Viofo A229 Pro 2CH & 3CH Specs
– Max. resolution: front 4K, rear 2K, interior 1080p
– Price (3-channel): Amazon US / CA / UK – AliExpress – more countries & vendors (ad)
– Quad-mode GPS
– Wi-Fi (2.4 or 5 GHz)
– 2.4″ Screen
– Video format: MP4
– Codec: H.264
– Supports up to 512 GB MicroSD cards
– Novatek NT96529 processor
– Lock file button
– CPL filter
– Parking modes: Buffered, Time-lapse, Low bit rate
– Loop recording, auto on/off, G-Sensor, motion detection
– Operating temperature: from -10°C to 65°C (14°F to 149°F)
– Storage temperature: from -10°C to 70°C (14°F to 158°F)
– Time and date stamp on video
– Apps for Android / iOS
– High Dynamic Range (HDR, all 3 channels)
– Internal capacitor instead of battery
– Internal microphone and speaker
– Adhesive mount
– Voice control
– Voice notifications
– Optional Bluetooth remote lock file button
Front Camera:
– Max. resolution: 3840×2160 @ 30fps (4K)
– Aperture: f/1.8
– Bit rate: 60 Mbps (2CH) or 36 Mbps (3CH)
– Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 8MP sensor
– Angle of view: 140° diagonal
– Size: 99mm x 58mm x 46mm (3.9″ x 2.3″ x 1.8″)
– Weight: 172g (6.1oz)
Rear Camera:
– Max. resolution: 2560×1440 @ 30fps (2K)
– Aperture: f/1.9
– Bit rate: 24 Mbps
– Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675 5MP sensor
– Angle of view: 160° diagonal
– Size: 67mm x 34mm x 28mm (2.64″ x 1.33″ x 1.1″)
Interior Camera (Optional):
– Max. resolution: 1920×1080 @ 30fps (FullHD)
– Aperture: f/1.8
– Bit rate: 16 Mbps
– Sony STARVIS IMX307 2MP sensor
– Angle of view: 150° diagonal
– 4 infrared (IR) LEDs
– Size: 67mm x 34mm x 28mm (2.64″ x 1.33″ x 1.1″)
Viofo A229 Pro Review
Are you looking for a cutting edge 2-channel (2CH) or 3-channel (3CH) dash cam that records excellent video quality all around? Look no further: The Viofo A229 Pro records 4K video to the front, 2K video to the rear, and also features an optional 1080p interior camera.
So you can run it either as a 2CH or a 3CH dash cam. The 3-channel version costs about $30 more than the 2-channel setup.
In both configurations, we found that the A229 Pro records better video footage overall than high-end dash cams from brands like Thinkware and BlackVue.
Design
Here’s a pictogram of the 3 camera units of the A229 Pro, together with its measurements in inches.
For our European readers: Dimensions are 99x58mm for the front unit, and 67x34mm for both of the rear-facing cameras.
As you can see, this camera isn’t small. As a result, it is well visible on the windshield. However, due to its wedge-shape design, it doesn’t stand out as much as a dash cam hanging from a mount.
Regarding the screen and controls, the A229 Pro sports the same layout as most other Viofo cameras: First of all, there’s a 2.4″ screen. Below that, there’s a row of LEDs (in order: Power, Record, GPS, Mic, and Wi-Fi).
And below the LEDs, there are Viofo’s typical 5 buttons: Menu, Record, Save Video, Mic on/off, and Wi-Fi on/off.
The “Save Video” button is larger than the others, to make it easier to find. If you don’t want to reach over to the dash cam every time you need to save a video, you can either use a voice command, or get Viofo’s remote Bluetooth button (see below).
Video Quality
We are excited to say that the A229 Pro records better quality video than any other 3-channel dash cam on the market today (as of January 2024). Here’s an overview of how each of the 3 channels perform, at day vs. at night:
| Channel | Day Video | Night Video |
|---|---|---|
| Front | Very Good (4/5) | Very Good (4/5) |
| Interior | Excellent (5/5) | Good (3/5) |
| Rear | Very Good (4/5) | Fair (2/5) |
Total Video Score: 3.7/5
We rank video quality on a sale of 0 to 5. Good video (3 points) means you will be able to read license plates of nearby cars in most situations, though you may have to pause the video feed. Fair video (2 points) means license plates are only readable occasionally.
The total video score is the average of the individual scores for each channel, by day and by night.
A229 Pro 2CH
When used without the interior camera (2CH mode), the A229 Pro outperforms most competing 2CH dash cams. Only the rear video channel is a bit weak at night.
In fact, the only 2CH dash cam that records better video quality overall is Viofo’s own A139 Pro. Unfortunately, the A139 Pro isn’t very reliable: It’s been known to have issues with overheating. The A229 doesn’t seem to have this problem.
