as rearview mirror in infotainment for those of us who drive vehicles with useless back windows (sportscars, trucks, etc.)* a full kit which includes the hardwire kit, bluetooth remote and polarizing filters for both the front and rear cameras?* 3 channel support* higher quality sensors both front and rear <---<<* flip screen or android auto plugin to display either channel, use rear channel as supplemental rearview mirror view=== Update day 2:I haven't recorded any footage for a review/sample video yet; I have been playing with parking mode settings and H.265 vs. H.264 and when I used H.265 and let parking mode run overnight and retrieved it in the morning, the camera was so hot it felt scalding - it hadn't been in the sun yet and the car interior was still cool. I did not have my IR thermometer handy so I did not actually measure it but I'd guess it was 70c at the very least. I was nervous letting it run in my Stinger so I disabled H.265 and reduced the video bitrate from maximum to high.Resolution maximum, WDR enabled, bitrate Maximum, EV = 0, rural/light suburban roads:Reviewing day footage on 4K screen w/Dashcam Viewer, I can easily read license plates of cars I am following. It is very difficult to find any frames where license tags of oncoming cars are readable. However, nighttime capture of registration tags are not readable. There is much blooming which of course obscures much of the scene.Rear channel, 1080p:Reviewing night footage, WDR enabled, bitrate Maximum, EV = 0, rural/light suburban roads:License tags of oncoming and following cars unreadable. Rear camera underexposed, difficult to make out detail on rural roads, cannot read following vehicles' plates (expected). Basically, meets expectations, provides some protection.== ExchangeVIOFO want me to send the camera in for exchange. If it comes to that I'll do an Amazon exchange, returning the replacement box with the old camera since I had already installed the cables and tossed the package in recycling. I was hoping they'd come back with "Oh the firmware is buggy and here's an update" :-( On the bright side they respond fairly quickly.=== Corrections to previous complaint:Time DOES appear to update automagically via GPS.=== Update: ===I received a replacement - I submitted a support ticket and they made the exhange super easy, with advance shipment of the dashcam. I am pleased to report that the wifi features work on the replacement camera. I am happy with the unit so far. The high temperature does concern me a bit though.=== Update 15 months later: ===Unit is under the extended warranty (I had to register it because the original came DOA). I was previously very happy with it but now the camera is freezing when powered through the integrated USB port. When powered through the GPS module/mount it functions fine - NO freezing, but the unit runs hotter and drains the battery quickly when powered through the GPS mount (this is a common problem discussed on messageboards, mentioned in a couple reviews here, etc.). Well, they tried to blame the USB cord (uh, no, I am using the hardwire kit), or the SD card (I already indicated I write/read tested the SD card using both Windows and Linux, so the SD card is not the problem), or parking mode (No, I will NOT turn off parking mode, as that is THE feature which prompted me to select this product).As such, all the way down to 1 star because their customer service has declined and they're obnoxiously patronizing with their canned responses.=== Another update, a few days later ===I just learned they are off for Chinese new year. With that in mind, I can only conclude they took the time to try to lend some support during the holiday so I am restoring my original rating of the product, and I humbly apologize to Viofo for my jumping to conclusions.

After trying several different dash cams I decided to keep this one because it checks all the boxes for the features I was looking for.- 4K resolution for the front camera - The footage looks great and it’s easy to make out details like license plate numbers compared to lower resolution 1080/HD cameras. - Separate rear camera that is powered by the front camera - I wanted a rear camera both to capture what’s going behind me (in case somebody rear ends me, etc.) and also to provide even wider coverage while the car is parked. I didn’t want to have to run separate power cables for the rear camera. With this setup there is just a single USB cable that runs from the front camera to the rear camera to provide power and also receive the video signal from the rear camera. - Parking mode that will start recording when motion is detected while parked - I like the security that parking mode provides in case you come back to your car and something uncool has happened while you were parked. Some cameras either don’t have this option or have it but will only record when the camera detects an actual impact to the car. The Viofo camera allows you to select from several trigger events including impact, motion detection, even constant recording at a lower frame rate (such as 1 frame per second constant recording). I have mine set on motion detection and it works great. Anytime any motion is detected within the frame the camera will start recording. - Easy review and transfer of video on cell phone - The front camera does have a screen on it that is convenient for the initial setup of the camera to make sure you have the front and rear cameras positioned in a way that gives the view you want. You can also review the recorded video on the screen, but it’s a lot easier to simply connect your phone to the camera via wifi and review the clips on your phone screen. You can also easily save the clips to your phone so you don’t really ever need to remove the memory card from the camera. The app on the phone can also be used to change all the various configuration settings in a much easier interface than what you’ll find on the camera screen. As a bonus you can quickly turn the camera wifi on and off with a physical button on the camera. I simply leave the wifi off and only turn it on when I need it. - Hardwiring kit that will cut off the camera power if needed to prevent car battery from getting too low - The hardwiring kit is NOT included, but you can pick it up on Amazon at a decent price. The kit includes a little interface box that allows you to select between 4 different voltage cutoff settings so you won’t come back to a dead battery from your camera recording in parking mode. - Design that allows mounting without obstructing the view out the windshield - Some of the other cameras I tried used more of a “landscape” orientation with a wide camera body and the lens on one side. When I put these cameras behind my rearview mirror they tended to stick out just enough that I could see them in my field of view while driving. The Viofo camera uses a “portrait” layout where the camera body is taller rather than wider. The lens is at the bottom of the body so you can stick the camera at almost the very top edge of your windshield. I have mine positioned so the camera mounting tape is actually attached to the black dot area at the top of the windshield with just the lens section protruding down into the clear glass area. The entire camera fits behind my rear view mirror and is completely out of view while I’m driving. This also gives the camera a factory look from outside the car and doesn’t look like some aftermarket item is just stuck on the windshield in the middle of the clear area. PRO TIP: Make sure that you mount the camera so it is within the swiping path of your windshield wipers, otherwise you won’t get anything on video if it’s raining.In the box you get the front and rear cameras, a power cable with cigarette lighter/12 volt socket adapter (you won’t use this if you buy the hardwiring kit), the cable to connect the two cameras together, a mini USB to USB-A cable you can use to connect the camera to your computer (you likely won’t use this either), some stick on clips you can use to route the wiring, a small pry tool that might come in handy when routing the cables in your car, some extra mounting tape pads, and a microSD card adapter for your computer.Things you’ll need that aren’t included: - MicroSD card - You’ll need this to use the camera. A high endurance one is recommended since those cards are designed to be constantly overwritten as happens with dash cams. - Viofo hardwiring kit - You don’t absolutely need this, but without it you won’t be able to use parking mode and your installation will likely look like amateur hour. I consider this a necessity. - Add a circuit / fuse taps - You’ll need two of these to go along with the hardwiring kit. Just get the kind that use whatever fuse type your car uses. You’ll connect one to a constant power source in the fuse box and the other to a switched power source in the fuse box.Overall highly recommended setup. Does everything more expensive setups do and actually does some things better.