Another truly incredible comparison and assessment, full of excellent details, yet compact for us? Wow thank you Vortex! Great job and much appreciated!
Yeah, he's definately sold me on the Viafo - especially considering the blackvue is 2x the price for 1/2 the quality... Now he needs to do a side by side with the Viafo against the thinkware u1000 (again: huge price variance).
What a great review! Knowing how much time it takes to compile a review, you should be congratulated! We roadtested the 139 pro about 2 mths ago and i said at the time that it was the best video footage i had ever reviewed - this just confirms it!
I really truly cannot thank you enough for all the work you put into these videos. You truly give us the information necessary to make a solid purchase decision. Years ago I got a Uniden R3 based on your thorough review and it’s still my daily driver. Been looking to get a dash cam and I now know that I want the Viofo A139 hands down. Could not have made an informed decision without the work you do!
Trucking for over 24 yrs in NYS & NJ.. A 1st for me on a very serious ACCIDENT.. Found it odd After observing a car circling my truck several times. Car disappeared & 20min later same 🚗 appears in front of me slamming on his brakes with no one in front of him. Yep. It was evident to me that it was an insurance job. They wanted to make sure I didn’t have a dash cam before doing their dirt. YOU NEVER KNOW. & Now I realize how important it is to own one. Greatly appreciate your time and dedication. I had doubts and was so frustrated on making a choice BUT Not anymore! Thank you so much …Ones again. Greatly appreciate your TIME AND DEDICATION. God bless!! Ps: Unless you have other options for truckers??
As a single mother who’s daughter will soon have her DL, I’ve been looking for a high quality dash cam. This video was so helpful and meticulously produced. Thank u for all the work put into this video-it should have ten times the views!
As others have already said, you must have put a lot of time both setting things up and capturing footage, and editing the videos to make the results comparable.That's something commendable, thank you so much for bringing us such meticulous and rigurous reviews. 👍
Hi. I agree with you 100%. Over the last 3 months I have been watching car driving/car crash channels. Whenever I see a really clear, crisp video, I check to see if the bottom of the screen has the brand of camera. If so, I log it on a running sheet. I was doing it starting in Nov of last year up until Feb. I put my impression of the quality of the video, the date I viewed it, the clip number and run time start of the specific clip, and finally, I put the URL of the clip. The majority of videos I logged were from VIOFO A119 v3, A129, A129 Plus, and A129 Pro dashcams. 1 or 2 Blackvue’s and some other 4k dashcams but the best were the VIOFO’s. The VIOFO 139 Pro doesn’t come out until the end of March this year so…. The VIOFO’s had, by far, the best clarity, and crispness overall. I have seen a lot of videos that were clear and sharp but did not have the camera identification labeled at the bottom. Maybe the GPS feature must be turned on. Just a guess. I do not have a dashcam but, I have been waiting to get a dashcam. I think the waiting is over.
I like the Nextbase 622GW. My issue with the Nextbase 622GW, is it does not offer 4/5/6 channel option. I want full 360 coverage - front / back / driver window / pass window / driver peripheral external / pass peripheral external. Basically I want ALL the bells and whistles, with 6 cam availability; I don't care the price. Do you have any suggestions? .
I've been waiting for you to do this exact review before making a decision on a replacement for my DR900S. You are an absolute professional in the way you carry out your work. I appreciate the hard work and long hours that goes into your videos. My first dashcam purchase was influenced by you and no doubt this one will be too! Please keep the fantastic work up👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏
I was in an accident a few weeks ago and I had a viofo a129 pro which did great showing how the accident went I'm glad now that viofo made a better version and I really appreciate the detail you took on this comparison and I will be getting this newer viofo thanks for making such a great video
Truly amazing effort. Behind that smile during presentation, I can actually imagine the passion and the hours of effort you have put in to create these videos.
I bought Viofo A139 but when I got it I tested it and plugged it in and it was giving me problem and then the memory card would not go in then it went in and wouldn't come out. They told me to return it and decided to go with the Viofo A139 Pro after watching more videos on RUclips. I am glad I went with the A139 Pro since I was returning the front camara. Great video!!
This is just THE BEST review I've seen to date! So well laid out! I've been leaning towards the Viofo A139 Pro 2 cam kit and in fact, it's in my Amazon cart right now. HOWEVER, one concern is some of the comments from owners that are saying that this model tends to "lose" or "corrupt" video files. People have relayed that they go to find a video at a specific time and THAT video isn't there, even though the time before and time after videos ARE there. They also report that some videos started to record and while the screen shows it's recording, the file is actually corrupted and/or it stopped recording part way in, again, not indicating an issue on the screen. Those are very important issues and so far, there doesn't seem to be a resolution. It COULD BE the brand of SD cards being used, but even then, the software SHOULD be able to detect a failure and at least report it. So, I'm wondering... now that you've had the A139 Pro for a while, have you experienced this (or other) problem(s)?? What brand of SD card do you use? Thanks in advance for any info.
Thank you! Yeah while I haven’t experienced that particular issue (knock on wood), there have been a number of reliability issues reported with this new model.
@@VortexRadar Do you think that it's more hardware than firmware? Do you think that it's still worth the high price? I'm so on the fence as yet. I'm spoiled by our 2 KDLINK cameras that just don't have any of those issues, except the lithium battery issue and a cable going wonky. I like stability! I also insist on the BEST image possible and those other cams, with the obvious motion blur problems and just lack of clarity are definitely out of the picture for me. Opinion please. .
