VIOFO A229 Duo In-Depth Review

Just like the previous VIOFO A129 Series, the VIOFO A229 is available in the Front-and-Rear Duo 2-Channel as well as the Front-only 1-Channel. There are, though, a couple of things missing from the box that would otherwise make the A229 or the A229 Duo the perfect all-inclusive solution.

The VIOFO A229/A229 Duo does not come with a memory card or the Type-C HK4 Hardwiring Kit. In other words, you will need to purchase these parts separately. What happens if you don’t? Without the Type-C HK4 Hardwire Kit, the only thing you can’t do is use the dash cam’s parking mode features. But because the VIOFO A229 doesn’t come with eMMC storage (built-in/internal storage), without a microSD card, the A229 front camera will give off audible memory card error alerts, and you won’t be able to start recording.

The VIOFO A229 sports the same wedge shape as the rest of the VIOFO A129 Series. Similarly, the only adjustment allowed with the front camera lens is up and down. You won’t be able to angle it side to side like the VIOFO T130. Like the other VIOFO dash cams, the A229 can use a CPL filter. The CPL filter is a separate add-on, but we strongly recommend using one to ensure the best video quality. The VIOFO A229 uses VIOFO’s new friction mount CPL filter, so you won’t be able to reuse the CPL filter from the other A129 series.

Unlike the typical 2” screen on the older VIOFO A129 Series, you will find a 2.4” screen display on the VIOFO A229. Using this display, you can see a live view of the front camera, with the rear feed inset at the upper left corner; you can even playback your videos on the fly using the built-in screen. The larger screen delivers a bigger viewing screen and improved heat dissipation and durability performance.

There are several other changes and upgrades that VIOFO added to the VIOFO A229, including a socket for an external microphone. Connecting to the dash cam using a 3.5mm aux jack, this feature comes in handy for those recording conversations during police stops and traffic incidents.

Other upgrades you will find on the VIOFO A229 includes:

• Additional ventilation grills on the top and bottom of the dash cam
• Super slim coaxial cable for easier installation
• 2 USB-C power ports

Like the VIOFO A119 Mini, the VIOFO A229 comes with a reversible USB-C charging cable and two USB-C power ports, one on the camera's left side and one on the top of the GPS module. It doesn’t matter which one you’re using, the dash cam and the GPS module will function normally either way.

But using the power port on the GPS module does have an advantage. The GPS logger used in previous A129 models comes with four pins, one each to track speed, route data, date, and time. But on the A229 GPS module, you will find an extra pin - the 5th pin is used to detect voltage drops. If you’re using the power port on the GPS mount for power, the GPS module can detect when you’re powered down your car and the hardwiring kit has sent the VIOFO A229 duo dashcam into parking mode - the GPS module will auto-power down to reduce the overall parking mode power consumption.

The VIOFO A229 rear camera is a 2K QHD high-res camera equipped with the Sony STARVIS IMX335 image sensor. The rear camera is compact and shaped like the VIOFO A139 and VIOFO T130 rear cameras. The difference - the A229 Duo rear camera is 360° rotatable. So technically, you can mount it on your rear windshield and rotate it all the way around to record the inside of your vehicle.  

The VIOFO A229 Duo rear camera connects to the front camera using a slim 6m coaxial cable. The cable has a thickness of 2.8mm at the plug, making it easier to conceal when you run it from one camera to the other. The VIOFO A229 coaxial cable is smaller than the other VIOFO models, making installation a lot more user-friendly.

The front camera of the VIOFO A229 and A229 Duo is equipped with the 5.14MP Sony STARVIS IMX335 image sensor and the Novatek 96580 processor - the same image sensor and processor combination found in the VIOFO A119 Mini, the other 2K dash cam VIOFO launched earlier in 2022. Thanks to the Sony STARVIS IMX335 image sensor, WDR, and VIOFO’s Super Night Vision technology, the VIOFO A229 delivers superb video quality from both the front and rear cameras.

If you’re familiar with VIOFO dash cams, you’d know that up until now, VIOFO has only offered Full HD rear cameras, even for the VIOFO A129 Pro flagship 4K UHD dash cam. It's certainly nice to see VIOFO introduce an upgraded rear dash cam. With the upgraded 2K QHD rear camera, you will see significant improvements in your rear dash cam footage, especially compared to other VIOFO dual-channel systems. In case you’re wondering why the 2K QHD resolution from the rear camera doesn’t match the front camera's 2K QHD image quality, the rear camera has a slightly smaller lens and records at a lower bitrate.

When you turn your car off, you can set the camera to enter into one of three parking modes: Auto-Event Detection, Low Bitrate Recording, and Time-Lapse Recording. When the VIOFO A229 dash cam detects an impact under Auto-Event Detection mode, it will trigger a 45-second recording, starting 15 seconds before the impact and continues with 30 seconds after the impact.

