A119 Pro 1440p Review

The A119 Pro was introduced in March 2018. As of Feb 2019 it still uses the V2 GPS Mount and backplate contacts with EVA pad to improve stability and reliability. The F1.8 Aperture 130 degree Field of View Lens with 2560x1440P resolution is a good combination. Viofo has now created a solid base for what could be the next generation of Dashcam with all the best features from A119 Pro + A129 Duo = A129 Pro Duo 2K or 4K Dual-Channel Dash Camera... maybe some day.

Until the A129 Pro dream comes true . . . If you want a budget priced narrow field of view 1440P (2K) Parking Mode capable Dashcam the A119 Pro is your best choice. The narrower angle Lens eliminates fisheye effect and reduces distortions on small car windshields. This will soon find a permanent position on my windshield as my other daily driver.

PROs		CONs
- Price - excellent 1440P resolution - 130 degree narrow angle F1.8 Lens - numerous menu options - available CPL Filter - supports 128GB cards - GPS mount option - standard MP4 format - works from 5 volt power bank - easy to disassemble		- vent blocking - unstable single clip mounting bracket - mount stabilizing EVA foam pad wears out - weak RTC rechargeable battery (8-18 days)

A119 Pro Specifications

VIOFO A119 Pro Dashcam Specifications
- 1440P @30fps & 1080P @60fps + 30fps Resolution
- Novatek NT96660 chipset
- Aptina AR0521 5-MegaPixel Image Sensor
- 7G Lens F1.8 Aperture
- 130 degree narrow Field of View
- 2 inch LCD display
- G-sensor, Motion Detection, Parking Mode
- SuperCapacitor powered
- quick release mount
- MP4 video format
- GPS logger (optional)
- CPL Circular Polarizing Lens filter (optional)

A119 Pro Setup Tips

The narrower 130 degree field of view A119 Pro Lens actually pulls objects closer making them appear larger than wide angle Lens. This also reduces side distortion and eliminates fisheye effect producing more realistic video. The F1.8 Aperture Lens and larger 1440P 5-Mega Pixel sensor is best angled slightly down on hood to capture less sky and brighten ground.

For superior detail and clarity select 2560x1440P resolution.  Most 1080P SmartTVs can't display 2K video footage, but all computers resize video to fit screen size, some browsers may not support 1440P or higher resolutions.

The A119 Pro F1.8 Aperture Lens bulges out farther than all other models and requires a deeply recessed housing shell. The one shown above is the wrong shape preventing optional CPL Filter attaching without touching and scratching the glass Lens. The correct A119 Pro deeper recessed plastic shell has 6 cooling vents on each side shown here in green.

As part of regular Maintenance owners should :
- format Memory card every 3 months.
- after each Firmware Update reset Default Settings.
- clean GPS module contact plate after hot summer months.
- always insert and eject microSD card while Dash Camera is Off.

Best YouTube video play back Setting :
Viewing 2K or 4K high resolution videos on YouTube can overwhelm browsers and video processors with stutter or not supported depending on Operating System and device. Change YouTube's play back Quality Setting to highest 1080p or 1440p or 2160p when available for best viewing experience.

YouTube's highest Bitrate quality uses VP9 video codec, verify codec with right-click on video, select "Stats for nerds".

Google Chrome: VP9 video codec is enabled on all OS.
Linux: VP9 is enabled in Firefox,
Mac: VP9 is disabled in Firefox, thus only H.264 with 1080p will get played.
Windows: VP9 with 2K or 4K depends on the machine

Enable VP9 in Firefox by setting media.mediasource.webm.enabled to true in about:config

A119 Pro Lens Modification

Decided to replace my A119 Pro original F1.8 Aperture uncoated Lens with narrow Field of View F1.6 Aperture coated Lens from A129 which can be ordered separately. The original Lens module has plastic base which I discarded favoring the metal base with better thermal dynamic resistance to focus drift in high heat. The plastic mount uses coarse screws while metal base uses fine thread screws. Both Lenses and Bases use the same Lens thread size and are interchangeable. The original Lens was glued to threads and circuit board but can be softened with hot air blower then pried off with needle. Once both screws were removed plastic base lifted from board without using heat or removing the glue.