This issue is mainly related to the unrecommended card actually. Most customers have solved the problem after changing the card they use. Besides, the camera may stop recording for some reason that the customers may have not noticed, then they conclude the issue as "lost" or "corrupt" video files simply.
@@ViofoDashcamOfficial "he camera may stop recording for some reason that the customers may have not noticed, " THAT is the problem! As long as the SD card is the recommended kind and not corrupt itself, the camera shouldn't just "stop recording" for no reason. Your comment or at least that part, now puts more doubt in me into spending so much money on the kit and accessories I have in my Amazon cart awaiting my decision. I do have 2 KDLINK cams now that only stop working due to issues not related to the cams themselves. - bad cable (which I have to fix today) - SD card written too much and is finally failing (these are high endurance cards) - the lithium batteries degrading to the point where they cause the cameras to cycle power - plug slipping out of the socket. Those are not the cameras fault. Perhaps THOSE are the kinds of things you mean. If so, then we're good. 😁
This video was extremely helpful. I was very torn between the DR970X and the A139 Pro. This, combined with the significant price difference helped me decide. Thank you
Just at the beginning I saw that Viofo angled USB-C cable fits better than the original A139 straight USB-C cable. Great to see that you was looking for the best frame and not for the same frame position when doing static comparisons. ;) I observed that 970X have a little red tint color something like on old Aptina sensors on some situations. I hope BlackVue will improve this situation. Also don't be sad about new 970, I am sure they will improve the image, right now I consider 970 to be much better than 900 from what I see in your review. Maybe they will use the same idea of Auto which was used for Viofo for DOL HDR. Was a nice surprise to see the day HDR from Viofo was so close to non HDR image but unfortunately this setup decrease the night performance of reading car license numbers compared to some older firmware versions. Look at 5:45 and 5:49 on the left at the houses and you will see that 970 is much better than 900 and if comparing all 4 houses, seems that 970 have some HDR or WDR implemented. At 8:34 we can understand that light is needed to read car license plates. No sun is not OK for any dashcam. Oh, at 16:36 we can see that people are wasting money on dashcams. ;) With actual HDR implementations the Auto HDR is not so important like it was on Viofo dashcams with Starvis 1. Congratulations for this great review about reading the car license numbers even in USA is very difficult to obtain good results. Regarding reading of car license plates, in theory, Viofo should put 3 types of HDR procesing: Clear HDR from actul firmware, DOL HDR, and DOL HDR from November 2022 beta firmware. Who wants the best reading of car license plates should accept some streets lamps flickering.
The A139Pro looks like a clear winner. One SURPRIZING or perhaps PUZZLING design flaw however is the lens placement! It is located on the right hand side of the dashcam body facing forward. Smarter engineering by Thinkware (Q1000) and Blackvue (R970X) place the lens on the left hand side of the dashcam body. As you know most new cars now have a significant centre piece associated with the rear view mirror that extends down the windshield and typically houses a car safety camera. Let use a Toyota Rav4 as an example. To get the camera reasonable centred (an important factor) and to ensure the camera does not obstruct driver vision (even more important factor), the possibilities are limited. To get the lens centred, one can place the camera underneath the main centre piece body. However, this will obscure driver vision and may also be too low for the dashcam to work properly. One can have the lens somewhat centred by placing the A139 Pro dashcam immediately to the left of the centre piece (at the optimal height) but this will seriously block driver vision. The logical place for dashcam placement in NA is immediately to the right of the centre piece (at the optimal height to eliminate issues with driver vision and camera function). If one places the A139 immediately to the right of the centre piece, the lens will be not even close to centred (now unreasonable). I hope this helps illuminate the concern.
Great video, I saw one of your previous videos about the 139 Pro and bought one after watching it. That camera came in and it's already been installed in my daughter's car. I just bought a second one after watching this video for my Ram limited edition 1500. Thanks for the reviews.
I saw the Viofo A139 pro reviewed by another reviewer and was waiting for your review, before purchase. Thank you for this review as this definitely shows the Viofo is the clear winner in my book for image quality. It would be nice to see a brief video of what it looks like with the stock, or manufacturers polarizer lens filter.
I've had mine since Thanksgiving (it was on sale, yay!) and I don't really have any complaints. I wish it had the cloud capability, but for me it's not a dealbreaker. I use mine without the little polarizing cap, the video quality is really great, and the software didn't give me any issues so far. I bought the package with two cameras, front and back (no third/interior camera). I also got the separate Bluetooth button for "emergency" video capture. After all this time, I can say that I am very happy with my purchase and I would definitely recommend this dashcam.
Well, I learned more about dash cams in about 23 minutes than I ever knew there was to know. Thank you for ‘building’ this video. You did an awesome job!!
That Sony starvis 2 is really good. I'm glad viofo decided to go with the starvis 2 sensors. Hopefully viofo continues to improve on the starvis 2 while other dashcam manufacturers should adopt the starvis 2 sensors. Very disappointed in blackvue. Edit: dashcam companies should focus on night time capture
Couldn’t agree more about the blackvue. I bought their highest end camera and had it professionally installed. I’ve had two incidents where I’ve needed a numberplate and it’s been totally useless.