In Time-Lapse mode recording, the VIOFO A229 will record at frame rates as low as 1FPS, allowing you to record continuously over an extended period without creating an enormous file. Finally, you can record at an ultra-low 4Mb/s, significantly reducing file size but at the expense of poor resolution.

These modes will draw power and could drain your battery - that’s why you will need the VIOFO Type-C HK4 Hardwiring Kit or a dedicated dash cam battery pack if you plan on using the A229 or A229 Duo as a parking surveillance camera.

The VIOFO A229 saves your drive onto the microSD card. Files are recorded in H.264 and saved in MP4 format, supporting cards up to 256GB. There are different ways to playback your recorded files. Because the A229 has a built-in screen, you can playback the videos on the 2.4” screen. If you want to transfer the video files off the microSD card, or if you prefer viewing the footage on a bigger screen, you can either download the files to your smartphone via the VIOFO app. Using the VIOFO mobile app, you can review videos on your smartphone, make camera settings changes, and update camera firmware right from the app.

Alternatively, you can take the microSD card out of the dash cam and plug it into your computer. Or you can also connect the dash cam directly to your computer using the included Type-C data cable. Note that VIOFO doesn’t offer desktop viewers, so you will need to use a 3rd party program. Check out the Dashcam Viewer on our website.

You can control all camera settings using the built-in screen. You can even format the microSD card using the dash cam. Let’s run you through the basics. First, turn off your dash cam, and insert the microSD card. Turn it on and press the ≡ button to open the settings menu. Use the REC and MIC buttons to navigate up and down and the Emergency button to open settings.

From the System settings menu, you can Format the Card. Formatting will delete all the data on your card permanently. If you want to playback your files, press the REC button to stop recording. Then, a long press on the Emergency button will switch the dash cam to Playback Mode. Use the REC and the MIC buttons to navigate up and down the playlist and then the Emergency button to play the selected file. You can also use the REC and MIC buttons to change the playback speed, lock, unlock and delete the video.

While the built-in screen is perfect for making settings changes on the fly, video playback is always better on a bigger screen. While you can control most settings using the built-in screen, there will be times when you need to use a computer or the mobile app, like updating the firmware. You can download the free VIOFO mobile app from the Google Play Store or the Apple Apps Store.

Once you have installed the app on your smartphone, you can pair it with your VIOFO A229. First, enable the WiFi on your dash cam by a long press on the WIFI button and then follow the instructions within the app. The A229 has built-in dual-band WIFI support, allowing you to connect via the 2.4GHz and 5HGz bands. VIOFO recommends using 5GHz for faster data transfer to ensure smooth video preview, download, and file share.

The installation process is straightforward, thanks to the VIOFO static sticker. The static sticker goes right onto the front windshield, and the dash cam goes onto the sticker. In other words, the dash cam is not mounted directly onto the glass. The static sticker acts as a barrier between the mount’s sticky tape and the glass, so you’re not left with sticky residue or marks when you uninstall the dash cam.

The sticker also makes it easy to bring the dash cam into your other cars when needed. Each VIOFO dash cam comes with two static stickers, so if you want, you can also use it for the rear camera.

The VIOFO A229 uses a new super slim coaxial rear cable with mini connectors - it does make the installation much easier as you don’t have to deal with thick, bulky wires. But unfortunately, it’s not compatible with the rear coaxial cables from any previous VIOFO models.

VIOFO A129 Plus
✅ supports recording at 60FPS, which in theory, is better at capturing license plate numbers even on moving vehicles

VIOFO A229
✅ improved image quality of dash cams
✅ 2K QHD rear recording
✅ Bigger 2.4” display
✅ Multiple USB-C power ports
✅ voice notification for a truly hands-free experience so you can focus on the road
✅ smaller 360-degree rotatable rear-camera
✅ 2.8mm super slim coaxial rear cable
✅ optional external microphone port for better audio quality
✅ parking mode using the VIOFO HK4 hardwiring kit
✅ GPS mount can track when the dash cam goes into parking mode and auto-shutdown to reduce power consumption

VIOFO A129 Plus

VIOFO A129 Pro
✅ 4K+Full HD dual-channel system
✅ supports recording at 60FPS, which in theory, is better at capturing license plate numbers even on moving vehicles

VIOFO A229
✅ 2K QHD rear recording (an upgrade to the A129 Pro Full HD rear)
✅ Bigger 2.4” display
✅ Multiple USB-C power ports
✅ voice notification for a truly hands-free experience so you can focus on the road
✅ smaller 360-degree rotatable rear-camera
✅ 2.8mm super slim coaxial rear cable
✅ optional external microphone port for better audio quality
✅ parking mode using the VIOFO HK4 hardwiring kit
✅ GPS mount can track when the dash cam goes into parking mode and auto-shutdown to reduce power consumption

VIOFO A129 Pro