VIOFO A229 Plus 2CH Front and Rear Dash Cam

What the 2CH kit contains, and what it leaves out

The A229 Plus 2CH is the two-channel version: a front camera with a 2.4-inch LCD that slides onto a mount containing the GPS module, plus a small rear camera. The listing's included-components field lists the front and rear cameras, a 6 m rear camera cable, a rear mount, a 3.5 m car charger, two windshield static stickers, two 3M stickers, a trim removal tool and the GPS module with its sticker. The manual's standard-items page shows the same set.

The manual puts the interior camera and its 1 m cable, the CPL filter, the Bluetooth remote, the HK4 hardwire kit and the microSD card in a separate optional-accessories list. The listing says outright that no SD card is included. So two of the things the headline features depend on, storage and parking power, are not in the box.

What each channel records, and what HDR costs you

VIOFO's specification table gives both channels a Sony STARVIS 2 IMX675 1/2.8-inch 5 MP sensor and lists the dual-channel modes as 2K P60 + 2K P30, 2K P60 21:9 + 2K 21:9, 2K P30 + 2K P30, 2K P30 21:9 + 2K 21:9, and 1080 P30 + 1080 P30. The manual's video-settings page lists the same dual-channel options and adds front-only modes down to 1920x1080P 30fps, plus three-channel modes if you add the interior camera.

Both the listing and the manual carry the same restriction: front 1440P 60fps is not available while HDR is enabled, and with HDR on the frame rate switches to 30fps. The 60fps figure and the HDR figure are alternatives in this camera, not a combination, and HDR is on by default according to the manual.

The two documents describe the lenses differently. VIOFO's table says the front lens is F1.8 with a 140-degree field of view and the rear is F1.9 with 160 degrees. Amazon's technical table lists one field of view, 140 degrees, and a maximum aperture of 1.5 f_stop. We did not find a document reconciling those numbers, so ask VIOFO which applies to the kit you are buying.

The memory card is your purchase, and the manual is specific

The manual states the microSD card is sold separately, must have a Class-10 or UHS-I rating, and that capacity is supported up to 512GB. Amazon's technical table repeats the 512 GB maximum. VIOFO recommends its own industrial-grade microSD cards for extended endurance, and the listing mentions 128GB, 256GB and 512GB options; in both documents that is written as a recommendation, not as a condition of use.

The card must be formatted before first use, to exFAT or FAT32, either in the camera or on a computer, and the manual suggests formatting periodically. There is a Format Reminder setting with Off, 15, 30 and 60 day choices. The manual also says to switch the camera off before inserting or removing the card, because doing it during recording may destroy files.

Recordings are separated by folder: loop and motion files in DCIM\Movie, locked emergency files in DCIM\Movie\RO, parking files in DCIM\Movie\Parking and stills in DCIM\Photo. Filenames end in F, I or R for the front, interior and rear camera, with a P prefix marker for parking footage.

Parking mode needs a hardwire kit that is not included

On the road the camera runs from the supplied 3.5 m car charger into the vehicle's 12V/24V socket, and the specification sheet gives input power as DC 5V/2A. Parking coverage works differently: the manual says parking mode provides surveillance only when the engine is off and a USB Type-C hardwire kit supplies continuous power, and that the kit also protects the car battery from being drained. VIOFO names the HK4 ACC kit and lists it as optional; the listing bullet says the HK4 cable needs to be purchased separately.

There are three parking modes. Auto event detection records a sequence when movement is detected and stops when movement stops, with the listing describing a buffer of 15 seconds before and 30 seconds after an event. Time-lapse records continuously at 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 fps without audio, and the 1 fps setting supports a Super Night Vision option. Low-bitrate records continuously with audio in smaller files.

The settings menu adds an entry timer (parking mode starts immediately when the engine stops, or after 90 seconds), a parking recording timer that can shut the camera down after a set period, a separate parking G-sensor, parking motion detection sensitivity, parking GPS and parking HDR. The manual notes the entry timer only works with a hardwire cable, not with an external battery.

Supercapacitor power, and two different heat figures

VIOFO's specification table gives the power source as a supercapacitor, an operating temperature range of -20C to 65C and a storage range of -20C to 70C. The Amazon title also describes a built-in supercapacitor. The manual does not repeat those numbers.

The manual instead gives an instruction: if you park outside in hot summer it recommends time-lapse recording, and says that if the temperature inside the car goes above 60C you should turn the dashcam off to avoid recording errors or even irreversible damage. Both the 65C rating and the 60C instruction come from VIOFO, in different documents. If you park outdoors in extreme heat, ask VIOFO support which one governs parking mode before you rely on it.

Physical size is also described twice. VIOFO lists the front camera at 2.3 x 3.9 x 1.8 inch and the rear at 2.64 x 1.33 x 1.1 inch; Amazon's measurements field gives 1.7 inch deep by 2.3 wide by 3.9 high. Measure against the space behind your mirror before ordering.

App, GPS, voice control and the warranty window

Wi-Fi is built in on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, set in the menu to Off, 2.4GHz or 5GHz, and VIOFO recommends the 5GHz mode. You connect the phone to the camera's own Wi-Fi network, whose SSID and password appear on the camera's LCD, then open the VIOFO app and choose Connect your camera for live view, file lists, downloads, deletion and settings. Android users get the app from Google Play or an APK on viofo.com, iOS users from the App Store. Neither the listing nor the manual mentions a subscription or an account for any of these functions.

The GPS module is built into the front mount, and the listing describes a quad-mode receiver covering GPS, BEIDOU, GALILEO and GLONASS. The manual says turning the GPS logger off stops speed and position logging and stops automatic time and date sync, and points to Dashcam Viewer for showing position and speed on a computer. Voice control is included but the manual restricts the command language to English, Chinese, Russian or Japanese, with English the only trigger language when the camera's own menu is set to anything else.

On warranty the manual says all products are warranted for 18 months from the date of purchase and all accessories for 12 months, with lifetime technical support, and that registering the product at viofo.com extends the camera from 18 months to 24. VIOFO's product page states 18-month warranty protection on the buy panel, and Amazon's warranty field states 18 months plus 6 registered months. Check the seller and condition of the offer you select, since warranty terms follow the original purchase.