Great video sir. Your videos always have great insights and knowledge. Watching from Uganda 🇺🇬 . I am yet to receive my VIOFO A139 that I ordered and I can't wait to have a look at its features
Thank god I waited for this review lol, I had a feeling i shouldn’t purchase the new dr970x without watching the vortex review. Not worth the upgrade in any form. Didn’t think it would be this bad !
Wow!! This amazing! I want to get a dashcam and have been doing a lot of research recently. You are definitely my "go to" for good solid, unbias, honest reviews and information!! Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to do these videos!!!
Great comparison. I hadn't got to try the 970 versus the 900 plus at night yet so I'm glad to see it at least has some improvements with that HDR and night quality. Seems obvious Viofo is better if you don't want cloud features, which is most people. But I also love the cloud features so it's hard to pick. That's why I always ran an A119 V3 along side my dr900x plus and previous blackvues.
Viofo is obviously the winner, too bad they dont have the live view yet like the black vue. Still waiting viofo to get my first dashcam with LTE if they ever come out.
THANK YOU... just ordered a Viofo A139 Pro today. For 3 Channels, that seems to be the best option. Though I'm not looking forward to the 'wiring' ... but the parked car and 'accident while away' options seem worthwhile.
Thank you for Test. It is obvious that doubling the bitrate on Viofo will necessarily improve the image especially when the angle of view is restricted. Now we must also compare the features, connectivity to the cloud, parking mode, wifi transfer in 5G etc. ... Both Dashcams are very good and it is important to choose the model that will be adapted to your personal use.
Coming back to this vid and watching more dashcam clips it's crazy how clear crisp viofo dashcams are compared watching blackvue's if viofo ever joins the cloud world and is as good if not better blackvue then that would be great
Glad to see another video confirming my decision to get the A139 Pro. Got two front units with the plan to either go front and rear both 4k, or just do front 4k and 1080p rear with the camera found in the 2 channel kit that I bought separately, or maybe I run both the rear camera setups to get the best of both :D Had the front units for nearly a month now and should be getting it all installed in the next few days but it's been nearly a 2 week wait for that. Maybe could have got it sorted sooner elsewhere but hoping all goes smooth. I set up my old A119 v2 a couple days ago just so I have something temporary and will also make for good comparison even though I have footage from years ago. Definitely feel like rear camera is a must for me
Awesome video. I really like how you make different scenarios to test the image quality for these. I have one question for you if you have time to answer. A139 official webpage says that maximum SD card capacity that can be used is 512GB but other sources say that maximum is only 256GB. Even VIOFO official information is confusing: A229 cam specs for example say that maximum is 512GB. But if you scroll down to the bottom of the same page it then says 256GB max. It seems even developers can't decide what is right. So what is the maximum you can use with A139? Thanks for reading
I purchased a VIOFO A139 Pro around the time when you were promoting Christmas deals. I really was regretting my decision before I installed, but (as a warning) do not order directly from VIFO - they have no dedicated customer service and only have a 30 day return policy. (and nearly no English customer support). I will install this in my newly purchased (used) 2014 ES300h. Will update soon.
Yeah it’s only a few days ago that you could order from a local distributor. Back then the only option was to order direct. The CS issue is a thing though. I also bring that up in an upcoming video.
Excellent work. It's a long wait for my new car, so I'm keen to see the rollout of new dashcams utilizing the Starvis 2 sensor this year. From what we see already with the A139, it's looking good.
I've been a fan of BlackVue for years, but this is just shocking. I'm changing over my 750 Blackvue 2ch to a Viofo A139 Pro 3 channel next month. Thank you.
Exactly the comparison i was looking for. My current dashcam(iroad) had issues identifying number plates when driving past other vehicles at different speed.
Quick question for you, what made you decide on these four dash cams to test? I see a lot of 4K dashcams, especially on Amazon. I've even purchased a Vantrue S2 3CH for my fiance which works great. Just curious on why you made these selections. Thanks!
Thank you for your time and effort. You’re a point of reference on RUclips…..the dash camera manufacturers are biting their fingernails when you post a video.
Looks like some of them have more than 1 channel connected. Increasing the channels decreases the bitrate. Bitrate determines how much detail can be collected in a frame. If any of these are active 2ch, its not a direct comparison.
Only true for certain models, not all. I also test in both situations because it’s important to see what you get in 1CH and 2CH modes given people will run both configurations. It depends on if you’re optimizing for looking good in a test or showing real world performance. Again both are valid, but this also varies between models since some have identical bitrates for both 1CH and 2CH modes.
Thanks for the great review. Its clear that its going to be a long time before we get affordable dashcams that actually capture , perfectly , the vital info required for legal cases (plates and brand badges) in all conditions with little to no image degradation. The issue is affordability . Great cams that need to capture small details at speed would be expensive to make . Capturing at 60 FPS minimum capturing at 4k minimum with very high bitrates all the while being small enough to use in a car. Currently unfeasible unless you were to create a super expensive smallish cam that does the job, but it wouldn't sell well as the high industry grade tech is thousands of pounds/dollars and isnt small enough to be usable in a car without getting in the way. Its going to be at lest 5 years before we see super detail capturing cams in the affordable price range.
Good video! I use the VIO FO 139 PRO video recorder. I am satisfied with the quality of the video. tell us about the new firmware. What has been changed? what has been improved in the new firmware? thank you!!