The Aptina AR0521 5-MegaPixel Image Sensor circuit board was reused for this modification. Before removing Lens Base note the spacing along the white outline. My original base was aligned tight against the top 5 surface mounted components which was my concern. The two screws were extremely snug. Since the A119 Pro is 1440p you can't change the Sensor board.

Changing Lens obviously requires re-focusing and alignment. The process can be tedious and delicate. The shortest method is to assemble the Dashcam but without the plastic Len shell so you can hold the ribbon cable attached Lens in one hand and turn the outer Lens ring with the other as shown in this old A119S re-focus video. Lens Re-Focus Then connect external monitor to 4-pole AV-out port but its only VGA 480p resolution. Otherwise use the 2inch screen to find best focus then mark that position using white paint or similar as the center/start position. Power on and record fine adjustments at 0.5mm increments + or - from marked center line. Good idea to disable screensaver and review footage on computer to determine best focus position.
Alignment on some sensors can be an issue if image is blurry only on one side or bottom. Loosen the two base screws slightly and align base to limit of shift one direction at a time, keep base from touching surface components.

Conclusion: My original Lens suffered from bottom blur. The improvement of new Lens and metal base was instant and very noticeable. The time and effort invested in this DIY Project was well worth it. I'm not sure Viofo will sell this specific Lens and Sensor combination but they should. If you own the A119 Pro and unhappy with focus or alignment you now have an option.

View RAW Footage

Video Tutorials and Test Footage

This A119 Pro Power Consumption video uses a 5 volt Power Bank to demonstrate the power draw using official 1.32 firmware at 1440P resolution during Normal Recording, Parking Mode Standby and when motion is detected. The A119 Pro uses less power than A129 but more than A119 V2.

My YouTube Videos open in new Tabs
32 Mb/s MOD-1Tm Day Footage
28 Mb/s A129 vs A119 Pro Comparison
26 Mb/s MOD-6Tm Night Footage
26 Mb/s MOD-6Tm Day Footage

Wide Dynamic Range Comparison
Power Consumption Test

Dashcam Setup Tips #2
Dashcam Setup Tips #1
Dashcam A119S Power Consumption
How to use Parking Mode with Power Bank
How to install GPS Mount to windshield
How to align original CPL Filter
How to Format 64/128GB Memory Cards
How to Disassemble Viofo Dashcams
How to Update Official Viofo Firmware
How to Apply EVA Stabilizing Pad
How to Clean GPS Mount Contacts
Should I enable WDR Comparison

Suggested A119 Pro Menu Settings

    Resolution = 2560x1440P 30fps <== always use 1440p for best image quality
    Bitrate = High <== select High for best detail
    Loop Recording = 2 min <== select 2 min Loop for reduced MP4 file size
    Video Format = MP4 <== select TS for crash surviveability or if supercapacitors failed
    Exposure = 0
    WDR = Off <== enable for brighter grainy night video
    Sharpness = Soft/Norm/Sharp <== decide what looks best with your Lens
    Parking Mode = Off <== if wanted select 5fps Time Lapse
    Time-Lapse Recording = Off <== never use when Parking Mode is enabled
    Motion Detection = Off <== never use when Parking Mode is enabled or driving
    GPS = On
    Speed Unit = KMH
    G-Sensor = Low
    LDWS = Off <== never use this useless feature it forces 1080p resolution
    FCWS = Off <== never use this useless feature it forces 1080p resolution
    Date Stamp = On
    GPS Info Stamp = none
    Camera Model Stamp = On
    Record Audio = On
    Boot Delay = 5 sec <== set 10sec for diesel or electric vehicles
    LED = On
    Date/Time = mm/dd/yy
    Time Zone = -4 or (-3/w dst) <== match your region
    Language = English
    Beep Sound = On
    Frequency = 60 Hz <== match your region 50 Hz for Europe
    Image Rotation = Off
    Format <== always Format new memory cards twice then every 2 months
    Format Warning = Off
    Default Setting <== always Reset to Default after updates
    Car Number = blank
    Custom Text Stamp = blank
    Firmware Version

A119 Pro Feedback

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