A229 Pro 3CH
The A229 Pro records better video quality than any other 3-channel dash cam we have looked at so far (as of April 2024). In fact, as you can see in our comparison table, the second-best performing 3CH dash cams achieve only 2.98 out of 5 points.
Why is the A229 Pro 3CH so much better?
There are two main reasons: First, it uses Sony Starvis 2 sensors for both the front and the rear cameras. Most other dash cams use Starvis 2 only for the front channel, if at all.
Also, it records at a very high bit rate.
Bit Rates
In 3CH mode, the bit rate of the front camera is 36 Megabits per second (Mbps). This is more than what most other high-end dash cams can do.
The rear camera records at 24Mbps. And the interior channel, if you have it, uses at 16Mbps.
Without the interior channel, in 2CH mode, the A229 Pro’s forward video quality becomes even better: As the processor has more bandwidth available, the front channel’s bit rate increases to a whopping 60Mbps.
For comparison: The BlackVue DR970X has a maximum bit rate of 25Mbps, and the Thinkware U3000 records at 30 Mbps. And both of these cameras have only two channels!
Parking Mode
Like most Viofo dash cams, the A229 Pro supports 3 parking modes: Buffered, time-lapse, and low bit rate.
- Buffered: Saves video from 15 seconds before to 30 seconds after an impact is detected
- Time-lapse: Continuously records without sound at 1-10 fps (configurable)
- Low bit rate: Not recommended (reduced video quality -> hard to read license plates)
A Viofo HK4 Acc Hardwire Kit, or a battery pack, is required to power the dash cam in parking mode.
Miscellaneous Features
A unique new feature of the A229 Pro is its Quad-mode GPS. This means the camera’s GPS units connects to 4 different satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and Beidou) for optimum precision.
Like most modern dash cams, the A229 Pro supports Wi-Fi and has free apps for Android and iOS. Viofo’s dash cam apps are quite well designed, and easier to use than some of the competition’s.
The camera will give you a voice alert in case of a malfunction. It also supports voice commands, the most important of which is “Lock the video”. There are also commands to toggle audio, toggle Wi-Fi, turn the screen on or off, and a few more which you probably won’t need all too often while driving.
The A229 Pro comes with a CPL filter, so you don’t need to buy one separately as is still often the case with other dash cams.
Optional Extras
There are two optional extras for this camera: A hard-wiring kit for parking mode (~$20), and a Bluetooth remote button (also ~$20) for locking video.
The remote button can be placed in a convenient location, near the steering wheel for example. However, using a voice command to lock video is probably easier for most users.
Which Memory Cards Are Recommended?
Memory cards can be up to 512GB in size. The manufacturer recommends to use either their own cards (Viofo branded, somewhat expensive) or SanDisk Max Endurance cards. Using other memory cards can cause stability issues.
A Viofo 512GB card costs over $100 at the time of writing. The largest SanDisk Max Endurance card is 256GB in size, and costs around $50 on Amazon (affiliate links).
If that sounds a little expensive, you can also use smaller cards obviously. But remember that the A229 Pro records at high bit rates, so storage will fill up quickly.
For reference: A 512GB memory card can hold over 13 hours of 2CH video, or 11 hours of 3CH video.
User Manual
This camera comes with a comprehensive, English-language user manual.
Conclusion
With the A229 Pro, Viofo have definitely ascended into the premium league. This camera can easily compete with other high-end brands like Thinkware in terms of video quality. It won’t connect to the cloud, but it does have all the other important features like Wi-Fi, GPS, and buffered parking mode.
All in all, this is hands down the best 3CH dash cam of 2024. It is also one of the best 2-channel dash cams available.
Make sure to get one of the recommended memory card brands though, to ensure the camera works reliably.
Pros
- Great video quality
- Reliable
- Easy to use
- Well-designed app
- Buffered parking mode
Cons
- Large size
- Picky with memory cards
Viofo A229 Pro 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.
Front Video Sample, Day
Front video quality at day is very good. It’s easy to read license plates of nearby cars while driving by.
Front Video Sample, Night
Front video quality at night is very good, also. You can read license plates from a distance, even while driving by.
Rear Video Sample, Day
Rear video quality at day is very good as well. Notice how you can read the license plate of the trailing car at a considerable distance.
Rear Video Sample, Night
Rear video at night is fair. Footage is sharp and clear on a lit street, but on a darker stretch of the road, video quality obviously decreases.
Interior Video Sample, Day
Interior footage at day is excellent. The passenger cabin is visible sharp and clear. No complaints here.
Interior Video Sample, Night
Interior video at night is of good quality. You can clearly see what’s happening in the cabin.
Notice how at 0:21, the license plate of a nearby car becomes visible through the driver’s side window. It’s possible to discern several of the license plate digits, but not all of them.
Compare Prices And Buy Online Today
The Viofo A229 Pro 2CH is available for sale from the following vendors:
Amazon US / CA / UK / DE / FR / ES
And for the 3-channel version, click here:
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