Already had my A139 pro but love these types of data-packed videos! Thanks for all of the effort in making these! I love my cam and haven’t had a reason to have to pull video yet, but it’s nice to know that when the time comes, I’ll be able to rely on it. Thank you for the work you put in!
Thanks for this video! Gave you a like and a Sub from Sydney, Australia! 🇦🇺 Really appreciate it! It gave me reassurance to which dashcam to upgrade to.. 🙂
Thank you for this amazing video! Quick question, wouldn't a higher FPS be better for freeze-frame situations? Like trying to capture the license plate of an oncoming vehicle?
Only potentially in situations when it forces a higher shutter speed. However there are a lot of other undesired trade-offs when switching from 30-60 fps so it’s not that simple. What matters though is shutter speed, not frame rate. People keep asking about this so I’ll do a video on it at some point.
How do there compare to the Thinkware U1000 4K dashcam? And does the new Blackview have similar issues of overheating like previous Blackviews? Seems Thinkware does better with this issue as well as Viofo.
Thanks to this knowledgeable man I bought the viofo A 119 with 2K resolution, which I think because of the videos that you showed. Has the best resolution for license plates. And with the GPS easily removable Mount. I love taking my dash camera in at night . No unplugging whatsoever just grab it and go. Out of sight out of mind.🙏
Great comparison! Maybe a follow up video with just a few examples of the A129Pro vs the A139Pro for those of us wondering if an upgrade is warranted? 🙏
@@VortexRadar perfect, thanks! I think I’m sold on the upgrade, does the A139Pro use the same cables as the A129Pro? Hoping I can just plug in the new cameras and not have to rewire!
If only! It uses USB C for power so you'll need to run a new wire. The cables connecting the different cameras are also smaller and thinner and easier to run (with new connectors) so you'll need to redo that too.
This is a superior video! This dude put a lot of effort into this and gave a clear and concise explanation of the results! Well done! VIOFO aside, I am curious as to which manufactures have STARVIS 2 cams in their pipeline! Which one will have a dashcam ready by summer?
issue is shutter speed of the camera. frame rate and and F-Stops of each dashcam. If you want better quality, we need bigger sensor so that we can capture more photons. better glass with higher f-stop to gather more lights so that we can have more FPS. Of course, you can go the software road and use AI processing to enhance the image. That would requires better SOC video processing.
How about a comparison on the video from the rear cameras as well. Interesting that the 970 is not as good as the 900 in a lot of situations, I wonder if Blackvue will update the firmware in the near future. That said, you have me looking at the A139 Pro now.
Man. This must have taken so much time and effort to put together. Thank you!
WAY more than I expected lol
Another truly incredible comparison and assessment, full of excellent details, yet compact for us? Wow thank you Vortex! Great job and much appreciated!
the flashing looks like face id
Yeah, he's definately sold me on the Viafo - especially considering the blackvue is 2x the price for 1/2 the quality...
Now he needs to do a side by side with the Viafo against the thinkware u1000 (again: huge price variance).
What a great review! Knowing how much time it takes to compile a review, you should be congratulated! We roadtested the 139 pro about 2 mths ago and i said at the time that it was the best video footage i had ever reviewed - this just confirms it!
I really truly cannot thank you enough for all the work you put into these videos. You truly give us the information necessary to make a solid purchase decision. Years ago I got a Uniden R3 based on your thorough review and it’s still my daily driver. Been looking to get a dash cam and I now know that I want the Viofo A139 hands down. Could not have made an informed decision without the work you do!
You're making my job of choosing a lot easier! Thanks for all the hard work.
Trucking for over 24 yrs in NYS & NJ.. A 1st for me on a very serious ACCIDENT.. Found it odd After observing a car circling my truck several times. Car disappeared & 20min later same 🚗 appears in front of me slamming on his brakes with no one in front of him. Yep. It was evident to me that it was an insurance job. They wanted to make sure I didn’t have a dash cam before doing their dirt. YOU NEVER KNOW. & Now I realize how important it is to own one. Greatly appreciate your time and dedication. I had doubts and was so frustrated on making a choice BUT Not anymore! Thank you so much …Ones again. Greatly appreciate your TIME AND DEDICATION. God bless!!
Ps: Unless you have other options for truckers??
As a single mother who’s daughter will soon have her DL, I’ve been looking for a high quality dash cam. This video was so helpful and meticulously produced. Thank u for all the work put into this video-it should have ten times the views!
Best reviewer ever. Excellent example of proffesionalism 💪💯
As others have already said, you must have put a lot of time both setting things up and capturing footage, and editing the videos to make the results comparable.That's something commendable, thank you so much for bringing us such meticulous and rigurous reviews. 👍
Hi. I agree with you 100%. Over the last 3 months I have been watching car driving/car crash channels. Whenever I see a really clear, crisp video, I check to see if the bottom of the screen has the brand of camera. If so, I log it on a running sheet. I was doing it starting in Nov of last year up until Feb.
I put my impression of the quality of the video, the date I viewed it, the clip number and run time start of the specific clip, and finally, I put the URL of the clip.
The majority of videos I logged were from VIOFO A119 v3, A129, A129 Plus, and A129 Pro dashcams. 1 or 2 Blackvue’s and some other 4k dashcams but the best were the VIOFO’s.
The VIOFO 139 Pro doesn’t come out until the end of March this year so…. The VIOFO’s had, by far, the best clarity, and crispness overall.
