Viofo A129 Plus Duo

Technical Specs

– Dual channel dash cam
– Max. resolution: front 1440p, rear 1080p
– Price: Amazon US / CA / UK – AliExpress – more countries & vendors (affiliate links)
– GPS
– Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
– 2″ Screen
– Novatek NT96670 processor
– Video format: MP4
– Supports up to 256 GB MicroSD cards
– Time and date stamp on video
– Parking modes: Time-lapse, low bit rate
– Loop recording, auto on/off, G-Sensor, motion detection
– Lock file button
– Bluetooth remote button (optional)
– CPL filter (optional)
– Ports: Mini-USB, AV
– Operating temperature: from -10°C to 65°C (14°F to 149°F)
– Storage temperature: from -20°C to 70°C (-4°F to 158°F)
– Apps for Android / iOS
– Internal capacitor instead of battery
– Internal microphone and speaker
– Adhesive mount
– Quick mount base

Front Camera:
– Max. resolution: 2560×1440 @ 60fps
– Aperture: f/1.6
– Bit rate: 27.4 Mbps
– Size: 84mm x 55mm x 40mm
– Sony Exmor R Starvis 5MP sensor (IMX335)
– Angle of view: 140° diagonal

Rear camera:
– Max. resolution: 1920×1080 @ 30fps
– Aperture: f/1.6
– Bit rate: 23.2 Mbps
– Sony Starvis 2MP sensor (IMX307)
– Angle of view: 160° diagonal

Viofo A129 Plus Duo Review

The A129 Plus Duo is an upgraded version of Viofo’s A129 Duo dash cam. The front camera’s maximum resolution has been increased from 1080p (Full HD) to 1440p (Quad HD).

There are several versions of the Viofo A129 on the market. In case you’re getting confused, here’s a quick recap:

Viofo A129 Duo (the original): Records 1080p front, 1080p rear
Viofo A129 Duo IR (taxi cam): Records 1080p front, 1080p rear. Rear camera has infrared to record the passenger cabin
Viofo A129 Pro Duo: Records 4K (2160p) front, 1080p rear
Viofo A129 Plus Duo: Records 1440p front, 1080p rear

Design

From the outside, the A129 Plus Duo looks almost exactly like the other A129 cameras. The casing is Viofo’s characteristic stealthy black wedge shape, with a 2″ screen, a row of 5 buttons underneath, and connectors on the side.

To distinguish the A129 Plus Duo from its predecessor, there is a “/Quad HD” label below the row of buttons.

As with previous A129 cameras, the buttons are: Menu, Record on/off, Lock file, Mute microphone, and picture-in-picture (PIP). There are also 3 LEDs that indicate recording, Wi-Fi, and microphone statuses.

Video Quality

The A129 Plus Duo records 1440p video forward, and 1080p to the rear. Its video quality is good overall. You will usually be able to read licence plates of nearby cars.

In detail, we found the Plus Duo’s video quality quite similar to the A129 Duo (even though its front resolution is higher): During the day, forward video is very good, and rear video is good. At night, forward video is good, and rear video is fair.

Have a look at the sample videos (below) to form your own impression of the video that this dash camera can record.

Parking Mode

To run this camera in parking mode, it needs to be hard wired with Viofo’s HK3 ACC hard wiring kit (not included).

You can choose one of two parking modes:

Time-lapse: The camera will record continually, at a low frame rate (1, 2, 3, 5, or 10fps). No audio is recorded.
Low bit-rate: The camera will record continually at 4Mbps, including audio.

Buffered parking mode is not supported for the A129 Plus Duo. If you need buffered parking mode, consider getting the original A129 Duo, or the Viofo Pro Duo 4K camera.

Wi-Fi

The A129 Plus Duo supports 2.4Ghz and 5GHz Wi-Fi. Free apps are available for Android and iOS, allowing you to control the dash cam and download and watch videos on your phone.

Other Features

This camera comes with a quick mount base that the power cable plugs into. To remove the camera from your windscreen, you slide it sideways from the base. You’ll only have to unplug the rear camera cable, but not the power cable, which can be quite convenient.

GPS is included, and allows you to record your car’s exact position and speed (mph or kph) in the video feed.

A CPL filter is available separately.

A remote bluetooth button is also available. You can place this button in a convenient location, so you can quickly save video files when necessary.

There is also a “16GB eMMC” version, currently only available on Aliexpress. This version of the camera has 16GB of storage built in that serve as a backup when the SD memory card is missing or faulty. In this case, the camera will record to its internal memory instead.

Conclusion

The Viofo A129 Plus Duo is a good front-and-rear dash cam in the sub-$200 price range, from a renowned manufacturer.

Video quality is okay, but the fact that buffered parking mode isn’t supported is a disappointment. If you need buffered parking mode, consider the original A129 Duo instead.

Viofo A129 Plus Duo Video Samples

For full original video quality, make sure to watch on full screen and select maximum video resolution (use the cog icon in lower right corner). You may have to rewind the video after changing the resolution.