I have seen a lot of videos that were clear and sharp but did not have the camera identification labeled at the bottom. Maybe the GPS feature must be turned on. Just a guess. I do not have a dashcam but, I have been waiting to get a dashcam. I think the waiting is over.
I like the Nextbase 622GW. My issue with the Nextbase 622GW, is it does not offer 4/5/6 channel option. I want full 360 coverage - front / back / driver window / pass window / driver peripheral external / pass peripheral external.
Basically I want ALL the bells and whistles, with 6 cam availability; I don't care the price. Do you have any suggestions?
.
There are a few “I’m like” and ‘l mean’s, but for the most part you speak quickly and precisely, with few “um”s -
Thank you
I've been waiting for you to do this exact review before making a decision on a replacement for my DR900S. You are an absolute professional in the way you carry out your work. I appreciate the hard work and long hours that goes into your videos. My first dashcam purchase was influenced by you and no doubt this one will be too! Please keep the fantastic work up👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏
I was in an accident a few weeks ago and I had a viofo a129 pro which did great showing how the accident went I'm glad now that viofo made a better version and I really appreciate the detail you took on this comparison and I will be getting this newer viofo thanks for making such a great video
Probably the best dash cam video on RUclips. Thank you so much! Looks like I'll be getting an A139 Pro.
Truly amazing effort. Behind that smile during presentation, I can actually imagine the passion and the hours of effort you have put in to create these videos.
Nice job! I truly understand and appreciate the amount of time and effort that goes into this type of comparison video.
haha no kidding! I saw one of your videos recently where you did something similar and I liked your approach and added detail too. :)
Excellent job on this video. Bought a DR900X plus 6 months ago and thanks to this vid won’t be not upgrading to the 970.
Just ordered the 2 channel version of the a139 pro for both of my vehicles with your link. This plus your other reviews were very helpful.
I bought Viofo A139 but when I got it I tested it and plugged it in and it was giving me problem and then the memory card would not go in then it went in and wouldn't come out. They told me to return it and decided to go with the Viofo A139 Pro after watching more videos on RUclips. I am glad I went with the A139 Pro since I was returning the front camara. Great video!!
This is just THE BEST review I've seen to date! So well laid out!
I've been leaning towards the Viofo A139 Pro 2 cam kit and in fact, it's in my Amazon cart right now.
HOWEVER, one concern is some of the comments from owners that are saying that this model tends to
"lose" or "corrupt" video files.
People have relayed that they go to find a video at a specific time and THAT video isn't there, even though the time before and time after videos ARE there.
They also report that some videos started to record and while the screen shows it's recording, the file is actually corrupted and/or it stopped recording part way in, again, not indicating an issue on the screen.
Those are very important issues and so far, there doesn't seem to be a resolution.
It COULD BE the brand of SD cards being used, but even then, the software SHOULD be able to detect a failure and at least report it.
So, I'm wondering... now that you've had the A139 Pro for a while, have you experienced this (or other) problem(s)??
What brand of SD card do you use?
Thanks in advance for any info.
Thank you! Yeah while I haven’t experienced that particular issue (knock on wood), there have been a number of reliability issues reported with this new model.
@@VortexRadar Do you think that it's more hardware than firmware?
Do you think that it's still worth the high price?
I'm so on the fence as yet.
I'm spoiled by our 2 KDLINK cameras that just don't have any of those issues, except the lithium battery issue and a cable going wonky.
I like stability!
I also insist on the BEST image possible and those other cams, with the obvious motion blur problems and just lack of clarity are definitely out of the picture for me.
Opinion please.
.
This issue is mainly related to the unrecommended card actually. Most customers have solved the problem after changing the card they use. Besides, the camera may stop recording for some reason that the customers may have not noticed, then they conclude the issue as "lost" or "corrupt" video files simply.
@@ViofoDashcamOfficial
"he camera may stop recording for some reason that the customers may have not noticed, "
THAT is the problem!
As long as the SD card is the recommended kind and not corrupt itself, the camera shouldn't just "stop recording" for no reason.
Your comment or at least that part, now puts more doubt in me into spending so much money on the kit and accessories I have in my Amazon cart awaiting my decision.
I do have 2 KDLINK cams now that only stop working due to issues not related to the cams themselves.
- bad cable (which I have to fix today)
- SD card written too much and is finally failing (these are high endurance cards)
- the lithium batteries degrading to the point where they cause the cameras to cycle power
- plug slipping out of the socket.
Those are not the cameras fault.
Perhaps THOSE are the kinds of things you mean. If so, then we're good.
😁
@@BlondieHappyGuy Yes, you have got what I mean. 😁
best review. you are actually the only one comparing these exact models. well done
You're like the "Project Farm" of Dashcam's and Radar Detectors. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this research/test/review.
Dayum. Viofo is killing it. Thank you very much for your efforts in creating this video! Love your thought and analysis.
This video was extremely helpful. I was very torn between the DR970X and the A139 Pro. This, combined with the significant price difference helped me decide. Thank you
Just at the beginning I saw that Viofo angled USB-C cable fits better than the original A139 straight USB-C cable.
Great to see that you was looking for the best frame and not for the same frame position when doing static comparisons. ;)
I observed that 970X have a little red tint color something like on old Aptina sensors on some situations. I hope BlackVue will improve this situation. Also don't be sad about new 970, I am sure they will improve the image, right now I consider 970 to be much better than 900 from what I see in your review. Maybe they will use the same idea of Auto which was used for Viofo for DOL HDR.
Was a nice surprise to see the day HDR from Viofo was so close to non HDR image but unfortunately this setup decrease the night performance of reading car license numbers compared to some older firmware versions.
Look at 5:45 and 5:49 on the left at the houses and you will see that 970 is much better than 900 and if comparing all 4 houses, seems that 970 have some HDR or WDR implemented.
At 8:34 we can understand that light is needed to read car license plates. No sun is not OK for any dashcam.
Oh, at 16:36 we can see that people are wasting money on dashcams. ;)
With actual HDR implementations the Auto HDR is not so important like it was on Viofo dashcams with Starvis 1.
Congratulations for this great review about reading the car license numbers even in USA is very difficult to obtain good results.
Regarding reading of car license plates, in theory, Viofo should put 3 types of HDR procesing: Clear HDR from actul firmware, DOL HDR, and DOL HDR from November 2022 beta firmware. Who wants the best reading of car license plates should accept some streets lamps flickering.
The A139Pro looks like a clear winner. One SURPRIZING or perhaps PUZZLING design flaw however is the lens placement! It is located on the right hand side of the dashcam body facing forward. Smarter engineering by Thinkware (Q1000) and Blackvue (R970X) place the lens on the left hand side of the dashcam body. As you know most new cars now have a significant centre piece associated with the rear view mirror that extends down the windshield and typically houses a car safety camera. Let use a Toyota Rav4 as an example. To get the camera reasonable centred (an important factor) and to ensure the camera does not obstruct driver vision (even more important factor), the possibilities are limited. To get the lens centred, one can place the camera underneath the main centre piece body. However, this will obscure driver vision and may also be too low for the dashcam to work properly. One can have the lens somewhat centred by placing the A139 Pro dashcam immediately to the left of the centre piece (at the optimal height) but this will seriously block driver vision. The logical place for dashcam placement in NA is immediately to the right of the centre piece (at the optimal height to eliminate issues with driver vision and camera function). If one places the A139 immediately to the right of the centre piece, the lens will be not even close to centred (now unreasonable). I hope this helps illuminate the concern.
Great video, I saw one of your previous videos about the 139 Pro and bought one after watching it. That camera came in and it's already been installed in my daughter's car. I just bought a second one after watching this video for my Ram limited edition 1500. Thanks for the reviews.
I saw the Viofo A139 pro reviewed by another reviewer and was waiting for your review, before purchase. Thank you for this review as this definitely shows the Viofo is the clear winner in my book for image quality. It would be nice to see a brief video of what it looks like with the stock, or manufacturers polarizer lens filter.
The polarizer on/off sample I shared in this video was with the A139 Pro’s.
I've had mine since Thanksgiving (it was on sale, yay!) and I don't really have any complaints. I wish it had the cloud capability, but for me it's not a dealbreaker. I use mine without the little polarizing cap, the video quality is really great, and the software didn't give me any issues so far. I bought the package with two cameras, front and back (no third/interior camera). I also got the separate Bluetooth button for "emergency" video capture. After all this time, I can say that I am very happy with my purchase and I would definitely recommend this dashcam.
Well, I learned more about dash cams in about 23 minutes than I ever knew there was to know. Thank you for ‘building’ this video. You did an awesome job!!
That Sony starvis 2 is really good. I'm glad viofo decided to go with the starvis 2 sensors.
Hopefully viofo continues to improve on the starvis 2 while other dashcam manufacturers should adopt the starvis 2 sensors.
Very disappointed in blackvue.
Edit: dashcam companies should focus on night time capture
Viofo is made in Communist China while Blackvue is made in South Korea...
Couldn’t agree more about the blackvue. I bought their highest end camera and had it professionally installed. I’ve had two incidents where I’ve needed a numberplate and it’s been totally useless.
A TON of work goes into making/editing these videos. Much appreciated 👍
Just bought an A139 Pro 2ch based on your video. Finally, a good dash cam that isn't locked to their own expensive sdCards! Thanks.
Congrats! It’s an awesome one. :)
Informing us newbies to the car dash cam scene, beautiful work!!!
Wow, I can't imagine how long it took you to create this video! You did an amazing job, definitely going to get a A139 Pro now!
With the HD switched on 🙂
Really appreciate the 'depth' of these reviews. The side-by-side stills really make choosing a dashcam easy.
Best reviewer out there period. What detail and great video comparisons.
Great video sir. Your videos always have great insights and knowledge. Watching from Uganda 🇺🇬 . I am yet to receive my VIOFO A139 that I ordered and I can't wait to have a look at its features
This must have taken so long, thank you again for another thorough review
For me, the Best Reviewer! 🌎
Thank you so much, from Italy 🇮🇹
I was really on the fence about getting my next cam. THANK YOU SO MUCH for this comparison video!
Now thats what a review video should be like - great job
Thank god I waited for this review lol, I had a feeling i shouldn’t purchase the new dr970x without watching the vortex review. Not worth the upgrade in any form. Didn’t think it would be this bad !
Wow!! This amazing! I want to get a dashcam and have been doing a lot of research recently. You are definitely my "go to" for good solid, unbias, honest reviews and information!! Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to do these videos!!!
This confirms my purchase (based on your previous reviews). I get it tomorrow.. yay!
Thank you for your reviews really appreciate you taking the time and breaking it down
I love it when u do these Comparison videos! The next time u should do parking mode while u doing it.
Such a great comparison. Thank you for this. VERY helpful!!
Great comparison. I hadn't got to try the 970 versus the 900 plus at night yet so I'm glad to see it at least has some improvements with that HDR and night quality. Seems obvious Viofo is better if you don't want cloud features, which is most people. But I also love the cloud features so it's hard to pick. That's why I always ran an A119 V3 along side my dr900x plus and previous blackvues.
Viofo is obviously the winner, too bad they dont have the live view yet like the black vue. Still waiting viofo to get my first dashcam with LTE if they ever come out.
THANK YOU... just ordered a Viofo A139 Pro today. For 3 Channels, that seems to be the best option. Though I'm not looking forward to the 'wiring' ... but the parked car and 'accident while away' options seem worthwhile.
Thank you for a very informative comparison on the two flagship dash cameras. Looking forward to the follow up on the topics you mentioned.
Just bumped to your video and I found your entire channel quite helpful man. Thank you, keep up the good work
Welcome aboard!
Thank you for Test. It is obvious that doubling the bitrate on Viofo will necessarily improve the image especially when the angle of view is restricted.
Now we must also compare the features, connectivity to the cloud, parking mode, wifi transfer in 5G etc. ...
Both Dashcams are very good and it is important to choose the model that will be adapted to your personal use.
Coming back to this vid and watching more dashcam clips it's crazy how clear crisp viofo dashcams are compared watching blackvue's if viofo ever joins the cloud world and is as good if not better blackvue then that would be great
Glad to see another video confirming my decision to get the A139 Pro. Got two front units with the plan to either go front and rear both 4k, or just do front 4k and 1080p rear with the camera found in the 2 channel kit that I bought separately, or maybe I run both the rear camera setups to get the best of both :D Had the front units for nearly a month now and should be getting it all installed in the next few days but it's been nearly a 2 week wait for that. Maybe could have got it sorted sooner elsewhere but hoping all goes smooth. I set up my old A119 v2 a couple days ago just so I have something temporary and will also make for good comparison even though I have footage from years ago. Definitely feel like rear camera is a must for me
Hi, amazing video! Did you have part two with the parking footage and other things?
Thank you for putting this together, I can only imagine how long it takes to edit this.
Awesome video. I really like how you make different scenarios to test the image quality for these.
I have one question for you if you have time to answer. A139 official webpage says that maximum SD card capacity that can be used is 512GB but other sources say that maximum is only 256GB. Even VIOFO official information is confusing: A229 cam specs for example say that maximum is 512GB. But if you scroll down to the bottom of the same page it then says 256GB max. It seems even developers can't decide what is right. So what is the maximum you can use with A139? Thanks for reading
Thank you, as always a killer job. Looking at the prices the BV is nowhere! near worth what they are asking. The BV is at best a 200$ camera.
Thank you. The dashcam video I needed. Looking forward to the detail reviews.
Terrific video. Just got a A139 Pro. An upgrade from my A119.
Truly appreciate this man. So thorough and complete. Thank you.
I purchased a VIOFO A139 Pro around the time when you were promoting Christmas deals. I really was regretting my decision before I installed, but (as a warning) do not order directly from VIFO - they have no dedicated customer service and only have a 30 day return policy. (and nearly no English customer support). I will install this in my newly purchased (used) 2014 ES300h. Will update soon.
Yeah it’s only a few days ago that you could order from a local distributor. Back then the only option was to order direct. The CS issue is a thing though. I also bring that up in an upcoming video.
@@VortexRadar Thanks for acknowledging my post ! I can provide documentation of the customer service issue. Sad...
Excellent work. It's a long wait for my new car, so I'm keen to see the rollout of new dashcams utilizing the Starvis 2 sensor this year. From what we see already with the A139, it's looking good.
I've been a fan of BlackVue for years, but this is just shocking. I'm changing over my 750 Blackvue 2ch to a Viofo A139 Pro 3 channel next month. Thank you.
hows it going,,after change over?
@@TheHealthLife very happy so far. Good image quality with the Viofo 139pro 3 channel.
Exactly the comparison i was looking for. My current dashcam(iroad) had issues identifying number plates when driving past other vehicles at different speed.
Excellent video. Have you reviewed any with exterior night vision and a monitor?
Great video! Definitely won't upgrade my 900x plus 😊
Amazing the progress made with Starvis 2! Thanks for the comparison. Do you see a large hit in quality with 2 or 3 channels on the viofo?
Outstanding job! Great info that was interesting to watch.
Great video - something to mention - with A.I. photo enhancement websites, low end pics of license plates can be enhanced.
Quick question for you, what made you decide on these four dash cams to test? I see a lot of 4K dashcams, especially on Amazon. I've even purchased a Vantrue S2 3CH for my fiance which works great. Just curious on why you made these selections. Thanks!
Thank you for your time and effort. You’re a point of reference on RUclips…..the dash camera manufacturers are biting their fingernails when you post a video.
Thank you for a wonderful review. Why would a Viofo owner disable the HDR setting on the cameras? Honest question
Great review….thanks for all of the effort you put into this. 👍
Great video, lots of useful real world information. Not sure if we can get Viofo in the UK but I am going to look. Thanks
Yeah you should be able to ship to the UK when ordering direct from Viofo. Check the link in the description.
Thank you for the review, any improvement in the Parking Mode?
Looks like some of them have more than 1 channel connected.
Increasing the channels decreases the bitrate.
Bitrate determines how much detail can be collected in a frame.
If any of these are active 2ch, its not a direct comparison.
Only true for certain models, not all. I also test in both situations because it’s important to see what you get in 1CH and 2CH modes given people will run both configurations. It depends on if you’re optimizing for looking good in a test or showing real world performance. Again both are valid, but this also varies between models since some have identical bitrates for both 1CH and 2CH modes.
@@VortexRadar Its disingenuous to make conclusions and comparisons that include the sensor model and HDR capabilities but not the bitrate.
Thank you, looking forward to the next comparison video
Have you used the A229 Pro? If so what would you choose between that and the A139 Pro?
Thanks for the great review.
Its clear that its going to be a long time before we get affordable dashcams that actually capture , perfectly , the vital info required for legal cases (plates and brand badges) in all conditions with little to no image degradation.
The issue is affordability . Great cams that need to capture small details at speed would be expensive to make . Capturing at 60 FPS minimum capturing at 4k minimum with very high bitrates all the while being small enough to use in a car.
Currently unfeasible unless you were to create a super expensive smallish cam that does the job, but it wouldn't sell well as the high industry grade tech is thousands of pounds/dollars and isnt small enough to be usable in a car without getting in the way.
Its going to be at lest 5 years before we see super detail capturing cams in the affordable price range.
Amazing video. Thanks for all your work!!!
Good video! I use the VIO FO 139 PRO video recorder. I am satisfied with the quality of the video. tell us about the new firmware. What has been changed? what has been improved in the new firmware? thank you!!
Already had my A139 pro but love these types of data-packed videos! Thanks for all of the effort in making these! I love my cam and haven’t had a reason to have to pull video yet, but it’s nice to know that when the time comes, I’ll be able to rely on it. Thank you for the work you put in!
Thanks for this video! Gave you a like and a Sub from Sydney, Australia! 🇦🇺 Really appreciate it! It gave me reassurance to which dashcam to upgrade to.. 🙂
Thank you for this amazing video!
Quick question, wouldn't a higher FPS be better for freeze-frame situations? Like trying to capture the license plate of an oncoming vehicle?
Only potentially in situations when it forces a higher shutter speed. However there are a lot of other undesired trade-offs when switching from 30-60 fps so it’s not that simple. What matters though is shutter speed, not frame rate. People keep asking about this so I’ll do a video on it at some point.
How do there compare to the Thinkware U1000 4K dashcam? And does the new Blackview have similar issues of overheating like previous Blackviews? Seems Thinkware does better with this issue as well as Viofo.
Thanks to this knowledgeable man I bought the viofo A 119 with 2K resolution, which I think because of the videos that you showed. Has the best resolution for license plates. And with the GPS easily removable Mount. I love taking my dash camera in at night . No unplugging whatsoever just grab it and go. Out of sight out of mind.🙏
Excellent comparison! Great job! Thanks for putting it all together.
Great comparison! Maybe a follow up video with just a few examples of the A129Pro vs the A139Pro for those of us wondering if an upgrade is warranted? 🙏
Check out my video on the Starvis 2 sensor where I do just that. ;) ruclips.net/video/emOp6E-m8pU/видео.html
@@VortexRadar perfect, thanks! I think I’m sold on the upgrade, does the A139Pro use the same cables as the A129Pro? Hoping I can just plug in the new cameras and not have to rewire!
If only! It uses USB C for power so you'll need to run a new wire. The cables connecting the different cameras are also smaller and thinner and easier to run (with new connectors) so you'll need to redo that too.
Your set-up has got my thumbs up at 1 min in :D Brilliant test
This is a superior video! This dude put a lot of effort into this and gave a clear and concise explanation of the results! Well done!
VIOFO aside, I am curious as to which manufactures have STARVIS 2 cams in their pipeline! Which one will have a dashcam ready by summer?
issue is shutter speed of the camera. frame rate and and F-Stops of each dashcam. If you want better quality, we need bigger sensor so that we can capture more photons. better glass with higher f-stop to gather more lights so that we can have more FPS. Of course, you can go the software road and use AI processing to enhance the image. That would requires better SOC video processing.
Have a feeling blackview will make up a lot of ground in the next comparison. I'll wait for that one. Thanks for the great content
Very useful video, thanks. I would love to see a software comparison, i.e. how easy is it to quickly get a clip off and share it.
How about a comparison on the video from the rear cameras as well. Interesting that the 970 is not as good as the 900 in a lot of situations, I wonder if Blackvue will update the firmware in the near future. That said, you have me looking at the A139 Pro now.
Please do the head to head 970x vs 139A asap! Waiting before I buy and your analysis seems unbiased and overall excellent. Thanks.
Thank you so much for the comparison, saved me time and money. Seems like the Viofo is a way better bang for your buck.
Much appreciated video. Thank you very much for the hard work!
Please review the new Ring dash cam! I love your videos by the way, I got the Uniden r7 because of your videos back in 2020!
I've having a new truck delivered in a couple months so I just ordered an A139 Pro for it!
Congrats!